VanhireBoys

That makes sense to me now !! You are right for the cars that did blow up were all petrol engined and Japanese.... Mostly melted pistons - Probably not helped by the machinery operator ! I see a few lads are selling ready mapped ECU's with the immobiliser bypassed - I'm not sure if you send your original back again.

I have seen cars badly mapped by cowboys here in "Ah shure it will be sound" Galway with disastrous and expensive results. This makes me a bit wary. If a map is from a reputable source I suppose it will be fine but I'm still not convinced but that's just me - I drive people nuts at times questioning

If the car isn't rolling well get that sorted first and foremost ! What's the tyre pressures like ..? It's a good idea to take the car to a reputable place and have it tracked/aligned. This may uncover other suspension issues. Having a car that doesn't handle, steer or brake right and then mapping it is just asking for trouble. After this you can go chasing a map .. 600 you say for a map ...? Is **** Turpin selling that ? That's way too expensive ..! +1 on the Shop around .. Better still get it properly set up on a rolling road .. I personally don't like the idea of a generic map. You should be able to get this done for way less than 600...!

Happens a lot here !!

A very well explained breakdown of our VRT and Tax system - it's a joke at best and not fair at all We don't see customs about here until a yellow played vehicle is in the area - then they weep with greed If you pulled stunts like that in France the motorists would wreck the joint ! We just get screwed at every turn ! Loads of folk around the border will get away but I'd be guaranteed to get caught ! All you lads are lucky in the UK !

Yeah welcome to the rip off republic...... ! 1700 in NOx is a tight kick in the h**e and for what ? To fill the coffers of a corrupt regime ... We aren't allowed to drive what we want and what we like. Makes me want to scream There are loads of nice cars in the UK with proper specs, proper service history and the right money but we just get screwed when we try to import them here. We are left with total and utter piles of Done Deal junk with inter-galactic miles and abused every one of them. The like of that vRS just does not exist here - Its Paddy keep driving and dont service till it stops. My tax is €673 but im going to keep the car on the road for as long as I possibly can as a two finger salute to the establishment ! Nice to see another Briskodian in Ireland !!

Mine only has the metallic paint out of them goodies - Thats where the Comfort badges come from then

Absolutely agree ! I'd say a good 70-80% of vRS mk1's have been modified in some shape or form (mine included) This isn't necessarily bad but if a car has 26k miles and is original then it's sacrilege. At 6k yes it's dear but look at the big picture ! The Golf GTi, XR3, Astra GTE and 205 GTi could have been had for small money 20 years ago but one with 40k FSH and garaged cant be got for any less than 10k. 6k will discourage the "wrong hands" Even a MK2 Escort shell is big bucks ! Throw in matching numbers and an RS badge and it's crazy prices The original ones need to be kept original now as over the next 5-6 years numbers will decline sharply ! These cars are a happy accident and they are the last of the affordable fun vehicles - They are just so good and need to be kept alive !

I say definitely yes .. There are a few left totally standard that need minded now I saw this and its worth it - I cany take my eyes off it https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-fabia-vrs/233769622459?hash=item366dc15bbb:g:tTgAAOSwfmFfo2kZ This makes mine look a right s**tebox but mine gets used a lot and it has loads of war wounds I would love a totally standard one to keep but - I have no where to keep it and to bring it into Ireland it will cost me €2400 in nOX charges and €640 in VRT ... and then the tax is €673 per annum Hopefully this car finds a nice sympathetic home..... !

Thanks again lads for the explanations- I find all this very interesting - There is a reason for every component to be there ! I am in the middle of rescuing of all things a 1983 Porsche 924 at the minute- she is Bosch K Jetronic. So it's great for me to have this info just so I can have a better understanding I am learning as I go and you know there's a feel good factor ! Sorry for the tangent lads ! I

Thanks for taking the time to explain that - Very interesting.. Every day is a school day ....!

Very interesting - you would nearly think that this device is redundant in a fuel injected engine as the management would decide on air and engine temps and compensate ! Well if it's jammed on hot then that would have a detrimental effect on performance ! In Mk3 Cavaliers this device was in the airbox to stop the fuel in the caburettor from freezing in cold weather ! Just my 10p I the ring sorry lads !

My dad was a rally scrutineer here in Ireland in the 80s and 90s - some death traps were weeded out and rightly so ! I could tell a story or 2 about bodges 😂 Sorry for the off topic again !! I agree with sepulchrave after having witnessed a supposed 340bhp Golf Mk4 which was cowboy mapped let go in a big way ! Let's think things through shall we ?

