Akebono

Hello, I have a clack-noise in the rear of the fabia, I believe it comes from interior of the car. This is a strong clear sound that I hear when I accelerate the car from stationary position, when I break and sometimes when one of the rear wheels is travelling over a crack in the road. It is not the rear seats since I have sorted that problem, nore can it be soemthing metallic moving in the trunk (spare wheel key set) since I checked for that also. I suspect the latches of the doors, or someting. can also have something to do with the drum brakes, like the mecanism is releasing brakes or something, but I doubt it. I think it is inside the car and I cannot identify which side. Please help!

@stuart_hatch: post some more pics of your fabia please.

Thanks Andy, but to my understanding that is not a fabia ... yet. I was looking as I have said for fabia's with non-RS bumpers

Above where? I can see one in the previous page, just one dirty green fabia facelift

Can anyone post more pics of the splitter on a non-RS bumper?

Lummox, thanks for the fast reply. When you said 50mm bolts were you talking about the thread? Of course if they are too long they are BAD, but I could easily shave a few mm off the bolts if necessary. First I would like to see how the fabia will look like with the spacers mounted, but since I have no way now to mount them ...

I also have some dilemma with spacers. I have created 17.5mm/side spacers from hard-aluminium. They are system A (aka they go with longer bolts). The original bolt for aluminium wheels is: M14x1.5 with ~30mm thread. The spacers are hubcentric so they will sit on the hub and the wheel bore will sit very tight on the spacers. Here is the dilemma: I need some very long bolts 30 + 17.5 = 47.5 mm thread on the bolts. The only place I could find something like this is FK where they have 50mm thread bolts. I am still considering mounting them on the car (only in the rear) because I am a little afraid that the bolts are too long compared with the original size and there is a risk they could break on bad roads. Usualy they make system A spacers up to 15mm per side and from 20mm on they make system B (original bolts screwed into the spacer and new bolts to mount the spacer on the hub, like picture above). @devonutopia: I recommend that you throw away the lugcentric spacers and get some hubcentric ones.

Slightly off-topic: Apparently bleach works wonders on the chrome layer: CB7Tuner Forums - View Single Post - EXT: DE-Chroming / Painting Emblems

Thanks, but so did I and it did not turn out that well :(

I had my surround grille painted two times myself and the paint had come off each time, even though I have sanded the chrome so I reduced the shiny finish and primed afterwards. I did not take the entire chrome layer off since it's almost impossible to do it by sanding. I know people with enough patience who have ripped off all the crome layer using a kitchen knife. That is the only solution that will last I guess. Otherwise it will chip-off sooner or later :( I also have seen for the new jetta some mods done on the chrome by attacking it with muratic acid. Here are a few pics of mine: Fabia by akebono (original chrome grill modded into a badgeless one).

For this engine it's recommended a semi-synth 10w40. I have the same 8v engine, but I've been using only full synth, and from the last change (8000km ago) 0w40. It makes the engine sound better and that in my opinion comes from the way the timing chain is lubricated. A thinner oil will do a better job.

I've been looking arround for a description of the wiring color codes generaly available for the fabia. I did not find such a thing. I need to know how is the driver's panel (lock/unlock, window switches) wired. There are many wires there with different color codes. Either pin layout of the connector or wire color codes would be great! I hopw you can help. Regards, Akebono.

I also think that I face the same problems. Mine is a 1.4 too. It's only 55.000km but 5 years old. The sound I hear from the cabin is something like "glo-glo-glo" whenever the car travels bumps in the road which swings the car lateraly. The same sound I hear sometimes when I release the gas pedal or the clutch too soon, or even when I stop the engine (so nothing from the suspension). It could be from the exhaust, but that was checked and it's fine.

The description of bahnstormer is good. I have the same thing on my car + some thermal insulation arround the flexible hose + heat resistant aluminium tape over it. This way it will reject the heat from the engine as the aluminium pipe tends to get warm. It pulls better, and from my measurements on group 120 it gained extra torque. I've measured the same engine (stock) on several fabias and all did 118nm. Mine does 128. Besides the modifications above I have a free flow exhaust, intermediary and end mufflers with the OEM cat. Only with end muffler and intake mods it did 124-126. Now with intermediary mufflers it does 128 and you can feel the difference.

Hi P2M, does you friend charge for the operation of reflashing (usage of vagcom, interface) or for the procedure (how to do it). Ask him if he wants to share the info, as a member of a forum to another . He's not loosing business since I imagine he cannot do it international.

Yes

Hi, sometimes I hear a clear clack noise, like something snaps off from the rear side of the car. First I thought it was the driverseat rocking but that was not the case. Now I realy do not know if this is from inside the car or something on the body of the car. This happens mainly when accelerating the car from standing position pretty hard, so when the car is leaning back due to moderate-hard acceleration. After that "clack" it gets quiet again (cannot reproduce it) until the next situation like that. I susspect something regarding the rear-axle, like a bushing or a bolt holding the rear shock absorber. It's on the drivers side rear. Maybe you know something about this. I've searched with no luck :(.

