My little fabia was involved in a non fault rear-end accident with a bin lorry... My insurance took care of it and sent it to a skoda approved garage for assessment and repair...

I didn't hold out much hope of ever seeing it again, but they have managed to fix it up and it's been done to an excellent standard bodywork wise. Should think so mind,  since it took 24days for the work to be completed - that is, they started it, but had to abandon for a week as the mechanic was off unwell... So it was just stood still. 

 

The garage (some 30+miles away) returned it this afternoon and posted the keys so I was excited at 5.30 when I arrived home to jump in it and take it for some diesel and a run... 

Except it won't start. 

 

Keys in, turn them, the dash lights up & can turn lights on... Turn again to ignite engine and there's a little click and a whirr and everything goes blank... The dash, the lights. It doesn't even 'try'. 

Suspected flat battery as, if it's been stood a for the 24days (as mentioned above) +cold weather +if they've had the battery disconnected whist it's been 'in paint' it's possible. But a jump start didn't help... 

 

Does anyone have a clue what else it could be? Immobiliser? 

But it begs the question, how did they get it to my house? Even on a recovery truck, surely they started the engine and drove it off to park it up? 

Also, where do I stand with all this... When they picked the vehicle up, it drove... I drove it home from the incident, then drove it onto the recovery truck. So it was running prior to them having it at the garage. Im really worried they're going to tell me I'll have to get breakdown or I am in some way liable. I'm so fedup. 24days without my car - which is a long time anyway... Only for it not to run once its home... Urgh :( :(

Just sounds like a flat battery as you suspect really, jump start doesn't always work.

 

Did you try jump start with another set of jump leads or pushing it down the road?

 

I suspect with a new battery on it will start straight away. 

Welcome. 

You can try getting the Extra Expense of a new battery off the Insurance company that can get it off the Approved Repairer, 

or contact the Repairer and ask who they use as a Recovery or Assist Company and have them send them out so the car is started and checked for the battery condition.

 

Or maybe suck it up and buy a battery or battery charger.

?

How old is your Fabia? 

I had this problem on my vrs, to disconnect the battery there's a pack over the positive terminal and you have to take it off to fully take the battery out , there a bolt on the outside but there's also a bolt on the inside as there a few fuses and contacts in the inside if they arnt all connected together with this bolt tight my vrs did the exact same thing as yours 

As above check the battery terminals.

 

If you turn on the headlights and fog lights do the dashboard and sidelights dim significantly indicating the battery capacity is low?

 

If still no joy try connecting jump leads again but leaving for a while, at least 20 minutes, so the donor car can dump some charge into the Fabia's battery before trying to start.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the replies... I have an update... 

The garage sent a guy out today with a battery and a jump pack. 

Changed the battery. Car started right away... Perfect! 

Went out some 3hours later... Sounded giddy to start. Somethings clearly draining the battery. It develops that the 'door open' light is on on the dash, and it's the boot lid it's not recognising as being shut... Even though it is. This also leaves the boot light on. 

 

So I suspect when they've changed the boot lid & tailgate (as a result of the smash) they've not set the sensor up, or coded it right (if there is such a thing on a mk2 fabia)... Does anyone have any idea which it could be and how hard the fix is? 

So... Another long day for me tomorrow. Thinking I'll drive (30+ miles) to the garage and sit & wait.

Edited 16 March, 20179 yr by Lexxlizz

Take the bulb out of the boot interior light to stop the battery draining.

2 minutes ago, moley said:

Take the bulb out of the boot interior light to stop the battery draining.

Cheers,  have done this, first thing I did! Doesn't stop the dash light though (even when the car is locked up) or the annoying 'bing' sound when the keys in the ignition... Grr! Lol

Yep. It's simple to remove the bulb and will save the battery going flat.

 

I dout it's going to be a coding issue, more the mechanism isn't adjusted correctly.

 

How handy are you with tools, a very easy trick is to open the boot and push a screwdriver into the mechanism to "think it's closed"

see if the light goes off the dash and the bulb goes out in the boot.

 

 

13 minutes ago, hutchysrs50 said:

Yep. It's simple to remove the bulb and will save the battery going flat.

 

I dout it's going to be a coding issue, more the mechanism isn't adjusted correctly.

 

How handy are you with tools, a very easy trick is to open the boot and push a screwdriver into the mechanism to "think it's closed"

see if the light goes off the dash and the bulb goes out in the boot.

 

 

Not that handy with tools but have tiny hands/fingers lol... So fiddled with the mechanism earlier making it 'think' it was shut as you describe,  and it made no diff. Light was still on on the dash, boot light still lit up... Entirely frustrating! 

Probably damage to microswitch or wiring in the tailgate lock module.

Just now, Wino said:

Probably damage to microswitch or wiring in the tailgate lock module.

It's had an entire new boot lid... Naive question but would this still be the case? 

Also, big job? Or could I poll up at the garage tomorrow and insist it needs fixing whilst I wait? 

The lock module's not in the boot lid, but in the bit it shuts into, I think?

 

Edit: possibly wrong, after a bit of etka'ing.

Trust hutchy, he'll know more than me.

Edited 16 March, 20179 yr by Wino

The bodywork might be new but the internals might not be.

id say it's probably a switch fault also.

 

if it's an insurance job then money should be no issue so brand new boot, trims, wiring loom, switches and locks should all be brand new replaced  

Pleased to read the direct non-start was because the battery was discharged.

 

As to not carefully checking the tailgate lock alignment and detection of open / closed that really is a basic failure of the workshop.

Since you've been rear ended ask the garage if they've sealed the vents underneath the rearlights (behind the bumper). I had water in my spare wheel well and it turned out (like many others) they weren't sealed and was letting water in.

Edited 17 March, 20179 yr by LGM

Took it into the garage. Sorted. Finally. Half expecting something else to crop up... Half seems like ages since I've actually sat in my car and driven it (well 5 weeks)!

It was the clasp not fully engaging. The mechanic just said 'Yeh clip needs adjusting'. And it took him all of 20mins.  Phew!