Superb 2 - failing to start and cutting out without warning

[geoffyhil]

We have a Superb 2 Elegance 170 CRD which has a problem that the local dealer cannot solve and I'm looking for advice on what steps I shoud take to resolve it, or indeed, what it might be.

About 3 months ago the car wouldn't start when in our garage, and after a dozen abortive attempts I called the RAC. They couldn't get it to start, but their diagnostic tool didn't indicate any problem. Eventually the RAC man allowed the starter to keep turing, and after several minutes, the engine fired. It then re-started several times without hesitation.

I took the car to my local dealer, who kept it in and ran a full set of diagnostics, which failed to discover any problem. Subsequently the car never failed to start and didn't miss a beat until last Saturday.

Then, whilst we were driving, the engine cut out without any warning, and would not re-start. I again called out the RAC, who again checked with their diagnostic tool and found no problem. However, on this occasion, turning the starter motor for an extended time failed to get the engine to fire. As we were broken down at a busy junction, the RAC towed the car to a nearby garage. When I 'phoned the garage on Moday to see if they'd had a chance to look at the car, they told me that it had started without hesitation the first time that they had tried it, and several times subsequently. 

I therefore collected the car, and took it to my local dealer, who were extremely helpful, involving the service manager and workshop foreman. However, the only advice that they could offer was to have the full set of diagnostics run again, although warning me that they could not think of a likely cause, and if this is an intermittent fault (as it obviously is) this might not provide a route to the problem.

I have contacted Skoda, explaining that I'm perfectly happy to pay for any investigation or remedial work, if there is a high probability of the problem being identifed and fixed. I am currently awaiting their response.

We have now rather lost confidence in the car, as you can understand that driving it is now not a relaxing experience! Sadly, we feel that if the problem cannot be identfied and fixed, we'll have no option but to change tha car, which would be a pity, as it ticks all the boxes for us. 

We'd be extremely grateful therefore for any suggestions as to what the problem might be, or on the course of action to identify it.

[Mr Ree]

Flummoxed on that one tbh.

No warning lights displaying presumably?

 

Hate faults like this, as I'm sure you do more so.

The perils of modern cars and technology ey?

Probably be some tiny phoo phoo valve that's intermittently  sticking somewhere within the bowels.

[Too Tall]

Going to be difficult determining the cause of that problem if even diag doesn't find anything.

 

What happens when the car cuts out, do you lose all electricity or is it just the engine stalling?

[GaSelle]

It´s TDI, not CRD (it´s not a KIA, is it? ).

 

I have heard of similar cases, where the EGR valve was the problem. It gets clogged in soot, not allowing it to move freely. It doesn´t necesseraly throw a fault code. If the EGR valve is stopped in open position, that will give you symptoms as you describe.

[jonnie5]

CRD stands for common rail diesel as opposed to the older pd (pumpe duse) model

Sent from my Windows Phone 8X by HTC using Tapatalk

[JakeBlade]

How many miles has the car done?

 

When was the fuel filter last changed?

 

When the car dies, does it just cut out, or does it stutter/mis-fire in some way before dying?

[The Ships Cat]

Another vote for the fuel filter, had very similar fault on mine and replacing the fuel filter cleared problem.

[Mr Ree]

Hadn't thought of that tbh.

Good shout.

 

He's going to come back and tell us it was replaced recently now, you watch.  :(

 

Haven't used any cheapo bio diesel have you by chance  :wonder:

 

I did in a C4 Hdi a few years ago, and it gave me no end of problems.

NEVER again.

Edited 22 May, 2014 by Mr Ree

[geoffyhil]

Grateful thanks for all your comments and suggestions!

To supply the information requested -

1) When it cuts out it does so without any misfiring or hesitation, no warning lights come on, and it doesn't lose electric power. 

2) To the best of my knowledge I've never put any form of bio-diesel in the tank.

3) It's just completed 60,000 miles, with the cambelt and water pump changed at 40,000.

4) I don't know when the fuel filter was last changed, but it has been serviced to the Skoda schedule (annually) by a main dealer (always the same one).

5) I'll take the suggestions of the EGR valve and fuel filter to the dealer.

Thanks again.

[mjwman]

I was with you until we got to the cutting out.

On my previous motor an Octavia11 2.0tdi. I had it for 8 years and in that time it failed to start on about 6 occasions and churning away eventually got it going. No fault code shown. New fuel filter, no change.

Eventually my future son in law who conveniently owns Total VAG in Leighton Buzzard came up with starter motor.

Mine was running 50 rpm under spec.

Changed it and had no more problems in the couple of years after until I got the Superb this year.

Got a new battery at the same time as a precaution.

Just a thought.

