Mike Austin

While waiting in a queue on the M25 for about 40 minutes today, a load of warning lights suddenly appeared on the dash - a steering wheel on the rev counter, a skidding car and abs lights on the speedo. I drove the remaining 30 miles of my trip with no problem, although the steering was a bit heavy and the asr button didn't light when I tried it. So it seems they have both dropped out.

Anything that I can do about this? I am in south Essex and there are no Skoda dealers for miles. The car is a 2.0i with 30,000 on the clock.

Mike Austin

I tried the car in the cold this morning - and there were no warning lights.

I found a local (south Essex) Skoda dealer who said it was probably some intermittent electrical fault as all three systems are linked. He advised that it should be checked on the diagnostics at my local dealer (Bristol) but there was no immediate concern if the warning lights were no longer showing.

VRStu

Hopefully there'll be a record of it in the fault memory.

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Stu

Stu's Websites - http://www.fabia-vrs.com & http://www.octavia-vrs.com

Stu's Car - 2008 Audi S3 - Ibis White, Black Optics Pack, Privacy Glass, Auto Bi Xenon Headlights, Rain Sensing Wipers, Bose Sound System, Ipod Prep, GSM Phone Prep, Flat Bottom Multi Function Steering Wheel, Electric Folding Mirrors, Acoustic Parking, Cruise Control, Interior Light Pack, Non Smokers Pack.

SWMBO's Car - 2008 Seat LEON TDi Stylance, Black Magic, Sports Pack, Rear Parking Sensors.

Something for Weekend - A Patio

BUTCHERHOG

Hi, I thought there was a decent dealer in Dartford?

Mike Austin

Maybe. I found one in Basildon - only been there since August, I think.

skodauser

Mike, I had something very similar happen on my Fabia vrs yesterday however under different circumstances. The car was turned off for a short time when I popped into a shop. When I restarted all hell broke loose with warning lights which all stayed on until I turned the engine off, left it for a while and turned it on again. Only the emissions warning light came on again but turned off half an hour later while parking. My local dealer is in Bristol too (Streets). How have you got on with diagnosing the faults??? And has anyone else out there got any pointers??
Thanks, Craig

Mike Austin

I have been getting this again recently. I reported it to my dealer just before the last service (the last one within the warranty). He could not find anything wrong. Then it happened again. I took it in and they couldn't diagnose the problem from the fault codes. They said it could possibly be the ABS box (~£400 + labour, but still under warranty) and said I should bring it in if it happens again. Well it did happen again. The car is now booked in for attention - possibly for two to three days.

Just to describe the problem: Sometimes - unpredictably, but usually when warm - I will start the car and many of the lights remain on - steering, ASR, ABS, brakes (red), airbag, EMS. Then, after driving for a while, some will go out. The last to remain are ASR, brakes and EMS. The brakes give an intermittent beep. Sometimes, switching off and on will clear some - or all - of the lights. Most recently, just the EMS light has been left. At the moment, all the dashboard has been clear for the last 4 days.

Has anyone had similar problems - and had them solved? I would like to get my car back asap because I have to drive a new Fabia as a courtesy car

helpmedisappear

Yes i had a similar fault on my car last year and there is a thread on here somewhere by me about it. My dials also stopped working. I had the ABS module box changed and have never had a problem since.

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Martin
Black Magic Fabia vRSv

AlexMechanic

If the speedo kept working, it might not have been the ABS controller. I had symptoms almost exactly like you say - steering wheel light, ABS & ASR lights on - plus heavy steering. It was the steering angle sensor packing up - Circa £50 + fitting.

Mike Austin

Ah, yes. I forgot. there was an occasion where the speedometer stopped - also, the trip computer and the cruise control.

helpmedisappear

It sounds exactly like my problem them...basically nothing in the dashpod worked until i turned it on and off again, i drove a couple of miles like that with intermittant power steering too! I would say its the ABS module really.

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Martin
Black Magic Fabia vRSv

Mike Austin

The car was with the dealers for 3 days and they eventually came up with the same diagnosis. It would have cost about £600 + labour if not under warranty.

mikebh50

Hi

i have had the same sort of problem with random warning lights coming on.The car has just been in to Robinson's Skoda in Norwich and they said it is the battery. Then then said i could take the car in and they would put the battery on a slow charge for 24Hrs then do a drop charge(what ever that is)then hopefully the battery would be OK if not then i would need to buy a new battery.The question is should i just get a new battery and fit it myself any thoughts would be great.

Mike

Mike Austin

Seven months later, the EMS light came on again (but no other lights). It stayed for three or four days then disappeared. Now, one month after that, it has come on again. I am not comfortable ignoring it until it goes away. There may actually be a problem this time.

What made the EMS light reset itself before? Is there anything I can do to make it reset itself again?

ap0gee

VAG-COM or a fault code reader are the obvious answers, although legend has it that if you turn the ignition to II (lamp test and electrics on, but engine not started) and leave it like this for a couple of minutes, then it resets the ECU. Tried this once a few years ago and it seemed to work but could well have been coincidence.

The reason it comes and goes away again is probably because whatever fault it is is intermittent. I had a heck of a time diagnosing a fault which wouldn't register when the glowplug light (equivalent of EPC light on a petrol) was lit. Eventually took a punt with a scan when the light wasn't on, and it showed as a 'pending' fault which I was able to sort. I gather these work on the basis that if you get 'degraded performance' faults on two or more consecutive journeys, then a warning light shows; otherwise the fault is logged, but no light comes on.

HTH

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Mike Austin

I thought fault codes were stored somewhere and that the light remains on until they are cleared - even if the problem has disappeared. Or does the system try confirming the fault at regular intervals and clears the fault if it is no longer found?

ap0gee

That depends whether it's an actual fault, or a 'pending' one. Hence, AIUI, the 'two consecutive pending faults' logic would throw up a warning light, however since the coolant temperature sensor (in my case) wasn't completely shot, I'd do a scan when the light was on and not find anything!

Another pointer is that I got 'all the warning lights' for a while, and it turned out to be nothing more than a dodgy connection on the battery. Could well not be that, but it doesn't cost anything to check!

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MoggyTech

If you do 40 engine starts with 10 minutes driving time on each start, any fault codes that are 'sporadic' will clear, if the ECU doesn't detect any new sporadic faults.

Slightly off topic, but I remember if you parked an early Ford Mondeo at Heathrow airport, and left it for a couple of days, it would light up like a Xmas tree, due to the ground radar swamping the ECU.

Then there's the Mk5 Polo autos, that wont go into drive, if a brake light bulb is blown,
Modern cars, too clever for their good.

Mike Austin

Yes - like the Fabia wash/wipe. Cleans the screen nicely and, when it is finished, waits for 5 seconds until it is half-dry and smears it again.

cjb

You can turn that off with VAG-COM. I did- I hated that and the lane-change indicators.

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-- Chris
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The Devil may care, but I don't mind.

Mike Austin

I wondered about that. Maybe it is worth getting one to fix this and for checking out the EMS light (and maybe reducing the volume on the reversing beeper?). Is it the same VAG-COM for the Fabia Mk2? I don't know how much longer I will be hanging on to my Mk1 - particularly as a VRs may be on its way in 2009.