D.FYLAKTOS

Mine (I have an old car, Felicia) was stuck in the Off position after few tries while hearing a ''crack-crack-crack'' noise and I had it like that for years because my mechanic said it couldn't be fixed and of course there wasn't a new one in the market. I looked for used ones but the prices were very high. One day, disappointed, I told my story to an auto electrician from Moldova and he said he cold ''give a try''. He disassembled it, serviced it and called me "come on, it's ready to work!" I was surprised, I simply reassembled it but I made the mistake of putting a lubricant spray between the 2 gears, after a few attempts one gear "bounced" and didn't grip well on the other. Frustrated, I opened the side cover, cleaned the gears very well so that they were free of grease and I put a little bit of a spray that they use on serpantine belts when they make noise. This created a slightly "sticky" situation and now one gear grips well on the other, I've had it like this and it's been working (summer use mainly) great for about 6-7 years.

According to the ETKA https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/etka/skoda/fel/101/121000/ Which is this coolant hose, the No21 (6U0 121 038 and 6U0 121 051 F) or the No29 (115 691 976 and 6U0 819 371 D) ? The No22 has two other ends.

Thank you @Former The gaskets are the original. I show this to the mechanic-check it and said ''No leaks", it's normal dirt (maybe not perfect cleaning job from older valve adjustment,fumes from engine etc) so in few days i will clean the whole area with degreaser spray them a wet cloth cleaning and check it after few weeks to see if there is any signs of dirt in the area. In the next valve clearence task i will buy a new gasket for the valve cover because now it's the stock (26 years old).

Here is the patch,as a final thought not a good idea and i won't do it again Here is the HEPU G12 plus https://www.trodo.com/antifreeze-hepu-p999-g12plus-005 https://www.old.ac-93.com/files/HEPU%20P999-G12%20MSDS%20e.pdf As for the record: Brake fluid 19 € ,coolant hose 25 €, antifreeze 15 € labour for the change plus air bubbles remover procedure and labour for the coolant change plus pressure test and air bubbles removing 40 €, check for the steering wheel-CV boots-wheel bearings-oil leaks etc Free (no charge) so i paid total 99 € or 85 £. What's next? An MPG test with the G12 plus plus monitoring the coolant temperature via console gauge in Highway-Mountain roads because the Summer vacations are approaching and yes i still wondering about the coolant hose brand...

Looks like the 6U0819371D that @Former posted here: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/538952-skoda-felicia-pipes/ but in the end is different (yellow arrow) here as it is now on the car: The stock was one click close to an a/c hose that's why i had a layer of heat insulation patch on it. I don't see any marks on the coolant hose,even VIKA has and i wonder if it's indeed new or a used one in very good condition. 🤨

The problems continued,while preparing my car for Summer vacations i asked from my 2nd mechanic a brake fluid change and a thoroughly check ''below'' (steering wheel-CV boots-wheel bearing etc). The 2nd mechanic is in some points better that the 1st one but has two drawbacks, 1st even when finishes the job does not call you immediately to pick it up but the next day's morning and some times changes parts which thinks that will cause you problems without call you first. Does good job,clean,not sloppy but... I left the car early in the morning with the idea that i will take it next day,at noon i saw it parked outside the repair-shop,entered asked him "everything OK i changed a hose plus the coolant". I was surprised because he didn't informed me first (e.g i could have a spare coolant hose and a plastic can of my preferable coolant mixture) and then showed my the coolant hose and the coolant,he put G12 plus although i had G12 (i didn't liked the G12+ from previous test). 😡 At least he used the same brand that i like, the HEPU. Here is the original coolant hose, 26 years old.

After lot of effort the old guy came out and the new came in. The old was from 9 of 2020 so lasted 5 years and 9 months, i could charge it one more time and last exactly 6 years but since the Summer vacations are approaching i didn't want to risk it. I had the chance to save ''some battery'' at Winters while i am on work but from the other hand at Summers the car was outside many days with alarm On without to use it (due to heat and traffic i used a small motorcycle to go to work). A realistic life limit for this battery i think is 4,5 years.

I found a photo from mine few months ago. Many years back i installed a cheap led bulb for Reverse (nothing special) and later a Led bulb for turn signal, that's it's very bright !

No need to open a new thread for this reason that's why i will post here no matter in the existing is very old. CarCareKioskBattery Replacement: 1997 Skoda Felicia LXi 1.3L 4 Cyl. https://d2n97g4vasjwsk.cloudfront.net/1997%20Skoda%20Felicia%20LXi%201.3L%204%20Cyl.%2FBattery%20Replace.mp4 Things are easy when there is no alarm unit and not strut brace, if those 2 exist then it's a nightmare. I face the same situation every time a change the battery, the strut brace makes me to bent the battery end pull it out forcing a bit the black plastic cover of the wind shield wipers (red arrow). Another 2 issues are: 1) The battery is not very stable and has some mm tolerance of moving that's why i put a piece of adhesive hard felt for furniture (yellow arrow) long as the battery and in the spot that the battery ''sits'' on it's place and then i tighten the bolts. Then the bracket holds the battery more steady. 2) After so many screw-unscrew efforts the thread starts showing signs of wear (blue arrow) so in the next time i had to make a small repair on this.

OK, "case closed" otherwise the @somean49 thread will ruined.

So it's time for a competition "who's alarm battery lasts longer from which brand-model and which location-enviroment temperature". This will take some years to complete...

Mine is in the alarm for 25 years and still working.

I began with the 2 round switches, the door-lock switch and one gauge and here it is finished: meanwhile the car was with the console full of marked cables and dust: I use a cordless hand vacuum to remove the dust and i telephoned to the car-electrician for an appointment to fit it, he said after 10 days with no charge due to the assistant's fault.

After few days the second car-electrician called me,he asked for an apology and admitted that the assistant tried 2 times but failed to paint it properly. When i got that insert in my hand i saw the terrible job, the paint was fainting even by touch and the lacquer wasn't good so i added more slander words for that assistant. The only solution was to take that insert and go to a car-painter to do it but i knew that this could take more days of searching because those paint-shops will always say ''i have no time for this" ,so i decide to take the whole case in my hands because as we say here in GR "the wolf has a robust neck because it does everything by itself". I sandpaper the item many times from low to high grit till it get very smooth like a baby’s skin. Looks bad but it was very soft in touch, i did it like this because i decide to use Leatherette. I went ton an Upholstery shop (not for cars because i knew they will not help me for such small part) which i am customer for House items (chairs-couch etc) and i asked for his help, he agreed to do it. I asked from him to do not cut anything and leave this to me, just apply the Leatherette and leave the rest to me. After one day he called me that the item is OK to collect it, i glued the corners so the Λ shape to be round and with a razor knife i start very carefully to cut the material (leaving some as spare) not exactly in the contour of each gauge.

No does not make it stop, it will keep sounding till the battery of the alarm drained. That's why there is a key hole in the side of the alarm's box and a set of 2 keys provided after the alarm installation. I think that the battery inside the alarm is Li-ion and lasts many-many years.