I've got a 2002 Octavia. When i turn on the ignition the engine starts, then after a couple of seconds it shuts down. The interval between starting and stopping seems to alter somewhat.

The car has been taken to the mechanic's - they told me the code is lost from the key, I should take the car to a Skoda dealer. As the nearest dealer is 3 hrs away it is not likely to happen.

They also told me it could be the engine pump. Nonetheless they could not fix it.

I have got two keys, no matter which one I use the engine shuts down.

Anyone has has similar experience before?

Mine does this every now and again, I think it has something to do with the immobiliser so the key code suggestion may be correct, I just live with it as it rarely happens

Thanks! I have forgotten to add though that for this reason I haven't been able to use my car since several weeks ago.

Is it a diesel? If so the immobilser works by operating a solenoid in the injection pump. The fact it starts then stops 2 sec later fits with an immobilser problem. Does this happen with both keys? The chip for the immobilser is separate from the central locking and is an rfid type thing so shouldn't loose the code, it could be an issue with the coil that picks up the signal in the ignition.

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Yes it is a diesel. Thanks for the tip! Do you think it could be fixed on a do-it-yourself basis?

There have been threads on here before from people that have replaced the coil, but I'm not sure how complicated it is to do.

I would recommend getting the car scanned with VCDS to help identify where the problem lies. Have a look at the thread in the diagnostic forum and see if there is anyone near you with VCDS.

Really you need to scan the car. There are two things you could try though: try another key if you have one, and consider changing the pickup coil on the ignition barrel.

I have had the car scanned by a friend. The results were the following:

00518 - Throttle Position Sensor

00660 - Kickdown Switch/Throttle Position Sensor

00529 - Engine Speed Signal Missing

00545 - Engine-Transmission Electrical Connection

01314 - Engine Control Module

Any ideas?

Look at the ross tech wiki for more information on the codes but at first glance it would suggest a problem with the throttle pedal.

try leaving the key in the ignition on for a while, worked for me