Owainsdad

Make & Model: 2005 Skoda Fabia VRS Colour: Black Mileage: 70K Price: £3000 Description: Black 2005 MKI Fabia VRS. Very low miles, backed up by MOT history, and service book. Has been serviced to within an inch of its life, including TWO cambelt changes prior to us buying it in February of last year. It has just had an MOT, which it passed with advisories for the two front tyres being close to the limit on the edges (I'll be honest, it had had a new set of "hedge-finders" when we bought it and I was waiting for them all to go so I could change all four for a decent brand, but due to the stipulations all the insurance companies are making for my newly passed son to drive the car we've had to buy something more insurance friendly - thus the VRS being for sale) and the drop links needing to be changed. The clutch has very recently started to slip if you short-shift. If you rev the car through the range in each gear it is fine, but if you short-shift at lowish revs it will slip, so will need to be changed. This has only happened recently, and has only come to light because of trying to find a suitable gear to use whilst driving at the new 20mph limit in our local area (thanks a bunch Drakeford....) - second seems like punishing the poor thing, but third is not really letting it get up to a suitable road speed for the torque at those revs, and I'm sure that is what has prematurely worn the clutch. The bodywork is in good condition for the year, but the lacquer has gone on the rear off-side pillar - should be visible in the pictures. Some kind soul has "modified" the drivers mirror whilst it was parked outside the house. The rear silencer has done the usual trick of shedding its mild steel outer skin, but the stainless inner is just fine. The bonnet has myriad stone chips, and where the headlights needed cutting back for the MOT last year my lad has not "stayed between the lines" and gotten some of the surrounding paint. New, five year, battery fitted last month. Wire-of-doom to starter motor repaired last month. There is no spare wheel. Overall it is a cracking little car, with better than average bodywork that has some problems with the paint that stop it being exceptional. The engine has been looked after a peach and has only just been run in at 70K. We paid £5700 for it February 2022 and it looked every bit the part at the time, but the lacquer has done its thing since. There are several on eBay at the moment with nicer paint, but over 100K miles more for way more money. With a clutch and some paint this one would be fantastic. I'm sure the new owner will be very pleased with it. Condition: Used Service History/Receipts/Recent Service work: Accompanying service history shows services at; 12/3/08 - 820miles 13/01/06 - 9935 miles 9/03/07 - 15527 miles 29/02/08 - 20488 miles 12/03/09 - 25109 miles 8/12/10 - 32847 miles 11/04/12 - 38983 miles (including cam belt) 1/04/14 - 50141 miles 15/11/16 - 56423 miles (including cam belt) 18/10/18 - 59965 miles 20/10/20 - 62109 miles 01/02/22 - 62786 miles (when we bought it) I had an oil and filters change done when it was MOTd last year, at 66226 miles - garage has not stamped book as it was filled up! Extras: I'm not sure what these would have been. It was originally supplied with heated seats, but these have been removed - see below. It has Skoda labelled rear proximity sounders but these don't work - the only thing fitted that I've never succeeded in making work, despite being able to measure a voltage coming out of the control module in the boot when standing behind the car with it in reverse. Xenon headlights. Mods: The only modifications done to the car have been during our ownership and have not been "performance" related. I acquired an SE interior, from number 852, which I fitted to the car and gave the standard seats to Jay. Whilst the interior was out I took all the doors apart and carried out the usual fix on the window cartridges and fixed the leaks, and removed and dried all the carpets and soundproofing. I have fitted a 312mm front brake conversion (as I taught my son to drive in the car) with new (aftermarket) MKI TT calipers, reconditioned eBay carriers, EBC Turbogroove discs and Yellowstuff pads. Collection: Newport, South Wales NP20 5xx Pictures:

Thanks for the explanation, that makes a lot of sense. You're right - my limited experience with diesels always involved flywheels that weighed as much as a semi-detached. I'd never put the weight thing together, and had always assumed they were purely for the damping effect on take up 👍

I've often thought about this one myself for when the time comes, considering the potential savings of never having to change a flywheel again (if keeping the car "forever"), and am old enough that dual mass flywheels are a "new" thing that we managed without just fine as drivers/owners 😉 I have no prior experience with these engines, before getting our VRS. Is it just the vibrational side-affects of losing the damping on take up of drive, I take it there are other problems that it creates with these engines/gearboxes?

