VanhireBoys

Cracking morning in Patch - its shopping day then I promise I will wash her ! Unclean Unclean !

The poor wee car. I hate to see a cars future existence hang in the balance like this I wonder is it worthwhile sourcing a breaker then stripping what you need off it and selling the rest ...? You do need room to do this and its a lot of work but definitely worth considering if you get the right breaker - Your trade friends im sure will give you assistance !!

Lads - Thanks a million for all the replies and sep for that very clear picture of the runner and clamp - There's deffo no way that can come out without the plastic getting broken ! From working with classics I'd guess that the plastic has got brittle over time. Ahhh well I have to resign myself to the simple fact that I will be replacing the carrier and drilling out the rivets - I will replace with tech screws and I'll do both sides !! I did replace the red-light on the drivers side door which was always missing ! 😆 Im going to have to gather up the new carriers and I'll do this when the car goes in for a bit of a tidy up - Getting a few bodywork jobs done soon, not for cosmetic reasons but just to keep on top of a few spots that are starting here and there ! As I said before my car is no show pony but a good work horse and because of you lads there is no guesswork - Thanks again

Well I changed the glass again back to the tinted ones ! With the glass out of the door and looking in the gap at the top. I could see the clamp - By getting the extendable magnet down in and picking up the clamp then pushing the loom aside with a welding rod with my other hand it came out the top of the door The picture below is what it looks like ! so I knocked it out rather than loosening it too much ! I got hold of one from a 04 Leon but it was totally different. It had come out of the plastic piece which is driven by the cable along the runner - A quick check of HatBoy Harvey confirmed I can see where it has to go but you cant get a right grip of it to reinstall it in the clip - So a lot of swearing and blinding and chat about drilling out the rivets of the window mechanism again! So I again put the glass in the front clip[ as kids had to be collected ! I have ordered a very long set of pliers with a 90deg tip so I can reinstate the clamp in the clip Im getting quite prolific at taking the door cards off😄

Well now - its a smart pup that educates the dog ! Thanks for that DM ! That makes perfect sense - AppLus the NCT private operator are not going to invest a big wad of cash to equip all the test centres with proper equipment so its a testers estimation in meters ! Its seems the Irish way of doing things is alive and well !! There will be no problem with the vRSDi when you take her up for the smoke test !

Thanks a Mill Wino ! The drivers window has to operate but they don't check the passenger side ! Well she absolutely flew the test - clean sheet pass - no advisories and no bodywork issues so I'm really happy ! Another year Ive never had any problem with smoke or emissions - They rev the nuts off it 3 times and this makes me cringe so I leave the car with them and go elsewhere. I got a figure of 0.100 /m and due to her being of a certain age Euro 3 I'm allowed 2.50/m - what this actually means i haven't a clue ! My car doesn't smoke too bad, the only time is a cold start but there does be a trace on the bumper and tailgate if I don't wash it for a long time. I'm setting about the window job tomorrow and I'll take the speaker out and use the extendable magnet - otherwise I will have to turn her on her nose and shake her till it falls out 😅 I'm not great at taking pictures but I will do tomorrow and let yous know how I get on !! Thank again Lads for the advice !!

I went trawling this forum a long time ago looking for sommit unrelated and found this WRC inspired Mk1 Fabia - Its a wee while ago and I don't know if that particular car is still around or what ever happened to it or where the kit was sourced from (did the back doors come from spares that were in Budapest or did I dream that ...?) Some of the more senior fellas about here might remember this one ! She looks the part and is as close as I've ever seen to a WRC

Lads - A big thanks to you all for the suggestions ! You know this forum has always come up with the info that I need and its my go to when it comes to my Fab. The grabby tool is definitely sommit I will have to get, Its really useful - I do have an extendable magnet so I'll give it a go when I have the door cards off again !! When I bought the car it came with Dark Smoke tinted windows all round and the previous owner gave me 2 standard windows for the front of the car "For the test". This ritual I have continued. Well I don't go touring the town late at night anymore and my driving consists of commuting and domestic duty so the chances of getting hassle from the Garda is very slim. Anyway a man of my years (50) has no business engaging in socially unsavory practices - I do like the look of the tinted windows against Diamond Silver if I am honest and if I was advised to lose them then fair enough but its easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission. NCT is tomorrow morning so I've done the due diligence - Light alignment, new wiper blades, fixed an alloy, 2 new tyres and a load of kid mess taken out so we will see how she fares out.

