My ever reliable Octavia dies intermittently.

Hi all,

I need some guidance.

My Octavia 1.9 TDI Elegance has been ever reliable until 6 weeks ago. I’ve had the car for three years and it has 60,000 miles on the clock. First registered in 2005. It has been regularly serviced by a Skoda Dealer.

6 weeks ago after travelling 60 miles on a motorway and 10 miles on minor road when slowing down to take a corner the engine dies. Engine cranks ok, lights /dashboard ok but no warning lights. No start.

I called roadside assistance and the chap said it’s probably a fuel pump. It was taken to a local garage. Hours later the garage calls to say the pump is ok, diagnostics show no fault and the car is starting

I used it on short journeys for 3 weeks ok.

Then after a trip on a motorway for 120miles and trunk road for 30 miles I slow down to corner and it dies again. Same symptoms. I ran the battery down trying to start it for over 2 hours. It was taken to local garage and after recharging the battery over night it comes back to life. Diagnostics show no fault. Garage says 90% likely to be the pump. I pick up a pump from a Skoda dealer and garage fits same.

I then used it for 2 weeks on various journeys including one journey of 300 miles. No problems. Problem solved methinks.

Then last week after a 60 mile journey I slow down to take a roundabout and it dies again. Same story.

This time I direct assistance to take it to a local Skoda garage. They are not too happy that it had work done by a non Skoda Garage and are reluctant to work on it.They said it could take many hours to trace the fault at great expense.

I convinced them to spend 2 hours on it to see if they could trace the fault. Next day I get a call to say after diagnostic check no fault was found for fuel injection but they found fuel pipes on tank unit fitted incorrectly.

Given their reluctance to take the car in I am sceptical as to whether they found the cause. All the garages ran diagnostics on the car but found nothing.

Now I am in fear of taking the car on a long drive in case it dies on a motorway.

I am loosing faith in Skoda.

I ‘m an Electronics Engineer by trade and would guess it’s a relay problem. Would I be better going to a motor electrics specialist?

I would dearly appreciate some hints as to where I might start to solve the problem?

ATN

Edited 2 April, 201115 yr by ATN

Hi and welcome aboard.