Problems/Faults

[johnb07]

Since there's a fair few Octy 3's on the road now (by the looks of the forum) I thought i'd start a thread (can't seem to see another) to list any faults/problems members have found with there vehicles.

It's probably too early to say whether any are 'common faults' but should pose to help in the long term as to whether they are isolated or shared by others.



Problems I have encountered to date, (car 9.5 weeks old with 2100 miles as of Aug 1st 2013):

• Wing mirrors - When adjustment knob is set to 'right' both the left and right mirrors move. Also a high pitched squeak upon ignition before they unfold (not sure if this is normal or related to the mirrors at all)

 

• Dash - Terrible rattle which I cannot locate (to be honest it's a rattle I wouldn't expect in a car of some age), noticeable on road surfaces any less than perfect and with increased throttle. and speed.

• Leather - Mentioned in a previous thread of mine, the right hand bolster on my drivers seat started to show wear after only 11 days.

• Start/Stop - At times when I come to use this it doesn't seem to work and i'm not sure why. I'll get a little light start stop symbol with a line through which I assume means it's unavailable.

 

 

 

Any problems anybody else is having please add them to the thread so we can all keep tabs on them

[Huskoda]

• Wing mirrors - When adjustment knob is set to 'right' both the left and right mirrors move.

This is a feature and has been on VAGs for a long time. It means when someone else gets in your car, they move the right mirror only and the left should be 'mostly' in the right place, at least me and my lass find that it is.

[johnb07]

This is a feature and has been on VAGs for a long time. It means when someone else gets in your car, they move the right mirror only and the left should be 'mostly' in the right place, at least me and my lass find that it is.

 

If this is the case then I really don't understand it and find it a bit stupid to be fair

i.e I set my left mirror to the correct position, I then set my right mirror position and as I move the right mirror the left mirror moves in tandem with it so I then have to go back to the left mirror and re-set it again? 

Depending which side of the car you pull up to the Kerb with this is a pain in the jacksy as it means i've got to muck on each and every single day as I adjust them so not to catch the alloys.

 

P.S.... Excuse my VAG naivety, this is my first vehicle from the group

Edited 1 August, 2013 by johnb07

[nutters_uclan]

This is a feature and has been on VAGs for a long time. It means when someone else gets in your car, they move the right mirror only and the left should be 'mostly' in the right place, at least me and my lass find that it is.

 

You can also have it turned off via VCDS.

[Huskoda]

If this is the case then I really don't understand it and find it a bit stupid to be fair

i.e I set my left mirror to the correct position, I then set my right mirror position and as I move the right mirror the left mirror moves in tandem with it so I then have to go back to the left mirror and re-set it again? 

Depending which side of the car you pull up to the Kerb with this is a pain in the jacksy as it means i've got to muck on each and every single day as I adjust them so not to catch the alloys.

 

P.S.... Excuse my VAG naivety, this is my first vehicle from the group

 

May I suggest you either have this deactivated by someone with VCDS or adjust the right mirror first I'm mainly just pointing out that yours is not broken and its meant to do that.

[johnb07]

May I suggest you either have this deactivated by someone with VCDS or adjust the right mirror first I'm mainly just pointing out that yours is not broken and its meant to do that.

I know you were Huskoda

Merely expressing my discontent towards the feature    I just find it odd thats all and without prior knowledge instantly thought it was a fault.

The logical thing to do would be to adjust the right mirror first but it still seems a bit silly to me, but that's just my humble opinion. Will look into having it turned off if possible. Thanks for pointing it out anyhow 

[Huskoda]

The start/stop issue is *possibly* also normal. There are conditions it won't turn off the engine because it needs it running, but you can't easily tell and it won't tell you why.

[neuroteek]

The start/stop issue is *possibly* also normal. There are conditions it won't turn off the engine because it needs it running, but you can't easily tell and it won't tell you why.

It needs the engine to run because of the ac, when it generates enough cold air to run the ac without the help of the engine, it turns it off

[v0n]

The mirror "feature" is supposed to help when you have multiple fleet drivers and no memory seats (which also adjust mirrors for the other ignition key holders), presumably your left mirror would be always pre-adjusted and thus the person jumping into the car would only lower/rise both mirrors with "R" position without fiddling with them independently. I agree it's infuriating feature, considering any change to seat position forward needs refocusing both mirrors anyway.

