nta16

GT85 though originally a British company was taken over by an invasive American corporation, called WD-40 Company. Whether WD-40 labelled PTFE is the same as WD-40, or even has the same lavender smell I don't and IIRC WD-40 Company UK technical enquires, at least about GT85 i my experience, is dealt with by a third party marketing company. ETA: there's also silicone oil and silicone for some car uses - I've never had trouble with GT85 hold crap but that is just my experience with its use and not to say its not possible by other use or that I might not encounter it in the future I will have to see. You are a mess pup, and/or spray in windy conditions. 😁

A £15 Aldi/Lidl charger maintainer will do the job, the battery is low not "dead" - though I've recovered dead batteries with 40 year-old simple charger and 30 year old charger maintainer and for modern stop/start I might start or continue on with my £23 Ring "smart" (it ain't nothing electronic called "smart" really is, just a marketing wet-dream) similar to its replacement RSC904, other much more expensive and cheaper charger maintainers are available and from other suppliers. - https://shop.ringautomotive.com/rsc904-4a-smart-battery-charger-maintainer.html The following is how all work and farting about with cars should be, hook it up and let it do the work whilst you do something better which is just about most things.-

Not spraying all over the place as you don't want anything on the fabric. I personally use GT85 which is PTFE rather than silicone, it is also a good penetrating/releasing fluid as well as a long lasting lubricant, and smells nice too. - https://gt85.co.uk/ Yes it could be dirt/debris/grit/**** which a lubricating spray might flush out or air blowing might blow it out (or further in perhaps). Much of car servicing, maintenance and many repairs boil down to clean and lubricate of one sort or another. Often well worth trying as a cheap, quick, easy, clean-hands thing to perhaps give time for other work or very often as complete work. The cooling might make things worse buy locking the mispositioning from the movement with the heat, if you take a seatbelt apart you might be surprised by how little is restraining a human body from going forward. I would also use a vey bright light and magnifying glass to perhaps see anything thing blocking and locking the belt up. A few months ago a mate came around as he had spent ages try to get the driver's belt in his car to hold the buckle, he had used sprays used picks and no luck, he wanted help to get the seat out to fit another stalk and I asked him to show me what the problem was and Sod's Law the buckle went into the existing stalk and locked, shear Sod's Law luck, I done nothing, and it's still fine now The smallest bit of crud can prevent some things from work. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

@EMike IF your engine is a 1.0 petrol then on a previous thread the battery might have the VW battery code 8E0 915 105 B (320A DIN is about 530A EN CCA approx. on the conversion chart I have). A list of 8E0 915 105 B equivalent batteries according to Tayna. - https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/f/vw-oem/vw-8e0-915-105-b/ Have you tried recharging the battery using an appropriate battery charger maintainer following the instructions in the car's 'Owner's Manual' and instructions for the appropriate charger maintainer as this could recover the battery to useful longer life. As you don't use the car much you have the time to fully recharge the battery to get the most into to it for it to retain. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models The start/stop not working is the first sign that you should recharge the battery, either by sufficient driving or better still using an appropriate battery charger maintainer following the instructions in the car's 'Owner's Manual' and instructions for the appropriate charger maintainer. You have not mentioned that you have any other warning lights or messages from letting the battery get too low in charge so the battery could be recoverable for further useful life despite VW and others wanting your money for expressive perhaps premature battery replacement and possible 'coding'. Yes of course it's safe to disconnected the battery, in fact VWŠkoda recommend you do so if the car isn't used for x-weeks, again consult the car's 'Owner's Manual' for procedure and advice as to what might need resetting on reconnection. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models Whether you keep the current battery or change it to a new one in future, for less hassle and longer battery life you want to, when required, do occasional preventative charging of the battery with an appropriate battery charger maintainer following the instructions in the car's 'Owner's Manual' and the instructions for the appropriate charger maintainer. I think people had to do this up until say the 1970s for the batteries of the time (6v on some cars) - such is progress. 😆 VWŠkoda didn't bother at the factory putting in the battery serial number on my wife's 2015 Fabia and other Briskoda members have shown the same, just the ten ones (1111111111), the battery brand code doesn't matter either that would have been for VW statistics and most likely to also blame and cost the battery manufacturers for VW's battery charging or monitoring balls-ups, my wife's car got the "battery" Recall. OBDEleven 'coding' done for the change of battery on my wife's 2015 Fabia, note the three character code for battery manufacturer was ignored, I'm told Bosch battery is Varta anyway, and VW being VW AGM is known as fleece by them. There are some very strongly held beliefs, both ways, on this VW battery stuff with very little proof other than what members have reported from their own experiences but 2020 brought another level of VW PITA awkwardness even beyond what they previously made their car owners/users suffer and this has been ramped up again more recently I've seen. Try charging the battery to at least buy you more time while you decide what's right or you want to believe - and you might find you've not killed the battery as much as you thought you had, reports of its (near) death exaggerated.

