Had a drive tonight, and all of a sudden noticed the turn sig stalk doesn't do anything in terms of signaling. Flashing and hi beams worked fine.

By putting some weight on it, I could make it turn left, but no right.

Just as I was heading to have it scanned by a friend with VAGcom it started working, after about half an hour of trying it. VAGcom shows no errors so it must be a faulty contact somewhere.

Oh well, perfect excuse to fit a cruise control stalk. Out with the old and in with the new, right?

I would try replacing the hazard warning switch as this also operates the signal relay. Chances are these noting wrong with the stalk at all?

The warning switch is common part to replace on Octavias - they normally show sings of going when they make clicking noises when your not even turning and using the indicators.

Good luck

Yup - I had an indicator problem on my Mk1 Octy; started getting erratic, wouldn't work, worked at different flashing rates etc. After a couple of days it pretty well stopped altogether. Took it into my then local dealers who just had to replace the hazard lights unit, and said it wasn't an uncommon problem.

I'd imagine that the general wiring design didn't change that much between Mk1 and Mk2; certainly Banana-Man's post suggests my anecdote has a relevance to Mk2s

The hazard switch was about the only thing working properly when it acted. Had no clicking or unrequested signaling ever. VAGcom shows no errors.

Plus I drove it for ~400 miles today and it didn't miss one blink. I'm confuzzled.

Been getting exactly the same symptoms as sebulbus, then it went away for 10 days or so, then this weekend it's been back - worse. Most of the time if I switched the hazards on, they worked fine even if the stalk wasn't working. Tonight even switching the hazards on was being erratic. I've got a quiet day tomorrow so will see if I can pop the relay out to clean / check / replace. The haynes manual seems to have some tips, although I've seen more info just searching on this site

For the record, I kept the old stalk for a month or two after that and it didn't act that way again. I now have a working cruise control stalk fitted, but only because i wanted cruise since before this happened.

The old stalk is in a box somewhere, don't know what to do with it.

The Octavia II doesnt have a hazzard relay. The hazzard switch is just a switch, all light fucntions are control unit operated.

Don't know if anyone can help further, but I seem to have 'acquired' this fault.

Two days ago I realised that the indicators weren't working, not flashing the light, no tell tale on the dash and no clicking sound. So I stopped and had a rummage around the fuseboxes to see if something had popped, but no such luck. Pulled away, by force of habit indicated to turn and lo and behold indicator worked. Continued my 150 mile drive and had periods of indicator working, not working and working for a couple of flashes before stopping.

Today I had the dangerous situation where I indicated right and the left flasher came on Not sure who was confused more, me or the poor bloke behind me!

So the question is, is it generally thought to be stalk, relay, or something else related?

Any clues would help, especially ones which don't entail an expensive trip to the stealer.

Thanks in anticipation, Ed

Today I had the dangerous situation where I indicated right and the left flasher came on Not sure who was confused more, me or the poor bloke behind me!

So the question is, is it generally thought to be stalk, relay, or something else related?

Any clues would help, especially ones which don't entail an expensive trip to the stealer.

Thanks in anticipation, Ed

We had exactly the same happen in SWMBO's MK5 Golf (which the MKII Octavia is based on and shares many parts) I replaced the indicator stalk and everything returned back to normal

Thanks Gizmo, hopefully I won't need a new stalk as one with cruise control is going to be expensive!

Will have a go with a can of contact cleaner to start with and see what happens.

How much for cruse control fitted and working??? can it be retrofitted to mine

The Octavia II doesnt have a hazzard relay. The hazzard switch is just a switch, all light fucntions are control unit operated.

I've spoken with both my local dealer and local VAG independant garage today and they say that a common problem is the relay for the indicators and hazard warning lights. I can only find information on here relating to that snag on Mk I Octys, does anybody know about it on a Mk II, mines a 54 reg, and if so how easy or otherwise it is to change the relay?

The parts guy in the garage quoted me £38 ish for the new relay and said it is still integral with the hazard switch, so it sounds very similar to the Mk I problem. I still might have a go with squirting contact cleaner into the root of the stalk.

Edited 18 November, 201015 yr by Ed-Preston

Bump - Any ideas you clever lot?

As Ross (Tech1e) states THERE IS NO RELAY.

The turn lights are controlled by the OPSCU (Onboard power supply control unit).

The hazard switch is just a switch and the light is just a light.

The LH stalk is connected to the Steering Column Control Unit, which communicates with the OPSCU.

If you can influence the turn signals by doing something with the stalk, then the stalk needs cleaning or replacing.

Take a look at post #39 in http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/177453-leaking-rear-washer-pipe-might-have-caused-electrical-damage/page__st__20

It's a slightly different problem, but it shows how to get the cleaner into the right place.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a fault code logged regarding the steering column controller. It seems really sensitive - mine keeps throwing a fault code of 18104 Implausible message from steering column controller even though there doesn't seem to be anything amiss.

