Hi there. I bought a Felicia tonight. Was a great car with very low mileage, full service history. MOT and tax. A real bargain until we got to the petrol station to fill it up. The fuel cap would not unlock the key would not turn at all. We called the vendor back and they could not open it either. In the end they went to the passenger door and turned the key and activated the central locking. The fuel cap miraculously unlocked and we filled up.

Then the key refused to turn again and the fuel cap did not lock. The key came out of the fuel cap without turning. Then we went back to the passenger door and now the key will not turn in any lock at all. We have spent about 2 hours trying to turn the keys. The fuel cap, the boot, both front doors. The key goes in but none will turn. The ignition still works, but we cannot lock the car. The car will lock if you press the button on either front door when you are in the car, but not from outside at all. Am completely baffled. Husband is sleeping in the car tonight cos we cannot insure it till tomorrow. We got it from Gumtree so caveat emptor. But I love the car. All I want to do is lock it and unlock it as necessary. It is weird how none of the locks are working. Even those not linked to the central locking. We have tried everything we could at midnight.

We do not know where to start. We cannot find any other similar problem on the forum or google search. So please can someone help us. We cannot afford for the car to be stolen.

It is a 1999 T reg face lift 1.3 gli.

I'm not 100% sure whether it is correct for a GLXi, but in my Felicia the fuel cap, the boot lid lock and the door locks are not connected in any way. So, if one lock was broken, the others would still work with the key. The only explanation is that the key that you are trying, is not the original one.

My guess, ingnition lock was probably replaced, and now has a different key. Don't you have 2 keys to try? Maybe one is for the ignition lock, and the other is for the doors/fuel cap/boot lid lock? If they both don't work, I guess you only have the keys for the ignition lock, and the original keys for the doors/fuel cap/ boot lid lock are lost.

Sorry for mistakes in my writing, I'm not an native English speaker.

Sorry for mistakes in my writing, I'm not an native English speaker.

Your English is better than some native English speaker's so do not worry!

I agree with the above. It is quite common for the ignition barrel to develop a fault and need replacing so I reckon this has been done and you will have a different key to the door locks for the ignition itself.

Phil

Would it help to lock and unlock the doors manually from inside the car ?, it sounds as if the central locking has got confused and needs some sort of physical reset.

sounds like wrong key to me buy 2nd hand locks or remote centrol locking+alarm

Thanks Guys.

I have tried locking and unlocking the doors from inside over and over again to no avail. Spent all day travelling to Derbyshire from London to collect a full lock set and key from a huge scrapyard in Doncaster. My friend went to collect them for me, and once he got there and waited for an hour, they admitted they could not find the key!! So I went all the way there for nothing. Have had literally no joy in tracking down a replacement set. Am now contemplating the remote locking/alarm option. What do I need to include the boot in the central locking? I can get a remote locking package for around £20-£30 from Ebay DIY fit, but to include the boot I need something else and possibly someone to walk through how I fit them, if possible. But I don't know about the boot. I can get a replacement fuel cap with key for under a tenner from Ebay as well. However, what would happen if the battery went flat and I could not unlock the doors with a key in the meantime? Would it render the car unusable or would a locksmith then need to be called to let me back into the car?

Sorry for being a nuisance. On a positive note, the car drove beautifully to Chesterfield and back. A little more drinky than the old corsa I used to ahve, but I still did it (including all the stop-start traffic) for around £50 so not too bad. (although that £50 wasted as I did not end up with locks ).

Thanks for advice. This is soooooooo annoying. Car is perfect except for this "hitch" At least my hubby is on night shift from tomorrow night and as he is a security officer the car will be safer with him at work the next 6 nights than outside the house! Buys me a few days to get the car sorted.

If the ignition key works, have a word with a local dealer, a new barrel costs about £20 to have made to fit the key. But: you will need the key number of the key that does work.

Central locking on the boot was hit and miss, some got it, some didn't. you'd need to faff around running wires into the tailgate if yours didn't have it.

Remote: try and find a proper Skoda kit (they are around), easy to install (literally plug and play).

Try a dealer first, prices are not as bad as people make out, especially as they'll supply Skoda stuff, and on a Felicia, it's usually only a couple of quid more than a looky-likey.

What did the previous owner do to lock it? :S :S

Hi. the ignition works a treat. Starts every time. The key is a brand new one. It is the door locks that are not working at all. Will speak to Skoda dealer tomorrow about remote locking kit, and saw the post on how to fit it. Looks a bit complicated with all the recrimping etc, but could be done I guess with some time and patience. But scared of messing up. Dunno who could do it for me. Still considering the remote alarm idea cos would give car some security as well, but worried about spending too much as pretty broke at the moment. :think:

As for original owner, I was a bit duped when I got the car. For some reason they actually did unlock car when we went to see it and we did eventually unlock the fuel cap. But once we did that the doors simply refused to lock and none of the locks are working now. Boot won't lock and fuel cap won't lock. If it were not for the fact that the car is mechanically sound and the miles are really low and it has a full service history I would be spitting feathers!! Apparently the owner before the man I bought it off has a second key but "could not find it!" I have her address in Bath so am going to write to her on the offchance that she has found the key and it works in the lock. In the meantime, fitting a remote module is definitely the safest and easiest way to solve immediate problem whilst I hunt down replacements locks. Am seriosuly scared that car is being left unlocked overnight.

