I have a 52 Octavia and every time the weather goes below freezing it just does not want to start, it's been like this now for about 3 years last year I had a new starter motor it did help a little but didn't cure it. Has anyone any ideas please? Would new glow plugs help? Looking forward to some answers

That's where I'd start. Where abouts in the uk are you?

There should be a decent independent VAG garage wherever you are.

Hello and Welcome to Briskoda.

Are you cute?

Hello Annette57 and welcome along, the best thing would be for you to find someone on here that's near to you and has VCDS, speak nicely to them and get them to hook your car up and have a look.

Hi Annette, assuming by the mention of glowplugs that the car is a diesel! I would say that they are the most likely culprit, it would only take one dodgy one to impair starting but I imagine you have more than one not working. Welcome to the forum and good luck with the diagnosis

As above, your cars symptoms point to more than one of your glow plugs has gone. You can probably get a new set of four for approx £40 online.

Welcome to Briskoda BTW.

I have called the skoda garage they possibly think it could be battery problems but want £14+ vat to check it 10 mins work I wish I earned that in 10 minutes lol

Hi & Welcome,

If the motor turns over OK when you try to start the car then the battery is probably OK. If the motor is slow and gets slower the more you crank the engine then the battery is passed it's best.

If the car starts OK when the engine is warm then as others have said the glowplugs are the mostly likely cause.

These are easy to test, so it shouldn't cost too much to cure.

Any independent garage or even Halfords will check your battery for free, if it is that, get one from eurocarparts ,enter BRISK25 for 25% off, though it does sound like the glow plugs :yes:

Hi and welcome aboard.

I have put a new battery in my skoda rather than new glow plugs as my battery was found to be faulty and it had seen its day as 10 years old so done well, now waiting for a freezing morning to see if my problem is solved.

Last week I post as newbie as car was dead Octavia Deisel 52 I contacted skoda garage they said battery and as I still had the original and 10 years old bought a new one. Now today the temp is below freezing and a dead car again, would glow plug if not working properly cause this? Has anyone else had this problem?

As most of us said before, glow plugs, you only get a problem starting below 7 degrees. Did they actually check your battery or did they just assume it was the fault

Does it eventually chug into life after a lot of cranking when cold? That might suggest glowplugs, or controlling circuits/relays (109 springs to mind).

Might be worth checking the cabling to the glowplugs to ensure it is all sound, along with the fusebox on the battery (they have a habit of melting due to poorly crimped cables or loose nuts on the terminals).

Likewise check the cables to the starter motor as any increase in resistance would mean there is less power to spin the starter motor (more of an issue the colder the engine is, as the oil will be thicker).

Do you let the glow plugs cycle before grunge to start ??? Common problem is people get in car and try and start straight away!!! On very cold days I cycle them twice

Just to throw another idea in. When was the cambelt last changed? Was it about 3 years ago? If the timing on the fuel injection pump is too retarded then it will be a pig to start when cold.

Does it start OK when the engine is warm? Also what happens if you double cycle the glow plugs before trying to start it (i.e. when the glow plug light goes out turn the ignition off an on again, then try to start it)?

Does the glow plug light stay on for a long time when it is cold or does it only stay on for 1-2 seconds?

Edited 8 February, 201214 yr by trundlenut

If the engine's achieving 260rpm on the starter, it will fire up eventually, even with 4 totally dead glowplugs.

If it's not making 260rpm it's just not going to start, ever. This is due to the fuel control software in the EMS.

So I'd start by looking for an auto electrician, not a regular garage. Ask him to check the battery fusebox, connectors, and engine and starter feeds and earths.

Thanks everyone for suggestions as for cam belt it's never been changed so it 10 years old. The car doesn't even try to start even with glowing the plugs several times it is jus like a dead car but if u are very lucky if you hear a little click it might start but u have to catch it just right. I'm thinking electrics could be the problem. Wish I had home start on car then as may be able to help maybe.

Wherabouts are you in the UK? Maybe someone can have a look and get the car on vagcom (Laptop diagnostics) and see if anything comes up.

You really need to get the cambelt changed ASAP.

It could be the 109 relay, as that controls the power to the ecu.

As Ken suggested contacting an auto electrician would be a good place to start, or seeing if anyone local to you has VCDS and could scan the car for faults like rk696 said. Without some more information we are just guessing really.

If you look in the diagnostics forum it has a list of people who have VCDS and where they are located.