spartacus68

Rear drums are a pain, especially during the winter with damp conditions. Shoe condition even when you've checked it recently means very little. I took my Fabia to 100k miles and lost count of the number adjustments that I made. In the end the MOT tester suggested the actual drums were worn, so putting on new shoes wouldn't solve it. Back to the dilemma, adjusting the yolk under the arm-rest will take up the slack, but important to note with the handbrake applied, does it pull off centre? New handbrake cables would help as the old ones are probably stretched. Also take a look at the rear brake cylinders. These things can leak which contaminate the shoes. I'd also look at the automatic adjustment, as it should self adjust - it's probably seized. If you opt for a rebuild, then the springs are available as a serviceable item. Unless you live on a hill, stick the car in gear and leave the handbrake off.

Found this on YouTube. He's making a bit of a hash of it, no oil on the drill bit, attacking with high revs on the drill rather than slowly does it. Key point if you're going to use a helicoil is it goes in at the correct angle when you're drilling. This is a floating caliper, so if the brake slider is even a little skewed, you'll get issues down the line with sticking caliper and pads heating up. Reference earlier comment on a solid steel insert, did this on an outboard engine. The steel insert is stronger than the surrounding alloy on cylinder head. Anyway, hope the op gets it fixed. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IX9NNkUdPl8

If it were me I'd be opting for a new or salvage hub carrier, no question. I've used helicoils before on a suspension strut (1 of 3 bolts) and steel insert on a spark plug insert, but this is for the brakes, hence ponder the consequences if it fails. Rather than over-tightening the caliper bolts, suspect it's been cross-threaded originally, then when tightened its stripped it. Not much use now, but **** happens.

I had a similar fault. Read this: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/453799-skoda-7308-air-intake-temp-fault/ Eventually traced to G42 air intake sensor on the car. It sits low down behind the front grill, driver's side (hidden by the engine tray). Subject to vibration, chaffed wiring.

Goodness knows? Some garage techs are incompetent. You take your car on to be inspected for ride and handling and they don't check the coil springs? First thing I check, then the dampers, then linkages, then bushes. Don't forget the bearings and tyres. Even tyres with plenty wear can have flat spots or damage.

Not my experience. I sold my 10 plate Fabia at 100k miles last May. Break in flexi pipe before catalytic converter was final straw. All cars cost, trust, me my wife's BMW i3 is currently at main dealers and bills are rediculous. I used to service Fabia every 10k miles, Castrol Edge, Mann filters, etc. - timing belt and water pump every 60k miles - EGR valve issue and wiring loom - new tailgate sprayed under anti perforation warranty before I sold it - new wishbones - replaced both rear wheel bearings - shocking rear drums (lost count of times I adjusted brake shoes), really needed new drums - replaced rear wheel cylinders (leaking) - new handbrake cable - upgraded headlight bulbs, projector lights are awful - replaced suspension drop links - front discs and rear shoes I have full VCDS, as run an Audi and VW too. Great tools if you want to maintain your cars and avoid main dealer diagnostics at £100 a pop.

I successfully claimed against Skoda back in 2018 for my MKII Fabia. The car is long gone now, but my advice is to persevere after lockdown. The main dealer body shop said at the time it was because they had used foam gaskets instead of rubber for the number plate lights which retained moisture. That doesn't explain the rust at the seam though? In the end they replaced the entire tailgate. The car used to get filthy at the back during the winter, so even although I used to look after it, and washed it, it's an area that's particulately prone to rust.

Enjoyed the video! 😀 Not sure why everyone is trying to calculate costs. You can't put a price on the pursuit of horses! There's a guy on Audisport with an S4 generating 530bhp and he was asking for recommendations on decent brake discs and pads as it struggles to stop after being driven hard! Obviously I've pointed him in the direction of brake upgrade instead!

Sorry to hear that. Remember you should get offer to buy back the car from insurane company, depending what they offer. All these parts are bolt on. Granted, the car will be classed as write off repairable, so something to bear in mind as will undoubtedly effect resale price. Push comes to shove, the bumper will fine once prepped for painting, no cracks. Be interesting to see if any damage behind, such as radiator and fan, it all adds up.

Local garage did them, as although I fitted new shoes it still failed MOT on handbrake intolerance. Details here to fit: https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk2/chassis/brake_brake_mechanics/handbrake/removing_and_installing_the_hand-brake_cable/ The clips (item B.) either crumble in your fingers with rust or break off. Wire brush and spray with penetrating release first. I don't like working under cars even with axle stands and jacks, but chock the front wheels and get the rear wheels under the car mid-way point for safety. If I'd had more time I reckon I could have fitted them, but at that point I just wanted it through its MOT, seeing as it was already in the garage for the test.

