Hi guys went to start the car up this morning and it started 1st go like normal. had to stop as forgot to lock my door then the car engine stopped.

tried to start it again and it did start, turned it off after it start as needed the keys to lock my front door.

come back out and how it wont start at all and the EPS yellow light is staying on.

tried pushing the eps button for  secs but that never worked so stuck now and cant move the car

 

any ideas please if its a sender switch where is it located?

 

just bought a code reader which I should get on sat 7th march

Edited 5 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

Hi sealover,

 

Just to clarify, are you talking about the EPS light (Electromechanical Power Steering) or the ESP light (Electronic Stability Program)? To my knowledge, disablement button is only available for the latter.

 

In either case, the battery is often a good place to start with these issues, as they are both typical signs of a dying battery. In most cases, a steering issue won't prevent you from starting the engine, but if the fault is serious enough, it will disable engine starting for safety reasons.

It was just the yellow car with zigzags but now the yellow steering wheel and oil light have come on, I checked all the fluids well oil water and brake.

 

it had an oil change a few months ago with new filter

 

can a bad battery cause this can it?

.

Edited 5 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

It seems in most cases, these issues are down to the battery, yes. Especially if you had just one problem (ESP light) initially and now you're seeing a mixture of lights. Generally with ESP equipped vehicles, if the battery voltage is too low, the system will prevent the engine from being started. The reasoning is that if you're driving, and the engine cuts out for some reason, the ESP system still needs to be powered in case it's required for bringing the car to a safe stop.

 

Do you know what condition the battery is in or when it was last replaced?

Are you hearing any clicking or other noises when trying to start the engine?

19 minutes ago, sealover1 said:

can a bad battery cause this can it?

Yes; those systems are all controlled by an EMS, which objects to low voltage.

oh right.... well the battery was turning the car over quite well but I have a good battery tester and just tested it. its rated CCA675 it did come up as battery good but the CCA reading was only 415CCA so I have a good quality ctek bike or car charger so have put that on now and will leave it charging over night and see what happens, so glad I bought good quality equipment as that CCA reading is pretty low and plus I dont drive very often and then only 12 miles at a time 

 

thanks guys will get back to you tomorrow for an update, Al  

Edited 5 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

IDK if your Scout is diesel or petrol, but CCA is more critical on diesel engines because they often have much higher compression, making them a lot harder to crank than petrol engines.

 

Low or depleted CCA is usually the result of a "stratified battery", when acid concentration levels are lighter in the top of the battery, and heavy in the bottom. You end up with a higher open circuit voltage, making the battery appear healthy and fully charged. Meanwhile, the heavy concentration of acid in the bottom of the battery is causing sulphur build up around the lower sections of the plates, and this reduces your CCA.

 

There are ways to try to correct the problem, but your overnight charge is a good place to start. Hopefully you'll give us good news tomorrow!  

Cheers Jim, I have put it on a CTEC smart battery Charge & reconditioning setting so will see how it goes,

 

CTEC write up on battery Reconditioning 

 

A smart car battery charger doesn’t just charge, it also performs other functions, such as reconditioning to prolong the life of the battery and keep it in optimum condition. A CTEK smart battery charger will give your battery a new lease of life, for example if sulphur has built up on the plates inside the battery, or if it’s suffering from discharge because of infrequent or short journey use,

Edited 5 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

Please make sure to disconnect the battery from your vehicle if you do any sort of reconditioning cycle!

The way such a function works is by pulsing a much higher voltage spike, this briefly buckles the plates a little,  causing the build up crystalline structures to break and fall to the bottom of the battery case.

This high voltage pulsing can do funny things to delicate (vehicle) electronics. 

"funny" in the above sentence should be read as: potentially very expensive, destructive, lethal

Hi Guys well I went out just now and tested the battery and it said battery ok and the CCA read 581 when it should be CCA 680 when I turned the ignition on the lights all went out but when I tried to start it the lights came back on again, it turns over really fast,

do you think the lacking 100 CCA could still be the problem? I have put it back on charge just so I can check to see if the ignition lights go out again tonight. 

 

I do have a brand new leisure Battery here thats 680 CCA would connecting that to the jump leads bump up the CCA?

Edited 6 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

quick update I just rang Tanya batteries and they told me to check the voltage so went out and checked the voltage which was 13.1v which is ok but my foxwell battery analyzer is saying replace the battery so thats what am doing now only I bought a better quality battery then what's on there and there's a good Guarantee of 5 years 

 

Guys will I lose my car stereo code when I swop the battery over?

