Former

Do you have a Superb or Caddy or both?

Climatronic is just VW(?)Škoda name, description, marketing term, climate control being better(?) than just (manual) air-con. Yeah with an 'L' on the end of the 'SE' you'll get some "features" / "improvements"(?) as standard over the 'S' and 'SE', just PITA things to go wrong in my view but there will plenty of others here that can explain it to you and probably may find it to be the eight wonder of the world. You'll have to have a good read of the 'Owner's Manual' and see how much it tells you about what its computers want and controls and will and will not allow you to do and what settings you make do what and what they allow you to alter. The computer program will be thinking of things like temperature inside and out and other stuff, for your convenience. (The computer control over some of the manual air-con, heating controls p1ss me off off enough without the Climatronic and I'm used to a lot more air in a car than you get with modern cars.)

Was 2010? Superb hence my hyperlink. Caddy Maxi is a van conversion over here, WAV (wheelchair access vehicle), WAVs are very sort after over here.

Hi, welcome. In case you've not seen it already, as well as other subject sections on Briskoda, there is a Superb section that also includes a section for the Mk2 with experienced owners that can help with advice and details. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/171-%C5%A1koda-superb/

So many computer programs - have you got one of those Climatronic things?

VW along with the other lost their high quality engineering build by start of this century, the Škoda brand gained from being a bit of a test brand for the name brand and Octaivias seem to good in the way Datsuns (Nissan) used to be in previous decades but the newer you get the further things drift with more complications, "assists", "aids" and comforts. Others will disagree but tipping points seem to me to generally be in the various years from perhaps a bit before say 2010 and then accumulating effects. See how you get on with your present car, I'm sure you'll have things sorted.

Very unusually VW make changing the cabin filter very straightforward, quick, easy thing to do. I've done it from kneeling (on a pad) outside the car, still a bit of a twist to see but you could use a mirror and/or go by blind feel.

Sorry, I should wear my glasses, I totally missed your word 'not'. Although all still applies, pity some professional in the UK motor trade don't follow it. I'm sure you'll have lots to do as its VW but not as much with a 2013 than later years. If you're interested and not already seen there's a 'Octavia Projects' section and general 'Performance & Tuning Upgrades' section. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/207-octavia-projects/ https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/212-performance-tuning-upgrades/ Good luck. (I must book in with Specsavers.)

Good video on how to - Skoda Fabia Mk3: How To Replace Pollen Filter (Cabin Filter) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTstE0MtXI Other good videos with info on Fabia Mk3, some of it is also in the car's 'Owners Manual' too. - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHH-B9onXpOqdKjFA815CBd7YB4hocem5 If you don't have the paper printed car's 'Owner's Manual' you can get a free VWŠkoda pdf download from the VWŠkoda 'Owner's Manual' site. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models

Hi, welcome. If you've not already seen it, along with other sections on Briskoda, there's a Octavia section which includes a MK3 sections with experience, advice and help from owners. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/169-%C5%A1koda-octavia/ Some advice, if you want it, if you are new to mechanics for older cars, or any cars, or been with them for many decades covering the basics of maintenance, service and repairs is always the starting point and you can't progress successfully unless you cover the basics first. Sexy, big-boys, macho toys are fine in their place but that's after covering the basics. Newbies usually think of engine things like, engine oil and filter changes, as priorities when there are more important systems and components on the car such as brakes, steering, suspension (all three include tyres), safety electrics (lights, horn, wipers, blower, etc.) reflective number plates (see and be seen). The car's 'Owner's Manual' (that would have been in the glovebox when the car was new) can tell you a lot about driving and using the car as well as its controls and servicing and maintenance and if you read it and refer to it it can save you unnecessary visits to garages, mechanics and auto-electrics. Despite what some may believe or tell you it is a good idea to read instructions rather than guessing or think you know. If you don't have the original paper printed coped then you can get a free VWŠkoda pdf copy from the VWŠkoda Owner's Manual site. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models The state of charge and health of the car's 12v battery is important for use and when diagnosing and repairing faults and issues. An appropriate battery charger maintainer used in a preventative manner can potentially save PITA issues and extend the reliable serviceable life of the expensive batteries on VW's products. HTH.

