bmbmdmb

Thanks. I'll just change the shocks at 45k miles. The springs are easy to change on rear so if they go I'll do it then. I changed rear springs and shocks on my other car, a Fabia, at different times. The new like for like springs made little difference, slightly firmer in corners perhaps. The shocks made a big difference, but they were knackered and seized (the car really wanted to go in a straight line on roundabouts for instance).

I have checked the vacuum pipes more thoroughly, feeling underside for splits. There were none. Had a look at intercooler through gaps in bumper, again no damage evident. Boost pipes double checked and felt for holes. Unions secure and tight. Could oil,soot gunk obstruct the turbo fan blades/vanes and it is not spinning as it should? A lot of folks on here who have had a turbo failure have had a loud noise or sudden failure. Or can a turbo fail gradually? Would boost values from computer be worthwhile reading? Cheers

Thanks Sep 'Log boost in VCDS' - Is this a basic or an advanced measuring value? I went through the tickboxes and I could only find the MAF actual and requested values. How are the boost values named? Do I need the car under load (at speed) to measure accurately or can I increase revs with car stationary? I had a look at the vacuum pipes and felt around them for splits. Nothing obvious. Anywhere in particular to look in the engine bay? Thanks

Lower and upper boost pipes are in place, check. EGR looks ok, but coated in very dry soot, never seen it like that before. Usually, it is oily. Matches what is coming out my exhaust, a puff of black soot on acceleration. Dry soot left on tailpipe. Turbo you think? I'm going to take to garage but wanted as much info as possible to save them time and reduce bills. Engine idles and starts smoothly. If turbo what's my options. Standard turbo had plenty of power. I heard that you reuse the cassette or something similar. Reconditioned calipers were a waste of £. Same true of turbos? Is there any test I can do to diagnose this? Thanks

VCDS - no fault codes. I'd be surprised if turbo at fault. Engine oil changed to specification and annually or less. Every 5k miles. Mileage is almost 100k though. I have no siren noises or other noises from turbo. It makes the same tick over growl noise at idle it has always has since ownership began. There is some very subtle intermittent noise though that is coming from engine bay at idle that was not there previously, nothing obvious though . Would a turbo failure be obvious? Fuel filter changed a few thousand miles ago. Air filter looks ok. I'm changing it, but unlikely the culprit. I'm going to look underneath at the boost pipes and EGR through ASV on top. The fuel temperature sensor area , nearby there is what looks like a fuel pipe (metal aluminium tube) connected to rubber hose - looks damp, but could be oil from a previous change - between engine block and air box, or diesel? The sponge under engine cover has powdered (probably age and heat) so it got removed last night. Some of this stuck to said oil or diesel. Is the aluminium block the fuel pump? My finger pointing to it. This is the leak, nothing to write home about though. Is this the FTS? Centre right of photo?

It is all new pipes and jubilees 5 years old. They been off for timing belt last November though but were secure. Only one or two horseshoe VAG clip,ie to turbo and maybe intercooler. I had one pop off 1cm and it was obvious. The car stuttered and it was undriveable. I'll check though when it gets home.

MAF giving live data that mirrors predicted MAF values I got from live scan last night MAF sensor was replaced when car had 50 to 60 k miles. Live / actual data was zero when it should have given higher values (this is when it failed previously) , so I have ruled out MAF sensor on this occasion. Fuel temperature sensor looks likely - smoke, hotter than normal engine, injectors blocking. Car is over fueling. Car near 100k miles which is their lifespan. Will vcds pick up this fault? I'm scanning tonight. Ps anyone with Green Flag - make sure you insist on quoting the older car. I told them at time of renewing, but today because the car is over 16 years mid policy they said it is not covered. Manager authorized tow in the end. I only been with them for 25 yrs

Hello Wife's Fabia vrs MK1 07 (all standard) has been losing power and getting worse. I'm considering a tow home from work as I write. I drove it last night and it was ok but lacking in its usual power. There seemed a delay in turbo boost , then a puff of black smoke at mid revs. This morning she had a queue behind her up a hill as the car struggled to get her to work. Reading up on internet it seems it could be MAP sensor Temperature sensor (fuel?) The rolling resistance is fine. No unusual noises (not loud). EGR was cleaned back in November so probably not this. Engine is not shaking etc. The boost pipes seem fine (they were replaced a few years ago). If they detach then the car is undrivable I have found btw. ICarSoft scan revealed nothing last night, no engine check light etc.

