dandare1980

As promised now that the frosts have started to bite, I'm pleased to confirm with a necropost that my issues with cold/damp starting were indeed fixed by fitting a new starter motor. Dan.

Thanks for all the replies - some really good points made. Dan.

Ok, thanks Pete. Sounds like I'm probably stuck with what I've got for now but worth knowing if I want to upgrade in the future 👍 Dan.

Hi, I need to replace a tyre after an unfortunate encounter with a crater sized pothole, but it got me thinking about whether there was any advantage in fitting a wider profile of tyre? My estate is factory fitted with 165/70 R14 on steel rims and these skinny little tyres have never really felt at home. I read somewhere that a wider profile may increase ride comfort without sacrificing too much on fuel economy. That's something I would welcome living in rural Northamptonshire, where some sections of road would be more familiar to Neil Armstrong than a highway engineer. Most online tyre places give 185/60 R14 as an option for my car, but I'm not sure if they were ever meant for these steel rims (I think mine are 5Jx14 ET35). I would prefer to avoid upgrading to alloys as I've suffered pothole damage in the past requiring heat treatment to turn them back into a circle (that's assuming the steels put up with more abuse that is). Any advice or experiences shared would be most welcome. Dan.

It's taken me a long time to get around to sorting this, but I managed to swap out my starter motor this Sunday while the weather was dry and so far so good. I've probably lost the opportunity to test things under sub zero conditions, but since fitting there has been a noticeable difference between the two units. The new starter spins a lot faster and the engine fires up without any hesitation - something it hasn't done in recent years, even in warm weather. I will report back when the frosts start to bite again. Dan.

There's a video online by Haynes showing the procedure which I think covers this. Shame about the gear selector but often the way with these things. Thanks for all the help guys. Dan.

Yes, previously had that connection off, although there's no guarantee I did a good enough job cleaning it up as I was in a bit of a rush. I'll report back if the new unit makes a difference.

Too late 😬

It would be hard for me to say, but it's certainly not been swapped in the 5 years I've had it. I think this second hand unit is possibly worth a go.

@Breezy_Pete It's a cold start phenomenon - the starter has never been that willing, but during the last couple of years during winter cold snaps I've experienced slow to medium speed cranking where it will start turning but then sounds like it suddenly "jams up". I've ruled out the battery and due to otherwise acceptable performance when the weather is above 5 degrees, I don't think it's the ignition switch or the solenoid wire. I know it could be an earthing fault, but I've checked all cables and cleaned up connections where possible, although haven't got as far as testing things with a multi meter. My gut says it's potentially the solenoid sticking, so I was going to take a chance on a second hand unit with a guarantee or possibly a re-manufactured one. @varooom it's useful to know this part was superseded by later versions.

A couple more images from the starter as fitted to my engine. @Breezy_Pete I've checked your suggested part number, but notice that on some variants the solenoid plug seems to be a square type rather than the "D" shape fitted to my unit. I've also seen this on a couple of other starters from the Fabia range which share part numbers, so I'm still not entirely sure but think that other than the plug type and being rated at either 0.9kw or 1.1kw, it hopefully won't make too much difference. I haven't seen any re-manufactured units that have the solenoid integral to the starter body, so assume I'm safe to go with the more traditional design. Dan.

Hi, I'm planning to change my starter motor, but was surprised to find the part currently fitted to my Fabia has no obvious solenoid? I think the part currently fitted is 02T911024A, or so some photos from the internet lead me to believe. I'm guessing the solenoid is internal to the starter motor housing on these models? Would I be safe to fit one of the models with the external solenoid - it's how it's shown in the 7Zap parts catalogue? Any advice gratefully received. Dan.

Try this video for some tips (Mk1 but similar principal). My door card is riveted so it couldn't be tightened against a new seal. To make an effective seal I made sure the void between the door and the door card was clear of any knackered old remains and then applied my sealant in two stages. The first being a thick bead to the inside of the door card and then once this had started to firm up (approx. 10 mins in my case), I applied a second bead on top and smoothed this up to and over the edge of the door card. Left both doors to fully set overnight before replacing the trims and it's thankfully stopped the leaks. I think it's important to chose a product that will set off under damp conditions to ensure it adheres correctly to the surfaces, especially if the area is already soaked with moisture. In my case I used this product from Screwfix and decided to go with the white over the clear version so I could see where I had been. You can make as much of a mess as you want as no one's going to see it 👀

For engine issues at idle check this post for possible causes. It sorted my rough running on a 1.2 HTP engine (other than the "characteristics" of a 3 cylinder).

If your 1.4 TDi has an engine code of AMF, BNV, or BNM then you can see the part and code here.

I must admit I have never tried Plusgas and really should. I went for these spring compressors in the end because I could get them locally and I figured I would return them if they were duff. I had an identical pair several years ago which worked fine but a mate stole them never to be seen again 🙄

I think that will be the "cover for lock carrier" 6Y6 863 459 F. You can check out this and other part numbers on the 7Zap website.

These are also excellent value anti-roll bar links.

