Former

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. You have a diesel and going on shortish journeys driven gently and mostly dual carriageway - not good use for a diesel (or petrol) , it's a VRS so giving it some blowout runs as a VRS would be to get would help. How often is the engine oil& filter changed, quality of oil, how often the air filter, ever put the "cleaner" diesel fuel in. I cleaned a mate's (Citroen) 100k-mile diesel MAF (and a bit of the inside of the air intake trunking), as with anything diesel it was a bit of a black ****ty business, the air filter had been changed at the previous service. Just doing that did improve things. With replacing the MAF sensor just get a good one, personally I'd always go with Japanese over German brand name, unless the brand name sticker could be peeled back to reveal the part is actually Japanese. 🤣 You really believe a VW computer about such things. 🤣 Being serious it shows variances in computer programs and the information the sensors can give so perhaps if a good quality MAF sensor isn't expensive then it might be better replaced if it's got too inaccurate. My mate's Citroen is only a runabout not a sports model (not that his sports models get enough maintenance servicing for me liking).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Small point but presently the positive battery post clamp has been overtightened and squashed and sits high on the battery post, easily sorted next time it's disconnected and reconnected. And perhaps the battery cover is upside down(?).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Sorry I don't know it's location but it might vary depending on which engine (code) you have. You could look on a parts diagram, example on 2015 engines. - https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2015-797/1/ If it's a known fault you'd hope there might be info on this to garage services on the information systems they subscribe to and Dealership technical bulletins, perhaps even recalls (but I doubt it we are talking about vehicle manufacturer) you could perhaps check on the following links for updates (perhaps on other stuff too/instead of). RECALL ACTIONS - https://www.skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions Update portal - https://updateportal.skoda-auto.com/

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. The 99 I was thinking of getting in the early 1990s but they were all too expensive as a second and old car. We did go and look at a 9000 with about 120k-miles on it but test driving it I found it to be too big for what we needed, I like small nippy cars and had no ned for comfortable cruisers. I had a mate that was a company rep for various small private companies and always got a flashier model in the range (along with low basic and high commission) and I'd get to drive those cars and can particularly remember a pair of Mk3 Cavalier SRi, one soon issued after the other. The first was very quick to me used to older slower cars and designs, the second was noticeably slower, whether this was because it was a Friday afternoon car or because it was designed but not fully real-world tested to run on the yet to be introduced unleaded petrol, or a bit of both I don't know, or perhaps the first car was well above average. An Astra 1300S that he somehow wrangled when working as a shop manager was used to carry some real railway sleepers from a disused railway as a base for another mate's shed, these were real not DIY garden centre ones, so heavy, how the rear springs survived I don't know, if it'd been night the headlights would have been at the treetops. The Fabia Mk3 may well have entirely different programing but with my wife's Mk3 the reversing sensor screen with bleep if the gear lever has been left in reverse with just turning the ignition on without starting the engine and stop/start works at a certain engine temperature but certainly below normal operating temperature in my experience of short journey driving. I've not noticed if the coolant gauge is at it's biased 90 needle straight up but I don't think the oil temperature wouldn't be at 80 let alone 90 or 95, but I've not done a study on this just my perceptions.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I know all about them with modern car parts or dealing with the English motor trade. 😄 (I can laugh about them now certainly didn't at the times.) Previous SAABs and Volvos I can well see but Vauxhall(?) my only experience of them was when the USA government were bailing out GM so possibly not at the best time. Having had a few old and brand new English cars and a few Japanese cars I know which are best for reliability - but not full driving enjoyment necessarily. Never had a SAAB though I always fancied a 96 or 99. I've been driving old (lower value) over-priced and over-valued cars called "classics" for the last 30 years as dailies along with new or more modern cars so coming to the modern VWSkoda was a bit of a shock (air filter change every 6 years and not 6 months) and the intrusive computer programs. Legally driving and passed the test in 1977 so the "classics" were just old bangers then and from the 60s but they were more modern than the 1973 Midget I was driving until a few months ago. Not having the start/stop at least is one less very involved complication you don't have to worry about. I'm sure you'll be sorted with your Fabia and 3k-miles is just about enough to keep it turning well (depending on the mileage spread and journey types and lengths), I know cars that barely do 300miles, not so good for proper use).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Fair enough, Even though it's very tempting to forget about it probably best not to as Sod's Law often applies. Check the state of charge of the battery, a couple of hours or more after it's been driven and if you have access to a good level of scanner or even just an error code reader see what comes up on them , if anything.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. After I posted I saw a post where you put you had a Ford Prefect so guess you might be even older than me and have even more decades of car experience so then thought you might be used to the more comprehensive Driver's Handbooks of the past. VW have some odd ways of doing things and holding or giving information in the Owner's Manual too. For my wife's 2015 Mk3 the handbook seems to me to have been written by a very young German engineering student then translated to Chinese and from there to English. For the battery charger/maintainer, something I try to highly promote, you probably already know that if your car is a start/stop with associated start/stop battery fitted you'll want an appropriate battery charger/maintainer for regular use. As the air-con isn't used when the car is parked and as the Fabia (as all previous cars) is outside 365/6 I bought a couple of Pingi Dehumidifier bags and keep a moist synthetic chamois in the glovebox (but this is not the frozen north, usually). I'm surprised you've gone from a Japanese car to a basically German car, the German marques aren't the German engineering quality of the previous century. Good luck, you're doing the right thing by looking after the battery, particularly if you have start/stop as VW has even more involved and complex computer programs that don't like car batteries that are too low for their liking and that's not as low as most think.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Thanks for reporting back both times. Yeah very annoying, I found the diagram for my wife's 2015 car didn't match up to what was fitted . I find VW work to their very annoying ways with holding on to information others manufacturer's freely give out and include in their driver's handbooks but the newer cars have even less for the driver's to know.