Good job. Doesn't look too bad, I've definitely seen worse. This was my 2010 Fabia back in 2018 before fitting a new bearing, Delphi shoes, and a spring kit. With the handbrake cover off look at the tensioning yolk. On mine it was pulling to one side and regardless of adjustment I couldn't get it to bakance so ended up having to replace the handbrake cables. You need to jack the car both sides at the rear to test. On a couple of clicks it should engage. With the wheel on, if you can rotate on either side too easily, then you can go back and adjust the wedge on the brake adjuster. The drum should go over the shoe assembly easily with the handbrake released and the 10mm nut undone. My drums were at 100k mikes so basically worn and really needed replaced, but I had Issues with flexible-pipe at the catalytic converter and bailed out and sold it. Typical!

With the wheel off and turning the hub by hand - you'll be able to tell if a wheel bearing is on its way out too. Again a bit of preventative maintenance. Changing the wheel cylinders is straight forward. If they're weeping - you'll have no choice as they'll fail eventually and contaminate the brake shoes. There's a couple of bolts on the back of the plate to undo. In fact the bleed nipples are more trouble-some if they are corroded, so it it was done they should shift okay. Always use a closed end ring spanner on them. I doubt the garage checked the drums. You can do a brake bleed without going anywhere near it.

You can replace shoes with the hub in place but taking it off does make it easier, and yes the hub nut should be replaced. In my experience, and this depends on mileage, then a de-dust, clean and lubrication just buys you time. The lever arm on the shoe is normally seized, the plastic or nylon bushes on the backplate are broken or missing, the brake cylinders are usually leaking and the drum itself is probably worn. This is one of the delights upon inspecting drums! if you're attempting, then get yourself a shoe and spring kit. This kit is perfect for grease, etc. If mileage is around 100k and you're hanging onto the car, consider changing the cables. They stretch over time and no amount of adjustment will work. The temptation is just to keep tightening the 10mm nut at the central yolk at the handbrake. Again, depending on mileage, even with the brake cables slackened, you may need to release the adjustment wedge in the drum. With a torch and a bradawl you can lever it up.

Read through a few threads about Skoda air conditioning being particularly poor versus previous cars, but just depends on the life it's had. Your air conditioning failing prematurely does sound like a leak. Ideally air conditioning needs to be on all the time. People switch it off to improve fuel consumption, but in effect you run the risk of drying out the system's seals. Add in the vibration of the car, heat from the engine and wear and tear so anything is possible. If you know someone with VCDS, then that could help pinpoint any system errors if the car is scanned. The compressor could be on its way out, the condenser, etc. I bought a 15 plate VW Polo 1.4 TDI last year after parting company with my Skoda at 100k miles. Luckily the new car came with a Das WeltAuto warranty. The car was fine until the summer, and regardless of the setting on the climate control it wasn't cold enough. It flagged up a couple of electrical errors when I scanned it, so I managed to claim on the warranty, which incidentally isn't straight forward. I had errors for refrigerant pressure being too low and electrical ground for compressor fault. Typical main dealer approach is they have to scan the car which is fair enough at £140, but if the fault isn't covered by warranty you pick up the tab, otherwise it's free of charge. If you're mechanically minded there's a few YouTube videos for recharging the system, Halfords sell bits and pieces. Looks straight-forward. STP also sell a leak kit, but suspect that's a short term fix. I suppose you need to weigh up how long you plan to keep the car, and if you're in for the long haul get it fixed properly. That means checking refrigerant level, pressure testing, changing seals, etc.

Got something similar with my 15 plate Polo 1.4 TDI at 40k miles. Drop links and ARB bushes would be top of the list as possible culprits. Quite difficult to check if I'm honest. You can raise the car, then with a second jack, raise the base of the wishbone arm under the strut, just enough to take the pressure off the drop link. Loosen the drop link at the top (usually Allen or Star Drive bit) and 15mm spanner to stop it spinning. Squirt of PlusGas to lube and penetrate. With the arm detached, if the balljoint feels decidedly loose, then that's the culprit. The rubber bushes on the anti roll-bar itself, then I'd expect they'd be fine unless the car is high mileage. Arms, my experience is Meyle HD kit is the dog's danglies, (4-year warranty). Avoid Cheap EBay imports, as you'll not just get a squeak but a clunk when they fail.

To be honest Tom, the 1.6 lump is plagued with glow plug and engine management faults, regardless of weekly mileage. I was doing average of 450 miles a week. Not much help to you in the current situation. I sold mine at 100k miles on a 10-plate. This was my experience on a P0113 fault. If you're looking, sensor is located on driver's side, underneath engine, near front. You'll need to drop engine tray to see it. Ideally you need VCDS to pinpoint, and it really is a great investment down the line if you choose to stay with VAG cars.

