I went to start the car t'other day, waited til the glowplug light went out as usual cranked and she fired but then cut out. Did this three times then fired and stayed on. I thought a bit funny but worried no more assuming it was a bit of bad fuel/cold night etc etc.

Today after it had been left all day since 10am I came back to it at 5 and tried to start it again noticing the immobiliser light on (i think this is right... a light in the shape of a key), she cranked, fired but cut out straight away.

She did this for a good 20 times after various attempts of 'leaving it for a minute', locking, unlocking, window opening, closing, 'doing a rain dance' etc etc.

Then as you would expect, an Irish friend of mine comes over and says 'whats the problem', I explain, he says, 'go on show me', I put the ignition on and the light is no longer there, he says, 'go on to be sure, give her death!', she cranked, fired and stayed on. Then re-started a good few times as well.

Anyone else had this trouble?

Any ideas of the cause?

Cheers

Right, so I drove it home today after it being sat from 10 til 4, she started no problem but when I came home I had to straight back out and it would not start, the immobiliser light is staying on flashing when I put the ignition on. (it's actually in the shape of a car with a key at the bottom of it).

Won't go off no matter what I do this time it seems.

Am in the process of queuing on the phone to get recovery out to see if they can fix it.

Any ideas very welcome.

You need a new key.

just tried with the spare, it's not remote locking on the car, only central using the key.

No joy. :(

Leaving the neg off the battery for half hour now in an attempt to reset the ecu.

The locks have nothing to do with your immobiliser.

Hmm, as I thought.

But I tried the ignition with the spare and the problem was the same. It's strange, the problem has definitely got worse over the last week and has no effect once the car has started.

OK, if both keys are doing it you have a faulty immobiliser coil round the ignition barrel. It's not a common fault but does creep up from time to time.

If you get the car started (try starting it about 15 times) give the key and barrel a wiggle and a knock here and there and see if it cuts out. If it does you should be able to track down the bad connection.

Ahh, the kind of problem I was fearing... i'm not a fan of electrics.

I'll try it once I hook the battery back up.

Have had it a few times on octavia's and just changed the immobiliser reading ring wire, it runs from ring round ignition to dash panel.

I've taken the plastics off the ignition barrel surround. The light as it is, all connected comes on and starts flashing straight away. If i take the wire out of the immobiliser reading ring then it takes as long as the glow plug light before it starts flashing.

I'm assuming it's going to mean a new immobiliser reader ring as i am taking the above to mean the wire is sound... That is, if it's possible to change the part..... anyone done it?

Thanks.

I've taken the plastics off the ignition barrel surround. The light as it is, all connected comes on and starts flashing straight away. If i take the wire out of the immobiliser reading ring then it takes as long as the glow plug light before it starts flashing.

I'm assuming it's going to mean a new immobiliser reader ring as i am taking the above to mean the wire is sound... That is, if it's possible to change the part..... anyone done it?

Thanks.

It can be changed, but I've never done it.

Ok, so I think the immobiliser reader ring is the logical first choice. Does anybody know if I'll have to change the ecu or anything else when I do it. Also any recommendations on where to get one?

Thanks

Also, does it come part from the barrel? or will it mean a new barrel?

Thanks.

bump

Update:

Well I went at it today with vagcom at the ready, hooked up the neg on the battery and popped the lock part of the barrel back in connecting the wires up too.

About to start scanning with vagcom and I noticed the immobiliser light was NOT on!!!! I muttered quite a few expletives and then began to wonder why it had 'fixed itself'.

The only things I can put it down to are these:

1) electrical - I left the battery off while I was working out what to do about the car, reconnected it just now. This will have reset the ecu I think and thus resetting the roaming immobiliser codes.

2) physical - I might've wiggled a wire in just the right way and now it's working.

Basically, 1 is wonderful, 2 is bad.

Yes it's a bad connection at the coil.

I think your onto something Bazmcc, spoke to two auto-electricians today and they are saying the same thing. Turns out there's a bit of a trend that it gets worse with heat. When it had 'fixed itself' it had been raining and cooled down. however today when it happened once again it had been sat it the sun outside the shop for a few hours.

The one sparkey i spoke to said that the reader coils break down a little over time and when old and tired the signal gets weaker with heat. Just like the issue i'm having.

My aim is to try and fix it on the cheap and get a key and barrel, attach my transponder to the new (second hand) barrel/reader, and plug the wiring into it and hide out of the way. Then use my key and barrel as usual in the normal place. Fingers crossed.

Can anybody foresee any problems with this?

Just in case anybody else is getting this problem, it definitely is heat related.

I parked up outside the shop for a few hours yesterday. I was in the shade when I got there but the sun came round and cooked the car for an hour or so.

When i got back in it wouldn't start, same problem again.

I was outside my mates motor factors luckily so I went in and grabbed a can of freezing spray. Popped a little on the reader coil on the barrel and she started right up.

As logical as it seemed with all the advice I'd been given it still surprised me a fair bit. Went away with a bit of a daft grin on my face that such a simple thing like a few degrees here or there could render the car useless.

I'll be getting a second hand reader and barrel shortly so I will update as to the success of my plan to bodge it as above. (not the best idea in the world I know)

Well dgmp, does it work.

My old mans w-reg Fabia Classic 1400 appears to have the same problem. Had it sorted at the Skoda dealer, then had to take it back two times to be recoded again! And now its done it again with me in it. Left it 15 minutes, so I presume it cooled down, and then it started!

Will another ignition barrell, with the old key attached to get a reading, fix the problem? Or does it just need this immobiliser ring wire replacing?