In my experience the knocking on my Fabia came from tired anti-roll bar bushes, but it can just as easily be the anti-roll bar links too and it's sometimes not obvious. If it's creaking, especially when turning the wheel when stationary or moving very slowly, it's possible it's the strut top mount bearings (as is the case with mine currently). For the limited cost, especially if you are doing the job yourself, it's worth doing them all at once. I made the mistake of leaving these items when I changed my rear console bushes for solid polyurethane replacements (I had to remove the consoles which the anti-roll bar is clamped to). I ended up changing the anti-roll bar bushes 6 months later and it was more unnecessary hassle and it's a pig of a job 😡 A note on those kits from Febi Bilstein - I checked and double checked the part number on their website against my PR codes before ordering but the kit was still sent out with bushes that were too large in diameter for my anti-roll bar.. Golden rule is to check the size of your anti-roll bar first with either a spanner that fits or micrometer. In my case (2006 1.2 HTP) the anti-roll bar was roughly 19mm so I went and purchased two 17mm bushes from my local parts place and although they were a tight fit and involved the use of various levers to get the clasp on and then lots of levering to get the threads aligned with the retaining bolts, it's now rock solid. I have seen it suggested elsewhere that you should go with 2mm less than your bar for a snug fit. I refitted the original clamps and bolts as there was no thread damage or cracks on mine (these fit all sizes of bushes). Something else to be aware of is that earlier versions of the anti-roll bar had plastic retainers on the bar to stop it moving horizontally within the bushes. In later vehicles (like mine thankfully) the retainer is metal and forms part of the bar. It's common on the earlier ones for the plastic retainers to crack and then cause issues with the bar shifting between the clamped bushes. I'm not sure when the anti-roll bars changed but I would hope that as yours is a 2004 model it would not be affected. I you have an earlier version I have heard of a work around using special clamps that can be retrofitted to the bar, but more often than not people change the bar itself to the upgraded version. For anyone that's going with polyurethane bushes in this application, I think you need to match the diameter of the anti-roll bar to the diameter of the void in the bush. So for my size of bar I would have chosen 19mm bushes. Just on solid rear console bushes - don't bother unless you are building or running a performance vehicle. I purchased them on the ignorance of longevity and "ease of fit". In reality the job was a nightmare and required a press to get the damn things in the console, as being solid they can't compress like a standard rubber one! If I was to do the job again I would go with Meyle HD bushes as I have heard good things about them and they are also cheaper than polyurethane. My originals had lasted 80k miles so I doubt I would have needed to change them again. Meyle's anti-roll bar links are also meant to be a bit heavier duty than other replacements and are worth checking out. I agree that it's a good idea to change what you can before getting the tracking done 👍🏼

Yes, I need to take it steady and use WD40 and heat carefully. Probably wire brush the threads and pre-soak everything a couple of times the day before I start.

I couldn't find standard springs or shocks either, but the bits they did stock like the top mounts with bearings were good value. All my parts have finally come through except for the hub spreader 😐 I may give in to the use of a cold chisel if I get around to it this weekend, although I'm currently finishing off an inner CV boot on my wife's Suzuki so I better leave it alone until that's back on the road.

I experienced some quite violent shaking and the engagement of limp home mode from a failed coil pack on my 1.2 HTP (not sure of the ECU fault code). It went from a working condition to a barely working condition very quickly so it was quite obvious what had happened. Probably unrelated and without fault code, but I took Wino's advice in a previous post on checking my vacuum hose - the hard plastic one that runs from a connection on your brake servo, round the back of the engine, through a one way check valve and onto the vacuum pump. If you remove your engine cover it should be easy to get access and check. The pipe commonly cracks and fails at the barbed connections and the resulting loss of vacuum was causing my engine to repeatedly stall and surge while sat at idle. Bizarrely I noticed no deterioration in braking performance, but it was enough to make my little 3 cylinder wobble like a tantruming toddler! My solution was to pull them off the vehicle and to bind the ends up with multiple turns of tightly wound electricians tape and it has held so far. Replacing it would probably be better, but I'm a cheapskate and my Fabia has a thirst for new parts which I am trying to quench elsewhere 😐 I'm pleased to say this simple fix has restored my engine to it's normal idle (normal for a 3 cylinder anyway). This is what the split in the pipe attached to the check valve looked like on my car for reference. Part number 7 for the complete hose run in my case on a 2006 1.2 BME engine.

For the sake of an extra mm coupled with a washer you could possibly get away with a pair of M6x10 bolts like these on eBay, but I don't think the real thing was especially expensive from the dealer. OEM part picture below for reference.

Sorry, wrong link, try this one instead. N90911002 is the part number which fitted mine. I believe the collared bolt is M6x9 in size.

Try this link on a PC (not phone) and it should help to identify the size. I had to rebuild my rear drums about 2 years ago and I think I ended up getting these fittings from the dealer. They're nothing special as far as I can tell so once you know the size you can probably find some on eBay or visit a hardware supplier. I expect someone will be along soon with the exact size and part number 🙂