Alasdair1

As a matter of interest what brand was the new one that caused the starting problems? Last thing you need is to replace a sensor with a new one that doesn't work. Alasdair

I use KYB shocks and springs etc all the time and have never had any problems. Fitted them to volvo,toyota,skoda,vw, plus others. Last rear pair was for a fabia. Think I found them online for about £30 each. Alasdair

Many thanks for the replies. Not looking for anything fancy or modern. something to run in the winter when weather is really bad and also suitable for towing and perhaps launching a boat if I ever get it sorted. Have an early Landrover 110 1987 which is permanent 4x4 with high/low and diff lock in transfer box but its petrol and at 20mpg on a good day plus god knows what the road tax would be these days. Its been off the road in a shed for years. Mechanicly sound but interior is shot due to an invasion of mice. Always meant to do it up but reckon I would have to convert to diesel to afford to run it which would cost a fair bit. Did think of LPG but finding aanyone selling it these days is impossible Didn't think of subaru estate so will have a look Alasdair

Yes there normally is a pr code but on all my skoda so far its been missing. I think the fabia rear cylinders are fairly easy as there are two options. One with two mounting bolts and the other with just one. Try brakeparts.co.uk They have a good website with info on identification etc. I then get my parts from whoever is cheapest as long as they are reputable brands.

Thanks, That makes sense. I will look into it further. As most cars etc you come accross these days are FWD with transverse engines it might be difficult to find one. I just fancied a more aggresive 4x4 system similar to Landrover with diff lock and selectabale high low ratio. Alasdair

Hi there, Thinking of getting a 4x4 for next winter but would prefer a full 4x4 system not haldex. Does anyone know if skoda/vw actually do a proper 4x4 like landrover etc or are they all haldex based. I drive octavia mk2 at the moment. Alasdair

Chances are it was leaking slightly somewhere and over 2 months of say a drip an hour would empty reservoir. I woud refill and bleed system then check for leaks. On my old octavia the clutch master failed but all the fluid ended up on the engine undertray. It was only when it got winched onto recovery truck it leaked out. On mine the brake/clutch reservoir is shared but think the brake fluid outlet is lower than the clutch so clutch fails first. If yours is empty then check the connection from reservoir to the brake master cylinder. They can leak at the reservoir.

I would replace the rear cylinders anyway. They arent expensive. Couldn't get my sons rear brakes to balance for MOT. MOT guy suggested to just change them both . When I took them off the NS one was weeping slightly but not really losing fluid and they looked ok but on closer inspection inside the seals were shot and a fair bit of corrosion/dirt build up which was stopping them leaking badly. New cylinders and brakes were spot on. Alasdair.

Dont think it needs any coding or recalibrating as I think it learns by itself. It may be that it takes a bit of time to settle in. MIght also be worth doing a compression test to see if all cylinders are pretty equal or perhaps coil pack failing. Meant to add check vaccum pipes as well. Alasdair.

The stop leak additives work on orings and rubber seals that have gone hard. They soften rubber and swell it slightly and generaly work for a while unless they are completely shot. Daughter has a 205 gti and got a replaement gasket on ebay for about £20-00 on hers its a rubber type shaped seal. Not sure on the 207 but if its rubber then an oil leak additive might work short term. Alasdair

I have a flexible drive in my 1/4 socket set that I use a lot plus add extra bars/universal joints etc to get to nuts like that On my sons fabia I think the new relay is actually cable tied to the old one. Alasdair

£400 is a bit steep!. Last one I bought was about £15.(after market) I would ask the dealer how much an oil sensor actually costs and how they came to diagnose the fault. On my old 1.9tdi I think I just unscrewed old sensor and replaced with new. Didn't take long so even if the sensor is £50 cant see £350 labour unless its a porche garage. Alasdair

My old garage said it happens a lot. Even if theres 10-15k left they will try and get you to change them. He reckons part of it is cause its still under waranty you have to take it to them to preserve the waranty another part is to cover themselves. Once its out of waranty the only folks I know that use main dealers are ones with loads of money or just don't have a clue how much more they charge or if the car is leased and it stipulates main dealer. Some folk also believe that cars worth more if serviced at dealers. That may be true but I reckon you are paying a lot more than you will save. As long as its got a full regular service history with service stamps etc is what I look for. Alasdair

If that is for your engine it makes sense. They normally get tightened from centre outwards in stages. If loosening then in the reverse order. Make sure he cleans out the thread holes in the block completely. All it takes is some coolant or oil and you can crack the block when tightening.(end of engine). Also clean bolts of grease/oil as this will increase torque. If I remember you should always use new bolts as they are stretch bolts especially if they have already been torqued twice now. I gave away my fabia MK1 workshop manual as I don't have the car so can't check for you ut someone on here will be able to confirm that the above is correct or not. Alasdair. When its all baack together I would drain and flush coolant system to get rid of any oil.