Are you absolutely positive that there is not a second key that came with the car? Did the car lock/unlock with that key you have before you used it in the fuel cap?

Phil

Hi. the ignition works a treat. Starts every time. The key is a brand new one. It is the door locks that are not working at all. Will speak to Skoda dealer tomorrow about remote locking kit, and saw the post on how to fit it. Looks a bit complicated with all the recrimping etc, but could be done I guess with some time and patience. But scared of messing up. Dunno who could do it for me. Still considering the remote alarm idea cos would give car some security as well, but worried about spending too much as pretty broke at the moment. :think:

Don't remember having to re-crimp anything when I installed the remote on mine. :S

As for original owner, I was a bit duped when I got the car. For some reason they actually did unlock car when we went to see it and we did eventually unlock the fuel cap. But once we did that the doors simply refused to lock and none of the locks are working now. Boot won't lock and fuel cap won't lock. If it were not for the fact that the car is mechanically sound and the miles are really low and it has a full service history I would be spitting feathers!! Apparently the owner before the man I bought it off has a second key but "could not find it!" I have her address in Bath so am going to write to her on the offchance that she has found the key and it works in the lock. In the meantime, fitting a remote module is definitely the safest and easiest way to solve immediate problem whilst I hunt down replacements locks. Am seriosuly scared that car is being left unlocked overnight.

I would suggest something like an Autolok as a stop-gap, that should be enough of a detterent to stop the car from being driven away by anyone with another key. On the assumption that the door and fuel cap locks are the originals, a dealer should be able to get a key made to fit those, as the number is logged with the VW computer. When I got new locks, I needed ID (driving licence) and proof of "proper interest" in the car (the V5 did the trick),

A quick look on eBay showed this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Alarm-Security-System-Remote-Central-Locking-Kit-Shock-Sensor-Immobiliser-/150827485165?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3ASkoda|Model%3AFelicia&hash=item231e04c7ed

.....would seem to be a resonable alternative to the Skoda kit, and does alarm too.

I loved the phase "passenger door unlocks fuel cap"... it is from cartoons, right?

but anyways, let's try to untangle that chaos.

Felicia is supplied with two identical keys. any of those keys can unlock all car locks. additionally there is a tag attached with a unique numeric code needed by skoda dealer when requesting a replacement key.

- not clear why did you let the vendor go without showing you how all locks are working properly. you deserve at least a partial refund if you decided to keep the car.

- full service? I'd think twice because central locking seems to be a mess

so I will suggest a few solutions.

1. I never lock fuel cap and nobody stole fuel, poured sugar or throw a lit match inside. yet so that's your last worry.

2. finding both good keys and the tag is a must, unless you want your car to be repossessed by previous owner(s)

3. I would disable central locking for now and lock the car manually door by door. you gain some time so we can help you repair that mickey mouse central locking which is not that hard.

4. my car has an alarm with 3 switches for front doors and bonnet + 2 ultrasonic (volumetric) sensors that take care of back doors and boot (yeah, and flies left inside too occasionally)

Edited 25 August, 201213 yr by masster

Sounds to me like it's had a replacement ignition barrel, which is quite common on the facelift Felicia. The ignition barrel came with its own keys and it seems that the cars original keys, which operate the locks are missing.

You've got a couple of choices in addition to the remote locking idea:

1. Get a second hand set of replacement door, boot and fuel cap locks from a breaker, I'd recomend Skospares on 01202 722666.

2. Remove one of the door locks and take/send it to an automotive locksmith who'll be able to disassemble it, work out the key number and cut you a key to fit it.

Any additional remote locking will rely on the existing lock actuators, it may not be 100% reliable as these are quite prone to playing up.

i will try to look out my donnor locks for you

"Remove one of the door locks and take/send it to an automotive locksmith who'll be able to disassemble it, work out the key number and cut you a key to fit it."

Is this possible with the lock from the fuel cap ?

Use a 'universal' in the mean time ?

ref :

http://www.ebay.co.u...14239&_from=R40

Can't a Skoda dealer make up a key from the VIN number, or even just from the reg? What do people do who've lost their keys? It must happen a lot

What do people do who've lost their keys? It must happen a lot

Felicia original keys have a metallic tag attached with a unique numeric code needed by skoda dealer when requesting replacement keys. if the owner was stupid enough to keep the tag attached to keys, then he(she) deserves to buy new locks.

Edited 30 August, 201213 yr by masster

Can't a Skoda dealer make up a key from the VIN number, or even just from the reg? What do people do who've lost their keys? It must happen a lot

Yes they can, you need ID and the V5 idealy. Takes about 6 weeks though as they have to be done in Germany.