Cars hate me

[JamezF]

I have an Octavia, 54 plate, 259,000 miles. Used mainly as a bee car now. I had a similar problem years ago with a rear door. It was sorted by local garage without removing the rear door panel. I'm not sure how, but a lot of the central locking control is in the drivers door. Corrosion is a problem with the multipin connector in that area. Only problem with EGR was a leaky air pipe, easily fixed.
https://www.briskoda.net/ is a good forum for Skoda. Good luck.

54 plate would be a Mark 3 I think? Ours is a Mark 2. Impressed that it has done such a high milage though. There are some models that seem particularly prone to problems as far as I can tell. Ours has been particularly bad since Skoda did a recall to reprogramme the ECU in the light of the events of the VW emissions scandal. It's also a problem that we don't really do very many long journeys any more. Our local mechanic showed me a photo of the throttle body before he cleaned it a few months back. It was probably reduced to about a third of its diameter by being caked in soot that re-enters the airflow via the EGR valve.

I'm told that welding the door closed, "Dukes of Hazzard" stylee would not be a problem MOT wise, so that's my last resort Not sure how my wife will feel about sliding across the bonnet and climbing in through the window though.

I've tried all the tricks that have been suggested with revving the engine whilst unlocking the doors, bumpy roads etc. etc. My gut feeling is that a linkage has come loose or broken, so I need to get inside to find out. The door card looks like it has four retaining screws, two under the handle to pull the door closed and two at the bottom where they may be obstructed by the sill. If I can get them out then it allegedly just lifts up and off. If I can't get to the screws then I'll probably just introduce the door card to my Dremel, and perhaps I'll replace it afterwards if it bothers me that much.

James

 

[JamezF]

Ho ho. Having spent much of the day upside down with my head in the passenger footwell and my feet dangling out through the driver's door in the rain, I finally managed to remove the five screws retaining the door card. Four were actually quite easy. The last was an absolute pig. At one point I was actually contemplating removing the front passenger seat altogether just to make it easier to get at. So I finally lifted the door card away to reveal...

It seems that Mr Skoda doesn't want me to get at the lock mechanism that easily Having watched a fair few ewechoob videos it would appear that if you splash the cash and buy a VW, this steel door liner is screwed to the inside of the door. If you're a cheap git (ie. me) and buy a Skoda, you get pop rivets instead. There are nine that I now have to drill out, having first ensured that the electric window doesn't fall out when I remove the liner. That can be tomorrow's problem.

Sliding a double length of packing strap down the window no longer appears to be an option as these days locks often have a cover to prevent such interference. And in fact they're so complicated that finding the right bit to move would be a nightmare. It's entirely possible that a single modern door lock has more moving parts than my entire first car.

(Honestly, I really did look at how much it would cost to get a replacement door from a scrap dealer so I could just take an angle grinder to the current one to get it to open.)

James

 

[Penninetrader]

Ho ho. Having spent much of the day upside down with my head in the passenger footwell and my feet dangling out through the driver's door in the rain, I finally managed to remove the five screws retaining the door card. Four were actually quite easy. The last was an absolute pig. At one point I was actually contemplating removing the front passenger seat altogether just to make it easier to get at. So I finally lifted the door card away to reveal...

It seems that Mr Skoda doesn't want me to get at the lock mechanism that easily Having watched a fair few ewechoob videos it would appear that if you splash the cash and buy a VW, this steel door liner is screwed to the inside of the door. If you're a cheap git (ie. me) and buy a Skoda, you get pop rivets instead. There are nine that I now have to drill out, having first ensured that the electric window doesn't fall out when I remove the liner. That can be tomorrow's problem.

Sliding a double length of packing strap down the window no longer appears to be an option as these days locks often have a cover to prevent such interference. And in fact they're so complicated that finding the right bit to move would be a nightmare. It's entirely possible that a single modern door lock has more moving parts than my entire first car.

(Honestly, I really did look at how much it would cost to get a replacement door from a scrap dealer so I could just take an angle grinder to the current one to get it to open.)

