D.FYLAKTOS

Is it possible to make a call or send an email to a local Uk Motul distributor and ask him about their GL-5/GL-5 gear oil in a old car as is Felicia on which the manufacturer says GL-4? @Thefeliciahacker : No i haven't see here and i don't want to use E10 https://club.autodoc.gr/magazin/benzinh-e10-epiptwseis-synepeies-kindynoi#lwptoc

The best feeling was with factory brake pump (brake master cylinder), the worst was with LPR and with Ferodo the feeling was one click lower than the stock (same type of brake pads with the 3). After replacing the factory (NOT my idea) i had lot of pedal travel with LPR (new brake fluids, no air inside the system) so with first chance i put the Ferodo, the pedal travel is better although it's not as i had with the stock in which things were more ''tight''.

"Net, eto ne Russkiy, a Ukrainskiy" (No, it is not Russian but Ukrainian). 😁

In Greece, such a thing does not seem to happen, even immediately, because, among other things, there is strong suspicion. Where is the problem; The fact that many vehicles in the country have engines that can not handle the doubling of the ethanol content, since it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. Result, minor damage to fuel pipes, tanks, burnt head flanges, damage to metals and plastics. Especially the models with year of manufacture before 2011 are not compatible with E10. The numbers hide a hesitation in the market. Making the reduction in Greece, if we take into account the age of the cars and the non-encouraging research numbers, then the introduction of E10 gasoline in the country is a very distant scenario. https://autoagora.gr/news/data/cool-news/Poia-einai-h-Benzinh-E10-Giati-den-perpataei_210001.asp (part of the text via Google translation).

Usually in Cz forums you can find such modifications, also in Youtube have videos with such lights, a question in the comments or an email can provide you the necessary infos. I think from older Polo models you can find a solution.

E10 petrol is cleared for use in all following Škoda vehicles with petrol engines with the following exception: • Felicia 1.3 litre OHV (40kw and 50kW) engines used in Felicia models in the production years 1994 to 2001 and in car models before. A retrofit option exists for these engines to make them compatible with the use of E10 petrol – owners are advised to consult their dealer. https://www.acea.auto/files/E10_petrol_fuel-vehicle_compatibility_list-2021_update.pdf Yesterday i use Heat resistance (till 200'C or 392 'F) aluminium tape to cover half of the hose that feeds hot air the air filter box ''just in case". Yesterday i had 10.54 ltr or 26.80 Uk mpg, with current traffic condition i don't thing i will get down from this point now at winter.

I have seen those numbers for many years in a row but with old fashion way (liters of gas pump x 100 / Odometer km = fuel consumption) but the road conditions were much better and not so "restricted" as now.

My next project is to shield the air intake manifold and the side of the filter box but still is cold outside, i don't want to risk to catch a cold working in the side of the road. Yesterday except the morning cold start i had another 2 and of course the last at night, except the 1st in ALL the other had the phenomenon of high rpm standing which means that i can not do anything to help the situation, maybe is VW's interfere at electronics when the car isn't completely cold. With that ''cold start, move few blocks and park-cold start, move back home-cold start, go to work-cold start, return home" yesterday low speed moving i had fuel consumption 10.51 ltr or 26.87 Uk mpg, i don't know how but if i manage to have in normal city traffic (not hard) 9,9 ltr or 28.53 Uk mpg i would be extremely happy.

Unfortunately it's a habit for us here to make modifications to our cars/motorcycles, the stock (original) we call it ''motherish'' (mother) which means ''it's as came from the factory" (from his mother). Back those years there were no videos or internet forums so maybe we have done some mistakes maybe not.Wrapping the exhaust is a controversial thing but after 19 years i have learn to live with it, especially at summer is a ''savior" for the plastics of engine bay also reduces the temperature of the piece of floor which is beneath the pedals. Yesterday night with cold and light rain so according to this: https://www.omnicalculator.com/conversion/fueld-economy-converter i had one click better 10,42 ltr so it's 22.57 mpg (US) and 27.10 mpg (Uk)

Yesterday noon and a night photo with flash, no black sludge on the top of the plastic tank, i think i was lucky and the whole system didn't affected.

I have wrapped my exhaust manifold since 2003, few years back i replace the tape with quality titanium. Yes i think it was protecting the air intake from the heat but one of my next projects is to install a new shield (to the air intake) from embossed aluminum with tremendous 500+ 'C heat resistance. The fuel consumption for home to work today was 10,46 ltr or 22,49 mpg.

This is the end of the hose that feed hot air the air filter box. From the factory was a cover above the exhaust manifold and while this was getting warm was send warm air to the box. Since that cover was gone before 18+ year ago (they removed and never gave it back to me) i put the hose some cm lower, still has enough space to suck air (it's not visible by the photo). According to the chart is look like this: but here it the factory heat shield how is for real: https://www.drive2.ru/l/1349135/

No problem, i forgot to mention that this happened after the ''flushing process" of removing old coolant-adding distilled water-after few days remove etc. I have posted 2 photos from the results: https://i.imgur.com/5DsAznt.jpg https://i.imgur.com/dfnsge9.jpg Then i added the Amsoil additive and maybe this reacted chemically with the remains of the old ''bad'' coolant and the result was that black sludge inside the plastic reservoir. After i removed that expansion tank plus about 700ml that had inside i installed a new plus a new cap.I had it for a week now and everything looks fine. I am not Chemist but i think that by boiling the remains of the old thick coolant were pushed to that expansion tank and stuck on his walls, i there were any remains would show-up inside the new reservoir after a week? I hope not but if there is a change i will let you know.

