VRSwizz

This is from the MOT angel website: Oil and oil filter replacement Brake fluid check and top up Anti-freeze coolant check and top up Windscreen wash check and top up Power steering fluid check and top up Full brake check Steering check Shock absorbers check Suspension check Lights check Windscreen wiper check Wheel alignment check Charging system check Exhaust condition check Tyre tread and pressure check Battery condition check Wheel bearing check Auxiliary drive belt check £ - Extra - If manufacturer guidelines recommend. Fuel Filter (Diesel) £ - Extra - If manufacturer guidelines recommend. Spark Plugs (Petrol) £ - Extra - If manufacturer guidelines recommend. Air Filter £ - Extra - If manufacturer guidelines recommend. Pollen Filter £ - Extra - If manufacturer guidelines recommend.

Hi everyone. I purchase my 06 Fabia VRS at 103,000. I'm now on 108,000 after just over 3 months of ownership. When I purchased the car it came with EPG Warranty Assist covering 'emissions, gradual deterioration, and wear and tear'. So far I've had to pay out for a chipped windscreen and it recently failed its MOT due to a seized n/s/r caliper which has now been replaced. I recently got a call from MOT angel notifying me that my car was due a service. According to the log book, the car was last serviced in June 2015 at around 103,000 and had the cambelt and water pump changed. I have a logbook stamp but no invoices covering this work. I called the garage and they confirmed over the phone that this work had been done. My question now is, should I take MOT angel up on their offer of a 'full service' for £175. They say that this would also cover all the costs of any parts that need replacing etc. £175 seems a bit pricey for me, but the warranty runs out in April and I'm just wondering whether it will save me money in the long run if it covers any replacement parts? What do you guys think I should do? I'm aware that the car is approaching the age and mileage of some potentially quite expensive parts needing replacing and once the warranty is expired I would be liable for quite a hefty bill. Let me know your thoughts!

Got there eventually. Stereo all wired up and no longer forgetting memory or draining the batter, result!

Wondered if you might be able to help me out by describing your paperclip tool in a bit more detail?

By the way, this is the black iso connector. I'm trying to swap the 12v wires over (no. 7 - black and blue, and no.4 red and brown)

I must have just spent over an hour trying to get the bullet connectors for cables 4 and 7 out of the wiring connector. I'm trying to swap them over as i'm installing an aftermarket stereo. Has anyone got any further tips on how to get these buggers out? I've tried everything!

So I'm looking at having to replace the caliper? Where's the best place to get them from?

Is there a chance it's linked to the fact that the handbrake doesn't work then?

When i engaged the handbrake the handbrake mechanism on the back of the caliper was fully tightened, this then fully returned to the open position when the handbrake lever is down. I took the caliper in question away from the disc and pads and inserted the winding tool in an attempt to let what I then thought was a seized piston move slightly back in to try and free it up. The piston seemed to move freely when the brake pedal was applied. I then fitted the caliper back on to the pads and discs with the wheel still off, put the wheel nuts in and used a breaker bar to turn the hub while my friend applied the the brakes. The calipers were fully engaging the pads onto the discs and stopping any rotation. This was all while the engine was off and seemed to indicate that there are no problems with the caliper or its piston. It's hard to determine if any braking is occurring as the disc is significantly cooler than its counterparts after extended braking. I can't work out whether it is not engaging at all, or just engaging very little. Also, since the ABS warning light has come on - the pedal sponginess has disappeared - the brakes now seem much more responsive and with more bite. However, after the initial braking effect, the pedal continues to sink down with sponginess.

Have ordered a replacement abs speed sensor. Going to fit this and see what effect it has. Calliper and caliper handbrake mechanism seem to be moving freely and engaging fully, and brakes were operating without any issues when engine was switched off, so i'm hopeful that for some reason the ABS is affecting the rear offside brake when engine is on.

It has been as pictured since I bought the car. I slid it off the exposed prongs the very first time I found this issue as the plastic was already broken and it was hanging precariously on the prongs.

The ABS light wasn't on previously but has now come on since I removed and reattached the ABS speed sensor. I'm wondering if the connection was previously intermittent and has only started being an issue since the weather has been worse.

I've found the culprit! Turns out the rear offside ABS speed sensor had snapped and become defective. The sensor cable was plugged into the socket but the plastic arm coming from the mount had snapped, exposing two of the prongs. This would be consistent with the brakes working effectively when the engine is switched off, as well as when I removed the ABS fuse. There are pictures below. Do you guys think this would be causing the spongy brake pedal as well as reduced braking performance? I figured if the speed sensor couldn't accurately measure the wheel speed, then this would cause the ABS to prevent the brakes from applying properly. I guess I'll just buy a replacement speed sensor for the LH rear and hope that resolves all of the problems.

Just disconnected the offside rear ABS sensor and now the pedal feels much firmer and the brakes seem to be biting a lot more responsively. Could this indicate a dodgy ABS sensor and possibly be explaining my spongy pedal and ineffective offside rear braking?

Never removed the caliper, and not quite sure how any air would have entered the system. I'm a bit confused as to how the pedal could go from feeling stiff to completely spongy when all I did was replace the pads and discs.