Hi all,

On Friday evening I pulled into a layby and let the engine idle while I made a phone call and then wrote a text message. Before I finished my text message I got three warning lights after a minute or so of idling.

In the early hours of this morning (Sunday) I was waiting while a mate of mine went into another mate's house to pick up a CD. Again I let the engine idle and again, after a minute or so, I got the same warning lights.

The warning lights were:

- yellow ABS light

- yellow ESP light

- red brake system light

In both cases I have turned the engine off. I then turn the engine back on again when I am ready to go again and the warnings don't reappear.

I can only suppose that something needs looking at here. The vehicle is a '61' plate (DOFR 28-Oct-2011) and therefore still under warranty so I shouldn't have to pay for the work. However I have only had the vehicle 4 weeks so am surprised to get something like this so soon.

In both cases I was resting my foot on the brake pedal but also had the handbrake part of the way up. But does anyone out there have any idea exactly what the cause of the fault - which has not yet occurred when I have been driving - might be?

Cheers,

Dave

Edited 19 May, 201313 yr by DaveHarries

Dunno, but a mate got done for using his phone in a layby with the engine still running as although it was stationary, somehow he was technically still in charge of a moving vehicle, so that's one to not be caught out on!

Dunno, but a mate got done for using his phone in a layby with the engine still running as although it was stationary, somehow he was technically still in charge of a moving vehicle, so that's one to not be caught out on!

Really sounds a bit far fetched. Ticket? Court? Which layby?

Really sounds a bit far fetched. Ticket? Court? Which layby?

I know a guy who got a ticket for using his phone while pulled over in a layby with the engine running, but handbrake on and gearshift in Park. He wasn't happy to say the least. I also know a number of police officers, and when I tell them the above story they say it's possible, but would take a "particular brand of tool" to issue a ticket for the above.

Anyway, back to the topic......I wonder when sitting at idle for a period while resting your foot on the brake actually depleted the Vacuum reserve used to operate the brakes. With the engine at idle, vacuum production is low....especially on a diesel as they use an engine driven vacuum pump.

A VCDS scan would be the next step to see if there is anything recorded.

It is still under warranty take it to a dealer.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Faulty or dirty abs sensor, possibly from rust gettting thrown off the abs control ring, if your has tpms that light would show up too.

The car is doing a system check, this is what the garage will tell you and it is safe to drive.

Thanks all for your replies. Will get a garage to look at it to be on the safe side.

Dave

How on earth can he be done for being in charge of a moving vehicle when parked up, not moving? Especially when a lay-by is not on the carriageway?

It's down to an unfortunate technicality. The law states it is only permissible to use a mobile phone in a vehicle if you need to dial 999 and it is unsafe or impractical to stop, of if the vehicle is safely parked.

The definition of safely parked means stopped with the handbrake applied and the engine turned off.......I still maintain it would take a particular low breed of police officer (a Git) to ticket you for using a phone when safely stopped but with the engine running.

I rang my local Skoda garage this afternoon (21st May) and the nice young-sounding lady I spoke to said they had no free slots in the workshop before 29th May so I have booked it in for 9am on that morning.

Dave

Really sounds a bit far fetched. Ticket? Court? Which layby?

It's the law as it stands, so the PC was correct.

Your vehicle must not have the engine on and must be safely parked.

It's the law as it stands, so the PC was correct.

Your vehicle must not have the engine on and must be safely parked.

I know the law but its all about common sense isnt it?

Its against the law to do 71mph on a motorway but common sense dictates people dont get prosecuted for doing it.

I know the law but its all about common sense isnt it?

Its against the law to do 71mph on a motorway but common sense dictates people don't get prosecuted for doing it.

When you introduce performance related pay and targets (Previous government too btw), then if an officer need to hit a number, they will hit that number.

At the end of the day, the guy could be done for doing that and the previous poster was just warning him.

When you introduce performance related pay and targets (Previous government too btw), then if an officer need to hit a number, they will hit that number.

At the end of the day, the guy could be done for doing that and the previous poster was just warning him.

Police are not on performance related pay.

