nta16

I've given what I'd do earlier so will leave others to give their answers to this.

They're not the same, disconnecting from the battery is disconnecting that part of the system where as pushing the button is just switching off the start/stop (until you switch the "ignition" off, usually when you park up, and back on again usually when you next use the car).

Fair enough, for some reason I got the idea it was a Warranty issue, no idea why, yes if they are trying to save the customer money and not really trying to sort the issue and add to their knowledge of these cars, unless they already know what the problem might be and can do nothing about it. I'm not an expert in anything especially computers but I'd have thought there'd be error codes - to pick up on rum4mo's point the sub-£100(?) scan tool certainly picked up my battery had been disconnected (or battery monitor perhaps) and stored the code. My neighbour's £800 scanner picked up the codes I thought had been wiped by the sub-£100(?) plus one other the other machine didn't pick up and codes from after the previous scan so I'm surprised a Dealer's scanner hasn't picked up anything on a car going into limp home mode. As the garage has looked at the car before and found nothing and are then shown evidence that the car has presented an error message on the Infotainment I'd have thought they'd go deeper to find it. Perhaps they did try and didn't succeed, or saw what they knew they couldn't deal with(?). If Mikerp was nearer I'd suggest that my neighbour's scan tool was plugged in to see what it shows, as has been said it only takes a few minutes for the machine to do the full scan, a lot quicker next time if the files are kept on the machine for that vehicle. That of course is only the very start of any diagnostics, the difficult part is to interpret and use this information and continue the diagnostics to find the real problem and resolve it. Mikerp, was the scanner used by the garage a similar model to the one below?

Well .... there were different levels of Scanners in 1981, the newest appeared to be the better, but you'd have to know the film, I'm not sure it went to Germany for VW to pick up from. 🙂

Fair enough, I can't think you'd get a lot for £60 now. You've really got to know what you're doing with scanners. ETA: Patrick McGoohan's the daddy, well he was in this film.

I don't know but £60 sounds very cheap for a diagnostics, is this a Skoda/VW main Dealer?

Did they even scan the car?

You rebel! Somewhere on here someone put they ran like that for a good time (couple of years?) - BUT do bear in mind they will pick that up on a scan and then they might say this caused the/a problem(s) (as they've already told you not to do so)! I'd be tempted to do that if it went into limp home mode again, but of course that might be too late to help or your wife might not feel confident doing so especially if she has to limp the car through traffic looking for somewhere safe to pull over to lift the bonnet to do so.

I'm sure they'll just say it was a typo or simple mistake. Ticksheet "working", previously my wife had 7mm across the width of the spare tyre that doesn't exist and on a previous car I think two tyres actually gained tread depth between visits without the tyres having been moved or changed.

I wonder if the Dealerships actually do have the full pro VW/Skoda scan tools and/or the fully trained Technicians to use them, fully that is. They're quick enough to send you a video of their free "health inspection", why not a video of the scan tool results and the proper toools can do a lot more than just show error codes. Did the start/stop error not show up as (loads of) error codes, surely limp home mode must also have (loads of) codes?! Live data from road runs, although that might require the fault(s) to actually happen on the run, there's stored details to the error codes. Just as an example, this is from IIRC a sub-£100(?) scan tool of my wife's car (the date and time is for the fault not scan) - Faults: U11B800 - Interface for external media No communication Intermittent Priority - 4 Malfunction frequency counter - 20 Unlearning counter - 72 km-Mileage - 61240 km Dynamic environmental data - 02867818E801 date - 2021-05-12 17:21:55 Later my neighbour's £800 scan tool IIRC brought up 638 items for the engine alone that could be looked at, a full pro machine would be £0,000s and do much more.

Really!? What's the explanation to that then? Even if they're run-flat tyres - "Life span of Run Flat Tyres The materials used to manufacture run flat tyres are similar or identical to conventional tyres, so their wear rates should be comparable. Keeping the correct air pressure in your tyres (no matter what type) is the best way to ensure a longer life from your tyres." - https://www.national.co.uk/information/run-flat-tyres

Yes that is the problem exactly. You really need some one with a full professional deep scan tool that knows how to use that tool and interpret the results, this might exclude the missing or no-show error codes. I'm sure there are may odd glitches and errors codes that come up for various reason and mean very little as they relate to that time and instance only but a display on the Infotainment screen and going into limp home mode are a good few levels and priority above those. Personally now I'd 'write a letter' to the Dealership and Skoda UK and stating that if it happens again and they are unable to diagnosis and/or resolve it that the car would be taken to a diagnostics expert (one who can use the machines, gawd knows where these people are though) and have the report paid for by the Warranty (unless it's a third party Warranty provider then it may or may not be worth the (toilet) 'paper' it's printed on). To my (very simple) mind, as I keep putting these systems, battery, start/stop and others are so invasive and VW's ,in particular, programs so complicated that if a brake light bulb goes on my wife's car it possibly puts your wife's car into limp home mode! Microsoft have (successfully) been doing their very best for decades to warn us about the perils of computer programs! Companies often use the divided technique - "you're the only one to complain about this" (it must be you that's wrong), I and others hear it all the time about classic car parts quality (or lack of). I got the right 'ump now. ☹️ (Mikerp's photo brought forward from earlier in thread)

Have a look at the following thread (and many others) read it to end and take your pick or go with your belief, I had ours done at 5 years but I wouldn't have bothered if I's seen the info before instead of after. - 28,000 miles is a low mileage than can introduce its own issues and possibly need more service work rather than less, you'll particularly want to keep your car battery in good condition and state of charge so as not to upset all the computers and their invasive programs, particular battery and start/stop.