Have you got them on recirculate (rather than getting air from outside) perhaps? Might also depend on which air vents you mean and your expectations but generally going from 1 through to 4 on the blower control knob increases noise and airflow.

Once you have the information kindly being given. - This bit concerned me especially as your old battery just within what's in this thread seemed good and now you have evidence of previous wiring modification would rightly or wrongly put me on alert for other bits of different style and condition and care servicing, maintenance and repairs. When you replaced the battery where the battery terminal clamps secure and clean (I'd clean the inside of the battery terminal clamps before fitting the new battery to be sure)? I think I would be tempted to check for any voltage drops on positive and earth sides. With the wiring diagram you should be able to tell how the pump works sounds like it might be a reverse polarity but I'm not an electrician or expert in anything at all, tho' I do have experience of s/h cars (often 20-50+ years old) and seeing a few bodges on them, particularly the wiring tho' of course those are much simpler electrics but the basics still apply, wires and connectors clean, secure and protected - and of course wired and installed correctly.

Because VW are German and use the metric systems (as well as their unnecessary additional VW specifications) they want 15,000km which is 9,320.5679 miles according to Google. VWŠkoda have fixed annual 9.4k-miles or variable 20k miles but this is really only about the engine oil and filter change which as you know is a relatively unimportant component or system on the car whether you need the engine oil changed at 12-months, 9.4K-miles or less or 20k-miles or more depends on the engine use. As for the rest of the car that's from your experience but a car from VW will generally require more servicing and what VWŠkoda call "maintenance" than say for a Japanese or Korean make of car. If your lads service other VW cars they will know what might need attention sooner rather than later, if not they can find out, as you are happy with them I'd suggest you be guided by them rather than the very specific demands of VW. If you have a VW 3-cylinder petrol I'd suggest not missing any spark plug change interval and for you going to the more expensive and longer lasting iridium plugs. Good luck, be interesting to know how resilient a VWŠkoda Mk4 is to learner drivers' use, how long it lasts.

There you go, the overwide 205 and too short fashionable 55 (ratio, sidewall) tyres go on 16" wheels and can replace the 205/50/17. How much difference the calculated nominal 10% increase in sidewall height with exactly like-for like tyres (same manufacture, model, design. compound and composition) makes you'd have to ask anyone Scala owner with the same model as yours (engine, gearbox, suspension, spec level). Things might have changed in 2020 but the 2015 Fabia my wife bought had Nexen N blue HD tyres from new and whilst they weren't ditch finders they weren't much on performance and easily improved on even sticking to (the oversized) 185/60/15, I would have preferred 14" or even 13" !! wheels (viewers under 50 feint or have the vapours) as I'm very unfashionable. Good luck in your research, take tyre label grades with a large pinch of salt.

Generally owners who swap to smaller wheels find the road quality improved with the 3rd-world roads of the UK - but things like road noise and fuel economy depend on the tyres you fit, their design, manufacture compounds and composition. To some extent the width of the tyres effect noise, vibration ride and comfort. For decades now the fashion has been for oversized wheel and tyres, particularly in the UK (depending on brake size callipers size) you could easily be on 15" wheels. Brakes, steering and suspension rely on the tyres so the age and wear of the (whole) tyres is important to these systems, and not just the tread depth. If you have not had a 5 year old VW car for not long, or any new-to-you car I would suggest not making any changes for a while to check the whole car, and not just the engine, has been fully and timely serviced and maintained (most are not despite it being claimed). If you do need to change the tyres then yes this would be a time to perhaps also change their size and wheel size. What wheel sizes are popular and what makes and models of tyres popular can be debated and may or may not suit you and your driving, generally stick with the size options offered when the car was new, info hyperlink at bottom of post along with tyre size comparisons. If a tyres size is now more expensive because it's a VW choice that isn't generally popular then a slight change in size may be acceptable. With VW products the state of charge and health of the 12v battery is very important for issue free running, loads of threads and posts on this subject on Briskoda and the possible (probable) need for an appropriate charger maintainer for preventative recharging before the battery charge gets low enough to upset the computers, not that low. Lastly, there's a 'Tyres & Wheels' section on Briskoda full of information. HTH. 'Wheel-Size.com' (Škoda models)- https://www.wheel-size.com/size/skoda/ "Tire" size calculator (USA based) - https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/ 'Will they Fit' - https://www.willtheyfit.com/ 'Tyres & Wheels' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/213-tyres-wheels/

