Cheapas

I stand corrected then, didn't realize cars have advanced that much over the years . Maybe that goes with a few dealer forums I've read where the modern younger motorist buys a car on pcp with the maintenance package and never expects to check levels between services under the bonnet. Got MOT Friday, always take car for 3rd gear run before to warm engine up for emissions. On the wife's Megane with temp gauge can judge optimum moment to dump car with garage, with the Fabia it's guesswork.

Interesting brochure. Under standard equipment states - tyre repair kit / no spare wheel option available. Really? Are repair kits that good they can repair blow outs / kerbing? Maybe it's an age thing but in the unlikely event I ever bought a new car a spare wheel and temperature gauge would be a deal breaker for me. When we bought our greenline all it had was a can of tyre sealant and a tyre inflator. Bought spare wheel off eBay straight away. Regarding the temp gauge has no one else in years past found themselves stuck in traffic, watching that guage start to creep upwards, and then done the old trick of putting heater on full blast to drop temp ? As Urbanpanzer says when the red light comes on its probably too late, especially if it's August and your queuing for the Stonehenge roundabout on the A303 with the kids and wife......

Just out of curiosity which Mr Clutch did you use? Nice to hear the comprehensive warranty that it came with, just wonder if they'd genuinely honour it or try and put it down to wear and tear, especially as if I remember right you're a driving instructor? The clutch on my Fabia rattles in neutral intermittently too, it was changed when I purchased it by the dealer. Presumably he saved on cost of release bearing.

Yes, taxed it the other day. Much more pleasant paying £20 as opposed to the £270 we used to pay. In fact hopefully with tax and fuel saving fabia will self pay for itself over 4 years, touch wood. Wouldn't call a temp guage a distraction, especially when sitting in traffic.

Thanks all for advice. Weather depending I'll have a go Tuesday. Got several jacks etc, if not Screwfix have compressors for £20. Thanks all for advice. Weather depending I'll have a go Tuesday. Got several jacks etc, if not Screwfix have compressors for £20.

Thanks 26DIPP, always helpful to have a diagram / photo. Is the sprint compressor really necessary? Video I watched he just dropped bottom bolt out of shock, lowered arm and pulled spring out. Having said that he did have the car on workshop lift.

The lack of temp guage was asked in Car Mechanics mag a while back. The advice was to buy something called a scan guage that plugs into the OBD port, and provides among other things the coolant temperature. Not sure where the OBD port is on my fabia, and whether it would be visible when driving. Also when I last looked they were £90 ish, not cheap.

Thanks Keith, mine too

Self prime fine until you run into a problem. Read a post on here chap had to change split fuel pipe and had murders trying to get it to prime up . Been there myself with an older Astra changing fuel filter which went wrong. Just think it's something that should be there, less strain on battery, starter etc if you're hand priming first b4 spinning over. The chap on here I mentioned was at it 3 days poor sod; although think it was his first diesel. As for no temp guage, love to know the thinking behind that one.

Mrgf, one of the higher price models you say, so where's my temperature gauge? Can't believe that's an optional extra? ! Got the original invoice where the first owner specced the car; silver paint, mats, air con etc. If it had been me I'd have wanted a temp guage, spare wheel and a priming bulb on the diesel line.

Thanks all. Got correct spec springs arriving Tuesday. Keith and mrgf, can I ask how high your handbrake levers are?

Thanks Keith for the advice. I took both drums off to do an annual clean up, check cylinders for leaks and de glaze shoes. The drums didn't come off too easily, and when refitted and spun 1 side feels easier to rotate than other , although both feel as though they are scraping on shoes, so wouldn't think there's much tolerance for adjustment outwards. Think next Tuesday I'll try again. I've always just sprayed brake cleaner over the shoes/springs /pivot points etc, maybe I need to take one side to pieces at a time ( with a few photos and other side as reference) and do a more thorough lubrication. Is it possible after this to adjust shoes with drum in situ? IE adjust them so drum can't turn , then back them off gradually or must adjustment be made with drum off? Sorry, just reread your post- you state adjustment is done with drum off.

Forgot to mention, not impressed with Killens customer service or lack of. Rang their head office to query code numbers to be told they ' categorically' do not deal with general public. Explained just wanted to verify part number, can't do that, and fobbed me off with a supplier miles from me. Weird attitude when I'm trying to buy their product. Hey ho.

Ok all sorted hopefully! Never thought finding springs for a Fabia would be so much trouble. As I said I'm lucky in having 3 good factors locally, never normally have any problem getting parts. Thanks everyone for the code numbers and recommendations, very helpful. So I've bought 2 springs from a company called Parts In Motion. Had a chat with a helpful lady who said OE number was 6Q0511115 which = KYB RA5136. Even then their own system said they were wrong, but she said it's their system not recognizing the code and it's correct. Anyway, £54 for the both with FedEx delivery on Tuesday, fingers crossed. Pushed MOT back till next Friday, so hopefully all good. On shift at work all Easter so wouldn't have time to do anything sooner. On holiday from Tuesday so should have time to sort, still not 100% happy with handbrake, took drums off, cleaned up , shoes have 5/6 mill still on them and have adjusted up cable in cab. Still seems to come a long way up on lever, so when I've got wheels off next week for springs I'll have another go, or bite bullet and change cables. Thanks again all.