Start/Stop not available usually means charge in battery is too low for your aircon and electrical devices to be supported with engine switched off without risking further depletion.

Couple of issues/problems in O3 from myself, in random order:

- DAB only stations do not re-tune automatically. Driving though Kent to London I had to constantly fiddle with DAB scanning to keep the stations from vanishing.

- Interiors of lower models apparently come from basket of random recycled trim parts. Shiny black surrounds of Bolero radio does not match anything in the range. Silver trims of door cards do not match anything else inside. Elegance has hard plastics. The car I drove costed more than my L&K O2FL and felt like old Kia inside. Default seat setup, despite looks, is still hard to get comfy in, but I now have years of experience, so I know where to tweak.

- New "donkey ears" mirror shape is massive step backwards. It makes no sense. Widest point of the mirror on O2FL was right at the bottom, to aid blind spots, the new mirrors have massive blind spot at the bottom and do not curve on the edges to add 20 degree next lane view. Do not know why would anybody shape them like that. Unless designed was 6'10" with line of sight far above line of mirrors.

- Centre/handbrake/cupholder design. And I'm not talking the usual budget/"lazy" bug - the hand brake on European side, although it is still present in this, now up to £35k car, but distances of all the things in the centre are now closer and this in my case created a little problem. In O3 two cup holders are positioned alongside handbrake (on the wrong side) right behind the DSG lever. On my test drive day I had a small 750ml thermal cup and a 500ml coke can with me which I placed in both cup holders right at the start of my journey. Within about 200 yards from the start of my journey I reached small roundabout where a speeding courier biker unexpectedly forcing priority made me brake rather suddenly from a traveling speed of no more than 20-25mph. To my surprise the next time I moved my foot from brake to accelerator (which is now mounted from the top of the chamber rather than hinged at the floor, takes a moment to adapt, but I think the control is actually better now) I was greeted with loud growl and no motion. Turns out, between revised design of DSG gear lever and shallow cup holders anything taller positioned in holders can pop out and start chain reaction that will knock out gear lever into neutral. No button on the lever needs to be pressed for that to happen. It's also worth noting that any bottle or cup not hermetically sealed would spill over console buttons. In total, it happened to me three times during the first two journeys (once while emergency breaking on motorway) before I started looking for alternative place for my cups and cans. At which point you discover the fantastic PET bottle holders in door cards are also gone in O3. :(

- Steering goes dead and heavy in start and stop mode after the engine cuts out. Then springs back to centre when engine starts. This is problematic and counterintuitive when stopped in traffic mid turn or facing down. Electrical support should be added in next model for the system to behave predictably/safely.

- Due to hideous and stupid double sloped doorcard design, arm rest is too far and too low for average height driver. I'm 5'9" and in O2 FL, I can quite easily assume comfortable cruising position with my legs and feet relaxed on both footrests and both of my elbows propped on both arm rests while holding steering wheel in 20 past 8 position at all times. To my surprise, that position is impossible to assume for someone my height in O3. Due to slightly wider body and aforementioned design of door cards, to make my elbow touch the provided arm rest while gripping steering wheel safely I had to lower the seat to lowest position (at which point you discover seat belt mount doesn't lower enough for the belt to not rub your neck), pull steering wheel out to almost the maximum position and resembling boy racer onboard pimped out Ford Escort lean slightly to one side as if preparing to hold the steering wheel with stretched left arm at dead on 12 o'clock. Either door cards were recycled from a different car or designer was 6'10".

- Arguably, the accelerator pedal, now with pivot point in the ceiling of the footwell rather than classic floor hinge as used in all previous generations, I like the new one better. Needs some time to get used to, but control is better.

Edited 1 August, 2013 by v0n

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Only issue so far was a dodgy valve on one of the alloys which let the air out as I drove.  New valve cured it.

 

Everything else working fine so far.

[wantaskoda]

Start stop with DSG takes getting used to.

Spent 3000 miles in Eco mode, and am now trying normal as getting a bit frustrated with the slight lag when you take foot off accelerator on motorway for just a second, and then have the lag.

Still have not fixed the issue fully othe armrest. When you rest on it, it is easy to push it backwards.

