mydadscar

Bris24.......I wonder though if that would cause concern with possible car insurance claims

…..I hope people did get that amount but I’ve seen several people’s reports saying they received just £350 from that £2K + payout, adding they wonder if the ‘kindly’ lawyers have kept the rest!

You misunderstood me….from my earlier post in this thread I was not saying I would give my local MP a donation or pay his expenses. I stated that since the VW scam I had emailed his office demanding government action towards payouts….he told me the government where aware of and where dealing with the situation.

Doh! I’ll have to email my local MP again!

Were those payments a real thing?

Yes, after the scandal broke there were some, myself to a degree, who didn’t really take to the fact of having to get the retro fit to be ‘cleaner’ meant having the car seen to. However, my car proves it’s okay. My previous car was a petrol Astra 1.6 auto and that only returned 30-40 maximum on any run, so my theory is I’m using much less fuel and therefore I’m not as pollutant ! im very annoyed that overseas owners of VW, Skoda, Audi I believe have had payments made to them. I chased my local MP (Con…as in con!) who provided info saying the government were onto it. This has all gone very quiet now and methinks nothing will come of it.

Yes it had the VW scandal emission retro ‘refit’…..curiosity asks why you reckon not? …..but the car broke down some months after and had a new injector (no 1) at cost to Skoda…..no refund for work lost that day!

I hope this can help anyone with car alarm siren problems....mine was driving me mad! My car had been developing intermittent alarm siren problems. I scoured this forum and saw info about replacing the internal batteries in the sealed unit, requiring prizing open the sealed type unit. (Last weekend I was in Torquay, it was hot and whether this was a factor the alarm could not 'bleating' after several minutes from locking. This was much worse than ever before). Due to the car's age and mileage (110000) I deferred to replacing the unit as I'm not up to working much on my car. The breakdown was close to £188 from VW and my kindly mechanic only charged me £30 to take the wheel and arch 'covers' off, release the unit and replace with the new one. With vat it was about £259. If you are able to do it it will save the mechanics fee. All now seems good with the alarm. Here are pics for anyone interested of the old unit which easily sits in your hand and probably weighs less than my iPhone. My mechanic says they now have watch batteries as a power source ?! There is visible evidence of leakage from the batteries on one solder point from battery to the board. Some leakage got onto my arm and caused a slight 'burning' sensation so it had definitely been leaking which I assume after 12 years would be reasonable to expect. Therefore I would say don't buy a second hand one! Pics of the old unit.....the newer units have a different letter in the code now.

My diesel 2011 Skoda Octavia 1.6tdi at 110000 miles shows me up to an 'average' 76mpg on an easy levelish run in good weather ! (A3 in Surrey). Normally it gets around 60-65mpg and a bit less if loaded up and in winter and around 50+ for short trips near home. These are 'averages' only set across driving conditions, load in the car and your right foot My car had a new fuel pump and filter (Bosch) and new Glowplugs recently but that appears to have made mileage just a little better perhaps. I'm pretty sure your Air Con needs power from the engineto operate which may reduce your mpg but honestly, with mine switched on I'm getting well over 60mpg on a good road. (Maybe you could also check the fuel filter maybe which is sitting within easy reach on the left side as you open the bonnet under a bolted cover....its a cheap part to replace).

Thanks.

Yes I've just been looking up about the battery and its life span....I'll mention it to my mechanic on the next service. I've never heard of this battery problem from anyone so interesting. Thanks.

Thanks John....thats something else to remember then!

Never knew the alarm had a built in battery…is this a late Reg model or early like mine which is 2011.

Thanks Radiogaga....it certainly has been, I was looking at further Skoda adverts! I know just a tiny bit more about car mechanics now but its more than obvious that auto diagnostics play a big part for mechanics now and a cars electrical system doesn't always show the real problem!

