Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker

VeyronSuperSprt · 28th November 2014, 08:46

Problem: Skoda Rapid with an occasional erratic idle combined with Speedometer flicker. The speedometer flickers to about the 20kmph mark which triggers auto locking.

Query: Has anyone experienced this exact symptom in a Skoda / VW /Audi and if so what was the problem and it’s resolution.

Thanks in advance!

kryptonite · 28th November 2014, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

Problem: Skoda Rapid with an occasional erratic idle combined with Speedometer flicker. The speedometer flickers to about the 20kmph mark which triggers auto locking.

Query: Has anyone experienced this exact symptom in a Skoda / VW /Audi and if so what was the problem and it’s resolution.

Thanks in advance!

Strange. One theory is rats went to town on your wiring.

An OBD scan may give you a clue, with VCDS if you have access to one, else with the Torque Android app + ELM327 adaptor

VeyronSuperSprt · 29th November 2014, 09:18

Hi kryptonite, haven't seen you around for some time. Was good to see the video of you beating a BMW in your Rapid in a drag race !!! Hope all's well with the car.

Thanks for the tips but unfortunately there are no warning lights or error codes on VCDS to help me out - the main reason for this thread. Had already checked and ruled out the possibility of a rat problem too.

Unfortunately, I don't trust the intellectual capabilities of the ASS to do a trial and error problem resolution through elimination. Also trial and error eliminations can be very tough on a car so I usually go through the pains of identifying the problem myself and take it to the ASS just for the fix.

As I see it, if it remains the same or decreases there is no need for a fix as it is very infrequent. If it increases, closing in on the right fix becomes easier. Sounds good doesn't it?

androdev · 29th November 2014, 13:19

If the engine block vibrates quite noticeably during erratic idle, you might have a case of cylinder misfire. They can do a compression test to check for the same.

kiku007 · 29th November 2014, 13:27

I remember that a faulty Oxygen Sensor in my Fiesta caused erratic idle just after the first start in the day. The RPM Meter would flicker but I wonder why the Rapid's speedometer is flickering at idle.

audioholic · 29th November 2014, 13:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

Problem: Skoda Rapid with an occasional erratic idle combined with Speedometer flicker. The speedometer flickers to about the 20kmph mark which triggers auto locking.

Query: Has anyone experienced this exact symptom in a Skoda / VW /Audi and if so what was the problem and it’s resolution.

Thanks in advance!

What is the VSS reading on the diagnostic tool? Is the speed correctly measured by the sensor? Logically speaking I guess the speed sensor may be at fault due to a loose connection or even a faulty sensor. If the VCDS shows fluctuating speed, then look upto the sensor. If the speed reading is accurate, then the problem is somewhere upstream and more tricky.

VeyronSuperSprt · 28th January 2015, 18:30

The human body and the automobile have something in common – the ability to repair themselves under certain conditions. And so it was in this case too.

There were several very well intentioned (albeit misleading) advice given under this thread which I fortunately did not follow.

I did not take the car to the ASS panicking after reading the possible reasons for error. Rather since this was an occasional problem, I let it be and tried to resolve it on my own as indicated in my earlier post above.

Most problems in a car are usually a result of something that we DO or NOT DO (as is the case with the human body too).

And it so happened that in this case, I did not lock the car after putting on its body cover which meant the car was lying unlocked for 7 – 10 days at a stretch. It was after sometime that the coin dropped and I could correlate the erratic behaviour with the fact that I was leaving the car unlocked leading to the battery draining itself and the resultant erratic behaviour. Once I did establish the link between the two, I just double checked to lock the car every time after fixing on its body cover. Fairly simple.

The car did the rest and removed the erratic behaviour on its own.

Driving home to me for the umpteenth time, the significance of the first sentence in this post.

28th November 2014, 08:46	#1
VeyronSuperSprt BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Chennai Posts: 818 Thanked: 1,721 Times	Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker Problem: Skoda Rapid with an occasional erratic idle combined with Speedometer flicker. The speedometer flickers to about the 20kmph mark which triggers auto locking. Query: Has anyone experienced this exact symptom in a Skoda / VW /Audi and if so what was the problem and it’s resolution. Thanks in advance! Last edited by GTO : 28th November 2014 at 16:52. Reason: No need for the sarcasm :)
	() Thanks

29th November 2014, 09:18	#3
VeyronSuperSprt BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Chennai Posts: 818 Thanked: 1,721 Times	Re: Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker Hi kryptonite, haven't seen you around for some time. Was good to see the video of you beating a BMW in your Rapid in a drag race !!! Hope all's well with the car. Thanks for the tips but unfortunately there are no warning lights or error codes on VCDS to help me out - the main reason for this thread. Had already checked and ruled out the possibility of a rat problem too. Unfortunately, I don't trust the intellectual capabilities of the ASS to do a trial and error problem resolution through elimination. Also trial and error eliminations can be very tough on a car so I usually go through the pains of identifying the problem myself and take it to the ASS just for the fix. As I see it, if it remains the same or decreases there is no need for a fix as it is very infrequent. If it increases, closing in on the right fix becomes easier. Sounds good doesn't it?
	() Thanks

29th November 2014, 13:19	#4
androdev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: bangalore Posts: 3,096 Thanked: 22,318 Times	Re: Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker If the engine block vibrates quite noticeably during erratic idle, you might have a case of cylinder misfire. They can do a compression test to check for the same.
	() Thanks

29th November 2014, 13:27	#5
kiku007 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: AU Posts: 2,322 Thanked: 7,189 Times	Re: Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker I remember that a faulty Oxygen Sensor in my Fiesta caused erratic idle just after the first start in the day. The RPM Meter would flicker but I wonder why the Rapid's speedometer is flickering at idle.
	() Thanks

28th January 2015, 18:30	#7
VeyronSuperSprt BANNED Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Chennai Posts: 818 Thanked: 1,721 Times	Re: Skoda Rapid - Erratic Idle with Speedometer Flicker The human body and the automobile have something in common – the ability to repair themselves under certain conditions. And so it was in this case too. There were several very well intentioned (albeit misleading) advice given under this thread which I fortunately did not follow. I did not take the car to the ASS panicking after reading the possible reasons for error. Rather since this was an occasional problem, I let it be and tried to resolve it on my own as indicated in my earlier post above. Most problems in a car are usually a result of something that we DO or NOT DO (as is the case with the human body too). And it so happened that in this case, I did not lock the car after putting on its body cover which meant the car was lying unlocked for 7 – 10 days at a stretch. It was after sometime that the coin dropped and I could correlate the erratic behaviour with the fact that I was leaving the car unlocked leading to the battery draining itself and the resultant erratic behaviour. Once I did establish the link between the two, I just double checked to lock the car every time after fixing on its body cover. Fairly simple. The car did the rest and removed the erratic behaviour on its own. Driving home to me for the umpteenth time, the significance of the first sentence in this post.
	() Thanks