nta16

There is also a 'Tyres & Wheels' forum on this site were you will find lots of info, threads and posts on tyres and different posters (and opinions). Ootohere has just put up a video on a thread there that has a middle part that could be relevant to you (from 5:27). - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufau3V2Nc7c 'Tyres & Wheels' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/213-tyres-wheels/

I was going to put before, go with whatever the locals prefer, you are in a foreign land, things are different, the authorities are different and may behave differently, waving your British passport and speaking loudly in English to make them understand that you are correct may not go down too well either, UK flag on German car, whatever next. 😆

This is one of the problems of very low mileage use. There is cracking which shows the tyres are not in good condition, and been that way for the last two MoTs. With age and lack of milage use tyres tend to go hard this means they are no longer as good at their functions as they used to be, tyres effect the vehicle's braking, steering, suspension, road holding, handling, comfort and noise. They are a very underrated complex very important component of the car and provide the four small patches of contact with the road, all the electronic driver aids cannot overcome the physics of those four patches or lack of any of them. If the tyres are the same as was on my wife's 2015 then they are Nexen N blue HD(?) which weren't the best tyres when new anyway. If you were to change all the tyres to new I'm sure you'd notice the improvement. For driving in the wet, not that it rains much in the UK, it's recommended to have at least 3mm tread depth. My neighbour had a couple of Chinese tyres on his 2005 Picanto (with less than 28k-miles on it from new) and they cracked in the tread after 2 or 3 years of very little use and parked on the "drive" out in all elements and when he decided to change them he went for a set of four new tyres and what a difference it made but by this time only I was really driving the car every now and then just to check it and give it a little exercise, cars are designed to be driven not static. On a tangent have you changed the 12v battery yet?

Put your VIN in as you want the versing relevant to your vehicle as later ones may have variances not applicable to your car. If there's a pdf I'd have thought the car should have come with a paper printed version when it was new, though if the car was purchased s/h from a Dealership/garage the manual could have been taken from another car of not quite the same age. I've always recommended reading the Owner's Manual, even when considering a vehicle before buying it, but they have to cover so much now and are not always in plain English and of course have errors and omissions but still if you refer to them they can save time, hassle and money from unnecessary or premature parts purchases and/or visits to the Dealers\garage\mechanic\auto-electrician, but the VWŠkoda manuals do seem to get worse the newer the vehicle. I prefer the paper printed versions or even a pdf version of that over a virtual(?) more modern version or those horrid videos that seem to tell you next to nothing. VW is odd and annoying in not giving the widely accepted UK fluid descriptions or fill capacities. I call the amber triangle warning light the triangle of doom, often warns of nothing or even falsely but of course like the boy that cried wolf you can't ignore it. I find some of these "driver aids" to be like a very nervous or over-cautious passenger that's a very inexperienced or non driver that actually interferes with the driver and driver controls. My wife's 2015 Fabia front "assist" put the brakes on whilst she was driving slowly in town traffic for no reason then she saw a bag blowing in the wind. I particularly dislike lane "assist" and blind spot warning especially when they combine their efforts on say a dual-carriage way, then there's start/stop at roundabouts and the combined systems that think about letting the car accelerate and . . . such is life with modern vehicles. 😆

Why guess when the information is readily available to you in the Owner's Manual, - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models ETA: and don't be using your phone whilst you were driving or put out photos on public platforms suggesting you were - I'm sure your passenger took that photo which your reverse dashcam will confirm. 🫠

Not all recommendations are followed.

ETA: as usual I was still one-finger typing whilst another post goes live 🫠 You may already know the following but as I see so many personalised what should be "show" plates on the roads the following info for you. There's an organisation called BNMA (British Number Plate Manufacturers Association) you would hope their members would be more trustful. UK flag number plate design confirmed for overseas travel from 28th September [ 29 September 2021 article ] - https://www.bnma.org/news/uk-flag-number-plate-design-confirmed-for-overseas-travel/ Gov.UK - Displaying number plates - Flags, identifiers and stickers - https://www.gov.uk/displaying-number-plates/flags-identifiers-and-stickers

@D.FYLAKTOS and others can tell you or it is detailed in posts on this form previously. Parts quality is an issue generally, even the better known suppliers carry poor quality parts, often you get what you pay for, pay cheap get cheap (but not always). I have not used Reddix(?) parts but I think I have seen that they are not the best. Particularly with things like sensors on these old cars you want the originals or good quality Japanese (that is if the original sensors were not already Japanese).

