tag1_uk

Thanks for all the responses. In the end I test drove a new Octavia and wasn't so keen on the size of it and the overhanging boot/limited rear visibility compared to what I'm used to in my current Mk 1 Fabia hatch so it is all rather academic. My next car is likely to be a Mk 3 Fabia hatch or estate. I think a heated windscreen is useful in the UK because there are a lot of times when the windscreen is misted up on the inside in cool damp weather and heated windscreen would clear this more quickly than waiting for the engine coolant temperature to warm up for the blower to do it. When it was properly frosty then I think a heated windscreen isn't so much help as one has to spend time scraping the side windows anyway so scraping the windscreen as well isn't such a big hardship. I see a lot of new cars have a short cut "de-mist" button on the dashboard which puts the blowers on full directed at the dash so for convenience purposes I guess that does some of the job for you.

Hi all, I'm really interested in buying a Mk III Octavia, looking at a new one I'm really keen on the winter pack as an optional extra. However I've also been looking at nearly new second hand examples to save a bit of money. I wondered if anyone knows with it is possible to retrofit a winter pack to an existing car that doesn't have it? I mostly after the heated windscreen - I presume to do all this would mean a new windscreen so would be prohibitively expensive and I might as well get a new one specced up? Thanks for any advice.

I checked the EGR valve adaptation with my code reader and it checked out ok. I'd have thought a dirty connection between the EGR pipe and the throttle would have brought up another EGR error if this was the cause of the engine light coming on? I still don't understand how the light can come on but not trigger the storage of an error code. Thanks for the link to the throttle body clean/EGR clean, I might consider having a go, I think my code reader can do the adaptation which is otherwise the main stumbling block to messing with these things.

Thanks, I'm in Fareham in Hampshire. The code reader I've got is an Xtool VAG401 for VW group vehicles, live data/EOBD/OBD2/OBDII. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Xtool-Diagnostic-Vag401-Skoda-Vehicles/dp/B016IDXE78?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00) I hope that this equipment would cover most eventualities? I'm not sure what equipment the garage used. The garage didn't comment on the condition of the EGR tubing, I think they simply decided that the valve was faulty when tested so they replaced it, I'd presume they'd clear out the tubing as part of the job. I didn't know whether it was worth separately getting the throttle body cleaned including the EGR entry and the re-adapted but without knowing what the error is, I was reluctant to speculatively start doing jobs on the car. I have had the throttle body cleaned regularly throughout the car's life and I normally use Shell super unleaded petrol and the occasional Redex fuel additive so I'd hope that the throttle side of things would be in reasonable shape.

Dear All, My car is a 2002 Fabia Mk1 1.4 16V AUB engine code, 66,500 miles. Recently the engine warning light came on, the first time this has happened. I read the error and it was EGR flow excessive. I reset the error but the light came back on about 40 miles later, The error code then was EGR flow insufficient. I took it to the local garage (not VW/Skoda) who said that the EGR valve had failed when tested on the bench so they replaced it and reset the error. However the same engine warning light came back on about 30 miles later but my error code reader said that there were no error codes stored. I went through the reset error codes procedure and the light went out but it again returned about 20 miles later. I took it back to the original garage and they did a thorough investigation and could not find any error codes stored despite the light being on (and they confirmed that the new EGR valve is working correctly, giving the expected readings whilst the engine is running). They advised that I'd just have to drive it around with the light on and take it to a Skoda dealer for a more thorough investigation. Throughout the car has been working ok, maybe a bit hesitant and the tickover is not completely steady but then it is 14 years old and these things were never that great even when I bought it at 5 years old. The other possible symptom I've noticed is that the smell you get from the cat when the engine is cold seems to be noticeably stronger over the past few weeks than normal, just in case that means anything and I'm wondering if my fuel economy is a bit reduced too. I'm not sure what to do next, I'm nervous of driving it in its current state but I am also wondering if it isn't worth throwing any more money at it at the main dealer since it's trade in value is only about £100. I don't understand how the error light can be on but with no error codes stored? Thanks for any advice.

