Hi Ive just bought a 2001 Octavia 1.9 TDI.I am using it as a Taxi and am very happy with it apart from one problem.It continuously blows the 5 amp fuse for lighting the Dashboard.The fuse has been replaced on numerous occasions and I have even tried a bigger fuse.The car has also been to an Autospark but he couldn`t find a short.Any ideas as I am getting fed up with passengers getting in late at night and saying "your lights aren`t on mate !!!". Any help would be appreciated.

Edited 31 July, 200817 yr by DM29
not sure it is posting

Hi and welcome to Briskoda. I'm afraid I have absolutely no idea about your fuse but if no-one gives you an answer in this thread, try posting your question in the Octavia section.

All the best

Katie

I've always found a big fat nail works, might get a bit warm though;)

Anyway welcome to the site, you might want to try posting the problem in one of the other forums (Octavia I or Maintenance), or get a kindly mod to move it. Sounds like something shorting in the dash somewhere, could be a pain to locate.

All the best.

Welcome

Thanks but dont know how to post in the Octavia 1 section.

I have moved it for you.

Does it blow the fuse instantly or just randomly?

Have you had a fault scan done to confirm if there are any indications there?

Has any of your taxi equipment interferred with the car electrics?

Maybe dodgy headlight switch also:confused:

Edited 1 August, 200817 yr by Taxi 219

The fuse blows within few minutes and the Taxi equipment was installed by a licensed Installer who assured me he did not go near any area which could have caused prob.

He said that Octavias are the easiest cars to install Taxi Equipment.

I have put thread onto Octavia 1 Forum as I have just worked how to do it !!!

Thanks for help

This is already in the Octavia 1 Forum, Mannyo moved it for you. I'll delete the other one to avoid confusion.

What else is on the fuseway that keeps blowing? I have to say my money would be on the taxi equipment for a starter but that's not to say it's not something else.

When i had all my equip fitted also by a professional fitter all the lights on my Mk1 used to flicker and it proved to be the way my radio was wired in so was re-wired and it was ok after that,so worth checking again.

Its just the fuseway for Dashboard lights,heater control lights,radio illumination and electric window control illunination.Not sure if it blew fusu before Taxi equipment fiteed as I had just bought the car and had only drove it in daylight before then.Car is at Skoda main dealer this afternoon checking everything.I will post answer if they find out.

Edited 1 August, 200817 yr by DM29
Additional info

Yes would be interesting to know the results:thumbup:

I suspect the meter takes a feed from the radio Iilumination.

No a meter has a constant live which should be 15A rated.

No a meter has a constant live which should be 15A rated.

So how does it know when you've switched the head/dash lights on? Normally by using a 'trigger' from the car.

Its not wired via the lighting circuit at all it illuminates through the main feed into it.Needs to stay constant otherwise it will loose its memory and need to be re-caliberated.

Hi Ive just bought a 2001 Octavia 1.9 TDI.I am using it as a Taxi and am very happy with it apart from one problem.It continuously blows the 5 amp fuse for lighting the Dashboard.The fuse has been replaced on numerous occasions and I have even tried a bigger fuse.The car has also been to an Autospark but he couldn`t find a short.Any ideas as I am getting fed up with passengers getting in late at night and saying "your lights aren`t on mate !!!". Any help would be appreciated.

Hi DM29, and welcome.

When you say that it is continually blowing 5 amp fuse, is this always happening as soon as you are switching on the headlights here? or only after time has gone past?

I would try a 5amp fuse in series with a multimeter that is being switched to the higher DC amps range. Then try operating each of the things in the car, which is probably main lights here, and then maybe increase the value of fuse until you find the fault current that is flowing.

What is happening if you are disconnecting the cars battery, and putting a multimeter switched to ohms and working up through the resistance scale across the fuse holder here, and turning on the light switch. This may not work if there is the relay for the lights though, and you should look at the diagram in the manual, and bridge relay if needed. If the ohms reading is very high then the short is only happening under circuit load conditions, but with low ohms the short is permanent here, but you are saying that the Autospark person could not find a short, and so I am thinking that something is doing the short when under load. Something is low insulation here, and is breaking down with the loading.

I hope that this is of some thought here, for you.

Soviet:thumbup:

Skoda main dealer looked at car yesterday afternoon,they cleared few minor faults on Diagnostic computer then tested the car and decided to put in a 10 amp fuse !!! I dont know much about electrics but I know a 5 amp fuse is there for a reason.The dealer is getting a Specialist Autospark from outta town in the middle of next week to look at it, so I may start saving !! Now the CD multi changer is starting to display "mechanic" and is having difficulty changing from disc to disc.Im not having much luck.if I find out what problem was I will post it.

Edited 2 August, 200817 yr by DM29
Spelling correction

Good luck

Hi DM29,

Good luck and I hope that your problem is solved soon.

Soviet

Skoda main dealer looked at car yesterday afternoon,they cleared few minor faults on Diagnostic computer then tested the car and decided to put in a 10 amp fuse !!!

Fuses are there for a reason, swapping it for a larger fuse is not the way to cure the problem - just a better way to induce an electrical fire :eek:

Now the CD multi changer is starting to display "mechanic" and is having difficulty changing from disc to disc.

Try a CD cleaner in changer, or just gently blow into it (don't spit!). Some copied disks don't perform very well in the Octy changer.

I think I'd take the 10A out if I were you, unless you want to test the local fire brigade

A dealer putting in higher amp fuse :eek: tut,tut......

probably W£$tover Skoda ;-)