On several occasions each week .... press button to start, and nothing happens.

Display says ‘safe lock’  and advise to look in manual.

 

This can happen first start of the day, or a restart after short stop.

 

Obvious items in place ... in park and foot on brake.

 

Any suggestions?

Might be poor keyfob reception.  Where is the keyfob in this case?  Is it surrounded by something metal or conductive?  Did you put it in an aftermarket case (I've seen some chrome ones that would probably block the signal).

 

You might want to change the keyfob battery (it's just a CR2032, don't buy a cheap one, get a brand name one like Maxell, Energizer or Panasonic and avoid ebay there are lots of fakes).  The car will detect low keyfob battery and let you know but there are scenarios where the battery is low or faulty and the car might not detect it.

 

It is possible to monitor keyfob signal strength using VCDS (Start authorisation module, measuring blocks) but given that you need to turn the Ign on to start monitoring, it's not going to be very useful in this case.

 

What year is the vehicle?  I understand that sometime in MY2020 they changed to a new generation of keyfobs that will only respond to the car if the fob has been in motion within the past 5 mins.  This is to avoid the relay-attacks where someone can use a radio to relay the authorisation from the car to a key that might be say left near the door on the hall table.

 

Don't forget the fallback, if the battery in the fob fails, use the fob to press the start button.  This uses the legacy method of RFID instead of radio but needs to be very close, pretty much touching the start button to work.

Quote

Key fob in by gear lever where it normally sits, no afteremarket case     Car is new as of Apr 2018      Happens with either Key Fob.

 

Safe lock is what is displayed when switching the car off?

I get this display when it fails to start ....  every time it happens starter does not operate and the display says "Check SAFELOCK! Owner's manual"

 

I am not locking the car, I am pressing start button.

I am not trying to lock the car.

Edited 13 August, 20205 yr by Sargan

It seems the car thinks it’s switching off for some reason. 
 

I’d video some starts until you catch it, then let the dealer see, hopefully they may be able to diagnose / sort it out for you.

 

Hope you get it sorted.

To intermittent to video ... but I have reported to dealer .... had the usual response “never seen this”

It starts to sound like the car thinks you are pressing the button twice. Switching it on and then straight off. Could be that the switch has become a bit intermittent, and your one press is actually registering as two?  If it was not finding the key fob, it would ping and show 'key not found'. My 2012 Superb had an issue with the switch, when if really hot it didn't work unless you pressed really hard (or waited for it to cool down).

Certainly not Getting “Key not found’   Which would point to battery.

A common problem.

 

There was a lengthy production period where Skoda were fitting defective KESSY push buttons.

 

If you're still under warranty ring Skoda Assist.

Car is under warranty   .... is Skoda Assit better route than Dealer ?

Guys  happened today and got it on video ..... each time I press start the error shows on the condole -

 

 

To me looks like either

 

1. You are turning it on and off before its fully Cycled On

 

2. The switch is faulty and turning off for you...

 

 

Well the latter is wrong ..... I get in car put my foot on brake and press start button once ....  it lights up dash then closes lights down and shows that error ..... I repeat sequence - it repeats sequence.

It will keep doing it until I either open drivers door and close it again - then will start  ...... or I press button on remote to lock car, then press unlock ...... and it will then work.

 

Can happen from first attempt of the day to start ... or when you have got out but not locked - when you return to car (garage forecourt for example) ... it goes into failure mode.

 

Edited 23 August, 20205 yr by Sargan

You can see the bulb check happening on the instruments. It's turning on and almost straight off. So most likely the start stop switch is faulty.

Don't you just love Service Depts.

I booked car in on 24 Aug ...... earleist date was today, so they had 3 weeks notice of this.

I gave them a copy of the video showing the issue and asked they have a START button in stiok as it is very likley to be that is faulty, the response was there are no klnown issues with the START button, my r4espoinse was .... OK, fine, but please arrange to have one in stock in the event it is needed,

 

Car been in for 6 Hrs .... called them ... to be told they confirm that the Start button is faulty as I suggested ..... but they don't have one in stock  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will put it on back order.

 

So my advance information was a waste of my time.

 

32 minutes ago, Sargan said:

Don't you just love Service Depts.

I booked car in on 24 Aug ...... earleist date was today, so they had 3 weeks notice of this.

I gave them a copy of the video showing the issue and asked they have a START button in stiok as it is very likley to be that is faulty, the response was there are no klnown issues with the START button, my r4espoinse was .... OK, fine, but please arrange to have one in stock in the event it is needed,

 

Car been in for 6 Hrs .... called them ... to be told they confirm that the Start button is faulty as I suggested ..... but they don't have one in stock  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will put it on back order.

 

So my advance information was a waste of my time.

 

 

Assuming all dealers are the same, mine told me that they wouldn't order in parts on spec as you asked them to because they have to pay for them and if they're not needed, then they are stuck with them.

A part has to be proven faulty before they will order and replace it. Don't know if that's strictly true, but I sort of get it, but it's bloody annoying for the customer.

Probably the same reason, but that then means extra tourneys to take back a 2nd time .... or in this case they are going to arrange hire car (with tow hitch) from Europe Hire.

that is cost to them.

 

Frustrating as they had 3 weeks notice in which they could have got the part I advised them was faulty.

10 minutes ago, Sargan said:

Probably the same reason, but that then means extra tourneys to take back a 2nd time .... or in this case they are going to arrange hire car (with tow hitch) from Europe Hire.

that is cost to them.

 

Frustrating as they had 3 weeks notice in which they could have got the part I advised them was faulty.

They see you and me as just guys with cars, what would we know. They have to diagnose themselves and once a component is proven faulty and it's under guarantee, then I assume that Skoda will then pay for everything, so no outlay for the dealer.

They don't seem to care much if you have to drive around a bit.

Took my car in last year for its first service. It had been booked in for a month and they didn't have the correct oil for the oil change - so off I go home again !!

Find a better dealer.

 

Des Winks in Scarborough ordered several different iterations of the drivers door window switch before I drove in to see them, after sending them a video of the fault.

 

Diagnosed, fixed and returned back to me in one visit. Dealers can do it, but only the good ones, vote with your feet.

 

Edited 25 September, 20205 yr by silver1011

Parts due in for next week .... we shall see.