nta16

Hi, welcome. Diagnosing means checking rather than assuming. There will be many posts and threads on this topic in the various forums that you could look at and/or ask in - or there's a member that specialises in this - or there will be videos on YouTube (generally HatBoyHarvey does good videos on Mk1 Fabia). Breezy_Pete offers advice (and might even see your thread here) in the Fabia Mk1 forum and others and does repairs, see. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/497084-window-motor-repair-service/ 'Skoda Fabia Mk1 (1999-2007)' forum. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/26-skoda-fabia-mk1-1999-2007/ HatBoyHarvey Mk1 vids. - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlGs3AwP43wSEE9A3GDQ00netiE1eHyli HTH.

First way to improve and tune the car is the boring old full whole car service, maintenance and repairs and checks. Carry out a 36, 72, 80, thousand mile service and check, do thorough and comprehensive work and checks - not quick skimpy work and checks like many mechanics, garages and auto-electricians do. Things like gearbox oil, coolant changes, power steering fluid are often neglected or ignored and flushing and changing those fluids to clean, fresh modern better fluids can often make noticeable improvements just by doing them (properly and thoroughly for best). (ETA: brake fluid check and change is obviously a priority) Things like HT leads are often forgotten, just because something is fitted to the car it doesn't mean it is fitted properly or well and just because something works doesn't mean it is working well or properly or not past, or well passed, it's optimum or best. Fitting a cone engine air filter may give a raspy sound but so can a defective exhaust. 😁 You already seem to have made a rookie mistake, you don't want to "upgrade" or "improve" by changing parts until you have thoroughly driven the car and carried out the long term service, maintenance and repairs and checks to know what actually needs doing on the car and what you like or don't like and what you get used to or not. If you are replacing a part in a service, maintenance or repairs then at that point you could consider fitting a better part. Cosmetic work as much as possible wants putting off until you have driven and used the car through say four weather seasons of a year. Spending money on "upgrades" and "improvements" may take away money and resources from work that actually needs doing or unexpected expenses - and many "upgrades" and "improvements" turn out not to be so, I've been there many times, eventually I learnt. There's at least one long thread on engine air filters - but putting any filter on a car that's not been fully serviced, maintained and repaired could be a complete waste of time and money and after it has been fully serviced, maintained and repaired it might be found unnecessary or worse still actually stifle performance. You want to take regard of the car as a whole for improvements particularly in performance. The important things are brakes, steering and suspension, all three include the tyres, next is safety electrics lights, wipers, horn and windows, mirrors and reflective number plates - see and be seen. Engine and transmission are pretty near the bottom of the list. You can learn and save yourself lots of time hassle and money by my mistakes, I've spent 10 of thousands of pounds on old cars, but most us have to learn by our own mistakes when we are younger, very often only age and experience teaches us it's better to learn from the mistakes of others. Don't think that a low cost car will necessarily be low cost to restore and improve, it might be but it all depends on original condition and how far you want to go with it. Many shiny show cars or modified/customised cars can look great but run badger's ar*e rough and more used looking cars run very well. Good luck. As well as this forum you could also look in 'Classic Skoda Guides' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/178-classic-skoda-guides/ And once you have a good foundation to work up from after all I've put above if you still need or want to you could look for ideas in 'Classic SKODA Projects' - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/206-classic-skoda-projects/ HTH.

Not as easy on a Mk4 RHD as a Mk3 RHD but hopefully not difficult or too awkward.

@Carlston may have this sort of info about suppliers, will certainly have lots of info on wheels and tyres. (ETA: recommending a supplier might be a different matter though) What model and year of VWŠskoda do you have?

Another thought, not sure if it has been mentioned before, check the cabin filter isn't damp, (unusually) very easy to do on a Mk3 hopefully same for the Mk4 but I can't remember. Obviously if it is damp you ned to find out why.

If you're using a glass cleaner (or Autoglym Fast Glass glass/hard surface cleaner) you shouldn't need to use Autoglym Car Glass Polish as well, one or the other. As with all cleaning and polishing the secret is not to use already dirty cloths, pads or microfibre cloths (same with synthetic or real chamois). A lot of people use something already dirty to 'clean' the inside (and out) of windows ultimately making matters worse. I very occasionally (when I'm asked/told to clean the inside of the screen ) use Autoglym Fast Glass on the inside of windscreen and very, very occasionally (rarely) use Autoglym Car Glass Polish on the outside of the screen, also using it on the wiper blade 'rubbers; (elements) (a job made a bit of a PITA by VW with the need for their their 'service position'). For the outside of the rear window and its wiper (arm, blade and 'rubber' element) I use a cleaner/polish others don't believe in, been using it very successfully for many years on this car and others, and same stuff when very, very rarely I cleaned the inside of the Fabia's hatch window glass.

