nta16

According to my "Effective December 2016" sales brochure it was "(only available on 1.2TSI and 1.4TDI engines)" as a "Factory Fitted Optional Equipment" but not on 'S' spec.

Is that to compensate for the decades-old fashion for over hard suspension and oversized wheels with over-low profile tyres? 🙄

Sorry but I've still no idea what dcs is, you don't mean DSG? - https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/innovation-and-technology/technology/manual-or-automatic-keep-an-open-mind/ 2018 TSI SE - you can download the Driver's Handbook (called Owner's Manual) from the link (er, in that link) I put above. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) - https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/acc_en/

Hi, it depends on the spec and model of Fabia Mk3, age, optional extras fitted, do you mean reversing park sensors or perhaps front assist? The cruise control could be as is, or with speed limiter or full adaptive. There are so many different acronyms and titles for these things you do do to pin them down then you can look on Skoda UK website to see what they actually. A good idea before you buy the car is to look at and read the relevant Driver's Handbook as it will tell you what the things do - even more important to read and refer to the same Driver's Handbook once you own the car. Do bear in mind all modern cars, especially the diesel do not like all short journeys (less than 5-20 each) and that with s/h vehicles low and very low mileage can have disadvantages as well as advantages. The following has a link to Driver's Handbooks (or whatever the particular book is called and useful videos. - HTH. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/495226-useful-simple-information-videos-for-ordinary-owners/

I did wonder about @pab567 on the Bolero update thread but didn't know how far wide his expertise might be. I had to look up MU!

Hi Gary, it's all beyond me, software and hardware. Perhaps a search on the existing/previous threads/forms here might already have the info, or putting up a thread here with a more specific thread title to attract those more specific to the subject. All the details of the dot matrix are in the Driver's Handbook (whatever it's called), it's display on my wife's car at least is set via the menus in the infotainment screen/buttons. To scroll through the dot matrix display you use the scroll wheel on the steering wheel. I don't know but can't imagine how you'd operate the programs even if they are dormant and hidden but I don't do any computer games so have no idea of alternative settings. I'd imagine there would be secondhand infotainment units available with the extra buttons but how much that'd help I wouldn't know. That's me out of ideas, sorry.

Of course it's possible that the car isn't as standard or the car differs from above. Gary, more info or photo(s) are need to pin this down for you, not that I know about the software but others will.

My "Effective December 2016" sales brochure only shows a "3 spoke leather steering wheel" as a factory fitted extra (without switches).

ETA: I was still typing whilst John posted, not unusual for me. Gary, I've just remember I've got a copy of the Fabia sales brochure "Effective December 2016" for the S model it shows a "Maxi DOT trip computer" as an optional extra. There are other optional extras including some just for estates but not relating to what you've asked about. According to the brochure the model S has 'Swing' radio but then the downloadable pdf of the 'Swing' 'Owner's Manual' has - "The device may differ depending on the vehicle model, in which it is installed in both its appearance and in the arrangement of the controls" so needs that detail. - https://ws.skoda-auto.com/OwnersManualService/Data/en/Fabia_NJ/11-2016/Infotainment/Swing/A06_Fabia_Swing_InfotainmentSystem_Navigation.pdf It's looking like you may need more that just the software but I don't know what lies dormant in the cars. If I can look anything else up from the brochure for you just ask, I'd forgot I'd kept it.

Hi Gary, firstly well done for reading the Owner's Manual, that may well answer a lot of your future queries and by reading it and referring to it you learn more about the car than many longer term owners know (because they don't read it or refer to it). Unfortunately it doesn't cover what you're asking, I assume you've checked through the Infotainment menus to see what's on offer there on your model. I've no idea what's hidden or not on the various spec levels but wonder if it might be about having the computers on the car or just menus blocked. MPG, on a VW product, really, the old gallons by tripometer mileage might be more accurate. You may already know about keeping your car battery charged if you do lots of short journeys and more so with diesel and for the DPF but a useful video anyway . - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkL9wYgWLlI You might be beyond below, but it also has a link to pdf for Infotainment book too, and the video channel also has videos for Octavia Mk2 too. HTH.

So it's nothing to do with a Motorhead concert then, it's all bowel loosening and not tinnitus and nose-bleeds.. Ya know, I'm gunna get the blame for all this thread drift.

Other than Pye, kW and being told something was checked when it wasn't all else was well beyond me. I'm much more at the level of that image looking like a shot from a sci-fi film, the top left corner looking like some sort of raised platform with a man standing behind a lectern (depends on your image size) - and this all without the benefit of drinks.

