BristolPete

When you have seen the remains (or lack of them) of someone who bought a state of the art electric car and paid for it with their life it does tend to focus the mind. Yes I have a belt cutter/window breaker, but I've never tried one out so I have no real idea how they work, which probably makes them useless in a crisis. Using this method could also make for a very expensive shopping trip. I am impressed by you guy (who from your confidence in them) have tried them out, and given their partners/children the same chance, so that this design issue isn't a safety concern. Did you test it once or do you do an evacuation drill every year, as one has to by law with a building where you only have to walk through an unlocked door. What does your insurance company make of this? Can I come round and test one out on your rig? I think this is a serious problem. I value my family being alive more than I fear someone stealing my car, and I know that I wouldn't want to have to have them identified them from dental records.

I have a 2011 Octavia estate, and I am really concerned by this post and some of the self-righteous answers to it. No, no one would probably chose to be locked in a car, but it can happen. I did this this afternoon. I went to pay for parking, and I think that as I got my phone out of my pocket to pay, I must have pressed the keys and my wife was locked in. You now have a potentially lethal situation. What happens if your sat next to an electric car whose battery cascades (as they do) and it's going off next to you. There is no way you can get out. You will laterally fry to death because of a software bug. I have tried pressing the lock button on the central console and nothing happens. Cars are recalled for far less than this. It is a major safety issue, and needs to be addressed. Do you remember how they changed the doors on every fridge in the world because little kids were getting stuck inside and suffocating - the fridge makers were forced to have social responsibility, so why are car makers exempt from this safety coercion (we all know VW/Skoda don't naturally have any morals so they would need to be forced).

I had to put a new battery in and when I restarted this light came on. I immediately panicked, I read the comments and drive the car for about 100 yards and the light went out. Thanks for all the brilliant comments (as usual).

Decent replacement covers come with the same safety facility. When you buy them they will tell you if they are designed for air bags.

I have a problem getting into my car because of a motorcycle injury, and my leg drags a little on the side of the seat. Rather than wear a hole in the seat cover I'd like to put a removable seat cover over the manufacturers cover. Problem is that the on the door side of the seat base there is a plastic moulding with a small pocket (see photo) Is there an easy(ish) way to remove the moulding so that a cover can be put on and then (possibly) the trim could be put back. I can't see any obvious screws or fasteners. It's a manual seat, in an Octavia Combo (estate) Mk2 2011. Any advice (including don't do it!) appreciated. Peter

It's a manual seat. See picture

Manual seat

I have a problem getting into my car because of a motorcycle injury, and my leg drags a little on the side of the seat. Rather than wear a hole in the seat cover I'd like to put a removable seat cover over the manufacturers cover. Problem is that the on the door side of the seat base there is a plastic moulding with a small pocket. Is there an easy(ish) way to remove the moulding so that a cover can be put on and then (possibly) the trim could be put back. I can't see any obvious screws or fasteners. Any advice (including don't do it!) appreciated. Peter

Thanks. I will investigate to other things, when I can get my head around how to track them down. All seems good - but that was what they said about the Titanic. Thanks for your help.

Hi! I have an 2011 Octavia Estate (Combo). I have a problem with water collecting under the floor around the spare wheel. I've seen suggestions to drill a hole in the floor to allow the water to drain. Easier solution looks like being the four rubber grommets in the floor (see photo). Can I drill a hole in one of those - I fear they may lead straight into the fuel tank or some other crucial system where you don't want water. Does anyone know what these rubber grommets cover. Is it safe to remove them/drill through them. If so what is the best way to remove? Any advice really appreciated. Peter

I paid about £25 on Ebay, which was good as you could check it was the one to fit my car. It isn't hard to fit, but does take a bit of courage to prise off the facia panels. You also need a six pointed star screwdriver to undo the bolts. Seriously, I'm pretty rubbish when it comes to these things. I have a friend whose a mechanic who let me do it in his garage just in case I got stuck, but it was okay. It felt so good when everything - warning light on dashboard, courtesy lights etc - worked again.

I replaced the door lock and now all is well. Thanks so much for your support and wisdom.

Feeback. The problem gradually widened. The care couldn't sense that the tailgate was open, which then meant it relocked and the alarm kept going off. I've replaced the tailgate lock and now all is well.

Can I pick your brains again? There seem to be two things available - the tailgate lock (which I think is what I need to replace) and a Lock Actuator solinoid. I was slightly worried that this was the electrical bit of the lock, so could possibly be the bit I need. Any ideas?

Thanks. I hadn't spotted that. The lights in the boot space aren't coming on either so I guess I'll need to replace the lock unit.

Hi! I have a 2011 Octavia Combi. Loading stuff into the rear can be really annoying, especially in busy places. One unlocks the boot with the key and start to load, then half way through all the doors autolock because you haven't opened a side door. Worse still if you have moved away from the car to collect items. As youy put them into the car the alarm goes off because the security system has reset too. Okay the simple answer is to go round to the side and open one of the rear passenger doors and then it won't reset, but is there a simple way to customise this setting? Probably not. I can't find anything in the manual, but it is so annoying when your - for example - sneaking out on an early morning fishing trip and as you load your rods into the car (brilliant size for this) the alarm goes off and wakes up the neighbourhood. It's a minor issue, but I know some of you have real insight and I thought it was worth asking. Thanks.

Hi! I have a similar problem with a Octavia Mk2 Estate (2011) - suddenly the two lights in the boot have stopped. The "boot open" warning light on the dashboard works fine. I can't find a decent wiring diagram to trace it back, and the map of the fuse box in the manual doesn't seem to relate to reality. So can you help me with a logic path - It is unlikely that these lights are on a separate fuse, so if everything else is working it's not likely to be a fuse. If both lights are out it's unlikely to be a bulb issue. If the microswitch on the tailgate lock is sending an open warning, it's unlikely that the problem is there, Not sure where to go next. There isn't anything weired like some link to the internal courtesy lights is there?