rapeseedracer
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Posts posted by rapeseedracer
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Hi, my fabia vrs 06 plate has recently started having a few problems. The alarm keeps going off for no apparent reason even when the car is not locked. Also the wipers dont work on intermittent. Could anyone shed any light on these matters, cheers joe.
Hi Joe, the wipers not working on intermittent is the computer's way of telling you there is something wrong with your alarm. I have been having issues with my alarm too. If your alarm is going off and you unlock it, it will lock itself after 30 seconds and can go off again so if you want to leave it unlocked to stop the alarm you have to open the door and close it. Fuse 60 is apparently one to pull out to stop it persisting if you want to give your neighbours some sleep. Or just disconnect the battery which is under 2 covers and you need a 10mm spanner to remove the +ve terminal.
When you couple up your battery afterwards, you'll find your electric windows don't go down with one touch. Wind them all the way down, all the way up and then once they're closed push the button to go up once more. After this, they will work with one touch.
I'm still trying to find where the hell the alarm sounder is located on mine! Aggggghhhh!
Pete
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I've had a similar problem with my VRS. The alarm keeps going off randomly, it was fine one Sunday all day and then it sounded at 2.30am -My neighbors invented some new swear-word combinations that morning I'm sure. With the alarm still sounding as soon as I'd removed my foot ware, I took it to Autohaus in Edinburgh and for a tightly clasped tenner, showed me the fault code that came up was "Alarm Horn'. The guy at reckons it has to be the horn itself. I've priced up a horn from the stealer and it's just shy of £100.
I'll have a look at the old one first, to see if there's anything wrong with the wires to it, then I might try an auto breakers!
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you can remove/replace the headlights without removing the front bumper and without scratching the paint
Yep, you sure can, the difficulty is getting 1 of the 3 headlight fixing bolts back in again. You just can't get the bolt and washer that screw in horizontally towards your engine on either side of the grill to go back in. The bumper/washer contact encourage colourful language as you remove colourful paint trying to get them to go in.
It's pretty annoying, if the washer's bore was larger it would allow it to slide off the bolt it would be possible without taking off the bumper, but they can't.
I didn't remove my bumper when I installed my HID's, I just didn't put these bolts back in, with the good intention of grinding off the washers and replacing them with some sliding ones. Still haven't done it yet, but the other two bolts seem to be holding the headlights in fine in the mean time.
So in summary, you can remove headlights without removing your bumper, you just need access to a vice, a grinder and a couple of substitute washers.
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Yep, very easy to D.I.Y. If your Fabia hasn't had it's coolant replaced in the past 4 years you may as well change that at the same time. Although you can change the expansion tank without loosing any coolant.
You'll need:
a star headed screwdriver for the undertray
a 10mm socket with an extension
a pair of long nosed pliers
an expansion tank (around £11 from Euro Car Parts)
Some proper orangey pink VW coolant around £17 for 5 litres (don't get the blue stuff, that's for pikeys)
An ability to do some hairy chested man work GGGGGRRRRR!
The drain for the radiator can't be reached without unscrewing the dark nightmare known the under tray, but you can get away with just undoing the two screws on the N/S corner of the tray and just pull it down enough to give you access. You'll find the drain plug is actually a tap similar to that on a 5 liter keg of beer.
Once you've drained all the original coolant (take the top off the expansion tank for it to flow faster) & if you have access to a hose run some water through the system. It's okay to start the engine and idle to get it running through faster (just be careful the water level doesn't disappear) stop once the water coming out is clear.
If you don't have access to a hose, like me, you can fill a bucket of hot water with the theory that the hot water will open the thermostat and rise out your water ways more thoroughly....er hem.
To replace the tank you use your long nosed pliers to open the hose clips and move them down the hose about an inch so you can remove them from the old expansion tank.
There are some weird plastic caps on top of the nuts you need to get at, so just pull them off
Use your 10mm socket with extension to untwist your nuts
Once those are removed, you can pull away the two metal legs for a black box that shares these fixing points.
Underneath there are two more 10mm bolts (they look like a nut on a thread but once removed you'll find they're a freaky double ended bolt).
The metal legs will try and get in your way but don't let them, swear at them if you have to.
Then just remove anything else you can see attaching the expansion tank to the car.
Pop in the new tank reattaching all the pipes etc and making sure the radiator drain is closed.
Fill with your brand new coolant to the full level, once you've replaced the under tray go for a spin round the block, you'll find the coolant level will drop again to the point that the temp sensor will ping and you'll think that all your efforts have been wasted.
