tham383

Thinking I might have a go at this again. Am I correct in thinking the EGR valve is the silver disc shaped thing just below the windscreen? Its looks easy to access. Anything to watch out for before I try taking it apart?

Still haven't got around to looking at it either. I'm fully used to it now and it doesn't bother me, I'm just worried about a potential MOT failure.

Reassuring... The pulley is newish, since it came and with new alternator at a point last year. So hopefully it will be ok.

Might be clearer as follows: With the fan blades blocked (e.g. using a screwdriver through one of the air vents): A. - Clockwise - pulley can't rotate B. - Anticlockwise - pulley can be turned easily with fingers, but won't continue to spin under its own momentum (too much friction) C. - With the fan blades allowed to rotate freely: You can turn the pulley easily (in either direction) with fingers and it will continue to spin under its own momentum. I'm worried about scenario B .. Should the pulley spin easily under its own momentum in this case?

Forgot to mention this.. The clutch is quite stiff. If I jam the fan blades with a screwdriver, the pulley is easily turnable (in one direction only) with fingers but it certainly won't free wheel under its own momentum like it does with the clutch disengaged. But this alternator including the clutch is new. I still have the old one which seems to be a bit stiffer, but the difference isn't dramatic. Should the pulley be able to free wheel when the clutch is engaged?

Do you reckon its just some type of static plastic 'guide' to restrict the movement of the gearstick to either 1-6 or reverse depending on whether the stick is pressed down or not? That sounds like it may be relatively easy to bodge without actually needing to replace the part but I dont know.

Thanks, 6 speed gearbox though. Could you take a few pictures when you get around to doing the work?

Next on the todo list is a gearbox issue which developed about a year ago. The mechanism which prevents you selecting reverse without pushing down the gearstick seems to be faulty. Trying to select first or second by pushing to the left until meeting resistance results in selection of either reverse, or no gear respectively. To select first and second requires a zen-like intuition to push the stick exactly the correct distance to the left. Not a problem for me any more but i worry that eventually, it will fail an MOT. Is this an easy fix?

By way of an update, the pin came out with gentle pulling using fingers when I used a long handled spanner to jiggle the tension on the pulley. Lucky, because there was no way I was getting pliers down there and be able to put meaningful force on them. The new pulley seems not to have the problem of the old one of thr belt not being properly centred on it, which touch wood will allow the belt to have a proper lifetime before it breaks.

It's the 1.9 VRS. Did you need the long handled spanner to relieve load on the pin when pulling it out? And as for using pliers how did you manage to get access without removing all the intercooler pipework first?

How on earth does one remove the locking pin from a new drive belt tensioner once installed? For starters its very hard to access. I just about managed to grip the end of the pin with some water pump pliers, but the spring is holding it in with so much force that I have no chance of pulling it out from this awkward angle. Am I meant to use a long handled spanner to push back the tensioner slightly (to release load on the pin?). In which case wouldn't it be easier just to remove the pin before installing and use that spanner to re-fit the belt?

VIN number TMBWU46Y644******

I think the hose with the duct tape is connected to the coolant tank, part number 6Q0122447CE .

I believe I found the part number for some of the hoses (6Q0130307AJ) and prices are astronomical for what it is. But this seems to be for a pre-cut length of two hoses (fuel filter discharge and return) taped together. Hopefully there should be something out there with a suitable pressure and temperature rating that I can just cut to size.

Reading around a bit I think you're right in regard to the hoses attached to the fuel filter these are low pressure. I'm less certain about the hose at the back with the duct tape (in my original photo in the first post).

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Thanks i'll DM you the VIN tomorrow (car isn't with me at the moment) although I suspect the 'pressure hose' listed on that Czech website is correct. Most of the uk parts websites only stock the cheap hoses (or none at all) for my vehicle which made me think that the cheap ones would be ok. When you gambled on the cheap hoses, what sort of car was it? I have the diesel VRS which apparently uses some type of very high pressure fuel injection although i dont know whether those hoses see the maximum pressure the selves.

I havnt had any MOT comments on this (do they even check this)? But some parts have deep gashes that looks several mm deep and it looks terrifying 🫣 I can see stamped on the old hoses: '7.3 x 3.65' (plus a bunch of other numbers and letters). I think 7.3 is the internal diameter in mm and 3.65 is the wall thickness. On this website there is a part listed as 'pressure hose 7.3x3.5' for my vehicle, which I guess is the correct replacement, but it costs 52 Euros. If I look on some other websites there are lots of alternative fuel lines, with similar diameter and wall thickness, that cost only £3 to £5, such as this one. An I ok to use the cheaper ones?

Some of my rubber fuel lines are dangerously cracked and need replacement. On the car part websites it looks like replacement lines are sold as a length of tube that you cut to size. Is it just a case of choosing one with the same diameter and wall thickness, or are there other specs I need to be careful about (like the right type of rubber , for instance)?

Did you buy it? Do the non-vrs diesels from that era have the same reputation for reliability as the PD130s etc?

My car is a 2004 plate and nearing 260k miles. Despite more and more frequent problems I have been putting off replacement for years as it is difficult to find something newer that would tick all the required boxes: Won't cost more than £2-3k At least 50 MPG combined, but doesn't have to be a diesel per se. Good range and motorway cruiser performance Free of the DPF problems associated with newer diesels and having to fill it with adblue all the time. I rarely go to London so not too bothered about emission standards. Low key stealthy look that blends in with the scenery. Last time I made a serious effort to look was a few years ago when they increased the size of the London diesel zone (I hoped to find good runners being sold cheap by people who couldn't avoid being stung by the mayor's money grab) but it came to nothing. On the off chance that people still frequenting this forum have similar philosophies about life, what vehicles have you gone for?

I have a Fabia VRS Mk1. Yellow engine light came on for first time that I can remember and the OBD2 tool gave the error code in the thread title. Are there any easy fixes or things to check before taking it to a garage? I found this thread mentioning cleaning out carbon deposits but wasn't sure if it applies to the VRS engine.