Okay, the other day my battery finally gave up the ghost (thanks to the cold snap, but can't complain as it was almost 10 years old!). So, I was out with the dog but when I put him back in and went to drive away it just did the lovely clicking noise we all know and love of a flat battery. So I got a couple of guys parked next to me to push while I rolling jump started it in second. It's fired up straight away after a couple of metres but for a few seconds it showed 'immobiliser active' on the maxidot, I pooed myself, and then it went off and the car drove normally.

 

Checked the manual and it's very scant on what happens, just runs through what is displayed when it goes on/turning the ignition over.

 

Now, I'm guessing it might have thought I was initially trying to jack the car and also just guessing that it then recognised the key was the correct one and turned the immobiliser off again, but what was that all about and why did it even flash up in the first place? I would have thought that it should have known it was all okay a lot quicker than it appears to, but why would the immobiliser kick in potentially from what I did? Anyone else had that from jumping their car from a rolling start, ie. is that normal/usual? The car didn't stutter or stop, it ran fine at every bit, but is that also normal if the immobiliser 'kicks in' (if that's what even happened)... can you drive it for a limited time before you get shutdown or something?

 

 

Confused.

The Octavia doesn't like having a flat battery, it plays havoc with the electronics.

 

Each time you flatten the battery, or disconnect it you'll get all sorts of warnings from the power steering, the engine management light, ABS/traction control, immobiliser and pretty much any other electrical dependant system.

 

All should disappear after a few miles / minutes as the various systems re-calibrate / reset.

 

Replace the battery for a good quality one ASAP, it'll be the best £80 you spend.

Oh, already done that, it was changed the next day, just couldn't get one before the event happened.

 

I'm aware of the dash lighting up like a xmas tree and needing to drive 10 yards to clear it all when flat/changing as I've disconnected a few times to do electrics or take out the interior, but the immobiliser active thing is a new on on me! As said, it was about 20 feet/5 seconds, but still a little disconcerting to say the least! Just wondering what was going on and if anyone else had experienced it?!

Edited 25 March, 20188 yr by blackspaven