SEVrs

Thanks Gareth. Yes, I thought it was cutting things a little fine, but probably better to have an 83 raing inflated to the correct pressures than an 85 or 87 rating under inflated. Saying that, I've fitted Uniroyal Rainsports at 83Y rating. The +2.5% seems about right when you look at speedo error. I compared the speedo reading with GPS, and the speedo seems to be reading roughly 3% over with a 205/45 tyre on a 16 rim.

Nice one. Mine's starting to run a little lumpy from cold start up for about 30 seconds and I do still get some smoke. I suspected glow plugs as well, so your experience would tend to back that up which is reassuring.

I generally top up with £25 and that gets me just over 200 miles with mixed driving and (too many) short journeys. So, 40 miles to a fiver would be about it for mine.

Touchy I was addressing Ken's remarks not yours. Perhaps a larger pair of specs needed. OK? Crossed wires maybe. Keyboards can do that

Have you checked the service history/brakes/suspension/electrics/door seals etc etc? Seems a little on the high side to me for a 128K 10 year old vRS. If in great condition with absolutely nothing needed, I'd have thought £2300 would be nearer the mark. £2550 plus £395 is almost 3 grand. Way over the odds imho. Seem lower mileage, newer ones go for less.

Interesting. That being the case, it would be interesting to learn if that was a contributing factor. I still think that a faulty glow plug is the cause in my case. I know what burning oil smells like and it's unburnt diesel I'm smelling and not oil. They have two very different and distinctive smells. Unburnt diesel when injectors over-fuel (as with some tuning maps) give rise the the same black smoke of unburnt diesel.

My BLT engine (50K miles) always blows out black smoke on first start up then nothing else (whether ambient temp is warm or cold). It has always run smoothly, never uses much (if any) oil and runs fine. It used to bother me that something wasn't quite right but as it only does this on start up and never on the move, I've given up worrying. I'd not be impressed if the valve seals were worn on a FSH car at just 50K miles, but I'd also expect oil use if the valve stem guides were worn and I'm not getting any. The smoke always smells strongly of unburnt diesel so my thoughts are that it might be a faulty glowplug.

Clips were bought on Ebay. Be careful as several sellers advertising the faded looking green clips are supplying rubbish...I've tried some of these and they are very brittle and break easily. It's the genuine or OEM spec (fuller looking green) clips you want. Price should be under £3 for 10: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190476203072?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Uniroyal Rainsports seem to offer year round safe driving and work well on the Fabia, wet, dry or in snow. Not as good as a purpose made winter/snow tyre, but good enough for all but the worst roads. Problem isn't so much the tyres with a FWD diesel, usually it's other drivers who haven't got a clue and drive at 2mph every time a few snow flake falls, stopping at the base of inclines so ruining anyone else's chances of getting up the slopes or who have no idea or experience in snow. If they aren't competent to drive on a few inches of snow, they shouldn't drive in the stuff. Gosh...where did that rant come from?

You need to do a systematic check starting with the engine running, check the voltage both across the alternator terminals and again across the battery terminals. Across the alternator I think you should be seeing around 14.7v, and slightly less across the battery (but still above 14V charge voltage). If the voltage is more than that across the battery, you could have a fault with the diode rectifier for the alternator; if it's less at the battery (say 12V or under) but above 14 at the alternator, then you may have a short to ground somewhere on the electrical circuit. If you do have a short, this could explain the battery draining overnight. To check the battery, as long as it's charging at 14v+, remove from the car, charge off the car and do a drop test over 3 days or so. It should hold around 12.4v. If it drops below 12V after 3 days, there's a problem with it. The other option as hinted at above is that something else is draining the battery way too much in operation. The starter solenoid can cause issues if the impedance rises across the contacts, causing the battery to drain quickly. The solenoid would get quite hot it this were the case. I've had this on a few motorbikes but not on my car. The solution was to install a new (higher rated) starter solenoid. The starter motor should spin freely and quickly with a healthy battery. If it doesn't even with the battery charged, then there's possibly a fault with the starter or starter solenoid,. It could be any number of things though so best to see if you can find evidence of a short circuit somewhere once you've ruled out the alternator and battery as the problems.

