Hi all,

I've recently found a few problems with my Octavia and thought i'd ask for wisdom. The car is a W reg GLXi 1.6.

Basically, it finds it hard to get started when the engine is cold. It's had a new temp sensor and the base idle has been set. But the problem remains. It takes fettling with the gas pedal to get it going sometimes. And when its started, it's constantly bouncing of the bottom of the rev counter until it finally finds a constant idle speed.

Then within the first few miles of driving, it will happily cut out for gear changes and junctions when you dip the clutch. It's just like it doesn't want to idle. But after being wrmed up, it's ok.

As said, it's had new temp sensor and been been plugged into a computer to have the base idle values set. But I think it's something to do with temp, as the colder it is, the worse it gets.

Could be the old problem of a weak key signal, but i've tried the spare key too and it behaves exactly the same.

Thank for any insight.

It may benefit from having the throttle body cleaned. With a weak key signal there will be an immobiliser warning light.

I'm going over to the local skoda dealer today. See what they have to say. I'll keep you all updated!

I'm having a similar issue, getting it looked at tomorrow - it'd be interesting to see what the dealer turns up, and I'll keep you posted if I discover anything.

Have you got the 1.6RS engine? I know for a fact they are going to run an extra wire through the loom for the imobiliser as I'm led to belive a weak key signal was a common problem with early Octavias. But it wouldn't explain the need to give it revs to start and keep running until warm. So i'm expecting maybe a couple of things which could be wrong, maybe one as a result of the other?

Does the 1.6 have a drive by wire throttle? If not, check there's a little slack in the cable. I had these sorts of symptoms with my ZX until I put a little slack in.

Nah, mine's the 1.8T. I checked it again earlier and noticed that if you grit your teeth and wait for a minute or so after starting it, the idle range does drop in line with the engine temperature so it's on the verge of stalling, but there's still the huge deflection of a thousand revs or so. I think that rules out temperature sensors in my case.

A 1.8T's easy. Search for "secondary air pump".

Already checked that as a matter of course - the seals are good and it's working ok, save me going at it with the bolts Even when it cuts out after the warmup period the problem still continues, albeit at lower revs.

Did you get any joy, Jcb?

Well I had the key signal sensor and imobiliser rewired. So far it's been fine, but i'm yet to do any cold starts. The 1.6 is a wired throttle yes. You can feel the accelerator pedal rise and fall under your foot when you aren't putting any pressure on it, as the engine bobs the revs up and down. It gives itself more revs to keep going and you can feel the pedal go down a bit as if it were you giving it the revs to keep going.

I'll let you know if I have any problems tomorow morning starting it. For now, i've got to go back and have the steering wheel realigned as when they took it off, it was put back on everso slightly off center.

But hey, i'm a perfectionist like that

Well I had the key signal sensor and imobiliser rewired. So far it's been fine, but i'm yet to do any cold starts. The 1.6 is a wired throttle yes. You can feel the accelerator pedal rise and fall under your foot when you aren't putting any pressure on it, as the engine bobs the revs up and down. It gives itself more revs to keep going and you can feel the pedal go down a bit as if it were you giving it the revs to keep going.

Well then, check there's a trace of slack in the throttle cable with the engine off; what happens if there's none at all is that the engine thinks it's got throttle on when it hasn't really and it drops the mixture too lean to keep the cold engine running.

so with the engine off, i'm looking for a few mm movement in the pedal before i feel tugging?

You really need to look at the throttle body end of the cable, not try and judge feel at the pedal, because you're looking for something like 2 or 3 mm of play at that end.

Ok, i'll give it a pull!

there is a few mil of slack in the throttle cable. So i guess that rules it out. :(

Thanks anyway.

My wifes 1.6 GLXi has the same identical problem, did you ever find the cause of this ?