StevesTruck

I don't think it's going to fix it, with it only being one wheel, but start by popping the vacuum hose off the servo and see if it releases, just in case it is the none return valve. I don't think it's going to be, but always do what's easy first. Realistically, it sounds like you've had a bit of a mare with it and had to spend a lot of time bleeding it through, so I'd probably drop the rear calipers off and see if they'll wind back at all. I'd imagine one's pushed out a bit.

It's easy to tell if it is lift pump/relay just open the filter up when it cuts out and there will be a low level of fuel in there. Any chance it could be an ignition switch issue?

I've got a Mk4 Golf one, not totally sure if they're the same or not?

If it feels right, it is right. I read a long time ago that 90% of the imbalance is in the rim, so if they left the weights on, it's probably close enough. I fit my own tyres and don't have a balancer. Tyres have a marking on to show their heaviest and lightest point, so I just line that up to where the old one was.

No so sure about "always" replacing discs with pads, as others have said, it depends on condition, but they look quite lipped and scored, so personally, I'd replace them.

Yeah, I bought one off them and it failed after a year. They said if I ordered another one they'd refund me when I sent my old one back in. Sufficed to say, they didn't, and the new one failed another year on.

Just put a bit of bar against the drum, between the spokes of the wheels and give that a belt. Make sure there aren't a lot of black cars in the area first.

Wouldn't worry too much about the brakes. 9/10 times giving it some beans and dumping the clutch works, if it doesn't, just give the drums a good clubbing. Unless it's the Volvo C30 I picked up years ago when I was delivering cars for a living. Back brakes were stuck stuck and I couldn't be arsed rejecting it, so I just gave them a lengthy noisy beating with the jack and wheelbrace. After which I realised I was picking the car up from outside the coop funerals head office/call centre.

I've done a trackday on far worse. But if you're keeping the car, it's going to want one one day, so might as well get it done when you can.

If gassing it doesn't work (any brand of ez start should work, I've used a can of lynx before), don't overcomplicate, there's only 4 things that make them run: suck, squeeze, bang, blow. Prove or disprove those to yourself and you're most of the way there. I couldn't see what the LED by the clock was doing as the engine was turning over.

Forgot it will be a real zetec, rather than a duratec. Great engines. Obvious question for the fuel pump not working. Have you reset the crash switch? Not sure on a focus, but on an escort, the immobiliser runs off the door locks and cuts the fuel pump, so if the car thinks it's locked, that could be it. The PATS runs off the key chip and cuts the ECU.

I forgot they even came out on an S-reg, I had an X-reg Escort.

I ordered one for a MK1 fabia about 5-7 years ago through a local locksmith ("local" Skoda parts counter is 40 miles away, he could read the key code and order it over the phone). It came from TPS ready to fit a few days later. It wasn't as cheap as a pattern one with a random key and he'd marked it up to RRP, but it wasn't terribly expensive. VAG lock barrels this age are pretty generic. I would imagine they just take an empty barrel off the shelf and assemble it with the relevant wafers.

You say that, but... it didn't work. Well, technically, it was a C-Max.

True, but it's very basic and doesn't always get on with talking to things. Don't get me wrong, on VAG, VCDS is great at what it does, but on anything else, it's not got a lot going for it over my £20 Aldi code reader.

VCDS is good, it'll do most things you could ever want to do on a VAG car, and there's a lot of support out there for it if you want to know how to find out how to do something, but, it's not perfect. It's a bit on the clunky side to use, not always intuitive and relies on other hardware - not so bad since you can buy the later wireless versions and use them with a phone or tablet , but I do have direct experience of being broken down and having my VCDS cable, but not my laptop. There's also the obvious limitation that you can't use it when your mate's Focus throws up a light. The Gendan and TopDon stuff is also good, but you need to buy the right version for the level of diagnostic you want to go into. The upside is, it's all on one package, pretty easy to use without bothering to read the book, and works on anything with an OBD port (ours cleared a fault light on a Merc LGV the other day).

84" * 59" ? Now you're just bragging. Do you secure it with a bungee cord?

Either way, replace after 10 years, even if still sealed in the packet.

No disrespect meant to your mate, but I think the point Ken's making is the Fabia is a harder job than the Octavia, for quite a lot of reasons, including space and the fact it's an electric pump. Make sure he's had a good look at things and a read and knows what he's getting into before he starts. Also make sure he marks up where the subframe currently is before he drops it, there's quite a bit of wiggle room / alignment adjustment on them.

You've got a few options. Depends how much you want to spend, how far it is to the shed, and how much messing about you want to do to get it to work. In the extreme of not spending money and doing a bit of dicking around, you can normally get an old broadband router to work as an access point. The main key is turning off DHCP and letting your ISPs router do that. There's various tutorials on youtube for doing that sort of thing. Going up a notch, you could buy a cable router and do something similar. Both will need you to run a cable down there. upside if, yo'll get a few network sockets. Middle ground, if it's not an epic distance to the shed is a WiFi extender, or better still a wifi mesh. The TP-Link home meshes are pretty good. If you're using a basic extender, it might work better on the end of a cable run. You don't neccessarily need a switch to be PoE, as long as the phone's got a power supply/PoE injector. You're probably better off going down a cable rather than WiFi as much as possible to avoid latancy on phone calls and zooms being an issue.

Doesn't sound good. what's the oil like? Any sign of it being low of having diesel in? Has it suddenly start, or crept in, of been doing it as long as you've had the car?

It's worth seeing if it your "extensive" list of mods makes it cheaper to go with a specialist than a standard car insurer. I did it once for an air filter to save a fair bit on my premium. Only problem was, I then had to go buy an aftermarket air filter.

Unless you've got a reason to want to get out of your current car, I'd say when they get to this age, there's a big element of "better the devil you know".

Suppose is depends where you passed the 50mph sign/gantry. Also if you're going to speed in an average speed camera zone, remember to change lanes in between the cameras. 😉

Have you checked your tyres for wear and pressure? Is there a brake rubbing? Have you ever loosened or removed the subframe, or is there a chance someone has in the past?7