Hi All ..... ! So I have to fess up - I've made a bit of a boo boo this afternoon A handy job that I have done at least 5 times in the last 3 years has eventually bitten me...! I change the front windows back to factory every time I NCT the car and once I have the cert I go back again. Job is fairly handy and everything on the Fabia is a good fit only this time due to my own sheer carelessness, familiarity and rushing I inadvertently dropped the rear clamp of the left hand side window down into the door cavity. Instead of just loosening it off I went too far and it dropped down. I put it all together again with the front clamp only and hope that the window isn't operated .... As far as I can see I will have to drill out all the rivets of the window mechanism to get it out as it seems there are no handy access holes to work with ... Then re rivet it all back again ! Am I correct in this or does any one have any suggestions that might be handier ...? Feel like a right tool now Familiarity Breeds Contempt - How true is that one ? Thanks in Advance Lads !

Id say stick with the standard setup - I had a gearbox blow up about 2 years ago and at the time I went with a Sachs DMF and a Sachs SRE clutch kit along with the release baring and slave cylinder ! Its good practice to changeout the slave cylinder. - The one we took out of mine was in good shape but its no harm when the gearbox is out As long as its good quality standard parts you put into her - I used all Sachs stuff but there are loads of OE alternatives - Middle of the road is perfectly fine, Avoid cheap and nasty ! Check the starter solenoid connection as well while its all stripped again no harm - Have I missed sommit - feeling I have

Great video Kharl - Absolutely beautiful place - The weather ... I'm so jealous ...! I said it before we all need to come visit you

I'm going to throw in a curve ball here !! I had a mk3 cavvy which had a power ariel on the back left quarter- we filled it and sprayed it leaving me with no radio I put in a Bosch Autofun (from memory) behind the rear view mirror and the reception was perfect I came across this on fleabay - which is probably a rip off version - might be worth doing or summit similar - https://www.ebay.ie/itm/CAR-INTERNAL-GLASS-WINDSCREEN-MOUNT-AMPLIFIED-AERIAL-ARIEL-ARIAL-ANTENNA-RMA819-/290546870660?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0 Otherwise you could be looking at replacing mast and cable along with an amplifier? Ive seen some VW group cars with a mast that has the amplifer built in with switched feed from the radio like an amp has ? Now I'm talking late 90s Audis with the beesting type ariel- A4 avant springs to mind ! I think Corsa B and Astra C had them as well ? Now this info could be classed as the ramblings of an old git who is stuck in the early 90s not realising that time has moved on but it might be useful too 😉

Kharl you are a legend ! I knew it would be close but having the overnight charge and unbolting the PAS fuse made the difference ! Well its the first time that range anxiety was experienced in an internal combustion car ! Great achievement well done !

That fuse is a 50A but a quick search has brought me up fuse 3 from the left then I saw Fuse 5 from the left - This is not helping !! What year is your car as there are small differences- really need to check a wiring diagram for your car to make sure ! Lads posted this many moons ago but its for a TDI

This reminds me of Apollo 13 when they had to try and fire up the command module At what lower setpoint does the ECU shut down the engine and ancillaries ? If Kharl knew this he could get pulled up safely before the shutdown .... Kharl if you get away with this you and your Fabia will be talked about for years to come ! Its a gutsy move to chance it but no guts no glory !

A lot of considerations to take into account - Im only going to put myself in your scenario and I will probably miss sommit. I had to drive with a broken drive belt although it was 45miles and an old Cavvy 2.0 litre petrol. She was on her last legs for the last 500m and died at the house The battery will demand around 50A for 15-20 mins in order to recover from the initial startup. Better to bump start her if you can Disconnect the power steering fuse - The steering will be really heavy but it will steer - You will get all sorts of warnings but you will know Headlights, Blower fan and Heated rear screen are not to be used. Don't use the air con if its fitted Relatively speaking as long as the fuel pump and ECU keep running chances are good. If you can hook up a multi meter to the battery to keep an eye on the voltage. Once it reaches about 10v the car will start to shut down stuff. Have a back up plan or mates who can come and get you should it go wrong ...! Make sure you tell us how you get on - Go but know the risks !! Good Luck Lad !!

I wonder if your heater matrix is leaking ? This happened me a few years ago and I diagnosed it by bypassing it under the bonnet... It was absolutely baltic in the car so I had to wrap up but no steamy windows ...! I got a cheap matrix off Euro carparts and its still only tepid... It was a lot of stripping but thanks to this forum I managed it myself I still have only a tepid heater but I just got over myself but at least the steam isn't too bad !!

Usually lads drill out the Fabia crashbar using a hole saw - Might save a lot of faffing and hassle ..! I could be wrong in this and I'm open for correction but the advantages of modifying the bar for extra airflow are minimal unless you are racing, tracking or rallying her .

