nta16

Can't help you with the cover but I can advise you, if you've not already done so, to check out all the tips on the sites for car storage and the use of covers on manufacturers sites. I've used covers before with cars outside but not static beyond weeks and a mate has a few on his cars. I'd definitely go for a cover which has zips with access for front door(s), one that allows 'breathing', well as much as they can and door mirror pockets. You may need extra straps or even netting if you live in a windy location. Personally I'd prefer a fully fitted (tailored) cover with mirror, and if required aerial, pockets. Heavy covers are a bit cumbersome to get on particular after the car has been washed and polished ready to be covered and it's windy, whereas light covers slide off a polished car and get complete blown off the car if only slightly windy usually always easier to have two people to put the covers on no matter what the suppliers might advertise and the heavy covers get heavier when wet or damp too.

More proof that I have a very cheap old monitor then, I can see it at 400% zoom but it's as if looking at it the other side of a house window with net curtains (for those old enough to know what they are).

Fair enough, different people with different vehicles in different conditions and circumstances have different needs and wants.

Another phone/mobile device fail I'm afraid. 😉 ETA: Turns out it's a cheap old monitor and eyes fail. 😄 Try this.

Before long you'll forget about it. Until someone reminds you by mentioning it. 😁

By coincidence minutes ago my wife said she'd forgotten this but as I said habits don't always fall into (or out of) place immediately., I'm sure I'll forget.

Unless you drive on unusual roads or like to hit kerbs just keep your tyres and wheels in reasonably good condition and have a footpump (preferably manual if possible) and you'll probably never need a spare wheel and tyre. If you want to carry the goo and worry about punctures then you may also want to keep the goo in date. Most people who carry a spare wheel so very rarely use it, if ever, that they forget to check it's fully inflated (the spacer savers go to much higher pressure) or it can be totally flat, so they often need inflating before they can be used in which case often you could have inflated the tyre already on the car and very safely got home or where you're going on a full size tyre that matches the other three, I've done this three times in about 30 years. Of course if you live near a builders yard or similar then you might more frequently get punctures and perhaps want or need a spare wheel.

Just had a look, well feel, and it feels like there's some plastic on the very bottom, cushion cradle perhaps, then ours has a front flap to the underseat compartment, that's also plastic, plastic squeaks and creaks sometimes. We've never had this but for a time off and on the driver's seatbelt connector creaked or squeaked, can't remember which, but then it went away, I've no idea what the real cause was or why it started or stopped. As it's my wife's car and she mostly drives I thought it was her seat or seatbelt position but then it done it a couple of times when I drove and I lower the seat and sometimes raise the seatbelt height so that was the end of that theory.

OK, fair enough. Didn't want you thinking I was being intentionally or unintentionally rude or British humour. I have E5 but lots more experience. 😁

Are you sure it's not the back rest.

I didn't realise you could do that, thanks, I just gave it a try and it could be an easy habit for me to get into and I can then decide when it's appropriate to switch it on again.

🤣 Servicing, battery, too hard suspension. 👍 I would invite you gentlemen to the MOB* meetings held every third Thursday of the month but none of us can be arsed to turn up. * MOB - moaning old buggers

I think threads/posts like this are useful to know what is out there. I honestly thought the smoke tune/map was just a joke, I'm so old and naïve. It's an extreme extension of other fashionable "modifications" often seen on clapped out cars to the detriment of the vehicle, its driver, passengers and for all around. But the number plate is cleverly hidden. 😁

I'm not sure your girlfriend should waste money on a new or nearly new car as without warranties you'll probably be paying out a lot for service, maintenance and repairs. The newer you get the more new complicated systems and more plastic and less metal, I'd research what systems are coming in over the next couple of years, I've no idea as I couldn't afford or want a new car. Given the Taiwan situation chips might be in even shorter supply, but as I understand it cars use cheap old design chips that were a low priority for the chip manufacturers as they want massive amount of chips very cheaply and pay for them very belatedly. Electric is the diesel future of the late 90s, wot could possibly go wrong. I like the idea of electric engines, instant acceleration, the torque and best of all no getting filthy farting about with oil and such stuff, who knows had electric cars been allowed to develop in the 60s and 70s things might have been further along now, subject to the power and infrastructure also having been developed. Nurse your Fabia clutch and engine and see how long it takes to get much worse and see what the future has bought, or brought. 🙃

Erased faults? Does that mean clear error codes? The fact that the warnings and codes reappeared is no big surprise. As mentioned cheap easy things to try that will/might help is to check battery and recharge it, then erase error codes and disable the Front Assist and see what happens, if only to buy time to research prices for a permanent fix. As with the "switching on and off the ignition system several times" above you can see the computers sometimes need repeated conformation or cycles of events to accept the message (a bit like partners, kids and pets). Depending on your insurance premiums it might be less expensive to just put it through the insurance, they might want grizzly photos though. Things could be worse, think of the fox, the millions of other vehicles users always struggling on without the aid of ACC.

