Mike Austin
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Posts posted by Mike Austin
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8 hours ago, stevobeavo said:
I used to get between 25-27k out of a set of tyres on my standard vrs. That's was a mixture of driving and quite a lot of having fun in corners. I would have thought your mpi would get similar?
Proper alignment is worth it imo and it makes a big difference to the way a car drives.
I get that mileage from my rear tyres, but I have never achieved it from the front tyres on any car that I have had over the last 35 years (2 Fabia 2.0i and 3 Golf GTIs). The very first set of fronts were changed at 19,900 miles, which obviously included some running in. They were Dunlop SP2020. I now run Firestone TZ300.
Do you swap your tyres round?
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I have checked with a local VW specialist that has the Hunter Alignment equipment. It seems that the alignment and camber adjustment via the sub frame is going to cost £80+VAT, so it will pay for itself when I have reached about 180k miles (or 4-5 years). That is assuming it can be exactly balanced. I don't imagine I will still have the car then, so I guess it is best left as it is.
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3 hours ago, vindaloo said:
Initially it's more about gaining information. Whilst it's true some angles can't be adjusted (rear), there are tolerances at play that could ameliorate any issues at the front.
It's not so much £30-£50 wasted but £30-£50 invested in getting better tyre life and spending less time wandering around near tyre fitters.
For me, information is of value if I can do something with it. £45+ will not be wasted if the alignment can be corrected. That is what I hope to find out before spending the money. At the moment, I estimate that I have wasted maybe £40 on unnecessary tyre wear over about 42,000 miles. Bearing in mind the high mileage of 120k, it is debatable whether there will be a net saving before the car's end of life. As it happens, I have no worries about how the car drives and handles at the monent. It is only the asymmetric tyre wear.
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3 hours ago, vindaloo said:
https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=5878
4 wheel alignment or "alignment" implies measuring all wheel angles rather than just the front toe-in or toe-out. Can be helpful in showing if something's bent.
Thanks. That was interesting. What I had done was not accurate only because the rear tyres were used to hang the instrumentation, not the rims. So the toe is probably OK but the camber is clearly not right. I could book it in for a Hunter Alignment, but if the camber cannot get adjusted suitably, it would be £45 down the drain. I need to check what they can do before booking it in.
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What is a 'proper' four wheel alignment? When I had my tracking checked yesterday, it involved attaching measuring equipment to all four wheels. Was this 'proper'?
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Thanks for your replies.
The car has done nearly 120K miles. I had the console bushes replaced at 73345 miles. Since then, I have got through a pair of front tyres from 60758-78510=17752 miles, 78510-90054=11544 miles, 90054-107345=17291 miles and lastly 107345-119786=12441 miles. There was one damaged tyre replaced at 68830 miles.
Although the history is not entirely consistent, the last two sets lasted 17291 and 12441 miles - both being a long time after the console bush replacement. I had the offside CV boot replaced at 92143 miles and I had new front discs at 102033 miles. Can console bushes 'move around' due to such work?
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I had to buy a new front offside tyre today due to wear on the inside - after just 12,500 miles. I usually get about 17,000 miles. There was hardly any noticeable asymmetric wear on the front nearside tyre. I had the tracking checked and it was fine. I have roughly checked the camber using straight edges and a level and it appears that the nearside is more-or-less vertical while the offside is leaning maybe 10mm in (measured at the rim). What can be done about this? How much can the sub frame be moved to accommodate asymmetry?
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Had an EPC light on my dash (Mk1 Fabia). Reckoned it was the brake light switch. Motorline Canterbury were a couple of miles away. They did a diagnostic test and verified it. I wanted to buy the part and fit it myself (I live in Bristol). They did not have it but found one a mile away and arranged for me to collect it. No charge for the diagnostic. Great Service!
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Thanks for this! Initially had the brake pedal down/up problem, but it worked when it was up. The part I bought was VW part 6Q0 945 511. It was not all black - there was some white on the plunger.
