got a reverse switch issue on my octavia (mk2 L&K, 2.0tdi), reverse lights keep flickering on and off whilst reversing.

ive asked on briskoda and been advised to change the switch, been given the correct part no, bought it and been given advice on how to change it. advice was……

If memory serves me well you’ll probably have to remove the air box and some pipework Torx bolts and 5 minute easy job
you should then see down at the bottom in the gearbox side a plug and nut screwed in, remove the plug (be careful with the wires they can become brittle)
get a socket on the nut and screw out the switch, put the new one in and refit the plug

i had a look whilst servicing it yesterday, took the air filter out, also the plastic mesh bit underneath which just left the casing. undid the torx screws, also the allen bolt behind but it wouldnt come off. wondered about the 2 screws holding the front part of air intake, so i took those out too, still wouldnt budge. didnt want to break anything but worked out it seemed to be fixed at one, maybe two locations at the bottom of the casing, some strange looking things. couple of pics below. could anyone advise me on how to totally remove the box from here please as im confused.

ive asked on the same forum, but theres been no answer so im hoping for a swifter answer here 🙂

thanks

I think it’s on rubber plugs at the base and just needs a firm pull to remove.

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/234462-removing-air-box/

+1 on giving it a good pull.

I know on on the old Audi A4s the reverse switch is on the back of the gearbox and you need to lie down and go under the car. Maybe similar on an Octavia.

Those rubber grommet things can be tight and a bit of a pain but be brave just make sure it’s not bolted down anywhere first

OK thanks, I’ll give it another go this weekend.

Cheers.

Unclip the air intake tube (at the top) then pull off rubber mounts, you will have to lift and flip over the airbox while lifting out to miss the pipework.

Yes, as advised above, you just need to give it a good tug (Fnarr!).
Just be careful you don’t hit yourself in the face with it when it finally releases, ask me how I know…

so….. just to be 100% clear before i get all heavy handed on it ass….. those two rubbery vanes in the pic…. they dont come out/off at all, i just have to ensure all screws are out first, then give it a good old upward yank to remove the box over the top of them, yes?

thanks

Looks the same as the Passat. As above, mounted on rubber grommets, should pop off. Although on mine one pops upwards and one is a sliding sideways fit.

EDIT to your response – yes. It should feel mobile before you do this not fixed in place. It doesn’t take a huge amount of force to remove, at least for me.

I had to do mine last year. Can’t remember how the air box came out off have but don’t think it was too difficult – I’d guess at just tugging it and the rubber mounts coming undone.

My issue was a broken wire right near the plug on top of the switch. I soldered in a new section, heat shrinked it and wrapped it back up.

You’ve probably found this thread but it’s got a couple of pics on. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/228930-reverse-sensor-switch-location/?tab=comments#comment-4782519

no, i hadnt found that thread, thanks, my searches had been concentrated on the airbox rather than sensor switch.

the thing still puzzling me about it is that if i do indeed just yank it clear of those rubber ‘splined grommets’ then they should still be left in situe after the box is clear.

the pic on that link (ill post it below) shows nothing left in that space once the box has been cleared out.

see what i mean? if you look at the two rubber splines in my pic ^^^ and im expected to pull the box clear of them, then where are they in these bottom pics?

They are probably attached to plastic bits that can themselves be unbolted.

Is it not the bit in the top right corner of the second picture?

hmmmm……you could be right, not sure. ill be giving it a try christmas day at work. ill take pics and report back.

thanks

well that was an experience! pleased i had my workmate with me who knows his way round cars 😀

did as you suggested ^^^, air filter out, gave it a bit more grunt, and hey presto, out came the airbox. lovely. ah yes, thatll be the reverse switch there right in that difficult-to-get-to place. bit of a faff to get to, also a faff to pull the plug off the end, but eventually got the switch out.
new switch, oh this ones got a washer on it, did the old one? no. oh well, it came with a washer we’ll fit it with a washer.
all back together again, airbox back on, drive forwards, drive backwards, er…… no reverse light at all now. radio still showing too, so it doesnt even think its in reverse, its worse than before!

right, whys this? bit of a chitchat, maybe its that washer, it may have altered the total length, so the plunger isnt in the same position and isnt being activated. ok, well take the washer off. more faff trying to get the plug off, got it out, took the washer off, put it back together again but this time left the airbox off so we could experiment.

forwards, reverse, nothing again. grrrrr……

then i noticed it. a broken wire, exactly the same as the pic above! pah. ok, we’ll strip both ends, join em, wrap em in tape, job done. fragile skinny little cable, it was like keyhole surgery stripping the ends, wrapped em together, job done. plug in and er…… oh, its split again. the joined lead now wasnt long enough to reach the switch, so pulled apart.

right, had enough now, its going to the garage! mate talked me into giving it one more go with a separate bit of wire joined between the two ends. pulled one off one of the scrap cars available to us, made 2 joins, covered them in tape, plugged back in, tried it before fixing everything back, it worked!

airbox back on, everything screwed back, i now have a working reverse sensor 🙂

thanks for your advice, and well done if you read that through to the end 😀

cheers

Glad you’ve got it sorted.
If you’ve just twisted and taped wires together though it could well go again. I’d think about ordering a new plug with repair wires and soldering & heat shrinking it.

Then again your repair could well outlast the car!

i know youre making sense, but i cant solder (yes i could learn), plus itd be in a difficult position to do the work, i think ill just go with what ive done. unless it actually does go again, in which case ill do a proper job on it.

thanks

If you can’t solder try using solder butt connectors. Idiot proof and great for joining wires together.

50pcs Solder Seal Wire Connector, Sopoby Solder Seal Heat Shrink Butt Connectors Terminals Electrical Copper(23Red 12Blue 10White 5Yellow) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01J42LC92/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fFmrAb6CM0V02

Did you get the ABS sorted on the car that you had problems with earlier in the year?

If you can’t solder try using solder butt connectors. Idiot proof and great for joining wires together.

Thanks for that suggestion. I’ve never seen those before. I never learned to solder either and those connectors look a far better method of joining wires than twisting and taping or using connector blocks.

thanks for that link, ill maybe take a punt on those.

Did you get the ABS sorted on the car that you had problems with earlier in the year?

yes thanks mate, twas indeed a corroded ABS ring i think, got a mechanic mate to replace.

thanks for that link, ill maybe take a punt on those.

Did you get the ABS sorted on the car that you had problems with earlier in the year?

yes thanks mate, twas indeed a corroded ABS ring i think, got a mechanic mate to replace.

yes thanks mate, twas indeed a corroded ABS ring i think, got a mechanic mate to replace.

Both my rears went on my Octavia, about 1000 miles apart.

Touch wood, 2018 will be trouble free motoring for you.

lets hope so, altho in the grand scheme of things its been my best car so far i think, had it a good few years now and its never missed a beat, doesnt lose any oil or water, just relatively cheap things that have needed attention really.
from time to time i wonder whether its time to trade in for a smaller jap petrol car with ‘android auto’ for my music/navigating needs, but after reading the ’should i stick or twist’ thread im back in the mindset of run it til it dies.

£300 will get you an android auto head unit for the Octy.