Car is a 2016 model with solid rear beam. It has probably seen mainly town driving although I try to use it for longer journeys as DPF doesn't like short less than 10 miles runs esp on standard diesel, cold weather. Relatively speaking, the new shocks extend faster than the old, but both are similar so I didn't think the old were knackered (this is the Astra) - that car has Whiteline rear axle bushes that are too harsh and getting removed and going back to rubber because despite fast road use designation they are too compliant. Yeti yeti - what brand did you get from Demon tweaks? That is a good price. I paid £84 off eBay for a pair for the Astra. CP4l wanted £130 even with discounts. Demon tweaks - £200 per pair. The solid rear axle is double the price of the multilink suspension it seems for the B4 Bilstein shocks. Halfords quoted £101 per pair for Bilstein, but it also listed two other shocks. When I checked with staff I got told this is the one that is compatible Sachs Shock Absorber Rear VW Golf VII 12 635443800 747998. £150 per pair. CP4l want £168 per pair.

Octavia 3 2l TDI 150 l@k The car has developed a subtle wobble side to side, only noticeable at low speeds (20 - 30mph). I have checked all wheel bolts and they were torqued up to 120Nm. No untoward incidents with potholes or speed bumps etc. Doesn't seem related to engine. Even my wife noticed it so it isn't just me. Car has done 45k miles, so a tad early to be changing the rear shock absorbers? However, from experience I've found that the rear shocks fail first then the front unless a pothole or speed bump is hit etc. The car is still running on original parts. No recent tyre changes. No vibrations through steering. The rear tyres are old and down to 4mm but at speed 60 to 70mph the car is smooth (roads are good) unlike local undulating ones here. Is there a way of checking? The stiffer springs hide a knackered shock on the bounce test. I disconnected the lower shock bolt on another car when changing a broken spring and was confident the rear shocks were good (no oil leaks, non jerky compression and release through entire compression and fairly fast movement). It turned out to be at fault and the noise disappeared on fitting two new rear shock absorbers. I'm looking at £150 for Sachs parts. Any other brand to consider. I ask because the local motor factor sold me ,'oem ' Vorstadt for the Astra and it is these that failed after 15k miles. I opted for Bilstein B4 for that car. Opinions on brands, what else to check? Etc

I have quite liked Brembo pads and discs, they have a quicker initial bite. Just fitted a whole new set on a non Skoda car and was looking to buy for my Fabia. The Apec front disks on my Fabia have done nearly 50k miles and the only judder I had was when the carrier bolt became loose due to rusted threads. After a few thousand miles after a new hub fitted the slight judder disappeared as the pads bedded back in. Maybe check the carrier bolts?

Mcgard brand is good. Replaced some on a land rover whose wheel nuts are 2 piece welded together and start to sheer and round. Eventually they separate and you have nothing to grab your hex socket or locking key with. The jaguar nuts are the same and even worse, even when torqued correctly.

A bit late reply, but try a socket set for rounded bolts, loads out there. Can't recommend a brand as once I bought a set I've never rounded a nut since. They are a hex socket but the hex is offset to 'bite' the now rounded bolt, obviously they won't fit the unrounded correct size bolt. Always spray PTFE containing penetrating oil at least 10 mins before tackling the job. I wouldn't use a spanner. If access tight try 3/8" drive breaker bar and slim socket. Hope this helps.

Have a look above gearbox you will find a bleed nipple on a black hose going above gearbox area. It shares brake fluid in brake fluid reservoir. You will need a pressure bleeder something like sealey vs820 bleeder. When Fabia clutch release bearing leaked brake fluid the clutch pedal wouldn't come back up. The low brake fluid due to leak allowed brakes to function but the clutch pedal acted up first (for safety). Check your brake fluid level. If low look under car. If no leak, then bleed clutch. Same nipple as on the brake calipers.

I took it to garage for £45. I don't have a vice, so it would have meant me going to parents and use theirs, then either use the hammer or the larger CV joint puller. Got the inner CV boot changed as this one has more angle / Flexi due to driveshaft being shorter on front left and I noticed it often splits. For £12 saves fath in a few years when it would have gone. Apparently, the gearbox doesn't leak oil when driveshaft taken off on this model. Garage did say the plastic specific fit outer CV boot was a pain to fit (that is all I could buy, although they said universal rubber might be better). I had to take it back down as the smaller crimp over driveshaft 3cm diameter was wandering over driveshafts between the two boots! There is a notch/depression in the driveshaft for it to seat.

