Former

I can lend you four swear words you can repeatedly use, won't help with the work other than make you feel better whilst doing it. I've not seen one but I've not looked I'm sure there will be some. On other threads here Ootofhere put up some photos of home made diy coil pullers, bent (welding wire, cable-ties and other). AFAIK the coilplugs are tight to get out and back in, you want long (and magnetic if possible) correct size plug spanner and possibly some secret VW grease to help with future removal of at least one coilplug, one one the end I guess , you'll know if you struggle with it to remove it. I didn't do the plugs as by the time I'd added up buying the tools and the plugs it wasn't worth it for for a one-off job, my neighbour will all the tools had moved and my wife said she'd not have the car in another 4 years (she's ****ed-off with it too, obviously it was her choice of car I have no say in such matters but she's learnt her lesson). Years ago a mate bought year-old BMWs and Mercs, also bought a VW Bora, I went in it once, never has a car been so aptly named, he never kept the cars long enough to have much trouble with them, except years back the horrible G-Class thing, slid in snow and bumped square on to a lamppost at very slow speed on the way to me, he was a good car driver but obviously forgot the weight of the vehicle and it being on ordinary road tyres he was so worried about any damage to the front (plastic IIRC), next visit we went to the greasyspoon, first time I'd been in it, sitting front passenger I kept telling him there way a noise that side that wasn't right, he told me not to keep moaning about it, shortly after than the nearside front damper had to be replaced (under warranty). German engineering quality. 😁

Just for info, if you want to quote something the two ways I know of are, you can highlight the section you want as I have for with what Paws4thot has put, this brings up the 'Quote section' box which you click and it goes into your 'Reply' box or if you want to quote the whole post you can click the '+ Quote' and the whole post goes in your 'Reply' box. As below. HTH.-

I've seen on this site that you can set the level at which the start/stop becomes inoperative with VCDS (and possibly other scan tools and systems?).

Be an interesting experiment to see if after a new battery has been fitted and used for a while if the computer has cottoned on to it being a battery restored to full health so fully charging as to their program or if 'coding' now would have them doing more as they've been told a new battery has been fitted. I think if you have to put a new battery in without coding then perhaps immediately charging it up, as much or little as that takes, on the car (with an appropriate battery charger maintainer following the instructions in the car's Owner's Manual and for the charger) means the computer "learns" there and then or next drive(s) thus speeding up the computer's "learning" but I have no proof of being right or wrong without the use of a scan tool, which I no longer have.

Bad will actions - vandalism(?).

Hi, welcome. Quick thoughts. Did you check earth supply as well as power? If you can take off interior panels and get at wiring you could try a test supply and test earth to see if the third brake light works and it turns off the warning (you might have to give the computers the old "off 'n' on agen" to satisfy them with the ignition switch but I don't know. I've no idea of the wiring and connection points so also wonder if you'd be better repairing the break on original wire. Have you checked connectors for issues? I don't know if you could trace the break with an appropriate VW scan tool but with bidirectional you can certainly activate them. Certainly for earlier cars you don't have to have the third light working but have to tell the MoT tester that you have disconnected it and probably get rid of the light on the dash which I don't know if this can be done with an appropriate VW scan tool. You could ask or look on the 'Diagnostics & VCDS' forum. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/23-diagnostics-amp-vcds/ Someone now will probably be along here to say something like the wire(s) break in the conduit tube thing between body and rear door or yes run a fresh supply or you need to look at another fuse number, or any or none of above, hopefully not too long before they get here.. Good luck, let us know how you get on in the end.

In the UK we were conned into 5yrs/50k-miles while elsewhere had 15yrs/180k-miles (or 15k-miles, I forget) and recommended annual checks - finally last year they stopped the con here and made it 15yrs/180k-miles (or 15k-miles, I forget), too late for us and others, £450 taken under false precentrices from us, not that it ****es me off (thieves) but that the motor trade all over. I put lighter green lines through that old list for it. There's more to the battery use than the start/stop system connected or not. Think yourself lucky you only have a 2019 car, a 2021 or 2023/4 car is another couple of levels of pain and annoyance up on 2019. I was driving a 2016 car today with auto wipers, the auto wouldn't wipe soon enough but then also odd time when not required, I'll see about programming the "feature/benefit" out next week if I can as it also annoys the owner who like me has always been capable of operating the wipers without this "assistance".