Even though I have a lower (different) spec from my mkII L&K 2.0 DSG, to my 1.6 elegance, I still think it is a far superior car

[johnb07]

Spent 3000 miles in Eco mode, and am now trying normal as getting a bit frustrated with the slight lag when you take foot off accelerator on motorway for just a second, and then have the lag.

Even though I have a lower (different) spec from my mkII L&K 2.0 DSG, to my 1.6 elegance, I still think it is a far superior car

I have the 2.0 tdi elegance and personally I have no time for ECO mode. I find I can get pretty much the same MPG out of sport mode (in my case must suit the way I drive). I've been driving the car unknowingly all week in ECO mode (the misses must have changed it) and in honesty I thought something was wrong with the car until I finally twigged to check the mode. Really don't like the way it drives and feels in ECO but each to their own.

Despite my little niggles though this is by far the best car i've owned. It does everything I need it too and is a huge step up in comfort and class from anything I have owned in the past

[hawkster]

re both wing mirrors moving - I am pretty sure this is an option in the vehicle setup menu - one option is sync mirrors so that they both move  at the same  (?)

 

or am I missing something......

 

 

 

So far no major issues - the steering column clunks slightly over large bumps (sound like the clamp for the adjuster),the handbrake position takes some getting used to - bad idea for me - surely it would not have cost that much to move.

[Has]

Squeaky wipers...drove for the first time yesterday for 1/2 hour with the wipers on the whole time.  They squeak when the they get to the top before turning around to come back down, don't know if this is related to the newness of the wipers as with the nice weather I haven't needed them much over the 2 weeks I've had the car.  On a longer journey it would have driven me insane!!

Anybody else with squeaky wipers?

[Sheldon.Cooper]

the handbrake position takes some getting used to - bad idea for me - surely it would not have cost that much to move.

 

Just buy a DSG then no need to use handbrake

[stokey]

Only problem I have is dye transfer from my belt to the ivory leather seat, which I can't clean off.

[v0n]

Still have not fixed the issue fully othe armrest. When you rest on it, it is easy to push it backwards.

TBH Last golf and O2FL armrest was very loose and easy to move with your elbow as well. By design. But you would know that, you had L&K and they all had that armrest?

Even though I have a lower (different) spec from my mkII L&K 2.0 DSG, to my 1.6 elegance, I still think it is a far superior car

How is so? Yes it's quieter and better insulated, but the ride and handling is nowhere near what it used to be (thanks to torsion beam that Skoda put at the back to save whole 12kg and about 100 pounds).

Edited 1 August, 2013 by v0n

[BossFox]

re both wing mirrors moving - I am pretty sure this is an option in the vehicle setup menu - one option is sync mirrors so that they both move  at the same  (?)

 

or am I missing something......

 

That's right.

 

You can turn this feature off in the Maxi-dot, so the mirrors can be adjusted seperately.

Well, you can in the Yeti so I'm sure you'll be able to in the Octy3.

 

Handbrake being for left hand drive is just cost cutting.

They used to move it to the correct side.

[Defenderben]

Wing mirrors is in setup on maxidot as said by a few other... Just disable the sync ( left & right adjust together) function.. Simples.

As also mentioned stop/start will only activate if the car can cope with the engine off....if you have the air conditioning on it will not switch off or if the engine is not up to temperature and many other reasons. It tells you in the manual.

Surely with a new car if your not sure just pop back to the dealers they will help answer any problems.

[fabswimmer]

I had a squeak / rattle ....... It was really annoying & it just had to be found & killed quick !! I traced it to the trumpet shaped air outlet vents just above the drivers pedals . The end of One of them was just touching

The black metal bar and this caused a vibration and buzzing sound . A quick snip and trim with sharp scissors (only about 1mm off one edge) and ........... Ahhhhhhhhh no more noise !! Quick simple fix for me.

I hope this helps , regards Marky mark ;-)

[RickGroove]

Most of the start/stop systems will not work if:

- The motor temperature is below 90 degree (or other normal running temperature)

- The out door temperature is below 5 or above 30 degrees

- The Aircon is using to much current

- The aircon blower is on 3 or higher

- The seatbelt on the driverside is not buckled

- Driver's door is open

- The bonnet is open

- The battery is low on charge

- Car hasn't been above ~10mph on the last motion

- You've just been driving in reverse

- Indoor temperature is far lower what you've set it to be 

- Heating of the rear/front windscreen is on

- System is disabled by the on/off button (with the wierd A+arrow around it symbol)

 

 

I thought this thread was about real errors like the window trim (from another thread) ?