The culprit could report the Policeman for not doing him for using his phone whilst the Engine was running

The policeman may have been covering his back. :yes:

Police are not on performance related pay.

They do have performance targets though. Kinda explains why my town has had speed traps for the last 4 weeks - including "beat" cops with speed guns

Do they really ? I have been to many performance meetings in my 16 years in the police and catching speeders and issuing tickets has never been discussed once. It's simply not a priority performance wise.

Generally speed traps are set up because local residents have complained about speeding.

I haven't seen a traffic officer in years. I see plenty of folk on their phones driving one handed.

Generally speed traps are set up because local residents have complained about speeding.

Usually it's the locals that get caught too lol

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There were police of various ranks on TV only a couple of weeks back saying they now had targets to hit and a number of "points" to collect, where you got a number of points for each "crime" you prevented or handled.

That sounds like a performance target to me. As for pay, well what happens on the promotions if you don't make your targets

Do they really ? I have been to many performance meetings in my 16 years in the police and catching speeders and issuing tickets has never been discussed once. It's simply not a priority performance wise.

Generally speed traps are set up because local residents have complained about speeding.

Couldnt comment on Durham ed209, however they do here - used to be Strathclyde, now police Scotland.

Its either income generation or hitting targets.Might be both I suppose

Obviously its wrapped up and packaged as a road safety campaign but FFS, 4 weeks in the one area. The annoying thing was that many were in the old favourites, brow of hill, hiding under flyover but not actually a "blackspot" for accidents. Maybe I'm just a cynic...

There were police of various ranks on TV only a couple of weeks back saying they now had targets to hit and a number of "points" to collect, where you got a number of points for each "crime" you prevented or handled.

That sounds like a performance target to me. As for pay, well what happens on the promotions if you don't make your targets

"crime" being the operative word.

Yes there are targets but traffic offences are not one of them. Also hitting targets has nothing to do with getting promoted. Being a great theif taker is likely not to get you promoted, think about it. If you managed a pit you dont want to move the miner who mines the most coal day in day out into an office to shuffle paper around.

Accrding to the Home secretary preventing crime is our only target.

Really sounds a bit far fetched. Ticket? Court? Which layby?

It happens, no need to sound so dismissive of it all just cos you're a copper. As a fireman, theoretically we're supposed to charge about £250 to force entry into someone's house unless there's one of a few specific reasons, but it CAN and does happen. Common sense usually prevails, but I'm at least open to the fact that some people DO charge!

It happens, no need to sound so dismissive of it all just cos you're a copper. As a fireman, theoretically we're supposed to charge about £250 to force entry into someone's house unless there's one of a few specific reasons, but it CAN and does happen. Common sense usually prevails, but I'm at least open to the fact that some people DO charge!

Really? I am quite suprised at that.

The fire brigade up here normally call the police to force entry (i kid you not) unless something is obviously ablaze. How i am going to force entry with my bare hands easier than a lorry load of burly blokes with specialist tools is a question i have never quite worked out the answer too.

I have always suspected its due to 2 reasons 1) so that the bill for the damage comes out of somebody elses budget 2) because they cant be bothered with the hassle of arranging someone to secure the property and hanging around whilst it gets done.

I am always sceptical of stories such as my mate got a tictet for this or that because usually it turns out to be an urban myth. If someone can show me evidence of this ticket being issued or the location it was issue in then i will happily change my view.

Edited 24 May, 201313 yr by ed209

Right. A brief update on this.

Work commitments meant I had to book the SE in at 0830 but no matter. Got a call from the garage (Blade Skoda, Feeder Road, Bristol) at 11:20am saying that they had looked at the car and discovered that the ABS pump (I think she said) needed replacing. They advised that they can get one in and have it ready tomorrow so I have left the Octavia with the garage overnight. It is under warranty so no matter.

I am surprised that the ABS pump has gone already when the vehicle is under 2 years old (DoFR 28-Oct-2011 so '61' plate) and I have only had it 5 weeks! I will presumably get the invoice with more detail for the work when I pick the car up and I will go into detail as to what is on that document tomorrow evening.

Dave