Don't worry, it pings when the coolant level is low, this is because all the air has now moved to the top of the system so just fill it back up to the max fill level again and your performance diesel should be good for another 4 years.
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After reading this due to my fuel filler flap not clicking shut, I pulled away the boot cover and the the cable had merely dislocated from it's little bracket. All I had to do was relocate it, DONE! Took 30 seconds! If only all things were fixed this easily!
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Mine was going off too, it was only when I decided to disconnect the battery to prevent the neighbours organising an ASBO that I found both battery terminals were loose. Tightened those badboys up = no ASBO.
Strangely, you can tell if you've sorted your alarm problem, if your intermittent wipe doesn't work, you haven't! Or, you'll find your hazzards don't flash when you lock it.
If you're still having problems just pitch up at your local garage and offer them a fiver to hook up their VAGCOM to your car (the plug is behind the change draw under the dial for your headlights). That'll tell you which sensor has been setting off your alarm, so you know which one to drown with WD-40 and then replace.
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Curses!
I just bought one of those stupid little cigarette lighter style sensors off ebay! It's the expansion tank that I need!
Never mind, the coolant hasn't been changed since the factory, so ya mo replace that at the same time.
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Name - Pete Wilson
Location: Edinburgh
Job: Maths Teacher
Age:28
Red Skoda Fabia vRS with the following Mods:
Seat PD160 intake
Dragon Tuning Box
Rear Anti Roll bar (if you don't have one do it, doo eet)
Cruise
Pirelli Zero Neros all round
Blaupunt Twin 8 inch sub / Pioneer head
Aero wipers
Oil-Rainbow indicator bulbs.
Mods to come,
HID headlight kit
NOS & appropriate remap
Deep dish 16's
Lowering springs -if it doesn't spoil the superb (Fabia) handling.
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Hi there, I installed a Dragon Tuning box myself on My 1.9TDI VRS & I'm sure its much the same.
The tuning box should have a Y shaped cable with a Female and Male end on each Y. If you take off that big bit of plastic on the top of the engine, you should see an electrical connection that looks just like one of the ones on your tuning box.
Just disconnect that, I vaguely remember its a red pin that you push in for it to uncouple.
Then just connect one Y one on your tuning box cable to the connector on the engine and the other Y to the wire that was connected to it. Then all you need to do is connect the Red wire to the '+' battery and the black to the '-' terminal and boomshakalaka, you have transformed your diesel into a Torquey monster!
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I had a blow out and had to go to Aberdeen Thick Fit because it was a sunday and no one else was open, I was told I should replace my tyre because it had only 3mm of tread on it in one place (the outside edge) and that was 'Dangerous' and that it would be dangerous for me to drive away with only 3mm of tread on the outside edge.
I told them if they were really keen to fondle my alloys for longer than necessary they could swap it for one of the rears with almost 8mm of tread. The manager then said that that would be dangerous as you're always supposed to have better tyres on the rear to stop the back end from sliding.
-I mentioned I had added a rear antiroll bar because I wanted to do just that, -not even a crack of a smile.
£115 he wanted for 0ne Pirelli Zero Nero, I can get them for £57 from Black Circles!
Needless to say I didn't buy a tyre from them money grabbing idiots.
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Your're right I'm not keen on the diseasel rattle, especially at idle. I once drove a Fabia 1.2, 3 cylinder petrol and it sounded great especially when you revved it, like a V6. It was just a shame it was so under powered out of town though, and that all it did, just make a noise.
I don't know if these 1.4 3 cylinder TDI's sound any better.
Yeah I know what you mean. I had a Daihatsu Charade Turbo which was a 1.0, 3 cylinder, I had it tuned up to 140bhp, it had a nice half a six pot strum to it, which ended in the loudest dump valve I've ever heard, -it would turn a crowd of heads 100m away!
It was a bit gutless over 100 but did sound sweet.
A six cylinder Diesel sounds petrol apart from tick over.
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Seafield Coachworks might be worth a call.
Hey man,
I drove all the way out there today only to find they charge FIFTEEN pounds for a quote.
My car was outside and they expect me to pay them to tell me how much they charge!
They said that "most other places do it too", -not any of the four I'd previously had quotes from. If they are charging for quotations now we need to nip this in the bud, I certainly won't be giving them any trade.http://briskoda.net/images/smilies/thumbsdown.gif
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I've always used Willowbrae Coachworks.
