roy@ck

Hello pikpilot, Apologies for the time lapse, but have now had a really good look at the board under an illuminated type magnifier, and can find no signs of corrosion of the soldered joints, contact pins or electrical overload and breakdown. The board on the face of it looks good as new. However, there are a number of integrated circuits on the board and I suppose that there could be an "internal open circuit" somewhere causing the problem. So , I'm thinking it's a replacement/new wiper unit. Many thanks for your contribution, best regards - Roy

Hello pikpilot, Agreed a replacement board as a new spare would be like finding a gold watch in your cornflakes. Have been looking at motor units from breakers and have noted the variants, even when listed with the correct part no for my model. I'll give the board a really close look over under a magnifier, to see if I can find a possible cause. From my previous look at the board, all of the components are of the sub-sub miniature size, like that you'd find on a computer motherboard. You never though I might get lucky and find something fixable! Your advice is very much appreciated, and thank you for your interest, I'll let you know what I find. Many thanks, Roy

Hello J.R. Thank you for your suggestion, I certainly will check the wiring in the tailgate bellows. I'll let you know what I find. Many thanks, Roy

Hello fatfires and pikpilot, I've the same problem with my Octavia Estate, the wiper motor does not work, checked the 15A fuse - OK, checked for 12v at the connector plug (when stalk pushed forward one click - ignition ON) - OK. Disassembled the wiper unit, removed the printed circuit board ( CanBus ? ) from the gearbox housing, applied 12v to the motor - working fully OK. So I'm assuming faulty circuit board - Is this replaceable as a spare or aftermarket - after all somebody is making them for VW? I hate discarding perfectly working mechanisms just because of failing electronics. Any information or Ideas gratefully received. Many thanks - Roy

Hello Everyone, Sorry that it's a couple of years after this item was posted, but I've just had this wiper motor failure happen on my motor, and hope you may have some further info. Like many a child of the late 1940's I too had a Meccano No.3 Set which is probably why I became an engineer. I have looked at the wiper unit and like russ17 removed the printed circuit to reveal the motor terminals. I tested the motor with a 12v supply and the motor and gearbox unit worked perfectly - so I'm thinking that the problem is with the little circuit board. However, the board itself shows no signs of malfunction. Is this component available as a spare part or replaceable part from an aftermarket source? I have checked the wiring in the tailgate and this is OK, with 12v available at the connector when the ignition is ON and the wiper control in the one click forward position - and the tailgate closed. Any ideas anyone, your thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks, Roy

Hello Everyone, I have a 2006 registered (55 Plate) Octavia Estate - Elegance Model - 2.0 ltr TDi, and the high level brake light is not working - there is no current reaching the unit on the yellow/white feed wire. The unit works fine when tested out of the car. I've checked both the yellow/white feed and brown earth wires for continuity back to the loom on the LH D pillar at the light cluster and cannot find a break in either. The lower-level brake lights function normally, so I assume there is no problem with the brake switch (pedal mounted on this model) Anyone had this problem, any help/ideas gratefully appreciated! Many thanks for your interest - Roy

Thank you w.t100 and sepulchrave for your collective advice. I do have a long, thin cold chisel (8mm x 6mm x150mm) which is sharp - so I'll give this a try. Thank you both once again for your interest - best regards - Roy@ck

Thank you w.t100 for your suggestion, do you have any advise on how to break the motor unit, as access is somewhat limited - is it to try and split the casing along the join where it is screw assembled? Best regards - Roy@ck