Do bear in mind a different blend of oil (even to (an additional) VW specification) of the same multigrade weight could bring difference(s) in performance. Unless you use exactly the same oil (manufacturer, blend, specification) there would be more than the one variation than the multigrade difference. Even on very thorough oil changes it takes two thorough changes to go from one oil to another but there might be noticeable differences after the first change anyway. The oil I use as against what the Dealership (well what is shown on the invoice(s)) used shows very slightly higher oil temperature (on dash gauge) when the engine is fully warmed up which is a difference but that alone doesn't mean that oil is better or worse than the oil the Dealership used.

I know of cars older than 2015 still being used on the same rough 3rd-world roads we have in the UK (since having to bail wealth bankers out) with almost no replacement suspension parts but they are Japanese and Korean built so perhaps superior to VW quality, though one at least was a lower retail cost to buy new than a Fabia. IIRC I first notice noises from the underside when my wife's Fabia was 4 or 5 years old which is why I was hoping the new dampers would perhaps sort things, but no. The various different noises from the engine bay as perhaps the computer systems do their stuff annoy me too and I've always found VW 4-cylinder engines to sound a bit rough, no wonder some many went for diesels, you might as well for the difference in noise. Must say when I drove a VW 3-cylinder 1.0 TSI (110) engine I was surprised it wasn't noisier but it was quite new and I've no idea about if there was any additional noise insulation, the engine perform well enough for our two-person use with no luggage, luckily it had a manual gearbox and I could ignore its incorrect gear recommendations and myself driver for better power use and greater mpg. Matty your car is lower annual mileage so if you are doing motorway mileage then perhaps shorter periods of it being parked up, more regular and frequent use, might keep things running smoother (or it might just wear some items more). Good luck.

As I put on here, at least that I've seen or can remember the later Fabias than my wife's don't seem as prone to as many suspension noises and issues. If you have found a good garage stick with them, we found one that unfortunately we've only been using for the last couple of years, they don't work on cars through their lunchtime time or open weekends - imagine trying to explain that to someone under 40 (50?) years of age. When we first went there I mention about if the dampers needed replacing they know all about VW dampers and said they always used better. A 2019 car, particularly from a German marque like VW, will have even more (over) complex and entwined computer systems than a 2015 (thankfully not as bad as later years) so even more important to keep your 12v battery in a good state of charge (which can often mean using an appropriate battery charger maintainer or more frequent changes of expensive battery (and 'coding') and to avoid unnecessary warning lights, messages, issues and problem, visits to the garage or auto-electrician. Plenty of threads and posts about issues from battery in low state of charge and how to avoid this in this forum and others (many from me). As you have the 3-cylinder even more important to do timely spark plug changes or the engine, as well as of course as required engine air filter changes. But of course that only deals with the servicing and maintenance of the relatively unimportant engine. Much more important are brakes, steering, suspension (all three include tyres) safety electrics (reflective number plates). Good luck, if you have a good garage I would suggest you consider their advice on matters.

