Back in May I ordered a new Octavia vRS Estate Diesel to replace my 56 plate, err, Octavia vRS Estate Diesel With the vat free and the trade in and everything it actually made sense to get a new one. Dealer is taking existing car as a trade in and has given me a fixed value for it.

It was supposed to be here in Late August/Early September. That has now slipped to "November or December maybe".

I spent about £450 on running repairs that I wouldn't have needed if the new car had been on time and dealer agreed to £300 discount and £150 voucher.

On Sunday the car failed to start for the first time ever. 2 stressful days later (short version: don't buy RAC cover...) it's been diagnosed as most likely needing a new ECU. It's currently at the main dealer - it will be a week or so before they can plug it into their diagnostics ( ) though we really know the answer.

1. How much do you reckon a main dealer will charge for a new ECU? I'm bracing myself for 2 grand....

2. Do you think it's fair I should pay this? Firstly it seems to me like it shouldn't have failed (4 years / 60K miles / no impacts) and secondly if they had stuck to original delivery date I really wouldn't have needed one.

3. I really really don't feel like paying thousands to fix a car that in my head I've actually sold. What would you do?

Check the main relay in the fuse box under the bonnet (458 or 109, possibly 100). If it's not that it's most likely to be an injector fault.

Does the engine management and glow plug light come on when you turn the ignition on?

Thanks - checked all fuses in driver compartment but not in engine bay. It's at the dealer's now.

Checked injectors (disconnected each in turn still won't start).

ECU is returning a low voltage but no error codes. Chap who looked at it (diagnostics expert) said he had seen exactly the same that morning on an Audi and after long investigation decided it was knackered ECU.

ETA: warning lights are coming on pretty much at random. E.g. coolant, oil, glow plug, particle filter. With the lights popping on and off the RACSCAN laptop was showing no errors at all.

Edited 28 September, 201015 yr by JonathanRyan

He gave you a fixed value for it end of story, it is not like you have damaged it. I would be very firm with them . Cant understand why it is a week before they can plug it in, it only takes 5 mins, they are not been helpful!!

ETA: warning lights are coming on pretty much at random. E.g. coolant, oil, glow plug, particle filter. With the lights popping on and off the RACSCAN laptop was showing no errors at all.

If you need /want a second opinion I have VCDS and live in Hawkinge .

If all those lights are coming on at various time I would of though something would be logged, not sure what diagnostic equipment the RAC use but VCDS is regarded as the best diagnostic interface for VAG cars.

If you need /want a second opinion I have VCDS and live in Hawkinge .

If all those lights are coming on at various time I would of though something would be logged, not sure what diagnostic equipment the RAC use but VCDS is regarded as the best diagnostic interface for VAG cars.

Thanks - I drive past Hawkinge twice a day........

RAC use a generic laptop which they say isn't as good as VCDS. Nationwide have VCDS and that's what they connected to yesterday - still showing no fault. :(

Nationwide have VCDS and that's what they connected to yesterday - still showing no fault. :(

Let's just hope that when Halfords acquired them their service did not change to Halfords quality of service then

Let's just hope that when Halfords acquired them their service did not change to Halfords quality of service then

I have to say, I've been very happy with Nationwide in Canterbury.

The fitted me in at a couple of hours notice, ran diagnostics and did some other tests, looked after the car overnight and pushed it to a transporter today. I asked what I owed them and they said "nah, don't worry - you've got enough bills coming".

I have a spare pd170 ecu.

I have a spare pd170 ecu.

Wow. I know so little about how cars work that I'm not sure what that is.

But if it's the ECU for a vRS Diesel PD then we should talk. Especially about what "spare" means

Still 5 days to go until dealer runs diagnostics......

It is spare as in I don't need it and could part with it.

It is for a Leon FR but has the same BMN engine so should work. Your more than welcome to try it to see if it will clear your fault.

My car had the same problem recently and had a new ECU.

I don't know whether it is just me, but the car fells like it is sluggish and hesitates and is a bit lumpy.

Steve

Edited 29 September, 201015 yr by Steve vRS

If the ECU is showing low voltage at the terminal, I take it you've tried popping a battery charger on the battery?

I must have replaced 10 batteries over the last two weeks. I think those that were just hanging on over the summer are now dying.

Many of these would pass a no load test, but as soon as a load was on them, there was just no juice to power the car.

Shortly before I sold the car, my ECU was damaged because of a short cut in the loom to the PD elements.

The ECU cost about 900 euros (dont know exactly because part was payed by my warranty extension).

This fault has become more common on RS TDI PDs. Let the loom be checked, as well as the PD elements.

Shortly before I sold the car, my ECU was damaged because of a short cut in the loom to the PD elements.

The ECU cost about 900 euros (dont know exactly because part was payed by my warranty extension).

This fault has become more common on RS TDI PDs. Let the loom be checked, as well as the PD elements.

Interesting - thanks for that. Especially because if the loom's shorted I may have a claim against Skoda....

900€ isn't as bad as I'm fearing at the moment.

'k, credit where it's due....

First the bad stuff

1. Car has been at the main dealers for a week now with no contact
   
2. I just rang up and found they had actually diagnosed the problem a day or so ago but hadn't called me
   
3. It will take another week to fix
   

Now the good.

1. It's not the ECU - it's a single injector that's gone down
   
2. Sales will cover the cost of the repair
   
3. I can keep my beautiful Candy White Greenline until the vRS is ready
   
4. No charge
   

Which is a considerably better result than I hoped. I'm mildly miffed about the 2 weeks off the road and the no calling kind of thing. But this is totally outweighed by the whole free bit

Motorline Skoda in Canterbury just went WAY up in my estimation.

Nice result .

Effectively they have repair their own car though ............ but it's still a good result, that they could of charged you for.

I have only been in there the once - to test drive a Superb, but I was also very impressed with them (much better than another local dealer who will remain nameless - still awaiting for them to get a car to test drive some 5 months on!)

Should just let them keep it and keep the loan car until new jamjar arrives, like you said its late anyway.

I have had the same on a 170PD. One injector shorts to earth which in turn knocks all the others out. Car won't start until the faulty injector is unplugged then it will run but with a missfire obviously. The test plan on guided fault finding traces the problem to an ECU but it's not the cause.

I have had the same on a 170PD. One injector shorts to earth which in turn knocks all the others out. Car won't start until the faulty injector is unplugged then it will run but with a missfire obviously. The test plan on guided fault finding traces the problem to an ECU but it's not the cause.

So once the ECU is replaced (as mine was), what would you say would happen to the car. My car still feels lumpy and lethargic. Does that sound like the injector?

The fault that caused the ECU to be replaced was that the car just refused to start. The 2 days before it was running like a bag of spanners.

Steve

The ECU would do nothing in that instance, still non start.

i had to replace the ecu on my old Audi A3. was an 05 plate and water ingress caused the failure. ended up having to buy new ECU, new clocks/cluster unit from dealership and then had to pay dealer to recode everything and the bill came to £1100. this was in may of this year.

hope this gives you an idea on price and hope you get it sorted soon

The ECU would do nothing in that instance, still non start.

Can you expand?

Thanks

Steve

Can you expand?

Thanks

Steve

Not sure how, the ECU isn't the fault so replacing it doesn't do anything.

What I meant was that my car failed to start. The ECU is replaced and now the car works.

So, was there a fault with my ECU (which I expect to be unlikely) or is there a hidden intermittent fault which is going to strike again?

If so, what do I ask my dealer to check for?

Thanks

Steve