Got 64 plate DSG 2.0 tDi.

 

Its developed an intermittent fault where the car won’t budge like the breaks are locked on. 

So I can put the brake peddle down and turn the engine on fine (although i think it does feel slightly different - like the break won’t go down quite as far). 
Then when I can put the break down and select drive (again perhaps the break pedal feels a little different). 
 

However when you bring the break up to drive forward (or reverse - this happens in both), the car struggles against itself. Similar to if the hand break was on but much more so - I’ve set off with the hand break on before and got some distance before it lets me know. This is like that but extreme. 
you can just about get it moving if you also rev too. Sometimes it rights itself in a couple of hours, sometimes it’s the next day. 
 

This has happened a dozen times. The last 2 were a month apart. Every time we take it to our garage they can’t replicate the fault so the computer doesn’t show anything. The guy even came to our house once but by the time he was here it was ok.

 

Even let them have it for a week and they kept moving it but it never faulted. 
 

So we now have a car we can’t fix because they don’t know the fault. Would a proper Skoda garage know this fault? Anyone any ideas? It’s currently worse than no car tbh because at any moment it

might not start. Any ideas would be amazing. Or any ideas who else to ask. Otherwise the cars a gem 

It’s like it’s in drive (on the stick - and the gears engage) but it’s in park (stuck parked).  

1 hour ago, jennoskoda said:

However when you bring the break up to drive forward (or reverse - this happens in both), the car struggles against itself. Similar to if the hand break was on but much more so - I’ve set off with the hand break on before and got some distance before it lets me know. This is like that but extreme. 
you can just about get it moving if you also rev too. Sometimes it rights itself in a couple of hours, sometimes it’s the next day. 

Does it release itself with a crack sound? Does it tend to happen when it's been raining overnight? I've got a possible idea if these conditions are met.

No I don’t think so, never had it release itself on me. It won’t budge at all then it releases some time later. Had the break shoes changed because we though they might be sticking and it’s not helped . 

Jennoskoda, you would know if it the handbrake left on as you would get a warning on the dash and some sort of warning sound, have a look at your Owner's Manual for details.

 

The lock button on the gear lever is pressed and held as you select gear, then you let go of that button and lift the brake pedal and accelerate - could it be that you are releasing that button too soon and/or lifting off the brake pedal too soon?

 

Otherwise it might be a fault in that button or one of the computer programs related to it which may need a scan tool suited to VW/Skoda to see a recoded error - or it might be something else of course, a proper scan tool suited to VW/Skoda ought to find an error code,  if recorded and it sounds like there should be.

 

Yep I’ve seen this warning before as I’ve set off. This is different. It’s also much more locked up than the handbrake does. It won’t budge and sort of dips the car down as if it’s wresting against something.

I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong as we’ve had the car 3 years and it’s been ok. I’ve even been taking it extra slow recently to be nice to it 😂 doing everything slow and pausing long between engine on and then into drive. 
I’ve had it scanned at our normal garage and they couldn’t see anything because the fault wasn’t occurring at the time. But maybe a Skoda specialist place would see it ? 

Sounds like the parking pawl is stuck maybe? ISTR there is an override for it with a yellow lever somewhere you can manually pull, but I might have dreamt that.

2 hours ago, jennoskoda said:

No I don’t think so, never had it release itself on me.

Ok, it's not what I first thought of (but if it had been there'd be no fault code to find).

 

Next idea - does the car have one or more of "brake assist", a hill hold system and an electronic "hand" brake?

2 hours ago, jennoskoda said:

Yep I’ve seen this warning before as I’ve set off. This is different. It’s also much more locked up than the handbrake does. It won’t budge and sort of dips the car down as if it’s wresting against something.

I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong as we’ve had the car 3 years and it’s been ok. I’ve even been taking it extra slow recently to be nice to it 😂 doing everything slow and pausing long between engine on and then into drive. 
I’ve had it scanned at our normal garage and they couldn’t see anything because the fault wasn’t occurring at the time. But maybe a Skoda specialist place would see it ? 

 I didn't mean you had left the handbrake on rather if you released the gearlever button too soon and/or lifting off the brake pedal too soon.

 

AFAIK if there is an error code or codes it will be recorded and held until cleared and even then some scan tools don't seem to clear all the codes and they remain as historic codes.

 

I was also thinking along the lines of the other two posters and as Ken will know a lot more than me I'll leave it with him and perhaps Nik.

 

Edited 27 November, 20214 yr by nta16

ETA: Wot about, a bit of muck, or other, on a wheel, brake or other sensor with x-degrees of chance of parking with it aligned so internment?

 

My wife got told off for braking on a hill decent on an off-road experience, stupid BMW X5 got a bit of mud on a sensor that applied the brakes, on a supposedly off-road vehicle, the Instructor later apologised to my wife as she insisted she didn't touch the brakes.  She wanted to go out in a proper Land Rover anyway so a double disappointment to the event.

 

Edited 27 November, 20214 yr by nta16

A number of possibilities on this one. If everything’s free and moving at the callipers, I’d be wondering about water in, or a fault at, the brake servo, or a problem with the master cylinder. A scan for codes might be useful. When it’s seized up, are the brake lights on?

 

Gaz

Ah good question with regards the break lights, hadn’t checked that. 
I’ve had it scanned but it was at a local independent place and there was no faults but would a Skoda garage. E able to see a log? 

Yes a Skoda Deaalership should have the correct VW/Skoda scan tool but ask them first and ask how much just to plug it in and if they'd take that off the bill if you have the work done there.  I think I've seen £60 mentioned to plug in the scan tool but that might be without (£12) VAT.

