scotsgent

its very easy to peel back the rubber gaiter, then maybe peel away the loom covering to expose the bunch of wires within the area.. Close examination should reveal any wires with cracked insulation, a broken one will be obvious. I repaired mine with a crimping tool and heat shrink tube and never needed to remove the door card, it was a wee bit tight and fiddly but do-able. If I remember correctly, on both rear doors, the thicker red wire was the culprit (window not winding down) and in both cases was completely broken and separated so easy to spot. Cheers, Terry

I have one of these in the rear of my Roomster: http://www.bitiba.co.uk/shop/dogs_accessories/dog_carriers_cages/dog_crates/531031?gclid=CKCG3ZClw8oCFYIfwwodazkNzg I have a working Cocker spaniel. The box is plenty big enough for the dog and fits nicely in the car. I also have a 'proper job' box for shoots for the back of my Octavia, but in truth, if I were to have only one box it would be the Atlas, its a good bit of kit. Its lightweight and easy to lift in and out of the car. Cheers, Terry

Indeed 'magic', it seems you are right! :clap: It seems that Ferodo's range of 'Coat+' discs have a painted coating and not the usual thin, removable, oily protectant. http://www.m-eng.com/wp-content/uploads/Ferodo-Coat-brake-discs.pdf Here's the important bit: "15th September, Bradford, UK… Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML), has seen a positive response from automotive aftermarket customers for its COAT+ coated brake discs. Originally introduced in 2011 for a selected range of high-end vehicles, the company now plans to roll out the advanced protective technology to 95% of vehicle applications. "As more cars are being fitted with alloy wheels that feature an open rim design, brake discs are becoming clearly visible," says Jonathan Allen, Regional Marketing Manager, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. "This is increasing the desire for braking systems to be aesthetically pleasing as well as be able to deliver excellent braking performance. We believe this is one of the reasons behind the growing preference for Ferodo COAT+ coated brake discs. The practical benefits of ease of handling and time saved for the installer by removing the need for degreasing prior to fitment is also driving demand." Ferodo COAT+ brake discs, which provide customers with the assurances of a top performance brake disc with the added benefit of unblemished looks, are finished with a zinc and aluminum flake spray that is evenly coated onto the full surface of the disc. This thin and very consistent covering, which is just 6um (micrometers) thick, not only improves the appearance of the disc but also removes the potential for disc thickness variation, which may be apparent with lower quality coatings and can lead to judder and brake noise. Ferodo COAT+ brake discs also offer corrosion prevention qualities and are resistant to automotive fluids such as brake fluid, greases and other strong solvents which can be present during the installation process"

Hi, I have just taken delivery of a set of Ferodo rear brake discs for my Octavia 1. The diagrammatical instructions (pictures not words) seem to indicate that they should NOT be cleaned before fitting. Usually, I have removed the protective rust-proof coating which is applied at the factory with alcohol or somesuch.? So, which is right? Remove the stuff or leave it on? Cheers, Terry

I bought an inner joint for my Octavia PD 130 from J and R more than a year ago, (this is the link posted above). It was so cheap I really didn't think it would last. Its still going fine 11k later!. My mechanic mate commented on the apparent good quality when he fitted it. They seem to have a wide variety of models. Cheers, Terry

Surely, you need to find the source and fix it there? Cheers, Terry

I would remove the speaker, its easy enough. Inspect the area within the door behind it. It maybe that water is running down the electrical cable which feeds the speaker from somewhere. Cheers, Terry

Before spending money. Check the connection of the master cylinder hydraulic pipe where it enters the gearbox before the slave cylinder. This connector is a plastic, device which houses the bleed nipple. The connection pipe has 'o-ring' type seals and they can fail and then draw air in giving the symptoms you describe. Wrap some kitchen towel around the connector and see if there is any evidence of dripping oil. Cheers, Terry