Depends on the air filter used but any oil mist getting through a filter wont do a MAF much good. I'd check out the filter and filter housing for oil, clean it all out, check the seals and then perhaps clean the MAFF sensor using a proprietary IPA based MAF spray cleaner, then see if that makes any difference. If not then I'd check using VCDS for any fault codes. You never know, it could be something else causing the issue.

Was about to suggest that. If running a free flowing panel filter, that can shorten MAFF life considerably especially if an oiled filter (ie over-oiled). If mpg is being that badly affected, it sounds like it could be any number of things but I wouldn't touch a ECP "own brand" MAFF or any critical component with a long barge pole. Bosch may be more expensive but stick to an OE spec MAFF and you shouldn't have any issues. 3 in 18 months doesn't seem right to me though...sounds like there's more going on than meets the eye.

'07 SE now on 51K miles. Serviced as per book, new cambelt, waterpump and tensioner, washer hose clips replaced under engine bay (they part company under the washer bottle....keep topped up with 50/50 washer fluid to avoid winter hose splits!); cruise control stalk replaced; new battery (yesterday); door seals had to be re-done; anti roll bar fitted; inlet manifold removed and acid dipped to remove gunk build up; egr cleaned out; blanking plate fitted and map re-coded; Quantum economy remap (about 160BHP) done and regularly achieve 70+mpg on M-way runs at legal speeds, plus decent enough performance when needed. Lots of work for a 50K mile car, so reliability no better than most but it's all pretty simple stuff to get to and do, so a lot is within DIY skills which I think is part of the appeal. Great driving little car really.

It's not worth taking the risk buying from an un-known or un-trustworthy source. Many so called "refurbished" turbos seem to have been removed with amateurs replacing a few parts, cleaning them up and selling them on....not with a bargelpole would I touch something like those. I'd stick to professionally refurbished turbos carrying a warranty against defects (if possible) or buy new for peace of mind. I had a price for a new Garret Turbo inclusive of all fitting and VAT at about £750 recently (I asked because I wanted to plan ahead! Can't remember of that was an exchange deal or an outright buy though). If doing the job yourself, it should be cheaper. Others may know a reputable refurbisher who supplies reliable, well refurbed units much cheaper.

Branch

Is the software up to date and does it have live traffic alerts for jams (our old nuvi has this feature)?

Don't know if it's of any help, but I have just completed a re-seal job on my 2007 SE, and have posted some tips on one of the recent posts below. It's not difficult even for the non-mechanically minded and can be done this time of year no problems.

Providing that I don't red line it, I don't feel guilty at all, as most times if I'm foot to the floor, it's for over-taking. I don't do it in first or second gears to avoid over stressing the transmission (I have noticed that my gearbox can be a little noisy in 2nd gear, especially on the over-run, so mechanical sympathy is probably wise!). Mostly I don't floor it as it needlessly burns fuel at a hell of a rate and doesn't do much for tyre life if a regular thing.