Meant to add I doubt it would be the battery as if its voltage had dropped to the point the car shut off it wouldn't start or turn over again. Same with key fob. The reader in the ignition barrel reads the chip in the key. The battery is to operate the lock unlock and I doubt once codes are cleared a new battery would make them appear again?

I think you need to get it scanned either at a dealer or someone with vcds. The scanners that RAC AA use sometimes don't pick up faults in certain sections. As previously said it does sound like an electrical fault that is ok when car is cool but happens once warmed up. A first place to check is the strip fuses in front of battery . They can look perfectly good but have a tendency to develop hair line cracks which are very difficult to see. The crack opens when warm and breaks the electrical circuit and reconnects when cool. Sons ABS warning used to come on every day after about 5 miles. Leave it for about half an hour and it was fine then back on again. Not sure what you mean by red electrical wave warning? Alasdair

Not sure but doubt it the weight of the engine even from one mount would distort the block. I have changed clutchs with engine lifted from one end and also removed engines with one hanger and had no problems. There are a couple of things I can think of. Cylinder head is warped and needing skimmed, Block itself is cracked or its the wrong gasket or gasket perhaps fitted upside down/back to front. Sorry I cant be of more help

Doesnt look good. Hopefully just waste oil in coolant passages but could be cracked head/block,head gasket perhaps wrong one? I wouldn't have thought some grease would cause the problem so soon unless its affected the heas bolts torque. Alasdair

Its fairly straight forward. Once its fitted from memory you turn engine over by hand a couple of times and check again. If the locking pins don't line up you can finely adjust with the three bolts on top wheel. When I used to drive volvo 940/960 I have in the past just marked old belt and pulleys with tipex and then just cut old belt off and used as a template. Marked new belt from old and lined everything up. Saved trying to work out where TDC was. I always use Gates and have never had a problem in at least 30 years. Just avoid the cheaper ones. Alasdair

Glad you got it fixed. The splined bolts on mine were nerve racking to undo as was the hub nut. When they finally came loose with 5 foot scalfolding tube and a loud crack I first thought I broke something. I did the timing belt on my 1.9tdi a few years back and it was fairly straight forward. I bought a cheap locking kit on amazon that did the job. I used a gates belt plus wpump kit. If I remember corectly there are three bolts on the top pully that can be loosened to finely adjust the timing if the locking pins don't quite line up with the new belt. One thing I did find was the amount of crap behind the plastic wheel arch which made me remove other side and clean it out as well. No wonder they start rusting at the bottom of the front wing/door pillar/sill. As for a stuck caliper years ago I would have bought a seal kit etc but now I just get a new one as the prices aren't too bad plus you get a new bleed screw that isn't seized solid. I also remove bleed screw and coat with copper grease for future removal. Couldn't work out how to drain coolant from block before removing wpump. Doesnt seem to be a drain plug on the 1.9bxe or I couldn't find it so be prepared for a bit of coolant spillage. I drained mine from bottom of rad first but I found out that there was still a good bit in block. Alasdair

If the key isn't being reckognised by the ignition I would suspect a faulty transponder chip in the key. The fact the other one works tells me the reader coil in the ignition etc is working. It may have been damaged somehow or perhaps fallen out when the battery was changed. A decent car locksmith may be able check and copy the chip in the good key for you. Alasdair

I agree as well Faulty brakes do not drive even to garage! If you have an accident and you know the brakes are faulty you are very liable. Its also shocking that a dealer would let the car go without resolving the problem and telling you if it fails again bring it back is wrong on so many levels. I would perhaps check to see if theres another dealer near you and if its under waranty contact Skoda direct. It could be a number of things but if the fluid level is ok and no leaks I would suspect a failed brake master cylinder thats allowing fluid past the seals internally. As said get it transported to garage or get them to pick it up if its still under waranty. Alasdair

Had a quick google and a few posts came up with dirty/failed throttle body plus throttle position sensor/pedal sensor. Might be worth checking and cleaning throttle body as well. Alasdair

I would get the EGR valve checked to see if its sticking. As it tends to do it in traffic it may well be the problem. If I remember EGR works at lower revs etc. MY old Seat altea had similar problems but it was the valve on the EGR cooler that was sticking. Alasdair

Not sure difficult to hear on my laptop as speakers are rubbish. If its a diff bearing then it would need Gbox out and inspected plus repair then probably a new clutch and slave as its done 115k as you may as well if the box is out. I assume the garage checked the drive shafts etc for play and wear. As it does it when accelerating I assume its when theres power/under load. It could be a CV joint /drive shaft etc. My Octavia judders/wobbles when accelerating but stops when you stop accelerating. In my case after a lot of checking I think it may be a worn drive shaft or one out of balance on mine. Alasdair