A good use of this time, if you're not already doing so, is to read the Owner's Manual, and in future refer to it as required, to learn more about your car than many long term owners know. If you've not got the paper printed copy then you can download a pdf copy using your VIN or model (part) year. -https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models I think it's a very good idea to check and set everything you can before you actually use the car and to familiarize with it, better now to be messing around with it than when driving on the road, modern cars are already fitted out to be far too distracting for drivers, better now to make mistakes and ask questions. IIRC (a rare event) you have a new car battery fitted so you can start the engine and get the engine and car fully warmed up, check with oil temperature gauge if fitted and not just coolant temperature gauge, whilst you test all the systems you can on the car depending on how long your drive is engage at least first and reverse and move the car a short distance perhaps. You can also do all the driver's checks you should do (and most of us forget to do often enough) do not trust the garage to have done so or done properly, tyre pressures can often be out (but allow for weather variances from setting). Good luck.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Good news that you are sorted. Not the first time the Owner's Manual fuse diagram has been wrong, do you know which fuse number it was , it's colour/amperage for future reference? I forgot it was headlight spray, in the handbook for my wife's 2015 Mk3 it shows as - "34 Heated windscreen washer jets".

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Eugene, the following links take you to pdf downloads for the Owner's Manuals on each model by VIN or ('Previous') model and (part) year. Note for the fuses there can be more than one fuse or more than one possible fuse number and location on the box dependant on the model and/or equipment fitted. With the recent cold weather windscreen (headlights) washers and wipers have shown perhaps three fuses so do go through the whole lists for both boxes to be sure you can locate and try the fuse. Don't just look at them test them to be sure. https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Might be difficult on light and focus and angle. If you can wait until after all this Xmas and New Year madness (no I'm not a fan 🤐 ) you could order one of these dirty cheap endoscope (attachment(?) things to a "smart" phone/device?) which you could twist in and around the area better. Seen the cheap stand alone units on American videos but most car related stuff is a lot cheaper and easier to get in America. much of it made in China of course. 🤣