It's been a while since I posted but I've had a bit of a 'mare with sorting several jobs on the SE. I thought it'd be helpful to share a few top tips with others. I know that the main issues are covered by the "how to" guides, but this might prove useful: 1. Battery: 2007 BLTs using the 027 code battery (242mm long) as opposed to the 096 code battery (longer) and the newer (and awkward!) battery cover: to save lots of swearing and broken top cover left side and rear catches, I'd advise removal of air intake snorkel before you start (two T10 torx screws), then removal of the Bosch sensor attached to the RHS of the battery cover. Be careful when prising the left hand and rear lower catches as they break all too easily, but if they do, no worries as the right hand one plus the positive lead from the fuses is sufficient to hold the cover on and actually makes it MUCH easier if removing again. I'd almost go as far as to say snap off the left and rear catches as they're a right pain to reach in the first place! When re-connecting the battery (in my case, I bought an Exide premium X-Tra Plus 640 AH battery from Tayna batteries for £58 delivered. It's a higher spec than standard with more cranking power), remember positive connection FIRST and remove the little bungs on the top sides of the battery which is essential. The radio code advice "SAFE" came up when reconnecting mine. To save rummaging through the manual, if you have the radio code to hand, simply turn the ignition to position 1, wait for the "1000" code numbers to show after the SAFE message has disappeared then using pre=programme channel buttons 1 through 4, enter the correct code. Follow this with a press of the ">" button (or the ">>" one) for 3 seconds and your radio will be re-coded. Windows will need doing too. Insert the key in the lock of the drivers door and hold in the closed position (or "lock" position) which closes both front windows. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, return key to centre then turn to the closed position for a further 3 seconds. Withdraw key and close windows as normal using key in ignition (position 1) and electric window switches. This should restore the auto close function of the switches. 2. Leaky doors! (Groan...I know...there's loads on it): I was a little miffed that the door seals should have failed on a 7 year old car which has been garaged much of its life so contacted Skoda to be told "it's old age, it does that to seals". What a load of old codswallap. 7 years is no age for a vehicle or a decent seal. The factory applied seals were of the disintegrating foam variety and removing my door cards (breaking most of the clips in the process!) I found that a re-sealing job had been (badly) done possibly a few years back. My foot wells were soaked with recent weather so after speaking with Skoda, new seals being better or not, I decided against removal of the door window carrier panel (involving drilling of the retaining rivets). I know some say it's the only way to do it properly but I'm unconvinced. The issue, it seems, with the mastic or silicone "bodge" is precisely that some people bodge the job. there's insufficient on seating pressure to cause any long term issues with effective sealing IF the sealant is correctly applied to clean, thoroughly degreased panels. It seems that mine were neither clean nor degreased when the previous (Skoda employee) owner did the door seals. The answer to a decent repair is very simple but care is needed to take your time and do the job properly. First, avoid general purpose sealants such as mastic and DIY store stuff. Use something like "Plumber's Gold" which has excellent adherence properties to metal surfaces and which uses moisture in order to set properly. Start by removing door panels. There's any amount of info on this so I wont repeat save to say a useful tool is a plastic putty knife (available in multipacks of various widths). I bought a pack of 3 from Ebay, the narrowest of which is ideal for smoothing the sealant after application. When the door card is removed (I left mine attached at the top and rested the base on the rear seat), remove any existing silicone or mastic that looks to have come loose. In my case, half the lower edge was de-bonded. I didn't need to remove it all, just the bits easy to remove as total removal is near impossible. Next, using a cotton cloth and meths, thoroughly degrease an area at least 25mm beyond the existing sealant or original joint to both sides of the joint and wipe clean with a clean piece of kitchen roll. Make sure that the whole area of any previously applied silicone is carefully cleaned and de-greased or you wont achieve a bond. Apply a generous coating of sealant over the entire area and using a putty knife wetted with soapy water, smooth the sealant over the whole joint area. I then used my finger (wearing rubber kitchen gloves) to smear it firmly against the bare metal of the inner panel to eliminate any air pockets near the edges of the sealant band. Before you start, ensure that you have at least 10 spare clips per door (more than needed) as you may break some. I bought two types, (one seller's were crap and very brittle and used thin washers). I'd advise genuine Skoda parts. I got mine from "Motorclips Automotive" for about £4 the set I think (Correct Product Code is 0461). Then simply re-attach door card (make SURE first that you re-route speaker clip through aperture at the top. If you forget, use a coat hangar with a hook bent into the end to retrieve the wire). Wipe down the area of sill along the base especially near the rubber seal with the plastic interior trim and leave to set for 48 hours or so. This should cure the problem for good if done properly. Even if it needs doing every two or three years, it's a damn site easier than drilling out old rivets, taking everything apart and re-sealing from the inside. Hope this is of some help to someone.

