Hi folks...

                I've been on here looking at other bits and bobs for a little while now, but this is my  first post....  I'm hoping some of you nicely folks who are infinitely more clued up than I am will be kind enough to save me a trip to a garage.

 

I have the check engine light illuminated on my 02 plate fabia 1.4 mpi...

The fault codes obtained from a friend's cheapo vag cable thingymabob are as follows....  

 

Engine...

 

17978 - engine start blocked by immobilizer

 

Electrics...

 

01598 - Drive Battery Voltage ..... signal too low / intermittent.

 

 

It's been taking a few attempts to start lately... mostly when the engine is already warm.... it seems to be ok from cold first thing in the morning thus far.

 

The battery is brand new and a test meter on both the battery and the main leads leaving it confirm both it and them are fine. 

 

Also the electrics on my key don't work...  and haven't since I got the car... I've always just used it to manually operate the central locking from the drivers door....

I'm mentioning this because somebody told me it might be a key problem, what with it being knackered and all.... however it's very strange it should only have suddenly decided to develop this fault recently if this was the case.

 

Anywhooooo.... many thanks in advance to anyone who might be of any assistance.

 

 

 

Anybody have any idea what might be the bother

Have you got a second spare key to test it with?

Dud battery in the key?

Dud battery in the key?

I thought immob chip was separate to remote?

I thought immob chip was separate to remote?

 

it is.

 

But if the battery in the key was dead it would stop the remote central locking from working on the key.

 

 

 

when you try to start the car and its not starting, do any new lights appear on the dash? IIRC a key shape or anything like that?

Thanks you lot for replying....

 

I only got the one key as I bought it used about half a year ago... sadly somebody along the way has mislaid the spare.

Not very often you manage to get two keys with a 12 year old car....  nice though that would have been.

 

It's been ok today the little swine .. ha ha sods law eh...

 

I'll try changing the battery just in case...

 

Also next time it's playing silly beggars I'll pruposely double check for any different lights to usual....

I don't recall seeing anything off the top of my head... ( and you think you'd notice these things... but just in case I haven't I'll make a doubly conscious effort to check and report back )

 

 

Even if it is a dead battery issue causing the immobiliser fault... would that then have the knock on effect of the other fault code or is that likely to be something else ?

 

 

Thanks again folks anywhoo...

 

I'll hopefully get there in the end ha ha

Sorry it's been alitle while before I reported back to you  lot....

 

I changed the battery in the key... and also visited an auto locksmith who tested the key and said it's fine... apparently...

He said that if the transponder was knackered it wouldn't be starting at all... I'd not have this intermittent fault...

 

Sadly I've still had the problem... albeit only once since I last posted.

 

 

Anyone any further ideas by chance ?

Right, key fob battery won't have anything to do with the starting issues.

 

Have you checked your car battery? Could be a dodgy earth.

I have indeed checked the battery matey.... it's only a few weeks old ... but I've tested it's output just to be on the safe side and it seems fine was 13.2 or 13.3 volts or something... and I'm informed it only needs to be 12.6 if that's correct.

I also checked readings on all wires coming from it and they all all seem ok too...

 

I've just been scouring this forum again... and some other people with similiar problems have had things like a relay or coil fault from the ignition to the ecu or immobiliser or whatever ?

 

I don't suppose anybody would care to clue me up a bit as to what that might be all about in case it;s a similiar fix ?

 

 

Cheers in advance

If that 13.2/3 is with engine running, then no, that isn't OK

No that wasn't with the engine running ....  it went up to slightly alternating figures when the engine was running  ..

I can't remember what the range of those figures were now... but it seemed to me like that was just it naturally taking power from the alternator ok when running.

 

I can double check it tomorrow and get back with the results just to make sure though

 

Cheers

Sorry it was my old battery that fluctuated most when running... but it also only showed 12.32 volts when left to settle... hence it was replaced...

 

I've just double checked the new one whilst the engine was running and it was a pretty steady 14.25 volts...

 

Is that normal... and is this any help with solving the intermittent starting issue then ?

I've just ran a quick google check on what results I should get when running and 13.8 - 14.2 is normal apparently...

So I'm assuming the battery definitely isn;t the issue by the look of things .....

 

Hopefully someone will come up with other possibilities ? ....

 

Cheers again everyone

Sorry it was my old battery that fluctuated most when running... but it also only showed 12.32 volts when left to settle... hence it was replaced...

 

I've just double checked the new one whilst the engine was running and it was a pretty steady 14.25 volts...

 

Is that normal... and is this any help with solving the intermittent starting issue then ?

Yep, that's spot on. Alternator charging OK.

its common for temp senders to fail causing this starting problem,

As for the codes they could be old ones still stored

I'd check temp sender first

From a combinaton of the things I've been reading on the fault... and the things I've already ruled out...

I have an inkling the problem is possibly lying with a relay between ignition and ECU. Apparently a common fault on Fabias... something about the wiring being overstretched upon steering ?

Anywhooo.....

Could anyone point me in the right direction of where this would be in my car...

I would assume it would be found in amongst the wiring underneath the steering area etc... but I'm told some vehicles have them in the engine compartment somewhere...

 

Can anybody clue me up where exactly I'll be looking in order to find this... and also what it looks like please ? 

 

 

That would be greatly appreciated

Thanks folks

I actually put a new temperature sensor in only a few months ago... Because at the time I had an error code that indicated it was cream crackered..

 

It wasn't a genuine Skoda part admittedly, it was just an OEM part... But it seems to function normally now...

 

The temperature gauge moves as would be expected.... ie responds quickly to the engine warming up... and then sits roughly in the middle of the gauge.

 

Surely if this was not doing it's job, I'd have had a code relating to that, and seen strange and / or lack of movement on the temperature gauge ? 

 

Maybes I'm wrong ... and I've been sold a dud....

 

Care to shed any more light my matey ?

 

 

Many thanks

 

when you try to start the car and its not starting, do any new lights appear on the dash? IIRC a key shape or anything like that?

 

 

Sorry it's been a while to respond to this particular question, but it's been at it's old tricks again today... and as such I was purposely on the lookout for lights etc....

 

It has the car with a key symbol flashing when there is the fault...

 

Does this mean my key is on it's way out then ?

 

 

Many Thankings in advance

From what I've read and remembered about cars with similar issues, it's down to the ignition reader coil or dry solder joints on the dash pod/loose plug.

Thanks Fabrel... I'll get chance to get at the electrics again on Saturday and hopfully I'll get it sussed then...

 

Thanks again everyone trying to help...

Cool forum

it could either be the immob coil around the barrel or the chip in the key may be faulty. They're glass housed & quite delicate so can easily be damaged if dropped

Hi freecalder777,

 

I'm seeing similar issues with my 2002 fabia, and I'm just wondering if you've made any breakthroughs lately on this matter?

 

Thanks!