I don't know how bad the dealer was overall in this one particular matter but it sounds like you might be best to forget about returning to them for anything. Those with that sort of attitude, or as I have met more than once simply con-men, are a waste of time to get even what they should do out of they as it won't be done well and may end up costing even more to rectify. Remember that video I put up on running modern diesel and keep on top of your batteries and vehicle use, prevention being better than cure, and you'll have better times with your car in the future. Read your Driver's Handbook ('Operating Instructions') and refer to it as required and you'll know more about your car than many long term owners. Good luck, cheers.

Sorry to hear that Martin, I feel a bit bad now saying the noise you previously heard was probably just turbo, perhaps that was but you were certainly right with being concerned about this fault. There are some positives, expensive ones now but possibly good value for you from now on. The experience has taught you a few things which I doubt you'll forget, first hand knowledge and experience. You were lucky to know your acquaintance and have someone trustworthy do the work fully rather than those very reluctant to do even the minimum. Using your new clutch, and DMF, properly you should get many, many years and miles out of both and not have to worry about how previous owners might have treated them. In some ways you have been lucky, I was still very naïve in the ways of the motor trade at your age, and much older, but I had a very good Skoda experience at your age, in 1985 my first Skoda, in profile image, from the Skoda dealerships at the time that wanted your return business so were more friendly and honest. Yes in some ways you have been lucky so you can be glad about those at least. Thanks for reporting back.

Oh, no, I don't think anything in my computer gets anywhere near as warm as those. Sorry I didn't make myself clear I was referring to the computer onboard my 1973 car that also onboards the 2015 Fabia, the very neglected one, the 'nut' behind the steering wheel, or on a passenger seat. I thought you were adding to the theme until I scrolled and saw - What BS - that made me laugh. Sorry I mislead you. I love the image, I had an old valve radio, wood case and elliptical speaker, one time they sold CD players and solid state amps with valves in them too, no BS. Sad, all these Americanisms now used, used to be 'what *******s' or 'talking *******s' and people asking for "the bathroom" when they want the toilet . . . ah, the wonders of language, its use, and misuse.

Decades of getting used to various settings of chokes, pull, twist, lock, listen look. And for a good while now also tapping the tacho glass with a finger knuckle to match needle number with perceived sounds as the exhaust and engine are different when near the building wall or facing out to the road (to allow moss and rust equal adhesion to both sides of the vehicle). It takes a while for the my onboard computer to work out fuel type, mixture, idle speed to match pedal movements, more so when the computer is cold and running even slower than normal. Updates are very infrequent.

Purely as a non-scientific test yesterday I drove my wife's car to test the revs required to pull off. The car was just from 10 minutes rest after a journey of one-and-a-half-miles and it had been sat in the sun, 22 degrees C, all day so not stone cold but nowhere near fully warmed. I raised the clutch pedal and let the car pull itself without me touching the accelerator pedal at all, I missed at what revs as we live on a narrow road and I have to turn the front wheels before hitting the kerb on the other side. I was unable to drive back as Oakham's Green Devil was on at our micro-pub, handpump as the cask barrels all had to go into the cellar to give a little more room to fit 11 people during Covid restrictions. Oakham's Green Devil is best straight from the cask barrel (tap, gravity) by handpump is much better than the fizzy keg (barrel) and bottle versions which are nowhere near as tasteful (and gassy).

Looks good to me. I can't think what you'd use to keep the rust or corrosion off the points about the hinge pins, other than perhaps a little light oil to help with lubrication.

TFR - good for cleaning but not for protection - I am not an expert in any of this - or anything else. I went on a cleaning part of a Citroën website and suggested a bit of basic cleaning of the car and the detailers were horrified but I was addressing the average owner like me that can't be arsed with spending hours washing a car - and I've nothing against those that spend or pay for hours/days of cleaning, as I put I've done I've myself, only because I'm so slow and inefficient. I know of, not the people personally other than to nod to, those that spend thousands of pounds annually on a cleaning and detailing contract for a single car but you can guess the value of the car, and that it's worth the investment. But always remember regardless of their position or wealth, they're just just the same as the rest of us, most between good and bad, and to avoid my more earthy sayings, as our US friends would say 'put their pants on one leg at a time'.