@Gonzini if you've not already read it see my post of 24 December. I've only used Rain-X anti-fog in the 1990s on my mother-in-law's VW Golf and I didn't find it any good at the time but have always been a fan of the exterior rain repellent, Rain-X at that time (mainly for making the windscreen and headlights (glass lenses) easier to clean on the old cars I had with more upright windscreens that caught all the bugs but took more speed to get the rain water spreading off the screen. I think the German marques have liked their fantastic plastics on interiors (and engines) for many decades that give off gawd knows what for many years, plus the more modern cars have so much glass on them and as someone else put are more sealed now. I've never thought a lot of the airflow inside modern cars so prefer having the window(s) down a bit at least when possible. Plus the weather is different now to even 10 years ago.

You want one or both front windows fully down, if not one or both half, third, quarter down depending on what the weather is and which way things are blowing. For the one-touch (automatic) drop window setting see your Owner's Manual' for operation and perhaps setting, you might have to anticipate it a bit, like when the older of us had to park the windscreen wipers, but you soon learn to allow for the delay. When you had cars without air-con dropping the windows was the air-con, often known as 4/60 air-con - drop four windows and drive at 60 mph. VWŠkoda Owner's Manuals. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Hi, welcome. You might be better looking in and/or asking in the Octavia Mk3 forum. Note VWŠkoda information in 'Owner's Manuals' and possibly elsewhere on fuse locations isn't always accurate, like all sources of information (internet) and databases there can be errors and omissions. 'Skoda Octavia Mk3 (2013 - 2020)' forum - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/235-skoda-octavia-mk3-2013-2020/ HTH.

We started with one Pingi bag but I reverse the information instructions on the bag (my mid often does this, left/right, up/down) and I put the bag in the micro wave when it was dry and melted the bag so when I opened the microwave door I spilled loads of tiny balls off the plate onto the floor. So when I replaced it I bought two instead of one, more effective with two in the Fabia. A neighbours uses a pair of cleaned old socks to hols cat litter and puts that in their car, I don't think it works and the damps socks give the car a musty smell that they seem to have got so used to they don't notice it, but I do. I dried the socks and cat litter out, sprayed the car interior with air freshener and it was better but the socks still had a slight pong. I have difficulty persuading him that often internet wisdom, Facebook, internet reviews and not always to be trusted and like many that Amazon isn't the only supplier in the world (and often not the lowest priced provider). At least he's not as bad as another neighbour that spends no end on Temu and usually get crap products.

Hi, welcome. You might be better looking and/or asking in one of the Fabia forums. HTH. Fabia Projects - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/205-fabia-projects/ Skoda Fabia Mk2 (2007-2014) - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/113-skoda-fabia-mk2-2007-2014/

There seems to be various cheap orange ones from China about, various looking quality to them (Vika labelled one looks particularly poor) how good any are and how long they last I've no idea, being Chinese and cheap perhaps you buy two and if they fit well you have the replacement in stock for when the first needs replacing, perhaps they last well I'd have thought it might depend on how long the seal lasts. You might need to specific your engine code (number). Others might know of better supply of these. I got a Febi labelled version of the one right for my neighbour's 1992 Merc 190E and I can't say I was that impressed with it but it'll probably last a good few years especially if the mech is lubricated very occasionally. All that crap inside your original oil filler cap doesn't look good, how old is your engine oil and how often does it get changed.

ETA: just thought I didn't put another thing to try, if you haven't already tried this - don't try engaging reverse if graunching starts instead put lever in neutral, lift off clutch pedal fully for a second then fully depress the clutch pedal again and try engagement again or a double dip the clutch pedal quickly then try gear engagement again.

Try engaging another gear before reverse (with clutch pedal fully depressed) or letting the car roll a little then trying again to see if alignment gets better and smoother engagement, if there's graunching at the start of engagement I'd normally stop trying to engage gear at that time and way. Have a look in the forum threads as I think this subject has come up before but I can't remember the outcome(s) and IIRC was more about 1st gear but could well have remembered wrong. Do check that your clutch pedal can fully depress and you haven't got something like loose, rolled, over-mat or lipstick or battery or something there preventing fully depression. To me, reading this on a forum the issue/fault as described sounds like it might be either with or because of the gearbox, clutch or driver or possibly a combination or permutation of two or three. If it's the clutch it would probably progress to being highlighted in other gears and in other ways. What is the history of the car was it ever driven by someone who slips the clutch or drives with their foot on, or "hovering over" the clutch pedal, or used in an area with lots of step slopes and/or hills or car used for towing something.

Is the noise from when the car engine and/or ambient temperature are cold or very cold and/or when the idle engine revs are higher? In a 2020 car it shouldn't be a gear oil problem (unless for some reason the oil level has got low). To avoid this happening you do need the engine revs to be at low idle and not trying to engage gear when not fully stopped (handbrake fully on or car held still with firm foot brake application). Some people find engaging another gear, with clutch fully depressed, before engaging reverse or first helps, possibly the delay allows engine revs to drop enough. With engaging first gear I have sometimes found I need to let the car move (roll back or forward slightly) to get the gear fully aligned, never getting a graunch as you can feel if the manual gear lever is awkward with engagement very early. The 5-speed manual gearbox in my wife's 2015 VWŠkoda Fabia has never felt the best but is more than adequate, (improved a bit when I changed to fresh new better quality gearbox oil after 6 years from factory fill) I've never believe the "German engineering quality" guff, certainly not for cars from this century.

