Cars hate me

[Penninetrader]

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

Do we have an outcome or is this still a work in progress ?

 

[JamezF]

Do we have an outcome or is this still a work in progress ?

Still a work in progress as the weather on Sunday was really too foul to get anything done, and today I have been at work. Hopefully I can play some more tomorrow.

James

 

[Penninetrader]

I think you have done the hard trudge already.

 

[Frazer Munro]

I felt the pain with my Fabia in exactly the same way. My solution was to go electric 3 years ago and have had no issues since, except....
A fox? bit through the detection cable to the wheel hub! apparently its may of some of a Soy extract.

 

[JamezF]

Well, online videos suggested that there's a plastic cam that obstructs the door release mechanism and if it is moved out of the way the lock will release. So I drilled a couple of small holes on the inside of the door frame (because it meant not having to drill out all of the rivets holding the inner door skin in place) where they'll be covered by the door card and after much grunting and worse managed to lever the cam back to where it is allegedly supposed to be when the door is unlocked.

It makes no difference whatsoever. The door remains locked. Removing the inner door skin now looks like the only option, so I shall start drilling out the rivets

James

 

[JamezF]

Seven of the nine rivets are now drilled out. The remaining two are obstructed by the seat, so I shall take a few tools to work with me tomorrow and those two can get closely acquainted with Mr Dremel

James

 

[Dekzion]

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

James

Well I've had a relay stuck once and by flashing the power it started moving and finally freed itself.

 

[JamezF]

Well I've had a relay stuck once and by flashing the power it started moving and finally freed itself.

Ah, right, I see.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just sit crosswise in the driver's seat with your back to the driver's door, put your feet together and rise your knees to under your chin.

#Then kick ten times of sh!t out of the passenger door.
It used to work for us in ferryport car halls or with C3 vehicles reimported from the carribean.

 

[pargyle]

Seven of the nine rivets are now drilled out. The remaining two are obstructed by the seat, so I shall take a few tools to work with me tomorrow and those two can get closely acquainted with Mr Dremel

James

You know what's going to happen don't you ? Having got the inner skin off you will suddenly find that the passenger door immediately unlocks itself but the drivers side door immediately locks and all the windows stay open ....

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Seven of the nine rivets are now drilled out. The remaining two are obstructed by the seat, so I shall take a few tools to work with me tomorrow and those two can get closely acquainted with Mr Dremel

James

I've got a persusder in my shed https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355200692866

 

[Murox]

I've got a persusder in my shed https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355200692866

That's one of the few special tools for a proper landrover isn't it ? the other one is a bit of a lump

 

[ericbeaumont]

Seven of the nine rivets are now drilled out

I feel your pain, James. The eight sidelights on my Land Rover were riveted on by the previous owner, and as the units are cheap Chinese rubbish (from a former British company, Wipac) I must drill out 24 rivets to replace the lot with sealed LED units.

The Wipacs fill with water and are made so poorly that to get the bulbs to make contact, I had to wrap PTFE round each one.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

That's one of the few special tools for a proper landrover isn't it ? the other one is a bit of a lump

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum strong enough and I can open a land rover door

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum strong enough and I can open a land rover door

hmmff - I'd be more impressed if you could make it stay closed.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

hmmff - I'd be more impressed if you could make it stay closed.

That's why farmers have a length of baler band in their pocket

 

[JamezF]

I've not had much time to swear at the deadlocked Octavia door over the last few weeks, but this weekend I decided I needed to get back to it. Finally I have managed to remove the inner steel door skin, which is something of a pain in the bum to do if you can't open the door. Most of the retaining rivets I could drill out, but access to two was obstructed by the seat so I had to grind them off with the Dremel. Then I had to release the window from its guides which was quite time-consuming given that the procedure in the workshop manual was ineffective. There's still no access to the actual deadlock system which appears to be inside the central locking unit, though I have read that cutting part of the housing apart allows access to enough of the mechanism to operate the deadlock manually. If that doesn't work, or if you just can't be bothered, apparently the alternative is to take a hammer and chisel to the entire unit -- most of it is made of plastic and will fall apart like putty (sort of) in the hands of a sufficiently motivated mallet-wielder. With that in mind I have ordered a replacement from that ebay before I start.



James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum strong enough and I can open a land rover door

no need for any fancy equipmen t - a penny piece will open any Landrover door lock, from the series one straight through to the 'county'

 

[Gilberdyke John]

no need for any fancy equipmen t - a penny piece will open any Landrover door lock, from the series one straight through to the 'county'

Not as emotionally gratifying though

 

[Penninetrader]

I've not had much time to swear at the deadlocked Octavia door over the last few weeks, but this weekend I decided I needed to get back to it. Finally I have managed to remove the inner steel door skin, which is something of a pain in the bum to do if you can't open the door. Most of the retaining rivets I could drill out, but access to two was obstructed by the seat so I had to grind them off with the Dremel. Then I had to release the window from its guides which was quite time-consuming given that the procedure in the workshop manual was ineffective. There's still no access to the actual deadlock system which appears to be inside the central locking unit, though I have read that cutting part of the housing apart allows access to enough of the mechanism to operate the deadlock manually. If that doesn't work, or if you just can't be bothered, apparently the alternative is to take a hammer and chisel to the entire unit -- most of it is made of plastic and will fall apart like putty (sort of) in the hands of a sufficiently motivated mallet-wielder. With that in mind I have ordered a replacement from that ebay before I start.

View attachment 41825

James

With that much exposed I would be very tempted to drill some holes near the mechanism and soak with oil then power the lock again.