Ian, the following video appeared on the YouTube Home page, filter change, thought it'd give you the idea. I'm not sure if the chap fully seated the new filter in the box but I might be wrong about that, difficult to see, and he didn't bother wiping/cleaning inside the box or hoses. He does have the benefit of cable pliers suited to the annoying self-spring hose clips (a tool that is awkward to store unless you keep the original packaging) even then you see he has to fart about, bear in mind someone in Germany has been paid to make things more awkward than necessary and they'd done a good job at it. You can use adjustable water-pump type pliers or proper spring band type pliers too as you can get at the clips (unlike elsewhere on the car where you might be able to use the cable type if you're lucky.

As them to print off s "complete record" this should show you everything put on the computer record, which won't be a lot anyway but will show services and perhaps (admitted to) VW recalls.. You're probably be luck if it fills an A4 printed page. Dealer and VWSkoda services and maintenance really cover little more than the minimum, often just an engine oil & filter change, there's a lot more to car and more still on a 2020 model than engine oil. Like the MoT is just an annual check at one point in time when the car means the statutory minimum standards to one (hopefully trained) person's opinion it does not mean the car is as good as it could or should be, just better than nothing.

"What is an EFB battery? An enhanced flooded battery (EFB) can also be used in cars that feature Stop-Start technology. It is considered an entry level battery for use in cars with this technology. EFBs are wet-filled and similar to standard flooded batteries, however, there are differences that give these batteries enhanced cycling abilities and improved charge acceptance. This means the battery recovers more quickly, as its application needs to handle heavy-duty, cyclic, Start-Stop applications." - https://rac.com.au/car-motoring/info/car-batteries-explained "EFB batteries – for compact and mid-range cars with start-stop EFB batteries are a further development of conventional lead-acid batteries. The Polyvlies material on the surface of the positive plate guarantees that the EFB has a longer service life. EFB batteries have a low internal resistance and are characterized by twice the number of charging cycles* in comparison with conventional starter batteries, as well as a high load capacity. *Test standard EN 50342-1 and for EFB and AGM, additionally EN 50342-6 EFB batteries are suitable for the power supply of cars: with simple automatic start-stop systems without start-stop, but with demanding driving requirements (e.g. in urban traffic), without start-stop, but with extensive equipment." - https://batteryworld.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/efb-or-agm-which-battery-do-i-need

After brakes and tyres the battery was one of the first things I checked when getting a car new to me and very many of the cars I've had have been old or very old as I ran various "classic" (over-valued and over priced) cars as dailies for work, commuting, holidays in UK and Europe and for club events, mainly driving events. (47 years of driving) I checked the hire car my wife recently got particularly as it was a 2023 VW Seat 1.0, 3-cylinder, TSI (110 ps) sport (with start/stop) the engine oil as promised was at max but the coolant was just below 'min' on a warmish engine on a warmish day and as my wife was using the car on her usual very short journeys I checked the battery and fully charged it with an appropriate charger maintainer and despite a couple of 110 miles trips I later done a quick (3 or 4 hours on a 4-amp) to fully recharge it again in case it was going to stop with us longer than expected. I only learnt about all this VW battery stuff when I decided to change the battery on my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 to save me any hassle when I think the first thing went wrong with the car, unlike many (most) here I'm not a VW fan, never have been (Golf GTi Mk1 perhaps being the only exception) and generally not a fan of German marques, this German engineering quality is literally so last century. I also loathe working on my cars and certainly my wife's Fabia, not so much doing small simple jobs on my neighbours' cars. The Mk1 Fabia seem like they were good and earlier Mk2s but by Mk3 things were lower quality still it appears. I think they should have already been done by now, check your records. Below is an out of date service, maintenance schedule. Hopefully the pdfs will at least make somethings clearer. If you want to just disconnect the battery monitoring thing on the battery terminal, there's literally no law that says you have to have it or connected. I was quite surprised when our neighbour got a 71 plate Honda and it didn't have start/stop, I helped persuade him to go back to a Honda after BMW and VW Seat both of which gave him hassle and expense unlike the Hondas. Good luck.