Mike

Often it is the first sign that one of the stalks needs cleaning/replacing. The Steering Column Control Unit is very sensitive to bad switch contacts.

Thanks RW & Mike, I think I might be taking Mike up on hi kind offer to plug in to his VCDS and see what shows up. I am now thoroughly confused, because both the local dealer and independant say there is a relay/control unit attached to the hazard warning switch, and have both checked against my car's reg on their parts computer - the dealers have just phoned me to say the now have one in stock ready for me to collect!

Going outside now to try a quick squirt of contact cleaner into the appropriate orifice and see if that makes a difference.

Edited 20 November, 201015 yr by Ed-Preston

FWIW when it happened in SWMBO's car there were no fault codes logged and cleaning made no difference at all.

Thanks for that cheery advice Gizmo

Sorry

I spent months looking into the problem before I actually changed the stalk as I didn't want to start throwing unnecessary parts at the car hoping for a cure, changing the stalk is also a pretty big job (not difficult, just quite involved - especially for the first time!) as the steering wheel and steering Control Module need to come off.

I've had the cruise switch apart, and cleaned all that, but the fault codes still come back. Nobody can categorically tell me where this 18104 fault code actually comes from, not even Skoda main dealer. As I said earlier, there does not seem to be anything not working - wipers/washer/maxidot controls etc all OK on the RHS, indicators, low-high beam, beamflash, and cruise all working normally.

Mike

The other thing to check, is the 10-pin connector at the Steering Column Control Unit. If there is a poor connection, you will see a similar problem.

Right, I have taken the hazard switch out, and as you guys said all along (Feel free to say, 'I told you so' at any point....), it certainly just looks like a switch to me, albeit with 4 pins. The stalk shown in the link that Ross posted is from a Mk I so unfortunately, not very similar to mine at all - I have just tried to squirt some contact cleaner in there, but you don't get a nice big hole to shove the tube in, so I'm not convinced any got to where it matters

The question now is, if the cleaner makes no difference, do I have to resign myself to buying a new stalk - as the relay now seems to be confirmed as a mythical object!?

...I am slightly intrigued to see what the dealer has waiting for me!

Sorry

I spent months looking into the problem before I actually changed the stalk as I didn't want to start throwing unnecessary parts at the car hoping for a cure, changing the stalk is also a pretty big job (not difficult, just quite involved - especially for the first time!) as the steering wheel and steering Control Module need to come off.

These stalks can fail for reasons (mechanical) other than the contacts getting dirty or worn. No amount of cleaning will help if the contacts don't touch!

This may be of use to anyone who is thinking of undertaking the removal of the indicator stalk (for fitting CC etc):

1. Remove the steering Control Module by unscrewing the small Torx Screw and by inserting a thin long screwdriver into the control unit the hole is about 3mm from where the screw was. You should hear it click once it has released the securing lug, you should also feel the front part drop. Now you need to undo the rear securing lug, look where the connector blocks are and using a screwdriver you need to release the lug, as it is difficult to see what you are doing you will have to try and do this by gentle pushing and pulling the control unit till it drops. (this may have been covered in MFsw diy)

2. To remove the slip ring: the slip ring is held on by two lugs, prise them gently with a slotted screwdriver, try not to move the rotating part, some versions have a coloured tab which has to be in-line with the viewing window

3. G85 Steering Angle Sensor Should Pull off

4. Removing the Indicator / Cruise Control Stalk: By looking on the side you will see a Lug is holding the indicator in place, insert the screwdriver so it lifts the retaining part of the lug above the notched part. Insert a 1mm Feeler gauge between the indicator and plastic housing where the white moving part of the indicator it will push up or down and you will insert it till it releases the securing lug and the indicator stalk should slide off towards you.

(Courtesy of Eddie-NL )

These stalks can fail for reasons (mechanical) other than the contacts getting dirty or worn. No amount of cleaning will help if the contacts don't touch!

Quite true, but in my case they worked all the time, just that sometimes the right hand indicator came on when the stalk was in the position for the left one to work - and vice versa, other times they worked perfectly! I suspect it may of been a PCB problem but I never got round to dismantling the old stalk to check.

I did specify twice to them that it was a mark II when I went in, going nip down to Riversway now and see what they've got for me....

UPDATE: Back from the dealers, it is the same switch/relay/gizmo/widget that I have in mine that they've supplied. Interestingly the new one has 6 pins, not four like the current one, it is revision/modification 'C' whereas mine was 'A'.

The parts guy re-iterated to me that it did have a relay in it, which I had queried due to its small size and what you chaps here have said.

Will wait and see what happens

Edited 20 November, 201015 yr by Ed-Preston