Loads of problems and MOT due!!!

[whitebakecase]

My 02 Octavia Vrs has developed some problems just in the last couple of weeks, and the MOT is a week away so if anybody can help with some easy or cheap fixes, much appreciated!! Might not fail on all of these but annoying all the same.

1. The red LED in the top of the drivers door refuses to go out, i was under the impression that these things flash when the car is locked, and go out when the car is started. It just stays on all the time?

2. Theres a strange clicking noise from the passenger door, intermittent and random, must be a relay somewhere as the headlights dim every time it clicks, and it appears now i cant open the passenger electric window from the drivers door switch, however the passenger door switch works ok?

3. The indicators have started to flash irregularly, I'm told this is down to a faulty hazard light switch but is it repairable rather than new part required?

4. I've got an aftermarket air filter, and the recirc can be heard well, normally its a nice quick release but i'm starting to hear it chattering when ive accelerated from low revs, sounds like compressor stall to me, and on some gearchanges i come back on the power and the engine is flat and just hissing loudly for a few seconds, then it will come on boost suddenly and take off, is this normal in some circumstances or is my recirc on its way out?

5. Sometimes when i start the car from cold, i get a strange intermittent whirring noise, almost like a belt slipping, but ive had it to the garage and they reckon everythings tight, it disappears after a few seconds of driving?

6. The seatbelt only reels itself back in if i feed it in, is there an adjustment somewhere or am i going to need a new mechanism?

7. Every time I go over a bump or speed ramp >spit<, the whole front end creaks like an old staircase, its had new ARBs in the last 3 months and the creaking went away to start with, but now its back with a vengeance, is there an alternative to the OEM bushes, without going poly and sacrificing ride quality?

Well, thats all I can think of at the moment, quite a repair list considering the car has only travelled 6000 miles in the year I've had it, and it was allegedly serviced by the dealership the day before it became mine.

Any suggestions or info muchly muchly obliged

[mluton]

could 1 2 and 3 be linked :confused:

7. Mine creaks / sqeeks when i go over bumps. Its in tommorrow to have the radiator brackets replaced. Check the radiator to see if it knocks or moves.

[whitebakecase]

Just another quick addition to the already vast list of faults, a couple of months back the lumbar support in the drivers seat made a horrible snapping noise and now it fails to wind out, and i end up sinking into the seat. The winder appears to be reaching the end of its travel as the handle stops turning, is this going to mean taking the seat apart or can i push it back together somehow from the outside?

[piv34uk]

New relay will fix indicator problem, its behind the hazard switch and has been updated because of problems..

My Neuspeed anti roll bar has also started to creak just like the OE one, some nice red rubber grease works wonders but you do have to drop the links off to gain access

Seat belt can be "helped back" but it would be worth checking to see if there is a build up of dust/fluff where it goes down by the B pillar.......... bit of silicon here may do the trick

HTH

Phil;)

[Tech1e]

For problems one and two have a look in your boot. Behind the left hand boot carpet on the back of the wheel arch you will see a group of connectors. Check the condition of the wiring in these connectors looking for corrosion/greeny blue terminals.

You will notice wrapped up with the wiring is the rear washer pipe, it has a push fit connection in this area, it usually comes apart and soaks the connectors. In these connectors is the wiring for the tailgate switch for the CDL, it creates merry hell with it and displays the symptoms you describe. They usually go mental trying constantly to unlock until the thermal overload cuts in.

[mannyo]

4. the recirc valve is a known problem, if its the oem one chances are the diaphragm has split. If its an aftermarket one they usually require regular maintenance.

Even with those issues though it should pass the mot. The only concern is the sinking into the seat problem

[hooley30]

5. Sometimes when i start the car from cold, i get a strange intermittent whirring noise, almost like a belt slipping, but ive had it to the garage and they reckon everythings tight, it disappears after a few seconds of driving?

I had a belt slipping noise but it turned out to be the water pump itself...

[whitebakecase]

Can i be right in assuming that the problems i have described could explain or be caused by the sudden duff battery which is running flat after about 3 days of not using the car?

[AcW]

Can i be right in assuming that the problems i have described could explain or be caused by the sudden duff battery which is running flat after about 3 days of not using the car?

