Hi,

Asking a question from my dad here, he has a TD Octavia and recently, when starting from cold, the red triangle light on the dash comes on and there is a beeping sound.

The car starts and appears to run fine.

He can usually turn the car off and start it again and the light won't come on second time. Next morning, same thing happens again.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

PS: think i posted this in the wrong forum, sorry :-(

Thread moved.

If the light's more like this:

...then it sounds like your dad's suffering a very common fault with the level sensor in the expansion tank. As long as the level in the tank is OK (by looking), there aren't any leaks, and the car's not overheating (the temperature gauge on the dash is unaffected) then it's not a problem. Depending on the exact revision of the tank, he may be able to clean the sensor, otherwise a new one will be needed (10-15 quid).

HTH

Hi, thanks for the reply.

I'll need to ask him again but i'm sure it's a red triangle with an exclamation mark in the middle.

The tank looks OK, i've already checked that after reading some forums and cleaned the sensor but i'm not sure that's even the issue given the red triangle warning?

Hi,

Asking a question from my dad here, he has a TD Octavia and recently, when starting from cold, the red triangle light on the dash comes on and there is a beeping sound.

The car starts and appears to run fine.

He can usually turn the car off and start it again and the light won't come on second time. Next morning, same thing happens again.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Nearly blocked oil strainer? Cold oil will be less willing to flow through it?

Mike

Could be, but I'd have said the oil pressure warning looks EVEN LESS like an exclamation mark:

Could be, but I'd have said the oil pressure warning looks EVEN LESS like an exclamation mark:

My dads out and about at the moment, i'll ask when he gets home and post back with a proper description or a pic :-)

Thanks again for helping.

Had the same thing recently, gave the prongs in my coolant tank a scrape (with a plastic knife) and job's a good 'un.

Hope it's the same for you.

Ok, spoke to my dad.

1) turn ignition on

2) red warning light comes on and flashes, looks like a temperature gauge

3) three beeps are heard

4) beeps stop but the light flashes

Car starts ok.

Turn ignition off, wait a second or two and turn ignition on and the car starts with no warning lights or beeps.

Go with post 8, common fault. Use a stick / toothbrush / stick / cat / what ever fits into the tank....

Ok, spoke to my dad.

1) turn ignition on

2) red warning light comes on and flashes, looks like a temperature gauge

3) three beeps are heard

4) beeps stop but the light flashes

Car starts ok.

Turn ignition off, wait a second or two and turn ignition on and the car starts with no warning lights or beeps.

I think thats just to warn you that that the outside temp is near freezing.

Edited 11 December, 201015 yr by Litto

I think thats just to warn you that that the outside temp is near freezing.

Nope, when it is cold, the temp display on the dash automatically changes from showing the time to the temp, and if enabled you can hear a couple of "bongs" to go with it too. The OP's father just need to clean the prongs in his coolant expansion tank (or fit a new tank if he can't clean them). The prongs get a build up of bubbles on then, increasing the resistance , which makes the car believe the fluid level is low.

Nope, when it is cold, the temp display on the dash automatically changes from showing the time to the temp, and if enabled you can hear a couple of "bongs" to go with it too. The OP's father just need to clean the prongs in his coolant expansion tank (or fit a new tank if he can't clean them). The prongs get a build up of bubbles on then, increasing the resistance , which makes the car believe the fluid level is low.

If the red flashing thermometer is in the middle of the gauges, and it beebs three times,it`s definitely the car trying

to tell you" it has been...is" Baltic outside .