Buy unpainted and spray yourself. 1. Zinc primer 2. Grey primer optional 3. Colour spray 4. Lacquer. Tip - I mount the new caliper in place on the carrier with the old one still connected to brake line but supported by bungee or zip tie. This way you are only disconnecting the brake line for less than a min. If you brim the brake fluid reservoir to overflowing, then place plastic food bag food wrap over brake reservoir then screw cap back you will not lose a drop of brake fluid when banjo removed from caliper. It creates a vacuum. One piece of thin polythene (thin) you don't want to cross thread reservoir cap. Use new copper or aluminium washer on banjo. Don't spray rattle can paint over where washer goes for banjo, even a lip of paint will cause you a leak. The brake fluid dissolves the paint under it then months later the banjo bolt washer leaks! Even with the banjo tight it will leak. Hope this helps. Abs module bleed (you got obd plug in tool? You will need it btw)

Inner CV boot kit

Final update As driveshaft coming off I thought I'd get the inner CV boot replaced. ECP image was incorrect for the GKN product. It came with one crimp (large end), metal plate flange with the 6 driveshaft bolt holes, wrong sized hub nut, circlip, grease. Apparently, no crimp needed for smaller end of boot (approx 3cm driveshaft diameter end) Amazon sell a febi hub nut for under £7 if I'd known. ECP ordered me hub nut and when I arrived I was greeted with a wheel nut!

If the threads have pulled out you can't cut new threads as you can't use a larger banjo nut due to fixed brake line ending. Helicoil requires you cut out threads and glue in new threads. Might work. I looked into this but never used. You are unlikely to remove banjo nut again unless you change brake line or the caliper. Worth a shot, but I'd check your brake lines are holding pressure. I think the kit is £20 plus and a new rear caliper £70 plus, maybe cheaper. Depends whether you want to play Russian roulette every time you brake. I'd buy a new caliper if it was my car.

The banjo nut that supplies brake fluid or the carrier for caliper? If former, I would buy as new caliper. If latter, remind me, does it go into rear axle or bolt on hub? Are threads removed. If not try a chaser. I always spray on penetrating fluid and go for a cuppa, but even after that treatment the rear carrier bolts were seized. A breaker bar 3/8" twisted an S2 steel laser hex bit before it removed rear carrier bolt. Luckily no thread damage.

I measured 9.8cm and the tool states 9.8cm clearance. I had to hammer tool in place. It needs the bigger CV puller I wasn't aware of. The driveshaft really needs to come off and garage are doing exactly this. The driveshaft just spun with little torque. Really needs clamping in a vice. Apparently, the inner driveshaft gets marked with gearbox before removal and this is important to ensure driveshaft is 'balanced'. Not sure about this. If I could of used the tool in situ this would have been a job for me. I have my garage but even under cover yes it is cold! I didn't have much choice as the CV boot had a cut in it and leaking. Didn't want to risk rain, salt , dirt getting in.

Laser CV joint puller is 11.5cm width rather than 9.8cm. It would work. £85 6th gear helped but driveshaft still turned when torqued up tool. Front wheels turn in unison. Does front differential work on when engine on and power applied? Ie front wheels turn independently.

I called dealer to price up CV boot kit. Used part number off old boot. Apparently, Skoda no longer make CV boots for the Fabia. You need to go aftermarket. Obsolete part. Priced up some 6speed gear oil in case garage decides to take off whole driveshaft. Previously, I changed it. £45 per litre (Fabia vrs takes 2l). Pricey stuff. Picked up outer CV joint kit from ECP. Despite photo, customer service online and a tel call to local shop all stating hub nut present, this was not the case. £10 separate item. No problem , but I now have to go back when not passing. Otherwise has all bits

Ok, I had another go this pm. Watching both videos I posted above involving CV joint puller I realised the problem. My outer CV joint metal cup is too wide for the puller. The two metal prongs touch the CV joint jamming it. See photo The end of the puller goes over the hub nut threads but then is a few cm from touching the CV joint over the threads that engage the wheel bearing - gap between my thumb and index finger. See photo Tightening the 12 point 35mm hub nut only serves to squeeze apart the two puller prongs. I took the clamp out btw of the puller. Reversing the tool, the hole at end is wider than the threads so this not the issue. I only seen this tool and those for use on trucks. Surely a Fabia doesn't have the largest CV joint of all cars? Distance between prongs of puller is 9.8cm I put driveshaft back on hub and ball joint back on. Probably going to take to garage 1/4 mile away and bag CV joint and tape ends to protect. Seems to be one of those jobs which is seldom done and needs pricier tools. I had to hammer prongs to position. Risks damage to threads when tightening if offset.

I bought for £15, but it wouldn't stand up to professional use. The two bolts have started to get flattened threads despite correct use and oiling. The laser one is £100 mark though. Watch what happens at 17mins 21s (crack!). He is giving it the beans though. First 30s of video is rather nice too.