ETA: I was just looking at a similar old thread in this section and you might have a get out from your wife, if you transported the piece of furniture on a hot day, see the later posts in this thread. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/465910-drivers-seat-belt-wont-pull-out-fully/#findComment-5424664

Sorry I might have misunderstood what you mean but it could be the mechanism is blocked with debris or possibly the fabriuc of the belt damaged, you might be able to sort any debris blockage what is the point if the seatbelt has been replaced (?). The seatbelts are tested in a similar fashion here for the annual (after first three years of the car's life) MoT test, quite rightly too. Some forget, or don't know, the airbags are supplementary to the seatbelts hence they were known as SRS, Supplemental Restraint System, seatbelts before airbags, never just rely on airbags.

I don't think the engines were that bad that they needed an oil cooler for normal road use and I don't think anyone meant constant high revs but if you want to get up a mountain pass you don't be lugging the engine either. In the 1980s/90s for normal road use cars oil coolers were for exotics or those that might be pretending the cars needed them. Caravan and boats were towed by cars without oil coolers, probably not these Škoda. Much, much smaller engined cars were also going over mountain passes many decades before and engine oils got better in the 1960s/70s and again 90s/2000 and better still towards 2020s. I didn't always drive my 120LS, 130LS Estelles and 130 Rapid economically, though I'd not drive like in that video, the drive is about maintaining momentum, braking and slowing less, maintain the correct speed to manoeuvre safely at pace, none of my cars ever overheated the oils of the mid-80s to early 90s and these weren't special oils just those that the Škoda Dealerships of the time used. That was a UK perspective anyway.

1991 Škoda 135 Rapid instruments, note green and red sections 4,100 well before start of red section being graduated in, would the 2000 Felicia engine be much more fragile than this one.

They're the type rum4mo can afford. 🙂 The 'US Pro Hose Clamp Removal Pliers Swivel Head (Straight) 3358' that I bought are OK but the rachet spring looks a little thin and unconvincing but as I put for occasional DIY I'm sure they'll be fine , perhaps even for more regular use allowing for buying price. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132179413728 This is the 'US PRO Tools Long Reach Hose Clamp Pliers, Pistol Grip Plier 3506' I bought that hasn't proved that useful so far for me. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/133753538648

I've got one of those too, I bought that first to do the drain down and I could get it in the two clips I wanted as they were too close to each other so I was back to try out other pliers I have. That one also doesn't work well on the air filter box hoses as it coils up and difficult to place hence my suggestion for the two set, with my caution that they might not be suitable for all clops, then angled ones and it goes on and on - just for a simple thing like removing a clip. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132179403589

Yeap, that's another PITA aspect of those annoying type of clips, you move them along the plastic tubing on the annoying over-complicated VWŠkoda air filter box and they crush the plastic tubing where you've moved them to to get them out of the way - "Simply not Clever". Next you'll get me started on those bloody silly wheel bolts, instead of studs, German engineering quality, my arse, as Jim Royale used to say. Not everyone even has a garage let alone the space, or want, for all these additional (unnecessary) tools VW insist on, Jubilee type clips work fine even on the wunderbar fantastic plastic fittings the German marques have used all this century and beyond.

Took me a few looks to work out that was a white presentation box, so what is in the box that is the future now?

Best to use some sort of pressure device and (or?) a scan tool with the filling program, you can fill without - using patience and observation, if you keep such things in stock, some don't, and you're not of too nervous disposition (or with lack of luv for a VW product like me). I done it on my wife's 2015 1.2 TSI but bear in mind I don't luv the car (it being a VW product). If you're only topping up the lost (VW dictated coolant) then probably easier than the coolant change I done. The constant tension spring hose clips are a right PITA for any work in the engine bay so I suggest getting a set of the suitable pliers to save too much swearing and blood pressure, whichever ones you get either won't be right for this job of the next such is German engineering design. The following US Pro double set seem Ok for occasional DIY use (for easy to get at clips), other sellers and more expensive brands are available. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132179403589 I was told setting the heat to max was a waste of time on my wife's 1.2 TSI because of the way the coolant/heating is plumbed and controlled but it's another precaution if you're going the rough old school way. Your car's not 10 years old and the water pump needs replacing, ah, 21st-century German engineering quality. Good luck, report back and perhaps consider doing a guide for others, want to do and not, what works and not.

6.66 litres per 100 km is 42.8 miles per UK gallon, very good.

Sorry but nothing sounds or looks good about the state of discs and possibly pads or the (unseen) tyre on the front binding wheel and it looks like both might nave been going on too long already so you want to get these sorted ASAP. By coincidence I was driving my wife's 2015 Fabia today (I don't drive it often) and the handbrake lever when fully down does feel a bit flimsy but when raised is firm enough and works well enough, better than my wife's Vauxhall when it was brand new. The rear brakes do need the cylinders winding back. Good luck.

