Eastbournian

Thanks Inspectorman. No one else has joined in so as you say, it may not be too big a problem and is now being sorted by the dealer mod.

I'm thinking of changing my Fabia estate for a Rapid hatchback. Huge boot and will fit in the garage. I had a test drive in a Spaceback yesterday. First thing I noticed was the sound of water sloshing about in the rear offside door. Salesman said that there was a modification to solve this but it hadn't been done to the car yet. It seems that cars must be still coming out of the factory with an inherent design fault which dealers are trying to correct with a bodge. If it was simply excess wax in the drain holes they would have solved the problem immediately. Having read the problems the Honest John long term tester had with mould and condensation after several failed attempts at a fix I am now very unsure about buying into what could be a serious long term problem like Fabia 1 owners have. I would be grateful if other forum members could update on this please?

Hi Estateman. That's one of the things I like about this forum. It's often when posts go off topic that it gets most interesting and informative.

The handbook for my 1.4tdi 80 bhp says 3.8 litres including filter change.

Thanks for the replies Gents. I think you're right Estateman. The oil should been topped up after the engine had been run and the filter filled. The technician told me that he had filled it from a container not the bulk tank. I don't have a DPF on my car but I think you raise an interesting point Mark999. We have to use a high spec. oil in PD engines to prevent wear in injector cams? (I'm no expert) operating at high pressure. I think that the only PDs with a DPF are the Greenlines. What would happen if the quality of their oil is diluted with fuel? P.S. Wrote the above before I saw your last post Estateman. Maybe there's no problem with the Greenlines.

A week after the 1st service on my 1.4tdi last year I checked the oil and found that it was just under halfway up the hatched area on the dipstick. I was concerned as I assumed that the oil had been filled to maximum when it was changed and that there was a problem that had caused the consumption to increase. I filled up to the top of the hatched area and checked the level frequently. I needn't have worried as, apart from one small top up, it has used virtually no oil in 6500 miles. This year I checked immediately after the service and found it was low again.I took it back to the dealer who topped it up. When I got home I rechecked it and topped up a bit more.I took the car for a run and then left the oil to settle for 20 mins. and it was exactly on the top line of the marked area. (rechecked today) The technician said that he had filled with the recommended 4 litres. I know the oil level was in the safe area but I would expect it to be filled to the max. line not left at a level that I think needs topping up.(After driving a series of oil using commercial vehicles I am in the habit of keeping the level close to max.) Between us we must have added about a 1/2 litre - it sounds more when you say a pint. I wondered if the recommended fill of 4 litres is insufficient to fill the filter as well, but I can't really believe that VW/Skoda haven't got their figures right. Anyone else come across this? I've googled and can only come up with one other comment from someone on an Honest John forum.

I have the Skoda dog/luggage guard in my estate.I couldn't find anything else on the market that was suitable. The mesh part of the guard only covers the area between the top of the seat and the roof, so you can slide long items underneath it. The mesh part is removed by undoing four knurled bolts leaving the side bars in place. You can still use the luggage cover with the guard in place. It's a sturdy and strong bit of kit. Although not cheap I think that it's worth the money.

Here's wishing you a Happy Christmas Estate Man and thanks for all the time you devote to giving valuable advice on this site.

I've fitted Hankook Optimo 4s H730 all season tyres, which got good reviews from the German magazine Auto Bild. I couldn't get them from local suppliers and had to order from Mytyres who supply from Germany.(Four days from order to delivery) I've managed to avoid driving in the worst of the snow but when I have had to go out the grip is much improved over my old Dunlops. An unexpected benefit of the Hankooks is that the ride, especially on town roads, has improved. The higher speed ride seemed ok on the Dunlops but at slow speed there was very little cushioning of bumps.The ride feels softer now.

Without wishing to appear rude either I think that you are out of order here Xman. I think that Estate Man's comments are helpful, useful and knowledgeable and I, for one, am grateful for the efforts he makes to help posters on this site.

I've had my Fabia 1.4tdi estate for 6 months. I needed a car that was small enough to fit in my garage but was able to carry my wife's wheelchair or mobility scooter without folding the back seats. The engine is noisy when accelerating but it's a purposeful noise that I can live with. When cruising it's really fairly quiet. The amount of torque produced makes it a relaxing car to drive - it never seems to be working very hard. I don't overtake very much these days but if I need to get past a tractor or a milk float the kick of torque is surprising for an economy car. I 'm getting about 60 mpg on cross country runs and the overall mpg (3000 miles) is 50.1 but this includes a lot of short run town use. The ride on faster roads seems ok but on poor town roads it can be a bit boneshaking. It's a small car built to take loads so I guess that the suspension has to be a compromise. Overall it's a car that has character that does the job it's designed to do and does it well.

I am almost certainly going to order a Fabia 2 1.4tdi 80 estate. Is it worth adding ESP? Has anyone got experience of how it helps traction in slippery conditions? As a prospective owner I'm really glad that I came across this site while searching for road tests etc.