vRS hard to start in freezing weather

[Timewarp]

Hi

Just wondered if anyone had experienced any issues starting their vRS in freezing weather?

It's normally fine in mild to warm temperatures, but my Fabia vRS took a few goes this morning to get running. Outside temperature gauge read -2 degrees and it was turning over but not properly starting. I managed to get it started simply by persisting with it and cranking the starter until it worked. Once the engine had started, it was fine with no signs of stalling.

It's a 2005 model with 92k on the clock. Is there anything I can check?

Thanks in advance.

[softscoop]

Do you let the glow plug light go out before trying to start?

[Timewarp]

Do you let the glow plug light go out before trying to start?

Yes I did.

[vertrider06]

Yes I did.

Never knew about that, so im guessing leave the ignition on for a second or two before starting?

Did notice it took my car a fraction of a second longer to start up this morning but was nothing major as it starts on the turn of the button...

Could it be the battery you have?

[Gizmo]

Never knew about that, so im guessing leave the ignition on for a second or two before starting?

Did notice it took my car a fraction of a second longer to start up this morning but was nothing major as it starts on the turn of the button...

Could it be the battery you have?

You should turn the ignition on and wait for the glowplug light to go out before cranking the engine over, this will preheat the cylinders to make starting easier.

If the car is cranking over at normal speed then the battery is fine.

To the OP have you had a scan done on the car? some of the glowplugs may be faulty.

[Timewarp]

You should turn the ignition on and wait for the glowplug light to go out before cranking the engine over, this will preheat the cylinders to make starting easier.

If the car is cranking over at normal speed then the battery is fine.

To the OP have you had a scan done on the car? some of the glowplugs may be faulty.

Thanks, yes the battery is fine it was cranking OK and it's only a couple of years old.

Ta, I'll get a diagnostic done. There's no dashboard warning or anything (e.g. no flashing glow plug sign when driving, etc).

[Gizmo]

They don't usually throw up a warning light, but there will be a DTC logged

Look at the Briskoda VCDS owners MAP for someone local to you.

[armstrong21490]

When one of my glowplugs packed in it threw up the EML.

[Gizmo]

Interesting,

both SWMBO's MK5 Golf and an Octavia I scanned at the weekend have the same glow plug circuit electrical fault (on all 4 glow plugs) these cars however both start fine from cold with no EML being thrown up.

[NICNAK]

Interesting,

both SWMBO's MK5 Golf and an Octavia I scanned at the weekend have the same glow plug circuit electrical fault (on all 4 glow plugs) these cars however both start fine from cold with no EML being thrown up.

Got vrs, from new it was in & out of the dealers for none starting issues, never anything showed up on diognostics, about 8 times it was put on low loader, everytime it came back, all i got was they couldn't find the fault.... anyhow, it was eventually sorted, but to this day, every time it gets a bit cold, it struggles to start, when it does eventually start, the engine revs to about 12k revs, then imediately dies down to 900rpm, never knew how they overcome the starting fault but have always said they seemed to have bypassed summut to make it start now..... had that much problem with it the missis said the vrs stood for "very rarely starts" which tickled a few people, but seriously, it always let me down 1st thing in the morning (5.15am) so at that time of a morning it use to p**s me off cos there aint nobody to cry out 2 for help....

[SkodaFabiaOwner]

Also diesel without additives can start to freeze in minus temperatures, so it could be that fuel around the fuel line/filter is starting to coagulate and thicken, although obviously eventually enough is getting through to start the engine...

[Huxley vRS]

NICNAK you got a VTEC engine in that vRS? hehe 12k rpm.

[TriggerFish]

NICNAK you got a VTEC engine in that vRS? hehe 12k rpm.

And from a diesel!

[R1chard]

A scan should show up any problems but I'd have the battery voltage checked first then go for a new set of glow plugs.

[Timewarp]

It was cold again this morning, but this time it started fine. I suppose the difference was that it wasn't sat there over the weekend not being used, I wonder if it was frozen fuel in the filter as suggested above?

[Timewarp]

The scan came back OK with no fault codes. The only warning was to do with the battery level strangely. Battery is only two years old, and it was cranking OK, wonder if this is a red herring?

[travs]

I've had some trouble starting recently - thought it was she to glow plugs as car ran fine after that albeit a couple of times it stalled almost straight after.

Thing is I always run it with Miller's Dieselmax. Ran out and filled up without it a couple of times. Didn't think anything of it but have bought plugs to change and no have to return as, now I've got the additive back in the system it seems to fire easier. Wonder if its something to do with timing? And that might be the remap the chap before me put on it...

[VRSD30]

When it's really cold like 0c or lower I leave it a little longer after the glowplug has gone out before turning it over, starts first time. Plus I use diesel rhino additive.