If you want a 0w-20 then there's also Millers EE Performance C5 V 0w20 Engine Oil (VW 508 00 / 509 00). "RECOMMENDED FOR: ACEA C5, Porsche C20, VW 508 00 / 509 00, Volkswagen Audi Group including Bentley, Cupra, Seat and Skoda, Asian manufacturers" I didn't see a letter from the VW doctors but I expect their approval costs far too much to put on every product (wonder if they were around when VW was fitting its diesel cheating software). Product technical data sheet -https://cdn.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/millersoils/8596-EE-Performance-C5-V-0w20-TDS.pdf

@ose my concern, other than braking issues of course as they're always number one priority on any vehicle, is the front, nearside (nearest the kerb) wheel slight binding is this because of the brake at that point or is the cause something else. If new pads and discs are fitted and the slight binding continues this will cause more rapid additional wear so it needs to be established what is causing the slight binding, You haven't labelled the photos of the discs wear but three of the photos show rust over half of the pad sweep area which isn't the way it should be. The very clear disc maybe on the wheel that's binding or just showing the work the brake at that wheel has had to do. Also bear in mind the tyres are a very important and significant component in the car's braking system. If I assume (often not as good idea) that your handbrake is the "traditional" manual lever type then I also wonder why it needs adjustment but I've never seen your car and the garage has (and would know more than me anyway). The brakes (unless yours are different) were very simple to do on my wife's 2015 Mk3, and I'm not that mechanical, the simplest of the few sets I have ever done on a few various cars, I did some notes if you want to see them to get an idea. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/499752-front-brake-pads-and-discs-fitting-tips https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/517740-changing-rear-brake-discs-and-pads-notes-and-tips The current front dampers ("shock absorbers") on my wife's car were a distress purchase, when the car was 6 years old, because factory ones failed that MoT failure, bought from and fitted by the VWŠkoda Dealership, the replacements were "misting" 11 months later and are still misting and MoT advisories, now out of their 2-year warranty. Finding a good and decent garage or mechanic (or auto-electrician) is very, verry difficult, unfortunately, and if you can then they often have more than enough work for themselves, the one we eventually found the staff don't work weekends at all and have lunch breaks, both are very good signs to me for such a business.

27 years is a very long time for steel to stay free of rust in the UK, well done on getting so far.

IIRC (which is doubtful) the Mk2 Fabia's the rear seat bases fold/remove but the Mk3 don't as you've found. The Mk3s aren't as well build as the Mk2s from what I've seen and 2017 on get more and more complicated - or full of "features". For things like how the rear seats fold you can usually find that information in the car's Owner's Manual, most, including for VWŠkoda are freely available to view or download as a free pdf. For VWŠkoda Owner Manuals. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models Lots of more modern cars are like that, big wide and heavy (particularly VW products) with oversized wheels and tyres, boot access also restricted but tailgate styling and size. Good luck in your search.

I totally understand, there can be a point sooner or later where it's not worth perusing in which case you write it off to experience and learn from it, but don't brood on it. Good luck.

I use Millers EE Performance in my wife's 2015 Mk3 engine (and gearbox) and used their products in my car, British blender too but I buy on quality and performance. Whether you're doing a tickbox bare minimum VWŠkoda "service" and/or "maintenance schedule" type of work or better the engine is one of the less considerations in importance of using the car behind brakes, steering, suspension (all three include tyres), safety electrics (lights, horn, wipers, blower, etc.), reflective number plates -all see and be seen. Good luck.

You need to complain, and get your £500 back. You were in the building not the website unless this condition is clearly visible in displays there you need to be told about it, a good salesperson would have explained this before you signed - but you rarely find a good sales person in the motor trade, they might sell a lot but that doesn't make them good. Don't let them rip you off £500, complain to the Dealership General Manager and copy in the Dealer Principal and Constellation, go to Citizens advice Centre (CAB). Even if it was plastered all over the walls it would be good practice for you to see it clearly written on whatever you sign and be told this is a non-refundable deposit. This type of thing is just the sharp practice of con-men a good business wants straight business. If it's a case of you did know and/or were told or shown that's another matter, there are bad customers as well as bad business practices, I can assure you of that with having been on both sides of retail (and business) sales.

It depends on the type of charger but you can usually get a good indications with its use. I like the old analogue swing needle dial or digital number display the two or three colours LED lights are a lot less useful. As I put I'm not a CTek fan. I've brought back "to life" a few "dead" batteries with no real effort just use of battery charger(s) and time and patience, the last one or two or both items are often out of stock with some people/garages There's a bit more to it to tell how good the battery is but using something like the Ring Smartcharge 4 on an over-complicated German marque car like a VW product and interpreting it's use is good start for dealing with such over an internet forum, to begin with at least. https://shop.ringautomotive.com/rsc904-4a-smart-battery-charger-maintainer.html Of course prevention is better than cure as true duff batteries are very rare but they are made to be duff by use, abuse, neglect and lack of (or forgotten) knowledge leading to distress battery purchases which are often premature or very premature purchases. Which is why I promote occasional preventative charging which can give the battery a reliable useful life of a lot longer than the 5 (or 4?, or less now?) years that VWŠkoda state, even perhaps on fully loaded 2025 models. Have a look at any charger's instructions for its uses and limitations, and some of those you can get around.

You want the wiring diagram for your car as the camera may well have been wired up wrong, never trust bodge wiring or the colour of wires used. If things aren't too balls'd-up @pab567 might be able to help you.