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I just had cam belt, water pump and alternator belt fitted plus a service at my local garage (non-dealership). Parts £222.38, labour £260 plus VAT - total £574. I asked for the old belts and pump, just out of interest. There was no noticeable waer on cam belt or pump. The bearings were not loose and the blades were not pitted. The alternator belt had a cut across most of the ridges, but it looks like damage caused when removing it.
The car has done 111,460 miles. The last cam belt replacement was by the dealer at 44,000 (probably much too soon). The lack of any signs of wear indicates to me that these cam belts are durable and long lasting.
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In another post I referred to this particularly well documented car http://www.briskoda....ng-costs/page-2 post number 46 & 50. In this case it might have been cheaper to buy a new car at 110k miles and again at 200+
I accept that the car that is the subject of this thread has a more reliable gearbox.
Yes, I had seen that. I have just put Nigel's SDi in graph form:
He has a better average per mile cost (3.8p vs my 5.1p), but it is shooting up after 240,000 mile (9.0p vs my 6.7p). So I had better start watching out after the next 129,000 miles!
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I'd agree with the above, new cars are for those who value appearance over utility.
If it hasn't already failed, the motor that moves the recirculation flap (or more exactly, the potentiometer associated with the motor) will probably fail soon. In practice, this is not really noticeable as long as it doesn't fail stuck in the recirculating position, but that could easily be overcome. The gimmick of it closing to outside air every time reverse is selected was not accompanied by a robust enough motor/pot unit when designed. Unless you drive past a pig farm on a regular basis, I don't think it's worth mending.
If they haven't already been (well) repaired, some or all of the door carrier seals will probably need attention to keep the interior from being gradually filled with rainwater.
Console bushes are probably overdue replacement if original (unlikely).
I think the recirculation flap sticks from time to time - but not a problem. I have no leaks in the car as far as I can see. Console bushes were replaced at 73,000 miles. I have my second new heater resistor pack to fit (the previous one failed on fan speed 1 after two years). So, fit a new cam belt / water pump and roll on the next 111, 000 miles then?
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The engine and gearbox are very reliable, £450 for the belt and pump change is much too expensive, shop around you should be able to get it done for less than half that price, there's nothing tricky about the job and the parts are cheap.
Thanks. At the fourth service in 2009, the dealer included a new cam belt (at only 44,000 miles!) at the total cost of £448. I go local now, so I should expect less. Repairs and maintenance over the 11 years and 111,000 miles has only been £2000, which I think is good. Here are my running costs:
I am just aware that the repair costs could begin to tilt upwards at this sort of mileage.
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Bought from new, 11 years old and 111,000 miles, no major problems over the years. It is due for cam belt / water pump replacement costing about £450. Is it worth it? What else is likely to go wrong soon? Would like to keep if not too much of a gamble. Newish VW Polo is my other option as Mk3 Fabia is too big for garage (and slightly smaller on inside).
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I don't think you need to bother. The mist on yours is just a small band on the bottom.Ah you bugger!
Now I'm going to have to have another go at that one, just to check I'm not wrong about it being on the inside!
Glad to hear you're all sorted though.
I don't think any sealant is required, personally. They won't need attention for a year or three whatever, by then another half-hour's work won't kill anyone.
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Well, regardless of my idea that the mist was on the inside, I had a good go at both headlights with 400, 1200, 2400 grit, then with G3 compound, then with toothpaste and finally with Turtle Wax and they have cleaned up a treat! The question now is, what do I seal them with?
BTW, I got the G3 and Turtle Wax at Halfords and was told they were doing 3 for 2 cleaning products, so I got some G3 applicator pads for nought!
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Now that looks identical to mine, only not so extensive. Time spent on any size of grit, polish, toothpaste or wax on the outside will be wasted.This is the affected one on the missus's car. Thought it wasn't a good enough pic to show it at first, but then I spotted the line of the top edge of the mistiness on the inside of the plastic; I've highlighted it with a few black arrows:
I have an MOT on Tuesday. The good news is that I just dropped in to ask them if they would fail it on the headlights, and they said "No". So a stay of execution ...
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Has anyone heard of an MOT failure due to misty headlights? Mine is coming up in the next few days.