Does/did the cabin heater matrix (small radiator inside the heater box) get hot and push out hot air when set to hottest and cabin blower fan set to high speed? Provided it is functioning correctly, once the coolant stat (thermostat) is fully open it can do no more to control the coolant, the (engine cooling) radiator, and when required the electric engine cooling fan, and the engine oil, the ambient air, the flow of which depends on the car's movement or wind are doing the cooling. You have to be careful what you use to clean, you really want to use specific cleaners, did you back-flush at all, did you drain and flush (and back-flush) the engine block too - did you see my notes on all three from a link I put in a previous post. The idea of fresh new clean coolant is too help keep the engine cool, help prevent corrosion and to lubricate, it also has antifreeze, so the coolant needs to be at the correct concentration to water for your location to prevent winter freezing of the coolant which can potentially cause a lot of damage. In a lot of areas tap water is not a good water to use in car cooling systems. If you carried out the refilling procedure as you did before (including cabin heater set to full heat, cabin fan does not matter on this) I doubt it is air in the system, of course I can't know if there is any air in the system and if it might be the cause or partial cause, but I doubt it. The radiator being clean and clear on the outside is good, same for the engine (and heater matrix that you cannot see, and I have read it is a pig of a job to remove it) but you can not see how clear and clean the water passages are inside them. Same with the head gasket, it is a matter of belief on your part, you can test which is better than just belief. Whether you hand this over to a garage/mechanic is up to you but if you download the info from Erwin or get a Haynes (workshop) Manual, perhaps get a head gasket testing kit, and/or take advice and instruction from here and learn how to at least sort the cooling/heating system yourself so you get the learning, satisfaction and confidence and save labour costs at least. You can often do a better job than a garage/mechanic because you care more and have the time to do the job properly if you want. Coolant refilling instructions are often in the car's Owner's Manual of this period(?). I used to pay others called "professionals" and "specialists" ("professionals") to do the work on my cars but then had to finish that work properly myself or sometimes redo the work, so much so that later I would just do most work myself without them. I have (almost) never had a garage to work in so outside in the weather and (sometimes lack of) light and do not have a mechanical aptitude and loathe working on our own cars (yet I do not mind simple work on the cars of others). I made (and make) many mistakes (not helped by my loathing) yet still often doing a better job than the "professionals". It also means I (and you could) know what exactly was done on the car, the parts used, how the job went, when it was done and that the work was actually done and parts fitted. Also gives more information for if issues arise. Many/most jobs on the car, servicing, maintenance and some repairs, just boil down to cleaning and lubricating that most of us can do. Some may sometimes be a bit awkward but still quite simply to do if done correctly. An experienced person may see something you do not but the other side is familiarity breeds contempt so an experienced person can make mistakes often by not checking or double check something that the less experienced person would. No matter what the job or issue is the start is always with the basics which you can easily learn after reading or being told.

If you are fixing the plates to the car yourself and drilling the screw holes through the number plates don't make the screw holes too tight to screw width and put some masking tape on both sides of of the plates to mark for drilling and so the drill tip is less likely to slip and cleaner entry and exit to drilling.

Just looked in my shed and found some old Halfords with two-part plastic screw head covers and the screws are 8 gauge (4.2) by 19 mm thread, same as. - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/number-plates/number-plate-accessories/number-plate-fixers---screws-and-domes-272403.html

You can get plastic screws for number plates and screws with various colour plastic covers from various street shops and motor factors, or of course the internet. Just as one example - https://www.halfords.com/motoring/number-plates/number-plate-accessories/ Screws or covers may vary depending on if they hit a black character or white or yellow reflective and depending on how much the person fixing the plates worries about such things. I'm not sure VW make too many concessions for UK vehicles but perhaps they do, whether at the original VWŠkoda UK Dealership number plate installer would follow these anyway I don't know, perhaps things have changed for much newer cars.

In my experience the type pf number plate fixings in the UK vary and so do the screw sizes and threads depending on who fitted them. Remove one of the existing screws and measure it, width and length, note the thread type and look them up on the internet with tables for different screws or post a clear background and photo on here of the screw with the dimensions and some one will identify it.

