This probable a daft question, but I'll ask it any way....

 

Why sometimes does my Octavia (61 Reg) start boinging at me when it is stationary?  I cannot work out what is causing it. - doors are closed, lights off, I haven't left the key in the ignition, it's not cold.

 

It's driving me mad.

 

TIA,

 

Tony

Edited 18 October, 201510 yr by Sandgrounder15

Not a daft question at all. The bonging noise is, I believe, generally put down to being a warning of a low battery.

Sarge is spot on. Low battery warning. Mine has been doing it for ages and I have not nailed the problem down yet but I know it is not the battery itself.

Got the indicator stalk in the centre position?

+1 for indicator stalk assuming you have removed the ignition key.

The indicator stalk is a repeated bong and only happens when you open the door to alert you; I'm guessing the battery bong is a single one like when it drops below 4 degrees, which I presume happens when the keys come out the ignition, otherwise it'd be going on for ages unless getting out stops it?

Mine bongs if the battery is low. I happened to switch the radio on once whilst the bonging was happening, and it displayed a message saying to start the car to recharge the battery.

 

Cheers

Kev

Mine bongs if the battery is low. I happened to switch the radio on once whilst the bonging was happening, and it displayed a message saying to start the car to recharge the battery.

 

Cheers

Kev

Mine too if you listen to the radio for two hours + with the engine off. Is yours a 1.6 L ?

Mine too if you listen to the radio for two hours + with the engine off. Is yours a 1.6 L ?

Mine is the 1.8 petrol, I think the warning system is the same but TBH I'm a bit underwhelmed with it's battery capacity. If for some reason the car has been standing unused for a few days and then I leave the doors open for a little while (such as whilst loading), I often get the bonging. Using the radio on the battery, and/or turning the engine off and re-starting in traffic jams, seems to set it complaining much more often, so i gave up on that and leave the engine running. Although to be fair, I suspect the warning may be set quite cautiously, as I've never had it show any signs of struggling to crank afterwards.

 

Cheers

Kev

+ 1  indicator stalk left on, I think it alerts you to a parking light on.

It isn't the parking lights (indicator stalk), as mentioned this is a repeated 'bong' that continues as long as the door is open.

 

The 'low battery' bong is unlike any other 'bong'. It isn't the same as the low fuel, ice, seatbelt warning, it is quieter and a different tone.

 

The car is telling you to start the engine whilst you still can.

 

The Octavia is very sensitive to a low battery. There are lots and lots of threads on the very strange symptoms shown when the battery begins to fail.

 

Oddly actual engine starting / cranking speed is one of the last symptoms!

 

If you are getting the bong and the message on the radio then your battery is dying.

 

The factory fitted batterys are quiet low spec, a Varta E44 (096) which is Bosch S5 with a different sticker has a higher Ah (Amp Hour) and CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) than the original battery and gets very good reviews for £60 delivered.

 

As the dark nights and colder temperatures begin to arrive the battery will be having an even harder time than of late.

When I got my three year old car earlier this year I was amazed how small the battery is compared with the (original) battery fitted to my Mk 1 Octavia.

Next surprise was that, in the handbook, Skoda say change the battery at five years old. Third surprise was that a battery health check is made during service by Skoda dealers and a print out provided to the customer.

Clearly battery condition is more important on modern computerised cars than on the older cars where it doesn't matter if the voltage drops down low during cranking.

Yup, just waiting myself... eight year old battery, haven't heard a bong yet.

Hi All,

 

A related "bong" question......

 

I occasionally get a single "bong" when driving; it only happens when Satnav (Columbus) is in use so I'm assuming something to do with that, and normally happens in a fairly remote area.  It's lower pitched than the 4 degrees C ice warning.

 

Perhaps Satnav lost signal and recovering it or similar? 

 

Kind Regards

 

ian

Thanks to veryone who has replied here.  As the 'Bong' seems to be happening more often, I think NOW wouId be a good time to order a new battery. :-)

 

Any advice on the best spec to choose and/or a good cheap source?

 

Tony

Sorry,  I thought I'd included that I own an Octavia 1.6TDI (61 plate) Hatchback.

 

What is the advantage/difference between the silver Calcium battery and other standard batteries?

 

TIA,

 

Tony