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Also check gaiter tag (inside gaiter); it comes off and jams.

Look at Honda sites - you'll see they are notorious for leaks!

As suggested by your reading the alternator connection near gearbox has to be first suspect. Bear in mind that being tight at the ends doesn't mean that it is intact inside the insulation; I once spent ages tracking down a fault which caused the engine to die over certain revs - actually the engine leaned normally and pulled the wire apart inside the insulation so when tested at standstill there was no fault to find. You will get unexplainable funny symptoms from low battery or alternator problems and you may need to clear the logged faults even when the problem is solved.

Yesterday I drove Heathrow to North Wales and you can guess what fun that was. Somewhere around Birmingham someone in a Honda drove up the outside lane, lost it and slid across all carriageways into the barrier on the inside of the hard shoulder. My brakes worked just as I would have hoped; quick slowing in a straight line without the antilock coming on. Without the winter tyres I'm sure that it would have been a fish tail event. No amount of careful driving, anticipation or other techniques could have avoided the need for my sudden braking.

Demon Chips www.demonchips.co.uk Based near Chester so not close to you but they do a by post ECU remap and may have a nearer agent. I got a general gentle remap and EGR delete for £200. Excellent, lots more torque without lumps and high end acceleration is impressive. They also do performance maps. Economy improved, especially when towing. I've no connection except as customer. I did have a TDI box which gave good performance without affecting economy, but gave rise to lumpy idling and slow speed roughness. If anybody wants it, they can have it for the cost of postage. It's for a 1.4TDI Fabia 04 Reg and cost £80. Demon Chips www.demonchips.co.uk

Look for screws on underside of glovebox surround; if loosened these will help the wiggle and bending at the top edge.

I got 5300k and they are really nice. Daylightish and make for a much more relaxed drive; especially noticeable when you suddenly go from well lit to unlit roads.

Two possibles: It is having a laugh Your husband's attempts to remove it have had an effect - in this case suspect that the actuator rod may have been sticking due to gunge. Probably a good idea to take it off and give a proper clean when you have a chance, but no panic. BTW do take heed of all the warnings about how dirty a job it is to clean once off (how you use that advice is up to you - one hug from the husband could mean you need a new dress; get my drift?).

Oh heaven help the poor creature! The EGR is sealed using a rubber O ring, so once you have removed two bolts and loosened the third just a little, it is possible to twist the EGR and so get better sight and access to the third one. Bit of WD40 helps it move. Exhaust connect removed first of course

Tarmine if you're thinking of doing this yourself and about to go into labour - please leave it. You're literally the wrong shape for this bit. It is technically easy, but you need to lean over the engine so even if the bump doesn't complain, your back will. When our 1.4TDI gave up and cleaning didn't help (decided was the diaphragm), it turned out to be cheaper to have the car mapped and the EGR deleted than buy a new EGR. Problem with used EGRs is how long a life is left in them.

Can you put a strap around the whole box?

Thanks Sean - a good useful story.

Sounds a nice buy. For filler cap (t's and l's are easily confused on a screen) check breather hose is clear. For doors; a good high pressure squirt of thin oil / WD40 or similar into the whole door would be a good start and might save the dismantle chisel work later on.

As above (belt, brake fluid and usual service) plus suggest squirt thin oil into door. High pressure or aerosol; will keep internals moving. Even if brakes are OK probably worth a visual inspection and clean as there's no point in changing fluid only to find a part needs changing next week.

Ah -two different problems; one is the electro-mechanical failure where the suggestions above work; the other is where the actual metal pieces seem to get out of line (please excuse description) and cannot be freed without brute force. Our problem was the latter - tried all others first - and a second hand lock from ebay solved the problem. The chiselling is done inside the door whist it is still shut and locked. Once it frees the door will open and the lock screws can be used to take it out in the normal way.

Funnily enough the rear passenger side door lock failed on our Fabia and did need chiselling out. A pig of a job due to position, but not actually a technically difficult one, so, if you can use it to negotiate the price the I wouldn't be put off.

Quote........Please note! this listing is for 2 bulbs. We show two bulbs on some images so you the customer can see the base type and also the face of the bulb. We are not trying to con customers! Unquote Seriously though, I got mine from here and very pleased.

Best ones I've ever used came from Aldi - and I've used Bosch and all the recommended ones.

Easy to get at usual automotive trade spares outlets and not expensive. Don't know where you are, but I got mine at Chester Exhaust Supplies. I was surprised how flimsy the pulley looks. If it is snatching then it might be a sign that the alternator clutch is dying. This link might help you: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=354080

A useful trick is to get a youngish lady to listen (swmbo/daughter/friend's daughter? - don't accost one outside Tesco's!). Their hearing at higher frequencies is much better than that of an adult male and can often point to the source when a coffin dodger like me can hardly hear it. Sometimes it is a considerable difference such as when female friends complained of an unbearable noise which I couldn't hear at all -(it was a cracked brake pad).

Alternator clutch is within the pulley attached to the alternator so it looks just like a pulley at first glance. Cheap parts, but you need a special tool to separate the bits to take it off. Don't believe any of the garage/parts people who say that you must buy it as part of the alternator; not true. The noise on the video is exactly similar to the noise I had when mine gave up the ghost. Best of luck

Why are you completely ignoring the advice to look at the alternator clutch?

Hey !! What happened to my post (should have been first after the query) Oh well, hope this gets through..... The video sounds like the clutch in the alternator pulley (not the tensioner pulley). If this is failing, then the effect will be for the alternator to snatch and cause the engine to move. This will be seen/felt as a vibration.

Just read your other posting - sounds like you've replaced the tensioner and pulley already, but not (I think) the alternator pulley. Best of luck.

That sounds like the clutch on the alternator pulley. You might as well change the tensioner, belt and pulley. The bits are cheap, but you need a special tool which costs as much as the parts. Some places tell you to get a new alternator, but it isn't necessary. A failing clutch would also account for vibrations as its job is to smooth out the alternator/engine snatches.