There will be a voltage drop caused by the length of cable. You will need to go 50mm2 on the positive side and a really decent short run earth strap will need bolted really well ! An anchor plate from a set of seatbelt harnesses welded to the floor is an ideal solution ! This sort of cranking current in the passenger compartment needs careful consideration - ideally a battery box and make sure the battery is secured correctly Last thing you want is a battery breaking loose in an accident - if you go see an agricultural vehicle spares outfit they will supply proper cables and earth straps ! The RAC MSA Blue Book is very handy Good enough to race/rally good enough for the road !

Thats great news - Glad thats it sorted .. Its a good job I wasnt involved I would have had everything apart and going in a complete tangent and still not sort it Simple at the end

Its funny how the conversation has changed from Is this covered by my warranty? to How do I clear the service light? to How do I fit a front mounted intercooler and lowering springs? to My headlights are going dull to my car has an intermittent start and finally it will be Bodywork issues... Its great that this forum has captured the full story of the model from the start - Now that these cars are getting on a bit the cost of repairs are well in excess of the cars monitory value - This leads to very high cull rate.. I was on my way to collect a 1.4 diesel that was going for €100 .. She was good enough body wise but had an engine issue of unknown origin - The scrap men just came with a grab and put her on a lorry.. I wanted to cry - Another car lost. It breaks my heart If the wee cars are kept an eye on and any rust/paint issues do surface then its easy to sort in the early stages. Its not a concours at Pebble Beach we are talking here - Its rubbing it down, sealing priming and painting with a rattle can .. This can be done quite reasonably and will make sure the car will last and give good service for a few more years.

You will have to delve into the wiring diagram I'm afraid - I just cant see the relationship between the door and the key apart from the lights. It could be a short but why are the lights not on all the time or any other strange behaviour. I have a 1988 Porsche 944 that is a US import and she beeps if the door is open with the key in - There are 2 sets of contacts on the door switch itself. Any UK 944's dont have this - Was this feature enabled in the ECU or sommit like that ... Im totally at a loss now !! Is this recent or has it always done it ?

I am just throwing my hat in the ring from a problem I saw in a 9N Polo 1. Run the car - when you turn the car off open the door with the key in .... Does it beep ...? 2. Then pull the key out with the door open ... Does it beep ? If the answer to number 2 is yes this is the same as what I saw and it turned out to be a short in the light switch itself - Cant remember if the parking lights were actually on all the time. Might be worth disconnecting the light switch plug and seeing if it still does the same just to rule it in or out ... Or it could be totally unrelated and I am completely talking nonsense ....!

Thanks for the heads up lads - Theres stuff coming to our house at a bit of a rate now much to my better halfs annoyance My wee car is getting more shook as time goes on - she was fitted with a mufflerectomy but wasnt done well - This has fallen off .. Seeing as my suspension is shot I was holding off on getting tyres until I got properly sorted - They were really worn and I drive at least 70 miles a day so I put nastys on to keep legal - When the exhaust fell off it must have contacted the left back tyre shredding it..... I had it changed in around 10 mins at 5am. Now im on a 15 year old spare.....! I really feel guilty, unclean and embarrased at the minute as I tip along with a fair degree of mechanical sympathy - There are 14 ramps at my work place and every one makes me cringe - Poor car but wont be long until she is in good order !

I had the same issue last year and it turned out to be the solenoid trigger wire.. I was all set to get the solenoid off a Passat (friend had one for breaking). For a while I could get the car to crank by putting the clutch down and ramming it into reverse .... This was the sign of a bad connection but I ignored that until it wouldnt work !!! I took out the battery and battery box and the trigger wire just broke away from the connector - I just soldered in an extra 2" of wire and looped it to take up the vibration .. Put a sleeve with plenty of water repellant grease and then put a new crimp on... Very proud and no bother since ! Rule this in or out first - its no harm anyway as its a well known issue !

Thanks a mill sepulchrave - I think somebody said somewhere that buy cheap and buy twice - I wonder where I read that ...? Its funny now that I intended to keep the car for a year and then get sommit else but I have grown very fond of the wee car. Its worth it now to address the suspension properly and have a good few more years of smiles ... ! I'll report back when I get her all fixed up and sorted !!