I have got a similar problem with my car, flat battery and problem 2 the clicking from the passenger door and the window not working.

the solution to the flat battery turned out to be the light low down in the drivers door not going out completely (just dim enough to not be noticed during the day) leaving a drain on the battery of 1/2 amp. enough to flatten it if the car wasn

[whitebakecase]

yes, you were completely right about the drivers door light, and now ive looked more closely, the door open warning light on the dash is flickering along with the main roof courtesy light, and the fact that the door top LED is permanently on, is pointing towards failure of the central convenience unit. Not quite sure what this thing is or what the fix is, ive checked some other posts and the general opinion is that is needs to be replaced along with some sort of loom, I'll let you know what i find out or check http://www.briskoda.net/forums/octavia/nutcase-drivers-side-window/70649/

[whitebakecase]

well passed the mot today even with the indicators going at random pace, there was a frown on the testers face but still a pass cert at the end, with just a warning about some play in the steering arm. one steering arm and a set of brakes and a service later and the only outstanding performance problem is a pair of split breathers which is all booked to be done on saturday. however the electrical problems have worsened and spread, with all the windows now opening themselves randomly, i asked the question while i was in the workshop today how to remove the trim and module from the drivers door, and the answer was "its a bitch"

so with this in mind i guess my weekend is planned out for various sliced fingers and swear words... watch this space

[innnisfree]

These two problems look like ones I experienced:

"1. The red LED in the top of the drivers door refuses to go out, i was under the impression that these things flash when the car is locked, and go out when the car is started. It just stays on all the time?

2. Theres a strange clicking noise from the passenger door, intermittent and random, must be a relay somewhere as the headlights dim every time it clicks, and it appears now i cant open the passenger electric window from the drivers door switch, however the passenger door switch works ok?"

I have already posted the following in other topic threads but it looks like a lot of people have similar experiences - heres what happened to me:

I have these symptoms in a 2003 Octavia which I believe are indicative of a design problem:

Started last year when the controls over the wing mirror became confused (Adjusting the right mirror caused the left one to move, Left heater non functional)

Next the problem emerged in the central locking - in operable from the key, or sometimes opening and closing at random.

The red alarm light in the door continuously on.

The windows spontaneously opening when the car is parked unlocked.

The interior light staying on permanently indicating door open.

And the last straw!! Passenger side window opening and closing at random while driving.

I called Skoda dealer and the service receptionist said she had regularly seen the problem. She put me on to the head mechanic. He asked me if the alarm light was on and straight away said that it is caused by corrosion in the wiring loom in the drivers door. A common problem.

Congrats on the MOT - mine is due in a couple of months - its not going to pass with these problems. I either get rid of the car or face large repair costs.

[whitebakecase]

a big thanks goes out to all of you who pointed me in the right direction when my electrics got the gremlins, finally i now have control of all my windows and locks and all the interior lights come on at the right time...you guys were completely right about the corrosion in the drivers door loom, i had the door in bits today and when i unplugged the CCU i found not only a corroded plug and socket but enough trapped water to keep a small fish.

Less than an hour from start to finish, I've done away with the ridiculous plug and socket method, and hard soldered all those fiddly wires straight onto what was left of the pins, a generous helping of silicone sealant and some dessicant bags later, and i now have a working car and its not cost me a penny.

My advice? as long as you are prepared to accept the consequences if it all goes wrong and you wire the thing backwards, or reap the hundreds of pounds savings if it all goes well, its definitely worth a try....

[AcW]

Had a look at my door today and found the same problem, might have a go at soldering the wires on next week, if the weather is nice!! did it take long?

Cheers

[monkeychops]

Just another quick addition to the already vast list of faults, a couple of months back the lumbar support in the drivers seat made a horrible snapping noise and now it fails to wind out, and i end up sinking into the seat. The winder appears to be reaching the end of its travel as the handle stops turning, is this going to mean taking the seat apart or can i push it back together somehow from the outside?

Just wondered if you ever got this fixed? I have this problem.

[trundlenut]

I had the same problem with the seat, the end of the cable which controls the lumber support has a nub on it like a bicycle brake cable and this had snapped off. You can get a kit to fix it from Skoda but you have to remove the seat from the car and strip the cover off - dealer wanted ~

[ap0gee1978]

Although this wasn't mentioned again after the first post, if you're having problems with the seatbelt not winding in, try giving the eye (the bit it goes through up near the top of the B pillar) a good clean - it may just be dirty...

[monkeychops]

I had the same problem with the seat, the end of the cable which controls the lumber support has a nub on it like a bicycle brake cable and this had snapped off. You can get a kit to fix it from Skoda but you have to remove the seat from the car and strip the cover off - dealer wanted ~

[trundlenut]

I'll put some more detailed information together tonight when my brain stops hurting...

[trundlenut]

set up a new thread about repairing the lumber suport.

BRISKODA - The Skoda Forum and Community

[monkeychops]

Thanks trundlenuet.

Your link didn't work. I found the post here though.

It sounds tricky. I expect I'll end up getting a dealer quote. I may try to at least have a look to see what's wrong though.

The local car mechanic said it wasn't the sort of job he could do. Apart from DIY or a skoda dealer, is there anyone else that could do this sort of job?