Hi

I have been a member here for a while due to having another 1.8T, but only got my first Skoda yesterday. It is a MK1 VRS, about 9 years old, with 90 odd K on the clock.

I have just finished changing the cambelt, as it had never been done, but have some questions regarding the warning light sequence on start up. I don't have a user manual (can I download one somewhere?) and the dash is different enough from my other 1.8T that I am not sure whether I have an issue or not.

Anyway I haven't turned the engine over yet, only on electrically. When I do I see:

1. An engine symbol in yellow that stays lit - I had assumed this would go out and this is my biggest concern.
   
2. It flashes service in the odometer section - although this disappears when the mileage displays after about 10s.
   
3. The yellow EPC light stays on (my other 1.8T states in the manual that this should go off after 3 seconds, is this the same on a vrs?)
   

I'm certain that when driving home after picking it up that none of these were on, however I didn't watch the dash during start up so couldn't say if they were lit prior to the cambelt change.

I have checked all the sensors that I either disconnected or worked near and all seem ok. Unfortunately I don't have VAGCOM to scan it to see what it is trying to tell me.

Any advice welcome, or if anyone in Bristol has vagcom and wants to earn some beer tokens....

Cheers

Tom

Engine light should go out on start up as should the EPC light. You need to get it on Vagcom or diagnostics. It's worth getting a vagcom cable on ebay as they're only about £10, & could save you money in the long term.

an '01 octavia at mine has both EML and EPC lights on without the engine on. these go out when the car starts. that said its not a 1.8T so maybe they are different. for what thats worth.

the service light can be reset through pressing various buttons and turning the ignition on and off. its in the manual and if it stops raining i'll look it up. again this is for a 1.6 model but i'd be surprised if the procedure was different.

Edited 17 July, 201114 yr by toby

Thanks for replies. I have ordered a handheld vagcom diagnostics reader as I have no laptop and it is cheaper than a garage but this obviously won't turn up for a few days.

Ok, from what you are both saying the lamps should go out on start up, i.e. not until I fire the engine.

That seems to tally with the sections in the workshop manual I have finally found.

Functional test of the warning lamp (EPC)

– Switch on ignition.

The EPC warning lamp must light up.

– Start engine and run in idle.

The EPC warning lamp must go out if no fault related to the EPC has been stored in the fault memory.

If the EPC warning lamp does not go out check the el. wiring.

If the EPC warning lamp does not light up at all, check the dash panel insert or el. wiring

Functional test of the exhaust emissions warning lamp

– Switch on ignition.

The exhaust emission warning lamp must light up.

– Start engine and run in idle.

The exhaust emissions warning lamp must go out if no fault was stored in the fault memory.

So it looks like I was worrying about nothing (at least until after I turn her over anyway)

Edited 17 July, 201114 yr by tomduff

Doh, I was indeed worrying about nothing. it is all running fine.

Thanks