You might be too used to faffing (being polite) about with expensive overpriced stuff to just follow what's on the tin in a very easy get it done fashion. Some stuff is better but demising returns regards value and cost come in, very, very, very early, you pay for the costs of marketing and snobbery. I used to be a hi-f nut and the demising returns were a lot more expensive but less of a factor than beauty creams.

Having had to push start cars when I was younger and reasonable fit when I got older and fatter and less healthy I decided prevention was better - AND - at some point my wife refused to push the car anymore when 'we' ran out of petrol despite the car being very light and me doing the steering! I know, I'm too good to her (but keep it to ourselves). So now I'm older and wiser I prevent the need for these fabulous devices, some of which don't always work. I'm with rum4mo in that some are jack of all trades and masters of none.

Our local club went over to Meguiars at Daventry a few years back and although they didn't charge for the visit or demo they obviously expected sales from it and weren't giving any products away, or offers IIRC. Autoglym many years back wanted an association or to sponsor our national club but it was never followed up. At the NEC international classic car shows for a few years our stand was next to first Autogly, and then Meguiars national concours completion stand and on set up day I saw a car being rolled off a trailer with bubble wrap. I was told you'd never start some of the cars as the fixings were all lined up for cosmetics so might weep fluids, I don't know if that was true but could imagine it as even at outdoor shows the inside of tyre treads were polished. This was all before "detailing" was big. Recently the club has been offered a few places with Xpert60 car cleaning products (I've never heard of them but I'm not into such) for some training and tour of their manufacturing place, usually not open to public but at a reasonable donation to charity, IIRC it must have been in the late 1980s as IIRC it was on my white Skoda Estelle 2 130 (5-speed) I once put four different polishes on the four doors to see if I could tell if there was any difference. IIRC Autoglym, something like a (£2 tin) Turtlewax and a couple of others one was Raindance IIRC. I couldn't see or feel any difference and I can't remember one lasting more than the others. So by that the cheapest (£2 tin) Turtlewax was best value, and easiest to use, of course there's more to it than my basic test.. I used to spend two days cleaning and polishing a car, not detailing then, or to even local-Sunday-village-show standards but wheels off, seats out sort of thing, on acquiring a used car or before selling - those days are long gone! I now use the carnauba wash 'n' wax type products, when I can be bothered which isn't often as the cars are outside 365/6.

I don't know if Autoglym make their own gel or not. It used to be green now it's clear and smells like peardrops(?). Decades back I got a 5 litres of Autoglym engine cleaner, ten times concentrate water it down so 50 litres, I gave loads away and now I'm just about running out. I used to know someone who bought a Autoglym wagon franchise, he made so much money on it he got a second wagon and two people to sell the stuff whilst he played golf. I don't know if that's still the case now but the prices are still very high. I went to a (free) demo a wagon seller was doing for a local car club (in the pub car park of course) and after he offered to sell at discount and boy were they good deals and he was still happy with the money he took. This was well before the hobby of polishing and detailing took off so much, shows the profit.

Do bear in mind these are manufacturer's figures given as a generalisation, there are many factors that can influence the figures you get in real world use and how much they really tell you and mean. Now and again you want to get the oil temp higher on your journey. In the thread you linked to the American chap I've seen a few of his vids on oil, he clearly (later?) shows his involvement with Mobil (1), you also have to bear in mind very few Americans drive "stick shifts" (4%? IIRC?) and they have "shops" that do oil and filter changes every 3,000-miles (I've no idea of oil and filter quality) so it's a different oil world over there. I often wonder what they'd make of us once a year or 20,000 miles. There are many of what I call "oil beliefs" out there (including mine) as well as expert facts and opinions. I should repeat I'm not an expert in oils (or anything else) or have any level of education or training in anything to do with cars. Many in the "classic" world think their cars need old style oils despite the fact that the oils are different (and better) and even if it has the same name it's not the same make up and the name might only be a brand (Duckham's Q is by Moove, Comma a Braizian company). Many "classic" owners over here seem to think that as the oil is in the ground for millions of years that that's how long at least the gearbox and axle oils can last. Just about all appropriate car oils are good if used appropriately but I prefer better oils for better protection in my overpriced and overvalued old car so that I can drive it, when possible and I feel like it, in a spirited manner and for the greater margins of protection for when other thing go wrong and out of their safety margins and they do with the ****-poor modern made parts the tight-fisted "classic" owners insist are sold or the usual stuff like head gasket failures and radiators leaking. The same extra margins are also useful for the modern runabouts as they work to some more severe conditions of short runs in heavy traffic and or high demand shortly after cold start, ect..