barney_b

This is very checky I know....but thought I'd offer it to another Skoda owner the opportunity first I've just traded in my Fabia Mk2 for another make, I have the official Skoda after market stereo dash adaptor & harness both in excellent condition. Looking for £30 + postage (that's half the retail price of both parts). PM me if interested.

Got the issue with my new head unit today and I'm really stumped by this, if I disconnect both power sources (yellow & red) and reconnect all starts working again! I don't think it's the headunit and I'm tempted to by some cheap speakers to prove if it's the OEM wiring and speakers that are at fault. Any tips for diagnoising this?

I've only had it happen when using MP3 CD & the Radio.

Hi, Sorry if this should be in the ICE forum, I wasn't sure where to post. My Fabia 3 (Dance Headunit & 8 speaker setup) has an intermittant issue, essentially the head unit is working and outputting sound, then all of a sudden the sound will stop. Head unit still plays fine and restarting the ignition has sorted the issue in the past. Having had some trouble trying to get the dealer to replace the head unit, I have fitted an aftermarket unit. I used the Skoda harness adaptor and all was well yesterday and this morning. However at lunch today the head unit powered on and appeared to be playing a track, again no sound. I tried switching off the ignition but it made no difference. Does the 8 speaker setup have an amplifier or is it powered in anyway (filters?)? Any help appreciated....thanks.

Hi, I've been trying to install my new headunit with the Skoda harness kit, I've managed to get the fuse box removed from the dash but don't seem to have enough slack to rotate the fuse box, so I can insert the connector into the rear of the fuse position 16. The most I can rotate is about quarter of a turn which isn't enough room for my hands. Any tips for doing this as I don't want to strain or break a wire! Thanks, Ian

The Autoleads Celluar database should tell you what SOT adaptor you need (Autoleads Database). If you need a SOT-976 (fairly common VAG parrot adaptor) drop me a PM as I have a spare I'll sell for a £5.

Having owned a MKI Fabia VRS, I think the MKII is OK but perhaps does not stand out enough from the standard car (in particular the sport). There's always been the petrol vs diesel debate, I think part of the charm of the MKI was the fact it was an oil burner. It's good to see the addition of an iPod & USB connection, something that was lacking from the standard MKII fabia (don't talk to me about the line in :p ). I guess it probably comes down to cost, common components across the Skoda/Seat/VW range make for lower R&D/manufacturing costs and increased profit margins. Hence it makes more sense to make it a petrol shame really as Skoda appear to be losing their identity in the process (eg. blue illumination = VW, green = Skoda). Perhaps after 4 Fabia's I'm a bit set in my ways! On a personal note I'm pleased they've not launched a more powerful diesel in the Fabia otherwise I'd be frustrated with my recent MKII purchase.

Thanks Mole, think I'll get a set based on that! Looks like you've lowered your car?

Hi, Does anyone have a picture of a MkII Fabia with mud flaps fitted (whole body shot if possible(, trying to decide whether to install them on my car. Thanks, Ian

I've had a couple of issues with damage caused by dealers, smashed fog light on a road test (after warranty work) and also scratching my car door. The dealer has a duty of care (I believe that the legal term) when working on your vehicle but the problem as previously stated is proving they caused the scratch. However on a 4 week old car you should have a fairly good arguement (it was 4 years old then I think you'd be in for a tough time). Based on my experience with the door, they resprayed it and then it had a run, nightmare!! Also bare in mind you any T&C's around your paint warranty, they might send it to a non Skoda approved bodyshop and that may cause you issues in the future. My advice would be show them the damage but say you want either a bodyshop or detailer of your choice to sort the issue. Out of those two I'd go for a detailer, IMHO they'll have a great repsect for your paintwork than a bodyshop. Good luck and don't be shy with speaking to consumer direct if you need more advice.

I've recently bought a second hand 08 plate 1.9TDI 3, I've owned several Mk 1 Fabia's including the VRS. Here are my experiences/thoughts: I do a 100 mile round trip on the M4 each day and average around 60-62MPG @ 65-70MPH and typically get around 450-475 miles out of a tank (fuel light on). The engine is fairly pokey, mainly due to all the power being delivered in one massive lump. It is noisy at low speeds, fine when cursing though. The gears are longer than the MK1, so it took a bit of getting used to (I came from a Mazda 3 1.6 petrol), I stick with 3rd until at least 40mph, 4th until 50, etc. Ride, now probably the only criticism, the 16" wheels make the ride harder than I'd like but not unbearable and they look so much better than the 15's! Again the ride is fine on the motorway but speed bumps in town need to be respected! I've heard that the tires fitted by Skoda are known to be noisy, I'll probably switch brands when I change mine. Body roll isn't such an issue but it does understeer (the heavy lump at the front doesn't help) but to be fair my VRS understeered, there again the missus has an MX-5 which isn't a fair comparison. As for 1.4 vs 1.9, it's personal preference, I don't like the 1.4 I've driven a fair few and each time felt it was hard work driving them (keep changing gear to get in the power band). Others absolutely love them! My dad has the 1.9 engine in a Golf and it feels underpowered, so I'd say the 1.9 is right for a Fabia size car. Compared to your 1.4 petrol Clio the power difference is probably about + 10BHP to the Fabia but the torque will make a lot of difference eliminating the need to down shift for hills. Overall I think for the money it's a good car, good quality, strong engine and I'm pleased with it.

Hi, I've got a Dance head unit and although it plays MP3 disks, I'd quite like to be able to use a USB pen or memory card so I can have my entire collection in one place without having to change disks. I have parking sensors so would prefer to keep the Dance unit and the sound is fairly good for an OEM setup. I'm also looking to install a parrot kit (ck3000 evo), so my options are from what I can tell: 1, install a Parrot Mki9200, however this bypasses the entire radio- any comments on sound quality from this solution?? Obviously the whole audio solution would run through the Parrot (so the Dance almost become redunant). 2, use a Denison 300, however these seem to be £159 + Are there any other options, ideally I'd like the track title to appear on the Dance unit? Any help appreciated.

Hi All, I've been away a few years after chopping the Fabia 1.2 HTP in for a Mazda MX-5, after meeting my now wife my commute doubled so I went to a Mazda 3 (best deal I could get at the time). Finally I've come back to Skoda, I picked up my '08 plate Fabia 1.9 TDi 3 last week. Impressed with it so far, the interior is much better than my Mazda 3 (and even the new shape 3). The 60 MPG + on my 100 mile commute is much appreciated.... Ian

Bluefin, I think.

I'd stick to 15". I had 16's with 205 tyres on my 1.2 and it was not a good day out, poor MPG and you better hope there's a tail wind behind you when going up hill. It really did make a difference IMHO.