Dave, given your car history and bear in mind I've had (suffered) enough British car to be able to say what I'm gonna, and a few Japanese cars, get yourself a Toyota or Honda, certainly forget the cars you mentioned. To a certain extent possibly older cars could be more reliable than as they get newer with standards dropping and more complex systems being insisted on. As with all makes and models it's a matter of present condition but history may back this up or point to potential work required. A well looked after and used old Kia could be much better than a very poorly maintained and used Toyota or Honda. Having put that I know two Toyota owner with 20+ year old models that have had nearly nothing done to them than servicing and barely that with one and they still work well and very well. A mate is selling a Honda after 19 years of ownership and other than one wheel arch patch the only stuff it's had is the British alarm removed and a new hazard light switch fitted last year (£50 part and installation), it was serviced - but not every year. He also has a 2005 Micra, when Renault was in with Nissan is more of a gamble but it runs after the thin rusted metal bits are replaced. +1

East Midlands is a big area and Northampton is at the very bottom of it but if you're anywhere near I could borrow my neighbour's scan tool and do a 'Health report' (list of error codes) and then delete them to see which return and also check the battery with another tester tool and/or with my optimistic multimeter.

Phillip, you can disable this function, but I don't know how this affects the ACC as we don't have it, you have to do it every time(? see below) the ignition is switched on (like with the Start/Stop) have a look at your copy of the Owner's Manual page 124 in ours. I'm not too sure exactly what they mean with the following. - Up to you if you take any notice of this bit but I'd check the "Start-Stop Error" isn't just related to your car battery being low in charge regardless of if the car starts and lights seem bright enough and hook up an appropriate battery charger to give as long a charge as is required. The recent very hot weather was also not kind to car batteries. I'm with you about not caring about the availability of the Front Assist (I drive a car from 1973 where the only drive aids are things like self-parking windscreen wipers) but it's on the Fabia and also intertwined with other complicated computer programs and part of what the car is insured as. I'm not joking, a leaf blew on to the the front of my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 front grille and this caused the "Front Assist Not available". I always like to start with the simple stuff (as it's all I know anyway) and if I was you I'd start with a a long, low, slow recharge of the car battery which will do no harm and possibly some or a lot of good anyway even if it turns out to not actually do much for your issue. Then I'd get the error codes removed, again this can often help things but if the problem hasn't been resolved they will obviously return. Here's a map of map of VCDS owners who may be available to remove the error codes and possibly dig deeper depending on their knowledge and experience. - https://tinyurl.com/yn6mmtyk HTH.

As it's so easy and quick to do you might as well test check the servo. -

Yes it won't help with brake pedal feel or braking. Could be used with two man method. Do you know the one man 'sealed' jar method it's the way I've done my brakes and clutch (far too) many times and with two person method. I'm not sure about that, I've also heard and even suggested bench filling and purging(?) a master cylinder but I've never had to do this even when I stupidly let the fluid run too low when flush bleeding. No point in putting shims in as it negates what is being tested. Presumably the handbrake moves the shoes to the drum somehow so takes up any distance between the shoes and drums. I wonder about the obvious stuff but also at the back of my mind there's a previous issue that someone had with a less obvious cause and I keep thinking it was the shoes but as there have been so many threads on the subject I doubt I'd ever find it - or remember what it was. Good luck, let us know how you get on perhaps nipping up the union will help a lot.

If you're pulling on plastic a quick clean of the area and quick spray of a suitable lubricant like GT85 can sometimes help, it's amazing how small bits of grit/crud can hold things together.

(decided to delete the post as too unsure)

There was a thread or posts discussing the pro and cons of wind deflectors for earlier Fabia and it got me thinking about perhaps adding some but then someone said they did add noise but this was on an earlier model. There might be info on the Mk3 if you do a search on here or start a thread if you want. I used to add mudflaps to my cars but I found on those cars they did little in the way of protection in the places I drove and they can add a bit of drag if you're into fuel economy (a good air intake will help with fuel economy but will it be better than the factory unit with a clean filter in it). If inexpensive interior changes make you happier whilst driving then they're excellent value,

I've no idea about the SatNav but do remember TomTom and the like from decades back. For the Driver's Handbook (Owner's Manual) you can download a Pdf copy from the following link, how good the explanations are in it I would know. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Personally I'd advise you not to spend your money on cosmetics or 'upgrades' unless they're very low cost or a part needs changing anyway as you may need that money for other higher priority work. You have a 6-7 year old car that you've only owned for two months, more important is that the whole car, and not just the engine, has been serviced and maintained in a timely manner. The best tuning you can done on a car is full servicing and maintenance, certainly initially Adding an intake to make the car louder is up to you but be aware that sometimes doing so can reduce the performance of the vehicle. I'm pretty sure you'll follow your path, just offering a different point of view from experience.