Nepomuk

Whilst I greatly appreciate the helpful information, it does seem to me that all that faff just to save £20 (ebay) or so isn't really worth it. You still have to take the tailgate internal panels to bits, so you might as well just fit a complete new brake light unit to get another ten years or so of service life.

Would a spare wheel from a Mk 1 Octy fit a Mk 2? The Mk 1 has a plain steel spare for a car with 16" alloys. The Mk 2 has 17" Pallas wheels and the usual get-you-home can of gunk (no spare wheel).

Probably worth taking the door card off: the handle fixing should then be obvious.

Pics would help!

Is there any future in applying gentle heat using a hair dryer, before using the dental floss?

Exactly my point, It's not a comprehensive list. What you meant, but did not write, was "the Octavia Mk2 if fitted with steel wheels came with either 6Jx15 ET47 or 6.5Jx16 ET50 rims.

This photo might be some help

That's not a comprehensive list, is it? My Mk2 Octy has 17" Pallas alloys.

Don't give up. There is a procedure on this forum for attacking exactly this problem on a Mk 1 Octy. I can confirm it works, as we used it on my duaghter's 2004 model.

Mine is factory original.

Same as mine - in all respects.

Can you physically open the door? I believe that the MoT doesn't require the door to be lockable, just that you can close it, and get out from inside using the handle.

My 12 plate Octy has a Bolero system complete with Bluetooth for phone, but not for anything else. If you want music, that's what the SD card is for. Bear in mind this is ten year old technology!

Brilliant job by the OP, Dean: thank you! Both the rear doors on my daughter's Mk I Octy were deadlocked shut. The method shown in pictures worked like a dream. A few points I would make: (1) Definitely get hold of the trim removal tools first, but don't be frightened to use a screwdriver when necessary. (2) Make a colour printout of the instructions - the pictures will be much easier to see and understand. (3) Wind the window all the way down before disconnecting the switch. (4) No need for a dremel or similar to expose the cog: we drilled a few holes in the plastic casing and chopped a window into it with a small pair of offset wire cutters. (5) Having done one door, the other one was very easy, because we knew exactly what to look for. (6) We found that the door card clips popped apart (they are in two parts) with minimal damage, but when replacing the card, fit both parts of each clip to the door, then fasten the card in place with the Torx screws.

Found this thread at the weekend when looking for a cure for a problem on my Octy II with DSG. Everything electrical worked with the ignition on, but it wouldn't start. I got a few spurious messages on the dash display, including "select P or N" (it was already in 'P'). Used jump leads from my wife's car (Octy III) and it fired up straight away. Fifty miles later and everything is fine. I've reached the conclusion that the nearly 10 years old battery needs mending with a new one.