Find out tomorrow ! Not holding my breath tbh, but you never know........

Ok, thanks. If I could find a standard Fabia be interesting to see height difference. ECP have 2 KYB springs for £19 ! total with their constant discount. These are just standard Fabia springs, I'll make a call tomorrow to see what catch is , hopefully just a discontinued line.

Thanks Wino, yes I imagined some difference. As long as it's legal and doesn't look like something out of a rappers video, not too bothered. Always presumed my Fabia was a bog standard small family estate, any idea why being a Greenline apart from having a dpf it's different parts wise to a standard Fabia? Would have thought running gear would be same to save on production costs.

Thanks Sepulchrave, I'll put this to my normal factor tomorrow. They even deliver for free same day , so hopefully can pull old ones off while waiting for new.

2008 1.4 tdi mk2 greenline. Don't really want to go ebay route as need car for work, no time to faff about returning wrong items. General UK courier network seems stretched at moment, we've had a few problems lately, so would rather buy locally, even if it means paying extra. I'm lucky in having 3 chains of factors locally, so usually able to haggle.

Thanks for the replies, always impressed how quickly you get a reply here. Sepulchrave, am I understanding you correctly that if I change both I can use standard fabia springs? Thanks Wino, I did notice the other side had some dots on, didn't think anything of it, I'll stick my head under tomorrow. Not sure if these are the original springs, would coil springs from factors come with these dots also? My local EuroCarParts have them from Friday, I could take one of the old ones to match up. Hope they are as easy to change as on the video, with the decreasing condition of our roads, particularly within TFL's patch where supposedly every journey matters (yeah right) its a skill useful to learn.

Evening all, So while checking car over before MOT next week noticed ns rear spring had piece broken off in bottom cup. Spring still in place, but presume will need changing. Not having changed one before and seeing as wheel was off had a quick Google, found a video admittedly for a mk1, but looked similar. Bottom nut cracked off fine on shock, so got excited and rang local factors. Excitement faded when he said they couldn't get one, ( very unusual for them) and to be careful as it was a Greenline. So questions are firstly is it as easy as it looks on video ; ie drop bolt out of bottom of shock, lower and spring should pop out? Secondly should you replace both rears on what is basically a commuting car used twice a week? Other side is still ok. Thirdly why did factor say be careful ( should have asked him myself I know)? Euro Car Parts do list one under my registration, £48 ouch. Factor recommend a company called Killens , but not sure if they sell to man in street. Lastly, sorry , been failed on MOT on snapped front spring before, fair enough. The Fabia has maybe just a inch and a half broken piece sitting in bottom cup. Would that constitute a failure? Obviously want to get it replaced , but MOT next Wednesday so not sure if it needs fixing for a pass. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi mrgf Thanks for the info. I've used the same garage 14 years for MOTs, and I trust them not to manufacture work. On the rare fail they've always explained why and even given advice on how to fix it myself. Told me once they had no need to manufacture as always busy with work. Having said that he did fail me once after putting wheel on wrong side (rotation direction wrong ) ! Out of curiosity is the ULEZ going to affect you? Will you have to change cars?

The largest Halfords cool box come with mains plug as well, not sure about the smaller ones. Great cool boxes , very reliable. As a tramper we've run them 7 days a week, day and night . As also an ex-caravanner and notoriously tightfisted , from experience even the cheaper sites ie the 5 pitch Cls and Cs affiliated with the 2 main clubs have electric hook up. Think we used to pay nine/ ten pound per night and they are everywhere. Well worth joining either the Camping and Caravanning club or the Caravan club to access these. So with the Halfords cool box your sorted, 12v plug during driving, then use its mains plug on site. Only weak point on cool box was cigarette plug. Needs a good straight connection or they burn out.

I've got one of those voltmeters myself . £1 off Amazon. Really handy for the price. Till you trace problem you could take one battery lead off at night , save agg of jump starting , as long as you can manually use door locks. Done it myself in past with ropey batteries.

Thanks all. Before car is tested I'll Jack back axle up and have a play to see if I can get the click number down. Yesterday just rocking car at click 5 was barely moving, click six solid. Appreciate tho not on rolling road. Car has cambelt fitted but also balance shaft and chain. Apparently the balance shaft can be the weak spot on these engines, (plastic construction) which the chain wears away. Think the engine is fitted to certain Audi cars, plenty of horror stories on their A2/A3 ? forums about the balance shaft/chain failure. Somewhere on here or the Audi forum is a post from a very clever chap detailing with photos how he changed his balance shaft and chain at home, just wow.