That seems to be the way now with nuts and 'bolts'. I always run a nut or bolt against three samples of the other threading by fingertips, turning each nut for both sides so six runs against nut or bolt. Any that snag I put aside for non-critical use, don't get many but a few I might even bin . My problem is all my stock is just about UNF with a smattering of a few very small nuts and 'bolts' of various threads including metric and I don't have any M14 nuts to run against, I'll have to buy some when I restock my UNFs.. It was only a few years ago I discovered there's three different metric threads, no wonder my imperial spanner was a snug fit on the nut, I just thought it was the surface rust left after wire brushing. VAG dealers probably have thousands of stock of the bolt/washer (N90813202) and using them up on service and repair work, probably quicker to fit than fitting just a washer. The N90813202 plug/washer is listed on the service invoices each time, I've no idea what is actually used but I did notice the one time I was under the engine that the sump plug looked to be new and not the dark metal type IIRC. I've just ordered two (x5) boxes of these, should last me at least 5 years, perhaps 10, or depends if I also have full stock of can-be-arsed or enough money to pay someone else to do the work as has been the case so far. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174613262625

By the look of the WSM, altho' it isn't that clear to me so I might have it wrong, it seems you swap the bolt c/w washer for bolt with separate washer and then just change the washer next time. I did wonder if the bolt c/w washer was perhaps softer material so as to be less likely to damage the thread on the sump pan but the separate plug is listed as steel, and sometimes shown with flat copper washer. You can also buy copper crush washers and I'd imagine in the correct size. Flat washers used to seal fine. If you go to a place that sells farm stuff and/or hydraulics you can find all sorts of sealing washer that I'm sure would work fine.

No, the top bolt and its washer (N90813202) are a pair, they are together (like Ant & Dec). This can be changed to the bolt (N90288901) and a separate washer (N0138157 in this case) where if wanted you could reuse the bolt and just replace the washer. I hope that makes sense.

Yes I guess so and the wipers sit the other side as does the wiper motor and badges on the left of the windscreen which would be the passenger's side. And I've just noticed in the other car the "king" HT lead to the coil is green rather than black as the rest of the set.

The car looks more used there and has a battery fitted. I too wondered if it was the same car but can't make out the number. I'm not sure with the first story board that the text ties up with the photos, still very interesting and great photos.

Now you're dragging out of me what I think is the complications of the motor trade and VAG in this particular case, I didn't want to throw it in before to avoid confusion. I'm going to give VAG and/or the last garage that serviced your car some leeway and not give you fully what I think/speculate. You will see I cropped the photo I put up previously to avoid showing the plug with non-detachable (unless you really want to) washer (N90813202), they come as a pair so you replace the plug/bolt with it's washer each time rather than the two separate parts of bolt/plug (N90288901) and washer (N0138157) where you could replace the washer only. Some may show dismay at two washers fitted but if it doesn't leak before the next service it's worked.

Don't get me wrong the Fabia in plain form at least isn't an exciting or performance chassis and I worry about the 1.2 engine putting 90hp with the turbo, let alone 110hp. You get used to (a lot) less power, sure a powerful car can sometimes be useful and fun but other than on a dry day do you ever really use the power and then when you do you could always do with a lot more. The power can be more frustrating as often it can't be used. Remember James Hunt (for various reasons) drove an A35 van. Perhaps you should have got a VRs - bigger wheels and wider tyres too. 😄 I've recently gone to a wide tyre, 155 because of the 5" rim and the state of the roads, 80 aspect ratio. Previous I've had 3.5" rims with 145/80r13 tyres lovely feel and handling, I'm told for years now the Westies have been going back to 13" wheels from 14" and 15", less is more. 😁

Yeap a compression test is on the cards, wondering if we'll hear back.

Good idea to sell the car if you're not using it enough and now, or before the bubble bursts which might not be for a while yet. For seat comfort have you sat in the front passenger seat for a journey of reasonable length as that should give you some idea of seat comfort for you. Seat comfort can be a personal thing, generally being short I dislike German car seating. Your Fabia seat sounds like it might have had more stress than normal, big person, mobility issues, deliveries driver. If the scuffy won't cause rusting then why bother until you really need to. My wife's previous car had a long rear panel that somebody dented and disappeared, she put up with it for 18 months until the servicing garage gave her a good quote on the repair (they must have need work at the time). I speculated that within two weeks the repair would have a ding from the public car park at her work, not even 24hours, she was so annoyed. If the car has only you and not a lot of heavy work stuff to carry too you should find the performance reasonable, handling won't be up to S3 but the use of speed and acceleration tends to be very restricted nowadays anyway. If you want more mpg pump the tyres up to 35psi as that noticeably reduces rolling resistance you lose a little on the handling but that can put more fun back into actually driving the car, different perhaps to the heavily(?) assisted S3. Course smaller wheels with narrower tyres would be more practical too but that's not the fashion.

I don't know (could put a full stop here) but I can't remember the engine bay having so much in it on my wife's car, but I am old and forgetful and it is a long time ago. In photo below what's the red arrow to, and is the orange arrow to wiper motor perhaps?

I would expect it to be in the Driver's Handbook. I put up a link previously for some quirky but very useful and informative videos, including opening the boot from inside. - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHH-B9onXpOqSbufztgrEsE0U-QjwooWU HTH.

I don't think this is an earlier car but can't really remember my wife's Favorit as it was about 30 years ago. I can't remember her car having that badge there but my memory isn't the best and the only photo I have only shows the rear quarter. Looking at the other photos on that link there's a 136L I think in that colour so possibly that car. I can't see anything that looks like power steering but I could well be wrong. According to my neighbour's website it was only later models with injection. - https://motor-car.net/skoda/item/13543-skoda-favorit-1987-1995