I have recently been having some major problems with my '99 Octavia 1.8T which felt like a really bad misfire or fueling problem.

The problem was intermittant and made the car practically undriveable for periods of time when it happened.

Having changed spark plugs and coils and no joy, i took it to the Skoda Dealer (Gordon Lamb in Chesterfield who gave a really good service inceidentily)

They cleaned some connections and didint solve it so went in for further diagnostics and they couldn;t find any fault with the car.

This started a few months ago and would only do it when I was driving, my dad borrowed it to see if he got the problem but didnt. Just about when we were ready to give up on it, i was driivng it and it cut out again next to a phone mast transmitter in my area. I then had the idea of turning my phone off which was in my pocket and it has been running fine since then!

SOmetimes when you are watching TV or listening to music, you get that strange jumping/fuzziness when the phone switches between transmitters to keep its signal and i think this is what was happening but was affecting the cars systems.

I just thought i'd share this in case anybody else was getting similar problems as it will save you a bit of money.

The phone i had bought when it started to occur was a Nokia 6300 and had switched to the Orange Network, maybe the more powerful mobile phones are becomming now with their transmissions is starting to affect older models?

Who knows

Cheers

Grant

Just be glad that it doesn interfere with your ABS electronics!!!

On a serious note, I have a PC in my car, and for a while I didnt have a case on it, as a consequence I couldnt recieve FM radio, and I have heard of some horror stories on forums with peoplem using unshielded PC's in their cars.... Im by far no expert on EMI or RF interferance!

CheeRS

Rob

Well funny your should say that because my ABS pump and ECU went in April at the cost of nearly 1000 quid but i didnt have this particular phone then although i did have another newish nokia, maybe the same thing had happened. Lesson to be elarnt to switch phone off totally in the car is what im doing now lol

well ive got a n95 and ive had nokias for some time and ive never had a problem like that before!

i have heard of equipment like phones effecting cars but thought that was only in the past, as they might now sheild the important bits of the car.

makes you wonder just what they are doing to "mans best friend" while in your pocket all day!

My old man used to have a problem on a bmw 320 which the dealer put down to mobile phone masts and police anntena's just outside newport on the M4. 3 times it happened in the same spot. Then never again !!!!

I have the same phone!!!!

Anybody want to buy my Mk1 Octavia vRS?:rolleyes:

Yeah ill buy it for a tenner if its faulty lol

Bear in mind that mines a 1999 so maybe the shielding was good enough then but not now!

Funny about the police antenna as i live right near one and funnily enough thats where it first did it!

Can we sue the police lol