This is not necessarily either a master cylinder or a slave cylinder failure, there is another possibility and one which I have just experienced and thankfully sorted. My problem was on a 130 hp ASZ engine where the slave cylinder is internal, The standard 110hp models have an external slave cylinder but both have a similar 'connection' from the master cylinder pipe and it is here where the problem might lie. In essence, the bleed nipple for the clutch hydraulics is situated outside the gearbox in what is called a 'breather assembly'. This is the item which is fed from a pipe from the master cylinder. This is made of plastic and the pipe from the hydraulic master cylinder enters this. The 'breather assembly' is then, in turn, connected to the slave cylinder. This assembly is easily seen on top of the gearbox immediately forward of the gearbox operating assembly. The hydraulic pipe from the master cylinder comes from under the battery tray into it. The connections from the hydraulic pipe are push-in with a wire clip to hold them. Within each connector is either an 'o-ring' or a 'sealing washer' (depending upon model). These can fail and leak, allowing air into the system and giving the symptoms you describe. You should see a drip of oil from the lower point of the gearbox and a corresponding dribble down the side of the gearbox from the leaking connection (if this is the case). Luckily, this item is easy to get at and its also easy to bleed it, (I continuously bled it for a few months, maybe every week or so as well as topping up the fluid, before I finally fixed it, so you can actually live with it if you keep on top of it, at least for a while. You can easily bleed the clutch from looking down into the engine compartment. If you want to have a good look for leaks around the gearbox, then you will have to remove the lower engine cover. It may be the master or slave cylinder, but before buying components, try and eliminate this breather assembly as the culprit, because its only a tenner to fix. If it proves to be it, then let me know and I can give you the part number for the 'o-ring/washer kit.'. I had to do a fair bit of research to identify it, Skoda parts departments didn't have a clue. Cheers, Terry

Check the clutch slave cylinder hose connector. If this leaks then fluid will run down the face of the gearbox and drip off the bottom of the bell-housing, mimicking a gearbox leak, Cheers, Terry

I also struggled with this recently. I wanted to change out the alternator clutch on the same (ASZ) engine and considered doing it in situ (alternator still in the engine). However, in order to obtain sufficient room for the clutch removal tool I needed to remove the washer bottle. Because the 130hp ASZ engine Octavias have headlight washers, then the washer bottle is much larger than the standard bottle. (5.5 litre). I found 1 plastic nut at the top of the bottle and another steel bolt on the bottom left (as looking down). The washer bottle still wouldn't shift, it was still fixed by something. In the end, I removed the alternator to do the job and left the washer bottle where it was. I now think that you probably access the lower part of the bottle via the wheel-arch liner, you will also have to remove the square sectioned intercooler pipe which runs next to the bottle to slide it out when the bottle is loose and this you have to do by removing the wheel-arch cover. Cheers, Terry

Terry Octavia 1 2003 L&K 130 pd tdi, silver Roomster Scout 1.9 tdi 105 remapped to 135 bhp by Star Performance of Kirkaldy. Fort William (also have connections in Tarland, Aberdeenshire)

I have a 2003 Octy 1. L&K 130 hp 6-speed 1.9tdi. 106k miles. Its a super car in all areas and I love it! I have for a couple of months had a slowly 'leaking' clutch hydraulic system. The master cylinder seems good and so I reluctantly came to the conclusion that it must be the internal slave cylinder which was leaking. The pedal would occasionally fall to the floor and I would need to bleed the system every couple of weeks and top up, etc. This means a gearbox out job and so I decided I needed to be absolutely sure before proceeding. I removed the undertray and hosed down the exterior of the gearbox and then dried it all off. At night I put a piece of cardboard under the gearbox and each morning, there was the equivalent of a teaspoonful of fluid on it. the fluid was clean and light - definitely hydraulic. A dripping point could be seen at the lowest point of the gearbox. I thought this confirmed my fears and the internal slave cylinder was shot! I then noticed that there was a sheen of oil running down the side of the gearbox (not just dripping from the lowest point) and following this upwards from underneath the dripping point, I reached the point where the clutch master cylinder line joins the clutch slave (this is external) and I could then see that the source of the leak was in fact the plastic bleeder assembly or more specifically, the joint of the metal pipe with this assembly. This had a tiny drip only visible from directly under the fitting. It seems that the pipe is located by a spring clip and then an O-ring. I suppose its most likely that the O-ring only needs replacing. So, the point of this posting is to know that its often worth looking beyond what seems to be the obvious and no necessarily accept the obvious conclusion and also a plea to anyone with access to Ekta or some-such for some parts numbers. I believe the bleeder assembly might be called the clutch slave cylinder' breather assembly' or maybe 'bleeder assembly' It is the external component of the internally situated clutch slave cylinder on the 02M gearbox. Its made of black plastic, is roughly an inverted 'T-shape' with the bleed nipple on the top. In truth, it would be great to find that just the O-rings are available and that a VAG number exists for these. Can anyone help? many thanks, Terry

indeed! I'm now considered to be a mechanical genius by the missus! Cheers, Terry

