AlGibson

Update and solution. Turbo pipe seems to have been initially caused by worn clips and then the replacement hose not being fitted correctly by myself - I refitted it with a bit of force, resulting in it making some satisfying clunks. So far so good. Oil light - wiring harness has rubbed on the gearbox causing the outer sheath to wear away and the circuit to earth and give a false indication. The two problems were unconnected. Thanks for all your advice and help.

I thought this was worth sharing - it's probably been discussed numerous times before but I think it's worthy of mentioning again. (Mine's an Octavia 2 pre facelift estate.) The outside handle stopped working, the cable had come loose and I could only open the door from inside. To repair you must take the handle off and I struggled to find clear instructions so here goes... - DON'T take the door card off the inside, there's no need, it doesn't get you anywhere other than a drive full of broken trim clips. - You will need a Torx t20 that is long and slim. I tried with a t20 bit in a screwdriver bit holder and couldn't get it to work. I found that a right angled t20 (think of an allen key with a torx end) worked very well. - Open the door, on the edge of door you will see a small grommet that is covering a hole about 8mm in diameter just below the level of the door handle. Access that hole. - Insert the Torx key try and slide it parallel and underneath the end of the door handle, the bit of the handle that doesn't move when you open the car door. You looking for a T20 bolt that fixed to the underside of the handle. I wrongly assumed that the bolt was a grub screw - it's not. I assumed that it was threaded in to the actual handle and was aiming too high. It's actually a fixed bolt that doesn't move but as you wind it, the thread drags a tiny vertical fin or blade fore and aft. The movement of this fin allows you to remove the fixed 'thumb' part of the handle. It's not the easiest of tasks to find this screw but a bit of wiggling should find it. - Unwind (anticlockwise) no more than 12 rotations (I got to 10.5 turns and found that was sufficient to loosen the 'thumb' part) - The smaller end of the door handle should be able to be prised out. It's cast, it looks pretty brittle, be careful you don't drop it. - the end of the cable can be seen - it's black, a resin or plastic with serrated grips that fit in to the corresponding channel in the door handle. Flick it out of the way. - The handle can now be slid towards the open end of the door, pulled away from the door skin and rotated out of the door. The repair took 10-15 minutes, and cost nothing, once I solved the riddle. The mess I created from taking the door panel off will require purchase of new clips and I doubt it'll ever be the same again.

I haven't, it was done last August with the MOT. I saw your post when I was drifting around the forum looking for answer to the issue. I might look at an oil and filter change, it can only do the car some good. I'm hoping that they can do a physical pressure check - I'll certainly ask them to

I had a chat with the local garage yesterday. They changed the oil sensor switch but to no avail, problem still persists. Start the car and leave it idling and running - no light. The light only activates when you begin to drive. The garage don't think it's an oil supply problem, it sounds and drives like it should and there's no way I could have covered the mileage that I have if it was oil pump knackered or a blocked pipe. Light is more likely to show when your cornering or going downhill. Sensor switch wire earthing out somewhere perhaps? No repeat if the hose issue, it's still all connected. I'm monitoring it. That might have been me not getting that installation correct. I'll keep looking for a solution to the oil light.

...... and it might well come to that solution here also!

Yeah strange, I fixed the hose issue (after limping home), drove the car for a couple of weeks or so, several hundred miles and then the oil warning light comes looming into view and causes consternation. It could be coincidental, completely separate issues that have just landed very close together. Owners manual was very brief - just kind of stop and seek professional help - not very easy on an Easter weekend. The car is getting to an age and mileage/condition that I no longer fill the tank! £20 at a time will do for now. My wife's lost confidence in it and is looking to change, I'm desperate to hang on to it, big building project planned and an old knackered car makes trip to the builders merchants and tip so much easier than a new shiny motor that I want to look after. I'll do some digging around owners manuals online and perhaps see if the local garage can offer some sensible advice without charging to pull it apart and tell me it's goosed. Cheers to everyone - your ideas and thoughts are very much appreciated. Al

Cheers Fellas, I'll get back under it and see if I can make a better job of it before I look elsewhere. I limped the car home with the pipe off, about fifteen miles or so. Might that have upset the oil sensor/EGR valve?

Yes - the tabs that pushed in to the intercooler end were worn and no good so I bought a new hose and replaced it. I did wonder if I've not managed to get the pipe correctly seated when I did it (cold day/ramps/working on my back on the drive) and it's popped again.

Cheers MicMac, I'll get out this week and have a look at the valve. OBD?

Morning all, Happy Easter Monday, 2008 Skoda 1.9 Tdi 105bhp, with 180K miles on it. Serviced throughout it's life, albeit it's not cosseted and it's been driven pretty hard and has had a lot of use fully loaded and full of kit. I've got a reoccurring problem, it's blowing an air hose off, front right lower corner between the intercooler and turbo. Drive it gently, it's fine, I managed 500 gentle miles, (keeping the revs around 2200 or less) in a couple of days and all went well but give it the beans out of a junction or up a long hill and it doesn't like it. I can't figure out why - I'm guessing that there should be a waste gate on the turbo system to release any excess pressure? Could that be stuck shut? Secondary fault now apparent, the oil warning lamp is on intermittently. Oil is full, it's not burning any, or leaking any, no loss of power, no loss in performance and no increase in temperature (although the needle fluctuates more than it did). The light flashes most of the time, the alarm sounds occasionally, usually on start up or when the car does anything other than cruise. Sensor? I know should always trust your instruments, I know it said 'STOP' and call for help but circumstances prevented that. Are the two problems related? I've had experience with the similar engine in an Audi A4 (110bhp) and that ran until at least 250K before I got rid and feel a little cheated. Any help or solutions greatly appreciated Many thanks in advance Al