Martin J

Preliminary checks show the cam belt and turbo appear to be OK. My hunch is that sediment has collected at the bottom of the fuel tank over time and has caused a fuel blockage. The fact that the fuel gauge jumped from just above the red low zone to nearly a third of a tank suggests the possibility that some of this sediment may have also caused an artifical pressure reading. Off to an independent VAG man as soon as he has a spare slot. Martin

ywok Thanks for your input. I want to make sure I get a good one if poss. I know exactly what you mean regarding human v machine. I once watched someone trying to park a small hatch back. They clearly had no concept of the idea that when you reverse you turn the wheel in the opposite direct when going forward. It was painful to watch. It went on and on, a series of semicircular manouevres, back and forth and going nowhere. In the end, they compromised and abandoned the car in a semi completed manouevre. Clearly not attuned to such things but it does beg the question how they managed to pass their test or even worse, were allowed on the roads in the first place ! Menace in the making... Martin

Macdemon I have sent a reply PM to you regarding the above. Many thanks Martin

Ken Thanks for your feedback. When you say 'the fix could cause issues' what exactly do you mean. Sounds sinister! Or are you referring to the problems you highlighted concerning the DMF and doors or something else. On the engine size, I originally considered the 1.6 but i was talking to someone in the trade who reckoned they were not as reliable as the 2.0 litre. Can't exactly remember the reason he gave. Could be worth checking though. Martin

Hi All I currently have an Octavia diesel TDI 110 which has been brilliant and very reliable but may now have to think about a replacement. I am considering the Yeti 2.00 CR 110 Diesel ES front wheel drive. Reliability and economy is the most important thing for me. I will not be going round corners on two wheels. I would probably be aiming for a used 4-5 year old average mileage vehicle so around 50-60,000 or so on the clock. Is there a thread or sticky that covers the known weak points and things to look out for on a used Yeti? If not, any feedback would be really helpful. Thanks Martin

Thanks everyone. It all helps with the diagnosis and joining up the dots. Think I will probably have to get the car relayed to a VAG expert for more detailed and practical tests. Martin

kentphil1 Thanks for the links. Really helpful. I am beginning to build a picture here. Just to get the last one out of the way which I do not think is relevant to the specific problem here but useful nevertheless. I have noticed that the engine temperature has been running slightly cooler than normal. I assumed the thermostat needed replacing. Also, the idle speed on startup can sometimes fluctuate and can get as high as 1000RPM before settling down and returning to normal idle speed. We tried a 'booster pack' startup today as the battery was close to flat after the session with the Green Flag recovery man when it broke down. No sign of catching at all. I now need to do some extra research on the links to the 17965 code concerning boost etc. Do you have a link to the code 18062? Martin

The following codes came up on a basic diagnostics check. 18062 17965 P1557 P1256 That's it. This was not a full VAG diagnostics test at this stage. I am now searching the internet for similar symptoms which might relate to the above. Martin

Peter I ended up checking every fuse in the box mounted at the end of the dashboard on the driver's side. All OK. However, during last week we had a downpour and the sunroof was left open on tilt. The following day I noticed traces of water/damp around the area close to the hand grabs where the grey material covering the roof area inside joins the plastic sleeves on the front pillars. It dried out after a day or so. There are drain holes either side but the water must have had backed up at some point or been restricted by gunk inside the pillars. I feel sure this must be related. We have the above, the engine dying when the cruise control was activated and the fuel gauge registering wasy above the level prior to the engine failure. Could it be a short circuit that has not actually caused any fuses to blow? I did wonder whether damp got into the fuse box somehow as a result of the downpour but there are no signs of any moisture. Martin

That's great. I'll let you know how I get on. Thanks Martin

Peter I am in Buckland next to Aston Clinton! That is a really helpful post particularly as you have come to the same conclusion as me. Electrical. At the time it happened, all the warning lights came on and then everything died. Also, even stranger, the fuel warning light was on before the incident. 50 miles left in the tank. I was on my way to Hemel and usually top up at the Shell service station while I am over there. After gliding to a halt on the hard shoulder on the roundabout, I tried starting it and noticed that the fuel gauge had jumped from just above the red warning blob to nearly a third full. That is peculiar and must surely be an electrical problem. The Green Flag man added another gallon of diesel as a precaution with no change as to be expected. This is a problem 'related' to fuel flow not fuel shortage. I also note that when the car died I could hear a slight whining sound winding down. There are a lot of air bubbles in the fuel pipe when is being cranked over. Since you are a local man, is there anyone in this area that you would recommend to do work on these cars? Martin

Peter The engine number is ASV299452ASV Thanks for your interest Martin

PS - Footnote to my original post. The car has done 27,000 in the four years since the fuel filter was last changed. Thanks Martin

Dear All My Octavia packed up today. I had just started out on the dual carriage way, flicked the cruise control on at 75MPH and then the power just died. Fortunately, I was able to freewheel down an exit lane out of harm's way. The Green Flag man did his checks and found there was insufficient fuel flow. He concluded that the fuel pump (mechanical) had probably failed with an outside chance the fuel filter might be the problem. I checked my records and found the fuel filter was last changed in May 13. I spoke with a VAG specialist and he thought it was either the pump or the 'uplift' pump in the fuel tank and unlikely to be the fuel filter. The car is a '51 plate and has 167,000 on the clock. Is this about normal for a car of this age and mileage? I have booked the vehicle in for a thorough diagnostics check. Depending on the result, I have to decide whether to get it fixed or call it day. Bit upset. Feels a bit like an old friend. It has never let me down and is in excellent condition for the age. Any views on this are appreciated. Thanks Martin

I have an Elegance TDI 110 '51 . First question re smoke test I have my MOT coming up in week's time which always makes me nervous. It's never failed yet. Most of my driving is dual carriageway/motorway at @ 75 MPH mainly on cruise control. I am doing about 9,000 miles a year at the moment. I also use Millers additive every time I fill up. However, every year we have this issue on the smoke test where he has to rev the nuts off it to clear the soot etc and he always asks me if the cam belt is OK before he floors it. Is there anyway I can clear the soot build up or is just a case of cruising down the dual carriage at 75 MPH in third gear? Second question re cam belt I have 150,000 on the clock and the cam belt is due for replacement before 160,000. I think it makes sense to get it done soonish. Can anyone recommend a reliable and trustworthy independent in the Aylesbury area? Many thanks Martin