KenM

Thanks, Trapdoor. I spotted one on Ebuy for (I think) £100. I had heard that getting to the module under the dash board can be a "joy"! My Superb is a dream to drive, but I can do without the drama of a flat battery. Also, I live just outside of London's ULEZ bandit territory, and the car is a non-compliant diesel. The Runes are telling me to part-exchange it for another, more recent, model.

An independant auto electrician has diagnosed battery drainage as being caused by a faulty Body Control Module. It appears that the BCM is hidden somewhere i the bowels of the dashboard. The guy estimated having the module replaced would cost in the region of £300. Has anyone had experience of having the module replaced, or even undertaken the work themselves? TIA.

On their website, they claim to be "Up to 50% cheaper than dealership prices".

Just checked - £300 to £308 for "Manufacturer Original Remote Key"; £200 for "Non Branded Remote Key"; £99 for "Non Remote Key" This is for a 2018 Fabia, and many Timson branches don't offer the remote keys. The Boss is checking to see if she can get hers replaced on the car's warranty.

In general, the advice is to start bleeding the brake furthest way from the master cylinder, and gradually work closer.

Thanks Polaris and AGFalco for pointing out the problem and solution. You've probably saved a few Fabia owners a bit of dosh!

I've no experience with non-OEM units, but it occurs to me that it should be possible to get a sheet of translucent coloured plastic (red, blue?) to cover the screen and reduce the glare. Alternatively, Google "Xtrons android unit" and "glare" to see if anyone else has found a solution. Good luck, and please keep the group posted on success (or otherwise). Ken

You would also need to think about notifying your insurers about the modification.

Our local Halfords have a good range (Bosch, own brand and another I can't recall ATM), and reasonable priced too. My car is parked outside in all weathers, and I replace all wiper blades about this time of year (in the run up to autumn / winter weather).

It makes sense to get the water pump changed while the mechanic is in that area. I think it might even be mentioned in the service schedule. Good time also to change the belt tensioner.

Hi Graham. I've had a similar problem with a mini-spider suddenly dropping down in front of my face while I was on the road. I don't have a thing against spiders - it was just the sudden appearance which might have made me lose control of the car. This isn't something I've tried myself, but offer it up as a relatively cheap / simple solution: www.bhg.com/homekeeping/house-cleaning/tips/natural-spider-repellents/ Good luck, and please let the group know if you find a successful solution. Ken

Bit of a long shot, but might a dab of clear nail varnish do the job?

We had a similar problem with SWMBO's 2018 Fabia 3. When attempting to start the car, this error message appeared on the MaxiDot display: Key not detected. Hold key next to marked surface. Owners manual! The correct battery is CR2025. In the absence of these, a CR2032 was used. The battery diameter is the same, but the thickness is 3mm less. The substitute battery is not a perfect fit, but it does work. The key batteries are rated at 3v. Voltage in the key batteries were 3.04v and 3.01v. The new / unused C2032 were 3.73v. In theory, there was no reason why the keys should not have worked with the old batteries. However, a change of batteries restored keys back to normal function.

It is possible to switch on the Columbus system without the ignition being switched on. I've had the radio on while parked and, after approx 30 min, a warning popped up on the screen - the radio will be switched off automatically to avoid a flat battery. It is possible to turn it back on again, but don't do it too often!

Just to add my experiences etc: 1) The power socket is always live. Do not make my mistake and leave a device plugged in, as it will (and did!) fully drain the battery. Absolutely nothing worked - even the key fob could not open the door. As an aside, all Superb owners should find out how to open the driver's door without the fob - look it up NOW! If you get a flat battery, with doors locked, you need to be able to get inside to release the bonnet catch to get to the battery. 2) When I fitted my Mivue dash cam, I wired it up to the fuse panel by the driver's door. I also bought their "battery saver" which monitors the battery voltage and disconnects the dash cam power supply when voltage drops to a level which IIRC you can set yourself.

I recommend a couple of different-sized trim tools for any tool box - I've found them surprisingly versatile.

My apologies - I should have addressed my comments to the OP. My role in life is to make things more complicated than necessary!

If I've understood correctly, #Derbyshirebod, you don't want seat settings etc "changed" when using the key in question. You might find it easier to simply program it to match the other key. That way, there won't be any changes to notice. I'd be interested to hear if this achieves what you want.

This might help with the change of language on Maxidot. All I've done is Google the German equivalent of the English. 1) Somewhere near the bottom of the MxiDot menu, you'll find Settings (Einstellungen). Select this. 2) look for Language (Sprache). Select this and then select English. I hope this works - please report back with progress. Good luck! Ken

I had a similar problem decades ago, on a non-Skoda car. The problem was a knackered Bendix pinion.

This looks similar to the socket used for diagnostics (OBDMI?), but mine is located under the dashboard (driver's side in the UK).

If it's a new battery and more importantly, still under warranty, I recommend taking it back to Eurocarparts and ask them to test it. I had recently had a similar problem with a battery, 3 and a half years into a 4 years warranty. They tested it, found it faulty, and replaced it with a new one without any fuss. That's what I call good service.

I found my bonnet release mechanism had become quite stiff. The solution was the liberal application of a weather-proof grease to the mechanism under the bonnet.

I'm looking into ways to protect the catalytic converter on my Superb II. Has anyone done this successfully, or got thoughts on how to go about it. Thanks.

Treat yourself to car clip removal tool. They'll let you remove these clips without damage, and they are very helpful in removing door cards too. If you look around, you'll find them "cheap as chips" and it's worth thinking about getting a couple of different sizes.