Gino4

Thanks for the info guys, sounds like I'm better off sticking with my favourite Skoda dealer - rock hard brake pedal last time they did it. I hope the slave cylinder is OK, replacing this sounds a little more complicated than the last one I changed - a 1978 Mini 1000 which took about 15 minutes!

Does anyone know if the clutch master cylinder is incorporated with the brake master cylinder? My brake fluid was replaced at the end of March as part of a Halfords Auto Centre major service and this has resulted in a slightly spongy brake pedal. If it is a common master cylinder, I wondered if this might affect the clutch operation as recently I have found it a little difficult to engage first and second gears. The clutch pedal feels fairly normal although the biting point is quite high.

I had exactly the same problem with my 2010 Fabia. Parked on my downhill sloping driveway, washed the car, then attempted to drive it a few days later but the offside drum had seized completely. Skoda Assistance appeared within minutes of my call and the guy freed the brake by tapping the drum with a hammer & steel rod. A few months later, following an unplanned spell in hospital, the nearside seized so badly that Skoda Assistance took 3 hours to remove the wheel, remove the various pieces of broken up brake lining, clean out the drum and replace the shoes on both sides. Needless to say, the Skoda Approved warranty did not cover the cost of the new parts. I note that I now have a lot more movement on the handbrake lever so hopefully there is more clearance between the linings and drums. The handbrake works well and I have not had a reoccurrence of the problem, but I do leave it in gear with the handbrake off if I do not intend to use the car for a few days.

Sounds good TP, I'll have to add the Spaceback to my wish-list.

Do you think the 6th gear on the Spaceback accounts for the difference?

Hmm, I tried to drive the Ibiza reasonably sympathetically but struggled to do any better than low 40s on the trip computer which was disappointing compared to my previous Fabia 1.9 PD TDI. I see that Autocar achieved a very reasonable 39.5mpg overall on the Rapid 1.2 TSI 84bhp they tested, much more in line with the figures you have experienced.

Glad to hear you feel happier now zep1100.

49mpg is very good, I wonder if the DSG box affects the consumption. I remember Autocar ran a 1.2TSI/DSG Yeti for a year and they only got low to mid 30s overall, but I thought the Ibiza would be lighter and do better. The 105bhp engine was certainly smooth and lively though.

I still have the same car, and it sounds the same so I guess the dealer was right. I have heard the same sound from other Skodas too, its quite distinctive, so I presume its quite normal, if a little odd.

Had exactly the same problem with a Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSI DSG last year. Fortunately I was very close to the Seat dealer who diagnosed a faulty turbo actuator which necessitated replacement of the whole turbo assembly under warranty. It didn't fix the poor (35mpg) fuel consumption however so car traded shortly afterwards for a Fabia TDI which I much prefer with its manual box.

I too considered buying a 1.6cr engined Fabia last year having enjoyed running a Fabia 1.9 TDI for some years previously. The test drive on a quiet Sunday morning went well so I purchased the car and collected it the following week. On driving home, as soon as I encountered traffic and started using the clutch and first gear repeatedly I was alarmed to hear a sort of throbbing noise (which slowly fades) when I depressed the clutch. I returned immediately to the dealer thinking that the clutch release bearing was about to fail, and although he could not replicate the noise with the car stationary, he was sure that it was the DMF.

You would hope that the ECU would be constantly monitoring driving parameters and responding accordingly, rather than locking onto data accumulated 3 or 4 years back. I will have to ask my dealer if an ECU reset is possible and what other settings may be lost. I have not noticed any DPF cleaning operation in progress on my car. I have experienced this before with a Seat Ibiza 1.2 TDI courtesy car loaned to me last year, and was quite alarmed that on pulling onto my driveway the cooling fan was buzzing away and there was quite a pungent aroma noticeable. When I returned this vehicle, I said to the dealer that there seemed to be an overheating issue but he explained that it was simply the DPF cleaning cycle and quite normal.

I have had my 2010 1.6cr Fabia for nearly 18 months now and it is used mainly on motorways and A roads and has done 15,000 miles. The economy I get is around mid 50s on motorways and between 50and 65mpg on A roads. Like A Laws, I do find the idling rpm too high (it does eventually drop from 950rpm to 800rpm after 3 or 4 seconds once stationary) but this is a nuisance in slow moving traffic where the car wants to accelerate but I don't, necessitating rapid declutching. I discussed the problem with my dealer, as the car is stil under warranty and I would like it fixed, but I was informed that Skoda have issued a bulletin as this is a known problem with the 1.6cr engine, it is due to the ECU software and is DPF related, and nothing can be done to resolve the issue. Has anyone else come across this?

Like Mad Monk, I park my Fabia on a slope and after a heavy shower about 1/2 pint of water drains out when I open the front door. I noticed exactly the same thing with a 2011 Seat Ibiza which I owned briefly. I assumed it was the position of the drain holes causing this and when the door is swung through around 70 degrees the water is able to drain out.