Yeah that's about it. I prefer to use GT85 as it can be used on some much more, good as a penetrating/releasing fluid, longer lasting lubricant (than WD-40 Multi-Use) has PTFE instead of silicone (which some painters don't like) and smells nice too. Also have a look at the last section of this vid for help to stop the squeaking. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B6dSwFW98M HTH.

@Gonzini you've got things a bit upside down with charging, if the battery is at capacity for the computer program it doesn't need to take on more charge and if much electric stuff isn't being used the alternator has less to do Also I was suggesting how to speed up the battery being accepted if needed. Not you, but as always my troll has skim-read and imagined what I'd put rather than actually read what I put, I've given up on him long along but will help you, he's beyond help, for you see pdf below. You shouldn't need to use a battery charger maintainer on your car for a good while unless you do the stuff to deplete it as shown in the Owner's Manual or leave some supply running for a long time with the car parked up. Letting the battery get too low for the computer can cause all sorts of unexpected odd stuff warning lights and perhaps error codes all before you get the warning signs that the battery is low and before you get the actual warning message and light that the battery is low - but the engine will still start and the lights will seem bright enough, the old if you can get the engine started things will be fine is in the past. The problem will become more noticeable (or ignored or not known about) the newer the cars, 2019 is prime period now, if the battery hasn't already been replaced, More premature avoidable battery replacements. Some may be happy at paying £104, or £250 or £300-£400 every 4 or 5 years to avoid any extra maintenance no matter how simple and clean near hands-free that maintenance might be. Why should an EPC light be on just for a low battery you might think, perhaps it might be coincidence if it doesn't return. Despite what some insisted it has been proven numerous times that for some (many?) battery charger maintainers are required, and increasingly so or more regular battery replacement, as many commercial concerns would like it. Might not be any but a very good side benefit is that you could have a full scan report ,then 'code' the new battery just for the few seconds it takes, also any error codes could be deleted, you can get stuff just from disconnecting and reconnect the battery most stuff should reset with a very short drive after reconnecting the battery but you'll be able to se if any were left or more historic. Like most mechanical servicing, maintenance and some repairs just boil down to clean and lubricate not a bad idea to clean the electronics, the computers are very dumb and already prone to brain-farts best to give them as little as possibly to worry over, they already have enough, more so on later cars. I'd suggest if you're near enough you take up AGFalco offeror you can look for a nearer member offering the same. - On a tangent, you put you've only had the Dealership servicing (which is little more than annual engine oil and filter change and a Free look to see if they can find more chargeable work) at this age you may want the spark plugs checked/replaced (they work is divide by one less than it used to be) and certainly the engine oil filter, of course things like brake fluid change or check(s) at least, check brakes and tyres - all stuff for and on other threads. As promised pdf which I hope helps you, plenty of other and similar info available on the internet, some battery manufacturers and suppliers have (had) info freely available on their sites too. - SSP-504_Vehicle_Batteries.pdf And if you want to know more about the start/stop, which does affect the battery and alternator as you've found. - SSP-426-Start-stop-system-2009.pdf

Did the gearbox oil change make any difference to anything? Too late now but for gearbox oil change but I always recommend doing a hot, long drain, with at the end a small flush-rinse of warmed fresh oil and to use a very good quality of silicone gear oil as it is not a job you do often and the difference in cost is not much overall especially given how long it lasts. If you are interested you could add your car details to your name thingy, as an example only mine is below.