I use 0w40 in mine. Runs very smooth and does it does not consume it.

The most reliabe for sure will be the SDI. The TDI PD100 and the MPI 8v will be next. Both are known to go 300.000 - 500.000km. Especialy the MPI 8v are very common on taxis in the Czeck republic.

You have to do the following: take off the airbox take off the dome over the throttle body ( its beeing hold by 4 spline bolts which you must be careful while unscrewing since they go into aluminium, if you see big resistance, try knocking them first gently) Now, you can do it in place: clean with aerosol can with the engine stopped and started (somebody hold the pedal down- throttle is open and you spray) or you can take the body off, but have another paper gasket handy it might brake. The normal position is slightly open, not perfectly close so the engine can breathe at idle. Because of oil vapors comming from the crankcase breather the throttle is obturated arround its idle position and the engine "suffocates" at idle. The ECU corrects this by opening the throttle when the engine is "dying", that's why you should see it reving from time to time by itself. check out some of my pics: http://vwforum.vwforum.ro/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=719 http://vwforum.vwforum.ro/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=720 http://vwforum.vwforum.ro/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=721 http://vwforum.vwforum.ro/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=722 there is the 8v throttle, you can see where the dome(not present in the pics) is bolted. hope this helps.

Hi, Does anybody have a picture with the rear exhaust muffler mountings? I'm talking about the rubber bushing that attaches to the muffler and to the underbody of the car. I have an 8v with full stainless mufflers that are a bit too heavy for the original mountings (OEM) and the pipe is a little wobbly. I'm looking to mount harder bushings as I think they are designed differently (stronger rubber) for different muffler weight. Thanks

Let's look at it from another perspective: the 8v produces 120NM at 2500RPM while the 16v produces 126NM at 4400RPM or 3800RPM(55kw one), this means that the 8v is and feels much more powerful than the 16v driven in the city. On the highway the 16v is faster, no doubt about it, but you have to go at very high RPM. But inner city the 16v will eat more, since you have to push it hard to get power out of it. The 8v is more diesel like. the 12v produces 112NM which is low, from 3 cylinders. I'm not sure how much it will last. Mine does about 33MPG mainly in the city (avg speed is 28km/h). Driven outside the city I've managed 46-48MPG which you will find next to the diesels engines. If driven hard (140-160kmh) it will do a 39MPG which is not very bad. By hard I mean, hard for this engine (top speed 170kmh). Looking at it from a reliability point of view: the 8v is a proper skoda engine, chain timed (no tensioner, but double chain). It still has cylinders separated from the engine-block while in the VW engines the pistons travel on the block itself. From a techinal point of view this makes the components more precise -> oil consumption is low in this engine. The lack of a chain tensioner is a bug in IMO. Skoda thinks opposite (and with good reasons, the chain beeing very short), and they did not change it over 40years. Every chain gets a bit loose and rattles. Without a tensioner it can make horrible sound, but the replacement cost is low (10EUR a set). Anyway it does not need changing ... you do it when you cannot stand it any more . On DOHC engines you need tensioners because the chain is very long. Although OHV it has hydraulic tappets, which mean maintenance free. Another thing, this engine is very very strong, old conception, but it is known in the Czech Republic to do 500.000km easily. the 16v still has plastic tensioners. It's common fault that those brake when least expected and the damage is almost equal with a total engine rebuilt. This engine's noise is loud! At start-up it's diesel like. the 12v we do not know very much about, since they are relatively new. It has single chain (half the size of the 8v) but with hydraulic tensioners. I'm actualy quite curious of driving one myself, but what that torque it produces and the sound it has ... I think I will still love my 8v. I don't think that pollution is the reason they took this engine out, there are EURO4 engines with 8v in Skoda (AZF, AQW). Cost-cutting and alligment of all brands (Seat,VW and Skoda) to the same engines. Skoda have put their engines only on Skodas and the 1.0MPI on Arosa and Lupo too. Nowadays there is no skoda engine any more. It is known that VW tries new things and sometimes it makes mistakes. For example the 1.8T, is almost out. The Polo GTI has it and the Octi 1 Tour. This was probably the best petrol engine they ever had. Now they replaced it with the FSI which we will see how it will behave.

I understand that, I promise! PS: I know how to measure wheel speeds and check the ballance of it. But I was more interested on how to adjust the cut in point. My ABS kicks in much too soon, and it's dangerous. Also It has issues if braking on bad roads. What you get out of it is improper braking and that can lead to disaster sometimes.

@TaviaRS: Why don't you explain the procedure with VAG-COM?