Just a wee update to my traumas, I thought the new battery had fixed my problems but no, I started getting a power steering warning light on my dashboard and at the same time no power steering assist. The warning light would go off and the assist returned after turning off the engine and restarting it. These events got more frequent over the course of a week and a faulty steering angle sensor was diagnosed. This was replaced and the car has been ok (so far). I'm very annoyed that the original garage didn't diagnose this - I presume there must be some margin between the sensor playing up/not being normal before an error message is triggered - the original garage were not interested in the sensor as no error was recorded on the computer despite me complaining that the steering was off. A key sympton was a gulping sound from the power steering fluid resoirvoir linked to the pump spooling up randomly even when no steering angle was applied and also occasional heavy steering. I suspect for anyone else that observes these symptons that this is a sign of the angle sensor being on its way and should be replaced before triggering an error on the dash. Cost me £240 to get diagnosed and replaced so none too happy about that. Am saving up to replace with a Ford!

Hi all, just to confirm that I changed the battery myself this weekend for a Bosch Silver S5005 (type 27). It was very simple to do and the radio didn't need to be recoded (I've just the one touch function on the electric windows to sort). This has completely transformed the car, it is running much better and the steering problem is cured (so far touch wood). So I can only re-iterate some of the above comments that a weak battery can cause a range of issues, one of which would seem to be the power steering struggling. Thanks to everyone for their help.

Cheers again for the advice, I am going to go for a new battery. I'm thinking of getting a Bosch S5 005 (type 27) battery as that mentions being reistant to short runs and is 63 Ah which is fairly decent. I'm going to do this DIY, will search the forums for anything I have to be careful of beyond the radio code.....

Thanks for the advice. The garage advised that the battery was partially discharged (I do a lot of short journeys). They topped the battery charge up and the car was fine for a few weeks. After not being used for about 10 days and previous to that some short journeys the symptons have returned with little power steering assit for the first 100 metres of a journey but then otherwise ok. The battery is seven years old so I know it is on borrowed time but the garage that previoulsy investigated things said that the battery was servicable. Note the garage could find no fault codes logged on the system so were adamant it wasn't the steering angle sensor. Would people advise changing the battery for peace of mind? Thanks.

I've driven the car back to the garage this morning to be looked at - the power steering was much worse today, no longer just no assist for the first 100 metres or so but now no assist or low assist at various times for the whole 1 - 2 miles journey to the garage. When the angle sensor goes people report the flickering electrics as a sympton - does this is result in variable/unpredicatble or no assist too, this never seems to get mentioned. Does variable/poor assist therefore point to the pump or rack itself and thus £££? I really hope not! I've still never seen any PAS warning light come on on the dashboard. Thanks.

Thanks, I took it to the garage who said the fluid was a little low so they've topped it up - the first time it has been topped up in the seven years I've had the car. I thought this never needed topping up unless there is a leak. I've not seen a wet patch on my drive indicative of a hydraulic fluid leak. The popping/gulping sound is still there even with newly topped up fluid. Thanks for the suggestion that the PAS pump kicking in whilst wheel stationary is a sign of the angle sensor failure.

2002 Skoda Fabia Mk1 1.4 16v / 60,000 miles of light use. Over recent weeks the power steering has seemed heavy for the first 100 metres as I manouvre out of my driveway and then it seems ok. I've seen no PAS warning lights ever. I now notice that occasionally when completely stationary with steering dead centre the power steering motor is making an occasionally popping/gulping type sound - at the same time if you feel the cap of the PAS fluid resoivoir you can feel a judder conincidental with the popping sound suggesting the PAS motor is doing something odd - normally it should and does run smoothly/idling in the background when no steering lock is being applied. Any thoughts? Is it the angle sensor - as far as I know it is still the original sensor on the car. I've also not noticed specific headlight flickering problems that would normally appear to be a sympton of an angle sensor problem. Can this sensor go with no PAS warning light appearing? I would be grateful for suggestions.