James

I think you are taking the right approach.I have had 2 cars with this problem, one a zafira and the other a Saab sport wagon. I have no experience of Skoda but if there is any orifice through which you can fire thin oil that will land around the lock mechanism it might help with your problem. The throw of the lock mechanism needs very little resistance to stop it's functioning. I am presuming that you can tell the lock mechanism is active via sound when pressing the transponder. This was my Saab fix. The entire mechanism on it was security shielded.

 

[Garry R]

Had same sort of problems when I had an Octavia Estate found the final problem to be the black box that connects to the ECU it is positioned under the vent at the back of the bonnet and can fill with water.Changed black box and ECU and reprogrammed myself.Saved myself a few pounds.

The Rover 75 obviously had an inspirational designer who thought it was a great idea to put the ECU in the well underneath the windscreen. This was all great if the drainholes in there were kept clear which in many cases was not done and the ECU would flood leading to complete failure.

 

[pargyle]

The Rover 75 obviously had an inspirational designer who thought it was a great idea to put the ECU in the well underneath the windscreen. This was all great if the drainholes in there were kept clear which in many cases was not done and the ECU would flood leading to complete failure.

Yes ... I've had 3 Rover 75's and the first thing you do when you get one is make sure the plenum drains are clear and then spend £8 on a bit of plastic grill that goes over the top where the leaves collect that stops them blocking the plenum drain ! An aftermarket mod invented by a Rover 75 enthusiast and sold to those who know about the problem. Fortunately I avoided the dreaded drowned ECU which in many cases led to the cars being scrapped.

Other than that it was probably the best designed and built Rover ever made - BMW 3.0 series underneath and the 2.0l diesel engine was bomb proof. We had few problems ever with any of ours - the occasional air bag warning light coming on as a result of a stupidly positioned connection under the front seats where every time you moved the seats the connector came loose ! I never did fix it ..

The only reason we no longer have one - the estate tailgate was so heavy 'er indoors could not lift it, even with new enhanced gas struts. Replace them - "Any car you like" she said as long "As it has an electric tailgate ..."

 

[Colinkemp]

54 plate would be a Mark 3 I think? Ours is a Mark 2. Impressed that it has done such a high milage though. There are some models that seem particularly prone to problems as far as I can tell. Ours has been particularly bad since Skoda did a recall to reprogramme the ECU in the light of the events of the VW emissions scandal. It's also a problem that we don't really do very many long journeys any more. Our local mechanic showed me a photo of the throttle body before he cleaned it a few months back. It was probably reduced to about a third of its diameter by being caked in soot that re-enters the airflow via the EGR valve.

I'm told that welding the door closed, "Dukes of Hazzard" stylee would not be a problem MOT wise, so that's my last resort Not sure how my wife will feel about sliding across the bonnet and climbing in through the window though.

I've tried all the tricks that have been suggested with revving the engine whilst unlocking the doors, bumpy roads etc. etc. My gut feeling is that a linkage has come loose or broken, so I need to get inside to find out. The door card looks like it has four retaining screws, two under the handle to pull the door closed and two at the bottom where they may be obstructed by the sill. If I can get them out then it allegedly just lifts up and off. If I can't get to the screws then I'll probably just introduce the door card to my Dremel, and perhaps I'll replace it afterwards if it bothers me that much.

James

Mine is a late Mk 1. It would be worth checking the state of the multipin connector in the drivers door which is the control board for the central locking system. I wouldn't think the Mk 2 is much different. That area is prone to corrosion.

 

[JamezF]

Mine is a late Mk 1. It would be worth checking the state of the multipin connector in the drivers door which is the control board for the central locking system. I wouldn't think the Mk 2 is much different. That area is prone to corrosion.

Is that inside the rubber boot between the door and the bodywork?

James

 

[Dekzion]

Stupid thought but have you tried disconnecting the battery, holding the remote to open down and reconnecting? (you'll need the radio code, sorry) Might just make it think.
sometimes stupid wins.

 

[Colinkemp]

Is that inside the rubber boot between the door and the bodywork?

