nta16

@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.

VW, and no doubt others, make it a real PITA job just t get the spark plugs out. you have to remove the air filter box which is a PITA job (neither difficult just awkward-ish) then you need perhaps a coil puller or diy equivalent and perhaps grease for one or all for putting back in, thin wall magnetic spark plug socket, oh, the joy of it all. I probably put this before but a low mileage car has advantages and dis advantages and in some aspects needs more service and maintenance not less than a higher mileage car. No service history means you are probably best assuming there's little or none so getting everything done for age rather than mileage. I'm 100% certain I'd have mentioned the battery and its state of charge and health. If you're not too well don't worry about it too much the engine and associated stuff is generally one of the less important things on the car - brakes, steering, suspension (all three include tyres), electrics (lights, wipers, horn, blower, etc.), windows, mirrors number plates - see and be seen all more important than engine and drive stuff. If you've got a son-in-law as a mechanic why are you doing or worrying about anything! Toe cap, seat of trousers (jeans). 😄

Ian, put up a video if you can. If it's a rattle and shake that doesn't sound right especially if it shakes for a minute of driving. What's the confirmed service history on the car, when were (if ever) the spark plugs and engine air filter last changed? Do you have access to a VW appropriate scan tool that's not just generic OBD2 code reader? See also below for rough idle - but in my experience if you get this and then just pull away you don't notice anything more.

If you had the money why would you only use it on meetings and not drive it more. The photo is a C2 I think and IIRC has drum brakes, we had a split-window one in the club that came out on a tour with us once, typical Yank car OK for straight roads only IIRC. I always like the look of the C3 but a mate said I would not like the build quality, plus we have Marcos here that have a similar look but are English made and slightly more suitable for our roads but like a Jag E-Type the cabin is a long way from the front bumper when having to pull out from a narrow t-junction, especially with hedges all round you are pulling out with only faith for guidance.

In the UK the value of ordinary "classics" is mainly based on the cosmetics, doesn't matter if the car is faulty with poor running, as long as the components are in reasonably good condition they don't need to be properly set up for good running or performance. That is one of the problems with "classics" they can look great and run poorly, and be driven poorly, as long as they look good. So you present them as well as possibly for insurance assessment photos or inspection, clean and highly polished, exterior and interior looking as it should. Restricted mileage depends on the provider and policy, it can lower policy premiums to have more restricted mileage but not always, my Midget had unrestricted mileage as a no-cost option - this of course doesn't matter for FIVA as there is a restriction of use already for the registration. Possibly most, but possibly not all, insurance providers I would have thought will be following the restrictions of FIVA in your country but if you don't ask you won't know. There are also other types of specialist insurance policies, in the UK at least, that accept the vehicle and it's owner/drivers are not in the mass market type of cover and reflect this. ETA: There is no point as registration with the FIVA restricts the use of the vehicle well beyond what you want to use your vehicle for (and what I did with all of mine).

Yes that's if you buy standard, run-of-the-mill, mass market car insurance which is why you go to a specialist provider, at least here in the UK, and as I put there are many of them in the UK and the policy rates are low because they know the owners will avoid getting their precious (to them) cars in accidents or scrapes and will normally used the car less and in better circumstances. As an example, with my 1973 MG Midget I had unrestricted use and a very comprehensive cover with extras, ability to drive other cars (third party cover), full UK and European breakdown and recovery, a (self assessed, up to £15,000) agreed value and all for quite a bit less than what my wife paid for annual breakdown recovery let alone the insurance on her car. I could have used it exactly as you do with your Felicia now if I had wanted (I always try to avoid cities as much as possible whether I'm in a car or not). I used my various "classics" for at various times some or all of the following, work, commutes (300m and 500m a week for a good number of months) holidays (UK and Europe), club tours and events for 30+ years all fully legally on "classic" insurance policies.

If the contract has conditions to get the 2,000 euro then if the conditions are not meet you wont necessarily get the 2,000 euros, if the conditions are meet then you get the 2,000 euro, so you need to read the contract or enquire before signing the contract. In the UK there are many insurers that specialise in "classic" insurance, their policies and terms and conditions are not all the same so you need to buy the policy that suits your needs and wants. Here, the policy cost can have little to do with the cover provided as different insurers calculate the risks differently and specialise in different areas and aspects of "classics" and their use, you need to pick the insurer and policy that suits your wants and needs - and read the policy before signing. People often say stuff is "hidden in the small print" when actually it isn't, it's often in the normal size print and clearly stated, they may have made assumptions and/or not read the policy before or after signing., I have dealt with that a few times with mates and others, one mate dealt with contracts and even appeared at courts for his company quoting contracts yet he made assumptions (and ignored some previous advice I gave him, cos that's what mates do) and then whinged about losing out on a bit of money he need not have.