To be fair on my wife's 2015 Mk3 there is not any warning light to show the heated mirrors are on and as the mirrors only fold in manually once you have the door mirrors set you rarely use the combined switch. Personally I have never seen the need for heated mirrors where we live in the UK at least, scraping or wiping snow, frost or rain off the mirrors at the same time as doing so on the windscreen and windows has been sufficient But being an older driver I am used to not having buttons and car features for convenience which I think can make many modern drivers too lazy and too remote from the environment they drive in. In the UK when it first snows heavy you can see cars driving around with only the snow cleared by the wipers, lights and number plates still covered in snow (which is illegal) and still drying in a way as if the roads are clear and dry, they have stopped (or never did) thinking for themselves and relying on the car to do everything for them even if the items do not exist or capable or fully capable to overcome the physics of the real world. An example of first working day after Xmas break in UK. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/529014-its-that-time-of-year-again-time-to-avoid-flat-batteries/

I was going to put if you have not already done so best to look at and/or ask in those forums. Tyres & Wheels - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/213-tyres-wheels/ Skoda Superb Mk3 (2015 - 2023) - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/299-skoda-superb-mk3-2015-2023/ For decades now even if you buy a glorified shopping-trolley car it will have fashion oversized wheels and tyres on it so a big car called sportline will have even more oversized wheels and tyres, even with 190PS and whatever torque it has you don't even need 17" (and not as wide) wheels and tyres but fashion and willy-waving dictates "fillin' the arches" (not so good in snow and deep mud). Comfort will also depend on the design, make, composition and compounds of the tyres you chose as well as size. Also you need to consider and check the suspension system is in good condition and working reasonably. Good luck.

One time when I drove my wife's car in say March I noticed the mirrors were on the heater seating so I turned them off, seems they might have been left on from possibly sometime in the January. 😁

You might be better looking and/or asking in the Superb Mk3 forum. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/299-skoda-superb-mk3-2015-2023/ Otherwise you might have to remove one to measure it unless someone with a full parts list sees your post. Good luck.

Hi, welcome. The term grinding noise doesn't make it sound good but It might just be one of the noises the car makes but in case not, if possible, a video with good audio of the noise might help to identify the noise. Again if possible rather than a recording from inside the car if you could video from in front of the engine bay with the bonnet up and someone else starting the car might make the audio better (subject to other background noise). Have you had the car long, do you know if it has been regularly serviced in a timely manner. Time of year for car batteries to be in a low state of charge taking away starting power perhaps, have you checked the battery and battery terminal connections. Let us know how you get on.

Hi, welcome. If the heater motor was very noisy then very possibly it's broke but always best to check, if you can get at the motor wiring you could test the blower motor directly connected to the battery terminals with a made-up lead as this would confirm and eliminate the fuse, fuse-holder, most of the wiring, connections and switch. For cutting down on windscreen and windows misting you could use dehumidifying bags, scrape or clear all of the windscreen (and window(s)) on the outside, clear the inside of the windows with a clean damp synthetic chamois, put the windows down to balance inside and out. Don't have wet or damp items in the car (clothes, towels, boots etc.), air grill(es) open to get outside air in. Not fun in the Highlands I know but needs must. Let us know how you get on.

Hi, welcome. You might get quicker answers and info by looking in and/or asking in the Fabia Mk2 forum. - 'Skoda Fabia Mk2 (2007-2014)' forum - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/113-skoda-fabia-mk2-2007-2014/ HTH.

Well it's that time of year again when car 12v batteries are allowed to go too low in charge or flat causing hassle and difficulties and delays because the same thing has happened to many others, don't be in those statistics, prevention is better, and less costly and hassle, than the cure. Good luck.

Hi, welcome. A video of the noise might be handy. At seeing the words dual mass flywheel that would be my first thought but that might just be my bias. You might get quicker better responses from looking in and/or asking in the 'Škoda Yeti' forums, link to follow. If you have parked the car up do take the opportunity to fully recharge the car's 12v battery with an appropriate battery charger otherwise you could get another problem with the car and the breakdown services, lots of garages, mechanics and auto-electricians will already be busy with cars where the owners have let the car's battery go flat over the Xmas break. Also if you want to add more details to your name-thingy then those viewing on computers will see the details each post which can often be helpful, mine below only as an example. - 'Škoda Yeti' forums - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/170-škoda-yeti/ Good luck.

Burning smell and smoke from around the engine is information not originally given, if it's not an oil leak it could be a leak of fumes, electrical, something rubbing or other, I forget what is was last time someone put this. If parking up do take the opportunity to fully recharge the battery with an appropriate battery charger otherwise you get another problem with the car and the breakdown services, lots of garages, mechanics and auto-electricians will already be busy with cars where the owners have let the car's battery go flat over the Xmas break.