I have checked the thermostat sensor, crystal clear, the thermostat wasn't sticky, no overheating, the gauges are working as they should be, no smell inside the engine bay. I have replaced the expansion tank and the cap, so far absolutely nothing suspicious inside, everything is blue colour and no signs of black sludge on the walls of it. For sure i am not a Chemist but i think by boiling the system push all that black ''tar'' higher (as the lathe and the bubbles of the boiling water go to the top) and stuck in the plastic tank as for example when we boiling the meat. I will post some photos from the new reservoir soon, everything is clear.

Does not go always this way, for example DOT5 brake fluids MUST NOT used by DOT4 users although these can use the DOT5.1

Here are two older examples, one from 2019 and one from late 2021 Everything fine, blue colour and the reservoir plastic tank was clear and may times i have checked the interior. The MoCool chemically reacted with those 2 Antifreeze blends and then...came the mess!

No, for all these years i have never-ever saw a phenomenon like this, only after the installation of MoCool additive and after few days my expansion reservoir looked like had liquid tar inside. I was terrified, i though that everything in my coolant system had this black sticky substance, water pump-thermostat-sensor-hoses etc i thought that all would be covered and this meant a fortune from me for repair.

Skoda says for Felicia every 60.000 Km but for sure i won't wait till that point. Castrol, Motul, Liqui Molly, Mannol, FUCHS at 75W-90 give their products as GL-4 which can cover the GL-5 RED LINE 75W90 GL-4 only but has 28 euro per 946 ml bottle (!) YUKO, Amsoil has 75W-90 GL-4 only

See the photos plus the description to that topic. I use Motul which covers the API GL-4, API GL-5 ,you have post the link few posts back https://www.motul.com/gb/en/products/motylgear-75w90 I have about 22.000 Km with that gearbox oil.

Correction: The Motul MoCool has bordeaux (is US call it burgundy) colour and not blue as i wrote. @Thefeliciahacker : Although was sort of sticky i didn't show any marks on the thermostat sensor when i removed him, it was very clear. Also with my finger i didn't felt anything on the thermostat itself nor the cap which also was no sticky. The weird thing was that i didn't had any overheating signs and the digital gauge below expansion reservoir was working normally. The whole situation remind me the lathe and the bubbles when we cook in a pot, when the water is boiling close to 100 'C they stick to the walls, here is an example: I will post some photos more from inside the plastic reservoir.

As for the previous thick coolant i have opened a new topic: Till now the factory design with the 2 hoses and the flap works perfect in city traffic,the @Thefeliciahacker was right that Felicia does not need too mush air. The fuel consumption is lowering (10,55 ltr or 22.29 US mpg yesterday) but i don't know how this combination will work in national highway or in mountain routes in high rpm.

The hose beneath the aluminium heat tape is this https://www.skoda-parts.com/data/items/56/50741382eef1c.jpg The long hose is factory (is for A/C) and the hose attached to the oil cap is reinforced and can stand temperatures up to 120 'C (it's for the after gas, the factory sends them back to the throttle for lubrication but i didn't like the idea).

In the past i used the MoCool of Motul, the idea was to help my car in hard city traffic conditions to don't get overheated. In the past years i had used similar products as W.Wetter, Royal Purple and i had no problems. Turning back the time i remember that i had a problem with my water pump gasket (this means change of coolant) plus few months latter a thermostat problem (change of coolant also) so i ended-up with 2 brands of G11 Antifreeze in my car because when the 2nd incident happened i was travelling so i could find the same. Those 2 coolant changes made the analogy to be very wrong, maybe i was 60-70% Antifreeze and the rest distilled water and i added the MoCool without taking proper measurements before, if i had done this i could see that my coolant was more thick (more ''strong" s we say it here in Greece). I extract some of this ''coolant mix" (blue colour both) and i added MoCool (blue colour) according to the label on the bottle, after few days on city traffic everything looked good (1-2 'C lower temperature) but soon this stopped and when i opened the cap to make a volatilization i was shocked! The expansion reservoir has full of black ''sludge" and the coolant was black, it was some kind of chemical reaction and i was terrified because i thought that this sludge would be stuck in my water pump blades, my thermostat, it's sensor, in the wall of the hoses etc. I said ''OK, this is the End of my whole coolant circuit" and i had to remove and clean everything which means time and lot of money.

Here is the new air filter box while is installed. The flap is closed, it will open when the temperature (of the air through the hose from the manifold) rises. Now it's ready, i use a heat resistance hose (as the factory had) plus in the connection i use adhesive tape which can hold till 150 'C. For heat insulation i wrapped the upper hose with aluminium tape which can stand till 200 'C

I changed the gear box oil few years back, i used Motul Motylgear 75W-90, i have to check back home my notes for the next change. ''Hey mechanic, i hear some noises when i turn the steering wheel from lock to lock, especially inside the parking'' ''What noise?'' ''It's like gggggnnnk, do i have a problem with hydraulics?'' ''Don't worry, that is an old car, they do it often, no problem you will use to it'' I didn't believe him, i checked the oil level at the reservoir, one click BELOW the Min (!) and i was continiouing to use the car i will had major problem which also could cost me a fortune to fix it.