HEy everyone, I need your help, I went out to start my Octy today and it will not turn at all, all the dash lights seem to come on along with the ASR and Airbag light on the centre console, it then emits loud beeps, can anyone advise??

Battery maybe, especially if it doesnt turn over.

stereo etc all still turning on, so life in the battery?

it may have life, but the current draw needed to start a diesel engine might be to much for the battery to provide. Its this time of year that the battery needs to be at its best and the colder weather shows up weak batteries.

ok, will try SWMBO battery from her 2.0 tdi leon, will let you know the results!

How old is yoru car.

My car was just fine, I left it parked and drove it one short journey in 3 weeks and all sort of problems started happening.

New battery and it looks like things are ok, so far.

4 years isn't too bad on a modern car.

If you pull the sticker off and can find a suitably large object you can check the levels on the cells, top up with deionised water if you need and recharge it.

my car is also about four years old, I just had the jump leads hooked up to the Leon there, but the Octy still wouldnt start:eek:

When you turn the ignition to stage 3 is there a click under the bonnet? Leave the door open and bonnet up and try turning the ignition from II to III over and over and see if you can hear it clicking. You should....

This is the solenoid attached to the starter motor and if it's engaging then it shows 'some' power is getting there but not enough to turn the motor which means either the battery hasn't enough grunt or the motor is siezed / dead. A fully charged battery easily helps you deduce that one.

If you cannot hear a clicking then the solenoid is not engaging when the ignition is on stage III. This could be down to a failed solenoid (part of the starter usually), again a low battery (has to be REALLY flat for the solenoid to not even click), possibly an immobiliser fault (some disable the starter amongst other things) or a break in the circuitry between battery, alternator and starter motor.

Just a few suggestions based on personal experience.

EDIT - Take it you've checked all the fuses too? There might be one attached to the battery too. It'll be a big one for this - 30A.

Check all the fuses, including those under the bonnet.

Leave the jumps on with the leon running for 5 minutes, then give it a go.

I can help you rule out the immobiliser as a possible culprit. If you have an incorrect (or none) immobiliser the engine will crank and start normally, then after approx 2 seconds it will cut out and display an immobiliser light and/or error message. So the immobiliser won't stop it from turning over.

Logic (and experience) says that cars that won't crank over usually have one or more of the following issues (not listed in order of how frequently they happen):

A Battery cannot produce enough cranking current (either flat or faulty, could be charging problem or parasitic drain eg stereo, alarm)

B Cranking (high amperage) current isn't getting to starter motor from battery (leads, connection, earthing problems. fusible link)

C Starter motor is jammed (try rocking car back and forth in 5th gear)

D Starter motor is faulty

E Solenoid (on starter motor) is faulty

F Control power signal isn't getting to solenoid and therefore to starter motor (contacts at back of ignition switch, wiring, connections, fuses, relays)

If I was a betting man I would rank the most likely as A, then F, then D/E, then C then B.

Please let us know what it turns out to be, as it adds to the corporate knowledge base here, and we can give higher qualiy advice to the next person.

Guys, thanks for all your help, it turned out to be the battery (phew!) Ive never had a battery that had enough charge for lights etc but not enough to start the car, but then this is my first derv!

Guys, thanks for all your help, it turned out to be the battery (phew!) Ive never had a battery that had enough charge for lights etc but not enough to start the car, but then this is my first derv!

Which one did you get?

I got a bosch silver at less than the varta silver top (same battery IIRC) with a healthy 780CCA capacity.