[geoffyhil]

Thanks again for the helpful comments and suggestions - I've passed them on to the local dealer, and also to Skoda (who contacted me to ask for details of the symptoms, etc). Hopefully the technical people at Milton Keynes will come up with a course of action, and when they do, I'll keep you posted.

[bmouthcabbie]

Hi Geoff

Sound like I might have a problem very similar to yours and was wandering if you got anything else back from skoda?

Also if anyone can suggest anything to it would come in handy as it looks like I'm reaching a dead end.

I'e got 2l CR diesel engine 160000 miles on the clock Skoda Superb 2011

Driving along today it cut off without any prior warnings :( for a second i had the spring like light on the dash and engine fault message on the matrix but nothing after. Trying to restart the engine will spin but no start. I had AA recovering me and their diag gave low fuel pressure and after checking all fusees and some sensors on the top of the engine went onto checking the fuel pump underneath the back seat... as no fuel was coming trough he concluded that the fuel pump could be faulty and took the car to my garage to be looked into it. My mechanic checked it since and he said that the pump was working but the fuel coming out looks funny (the AA guy mentioned that it was a strange smell as well) and he run it of a separate fuel line but no luck. After reading some other posts that I thought might be connected,  I need to add that the DPF light came on a couple of times in the last 6 months but both times has been cleared on its own after taking the car down on the motorway and reving it up to 4,5k revs. Last time it happened was about a month ago. I've used only regular Tesco diesel fuel and the fuel filter was changed about 12k miles ago. Running out of options :(

Any suggestions would be appreciated 

[dfsuperb]

@geoffyhil I know this is an old post and you may not have the car anymore but did you ever get to solve that problem ?

I have nearly the exact same thing as you describe ...

Thanks

 

On 5/27/2014 at 20:56, geoffyhil said:

Thanks again for the helpful comments and suggestions - I've passed them on to the local dealer, and also to Skoda (who contacted me to ask for details of the symptoms, etc). Hopefully the technical people at Milton Keynes will come up with a course of action, and when they do, I'll keep you posted.

 

[Roots Supercharger]

Some years ago, out of the blue, my 2009 CR EOS would not start, turned over OK but no sign of starting. I disconnected the battery for a few minutes then reconnected it and the car started first time. If you turned off the engine it would not restart unless you first disconnected/reconnected the battery. I swapped over the  relay  which is located in the front middle of the under bonnet fuse box (marked 100 on it's top) with an identical one from my 2009 SKODA and the starting problem was transferred to the SKODA.

This relay has a electrical anti spike resistor fitted across it's energizing coil to dampen out any electrical spike on de-energizing. This resistor did not work and therefore the relay was upsetting the other electronics in the car when you turned the ignition off. Replacing the relay cured the starting problem.

[gianthotdog]

Mine did very similar.

 

lots of head scratching and out of warranty.

 

I replaced the battery as it was getting on a little. It solved the problem.

 

It it has never happened since.

[Geoffyhil2]

We still have the Superb, and have decided to keep it to infinity and beyond, despite having no idea what caused the problem! Our local dealership, aided by Skoda, tried every suggestion that was made through this forum, and some other ideas that they came up with, all to no avail. Finally, as we were going to be away for over a month, the dealership asked if we'd leave the car with them so that they could test it at random intervals and try to replicate the fault, and find the solution that way. This did not throw up anything useful, but they did suggest that I drive the car a little more quickly from time to time, when conditions permitted. I admit that I am a somewhat sedate driver, and my wife remarked, correctly, that on the occasion that we were brought back on a tow-truck, it was probably the fastest that our car had travelled since we had acquired it! Anyway, I tried this piece of advice, and from that day, we have never experienced the fault. I'm sorry that I can't offer a better explanation or solution, but that's all there is. 

[justg]

On 15/03/2018 at 11:29, Roots Supercharger said:

Some years ago, out of the blue, my 2009 CR EOS would not start, turned over OK but no sign of starting. I disconnected the battery for a few minutes then reconnected it and the car started first time. If you turned off the engine it would not restart unless you first disconnected/reconnected the battery. I swapped over the  relay  which is located in the front middle of the under bonnet fuse box (marked 100 on it's top) with an identical one from my 2009 SKODA and the starting problem was transferred to the SKODA.

This relay has a electrical anti spike resistor fitted across it's energizing coil to dampen out any electrical spike on de-energizing. This resistor did not work and therefore the relay was upsetting the other electronics in the car when you turned the ignition off. Replacing the relay cured the starting problem.

It seems that replacing "100" relay solved the problem, yes?

[Roots Supercharger]

Yes, changing the relay cured the problem, the car is running and starting as it should. I now carry a spare just in case.

[justg]

@Roots Superchargerthank you!