Hello all. The engine light appeared on the instrument panel recently, so I took the car straight to my local independent garage. Their computer said that both camshaft solenoids had failed. The mechanic said that it is extremely unlikely that both would fail at the same time, and that it was most likely that a wire had come adrift inside. Unfortunately their system could not get that far into the wiring diagrams, so I would have to take it to the Skoda dealership - another 200 mile round trip !

 

It's booked in next week, but I have the horrible feeling that I'm going to get done over - does anyone have any views on the subject?

Mines went a few months ago but only one of them, can't remember if its the intake or exhaust one!  However before that i changed the cam magnets first as they were cheap and easy to do.  

There is no wiring in the camshaft solenoids! only wiring is attached is to the magnets! 

On 12/12/2024 at 16:32, Awesam said:

Mines went a few months ago but only one of them, can't remember if its the intake or exhaust one!  However before that i changed the cam magnets first as they were cheap and easy to do.  

There is no wiring in the camshaft solenoids! only wiring is attached is to the magnets! 

 

Strange, given that a solenoid is almost entirely made of wire, but there you go.

 

By way of an update, in case it helps, the dealership workshop manager said that the solenoid diagnosis by the indy was just "a red herring" thrown up by the system. It turned out that the water pump for the gearbox had suffered a short-circuit, melted some connectors and blown a 10amp fuse. Finding this out had required the use of an endoscope because is is so hidden away, and they had to remove the front differential in order to fit the replacement. As reassurance to the rest of you, I can report that he said that he'd never seen this happen before - I suppose that should make me feel special, except that the bill was £1,253 !

 

Happy New  Year to one and all.

On 12/12/2024 at 17:32, Awesam said:

There is no wiring in the camshaft solenoids!

 

🤣🤣🤣

29 minutes ago, J.R. said:

 

🤣🤣🤣

 

A coil isn't really "wiring", so ...

The wiring to the two camshaft control valves N205, N318 shares a 12V feed from engine bay fuse #9 (10A), which also supplies the 'continued coolant circulation pump' V51, the purge valve N80, and exhaust flap control units J883 and J945.

Replacing the fuse with all of these unplugged, and reconnecting one by one until the fuse blew again was presumably the diagnostic strategy. 

Edited 1 January, 20251 yr by Breezy_Pete
Terminology tweak

2 hours ago, balazs955 said:

 

A coil isn't really "wiring", so ...

 

A coil isn't a coil without wires supplying it with current, so ...

9 minutes ago, ArisaigDavid said:

 

A coil isn't a coil without wires supplying it with current, so ...

 

The supplying wires aren't in the solenoid though...

Edited 1 January, 20251 yr by balazs955
Quote

Keep digging 😀

3 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Keep digging 😀

 

How about a picture? Please enlighten us, what wires does the solenoid valve contain other than the coil.

 

Why do you want a picture?

 

The answer to your question is the coil windings are copper winding wire, their usual failure mode is their connection to the connector terminals.

 

What water does a cup of water contain except for the water in the cup?

Damn! My silly comment has set a few of us off!! I take it back!! 😆

Just to reiterate, there was nothing wrong with either the solenoids or any of the wires which may or may not either feed them or be part of them. Since I'm here, though, can anyone provide the wiring diagram for the offside rear exhaust silencer?