OCTAVIA III Owners discussion thread

[Spinifex]

Hmm.... something for us all to keep an eye on I guess, while our cars are in warranty.

[99Reza]

Apparently wheel bearing issue is quite common for our car. I had one of my wheel bearing replaced very early, around 25000 KM, although a largish rock on the freeway might caused the failure . The dealer didn't even bat an eyelid.

Come to think of it, my C-class hit a very large pothole on the way to Sydney from Brisbane and shred one the tire, no issue on the wheel bearing. I suspect Skoda used a lower quality bearing.

[HPRS230]

Apparently wheel bearing issue is quite common for our car. I had one of my wheel bearing replaced very early, around 25000 KM, although a largish rock on the freeway might caused the failure . The dealer didn't even bat an eyelid.

Come to think of it, my C-class hit a very large pothole on the way to Sydney from Brisbane and shred one the tire, no issue on the wheel bearing. I suspect Skoda used a lower quality bearing.

Nice

Between track days and a dodgy driveway, I do feel for them, so thats nice of skoda.....

[Jondalar]

Just got back from a 4 week overseas trip, Octavia was left locked in garage the whole time. When I got back it unlocked OK and I tried to start it. Pushed the stop start with foot on brake and nothing happens. Tried again several times and still nothing, check engine warning light stays on but no other indication. Decided battery must have died (cranked slowly during winter a few times) and called Global Assist. Well he checked the battery and said it tested as perfect. He got the key and tried to start, starts first go. Moral of the story: if the car hasn't been run in a while there will be no vacuum brake boost and you have to push really hard on the brake pedal for the car to recognise that it's pressed....

[woofy]

Good to know, I'll be away a similar time next year and will have the other car on charge, but can't do both.

[Spinifex]

.......if the car hasn't been run in a while there will be no vacuum brake boost and you have to push really hard on the brake pedal for the car to recognise that it's pressed....

No offence, but is this the explanation the mechanic dude gave?
The switch that operates the brake lights, on the pedal, is what signals the car that the brake is pressed, in order to start the car... or at least, it is in every other car with the safety feature of "foot on brake before you can start"..... I doubt it has anything to do with vacuum booster pressure.....

[Jondalar]

No offence, but is this the explanation the mechanic dude gave?
The switch that operates the brake lights, on the pedal, is what signals the car that the brake is pressed, in order to start the car... or at least, it is in every other car with the safety feature of "foot on brake before you can start"..... I doubt it has anything to do with vacuum booster pressure.....

Yes that is what the mechanic said was the cause. I did notice that the brake pedal was rock hard when trying to start it but I thought like you it was just a switch.

[Jondalar]

I tested the brake interlock this morning, pumped the pedal with engine off until the pedal was hard and then tried to start while pressing pedal with the normal pressure, nothing. Stomped on it and car started. I guess it might be the same pressure sensor used for the stop start i.e. when braking lightly enough the stop start won't stop the engine but press harder and it does.

[Mysticality]

We don't have a brake light switch like Japanese cars; its all done by brake pressure. You need to push it down a little further when there's no vacuum so that the sensors can detect movement of a considerable amount.

[Spinifex]

We don't have a brake light switch like Japanese cars; its all done by brake pressure. You need to push it down a little further when there's no vacuum so that the sensors can detect movement of a considerable amount.

Well there ya go.... learn something new every day. That's a bit of a roundabout method to achieve something that a simple electrical switch has been used for, for many many years.....

Why re-invent the wheel? Is there a specific engineering reason for this method of "signal activation?"