Hi Tech1e no, not yet. I have a new switch on its way and am hoping that does the trick. I'll post back when I get a chance to get it sorted which wont be for at least a week.

What's incorrect? I bought mine for £154 delivered and was quoted less than that for bushes, which should last many 1000's of miles before changing anyway. They're not things that should need changing that regularly. A local tuner who has done loads of these things recommended the Whiteline because it is effective and (relatively) cheap. Anything with bushes will have a maintenance requirement attached, including the main suspension. You pay your money and makes your choice. I made a recommendation based upon value and performance. I'm sure that Kieran will read all feedback and make his own mind up. You can pay £250 for a gucci RARB or half that for one that does the job well. If racing, I'd buy the best that I could afford, but I'm not. Update. The main "D" bushes are about £12 including vat if and when it comes time to replace them. You shouldn't need new clamps (why would you?). I'd be quite shocked to learn that a complete set of bushes was £90. You could have replacements manufactured for less!

Too many to bother listing all, but some here: Golf Mk1 (1100); Mk2 Cortina; Mk2 Sirocco GTi; Cavalier GLX; Passat Mk2; Opel Manta GT; Opel Manta GT/e; Volvo 240GL estate (needed a load lugger at the time) Triumph 2000TC Mk2; Lancia Thema; Renault 21 (oh dear....); Mercedes 190 2.0E Focus 2.0 Ghia estate; Skoda Fabia Mk1 Vrs; Volvo S60 2.4T; BMW 325; Volvo S60 D5 (220BHP tune); Skoda Fabia vRS SE Best car = probably the 325 (E46) as an all round reliable, well made decent handling car. New beemers don't hold any interest at all for me. Worst car: toss up between Lancia (which quite literally fell to bits) the Renault 21 (dangerous on wet roads due to flawed braking system and poor balance) and Cortina (oh dear oh dear...what a pile of crap!) Most fun: No contest...Fabia vRS Most comfortable: Volvo S60 by a country mile Most reliable: E46 325 Least reliable: See "worst cars" Quickest: Tuned D5. Monster torque. Unbelievable mid range punch and in-gear acceleration. Best all rounder: Focus Estate Cheapest to run: vRS

Don't let the bushes thing out you off the Whiteline as they last long enogh and are easy to change if needed plus cheap. Some of the others may on the face of it seem more robust but several hundred quid for a steel bar...really? I opted for the Whiteline as a good intro measure in case I didn't like what a RARB did so not too much money wasted. However, once fitted it truly transformed the handling, even on the least aggressive setting (which was where it naturally aligned) for the better. No lowering needed, except for the looks. On the roads, this translates to a more neutral turn in without the usual understeer plus way more balanced in the corners, even when pushed. Can't recommend one highly enough. You'll wonder how you ever did without one. A major improvement to handling and therefore safety.

The tech who was looking at this today had his laptop booted up and plugged into the OBD port with the VCDS screen up. The main menu included a log-on and when in, he navigated to cruise and about 6 parameters came up including the main switch one. The others included brake switch and clutch switch function, speed sensor, speed set and a few others. Going to the main switch setting, there were two "0"s in the field box and when the cruise was switched on, on of them changed to a "1" indicating that the switch was functioning on/off ok. Trying clutch and brake switches also resulted in those flags being confirmed as functional. I've probably over simplified it as he had to type in some codes, but that's about the jist of things.

Speed sensor seems ok, and slider switch is working between on/off positions as you can see the VCDS confirming this, so diagnosing where the issue is has me baffled. I'll try the new switch as it's the only thing not yet done. It's like the ECU is saying one thing but when driving the car the cruise doesn't come on at all.