[Wet Kipper]

^{My issue isn't with the car turning over in the cold weather - its the coolant warning light.}

^{IN the cold weather before Christmas when I started the car it turned over fine, but then the coolant light came on, along with the annoying beep (higher pitched than the usual "ping") - gave me quite a fright and a bit of a panic that the car had a major issue}

^{Turned off and consulted the manual. Checked the coolant level and it was fine.Turned car back on and it started okay and the light didn't come on. THe same thing happened for a few days, then the weather got warmer and it didn't happen again.}

^{Then yesterday and again today, cold weather, same thing. Turn on the car, let it settle, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep & light. Turn off the car, check coolant level. restart car and it works fine, no alarms and no surprises, and the temp gauge sits at 90 the whole way to work once it's warmed up.}

^{Any thoughts ?}

[JoshH]

Hmm wonder if it's a bit like when you repeatedly have to start engines with easy start - they become 'addicted' to it and refuse to start without it.

We've had the issue a few times with diesel lumps in compressors and machines in work where they point blank refuse to start, show them some easy start and they fire instantly!

[Timewarp]

I've had some trouble starting recently - thought it was she to glow plugs as car ran fine after that albeit a couple of times it stalled almost straight after.

Thing is I always run it with Miller's Dieselmax. Ran out and filled up without it a couple of times. Didn't think anything of it but have bought plugs to change and no have to return as, now I've got the additive back in the system it seems to fire easier. Wonder if its something to do with timing? And that might be the remap the chap before me put on it...

Interesting you should say that. Anecdotally, when I started this thread I lived next to an Esso garage, and me being lazy as I am used to fill up with diesel there every time, even though I thought the vRS ran better on Shell Optimax or BP Ultimate.

I have since moved house, and my nearest garage is a BP. This winter I have had no problems starting the car, even when left overnight for a few days. I wonder if the fuel filter was clogged as suggested by @SkodaFabiaOwner above, and the cleaning power of BP Ultimate's additives are doing the trick?

^{My issue isn't with the car turning over in the cold weather - its the coolant warning light.}

^{IN the cold weather before Christmas when I started the car it turned over fine, but then the coolant light came on, along with the annoying beep (higher pitched than the usual "ping") - gave me quite a fright and a bit of a panic that the car had a major issue}

^{Turned off and consulted the manual. Checked the coolant level and it was fine.Turned car back on and it started okay and the light didn't come on. THe same thing happened for a few days, then the weather got warmer and it didn't happen again.}

^{Then yesterday and again today, cold weather, same thing. Turn on the car, let it settle, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep & light. Turn off the car, check coolant level. restart car and it works fine, no alarms and no surprises, and the temp gauge sits at 90 the whole way to work once it's warmed up.}

^{Any thoughts ?}

My vRS has the same issue when experiencing near freezing temperatures. I usually let the car run for about 30 seconds then restart it to clear the warning. I believe it's something to do with the sensor in the coolant reservoir misbehaving when cold.

[JoshH]

^{My issue isn't with the car turning over in the cold weather - its the coolant warning light.}

^{IN the cold weather before Christmas when I started the car it turned over fine, but then the coolant light came on, along with the annoying beep (higher pitched than the usual "ping") - gave me quite a fright and a bit of a panic that the car had a major issue}

^{Turned off and consulted the manual. Checked the coolant level and it was fine.Turned car back on and it started okay and the light didn't come on. THe same thing happened for a few days, then the weather got warmer and it didn't happen again.}

^{Then yesterday and again today, cold weather, same thing. Turn on the car, let it settle, beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep & light. Turn off the car, check coolant level. restart car and it works fine, no alarms and no surprises, and the temp gauge sits at 90 the whole way to work once it's warmed up.}

^{Any thoughts ?}

It's the sensor in the header tank I think mate, mine does it too.

From what I've read you need to replace the header tank, doesn't seem as bigger job as it sounds. I can live with the light for now though lol

[stuart vrs]

yeah joshH, i get the same thing, but it seems to be if i park on a hill it will bleep, plenty of coolant in the header tank, i knock the engine off then back on and last year its happened twice my eml came on, took it to skoda and i've had 3 glow plugs changed, i just ignore it now, or drive down to the next village and switch it off and back on. mine did struggle yesterday as it was -2 degrees in the morning.

[Wet Kipper]

Given that the car is at most 2 weeks away from getting traded in, I'm inclined to use the "turn on and off again" method.

took me 2 restarts this morning before the light stayed off, but it stayed off once the car was moving.

[travs]

Interesting you should say that. Anecdotally, when I started this thread I lived next to an Esso garage, and me being lazy as I am used to fill up with diesel there every time, even though I thought the vRS ran better on Shell Optimax or BP Ultimate.

I have since moved house, and my nearest garage is a BP. This winter I have had no problems starting the car, even when left overnight for a few days. I wonder if the fuel filter was clogged as suggested by @SkodaFabiaOwner above, and the cleaning power of BP Ultimate's additives are doing the trick?

Sorry - just seen the reply. I wouldn't rule it out tbh - although I wouldn't be so sure about the additives having such a pronounced effect so quickly, I wonder whether there's something to do with the Cetane rating and timing if that occurs with diesel cars (think I'm applying petrol theory to diesel - might trip myself up...)