@rum4mo I can see that getting evidence for your curiosity by using a cheap plug-in digital voltage gauge but not for keeping it after that or carrying an expensive multimeter in the car other than going out to rescue friends and relatives you haven't or can't teach enough to always get the car back or to a pub for it to be looked at in comfort. You look after your cars well why would you need or want to carry any tools what so ever in the car (other than to help others). The alternators and batteries are very well made now and very reliable if the alternator and battery are allowed or get to fully do their jobs they may not need any further help, just that as we know this doesn't always happen in which case prevention is better, less hassle and easier than cure most times. If you must do any work on a car, including the very easy and virtually (clean) hands-off task or using an appropriate battery charger maintainer, then it's (very) best at your convenance and in the most comfort available. Only macho egotists prefer roadside working, often in the cold and wet, with their underpants over their trousers. 😆

You don't put what make, model or year of car you have, do you mean hydraulic fluid for the power steering fluid rather than transmission gearbox fluid?

Hi welcome, I could not hear the noise clearly but it is more likely to be associated with your steering or suspension (even tyre(s) perhaps. What makes you think it has anything to do with the gearbox?

Ian, I don't know if this applies to a 2016 1.2 TSI or obviously if it's the same rattle you have. - MattRuus - "My car drives very well and pulls like a train but at tick over it sounds like there is a tinny rattle. I took it back on warranty and a master technician came out, reached around the back of the engine and touched something which stopped the rattle. He told me that it was a common sound on them and didn't make any difference . Apparently, some turbos get a rattle from the turbo waste gate actuating arm. He told me it was fine but that if it annoyed me to bring it back and they will fit a new turbo." - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/523513-rattle-on-69-reg-fabia-10-tsfi

That doesn't necessarily mean the battery hasn't been charging or charged, it depends on a number of variables, and when and where you're taking the readings from. You probably left it too late by then for fuller recovery, what charger were you using and how were you charging? That might confirm you'd left it too late for fuller recovery. (ETA: Don't let the battery get too low, just because the car starts and the lights seem bright enough the charge can still be too low.) The start/stop is only one element in this, it's about the use (and perhaps abuse and neglect) of vehicle and use/abuse/neglect of battery. Modern cars have some many computer systems and convenience items that can get very regular use and perhaps over use that take a lot of electric power, that comes from the battery and alternator or battery alone when the engine isn't running. Decades back some needed to use battery chargers then batteries and the cars' charging systems got better to nearer times and now when the batteries are very good and so are the cars' charging systems but what has changed is the loading on the cars and the drivers either don't know or have forgotten about the need for charging, by car or off-board charger maintainer. The newer the car generally the more the likely need for charging, how much depends on the owner/driver and how the car is being used. I've got a mate's battery in the shed, off his 2005 JagFord diesel which he replaced as it almost or did (I forget) not manage to start his not so often used JagFord that often only went on short journeys. Battery was manufactured end of 2013 and went on the car not long after that. I checked its six cells and all plates as far as I could see looked fine and 'water' level good on all so I charged it using my 20+ year old 1.8 amp charger maintainer over a week ago and its was on 12.8v Saturday and 12.7v today. Not load or dropped tested and it never fully recharged but I'd bet it'd be fine for use on another (old) vehicle that was used more regularly. possibly not a diesel or auto though, or as a 12v supply for garage items. Otherwise £7/8 from a scrappy but that does seem a waste. Another distress purchase and premature battery replacement due to neglect, he has two battery charger maintainers but they're for more favoured vehicles. I put the following in the 'General Maintenance' section. - 'Car battery, now is the time to check it' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/499006-car-battery-now-is-the-time-to-check-it This for the summer hot weather in Fabia Mk3 section. - Best to check your battery now - (why?) https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/506654-best-check-your-car-battery-now-why This may also give you a bit more info, in the 'Handy Topics & Guides'. - 'flat batteries on the first working day of each year' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/519903-flat-batteries-on-the-first-working-day-of-each-year