That's the stuff I used to paint the calipers when I upgraded our fronts to 312mm - It seems pretty close to the Skoda colour, and has been on there for about 18 months with no peeling, etc.

Just to update on this one, in case it helps someone else. Worked through Rich's comprehensive list (thanks again for this Rich) and drew a complete blank. However, whilst it was up in the air with the wheels off, I could see the pads were back slightly from the discs. I got my lad to press the brake pedal and could see that the pistons moved correctly, and pushed the pads on to the discs correctly, but when he released the pedal the pads were pulling back again, a few mm from the discs. This rang alarm bells, as they should stay put, and could only be pulling back if there was a "vacuum" in the master-cylinder reservoir. I took the cap off the reservoir, and got the lad to put the brake pedal to the floor and when he released it the pads stayed where they were and didn't pull back. I've replaced the cap now, and driven the car some thirty-odd miles and the knocking is completely gone, and the pedal also feels better, as the first part of the pedal travel is not now being used up sending the rear pads back into contact with the discs. I can only assume that as the new pads and discs (about nine months ago) have worn that the air above the brake fluid has not been replaced, causing a vacuum in the reservoir/master-cylinder, that pulls the pistons back in. I doubt it was down to anything the garage did when they changed the calipers, pads and discs for me, as they would have had to have bled it all afterwards - which would have necessitated taking the cap off to refill the fluid. So I can only assume that the cap should be vented, in order to allow air in to account for wear, but mine must be blocked or faulty in some way. Anyway, I'll see if the problem returns as the pads wear further.....

Thanks very much Rich. That gives me a good load of things to work through! 👍

Have an issue with our 2005 VRS where there is a knocking noise coming from the rear of the car when going over bumps and drain covers, which goes away if the brakes are applied. I nipped the handbrake cable up tight and it went away, but obviously the handbrake was binding so I had to back it off. When set correctly the noise was less frequent, but still there - going away when I brake. I've not had chance to have a wheel off yet, to investigate, but any ideas gratefully received. New calipers, discs and pads on the rear nine months ago for the MOT. Calipers were not OEM, judging by what the garage charged for them. They do have the handbrake return springs fitted correctly, though. Wheel nuts all tight, no wheel bearing droney noises, just a loud, annoying clanking on any bumps, etc. Cheers Dean

Can't help with advice for the swap I'm sorry, but ours has the Xenons factory fitted and I'm not kidding when I tell you our 2012 VW UP with a set of Nightbreakers in it has WAAAY brighter headlights. These units might be cheaper, but factor in the hassle involved in the swap and it may not be worth your effort. Just some food for thought 👍

Is this what you're looking for? https://www.skoda-parts.com/spare-part/1u0035505f-roof-antenna-china-16658.html

Thanks very much for the info 👍 Thanks a lot for the tip 👍

I'm going to run into a similar issue with my Xenons shortly, too. Am I going to need to let the car know, through VCDS, that the headlight type has been changed to Halogen?

Just like the 195/55/13's on my old Renault 5 GT Turbo, thirty-something years ago - they were ridiculous, due to the fact that the R5GT was the only car that they were standard fitment on.... 😲

Carried out a 312mm conversion on our vRS just about 2 months ago, and re-used the standard front flexis. No problem with length at either lock, and haven't experienced any problems whilst driving either. Doesn't mean everyone will have the same experience - don't know if my lines were OE, aftermarket, or whatever - but I should imagine keeping the standard length is just fine unless you spot a specific issue when doing the swap.

Yup, my Dad explained that one to me whilst rebuilding a 1275 A-series, about 50 years ago. Not actually any such thing as tappets, usually rockers with lifters of some variety. "Adjusting the tappets" just refers to setting the gap (if required) between the rocker arms and pushrods, or lifters. The old man reckoned the name probably came from the tapping noise they made if incorrectly adjusted.

I bought both sides, when I ordered mine - figuring if one side had broke, the other would probably follow suit soon after. They did look different, but I put the "wrong" one in first and ended up spending half an hour trying to get it back out without breaking it, because it didn't operate properly. Lesson learned......