I'm working on my my son's terrific Mk 1 1.9TDi (2004) which has failed the MOT Test on a central locking fault. The OSR passenger door will not open from either inside or out. Work carried out thus far; Completely stripped out the door of it's "card" and regulator control/mounting panel. Tried, pulling the remote cable which connects to the internal door handle. Tried, pushing back the remote operating rod, which connects to the door capping button. Tried, re-setting the lock mechanism "re-set" spring and operating the lock release lever from inside the door. Operated the central locking by keyfob, whilst tapping the locking mechanism quite hard with a 4oz hammer, to see if shock/vibration in the motor body might induse operation. Could feel some slight operating vibration as if some movement was taking place, but lock didn't unlock. Soundwise, louder when "locking", lesser when "unlocking" or not as in this case. Tried, unplugging the power connector ( black body, blue interior ) from the motor, but plug won't let go and can't find the usual tag or security device. Has anyone had this problem and found a fix or come across a sneeky way to release the deadlock. Your collective experience would be much valued. Best regards everyone - Roy@ck

Hello Fatboy40, Just dropped in on the end of this, and whilst I agree with many of the contributors with regard to fitting another engine, it's what I would do, look at a re-con "short engine" and re-fit all your other bits to it (after all you've looked after them well). But at 102K miles this is no distance for an engine of this type. If I have understood your story, you say your engine let go in the "garage" which I assume is a commercial enterprise - possibly a dealership. Question - what the hell were they doing with it, con-rods don't usually let go at tick over as it were, it must have been revving sum to do this. What justification did the garage management give for the incident. I think if this had happened to me - I'd be apoplectic with rage, and would still be incandecent a fortnight later, and looking at the small claims court.

Hi there, I had this on my Octavia Estate, have a look at my post it might save you replacing the hubs.

Hello cbanwellclode, I like your practical tip for finding the leak on the condensor panel. I too have an aircon fault diagnosed by the main dealer as a leaking condensor, and your tip will hopefully confirm where the leak is, as the dealer gave no real detail other than it's going to cost £ 521.- to repair. Many thanks for the tip again - can't think why I didn't think of this myself though - but that's why we use this very friendly forum.

In common with many other drivers, I've got a problem with my ABS. It started as an intermittent fault indicated on the dashboard along with the ASR, which soon became a permanent feature on start-up. Had a look at the system with a diagnostic tool which indicated a fault somewhere on the offside rear wheel. The car was due in at the main dealer for a test on the air-conditioning system, so I asked them to take a look at the ABS as well. On the ABS the word came back that the OSR wheel bearing was worn out and needed replacing along with the sensor which had been damaged by the excess play in the bearing. That will be £ 306.- (together with £ 521.- to fix the air-con), a short discussion followed, I paid £ 50.- diagnosis fee, and took the car away. Now, last June I had renewed the discs, pads and stone guards on all four wheels, which meant in the case of the rear axle removing the hubs. Naturally checked the bearings which were perfect then, with absolutely no play, and are still the same now. The hubs spin with no audible noise that would be associated with a worn bearing. And at 75k miles you would'nt expect bearing wear to be present - not on today's vehicles anyway. Decided to strip down the OSR to do the usual thing of replace the sensor. Couldn't do a continuity test on the sensor because the tester probes weren't thin enough to get into the socket (must get something better from Maplin). Thought that if the hub was out of the way it would make removal of the sensor that much easier. In the event the sensor was seized solid, but didn't look chewed on the end as I was led to believe it would be. On removal of the hub and bearing, noticed that the reluctor ring (which in this case looks like a rubber ring with an imprinted segmented pattern on the face) appears to be bio-degrading with many cracks in the pattern and small bits coming away. So I'm now thinking that the problem is a new reluctor ring / sensor combination. Anyway whilst I'm here I'll give the hub bearing shield-ring face a clean along with the stub-axle carrier, and a bit of WD40 around the sensor ready for when it could have to come out. Put the hub back, as I needed to use the car the next day, meantime thought I'd look on the Forum for replacement reluctor rings and if there was a known problem with the "rubberised variety", and if I should be looking to up-grade all the rings with something else. Anyway, took the car out the next day - and the problem appears to have gone away. No ABS warning light after initial start-up and no ASR light either. Ran the car at speed, up to 85 mph, 20 minute run all Ok. Can it be the case that all that was needed was a clean? Because all I did was remove a little dirt from the bearing shield ring / reluctor ring recess (as much as anything to get the FAG part no.) Had I been less familier with the vehicle and more trusting of the main dealer, this would have cost me £ 300.-(admittedly there would be new parts and some kind of warranty), but I think there is also another moral here, the main dealer customer car park was the clearest that I had ever seen it - practically empty - perhaps I should have taken note!