James

No, you will need to remove the door panel of the drivers door where the window controller sits, see attached photo (from LH drive car).
Remove the multipin connector and check for corrosion. Not a five minute job i'm afraid.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AA74/2LKmnZxu9rU/w1137-h853-no/bare-door1.png
I was hoping to find my old one to show you but no luck.

 

[JamezF]

Stupid thought but have you tried disconnecting the battery, holding the remote to open down and reconnecting? (you'll need the radio code, sorry) Might just make it think.
sometimes stupid wins.

I can try that, but how is it actually supposed to help?

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Yes ... I've had 3 Rover 75's and the first thing you do when you get one is make sure the plenum drains are clear and then spend £8 on a bit of plastic grill that goes over the top where the leaves collect that stops them blocking the plenum drain ! An aftermarket mod invented by a Rover 75 enthusiast and sold to those who know about the problem. Fortunately I avoided the dreaded drowned ECU which in many cases led to the cars being scrapped.

Other than that it was probably the best designed and built Rover ever made - BMW 3.0 series underneath and the 2.0l diesel engine was bomb proof. We had few problems ever with any of ours - the occasional air bag warning light coming on as a result of a stupidly positioned connection under the front seats where every time you moved the seats the connector came loose ! I never did fix it ..

The only reason we no longer have one - the estate tailgate was so heavy 'er indoors could not lift it, even with new enhanced gas struts. Replace them - "Any car you like" she said as long "As it has an electric tailgate ..."

When I was much more mobile and flexible I had to replace the door lock and window actuator on my Discovery. That was not a lot of fun but I got there in the end. Much worse was renewing the starter solenoid contracts. The contacts were easy, it was getting the starter mounting bolts back in and tightened that created the real angst.
I've swapped it for a Rexton now and had even more fun replacing the off side rear passenger lock actuator but I managed with appropriate incantations.
Now it goes to my local garage and I've got a guy with reasonable prices.

 

[ericbeaumont]

We always used a coat hanger but that was 40 years ago. I’m sure security on cars is more sophisticated nowadays

You'd think so, but two Kia EVs went recently from our residential streets. Seems that software to bypass the car security can be bought online, so they tap on a laptop at 3 in the morning and depart silently in less than a minute.

No-one has yet touched my 50 year-old Land Rover though the locks are as basic as can be, but I reckon it's a Dada vehicle, an absurdity to confuse the conventional thief.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You'd think so, but two Kia EVs went recently from our residential streets. Seems that software to bypass the car security can be bought online, so they tap on a laptop at 3 in the morning and depart silently in less than a minute.

No-one has yet touched my 50 year-old Land Rover though the locks are as basic as can be, but I reckon it's a Dada vehicle, an absurdity to confuse the conventional thief.

I had a Krooklock on my minivan in 1969. Not foolproof but sufficient deterrence that scrotes tried an easier vehicle.

 

[madasafish]

Three EGR failures?

Usually due to replacing the EGR Valve without thoroughly cleaning all the associated pipework If you do a lot of short journeys - under 5 miles - the entire system never warms up and carbon settles in the system and bakes hard. Removing it is a mixture of coarse wire brushes on a drill. And carburettor cleaner to flush out the debris and then a couple of hours to let it all dry.
Had that issue on our 2003 Diesel Toyota Yaris when it was about 8 years old. The solution to prevent it happening again :
Dose the fuel with FORTE DIESEL TURBO CLEANER & EGR VALVE TREATMENT (ebay) then :
do an "Italian Tune Up"/ Warm the engine first so the heater is blowing warm air and then drive everywhere in the lowest gear possible to achieve 5,000rpm all the time for about 30 miles. Heats up the carbon build up in the entire exhaust and EGR system and burns it out. Going up long hills helps.

Works every time for us..

Did you use the same garage to replace the EGR valve or DIY?

 

[Penninetrader]

You'd think so, but two Kia EVs went recently from our residential streets. Seems that software to bypass the car security can be bought online, so they tap on a laptop at 3 in the morning and depart silently in less than a minute.