 

I'm throwing stones from a glass house now as I have loads of spelling mistakes including sometimes yours, it's brakes. 😊

 

Edited 28 November, 20214 yr by nta16

Indeed my brakes are not broken 😂

Hey, my glass house is only a frame now, and your brakes might be broken. 😄

 

Good idea about the brake lights and I was going to ask if anyone else drives the car and has the problem (in case you're the cause) but with an interment problem Sod's Law it doesn't happen when you want it to, such as when someone is there to watch the brake lights or when it was in at your garage.  A proper scan tool should hopefully pick up the previous occasions.  God luck.

 

Edited 28 November, 20214 yr by nta16

So just to confirm their scans can pick up a fault log (after it’s stopped faulting ) whereas the computer scan my local did only works while it’s acting up? 
 

If so I’ll get onto my nearest tomorrow!

1 minute ago, jennoskoda said:

So just to confirm their scans can pick up a fault log (after it’s stopped faulting ) whereas the computer scan my local did only works while it’s acting up? 

Just to be clear - I've no idea what scan tool your local garage uses and if or not it would pick up what error codes were there, if there are any.

 

VW so Skoda have such complex and over-complicated systems and programs (as I always put, I wonder why, meaning Dieselgate) that they have their own system requiring the correct scan tool or program.

 

Sorry, long explanation - these computers, or the car, can play up within the programs' parameters so that it will not show an error code, but being computer programs there could be glitches were a code might show for momentary cause of no cause at all.  If you have ever experienced and ad to dealt with a Microsoft update you will get what I mean.

 

The Dealership should have the correct tool to see error codes that are recorded and not permanently wiped by a capable machine.

 

Just having error codes does not mean necessarily that is the direct problem (though it might), it requires someone to interpret and test that information and follow the diagnostic path.

 

Sorry to be so longwinded but it's like trying to explain that if you let the car battery get too low even if the car starts and the lights seem bright the battery could still be too low for the car's computers and they could start to play up and throw up error codes until the car battery is sufficiently recharged.  Your car battery wasn't low on charge at those instances was it!(?).

 

It'll depend on the fault code. Most modules in the car won't automatically clear a fault code when it's been resolved. Instead, it will stay but flagged as either intermittent or inactive.

 

For example, a dealer updated the software for my steering rack under warranty. After the update, I had faults in 6 different modules caused by the lack of comms with the steering rack during the update. All were shown as "Intermittent - Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear".

 

If there's a fault code linked to this issue, I'd be very surprised if most scan tools didn't show it.

 

Where are you in the world, might be worth asking a local VCDS owner to do a quick scan after it's occurred

In Macclesfield, I think Stockport is my nearest Skoda place. 
 

Thankyou all so much by the way. It’s been a real pain in the butt having a car that’s 90% perfect but might crap out and no one seems to know why! I’ll keep you posted if I get anywhere  

Oh and I don’t think so about the battery. 

10 minutes ago, jennoskoda said:

Oh and I don’t think so about the battery. 

Even so check the battery anyway, now is the time to do so, see the AA list of their number one cause of breakdown call outs and all the threads that will start appearing with problems and error codes and battery problems.

 

See here for an example, and tell other VW/Skoda owners - and don't become an AA statistic. 😄 -

 

 

Rang Skoda who then rang someone else and based on my description he thinks it’s the mechatronic unit?

 

booked in for 2 days which starts with a scan but this is gonna cost a lot right 😳

Yes and it should start with a scan rather than surmising over the phone.

 

It could be mechatronics (a bit that goes with your gearbox) in which case the Dealer may have rang a company that specialises in repairing theses units to see what they think as possibly the Dealer will be removing the unit from your car to send it to this company for repair.

 

This means the unit has to be removed from your car sent off for repair elsewhere then refitted when returned, you need a quote for this work as it will not be a low cost job.

 

There is a small possibility that a scan by someone who knows what they're doing could perhaps sort this other than the unit needing repair (my neighbour and I done this for another neighbour's Merc, but that isn't a VW and it was a different reported fault).

 

Did you purchase the car new, have you checked for recalls?

 

Some info only on website link, bear in mind price will be for repair only then plus 20% VAT, why not give these people a call for the free advice they offer plus they might know independent Skoda garages in your area. -

"Prices start from as little as £850-£1300 + vat delivered to your door which can be up to 50% cheaper than main dealer prices from the likes of Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat.

Call Slaters Garage today for a completely free guide on how to get this niggle or a repair made simple and cost effective today."

https://www.gearboxnottingham.co.uk/dsg-mechatronic-units

 

Edited 3 December, 20214 yr by nta16

Eeek. No it wasn’t new and the person on the phone did a recall check.

4 minutes ago, jennoskoda said:

and the person on the phone did a recall check

Now you know why.

 

You'd hope that the Dealership will be doing a scan and other diagnostics as required (you never just go off raw error codes) and then contacting you with a quote.  Do bear in mind the range of figures from the Nottingham company is only for the repair of the unit the Dealership will also have to add to it to cover for labour and any other parts and materials and possibly for warranty work if required against the unit.  You need a quote.

 

I've put the hyperlink so you can read the article, you could do further research, I've put to ring the Nottingham lot for advice and possible contacts and as it's very intermittent at the moment I might try a scan by someone who know how to interpret the information (that excludes me) and depending on those results a change of correct gearbox oils (but most would say the change of oils would be a waste of time and they might be right).

 

Good luck.

 

Just thought, you could have a search here for mechatronics problems or put up another thread with that in the title which will hopefully attract those that know about such things and perhaps those of a more technical nature, training or experience.