hi all, havent visited for ages my little octavia 2006 1.9tdi has been a good boy but just got back from hols after a week of him sitting at liverpool airport and battery dead or appeared to be, some kind chap jump started for me as i had leads, boyfriend drove home and then all the indicators ,speedo etc stopped working and all warning lights came on dash. slowly things have stopped working on him like the central locking went ages ago and its always had engine power lag(i just flick the key in ignition and it comes back again) engine lagging badly so drove home on limp mode. we have tested battery and it seems fine tonnes of fault codes coming up but for engine lag and speedo not working ...am thinking its a wiring problem? read on here about chaffing wires? also maybe change battrery anyway its ten years old....any advice welcome!

I would say the battery is shot especially if it is 10 years old. I can recommend a varta E44 battery.

100% the battery.

 

The Octavia is very fickle when it comes to batteries, they tend to throw up some very strange (and often seemingly unrelated) issues when the battery begins to fail.

 

Battery tests really aren't particularly accurate either.

 

Another vote for the Varta E44, very highly recommended and a steal at less than £70.

hi all, havent visited for ages my little octavia 2006 1.9tdi has been a good boy but just got back from hols after a week of him sitting at liverpool airport and battery dead or appeared to be, some kind chap jump started for me as i had leads, boyfriend drove home and then all the indicators ,speedo etc stopped working and all warning lights came on dash. slowly things have stopped working on him like the central locking went ages ago and its always had engine power lag(i just flick the key in ignition and it comes back again) engine lagging badly so drove home on limp mode. we have tested battery and it seems fine tonnes of fault codes coming up but for engine lag and speedo not working ...am thinking its a wiring problem? read on here about chaffing wires? also maybe change battrery anyway its ten years old....any advice welcome!

Measure voltage right across the battery terminals before and after starting the engine (if it will start today). How far was the journey from airport to home, roughly?

The battery almost certainly does need replacing, but it's a good time to check for other problems, which might immediately start shortening the life of the replacement, if not addressed.

Does the battery light come on when you switch on the ignition, before starting the engine?

thanks for replies guys....my partner is just testing everything now....ill be back in a minute to let you know.

ok guys...it did start but the battery light is on so its not charging...all the warning lights are still on, abs, anti skid, engine management plus now none of the other doors open when you press the open button(central locking not worked for ages) again i read on here someone with a door fault that caused similar problems, it definately has an electrical fault on it but we will get the battery you all recommend so its going to have to go in to our local guy....the problem is finding the fault!

just out of interest where can you buy a varta? not in halfords or europartz.....did you buy from say kwikfit or similar? off to help out...hes found another fault!

Voltages?

ok im back....he has found corrosion on the top box of battery, gone to find some bolts and a metal plate to re do it, when you bridge the corrosion the battery is charging, if we can get that done then i just have the electrical faults to deal with but at least ill be able to get to work tomorrow.!

the voltages were 14 plus when bridged and 12 ish when not.journey was 40 mins to home after standing for only a week, its always been a great starter. also i wonder wether as someone also had problems with that the car alarm may have gone off a few times in the airport draining the battery?

Sounds like good progress. Photo of this corrosion?

https://www.tayna.co.uk/E44-Varta-Silver-Car-Battery-577400078-P7726.html

Bought one from here last week. Cheapest I could find and delivered next day.

Another one for tayna, they are very efficient I got mine a few weeks from them and it came the next day

thanks again guys...re corrosion..hopefully fixed now...he has taken the litle metal corroded plates off(box with alternator connectors on top of battery?) and put new bolts and brass wire on...he took for a run, spun the wheels and the skid light came on and went off straight away....he uses a torque blutooth diagnostic which looks great and you all highlighted it was definately a battery problem in that it wasnt getting any power and so all the electrical faults were kicking off now that simple job has been done he has cleared all the fault codes and there are none showing and the doors now open.will get a new battery though, should have checked it before we went but because it has been getting more and more elctrical issues i suppose he never thought it was the battery just an electrical wiring fault. ages ago we had to disconnect the rear wipers as they worked on their own accord and obviosuly central locking gone and this limp mode thing which my mate at work is trying to tell me its the cat but as i can flick the ignition and it comes back its obviously a sensor.

thanks guys....we wait for the next problem to emerge :clap:

Those metal plates are strip fuses. Really need replacing with strip fuses, at some point Photo would help confirm.