fabiamk4man

I just fitted a set of FALKEN ZE320 195/55R16 91V XL tires, inflated to 33 psi. I only drove a short distance to get home, but there’s a massive difference in terms of quietness and smoothness. Naturally, I always notice a similar change when replacing old, dried-out tires with brand-new ones, but this time the difference was truly significant—it’s like the transition from walking on a wooden floor to stepping onto a carpet. Only time will tell how they perform in other respects.

I don’t understand why a supermini like the Fabia which has an official top speed in the vicinity of 200 km/h and weighs approximately 1,150 kg requires V-91XL rated tires. In my opinion, these are excessive specifications who inevitably call for a reinforced carcass and rubber compound, resulting in a "stiffer" tire. An 88-H rating tire would be technically more logical and appropriate for a supermini hatchback. After all, the same car when equipped with 15-inch wheels in its base trim levels, comes with 88-H rated tires. I believe that the V-91XL specification, combined with the excessively high recommended tire pressure, leads to a less comfortable ride on poor-quality roads than the car is otherwise capable of delivering. Skoda could at least allow for an alternative speed/load rating for those who prioritize comfort. However, for the sake of standardization and economies of scale, they likely opted for a single specification for all 16-inch wheels—one that also covers other, heavier or more powerful models.

I didn’t even know this battery existed, nor what kind of battery it was. There were no symptoms or signs that anything was wrong, so I had no reason to investigate. The technicians replaced it during a scheduled service—presumably as a precautionary measure, given that the car is approaching its four-year mark. I can’t say how difficult or easy the replacement was, as I wasn’t present and was only informed about it afterward. I believe, however—though I’m not 100% certain—that they mentioned it’s located in the front overhead light console. Now, regarding the main issue let me clarify a few points about the problem and how I perceive it… The symptom occurs occasionally when the car starts moving from a standstill with low RPM and light throttle. Just as you’d expect the initial engagement to be complete—and as you have just released the clutch pedal—the car sometimes hesitates, which the passengers perceive as jerk. I’m not sure if this is due to the clutch itself, some poorly optimized engine mapping, or a combination of both. The truth is, this isn’t a major issue, nor is it something that can’t be overcome by slightly adjusting how you pull away. If, at the moment you assumed the car has started moving, you hold the clutch pedal for just a fraction of a second longer instead of releasing it completely, while simultaneously applying a tiny bit more throttle, the car will pull away just fine. The challenge is that over the years we’ve developed an instinctive, fixed sequence of movements. It can be difficult to adapt, especially for those who frequently drive different vehicles or who only get behind the wheel of the Fabia on rare occasions. As I mentioned earlier, replacing the clutch master cylinder helped a bit. It didn’t change the inherent behavior of the clutch or the engine, rather the slight earlier in engagement point along the pedal’s travel automatically altered the instinctive movement of the foot. Previously, the clutch engaged quite high making it feel "natural" to release the pedal entirely the moment the car began to move. Now, because there is still more pedal travel left when the car starts moving, you end up withdrawing your foot with less abruptness. In other words, the situation improves simply due to the bigger pedal travel... In fact, if you keep in mind that you should also apply a tiny bit more throttle at that specific moment, the problem is resolved completely and permanently. I think this issue has been blown out of proportion... Personally, while I had noticed it before, I didn't even consider it serious enough to address. I simply mentioned it as an observation to the technician during the service.

Just two hours ago the clutch slave cylinder has been replaced. At the same time they replaced a small battery hidden somewhere inside the interior overhead light housing – which I didn’t even know it existed! The technician explained that the slave cylinder had a tiny leak and would eventually fail, potentially leaving me without a clutch. However, the "issue" regarding the car’s inability to pull away smoothly and gently when using only a little throttle and low RPMs remains more or less unresolved. As far as I can tell, the only changes I noticed after the repair are a slightly softer pedal feel (it was soft enough anyway) and a slightly different engagement/disengagement point. Otherwise, that hesitation immediately after moving off from a standstill still persists to some degree. Maybe just a little less obvious because the slight change at the engagement point drives me to a different foot reaction and different synchronization with the throttle... The technician claims this isn't a problem and that the car behaves exactly as a brand-new one would when leaving the showroom. To me, this suggests a factory-inherent "flaw" that no service center or technician can fix. The only “solution” is to adapt my driving style—specifically how I pull away—which actually minimizes or even eliminates the issue. So, don’t waste your time, energy, or money on something that isn't actually broken. Just adapt and live with it - simple as that… The good thing about the whole story is that I didn’t pay anything.