 

Edit: grammar 

Edited 2 August, 2013 by RickGroove

[johnb07]

Wing mirrors is in setup on maxidot as said by a few other... Just disable the sync ( left & right adjust together) function.. Simples.

As also mentioned stop/start will only activate if the car can cope with the engine off....if you have the air conditioning on it will not switch off or if the engine is not up to temperature and many other reasons. It tells you in the manual.

Surely with a new car if your not sure just pop back to the dealers they will help answer any problems.

 

I have now switched this off, thanks to everybody's responses I have now clarified this isn't an actual fault so can be scratched off the list

I was planning on taking the car to the dealership in the next week or two, I had left it a while for any niggles to develop so they could all be sorted at once rather than making multiple trips as I know how much of a pain that was with my previous motor.

 

I had a squeak / rattle ....... It was really annoying & it just had to be found & killed quick !! I traced it to the trumpet shaped air outlet vents just above the drivers pedals . The end of One of them was just touching

The black metal bar and this caused a vibration and buzzing sound . A quick snip and trim with sharp scissors (only about 1mm off one edge) and ........... Ahhhhhhhhh no more noise !! Quick simple fix for me.

I hope this helps , regards Marky mark ;-)

 

Thanks for the advice Fabswimmer, i'll keep it in mind, however my rattle seems to be passenger based and within the dash. The only way I can describe it is akin to empty CD cases vibrating against each other in the glove box, however this isn't the case as the glove box is empty as is every other cubby hole. Something is loose somewhere and is driving me nuts. Sure the dealer will sort this out somehow.

 

 

I thought this thread was about real errors like the window trim (from another thread) ?

 

Edit: grammar 

The thread is very much about real errors and I welcome anybody with advice, an opinion or a problem of their own to post.

However i'd like it to remain constructive. Everybody's problems and or questions are valid. No question problem is stupid if the solution/answer is not known.

 

In my case I have now clarified that two of my suspected problems aren't problems after all thanks to the knowledge and help of others.

Without prior knowledge of VAG cars/features (this being my first as stated previously) the mirror issue logically (in my mind) seemed like a wiring fault or the likes.

Again I thank everybody for their advice solutions and I hope there's not to many other problems arise with the model but if they do please post them here for people to be aware of/advise.

[Zillio]

Disapoiting to hear the wing mirrors are not as good as the O2FL ones I love the visibility they provide....

Edited 2 August, 2013 by Zillio

[RickGroove]

Haha, no problem. 

[v0n]

Disapoiting to hear the wing mirrors are not as good as the O2FL ones I love the visibility they provide....

When I first got my O2FL, my complaint was that the inside edges of the mirrors were colour coded and in my case, black metallic paint would create all kinds of phantom reflections on the edge, which my eye would register and presume to be a movement on the "blind spot" curvature. A bit of black matt electrical tape and few minutes of elbow grease and the issue was fixed.

In O3, at least in the bottom spec I had, internal edges of the mirrors, as seen from drivers position are matt, so immediate improvement there. You also get a tiny orange indicator LED on the inside edge of the mirror. It's a great idea, as when it's dark it reminds driver the indicator is still on and also serves as an additional warning to the road users we usually don't think about - for example cyclist positioned by the rear passenger door can see that indicator is on. So an attempt of improvement was clearly made vs last generation. But several times during the day, especially in multilane traffic in London (Marble Arch -> Hyde Park Corner) where you just have to have eyes all around your head, I would catch a glimpse of the LED on the edge of the mirror in the corner of my field of vision and my heart would skip a beat for a second before I realised this was my own indicator rather than previously unnoticed reflection of another vehicle turning into me from the blind spot. I'm sure with time I would get used to it, but the fact you don't have that extended bottom edge in new mirrors paired with a novelty item playing around with your sense of safety in field of my vision created rather jumpy experience.

Edited 2 August, 2013 by v0n