You can go over the top with monitoring if you want or just look on here at threads, there are a few who have put up graph readings to save you the effort. No 5 years isn't necessarily the life of a battery others might only get 4 years, others will get many more than 5 years. Even the new battery is just a store and can be depleted the more you drain the battery and the more often the shorter its useful life, you want to have the battery charged before you get any warnings on the dash or lights. On a modern car by the time the engine has difficulty starting you have probably taken the battery too far to ever recover for much more useful trouble-free life. Whilst it's definitely best to code the battery if as you have it's the same type (EFB) and just about the same Ah (59? to 60) then I feel the car's computers will eventually sort it, a way I think you might be able to speed this process if it's required would be to follow the instructions in the car's Owner's Manual and for the charger, using an appropriate (one for start/stop, EFB) charger maintainer and fully charge the battery that was the computers know the battery is up to snuff as you've told them and they can then work out their evil ways as usual. For what uses a lot of battery power just think about it as you would for home appliances, things with motors or heaters as a generality, air-con and also low users that use constantly or over very long periods, think of leaving a boot light on perhaps, very low wattage but it all adds up, the VW computers constantly looking to interfere with stuff, a camera constantly running.. When putting a multimeter on the battery terminals after the bonnet has ben up for say 20-30 minutes I'd still allow a .02v or 0.3v loss (use) depending on the modern vehicle type and age. Batteries self discharge more in warmer weather, so I'd suggest checking after the hottest part of summer, plus air-con would be getting a hammering and of course in winter the battery doesn't do so well and heavy use from lots of electrics. Then you have those that sit in the car after turning off the engine and parking up talking on the phone whilst charging up some other mobile device. Just be sensible and there's no need to worry about the battery like other maintenance do checks when repaired or get into some regime, doesn't have to be that regular just do more checks if required, a bit of common sense (which many seem to lack in some areas).

@rum4mo Depends on the person, too much information can upset some , hence the rock steady 90c biased coolant temperature gauge and something that's familiar can be taken for granted and not noticed. A mate had a horrible cheap looking digital gauge fitted into the dash, didn't stop him from having a flat battery when he go to France as he'd left the heated front screen switched on. 😄 He'd wired the switch on warning light so that it illuminated along with all the other dash lights rather than as a warning light, some people don't help themselves, but it's something to have a laugh about later. 😁

Slower car and you could have a narrower road with tighter bends. 😁 Nic looking road. I don't follow or believe in any religions including ones for sports or cars so a Fezzer (red or not) means little to me, if you are going to modify a "classic" Fezzer car then you might as well consider a replica as far as I'm concerned but as always if it's you're car you do as you please.

Are you measuring on the battery terminals. To check charging start the car then put the air-con on, and headlights if you want, and have a look at the reading then. Did you have the new EFB battery 'coded'? For high consumption items just think about how many watts they might be and how long they're on but as you have a new battery depending on your driving and electric consumption you should be fine and perhaps, if required, only need a couple of preventative chargers with an appropriate battery charger maintainer following the instructions in the car's Owner's Manual and for the charger, a couple of times a year, perhaps after hot summer and after winter (change of winter tyres if you do that). With preventative charges as required you should get more than 5 years out of a good battery. Read your Owner's Manual for info on battery charging and high consumption items. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models They used to put that coming home leaving home lights on had a long slow drain on the battery in older Owner's Manuals whether they sorted that or just don't bother now as for a good few years now they've put about changing the battery at 5 years old (very premature but good revenue and profit for the seller).

If you are keeping the body and glass you would also want to add to the modification modern air-con as fibreglass is good at holding heat, I can assure you of that. Many American dashes are horrible, like German ones and some Japanese ones, I'm biased I like the dashes in English cars, 60s/70s Triumphs were particularly good and some more modern TVRs were a work of art. Really I like the look of the C3 String Ray body shape living with the car might be another matter. I always liked the look of the Triumph GT6 but living with it was another matter, the same mate that advised me against the C3 also advised me against the GT6 and he was right about both (as he should have been having owned 100s of cars over the decades).

It's the bloody hidden screws on the underside, and the drip pipe or wotever it is, the large size and odd shape of the box needs space, the German spring clips (PITA) on the hoses, nothing difficult just more of a PITA than it needs to be (but I'm biased I loathe working on cars we owns and have never been a VW fan). The bloody stupid 5 wheel bolts instead of 4 studs buggering my back up has made me loathe the car more. It's all great fun, as working on cars always is, you'll probably find it easier than I make out it is. You do need to know what the something about the engine is, your son-in-law only needs to read it to you or send you the scan tool report, might be something or nothing but best known.