Hi, I’m new to this forum so please bear with me.

I have a Skoda Superb Business model, 2 litre, 2016. It was my company car until I retired nearly three years ago when I bought it from the lease company. It’s been a great car but yesterday the engine emissions control system warning light came on and I’m loath to take it to the Skoda dealer as they’ll ask a hefty charge to diagnose/repair the issue. It’s got 68,000 miles on the clock and hada new cam belt. & water pump last November. Any ideas what the issue could be?

At participating dealers with Fixed Service and maintenance on 3-10 year old cars the first 30 minutes of diagnostics is £60.   Hopefully someone here can help but likely you need the fault codes read.   ? Do you have a good Independent VW specialist near to do this and maybe do it cheaper including any work required?

Thanks for rapid response roottoot. I was going to call our nearest garage - they have always been very reasonable in the past. I hadn’t co sidered VW dealers, only Skoda, so thanks for the suggestion.

It needs plugged in and scanned,  but rather than give the stealers £60, might be better to buy an obd11 which can be had for less than £60 and scan it yourself.

Even if your not able to fix it yourself,  you will know exactly what's wrong with it and it's always good when you can tell them the problem, as less likely to get ripped off 

Hello 310golfr - many thanks for this - I never even thought about an obd 11 scanner! Have ordered - arrives tomorrow (-:

Have now got my OBD 11 scanner. Code reads “ Cylinder 2 Glow Plug Circuit/Open”. I presume this means I need a new glow plug - unusual after just 68k miles? If I do, are they as easy to change as a spark plug?

51 minutes ago, DRob2022 said:

Have now got my OBD 11 scanner. Code reads “ Cylinder 2 Glow Plug Circuit/Open”. I presume this means I need a new glow plug - unusual after just 68k miles? If I do, are they as easy to change as a spark plug?

Glow plugs and spark plugs are not at all related and don’t do the same thing at all.

as for changing them it goes 1 of 2 ways

- easy and they just pop out

- hard and they are seized in or snap, or strip threads.

 

the chances of either happening are 50/50 so if you do attempt it yourself they should be 10Nm so literally hand tight and a tiny bit more. Same with coming out, if they’re seized, don’t keep trying 

Many thanks ApertureS - yes, I appreciate that glow plugs only help with starting, unlike petrol engine spark plugs - I was just wondering if the procedure for their replacement was essentially the same, which it appears to be. Your comments agree very well with information I’ve since found on the net - & since I don’t have a torque wrench I’m leaving it to a local garage after telling them I know what the problem is! 

1 hour ago, DRob2022 said:

Many thanks ApertureS - yes, I appreciate that glow plugs only help with starting, unlike petrol engine spark plugs - I was just wondering if the procedure for their replacement was essentially the same, which it appears to be. Your comments agree very well with information I’ve since found on the net - & since I don’t have a torque wrench I’m leaving it to a local garage after telling them I know what the problem is! 

Glow plugs can be very hit or miss so it’s probably best just in case one does break.

 

glowplugs are a odd one, they are used for so much more than cold starts nowadays, emissions control is a big one and glowplugs are used to assist the dpf with regens and other post combustion processes.

Hi ApertureS - now I understand why they classified the engine block icon as ‘Emission Control System’ - thanks for the supplmentary info.. at least the obd 11 meter was useful and probably will be again.