Was talking about this only this afternoon with my neighbour when I ordered what I thought was a set of springs on special offer to discover I'd got it wrong it was a single so I gave it back to the driver and had to cancel with the site, my neighbour asked who fitted only one side and I explained Dealerships and customers who insist on it. Last set of front road springs I fitted were proper rolled steel, you can still get them (for old cars at least) and they were not expensive could also be made to specification if required, I almost fitted modern (AreO bar) springs until a mate told me how often they break on modern cars.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Springs can break near the top where it's difficult to see. * ETA: I was still typing and toot has put better info on this. I like the idea of spray bushes but not so much with grease as this tends to hold grit/debris, instead I'd spray with GT85 (PTFE included) as a spray soaking might wash some stuff out but leaves a non-sticky layer of lubrication. If you can be bothered to spray one thing at a time you could find the actual source be it a bush or not. https://gt85.co.uk/gt85-original/ GT85 is also handy for loads of other jobs that require a lubricant, penetrating/releasing agent, cleaner, and it smells nice. It's also a water displacer so you can give up on the inferior WD-40 Multi-Use spray (though sadly both are now from the same company. I used to use GT85 on my pushbikes in the 1980s and returned to it in more recent years for car and home. I used it to locate the noise on a water pump and alternator drive shaft on a couple of different vehicles and the noises didn't return so I guess the GT85 flushed away the grit and or lubricated but really I don't care as it done the job without getting my hands dirty and with very little effort which is the only way I like car repairs/maintenance/servicing.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Any other warnings or lights, did it happen at the same times as doing something else? Could be lots of things of course but if it's quicker and easier to access a multimeter than a scan tool that's where I'd start. Check your battery's state of charge, wait about an hour or more after you have switched off the engine and see what figure you get (depending on the reliability of the multimeter, cheap ones not used often I find give odd figures after about a year, just out of warranty of course). Let us know how you get on.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Well done on the repair. Parts quality, or lack of, becomes even more noticeable as the car gets older. There are two thicknesses of PTFE tape (that I know of, there might be more I don't) "water" and "gas" (the thicker one) makes no odds which you use on water jobs other than if it's too thick, or thin, for the job.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I can get chilled water out of the taps, very chilled at the moment ,but personally I'd never want sparkling, to me it always seems to make the water seem less of it and burp and pee sooner and more. I don't like chilled drinks as that often means very cold. Anyone can drink whatever they please but seems a bit odd to me that some buy dozens of bottles of still water from a supermarket take them home offload them often near to a tap that provides water transported there already at considerably less cost all round. Qoocker 🤣 I don't even like ceramic taps (turn the rubber washer around after 30 years for me).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I wasn't able to see the label and the eBay posting text is contradictory, 1:10 for -10°c sounds more like it I'll go for some of that once the Xmas and New Year madness is fully over, thanks.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Sorry, I wasn't disagreeing with your idea just pointing out the variances and nominal sizes. I understand your use of percentage to relate it to the 3% for speedo. Tyres get complicated for fitment, perhaps the nominal radius in mm of the two compared tyres might give the size similarity but then that could be misunderstood too. I used to put up links to specifications to show even the same make and model of tyre could vary over different sizes in nominal width to profile, load index and rim fit but many don't like looking at specification tables and the one i think I used to use as an example no longer shows actual widths plus it's better for me especially to stick with generalisations unless doing specific comparisons.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. The Avon ZT7 I had put on my wife's car start at 6.5mm, and seem to wear quite quickly. I knew they started at 6.5mm by all the whinging in various places by those that thought all ("summer") tyres started at 8mm. 🙂 Imagine a concrete ditchfinder 195/60 r15 trying to wear to catch the 185/60 r15 ZT7 on diameter, though it's all nominal. As with much in life the cold figures don't always give the full story, never mind the width feel the quality (not that I'm old enough to have really seen that!). 😄

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. It's been to minus 13, and I think lower, here before and we are well sheltered normally, just up the road second highest UK temperature at 40.2c this summer. We're at about 120m and town centre river is about 60m so a bit more exposed and blowy up where we are. It's not just the paying for the water it's the paying to transport it, water is heavy and bulky, but then some pay for it in plastic bottles when they can drink it out of taps in their homes.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. The previous battery might have, and you are in the frozen north. Wot!! That's not premixed, you must have a degree in Chemistry or Physics!. 😄 "3:1 solution down to as low as -10 deg C." - toot will know, I can't remember, but I thought they used to be more diluted and went lower but we get so few nights or days anywhere near that here that it's rarely a worry.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Wheel size is model spec still, my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 has 15" wheels with 185/60 r15 tyres (lovely mix of measurements) when we ran them at "Eco" pressure 35 psi the rolling resistance was less so presumably (fractionally) more fuel economy but the handling was less so more interesting (relatively) and the potholes a bit more noticeable. Dropping back to 30 psi we felt was better overall for us. Tried this with different tyres (makes and models) with the same results for us. 2.0 Cortina you must have been well thought of in the company. My mate's dad had a new 1974 Mk3 2000E, purple with black vinyl roof, when he passed it on, with very low mileage and FSH, to his son who ruined it with 80s inset aftermarket glass tilt sunroof and false bling chrome wire wheels. My wife got use of that car for a year in the early 90s, but I had to use in that winter snow, it had oversized wheels and tyres (185/70 up from 175/70 IIRC) fun until someone boxed me in at the front and angled insert kerb behind me, luckily a passerby rocked and slid the back end on the snow to help me out, people still knew such stuff then, lost on BMW drivers now. My wife drove my Skoda Estelle 2 (saloon) instead, funnily enough that never had any trouble in the even without sandbags in the now "frunk", plenty of wheel arch clearance for snow build up from the 13" wheels. 😄 Stories from the last millennium. 😆

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Are you sure the suspension on the car is in good order, I see you put the spring isn't broken but have you had everything checked, and springs can sometimes go at the top where it's difficult to see. How about measure all four wheels from their centre to the wheel arches and compare with other 2017 Octavia 1.4 TSI SE L hatchbacks.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I'm with you I think cars now are (well) oversized for tyres (and wheels). I think for decades now wheels have been over sized and tyres too wide, and to fill the wheel arches, all about fashion. It used to be the wheels were to take the weight of the car and fit over the brakes. Bigger brakes needed bigger wheels, then on to willy-waving look how fast my car is it needs big wheels. 😄 The tyres also need to be wide and ultra low profile for looks and show how sporty the car is, even if it's just a low powered shopping trolley. 😄 I'd prefer the car on 14" steel wheels but that's just me, if someone wants 19" perambulator wheels that's fine, just not for me. Before before the SRi and XR1X4, Cortina times, 70 was low profile. 😄