Skoda fabia won't start, don't think it's battery, any ideas?

arcon5

cameltoe wrote: »

What happens if you put the headlights on and then try to engage the starter, do they dim? Do the dash lights dim?

You need to establish that the battery is actually OK and not simply assume that it is because it was replaced 15 months ago.

If the battery is OK then it could be a starter motor fault, a battery lead worked loose or the main earth strap that earths the engine/starter motor - these faults would only be apparent when drawing a heavy current i.e. the starter motor.

Why? What does it matter? That confirms nor denys not a single fault. Lights can dim on a perfectly good car aswell as a bad one.

Marktheshark

Without access to some DIY tools such as a battery charger and volt meter and jump leads you will need to tow it to a garage.

You need to measure the voltage, it should be at least 12.8 volts to start the car up.
13.8 when charging after jump started and 11.5 or below is flat battery territory.
A jump lead from negative battery terminal to the engine block bypasses any earth issues to test that theory of a bad earth.

With the jump lead earth bypass trick and a battery reading above 12v it looks like a starter fault.
The other issue on all Vag cars is to check for damp carpets, they put important electronics in the floor wells and a damp ecu from blocked scuttle bulkhead drains is starting issue fault as well on most vag made cars of that age.

littlerock

OK breakdown service came out. Not dead battery. Checked spark plugs and said engine flooded. Not me flooring it but likely faultyTemperature sensor, misreads temperature on startup as cold and floods engine. He dried out spark plugs but still struggled to start it and when he did said it seemed to be misfiring could be one faulty plug although theylooked fine.

He said it just happened at random and he had lots of call outs on this for Skodas and Peugeots. He got it going but it was misfiring. He said take it for short drive so it can dry out also get spark plugs changed as one may be faulty. Definitely misfiring. It is booked into my garage for Tuesday and if it does not start again, I will have to get Breakdown Service out again to restart so I can drive it round there.

bsod

was this a well known breakdown service or someone out of the phone book

very vague diagnosis, which cylinder is misfiring

littlerock

Britannia Rescue

Norman_Castle

bsod wrote: »

very vague diagnosis, which cylinder is misfiring

Very vague thread. Possibly not firing on all cylinders.;)

littlerock

OK Car is in garage, been advised it needs 4 new coil packs, which are a known issue apparently with VAG cars. I think there was a recall in 2011 before I owned it, which did not get picked up as mine still has the originals and lucky to get this far.

Rubidium

These VAG cars are nowhere near as reliable or well built as they are perceived by many to be! Sounds expensive.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

littlerock wrote: »

OK Car is in garage, been advised it needs 4 new coil packs, which are a known issue apparently with VAG cars. I think there was a recall in 2011 before I owned it, which did not get picked up as mine still has the originals and lucky to get this far.

OK you got me thinking, coil packs don't go down at the same time, 1 or two yes but 4 says to me there is an underlying electrical fault if 4 blew at the same time!.


You say there was a recall, but I cant find such recall! http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/search.asp


Airbag recall yes! important you check this has been done BUT coil packs? I fail to find the recall!


If it WAS part of a recall, then shouldn't skoda dealer do this FREE! or have a contribution scheme?..


you say 4 coils so I assume the garage mean pencil coils, there is an oddball type engine that has a ignition lead set up from a 4 point coil pack too. either case changing all 4 is best practice, but if money is tight changing just the fault one till you can replace the rest can also be done to get by.

bsod

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

1 or two yes but 4 says to me there is an underlying electrical fault.

misdiagnosis and replacing random parts unnecessarily (usually) at a customers expense in not unknown in the car business.

Poor starting was first diagnosed as a faulty temperature sensor, then spark plugs and now coils, none of which really fit the description in post 4