At 22,000 miles it’s time for the first tire change on my Fabia MK4 1.0 TSI. From the factory, the car came equipped with Continental Eco 6 tires in size 195/55R16 V 91XL. I’m looking for something "soft" and compliant that can absorb bumps on poor road surfaces and warm up quickly. In short, I want something focused on comfort and a quiet ride. Tread life is of little concern to me as the car only covers about 5,000 miles per year and i always replace the tires every four years due to aging (the Greek summer sun is unforgiving), even though they always have plenty of usable tread left. I’d welcome your experiences and recommendations.

I picked up the car after its service. The technician confirmed that it does indeed need a new clutch slave cylinder. He claims this is the cause of the issues I’ve been experiencing when pulling away smoothly and gently. Since there wasn't enough time (it needs over 2 hours for the installation) and the part wasn't immediately in stock, I took the car back after it's service and they will notify me in the coming days once the part arrives so we can schedule an appointment for the replacement. The cost will be covered under warranty. I will provide an update on the outcome. As for the rest, the receipt shows that the service included an oil change, a new oil filter, a brake fluid change, a cabin air filter, spark plugs, and a general inspection.

Today, I dropped off my Fabia (1.0 TSI – 110 PS, DLAA engine, 6-speed manual) for its scheduled 4-year service, even though the mileage is quite low at 35,000 km. I had noticed that, quite often, the car struggled to pull away smoothly and gently when applying a little throttle, but I didn't consider it a significant enough issue to address. So, taking the opportunity today, I mentioned it to the technician. He performed a few short test starts inside the workshop and suggested that there might be an issue with the clutch slave cylinder. He’s going to verify this, and if that is indeed the case, it will be replaced under warranty. Once I get the car back, I’ll provide an update on whether a replacement was actually necessary and if that was, in fact, the root cause of the problem.

I don't believe that is not the original dipstick. It looks exactly the same with every photo i have seen and i can;t think for a reason to have been replaced in a 3 years old car for an aftermarket one - specialy when the car still is covered by extetend warranty. It also seems to point the correct level as after every oil change the mark up is always at the suggested maximum level. Honestly there is not any need to check regulary as the car with only 20.000 miles on consumes zero oil - it is just me and my chronic anxious to check it very often by my own eyes... Also i have notified that fabia will alert me at the infotainment screen in (rare) case there is dangerous low oil level. To my opinion probably some dipsticks out of specs got in cars during production without nobody notice it. Anyway, as i said after scraping the black coating things are more visible and i will no longer going to bother with it. Maybe at the next service i point it to the dealership just for curiosity reasons

It is exactly as yours but without the raised dotted section at the marked area. It remains plain, flat, glossy, black steel. And i don;t know why... After scraping the black coating it became more visible and it annoys me much less so i will do nothing else about it. Remains the problem that the dipstick gets all wet when inserted. The only way to minimize that effect is checking the level after the car has sat overnight and all of oil has settled.

I scraped with a knife the black coating at the marked area and now it's more visible... Not great but good enough 🙂

My dipstick is exactly the same as the manual describes BUT there is not ANY treatment at the marked area as shown in S19-0760 picture - it is just plain steel. That is why is difficult to see the border between wet and dry. The other reason is when inserted is becomes wet and dirty almost everywhere...

It is steel. I may do so 👍

It shouldn't have been that hard or tricky... easy things are made difficult by vw...

I admit that it is quite difficult for me to clearly see the oil level on the dipstick every time. It usually gets all dirty when it is inserted, and in addition the space in which the level should be is pitch black and without any treatment to hold the oil and thus clearly show the level... I wonder if anyone else has the same problem and if so, what they have done to deal with it...

Download has expired. Maybe is a good idea to unload them again