Could good people of this friendly forum help me with this issue on my recently purchased second hand Octavia?

 

Does this sound this normal? How many cranks does your diesel usually takes to start up?

 

 

This was taken during last 3 days, as you know, the weather has been lovely in England this week.

 

 

My EA288 2.0 TDI with stop/start in Octavia 3 seems to take around 1-2s to get started. I'm finding after 12+ hours of not using the car, it needs more cranks than warm engine. Stop/start always works well, and starts engine quickly. I'm wondering if my glow-plugs (or some other system?) are on the way out.

 

My previous (and only other) diesel, a 11 year old Mercedes c220 always (even after 1 month of not using during winter) always starts immediately. Never heard starter motor more than half second. So I'm unsure if it's just a VW engine characteristic or my car's components are failing.

 

Rather than wait until this becomes more obvious in winter, I'm keen to sort this out in the next 2.5 months, while I've still got the dealer provided claim-money-back warranty. But it would be good to know which subsystem might be faulty, so the £45 diagnostic fee isn't wasted.

That's how mine startshttps://youtu.be/UbU7Wl7cAEo

Many thanks for your video.

 

Yours sounds like it starts quicker? GrGrGr-Vrummm, rather than GrGrGr-GrGrGrGr-Vrummm. In my video, especially the middle one, there's an alarming pause in the middle of the cranking noise.

 

 

 

Of course, I could just be paranoid while adjusting to the new car. I need to notice all problems in the next 2 months. I've taken the old Merc to work today (no ACC :(). Let the car sit for 24 hours. Going to attempt remove connection to glow-plug tonight, measure its resistance and cable supply voltage.

 

Then attempt a start while monitoring for any white smoke. Cylinder not up to temperature = white smoke?

Sometimes mine seems that it won't start it takes so long. 

 

When it was in for its service Skoda didn't seem to be too bothered tbh. I wouldn't worry

After fuel filter change starts bit longer for some time.

Ah interesting! The car was major serviced in March IIRC, a few months before my purchase.

 

So general consensus is that it's nothing to worry about........  I'll see what tonight's 24hour start is like.

Wyx087,

 

My vRS TDI intermittently took around 4 seconds to start from cold, normally it fired almost first turn.

 

The dealer updated the engine controller software (320F) see Cold start issue on TDI, and so far so good.

 

Im not sure if your issue is the same, but if it gets worse it may be worth a look.

 

best regards

Many thanks Greenliner!

 

Found another associated thread:

 

Looks like this does apply to 2.0 TDI CR 150 engine. I'll be asking the dealer about this when I pick up my ACC radar surround plastic tomorrow.

See this post:

 

(The plastic was missing when I purchased the car, ACC works well. I thought for sake of £7, might as well make it look complete, and possibly protect the mount points previously covered by the plastic)

 

Huge thanks for saving me (and warranty company) some money

 

Edited 15 June, 20178 yr by wyx087

Well, just came back from Skoda dealer, uninterested non-technician sharply dressed person at the service reception was zero help. I understand asking for a software update is out of ordinary, but typing into computer some other things while I'm sitting in front of him and waiting for his response was unacceptable.

 

I went in, asked to check if any software update or service bulletin for my car. He checked, nothing.

I mentioned engine start problem. He it sounds normal, but can book in for diagnostics.

I asked to look up TSB 320F, he said it's not for customer.

I asked to look up anything for my engine. He said it's for technician to decide.

I showed him print out of forum and the VCDS stating my software version and aki78's new updated version. He said this is not something I should be looking at!

I asked for software update on the engine. He said he'll look it up, and proceeds to work on another customer's case by typing and referring to a receipt that has nothing to do with me.

 

I'll be taking my car servicing and oil change to another dealer that's for sure! Never liked dealing with stealers, and this further proofs this.

 

 

Anyone else managed to get engine software update or similar done out of warranty?

Appalling customer service - name and shame them so other people don't get to have the same experience.

 

Gaz

Maybe TSB 320F is not for your VIN.

For my car there is also no such measure.

We've seen from the linked thread above, it is only rolled out against vRS models. But 2.0 TDI is the same across both vRS and 150 CR engines, and some MY14 non-vRS cars had this applied, some didn't. The VIN related bulletin doesn't seem to have trickled down to non-vRS cars, it seems entirely depend on the dealer's mood.

 

Also, the fact I am running EXACTLY same software as aki78's MY14 speaks volumes about my engine's compatibility with new software. All the rep had to do was to offer phoning technician at higher authority such as SUK. He himself is clearly non-technical and was trying to get rid of me after the computer says no.

Mine is MY14 and mine too havent got that tsb,i'am employe of Skoda dealer in Croatia.

16 hours ago, nkadovic said:

Mine is MY14 and mine too havent got that tsb,i'am employe of Skoda dealer in Croatia.

Thanks for checking. Is that the definitive guide to the car's software updates though? I work in electronics industry, software update if applies to 1 device, applies to all similar devices. And bugfix updates are applied totally free of charge.

 

 

20 hours ago, V6TDI said:

Appalling customer service - name and shame them so other people don't get to have the same experience.

 

Gaz

Sorry, just noticed your reply. I'm not so keen on name and shame publicly.

 

Non the less, to save people's time if they want something out of ordinary (eg. software update). It's the Skoda dealer at Watford. Service centre reception, rep sits at the left desk as you walk in.

What kind of 'rep', are they not receptionists at a reception and Service Reception Staff at a Service Desk.

 

Nothing out of the ordinary with a software update, 

Main Dealer Servicing should have the car on the diagnostics, and any software update / enhancement applied, part of paying the ridiculous Fixed (Minor) 

or Variable (Major Serving.)

The customer approves that being done when putting a vehicle in for servicing, but should be told it was done.

 

 

 

 

 

This does not Include 'The Fix' obviously with cars defeat devices, Euro 5 TSI's, Owners need to approve that major change to be carried out.

 

The representative at service centre, they are non-technician, non-mechanics person who only deals with customers rather than fixing the cars.

 

I suppose the out of ordinary thing is: the software update bulletin isn't marked for my car. Even though there's a strong likelihood it applies to my engine. So does this mean the customer facing person should use dismissive techniques to dismiss any information customer presents?

 

The best experience I've had was at ATS Hemel and a local indie garage, you get to talk directly to the technician, although less smart looking, at least they are willing to listen to concerns and can answer technical questions in a technical manner.

Mine also has occasional cold start issue. I took it to Lightcliffe Skoda in Warrington where they kept the car for 3 days to try and get it to do it again (but of course it never did). However I managed to record the starting so they were happy there was an issue. They couldn't find the TSB 320F off my VIN and had to search it off another car to find it. They did the update and all was well until another error was thrown up on the dash and they had to do another software update. Doesn't seem to do it as often now but I'm not sure what else to do, may just ask them to have another look when its in for service.

 

Top marks for customer service though.

Did yoy guys softed out the long crank problem/ Ive been struggling with LC for a long time in my golf 7 1.6 tdi. No errors on vcds

here my video shows vcds values and of course long cranking time

https://youtu.be/SaBy6uStO4w

I posted the wrong video this should've be posted https://youtu.be/lb4n5WY7v_A real long crank