Hello erindad and many thanks for your reply, Yes sorry about the mixed references, I did mean the condensor unit mounted front of the radiator. This car is an 05 model, so I imagine it will be the same as your 06 Octavia. Thank you for the advanced warning regards bracket positioning etc, it's things like this that you don't find out until after. I'll take extra care in the strip down to make sure everything goes back straight. Many thanks for your insight, and I'll search out the post. Got a price for a new condensor from VWAG-TPS at about £222 plus VAT - Think I'll have a look on-line once I've got the make and part no. off the original condensor. Once again thank you for your help.

Hello all, had the air-conditioning system recharged in February this year by local main dealer. System not cooling in the recent warm weather, returned vehicle to main dealer to have it checked. Now informed by dealership that the air-conditioning condensor plate is leaking and will need to be replaced at a cost of £ 531.00. I can get a new panel from TPS or probably a little cheaper elsewhere (haven't really looked yet), and fitting looks straight forward enough - according to the Haynes manual, although it looks like you have to take half the front end off to do it. Am I correct in assuming that if the gasses have leaked away, I'm not going to be committing any cardinal sin in changing the panel myself, and subsequently getting the system recharged by a specialist refrig engineer. Or am I risking damaging the entire system and should I leave well alone. Has anyone done this job themselves. Either way a fine mesh is going to be fitted inside the lower air intake, just in case this is stone damage. I'm thinking black "Expamet" should do the job. Advice from the collective will be most welcome, thanks

I've been reading your posts with great interest, 35mpg at 70 mph in sixth gear, mmmmm. My 2ltr engine ( 85K ) doesn't like sixth gear at low speed, fourth or fifth would give a better fuel figure for me, up around the 55 - 60 mark. Just a thought - have you tried the same test running in fourth and then running in fifth to see what figures you get? Just a thought.

Hi there guys, pastiche I think that you are very fortunate to have been treated so by your dealer. I have an aircon problem with it not cooling. In February of this year, left car with my local dealership for an aircon service / recharge, which they duly carried out, and charged for. This was done in preparation for one of those blisteringly hot springs that we get! Don't want to be caught out by an early summer. Anyway when the blistering temperature did arrive, the cooling didn't materialise. It had been two months and the car had travelled 500 miles since the work was done. Took the car back to Winchester Motor Co. Ltd and they diagnosed the problem as "leaking air con condensor" - with a new unit required at a cost of £521.--. Now the cynic in me is screeming - I bet all they did was to regas the system without bothering to check for leaks - and as far as the paperwork goes - just ticked all the boxes as checked. So unless your motor is under some kind of skoda warranty - I think you've been very fortunate - and good luck to you. Haven't had the aircon repaired yet, I'm considering replacing the condensor panel myself - or should I be making a complaint to my dealer over suspected faulty practice - or is there a known problem with Showa condensor panels?

Hello everyone, my name is Roy, I'm officially retired. My working life was in engineering design and in later years, structural timber design and manufacture. My car is a 2005 Octavia MkII (1Z) Elegance Estate with the 2.0L Turbo Diesel engine fitted with 6 speed manual gearbox. I don't trust garages (I was shown the ways of the garage world by my father-in-law many years ago!), and I prefer to do all maintenance and servicing, where possible myself. The Octavia is a nice steady car with good performance and a "positive feel" when under way - whether your pushing it or not - It can be fun and I like it. At some time I'd like to build a "Kit-Car", might even think about hill climbing with and old Octavia, modified and stripped out for the purpose. Thinking about it!