Now sorted! The brake light switch was probably not the culprit, (though the new one was only £9 so I'm not fussed). After doing a little more searching on this forum I discovered that sometimes a faulty bulb or bulbs can give the same effect. Sure enough, on examination of the two side brake bulbs, both had blown. These were replaced and no the lights work and the warning lights have gone! Cheers, Terry

Hi Guys, Roomster Scout 1.9 tdi 2008 Out of the blue my brake lights failed to work and the glow plug warning light flashes and esp warning light is continuously on. Everything I read pointed to a faulty brake pedal switch and so I ordered one from an ebay seller. It is a reliable Febi brand and seems to be identical to the original one. I have seen some comments about two different switches (an old and new design), with the new switch came instructions which indicated that the pedal is left completely alone and the switch is inserted into its 'holder' and then connected and can then be used. This I have done without any problem. Removing the old switch and inserting the new one was easy, BUT there is no difference to the condition! - the brake lights still don't work and the lights are still on and flashing. So far as I can see the condition is definitely linked to the pedal switch - I suppose it might be that the new switch is fault? Is there any way I can test it? I have a multimeter, but I am somewhat of a novice in using it so would have to be talked through it. I really need this sorted before a planned trip by my wife across to Aberdeenshire on Wednesday - can anyone help me out with a method for testing the switch? Many thanks in advance. Cheers, Terry

The sun roof has two forward drains, each of which is in the front corners and can be seen when the sunroof is open. The drains run down to between the door and the outlet and can be plainly seen if you open the door, the rubber spigot sticks out of the external side of the A pillar in the door jamb. I believe the drains from the scuttle exit from behind the internal wheel arch liner. So......its easy to test the sunroof drain - park the car on a wee hill, so the bonnet is lower than the rear then just get a small jug of water, open the sunroof and then pour the water into each corner. You should be easily able to see the water running out of the rubber spigot in the door jamb. If nothing comes out, try and massage the end of the spigot, since this is the most likely place for it to be blocked. If nothing comes out then the drain is either blocked or it has ruptured! You can also easily test the scuttle drains too - again just pour water into the scuttle at each lower corner of the windshield - water should pour onto the ground from behind the inner wing liner. If nothing, then as the poster above says you will need to remove the liner and clean up the drain exit - its easy enough to do though! Cheers, Terry

My Octavia diesel has taken much longer than normal to attain temperature this last few weeks because it has been much colder. 4 miles in the summer, 6 to 8 miles just now! Even this can be extended if in slow moving traffic. Using the heater inhibits the vehicle reaching its operating temperature big time. Cheers, Terry

http://www.ecstuning...45/Video220-SD/ Note that the adapter pad fits perfectly into the recess on the head of the jack he is using, so in this instance the chances of slippage is minimal. I wonder how secure it would be if the head of the jack is smaller than the disc? (mine is definitely smaller). Cheers, Terry

I believe this to be accurate, The only time the door should self-lock is as you have described, eg. You leave the house in the morning, the car is sitting locked in the driveway. You unlock the door with the remote and move towards the car. Your neighbour then shouts 'morning' and engages you in conversation. 30 seconds after you unlocked the car with the remote it then locks itself! If you had opened the door during this period then the car would not have locked itself since it knew you were serious about using it! Since you didn't open a door then it knows you can't have left the key on the seat, etc. because you have never opened a door and so can't have got in. Its easy to test; lock the car, then unlock it using the remote. Wait 30 seconds outside without touching the car and it will lock itself. Of course, if the micro-switch is faulty, then it can undergo a series of different auto-locking faults. The most serious is that the car does not recognise that the door has actually been opened and self-locks in any event. You could have opened the door, then hear the phone ringing in the house, you toss the keys onto the drivers seat and then shut the door in order to go back and take the call and immediately you move back towards the house the car locks! (I believe that opening any door will stop the auto-lock (providing the micro-switch in the opening door is working), My car exhibits this fault in the drivers door, but if I use the key and not the remote to open the car then it does not auto-lock at all ........ and I can live with that. Cheers, Terry