Wash car, remove tar spots and clay with light detergent to lube. I've used Menzerna 203S with rotary polisher with excellent results. Ensure the pad is damp to touch and go easy on the amount of product you use, watching polishing speed at bodywork edges and work methodically. My wife used to have an Audi A2 in Cobalt Blue (looks black), so trust me! Wax to seal, then Collinite 476 is hard to beat. Apply with damp microfibre and buff off by hand one panel at a time.

Could very well be. On my wife's A2 (long since gone) it was in the seatbelt mechanism.

Personally I'd just buy new. You're probably looking around £120 or so from dealer. Double check if there's seat belt pretensioners fitted? If so, disconnect battery 30 minutes before job. Used seat belts, there's no history, could be goosed although look visually fine. Did the same job on my wife's Audi A2, not because of a dog, but they failed to retract properly. It's a key safety feature so why compromise?

I used to run a Fabia 1.6 TDI Elegance (2010) and took it from 30k to over 100k miles before I sold it. No experience of any kind of it knocking on this engine. I used to renew the oil every 10k miles using Castrol Edge 5W30 and Mann oil filters. If you do an oil change, check the used oil, and avoid the pump extraction option. Run to temperature and drop the sump plug. The DPF flexi pipe is a known weak point, as are countless issues with oxygen sensor intake, glow plug wiring, etc. You mentioned sticking rear brakes. It's a thankless task trying to resolve, but that's drums for you. The rear drums are probably worn with a lip, and the only real fix it to renew them, rebuild with new shoes including spring kit (Bigg Red), new pistons (they leak) and new brake cables. as they stretch. Avoid using the handbrake at this time of year.

Surprised about the Golf. I do like the look of the newer models. Sold my MkII Fabia 1.6 TDI Elegance last year and bought a 2015 Polo 6R 1.4 TDI Bluemotion SEL as my daily driver. Great ride, 500 miles per tank, all the toys, air-con, infotainment system, USB, centre arm rest, tyre pressure monitor, 4x electric windows and importantly LED headlights. How many cars have you had with shocking headlights? I have an A4 Allroad with bi-xenon headlights which are fantastic, but the little Polo with LEDs is just dandy. The Polo had 29k miles and was £8,500. Came with 1 year Das WeltAuto warranty which I've claimed on for airbag light, recoding spare key and air conditioning recharge. Can't fault their response. The oil burner might not suit your tastes, but the Polo R or GTI might be worth a test drive.

I bought from these guys. It's the HEX-V2 USB. You use a VIN for each car you register, so if you change your cars regularly then 3 VIN version may not be enough. You need to register a VIN if doing anything advanced. https://www.gendan.co.uk/vcds-v2.php?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OnxBRCNARIsAIW53B_TYllJIxFUI4fxTGvZJEyfq4ImsV90yWi1qf2mYEkq9YFmeECFpn4aAvDlEALw_wcB Importantly, once registered you can get free software updates (life of the interface) and the cable firmware needs updated periodically. Also - you can access RossTech forum. Although mostly US based, the feedback is excellent and they know what they are talking about.

I used to run a 1.6 TDI, and used Castrol Edge 5w30. You can check by entering registration on Castrol's site. If you're a member of Costco then that's a good way to buy as it's not cheap. Filters, no need for genuine Skoda once outside warranty. I use Mann, which is OE anyway, just not branded. Oil and pollen filter every 10k miles or 12 months. Fuel filter every 20k miles. Ideally get VCDS to prime pump once changed. No need to touch glow plugs unless an issue with cold starting. Regards premium diesel, don't see the point. If you want, then there's no harm. As mentioned, Forte diesel fuel conditioner straight into the tank does help, we're talking once a year maximum.

Drive it and enjoy it. You're doing the right kind of mileage for a diesel. If anything the DPF will be fine, more likely an air intake sensor, or flexi pipe will fail. If you're worried, Forte diesel conditioner added to fuel is good for injectors and lowering emissions in general.

Had my fair share of 'it's not me guv' stand-offs. Even main dealers can get it wrong. As rum4mo mentioned, use genuine parts, and document everything. Put it down to experience. Wouldn't be surprised if VCDS hadn't recorded this fault? Anyone local to you that can scan the car? I'm running a Polo, it's under Das WeltAuto warranty until May 2020. It was due a service last month, duly done, all new VAG parts, fitted by me. Any additional work I can claim for, such as a remote key that needs to be recoded. They cleared an airbag light prior to Christmas. Pain in the **** to put it to them as they are city centre outskirts based. Needs must though. I have VCDS, but service reception are a joke, almost, you have our software, but we can't determine work based on your assessment, which is fair enough, but the thing is facts are facts, so worth investing in if you're spanner handy. Back to your original topic, Pay the bill and walk away. Not worth the hassle to pursue through small claims. Hopefully not excessive cost, just based on principle which I totally get.