To answer your thread title - my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 needed it's front dampers changing at 6 years old, 41k-miles MoT, the Dealership resourced and fitted dampers lasted 11 months! until the next MoT and were reported as "leaking" which the Dealership and subsequent garage call "misting" and only an Advisory rather than Fail since. I hope the change of dampers would stop the clonking noise from the underside - it didn't. Other Fabia Mk3 owners with cars of a similar age have tried to get rid of sounds from the underside by changing many parts but the sound remains, others have been more lucky. I can't remember seeing many posts here about this with 2019 Fabias though. The clonk on my wife's car is very loud when it's verry cold, I don't drive the car often so although I know the sound and it really annoys me last winter it really surprised me when it was very cold, it got less loud as the weather and car had warmed for the return journey. My wife has the radio on, I generally don't. So it depends on what the MoT tester might have told you about his advisory because I've obviously had my wife's Fabia suspension checked for safety and wear every check and no concerns. Loads of posts and threads on Briskoda about the 1.0 TSI (3-cylinder) engine and debate about using 0w-20 or 5w-30 oil my take is always use the best quality oil you can and worry less about the multigrade ("weight") numbers, some Dealerships, garages and mechanics may not even use what they list on their invoices anyway.

Big businesses in the good ole US of A have ways of getting round and through the right to repair regs. Trump, his family and those in his administration are rather favourable to the advantages of big businesses (and their wealth potential for some, perhaps them). VW of course has some previous practice with USA regulations and would strive to do better. Companies have a legal obligation to do well for their shareholders too.

If you've got one of those DSG boxes and a 1.0, 3-cynlder then there are some possible reason and possible answers for that, threads on here about but I forget the details, one might have been a contributor for all I know. From your previous post about recharging with a charger maintainer in winter because of electric power demand do bear in mind this can also be the case in summer particularly during heatwaves (4 this year) as the air-con gets a lot of use and you are still using electric powered steering and that the 12v battery likes say 20c and self-discharges twice as much at 30c and twice as much again at 40c. Also relevant particularly if the car is left parked up unused somewhere hot for a number of weeks, say while money-laundering abroad.

You can but ask, I would try pressing the three-dot button at trop right corner of your original post and select 'Report' from the drop-down menu, select 'Other' from the drop-down menu below "Why do you want to report this?" and put in the optional message. There may be other and perhaps better methods but that seems direct enough to me and I think a Mod would be happy to help in a situation like this whilst perhaps reminding you of the 'Freedom' on the site options. Good luck.

Just a suggestion. Goggle search seems to find "block test" best term, I know some now seem to refer to it as a "sniffer test", so perhaps you could put something like - BTB / block test / sniffer test

A great article. Well done. Whilst still within edit period a couple of notes from my perspective. BTB is not a common generally recognised term even a quick Google search (BTB test for a car) four pages in doesn't show up so could you consider putting an asterisk and later explanation, or a link to an explanation, or an additional more widely used alternative term. For me on my PC the headings come out very large and bold, over large. The other use of bold, and red, is good, again great article, well done for posting it.

I would see if this just goes away as possibly another lot of computer system or programing brain-farts. On my wife's 2015 twice we had the amber triangle of doom for a brake light issue that immediately resolved itself. Battery state of charge and health reasonably OK? Of course yours might be a different issue but here's what happened on my wife's 2015, if you're interested. (ETA: as I remember it but there are probably other mentions of these happenings in my previous posts that might confirm time scales) First time was just before we left a car park, my wife's was driving of course, switched ignition off for about a minute before turning it back on with no amber light of doom. I got out, in the start of the rain and checked the brake lights which were fine on repeated various tests. At home when dry, just in case I took the cluster off to check wiring, connections and bulb, everything was fine, I swapped the brake light bulbs from one side of the car to the other so that if there was a return of the fault I could see if it remained on the same side. The issue went away. Much later, possibly many months or a couple of year, I forget, the amber light of doom lit up again for brake light but went off again with turning ignition off and back on and all bulbs were working so I thought I'd leave it until the amber light of doom returned again but it hasn't and that has been years. As a matter of habit if I'm outside when my wife breaks at the end of the road I look out for the brakes and indicator and I very occasionally check the rear lights when checking the car and if I'm driving I look for the lights and reflections before I drive off from home or elsewhere I do not rely on a computer system as (thank gawd) I'm very used to cars without them.