I have now been using the key only (not remote) to open and close the door on my Octavia for a few days. I have reversed the battery position in the fob so that the remote can't work. It is clear that the auto-lock function appears to be disabled when using the key only and therefore I have had no occurances of self-locking of the door. In my user manual, there is of course a section on locking and unlocking and using the key and remote (pages 6-12). In fact this section is really in two parts: i) use of key ii) use of remote Only in the remote useage part does it mention the auto-locking function (ie 30 secs then auto-lock if car door has not been opened). So based upon this and my own experience, it might seem that the auto-lock function is disabled if you use the key only to lock and unlock? Maybe its just a function of my own particular door fault, but at face value, it looks like disabling the remote and just using the key might be the way to stop a faulty door micro-switch from locking you out. Cheers, Terry

Lofty, See my current thread on the same issue. I have today discovered that if I use the key (not the remote) to open the drivers door (this is the only one on my car which is affected), then the door opens and does not self-lock. I still don't have the peripherals such as puddle light and 'door open' dashboard light but I am not worried about those. I have now removed the battery from the remote fob so that the wife has no option but to use the key and therefore stop her locking herself out with the keys on the seat! The use of the key might only work on my car because the micro-switch has only partially failed - i dunno, but it does? I know I will haave to tackle the door at some point, but maybe I have bought a little time until the sun re-appears! Cheers, Terry

So, how is it that my micro-switch seems to work without fault when I unlock using the key rather than the remote? Is there a logical reason? EDIT! - Sorry, the peripherals; (buzzer,dash illumination, puddle light, etc.) still don't work. BUT the self-locking effect, (either properly when the door is unlocked but not opened for 30 seconds or when exhibiting the fault of locking after 30 seconds EVEN if the door has been opened) seems to have been disabled when using the key. This is what I need - ie protection against the door locking with the key inside - I'm not too worried about the minor stuff. Cheers, Terry

Correct! - no headlight buzzer!, So, since one of your components works (the puddle light) and one of mine, (the convenience light), then it would seem that the micro-switch can perhaps slowly degrade over time, (but maybe in a variable sequence?), gradually affecting all the components it feeds? . Actually, if the workaround (using the key only), can work without any issues, then it removes any pressure for me to fix things until the better weather comes around. I really don't mind using the key - it still centrally locks and unlocks. Maybe you can try your door with the key only and see if it also disarms the auto-lock on your motor? Cheers, Terry

Octavia 2003 L&K hatch, 130hp asz tdi. My car seems to be exhibiting some of the classic symptoms of a faulty drivers door lock micro-switch. Namely: After unlocking the car it then 'autolocks' after 30 seconds whether the drivers door has been opened or not. No 'door opened' illumination light on dash when drivers door is opened. No puddle light in drivers door.. However: a) The convenience lights work when the door is opened (so some kind of signal must be getting through?) If I open the door with the KEY (as opposed to the remote), then the door doesn't autolock at all and there seems to be no danger of being locked out. My biggest fear (until I can look at the door lock mechanism), is that my wife will open the door and then toss the keys on the seat (or even put the keys in the ignition and not turn it a click, (if you do this then the car doesn't autolock) and then wander over to park the supermarket trolley and return to the car to find it locked. I have two questions? 1) Does the fact that the convenience lights work OK and that everything works well when using the KEY (not the remote) point to anything other than a micro-switch problem? 2) If I remove the battery from the remote, then the wife can only open (and close) the car with the key (and the car then works as it should). Is this an OK temporary workaround or can you forsee problems with doing this? Maybe 2) will affect the alarm? - If so, I live in a very rural area and so I am not too worried on a temporary basis. Any comments? Cheers, Terry