won't start, possibly instrument panel

[yipp]

Hello

Last week we were given my uncle's 1999 slx tdi octavia estate. Due to ill health he has not driven it hardly at all in the last year. Anyway drove it from south wales to home, got as far as the lake district, wipers had seized up. Had it towed home (Borders) by RAC (not terribly keen on driving in the dark and rain on the motorway without wipers).

They got the wipers going again anyway, but then two days later I went to drive it and it won't start.

The engine turns over and then immediately cuts out. The accelator pedal makes no difference to keeping it going. I also noticed the petrol guage was on empty, despite there being at least half a tank in there. I also noticed the clock was reading 0.00.

RAC came out again, he says he cannot get a response from the instrument cluster, it is not responding to his machine. He checked all fuses. There are no digital displays at all now, not even the clock. He said the immobiliser goes through the instrument cluster so that is why I can't start it.

Now I have read loads of posts in these forums about intermittent cluster failure and complete cluster failure with Octavias, but no one says they have been unable to start their car with these issues.

RAC man said to send of the cluster to somewhere like BBA reman. But how difficult is it to remove the instrument cluster - is it clearly described in the Haynes manual (which we are yet to get). Also I read a worrying post about someone who sent their cluster there only to still have the problem afterwards.

The following may or may not be relevant:

car has done 90k miles

door seal on driver's door failes and inside of car was covered in mould

wiper motor may have been working quite hard to keep going in the rain

we put 5 litres of fuel in after it wouldn't start incase the fuel was nicked while stored at the garage overnight before being towed home - gauge didn't move, car still didn't start.

Any thoughts or help would be appreciated

[yipp]

Now I am up at 4 30 am can't sleep and feel sick worrying about this lemon of a car - not much use if we can't start it.

Other thoughts I had which may be relevant to the problem:

We only have one key to the car, my uncle couldn't find the other one with the all important number tag. The central locking is not working on this key despite a new battery being put in it recently.

Just before this problem happened I opened up the key to see what battery it was to buy a new one, but couldn't see the battery so put it together again, then the car wouldn't start (with immobiliser). RAC man checked to see if chip had fallen out - it hadn't.

The immobiliser light is NOT coming up on the dash when we try to start it.

The only lights coming up (I think) are battery, temp light, glow plug and air bag warning light.

The air bag warning light had been staying on since I first got the car.

The glow plug light starts to flash if you leave the ignition turned on.

Please anyone any ideas. Would anyone buy a car in this condition, right now I just want rid, perhaps I could sell it with the problem. Mechanically it is sound and very well looked after, which makes it so frustrating.

If we tow it to the Skoda garage (45 mins away we live in middle of nowhere) then they will say ££££s to fix it and we aren't prepared to spend that money then we are stuck with it at the Skoda garage.

Is there any way of disconnecting the immobiliser?

I am rambling now... better get of the computer and try to go back to sleep.

[Tech1e]

Where abouts are you?

[yipp]

scottish borders

[soviet]

Hi Yipp,

I think that you need someone by you that has the Vag COM diagnostic lead to plug in to the dash, to see what may be happening there. So is there any Briskolian near by to Scottish borders, with a lead for this one.

This I would try first.

I hope that this will be some help for you.

Soviet

[KenONeill]

How much use would an "easy to disconnect" immobiliser" be?

I suspect your key has lost synch with the immobiliser, so what you really need is a sorking second key. Talk to your uncle and ask him to look harder! Also, check with the original supplying dealer, since they might be able to supply the tag number with proof of ownership.

[yipp]

If the key had lost synch then wouldn't the immobiliser light be coming up on the dash board? It isn't.

I am off to get a second new battery for the key this afternoon. My uncle has gone blind recently and his wife has a broken hip, so they are quite pushed to look for the key. He has tried but said he can't find it. But I will try the original dealer that is a good idea.

Fair point about the immobiliser - guess I am just hoping for something I can do without committing to tow to Skoda dealer in Edinburgh from where we would have no choice but to pay their price.

[KenONeill]

Sorry about your relatives; I really didn't know, but quite understand they'd have problems with "looking harder" then.

It may be possible to use diagnostic gear (VAG Com, or any VAG dealer possibly) to resynch a sole key, and I think your problem lies in sychronisation and/or the fob or car battery going flat.

[fatfranky]

I think it's worth getting it sorted if you can, being a car that has a known history to you etc.

If, however you do decide that you've had enough of it I could be interested if the price were right etc.

Regarding the instrument cluster, have you tried the "remove fuse 15 trick" to see if this makes them work?

Also out of curiosity where in the borders are you

Bear me in mind if you do want to sell

Regards

Frank

[yipp]

Taking out fuse 15 didn't help. The car is well and truly immobilised.

Changing batteries in the key didn't help.

- I thought the battery and key part for the central locking was unrelated to the key part for the immobiliser (little chip)

- if it was the key not being liked wouldn't the immobiliser light come on on the instrument panel?

SCRAP ALL ABOVE - MY HUSBAND JUST STARTED IT!!!!!

He pushed the instrument panel and noticed that the fuel guage moved, so he pushed it in a bit more and all lit up and it started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a nice present for my birthday tomorrow (40th as well eek).

So loose connection probably from rattling about on the car carrier last week.

Phew, I will phone my Uncle and set his mind at rest.

thansk for everyone who tried to help

[devonutopia]

Sounds like a loose connection at the back of the cluster. Would be worth trying to remove it entirely and make the connection more secure to prevent this happening again. There's a fairly chunky connection (possibly one each side too) behind the cluster, with many pins.

[octavia98]

Ah, the old 'give it a thump/push/shake' technical solution. Wonderful!

[bajanpete]

Happy Birthday yipp

[Taxi 219]

Glad you sorted it.Would be a shame for it to go to scrap.

[KenONeill]

:iagree:

It's the sort of thing you need a proper garage with relevant experience for rather than a Skoda main stealer, even if you have access to a good one.

[soviet]

Taking out fuse 15 didn't help. The car is well and truly immobilised.

Changing batteries in the key didn't help.

- I thought the battery and key part for the central locking was unrelated to the key part for the immobiliser (little chip)

- if it was the key not being liked wouldn't the immobiliser light come on on the instrument panel?

SCRAP ALL ABOVE - MY HUSBAND JUST STARTED IT!!!!!

He pushed the instrument panel and noticed that the fuel guage moved, so he pushed it in a bit more and all lit up and it started!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a nice present for my birthday tomorrow (40th as well eek).

So loose connection probably from rattling about on the car carrier last week.

Phew, I will phone my Uncle and set his mind at rest.

thansk for everyone who tried to help

Hi Yipp,

I am very pleased for you here, and happy birthday. You must now seek a permanent cure for the problem here, that is it will be likely to return again. There are many things for this fault written on the forum, and so if you type in the word instrument in to search then you will see this.

Best of luck

Soviet:thumbup::thumbup: