Hi all,

I have read many pages of threads about the common "hard to start when hot" problem but i am yet to find the answer to the fault.

Loads of people have mashed about with there electrics and wired in switches or relays to the ETS but i cant find on here any answers to what is causeing the problem and how to fix it.

I have a 2005 Octavia II 1.9tdi PD. most of the people who have been suffering this problem is on the 1999 VW golf and passat but i am assuming it is the same engine hence why i am also having the problem. Having said that i have not actually come across another octavia II owner who is suffering this problem.

New battery fitted and the starter motor is fine, i have not changed the ETS yet (only because i cant find it) but is there any point if thats not the problem.

All input apriciated,

Thanks in advance

With VCDS, go to engine, login 12233, adaptation, channel 1 and modify existing value to 300.

Adjusting the injection quantity so the the car is overfueled is a stupid solution and is no better than disconnecting the temperature sensor.

In this case the battery has already been replaced so whilst the starter motor might seem OK, it is cranking slower than it should.

You can service the starter motor and if you do it right, it is a medium to long term fix (depends on wear).

Degrease/regrease the planetary gearbox and bearings.

Clean the solenoid contacts.

Clean and VERY LIGHTLY grease the Bendix mechanism

<BR>+1. <BR><BR>That isn't the answer. It might make the car a bit easier to start, but isn't curing the problem that's causing the bad starting.<BR><BR>I too would be looking towards the starter motor.<BR><BR>I had the same problem with my 1.9TDI, but fortunately the problem was cured instantly with a new battery. <BR><BR>Are you sure that the battery has been replaced with one of similar output to the original? Is there anything that seems to make it worse, such as previously running with lights or heated screen on? One other thing to maybe look at is alternator output. Reason I suggest this that that a good battery will recover charge when left overnight, so making it easier to start from cold, but may not be getting the full amount of charging from the alternator when using all the electrics.<BR><BR>Mike<BR>

<BR><BR><BR>Thanks very much for all the input. I agree with your comments about changing the injection quality. There is no way i am going to mess with that.<BR>The battery really is brand new, i bought a £100 bosch battery only the other week.<BR>I have been thinking maybe i should service the starter motor, i guess its costs nothing. Are they hard to get at?<BR>

<BR><BR><BR>Thanks very much for all the input. I agree with your comments about changing the injection quality. There is no way i am going to mess with that.<BR>The battery really is brand new, i bought a £100 bosch battery only the other week.<BR>I have been thinking maybe i should service the starter motor, i guess its costs nothing. Are they hard to get at?<BR>

Mike, just to add to that. I have not looked at the alternator at all, i just assumed as the battery was ok the alternator was doing its job.

I cant seem to make the problem worse, if i do a 5 min journey and re-start the car when it is still cold it will fire up straight away. When the car is hot it does not seem to matter if i have all the electrics running or not, takes the same amount of time to start (5ish seconds)

Only thing i have noticed is when the car is cold it starts almost too fast, on a frosty morning it seems like the starter motor hardly turns before it fires up, i can only assume this is normal. :S

One more thing to check...

I've seen a few really badly corroded earth straps on Mk.2s of this age, so it's worth a check.

Thats a good point, might explain why the old battery died like it did. Where would i find the earth strap on mine?

cheers again

peter

Thats a good point, might explain why the old battery died like it did. Where would i find the earth strap on mine?

cheers again

peter

The earth strap is the thick negative cable that connects to the gearbox.

When you look at the starter motor you will only see a thin cable that controls the starter solenoid and a thick positive cable. The negative connection for the starter motor is through the starter motor mounting flange/gearbox housing which is connected by the earth strap.

<BR>The earth strap is the thick negative cable that connects to the gearbox. <BR><BR>When you look at the starter motor you will only see a thin cable that controls the starter solenoid and a thick positive cable. The negative connection for the starter motor is through the starter motor mounting flange/gearbox housing which is connected by the earth strap.<BR>

<BR><BR><BR>Thanks Rwbaldwin,<BR>Really appriciate the help. I will check it and change the strap if nessesery next weekend when i am off work. Worse case scenario i have found a Starter Motor on ebay for £80 brand new. Think i will have a go at re-ferbing mine first tho.<BR>Cheers

Hi all,

I have read many pages of threads about the common "hard to start when hot" problem but i am yet to find the answer to the fault.

Loads of people have mashed about with there electrics and wired in switches or relays to the ETS but i cant find on here any answers to what is causeing the problem and how to fix it.

I have a 2005 Octavia II 1.9tdi PD. most of the people who have been suffering this problem is on the 1999 VW golf and passat but i am assuming it is the same engine hence why i am also having the problem. Having said that i have not actually come across another octavia II owner who is suffering this problem.

New battery fitted and the starter motor is fine, i have not changed the ETS yet (only because i cant find it) but is there any point if thats not the problem.

All input apriciated,

Thanks in advance

Got the same problem, ive just lived with it. Got a little method that may help you though.

When hot stop the engine, turn the ignition on and give the ignition a quick twist. Just enough to crank it over a few times.

Then turn the key as you would to start the car, mine usually fires up after a couple of cranks.

I've repaced the Temp sender, although not for a green one as people say to do.

I've also replaced the battery as to be fair it was dead and would struggle to crank on cold mornings, and this hasn't cured it.

If you want to find the temp sender, the best way to describe it is look at the fuel pump on the end of the camshaft. Then peer over the back and under it. Its more aless hidden by the pump.

If you decide to replace it there is a plastic clip that holds it in, and i would say get a new one of these at the same time and a new o ring to seal the sensor.

But make sure the o ring comes out of the sealing face, as i was rushing to get the new sensor in to minimise coolant loss and didnt realise the old o ring was still in there.

The coolant stopped running after a while, so i imagine i only emptied a section of the block. Topped the coolant up and got it warm and left the expansion bottle cap off, never had any issues with airlocks.

Edited 13 December, 201015 yr by Browny_37

Got the same problem, ive just lived with it. Got a little method that may help you though.

When hot stop the engine, turn the ignition on and give the ignition a quick twist. Just enough to crank it over a few times.

Then turn the key as you would to start the car, mine usually fires up after a couple of cranks.

I've repaced the Temp sender, although not for a green one as people say to do.

I've also replaced the battery as to be fair it was dead and would struggle to crank on cold mornings, and this hasn't cured it.

If you want to find the temp sender, the best way to describe it is look at the fuel pump on the end of the camshaft. Then peer over the back and under it. Its more aless hidden by the pump.

If you decide to replace it there is a plastic clip that holds it in, and i would say get a new one of these at the same time and a new o ring to seal the sensor.

But make sure the o ring comes out of the sealing face, as i was rushing to get the new sensor in to minimise coolant loss and didnt realise the old o ring was still in there.

The coolant stopped running after a while, so i imagine i only emptied a section of the block. Topped the coolant up and got it warm and left the expansion bottle cap off, never had any issues with airlocks.

Thanks for the tip. I will see if that makes a difference later today.

I think i will end up replacing the Coolant Temp Sensor anyway for what it costs, although like you i dont think for a minute it will cure anything.

Thanks for the guide on getting to it, i had all the panels off the other day with the air intake and still could'nt see it so thats a realy big help.

Have now decided to just replace the starter motor instead of trying to fix it, i will let you know if that fixes the problem or not. But like the ETS i am not convinced it will do anything.

cheers

Peter

Thanks for the tip. I will see if that makes a difference later today.

I think i will end up replacing the Coolant Temp Sensor anyway for what it costs, although like you i dont think for a minute it will cure anything.

Thanks for the guide on getting to it, i had all the panels off the other day with the air intake and still could'nt see it so thats a realy big help.

Have now decided to just replace the starter motor instead of trying to fix it, i will let you know if that fixes the problem or not. But like the ETS i am not convinced it will do anything.

cheers

Peter

OK i have tried that trick where you turn the engine over a fe times, stop and then start it when its hot..... Made no difference to mine, it still took a good 5 seconds before firing up. I have however discovered that depending how hot the engine depends on how many cranks it take to start. so if the car is half way to temperature it takes 2-3 seconds and when its hot its 5-6 seconds.

Hmmm

I changed starter 2 years ago and that fix problem.

Two years ago - 170 000 km

Now - 215 000 km - still starting quick with hot engine

Just to make eveyone aware that may have this same problem........ changing the coolant temp sensor makes absolutely no differnce.

The next job is to strip appart the starter motor and re-condition it.

I changed starter 2 years ago and that fix problem.

Two years ago - 170 000 km

Now - 215 000 km - still starting quick with hot engine

I do not intend to sow doubt or confusion, however......

On our 1998 1.9TDI Galaxy, when the car was only about three years old/ 50/60 thou miles.

Her would not start when hot, this was in the summer by the way.

I asked around, with no joy, I finally consulted WW Electro Diesel in Ballymena

That will be the injection pump, they said, probably got a fill or two of dodgy diesel,(loads of that in Northern Ireland back then) tolerances open up when hot, so I reluctantly agrred to & got a factory exchange pump.

No bloody difference.( we finally split the bill 50/50 & even that still hurts a bit)

Local electronic guru then spent some considerable time in my presence looking for the problem, nothing showing up on the computer, but strangly she instantly started, if whilst being cranked, once the master injector was cracked open, this may however have been conicdence.

The colder weather set in, I was rather busy distracted, & the problem disappeared.

My "guru" a couple of years later stated that he had found the exact same problem in a 1.9TDI Audi, and gave me a 5p resistor with fitting instruction as to where to fit.

I never did.

The problem never re-occured and we still got the car.

She has started ever since without incident.

I agree that the starter motors were "crap" & described as such by two local specialists.

Edited 27 September, 201114 yr by dieseldogg

My "guru" a couple of years later stated that he had found the exact same problem in a 1.9TDI Audi, and gave me a 5p resistor with fitting instruction as to where to fit.

I never did.

The problem never re-occured and we still got the car.

She has started ever since without incident.

I agree that the starter motors were "crap" & described as such by two local specialists.

hello i have the same problem, may i have the instructions to where to fit the resistor? what 5p mean it's 5 ohm?

Hi, I am from India and own a Skoda Octavia I.9 PD (2008 model). Its called the Skoda Laura here. I experience a severe shudder most of the times on starting the car. This problem never exists when I start her first time in the morning....I had the same problem 8 months back and I replaced the battery, which made the problem go away now it has resurfaced..Help

Check the earth strap and main starter cable at both ends (where they are crimped). If the battery is OK and the cables are OK, it's likely to be the starter motor itself.

Hi, I am from India and own a Skoda Octavia I.9 PD (2008 model). Its called the Skoda Laura here. I experience a severe shudder most of the times on starting the car. This problem never exists when I start her first time in the morning....I had the same problem 8 months back and I replaced the battery, which made the problem go away now it has resurfaced..Help

On my Octy I also experience a severe shudder, but only when starting already hot engine and especially when air temperature is hot also (so starting now and during summer also). I've replaced the battery, but behaviour is the same.

At dealer they told me its DMF, but I dont wont to change it only because of this as its too expensive.

I am thinking maybe to try to replace engine starter to see if there will be any chnage:(

My 54 plate used to shudder and thump like hell when switching the engine off. Then the dual mass flywheel failed, and it was replaced with a solid flywhel conversion. Since that day, no more shudders or thumps. The SMF cured it totally.

Mike

+1 Same here too

Thanks all,

So as I Understand, It could either be the starter or the DMF. I hope and pray that it's not the DMF as it's expensive. The vehicle I own is manufactured in Dec 2007, and its a 1.9 PD Manual, would it be possible to replace the DMF with the SMF

Thanks

Definitely convert it. You won't be disappointed.

Absolutely yes. I have a 1.9PD hatch on a 54 plate, and a 1.9PD estate on an 08 plate and both have been converted.

My newer one is registered in March 2008, so would have been built very closely after yours. It's running perfectly fine on a SMF, and as previously said, it's something I would have done if it had still been standard and suffered a DMF failure. There's no way on earth would I have replaced with another DMF.

Go for it -- the complete bill from an independent will be no more than around £500 tops. I got the clutch and flywheel kit for my 54 plate for £300 + vat, and from memory my local independent fitted it for £80. It really did transform the car completely, and has been worth every single penny that was spent.

Mike

Thanks I shall explore the possibility of a SMF conversion here. I have another question, In India the Skoda had marketed two brands Octavia and Laura ( The Laura in fact is the next generation of Octy) I know that the earlier Octavias had SMF and the later ones had DMF. So will the SMF made for the older Octavias suit mine. Or more specifically would it be possible to tell me the part specifications of the SMF that will suit my car (which as you have rightly pointed should be quite similar to yours),so that I can start my search here

Thanks

I have just come across this thread, and the symptoms are the same as my car. It does shudder when it is started hot, but not cold. It never shudders when you turn the ignition off. There are no strange sounds from the car/clutch when changing gear or driving or at a standstill, so could this still be the DMF on the way out? If so, then how long does it take to fail, or is that like saying how long is a piece of string?

Andy

Hello all,

I had a similar problem with my 56 plate Octavia 1.9 PD.

It would start fine when cold, however once it was warm and I tried to restart it, it would make a hell of a shudder & thump before cutting out.

It didn't do it all the time, which made it even more frustrating.

I did a bit of research on this site as well as the VW / Audi forum.

Two things can cause these symptoms. A faulty starter motor or a tired battery. Apparently a warm engine requires more power to start than a cold engine. Sounds bizarre, I know!

I changed my battery and this has solved the problem.

Hope this helps.