Hi All Well my suspension is completely in bits at the minute - The previous owner fitted the car with cheap and nasty lowering springs. They are cracked and there is a ring missing from the left front. The right back shock is leaking. All this has wrecked all the bushes and joints. The car bounces, bottoms out and crashes on the bumpstops. At the minute the car is a nightmare - dangerous to the unwary (Wife !) and not a nice place to be After a good trawl of this forum and recommendations I have gotton from here I have gotton the following with spouse approval I may add ! Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit Whiteline Rear anti rollbar OE Seat Ibiza Cupra R Console bushes What I need to get are a set of Wishbones, ARB droplinks and strut top mounts and bump stops and a few other bits. Now then what brands of spares have you come across that are complete muck ? Are there any brands that are well worth it in your experience ?

He most definately is - I have a lot of Hatboy jobs done on my car with no troubles - Between you lads and Hatboy its very easy to work on a Mk1 Fabia !!

Hi All Ive just passed one year with my Fabia vRS. A bit of background on my car. We moved from the town to the country and well I needed a car. I was on my wifes insurance for her Civic for years. This didnt matter one sod as I had to start from ground zero.. All I wanted was a s**tbox to take me to work and back.. A diesel. I didnt want repayments or any of that malark and if it lay down Id just get another ball of dung... I thought a Mk5 TDi Golf would fit nicely but My insurance for a Mk5 06 Golf was astonomical .. So I looked at a Nissan Tiida which was just grim - Just horrble... Beggars cant be choosers but even a beggar would cringe ... I know they are reliable ..... and I need reliable as I cover about 110km a day ...!! I saw a video with some lad with a heavily modded MK1 vRS and he said they were well worth it - I checked my insurance out and it was €1256 which was worth it ... or €1178 for a diesel Tiida. I came across mine by pure chance - She was a small bit modified which is dodgey but she seemed well minded so I just took a chance !!! It takes me back 25 years driving it and every time I just smile. Im going to say it now my Fabia exceeds all expections I had.... We live over narrow roads and the Fabia is just the right size - I often seen the late John Mullholland take many a so called fast car in the rallies in the late 00's ... I also go on the motorway and the car is just planted stable and totally unstressed. Giving me 50 mpg+ . No real smoke either even she is a small bit breated on. Apologies lads we work in Euros and eurotrash kilometers here and everything is inflated. I have a good mate with a garage so mates rates apply. When I got the car the gearbox wasnt great so the failure was bound to happen. Putting in the SRE made a great difference. Tax is steep as she is taxed on engine cc .... ! In this half arse country they dont want you driving a fun car ... well feck them and double feck them. Unless sommit bad happens I intend to drive the Fabia as a two fingers up to the government ... ! These wee cars are a well kept secret ... You might think the below is steep but the service costs are low and the repayments dont exist - She did fail teh NCT on brake hoses so I just got Goodridge .. If she needs anything now it will be uprated stuff as it costs only a small bit more than the standard !! Hopefully Ive got this right !! Car 2005 Skoda Fabia vRS Mileage at Purchase 116,322 km Mileage Now 149,518 km Static Costs Cost at Purchase €2,000 Cost Now €1,500 Tax €673 Insurance €1,256 NCT €58 NCT Re Test €22 Diesel €2,400 Total €6,409 Repairs/Servicing NCT Retest 126,415 km 137,328 km Oil/Air/Fuel Filters + Oil €72 Goodridge Metal Braided Hoses €92 Thermostat €22 Labour €80 Labour €80 DOT 5 Brake Fluid flush and Replace €21 €174 €193 Gearbox Failure 143,022 km NCT Prep and Servicing Sachs SRE Clutch kit and DMF €780 136,832 km Slave Cylinder €35 New LH rear Caliper €100 2nd Hand 02M gerbox from 06 vRS €120 Oil and Filter €38 Recovery €100 Labour €80 Labour €200 €218 Service Oil and Filter €58 €1,293 Tyres and Alignment Sundries 137,119km Cabin Heater €32 Tyres Nan-Kang 215/45x16 x2 €180 VDO Oil Temp Sender M14x1.5 €21 Alignment €40 Oil Pressure Sensor VDO copy €38 €220 Gauge panel for MK4 Golf €12 €103 Grand Total Repair and Servicing €2,201 Grand Total Fuel €2,400 Static Cost Less fuel €4,009 Bottom Line €8,610