Mine too but this was covered earlier in the thread but I would also be concerned about the quality of the joint(s). Thread drift warning - 😆

Yes and this is why you don't want a "cheap" insurance where everything goes to call centres where the operators have to get rid of you as quickly as possible to get on to the next call and get little training other than to do that. Even with the better and bigger insurance providers things are outsourced but there is at least some level or other route to real customer service enquiries, Often then it's a gamble when you ring as to how much the person on the other end actually knows and is willing or able to help (rather than "computer sez No") or knows how to, or is willing or able, to pass you on to the correct system/business section/person to correctly answer and deal with your needs. Some companies have communication systems that are difficult to engage with let alone get satisfactory help from, including their real live employees, some of whom may not be able or allowed to really help you even if they want to. As I put before "cheap" insurance is fine until you need to actually to use it or even engage with it. It's also the same the other way round for the insurers (or any other business) "cheap" customers who don't read their policies before and after taking them out and expect what they imagine rather than what they have agreed to and paid for and those that to any real extent lie and scam. Such is life. 🙃

To add some positive to matters - because the car looks so good in the photos it is easier to see possible variances and perhaps a higher level of concern about a higher of condition and be more critical over things than in a car that's of a lower standard, somethings are more a very little effort to get things better. No one has any magic powers to see inside the items in photos so can't see if the radiator or engine or rest of the heating cooling system is (reasonably) clean and clear or if that taped electric wire joint is good, it could well be.

Bear in mind Felicia98noob is in Sweden and IIRC(?) put summer(?) temperatures were 18-25c which could be lower even than here in UK, also I'm sure you would never have your car running at such that you needed the cabin heater on full (even with the engine cooling fan permanently wired to on) and perhaps Sweden's lower(?) winter temperatures than Greece or UK have also to be taken into consideration. @Felicia98noob if you want to to, to keep this thread now to the overheating, to save confusion you could start another thread about the radio and wiring generally, I have seen a couple of things in your photos that may be nothing (camera angle, photo perspective) and others I would at least be curious about. Sticking with overheating - for difficult to get in to reverse sometimes if the engine is very hot this transfers some heat to the gearbox which if low in oil level may add to gear selection issues. Again one item or issues affecting another item or issue which is why I recommend as early as possible in old car ownership carrying out whole car servicing and maintenance, checks at least, like gearbox oil level. Better still at some point doing a thorough changing (hot longer drain and perhaps cleaning flush) of the (manual not auto) gearbox oil and using better quality gearbox oil to give better and longer margins of protection. Of course the reverse selection issue may be not affect by the gearbox oil, other suggestions have already been made but one that was only mentioned indirectly was driver training/learning. With reverse gear (and first to some extent) you want the engine revs to be at low idle, foot fully off the accelerator and engine revs allowed to fully drop, then clutch pedal fully depressed and held for a second or so before selecting reverse and ensuring it is cleaning engaged before beginning to lift the clutch pedal and if required touching the accelerator pedal. You can often hear when some drivers do not bother with this procedure.

What about oil and oil filler cap, any milky look to the oil? With that possibly bit of "DIY wiring" I, and I expect others, are wondering if the engine cooling fan was wired by someone to remain working to cover the start or actual overheating before the car's sale, could be totally wrong with this of course just suspicious from decades of experience from association with old cars in one way or another. You should not really be using the car if this is the case as things generally can get worse. It is in occasions like this that timely engine oil and filter changes pay greater dividends especially if better quality engine oil is used that offers better and longer protection at high (and very low) engine running temperatures giving greater margins of engine use. Many go with cheap any standard oil with old cars and not too bothered about timely or thorough change (quick cold drains instead of hot longer drain) which can be the very opposite of what is needed. Same with other fluids like coolant, gearbox, power steering and service parts, if they are working that is good enough, not that they are working fully or reasonably let alone working fully and well.