In the UK you can get "agreed valuation" between policy holder and insurer but exactly what the "agreed valuation" is and means can vary between insurance providers so this needs to be checked and understood by the car owner before taking the contract with the insurance provider so as the car owner doesn't get less than he thought he would (by making assumptions instead of reading the contract).

Hi, welcome. Have you tried the switch in both the passenger door and passenger door? To often help save time, money and hassle it pays to read the Owner's Manual and then refer to it when required. If you've not got your paper printed copy you can download a free VWSkoda pdf copy from here. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models In my pdf copy for MY 2016 it shows fuse 10 of dash panel lot as "Power windows - rear left". - HTH.

I've only just noticed whilst we've been referring to engine Nm your graph has "kW at wheel". If the following is correct and I assume it's not at wheel measurement claims but at flywheel or have things changed(?) - "The Skoda Octavia is an all wheel drive 4 door with 5 seats, powered by a 1.8L Turbo 4 Cylinder engine that has 132 kW of power (at 4500 rpm) and 280 Nm of torque (at 1350 rpm) via a 6 Speed Auto Direct Shift." I'm with you that possibly it's wrong maps, whether there are other elements to the issue too is difficult to speculate, a scan tool report might show issues or error codes for the engine, turbo, gearbox or other(s). Without a dyno I'd have thought pre-installation and post-installation scan tool reports would be even more important. If the installers claim not to have those (or didn't do them) then a scan tool report now might be useful. You should have a label or two on the car or other info to show which engine your vehicle has (subject to the engine being the same as when the car left the factory) that you can show to APR and/or their agents.

I'm not sure the "stock" setting here is the original VWSkoda stock - but I have no idea what a stock, or any other, graph would really look like. Do a lot of places still tweak the dials for ego/marketing/sales figures, I look for the shape and position of lines rather than the numbers. My view is if the car is fully and properly serviced, maintained, repaired (not just Dealer level service) and set up then without other changes big gains may come from too much cutting in of manufacturers parameters and margins but of course that depends on many factors and how tight the original parameters and large the original margins.

Also never fully exercising the car by very restrictive revs and speeds, which is probably best on many very shiny but mechanically poor (not the case with thefeliciahacker) "classic" cars we have very occasionally on the UK roads for the reasons I gave before and (unmodified) cars over 40 years old do not require an annual MoT. Just one example, period (27 years old) tyres, plenty of tread. Posted with the permission of the car owner R G Everitt (as education to other "classic" car owners).

Good to hear the car is in excellent condition, in the UK a Dealer service record can be little more than annual engine oil and filter changes. Stage one tuning used to be go-faster stripes on the side of the car and fancy wheel caps, on the figures I quoted before yours was for a 50% increase which sounds a lot to me so some serious stuff of amendments. If they replace one set of programs with another surely they save the original set to reload if required. Was there a precheck of the vehicle to see if everything was OK before to do the tuning and a contract you and them signed for the work that you can return to. Good luck, let the site know how you get on.

Yes much to my dislike (but as I always put each to their own) you are a typical young/old timer type owner but I was thinking of D.FYLAKTOS who doesn't drive the car like it's some museum relic and actually knows how his car could and should go because he drives it regularly - a "go" car rather than a "show" car. I was around old-farts that owned and barely drove "classic" cars for over 30 years and know about owning, maintaining and actually driving such cars. I know about the UK insurance and legal restrictions which are no where near as restrictive as the old-farts think they are or make out they are. The UK is full of many, many "classic" car clubs and owners and has laws specially for "historic" ("classic") vehicles and has done for decades. It's your car so you enjoy it the way you want to, others of us prefer to drive the cars as intended rather than just parade them. I have driven my cars at shows in the UK and tours and parades in Europe but not sunny Sunday afternoon type driving even on sunny Sunday afternoons (doesn't mean I drove fast but not dragging-arse slow as some old-farts do). 1,250 miles isn't enough to keep the car running well unless it's constantly pampered. more of a static exhibition than real car IMO Some enjoy the tinkering with the car rather than actually driving it, it takes all sorts to make a world.

I thought I saw you are not supposed to use the vehicle daily - which to me is absolutely stupid as it means others don't see historic vehicles everyday, in proper use as they were designed for and used back in their day, rather than occasionally driven in a way unlike when they were used regularly, and highly polished and presented in a way you would rarely have seen them back in their day. It's not real history it's unrealistic history. But as always each to their own.