Hi there - my first post. Hope someone can help.

Gone to start my Octavia today - R reg, 1.8 SDI 20v 74000miles - only to find that the dash lights are faint and there is a problem turning the starter. Arrrr, battery I hear you cry (I did at first), well I dont think it is. Turn the car again and same happens. Then I notice that the tripometer and the dash computer readout have both reset to zero, but the radio has not reset interestingly. After considering things for about 10 seconds I try to turn the engine again, brighter dash lights and it starts to turn. After a few seconds of turning and me generally bouncing up and down in my seat I manage to get it started. It then drives fine.

If I then switch off and turn the engine over again (even after leaving it for 5 mins) it starts first time. If I leave it for an hour before trying to start it again, same symptoms.

It worked absolutely fine up until today. Now I'm worried about ongoing.

My guess is that there is a bad connection somewhere - maybe some damp has got in?? Does anybody have any ideas please???

Thanks

burfeyboy

I still think its a faulty battery, either knackered or there is a drain. Just enough to get it going and the time you have it running puts enough charge back in it to get it going again until its drained down.

... sounds almost exactly the same problem as mine.

The Other Thread

And mine appearred all of a sudden too.

A conspiracy perhaps

I still think its a faulty battery, either knackered or there is a drain. Just enough to get it going and the time you have it running puts enough charge back in it to get it going again until its drained down.

Thanks Lummox. Guess leaving it overnight and trying in the morning will prove this one way or another. Does seem strange though - this sort of problem would, I thought, occur in the autumn just as soon as battery demand begins to ramp up again. Not sure what can be draining it whilst standing. The factory fitted alarm is the only thing I can think of. Would that be enough to bleed it dry??

Octavia doesnt have a factory fitted alarm.

Could possibly be the main power relay but you dont normally get anything when they stick.

Octavia doesnt have a factory fitted alarm.

Could possibly be the main power relay but you dont normally get anything when they stick.

I'm curious now....if it hasn't got a factory fitted alarm what are those red flashing LEDs in the door lock buttons for?? (I'm feeling quite thick all of a sudden....but I'm a whizz with computers !!!)

I'm curious now....if it hasn't got a factory fitted alarm what are those red flashing LEDs in the door lock buttons for?? (I'm feeling quite thick all of a sudden....but I'm a whizz with computers !!!)

Just to make it look as if it has an alarm / is locked.

Sounds like an air leak, or a glowplug problem? Any sign of white smoke when the engine fires?

Sounds very like an airleak to me.

Check all the pieps on the fuel line by covering joins with vaslene etc then removing the vas one bit at a time.