No-one has yet touched my 50 year-old Land Rover though the locks are as basic as can be, but I reckon it's a Dada vehicle, an absurdity to confuse the conventional thief.

Be careful with that Landy, they are becoming very valuable as you probably know. It is worth quite a sum as parts alone

 

[ericbeaumont]

careful with that Landy

True, though it does have a tracker, alarm, and Disklok. Trouble is I can't often switch on the alarm because in season there's always a bee flying about inside and in the winter, drips through the roof or wind through the door gaps. All of these trigger the alarm, esp. if I leave the bulkhead vents open at night.

Few years ago near Victoria Park (S Hackney) a chap had a Series 2 88 that he parked permanently outside his house near the street corner. He hardly ever drove it and when asked why he kept it there, he said that he liked to see the beauty of it when he sat down to breakfast. One New Years Eve, amid the noise of fireworks, a gang turned up with a low-loader and it was dragged off without anyone hearing; the street corner location made the drag easy.

 

[Penninetrader]

Three EGR failures?

Usually due to replacing the EGR Valve without thoroughly cleaning all the associated pipework If you do a lot of short journeys - under 5 miles - the entire system never warms up and carbon settles in the system and bakes hard. Removing it is a mixture of coarse wire brushes on a drill. And carburettor cleaner to flush out the debris and then a couple of hours to let it all dry.
Had that issue on our 2003 Diesel Toyota Yaris when it was about 8 years old. The solution to prevent it happening again :
Dose the fuel with FORTE DIESEL TURBO CLEANER & EGR VALVE TREATMENT (ebay) then :
do an "Italian Tune Up"/ Warm the engine first so the heater is blowing warm air and then drive everywhere in the lowest gear possible to achieve 5,000rpm all the time for about 30 miles. Heats up the carbon build up in the entire exhaust and EGR system and burns it out. Going up long hills helps.

Works every time for us..

Did you use the same garage to replace the EGR valve or DIY?

When my good lady has been driving our car for a number of journeys it tends to choke up, I tell her to drop a gear for those short runs to get the 3k revs. it does not happen of course. Modern vehicles,diesels, need 15 mins of high revs a week to get them hot enough and keep them clear. Makes a nonsense of the intentions.

 

[Penninetrader]

True, though it does have a tracker, alarm, and Disklok. Trouble is I can't often switch on the alarm because in season there's always a bee flying about inside and in the winter, drips through the roof or wind through the door gaps. All of these trigger the alarm, esp. if I leave the bulkhead vents open at night.

Few years ago near Victoria Park (S Hackney) a chap had a Series 2 88 that he parked permanently outside his house near the street corner. He hardly ever drove it and when asked why he kept it there, he said that he liked to see the beauty of it when he sat down to breakfast. One New Years Eve, amid the noise of fireworks, a gang turned up with a low-loader and it was dragged off without anyone hearing; the street corner location made the drag easy.

The tracker and especially the disklok are your best deterrents imo. Apple do some tracking devices that are quite low cost that can be placed just about anywhere and don't require subscription I believe. I had a tranny with the banana engine that I had done a camper conversion on stolen some years ago. The van was no more than 30ft from my wife and Father who were in his garage as the vehicle was rolled away quietly then driven off never to be seen again.

 

[ericbeaumont]

tracking devices

Yes, it buys about 24 hours: they park it in an isolated spot, wait to see if a tracker is fitted and if it hasn't been found in that time they come and fetch it. Suppose it saves scrabbling under the dashboard to locate the tracker.

 

[JamezF]

Did you use the same garage to replace the EGR valve or DIY?

We use a garage, because it's an absolute pig of a job on the Octavia specifically.

There were no problems until the recall to have the ECU reprogrammed in the aftermath of the VW emissions furore. After that it was never quite the same (and anecdotal evidence suggests that there are many people in the same boat), not helped by the fact that almost all our driving now is short distances. It's completely the wrong car for that, but changing it right now isn't the sensible option.

If it makes it through the next two or three years though (when the children are both finished with university), we will consider its job done and when it falls apart we can replace it with something more suited to our lifestyle. Perhaps a dumper truck

James