Cheers for replying, was there anything you were unhappy about the job they did?
Do they have an oven?
Pete
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Hi Guys,
Does anyone know a decent spray shop in Edinburgh?
By decent I mean:
-Decent Price
-No Over spray
-No Lemon Peel
-No Ripples
-No Runs
-Good Paint match
-Asking a lot I know!
Any ideas would be excellent
Cheers,
Pete
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What about the turbo? Does an induction kit do much for these apart from an apocryphal 5 bhp gain on the manafacturer's standard air box?
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I was thinking, I love my Fabia VRS, the only thing I miss about it not being a petrol is the noise it makes.
Has anyone managed to make their diesel sound a bit more fruity?!
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I have had the same trouble with my rear wheels,
I just turn them and give them as hard a yank as I dare with it elevated on the OEM sissor jack & resting on rusty axle stand! I just turn the wheel about 40 degrees and pull the top & push the bottom of the wheel until it eventually develops some play then eventually comes off.
Totally copper greased to the max now though!
Copper Grease, -its like museli for cars!
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Thanks a million mate,
they look much cheaper! -£95 odd including £10 postage.
This is before I've called for Briskoda discount.
Are the FDS1419 more or less the same as Ferodo DS2500?
Pete
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I'm sure I paid only about £110 odd from Jabbasport, and that's for Brembo sized pads too.
They don't seem to do them anymore, I went to the Jabbasport website and they only seem to do one pair of rear brake pads, 'Mintex Rear Brake Pads Mk4 Platform'.
That was all they had under brakes!
Never mind, looks like £135 is the best price I can find.
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If you agree to give £20 to hemi-help (Support us | HemiHelp: for children and young people with hemiplegia (hemiparesis)), I might be able to tell you where to get them for £100
I'll give you a fifty note, I've got 10 of them in an old box of monopoly some where.....
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I am keen as mustard on a set of front Ferodo DS2500 pads for my Fabia VRS.
Trouble is, I can only find two places that supply them, my local garage (£150 + Vat)
&
Europerformance.co.uk for £135 odd including postage.
Since my knuckles turn white at the mere thought of giving to charity, I want to buy these pads at the LOWEST price.
Has anyone had any better luck than I have? Or is £135 a good price for these?
Pete
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When I first bought my Fabia VRS I took it to the dealer and they charged £150 for changing the oil and although they said they changed the air filter, 6 months later I had a look at it and it was like emptying a vacuum cleaner bag.
They stamped the log book but didn't have a Skoda logo stamp so I could have easily made one up from VistaPrint or something!
I can't prove that Skoda didn't change the filter but it made me think 'what else didn't they do...'
Since then I've spent Just under £150 myself, changing the oil every 5k instead of 10, doing a full coolant flush, changing the brake fluid, oil filter, air filter, wheel centers (corrosion) wing mirror glass (flaking) -generally keeping my car as it did when it rolled out the factory.
I keep the log book up to date and I think the money is better spent keeping it looking brand new, than letting it deteriorate and waxing £150 on a service it may or may not have for a stupid little stamp!
Rant over.
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If you're keen to know cost, that's 200 sheets for he head unit and about 90 squid for the sub, much cheaper and probably a huge improvement on the original kit!
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omg this now looks complicated lol
went to the car audio direct site and it sayin about radio ariel adapters and other bits needed lol.
OMG this it mad
cheers for all the help though
billy
Hey Billy,
If you want a good sound system that isn't too complex & won't cost too much why not get a different head unit, like a pioneer for example. That alone will make a huge difference with the sound quality from your original speaker system. From my experience I've found that makes the Treble and Midi excellent. With more power driving the speakers this allows them to move in and out more rapidly, reducing that farting noise you get when it's too bassy.
Now for Bass, to keep things simple, rather than **** about with matching the correct amp up to the correct head unit, why not buy a sub with an amp intergrated?
You know it works perfectly and all you need to do is hook it up to your head unit.
A good sub takes all the strain that bass takes off your standard speakers, they can handle midi and treble easily, and the sub takes up all the strain of the bass.
You'll have a good sounding system in no time. For the price of a bean.
Doo eet dooo eeet!
Keeping Interior Clean
in General Maintenance
Posted
You can fire the floor mats into the washing machine by the way, come out looking brand spankers, beats the sheat out of buying new ones and the wife will be temporarily impressed when you ask how to use the washing machine.