I've already put up a post with a link to another thread post with my procedure for thorough cooling/heating coolant cleaning, it's nothing special at all, very simple, just thorough, ideal to do in the warmer/hotter parts of the year as you can also cool yourself if you want. 🙂

I don't there is anything wrong with the fan but just in case a simple, quick easy test is you could check the fan is turning in the correct direction, wire to to be on then get some smoke in front of the radiator and see if the fan pulls the smoke through the radiator. The engine cooling fan and the fan in the cabin blower running uses a fair bit of battery power. Having to turn the cabin heater on to full is an emergency short term measure to overheating, it should not be relied on, this is defiantly not a good sign. Sorry I am not sure what you mean by this, the radiator will be hotter at the top and should be hot once the stat (thermostat) has opened. The stat starts to open at around its stated figure but is not fully open until a higher figure. Possibly but you waste a lot of time (and money) just guessing you need to follow a logical path of diagnostics to resolve things fully and keep in mind the issues(s) may be from one or more sources of problems. Such as, and I know you do not have a coolant leak but if you did even if you find a source of leak you still look and check for other possible leaks. A Dealership/garage/mechanic may stop when they find a leak to leave another leak because they have not fully checked, you want to do better for yourself and your cars. When the battery was in reasonable state of charge did you have any hesitation in the engine firing up at ignition either before or after the overheating? The car and engine will not be running as well as it should or could if the engine is overheating, it affects the running of the engine and who wants the heater on full in summer heat, if this was a new car you would not expect it and there's no reason why it should be so on your Felicia. Where were the leaks before? I'm not sure about that but I will leave @D.FYLAKTOS who travel in mountains to comment on that. I do not really understand when this overheating started have you always since you owned the car had to have the cabin heater on full to keep the the gauge needle on 90 or did the overheating only start after the first few weeks of your ownership? If second, then did anything else happen around or at the the start of the overheating?

Then you would wonder why you would want or need an override switch if the car is running fine and cooling fine, I know some like to have a dog and bark themselves but for an owner that has had the car from new and barely drives it perhaps before selling, perhaps it was just belt and braces but seems a bit odd to me other than bodge. Or could it be extra wire for extra pin if the three-pin switch was previously fitted instead of two pin switch, how is the two speed wired. ETA: some people have their own logic to their wiring which can be "unconventional".

It might be, in photos, but it's not working properly. Have you checked the lever arm and bar with a straight edge, checked cable and pedal settings, could the pedal pivot point (or bush) be oval'd? That is me totally out of ideas.

I could not get enough zoom on the image to see well enough but am I the only one to think the connecting set up below does not look factory standard. The red(?) (thinner?) wire, from the two-way joint off the orange wire and whole wire set up and presentation looks DIY to me, am I wrong?

Get it fully charged not partly charged or nearly full and charge it low and slow. You will have to find the User and wiring instructions for that radio. It will may have two live inputs, one switched with radio part and other(s)? permanent live hopefully with its own fused supply but there are other ways to wire up good, not-so-good and bad. This and the phone wiring and connection set ned to be correct or it might drain your battery again. Do you have a multimeter with you? It is good that the car looks so good in the photos and no disrespect meant to you but how do you know everything is working fine rather than just working, have you longer term experience of cars and older cars, have you driven other Felicias even if not a 1.6. Shiny show cars look very good but can be poor runners and not run anywhere as good as they could or should, whereas as very scruffy cars can be very very sound and run very well. I have seen and travelled with lots of very shiny "classic" (over-priced, over-valued old) cars, some very expensive, and they have been poor runners because their owners don't expect enough of them as the cars are not driven, used, serviced and maintained enough for the owners to know how well they should or could go. Your car might have everything working fine, except the fan, but that would surprise me a little given its extreme low mileage, but I could be wrong. For the fan, as D.FYLAKTOS put earlier you could bridge the switch supply to the fan, or run a direct supply from the battery to test the fan works.

I agree but we are of a certain different generation (not better or worse overall but different) and as I put maybe the OP has yet to come to a conclusion. I would also like to see posters return and give the resolve, if there was one, or to say it remains unsolved, so, if resolved, we can all learn what was right and wrong in the situation (not that I'd remember) which I think is also just good manners but as I put for reason this might just be forgot. I too agree that the use of the "Like" button emojis(?) at least acknowledges some sort of response if not a very nuanced tool. I may put a like "Like" to a post that I don't full agree with or think is fully correct but help and an answer has been offered and may even put likes to what appear to be contradictor posts, more than one answer, belief or opinion can be appropriate or correct.