There is a guide here and its fairly comprehensive and clear - I am hopefully going to have a go at this myself sometime ! https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/171040-guide-fitting-seat-sport-fmic/

Thanks for the reply's lads Well as long as I can still get diesel fuel at the pumps to run the car I'll keep doing it - I was just wondering what the alternative would be once petrol/diesel is gone altogether as there will be older vintage and historic vehicles that people might want to use. I have another 20 years to work so that's 2042 ... After this I'll have free public transport and I'll not give a fiddlers how I get somewhere ... 2050 is the cut off for petrol/diesel so If I can I will keep running until then I spotted that VW are still investing in research and development in diesel so they haven't just given up yet ! https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/vw-won-t-give-up-on-diesels-tdi-can-now-run-on-paraffinic-fuel/ar-AARRmv1?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531

Hi All There is an attempt at the minute to brainwash people that all DERVs are the cause of the global environment crisis - Now in years to come diesel will no longer be available (so we are led to believe). This whitewash is only an attempt to sell more vehicles and bolster the car industry. Well myself and my wife's cousin who is just as mechanically inquisitive as myself have stumbled on an alternative fuel .... Its a mix of home-heating oil (Kerosene) and compressor lubricating oil Fuchs Renolin AC46 (not unlike baby oil) We mix this on a 60:40 ratio. He works for a large outfit which does a lot of maintenance. They are only too happy to give him the oil they take out of the compressors at service time...! So its free We initially tested on a tired Focus TDDi that had the mechanical fuel injection pump and it ran no issues - His everyday vehicle is a Citroen Xantia HDi and we decided to run her on it. We were led to believe that this would damage the injectors and pumps but that is not the case and she runs sweet. No smoke and passed the emissions test at the NCT 28% cleaner than last year...! We havent put it into anything over Euro 3 yet but I am fairly confident that this will work up to Euro 5 .. Id like to put a tankful in a car with a DPF in to see if it would damage it but nobody is willing to supply a guinea pig ...!! Now comparing the normal B7 and our own fuels side my side they are very similar but getting pulled by the customs might be another story ... They generally just look for marked agri diesel which apparently will knobble the DPF anyway. We will not be bullied out of our DERVs - I have another 20 years to work until I retire and a DERV is my only option as my commute is 33 miles each way and a hybrid or full electric is unsuitable. Home heating oil is below the radar at the minute and as long as its still available we will be okay ?

Nice work DM... Very discreet ! Its kind of a must to have spots in a rural area .... I'm a big fan of extra lighting !!

That's bad luck .. My gearbox whined for a year first then lost 5th gear followed by 4th. I was trying to nurse it along until it siezed solid and broke the centre out of the clutch pressure plate. I got a second hand box and a new dual mass flywheel and Sachs SRE clutch kit and its been good enough but you have to take it easy on the box as it crunches in second as the dog rings are probably not great. The gearbox I got was from a 06 with no warranty ... but its good enough and hasnt gotton any worse yet ! I cant see it being anything other than the gearbox itself. If 5th and 6th were hard to find id say a selector issue but at least you have warranty but its a pain and labour to take the box out and put another in - Just go through it again - A breakers sometimes take the oil out of the box so make sure that the box is full of oil but your garage would have checked this .... Im baffled ...!!

As Ryan said above - Judge the car on the condition and test drive. As yet and I am open for correction on this the Mk1 Fabia tends not to suffer catastrophic rot. Get a good look around and satisfy yourself that all is in order - Make sure the panel gaps and paint finish are uniform. Any crash damage and signs of fresh paint would ring alarm bells with me anyway. The person selling - are they trustworthy ....? Take the car for a drive - Are you happy with the way it drives? - Does it pull to the left or right ? Does it make untword grinding when you brake ? Does it brake square ? Does it bounce or rattle when it hits a bump or a ramp ? All these can be used to bargain with but altogether and Id walk away !! Do a bit of due diligence and a HPI check or take a friend or relative along and get their take on it ! I know of a 1.4 TDi with 172k miles and still going great - The secret is regular servicing and driven sympathetically. £1200 ..? Offer them £900 and see what way they are thinking .. Then go half split every time a figure is mentioned ... I love to haggle and bargaining. 😆

Make sure the calipers arent sticky from lack of use I know this as I recently got involved with a V6 TT that had been abandoned outside behind a garage for 3 years ! Only reason was the tax is €1800+ A friend is restoring her and the calipers were basically junk so he done the decent thing and used them as exchange for a refurbished set - You want to see the timing belt but thats off topic !!