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RHS was cleaned all over, but contours of some 'mist' still visible, plus some speckles:
LHS was roughly attempted, but the contour of mist in the centre still visible:
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They feel very smooth. Would I not feel the edge with my nail?That edge is probably remnants of the UV protection layer. I've found this appears on fairly mild refurbs I have done and the only way to clear them is fully remove the UV protection. Often that's 600 grit paper to start
I will post a pikkie or two tomorrow.I'd be interested to see pictures.
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Is that to break a seal, or to get some expansion? How do you re-assemble? Not the freezer, I presume! (Based in Bristol, btw)As said, the top right picture, second one in will be with around 2400 grit and it's still cloudy. It's only after the 3000 and cutting compound with G3 they polish up clear.
As for opening then, most people put them in the oven to heat them then prise them apart with screw drivers etc
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Are you sure you have simply not polished away the sanding marks? It normally takes more than toothpaste to cut away the sanding marks.
Yes, I am sure. There is a distinct edge to the misting that has not changed since I cleaned it. On the offside, it is approximately the lower third where it is misted. On the nearside, it is a smaller patch in the middle. MOT coming up on Tuesday!
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How do you remove the covers - and, more importantly, put them back again?This might help you decide.
Ive cleaned plenty now, only had a few with marks and damage on the inside, a quick polish with G3 has always sorted them.
I also wet sand up to 3000 before polishing with a machine polisher and G3 cutting compound.
Thats going up 400 at a time roughly. some images are the same grit but by hand and others with machine polisher and the final image is polished,
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I have 'misty' headlight covers and I have cleaned them with 1200 paper, then 2400 paper, then toothpaste. They still have a mist in them. The outside is absolutely smooth now (it was quite rough). Could they be dirty inside - or even within the material? What I see is not condensation - but could it be residue left from previous condensation? Is this cleanable?
Bye Bye 2.0i
in Skoda Fabia Mk I (1999-2007)
Posted
I have just traded in the best car I have ever had - my Fabia Elegance 2.0i, bought nearly thirteen years ago in April 2005. It had covered over 126,000 miles and was very comfortable, reliable and a joy to drive. It was my second 2.0i - I traded the old one for the new one after two years. I was beginning to get concerned that something major could go wrong. There was a slight creaminess in the oil inside thr rocker cover at one point - maybe temporary due to the weather, who knows?
I have replaced the Fabia with a one year old Polo Blue GT with 6,000 miles on the clock. The body shape fits in my small garage, whereas new Polos and Fabias do not fit. I would have preferred a new Fabia if it were smaller and if there were one with a bit of poke in.
My Fabia averaged 35.2mpg. Over the last 25,000 miles, the running costs were 26.6p comprising maintenance 4.4p, tax/MOT 2.9p, insurance/breakdown 3.2p, fuel 16.0p. When I write off the cost of the car over the 126,000 miles, it cost 38.1p/mile.
I am expecting another 10mpg out of the Polo on average. Factoring in higher parts and service costs over a ten year life, it will cost 38.9p/mile. Not much difference. The Polo is on £20 road tax (March 2017) whereas the Fabia had been hiked to £240 over the years!
The Polo handles better than the Fabia, of course, but not quite such a comfortable ride. The Polo is noisier in some respects and quieter in other respects compared to the Fabia. The engine is quieter - particularly at high revs - but there is more of a rolling noise from the wheels/tyres/axles. I put this partly down to tyres because it has low rolling resistance tyres and they are also lower profile. There is a noticeable advantage when I take my foot off the accelerator - it just keeps rolling without much slowing down! There is a lot of electrical gadgetry and silver trim on the dashboard. I so much preferred the subdued, all-black dashboard on the Fabia. Then the Polo wheels will be a swine to clean. The Fabia wheels had a simple and easy to clean. On the outside, the Fabia was a Q-car with no obvious signs of extra power. I will probably debadge the Polo.
I have not been coming to this forum recently, but I spent some time here when I first got the Fabia. I hope I can find a Polo forum where the members are equally as friendly and knowledgeable.