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Skoda Octavia cold start issues

My 2006 Skoda Octavia with a gasoline engine is giving me serious grief on cold starts. The engine runs poorly in the cold start phase and it starts poorly. I strongly suspect it's the cold start injector acting up. I've checked the usual suspects – spark plugs are fine, battery's healthy. I'm getting some engine misfire codes that disappear once the engine warms up. Has anyone experienced similar symptoms? Could a faulty injection valve or injector be the culprit?

4 comment(s)

Rough idle on cold starts can be a real pain. I had a similar issue with my old Renault Megane, though it was a diesel. It could be a few things, but fuel delivery issues definitely top the list. Have you tried any injector cleaning additives? They sometimes help, but it's a bit of a gamble. What happens if you give it some gas when it's struggling to start?

Interesting, thanks for the tip. I haven't tried any additives yet, to be honest. I'm a bit skeptical about those quick fixes in a bottle. When I give it some gas during the rough idle, it seems to stabilize a little bit, but it's still not a smooth start like it used to be. Did the fuel additives work for your Megane?

The additives did sweet FA for my Megane, unfortunately. The issue persisted, and eventually, I had to bite the bullet and take it to a workshop. Turns out, one of the injectors was leaking. Since yours improves with some gas, it does sound like a fuel delivery problem. I'd advise getting an injector test done before throwing parts at it. Could save you some cash and headache in the long run.

Took the Octavia to my mechanic. Turns out the cold start injector was faulty, just as suspected. Replacing it cost 515€, but now it starts great even on cold mornings. Thanks for sharing your experience; it helped me narrow down the possibilities and avoid unnecessary troubleshooting.

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