 

will let you know monday when I get it

 

S5 007 BOSCH CAR BATTERY 12V 74AH TYPE 100 S5007

 

Brand	Bosch
Range	Bosch S5
Voltage	12 Volts
Technology	Wet
Capacity (C20)	74 Ah
CCA (EN)	760 A
Length	278 mm
Width	175 mm
Height inc. terms	175 mm
Guarantee	5 Years

 

 

Edited 6 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

The Bosch s5 is a great battery!

But if after charging yr current one, and stating yr engine is turning over fast there is still no start or change of symptoms, I doubt it'll solve your problems?

Edited 6 March, 20206 yr by Daniel_Bos

It is reading that the battery needs replacement so there is a fault with the battery so at least I know I have a good battery on there so that's 1 thing off the list. 

I've also got a code reader coming tomorrow which I will use after I have fitted the new battery.

not sure what else to do really. 

 

do you know if I will lose my car stereo code when I swop the battery over?

31 minutes ago, sealover1 said:

 

 

do you know if I will lose my car stereo code when I swop the battery over?

Possibly.

If you have a set of jump leads it's easily avoided though.

After loosening battery clamps, connect that leisure battery you have positive to positive, negative to a good ground point, preferably a bit out of the way.

Then just swap the batteries whilst making sure the jump lead stays on the positive clamp.

Push clamps on, remove jump leads, tighten clamps, done.

Yea thats a good idea thanks Daniel.

 

I do hope it is a battery problem, already spent £148 and cash is tight right now what with yearly car & bike tax mot and insurance coming up in next couple of months 😞

It may be worth seeing if you can jump start the car first. Refer to your owners manual for details to avoid further possible issues. If the jump start works, then it's a strong suggestion the battery is definitely at fault. Failing that, I would rather take the plunge and buy a new battery anyway to eliminate that from the list of possible causes.

 

If jump starting and/or replacing the battery don't work, I think next steps are going to be diagnostics. Hopefully you can get in touch with a VCDS-equipped Briskodian on your area. You can check here:

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&mid=1Td73_uUUqscV3nRm5br_o89PmBU&ll=21.259901462991696%2C83.39240985000004&z=3

 

got a code reader coming tomorrow Jim which I will use after I have fitted the new battery I bought. nearest  Briskodian on my  area is 77 miles away.

 

am not on there how do you put where you are on the map?

The map was compiled by Gizmo to show where known VCDS users are located. It doesn't show every Briskoda account holder.

 

Hopefully the code reader will give us a clue tomorrow. This is turning out to be an intriguing problem!

I dont know what a VCDS users is?

there seems to be a chap in exeter which is near me

VCDS is the diagnostic system for Volkswagen Group vehicles. It's what dealerships use in the workshops. It's readily available for sale to anyone though. The map I linked in an earlier reply shows Briskoda users who either own or have access to VCDS. If you have a user fairly local to you, it's well worth getting in contact with them.

Ok right, is it like a code reader i take it it does more then just read codes?

The problem with a code reader or VCDS is that it will report all of the faults that the (potentially) failing battery is causing.

 

As mentioned the best course of action here will be to attempt to jumpstart the car, this will help to confirm or disprove the battery.

 

The Octavia is well documented as being very finicky, with a failing battery often resulting in lots of strange and seemingly unrelated faults.

 

The Varta E44 is a Bosch S5 without the more expensive Bosch stickers if you haven't already ordered a replacement.

Thanks silver i was thinking it might do, I have already bought the new Bosch battery which  will be here monday so will put it on charge just to make sure its at its best and try the car with a new battery and take it from there. 

My code reader will be here today but will leave it till monday now after the battery is fitted.

 

The VCDS does that just read more codes or does it do other things is it something worth investing  in? 

 

The one I bought is below hope it fits mine it says for Octavia. I dont even know where the port is yet lol

ANCEL VD500 OBD II Diagnostic Scanner for Volkswagen VW Audi Skoda Seat Diagnosis Check Engine Light EPB ABS SRS Code Reader Oil Throttle Position Adaption Brake Pad Reset Tool

 

Edited 7 March, 20206 yr by sealover1

1 thing I wanted to ask will code readers clear the codes so you can use the car again?

1 hour ago, sealover1 said:

1 thing I wanted to ask will code readers clear the codes so you can use the car again?

 

Clearing codes is one thing. They will only stay cleared if the associated issues have been remedied. In other words, unless you fix the cause of any fault codes, they will be generated again the next time you start the engine or drive a short distance. Clearing codes isn't like resetting the service reminder light, for example.

 

Regarding VCDS, it's more advanced for reading fault codes than your average code reader. For instance, a generic code reader might identify a general ABS issue. But VCDS will tell you which wheel has that issue. It can also change settings, reprogram modules etc. It's a comprehensive system, and people who have had experience with VCDS will always recommend it over a standard universal code reader. I don't have it. ...Yet. But i'm sure it's only a matter of time!