If only one blade has a "spoiler" then it is the standard Bosch wipers you have, not the aero ones.

Assume that was on a private road.

Oh I recognise those symptons. The switch inside the driver's door doesn't work so the car doesn't know the driver's door has been opened. This is why it locks it self and also why the boot won't open (another security feature - the idea being that the boot can't be opened after car has been used unless a door is opened to indicate a passenger has got out (i.e. to stop someone raiding your boot whilst in stationary traffic)). I enquired before and the door switch is integral to the lock so it would mean a new lock and around £100 to fix; I've left mine and put up with having to open an alternative cabin door if I want the interior light on or if I want to access the boot. The water ingress/washer is covered above - common faults which you'll find on this forum if you search.

Breaks? I thought you were talking about fancy KitKats.....

My car had the exact same symptons. I had it service and an air con service whilst they were at it. They topped up the gas but didn't report any issues. Noise is still there :-(. It certainly didn't make that kind of noise 6 months ago and as you report it gets cold ok so I've no idea what is wrong until it goes bang.

Make sure the tyre pressures are correct too!

Car is cranking fine and it is a relatively new battery so pretty confident it isn't the battery. It was towed to the local VW specialist this morning, it sounded a bit rough but started and ran better than yesterday and was good enough to be able to drive it onto the low loader. The garage have had it all day and can't find anything wrong. Not impressed :(

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Hi all, Car has been running pretty ok. Perhaps the last once or twice it took slightly longer to start than usual (but then I've not been using the car as much as usual so it could be a week between starts and it has still always started with the first turn of the key). Anyhow, it was very difficult to start today, it took about ten tries and then the engine and thus the car was shaking quite badly, perhaps like it was running on 3 cylinders but worse. Plenty of oil and water, no sign of mayonnaise, no obvious sign of things hanging loose or engine light on dash (power steering light struggled to go out, probably because the electrical systems were under strain during the starting process. Any ideas of what I can look at (I don't have access to a code reader). I didn't try moving the car at all under its own power but I presume this would be a bad thing to do in terms of driving it to a garage so I'll have to somehow get a tow through my car insurance.

Have you had a compression check to check for piston ring/wear issues? Sounds really unlucky. I bought mine nearly four years ago and I agree with the poor reliability, I easily spent the purchase price on repairs within the first year or so, many of the faults being common (i.e. design flaws). To be fair though I'm on top of things now and with looking after it carefully the car is running pretty well. I certainly agree with the going Japanese sentiments. Comparing a family hatchback to a tuned Japanese sports car is not a fair comparison.

Thanks all for gouging speed bumps so that they are less comfortable for us normal drivers to drive over them. Think you are all silly (putting it mildly) and hope you get beached.

Don't like tinted lights or the dodgy number plate (or the de-wiper either), all are chavtastic mods you'd expect on Barryboy Corsas not to mention being dangerous.

A surging tickover and occassional momentary loss of revs/power (which feels like slamming on the brakes for a second) seem to be a "design feature" (read flaw) of the VW 1.4 16v petrol engine, it is refreshing to hear that other people have the same troubles. Mine used to be quite bad but it is much better now after the following things I've tried - throttle body clean and adaptation, EGR clean, crankcase breather hose clean, regular use of super unleaded fuel and injector treatment, renewal of coolant temperature sensor, servicing at a independent VW garage who use VW spec Quantum oil (made a big difference), making sure I give it the beans once in a while. I do notice that after a few short runs etc. you can see that the idle is less stable - not hunting but just wandering around a bit and this makes the surging tickover more likely to happen so the engine does need to be revved into the upper half of the rev range on occasion. I've not tried the ECU reset so that would be something interesting to have a go at. As a final thing out of desperation, it is also easy to replace the coil pack, HT leads and spark plugs yourself and the parts can be sourced from ebay so that may be worth a try just to eliminate these from being at fault. Good luck!