It appears at last the car is running/starting okay. With a new fuel tank pump, both engine housed relay and under dashboard relay replaced and new battery, then the glowplugs (car was at 110000 miles) and....ridding the mice that had subsequently set up home, eating some of the battery cover! (The alternator was working fine). Replacing ALL of these and then deciding to replace the glowplugs although on test they were 'okay', I had read there is a faint possiblility that an internal shorting in a plug can occur....hence maybe my battery always going flat? No problem with the battery now. Start up is fine and driving the circuit where the car faltered in the past uphill has been okay. Heres hoping then.

I'll add some more below but yes Radiogaga, there were issues with the battery losing power....more below.

Continuing the sage....... The first fuel tank replacement pump worked and the car went but after a few days, the fuel pump started 'whining' so a replacement (Bosch) was installed (got my money back from the first replacement) This one has worked fine. Then problems again with start up and flat battery. An auto electrician with the full monty diagnostic kit found the engine bay relay that sends to the under dashboard relay to be dodgy, on close inspection it was seen to have corrosion 'leaking' out of its capsule. A new one was installed and the car went well.....for a few days! The fairly new battery however has been sometimes loingt all its stored power needing a recharge at the garage. Thoughts being that a short is happening within the electrics somewhere. Once recharged and 20 mins into a main road trip the glowplug alert came up on the dash, the car slightly jerked as the auto run came into play, allowing me to turn around and drive home with a modicum of power. A new set of glowplugs were installed (Car mileage at 110.000 miles so very possibly due anyway). Again so far the car is performing okay. I have read online that it is possible for glowplugs can 'short out internally', maybe causing a power drain on the batterry when parked. I'm almost a fully blown mechanic myself now (not really!) but have never had so many niggling problems over four months. ps....during all this we found evidence of mice having been in the engine bay eating the battery cover, cable covering and the underside of the engine noise retarding cover! One mouse recovered from a trap. Mechanic has a set of replacement parts for Mercs as mice really like merc wiring!

Prevoius post typo.....should have read ....."The FUEL" relay......I am not sure what number relay you mean and I can't find a relay anywhere for £2.

The fuely relay has just been changed....£2 each, not so sure about that from Skoda? Do you mean Relay or Fuse?

car ‘Chime’ 40.m4a

Ongoing problem still……I have uncovered the relays (as previously pictured) under the steering column. I’ve checked all the relays are firmly seated. Since the AA came (and the car started for him!) the car has started up okay. This morning it wouldn’t start so I checked relays again and it still wouldn’t start. I then (ignition off) tried to find any loose wires going into the rear of the relay system and the car started. Now to wait until the car won’t go and repeat that particular move. Meanwhile the ‘chimes’ when unlocking still sound off, between 5 and 8 seconds…maybe an indicator of something wrong? The car is booked for the garage next week when I’m told an auto electrician with a full diagnostic programme that can trace when and why the car has failed to start will be attending.

Must say....totally confusing trying to find out any information (and Skoda UK won't help). Okay, I'm now told by a mechanic from the AA that the 'controller' is not in line immediately off the pump on my car but actually bolted onto the engine upper area where the fuel feed is located. I'v also taken off the covers under the steering wheel to get at the relays, the relay for the fuel pump was recently replaced. I'm checking because I'm reading up on how the female retaining pins may work loose/burn out a bit and cause bad connection but again, all photos I find of the Mk2 relays look different to my relays, and the number J49 or 449 is not in my relays.

Thanks but....I wasn't clear with my question....I meant what was socket 30 and 87? My relays under the steering column in my right hand drive are different to any other photos I can find so I'm all over the place trying to verify which is the relay for my 2011 1.6tdi.

What did you mean by ...."paper clip in 'socked 30 and 87'".....thanks

My car....Octavia 2011 reg....1.6tdi.....Ongoing starting problems driving me crazy...and my mechanic! Where is the fuel pump CONTROLLER situated please. On raising the back seat and carpet and then the (fuel pump) cover, I only see the top of the new Bosch fuel pump, connecting wired module box, it is a new fuel pump but still not working. Banging the tank helped start it sometimes but now its not running again. If there is another connection I'd like to trace it. It 'seems' a loose connection may well be the problem here. Thanks