DerekU

Regarding performance, the Owner's Manual for a 2023/2024 Fabia provides data on 6 possible motors. The two 999cc 3-cylinder turbocharged motors are said to have a power output of 94bhp (5000-5500rpm) or 109bhp (5500rpm). The 94bhp version has a maximum torque of 175Nm at 2000-3500rpm and (manual transmission) a maximum speed (in 5th) of 118mph with a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 10.7 seconds. The 109bhp version has a maximum torque of 200Nm at 1500-3000rpm and (manual transmission, a maximum speed (in 5th) of 126mph with a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.9 seconds. The variant with 7-speed DCT automatic transmission has a maximum speed (in 6th) of 125mph and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.8 seconds.

The 15mm-lower option is not available for UK-marketed Fabia Mk 4 cars and (apparently) in countries where that option can be chosen, it's only for Monte Carlo (or 130 Edition) models. The reddit.com discussion I provided a link to earlier includes comments by owners of Fabias with the 15mm-lower option, or by people who have practical driving experience of Fabias with and without the option. (Little profit in generalising when genuine ownership experience can be found online.) I didn't choose my Fabia SE L for 'fun' - if I had wanted a smallish 'family' car for fast road driving I would have gone for a Hyundai i20N. My Fabia accelerates, brakes, handles/steers OK and is quite comfortable. I don't consider the wheel-arch gaps excessive/unsightly and, if I wanted to tart up the car's appearance, I'd rather have it 'wrapped' in zebra vinyl than lower it .

For (say) a 2023/2024-built Skoda Fabia with the 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol engines, the lower-specification SE Comfort and Colour Edition models had (as standard) a 80hp or 95hp unit with a 5-speed manual, gearbox, while the SE L model (like my 2024 version) had a 110hp motor with a six-speed manual gearbox or (optional) 7-speed DCT automatic transmission. Fuel consumption will depend on where and how the owner drives the car.

There are alternatives to the Elbach products. A 15mm lowering seems hardly worthwhile to me and I'm doubtful that you'd notice any handling differences on the road between a standard-height Monte Carlo and a lowered version. I'm similarly doubtful that the 'looks' difference would be noticeable either. Also recently asked here https://www.reddit.com/r/skoda/comments/1mz2l8k/to_lower_a_fabia_4_in_factory/

An option to choose (for the Fabia Monte Carlo model) a chassis lowered by 15mm was mentioned in the "Agility" section of this 2024 Skoda Motorsport webpage. Škoda MotorsportFour things we love about the Škoda Fabia Monte Carlo - Š...As far as I am aware, this option is not available for new Monte Carlo models marketed in the UK (the UK Fabia configurator does not seem to show it). However, this August 2024 BRISKODA thread included before-and-after photos of a Monte Carlo that the owner had lowered by 30mm (rear) and 30-40mm (front). Uploading Attachment... Without knowing the cost of the 15mm-lowering option, nor whether it includes superior dampers and/or springs, it's hard to say whether the option would be genuinely worthwhile performance-wise. Regarding 'looks', the current UK Monte Carlo configurator shows 17"-diameter wheels as standard, with 18"-diameter wheels as a £905 option, and the bigger the wheel, the more cosmetically attractive the result (maybe!!)

A GOOGLE-search on car battery drain infrared camera will retrieve more videos about this diagnostic method than one can shake a stick at. (Also handy for making sneaky porn movies.)

Generally, an experienced driver accustomed to a 'stick shift' should adapt fairly rapidly to an automatic car; vice versa, with three foot pedals not two, it's more of a challenge. Why not trot along to a Skoda dealership and ask if they have a Fabia with DSG that your wife could try? I don't think there's any issue with a Fabia Mk4's small 3-cylinder motor not being a good match for the DSG transmission and a longish test drive should be enough for your wife to decide if she feels OK with the DSG or would prefer to stay with a manual gearbox.

The terms and conditions of the current UK Skoda warranty can be viewed here https://www.skoda.co.uk/_doc/148825d2-9edf-4ab3-b9e3-243bc38d8357 The warranty excludes "Noise and vibration related to the normal operation of the vehicle". Logically, you'd need to demonstrate the rattling noise to the Skoda dealership for them to agree that the noise is 'abnormal' and the fact that the rattle is intermittent may make this tricky. Best thing would be for you to tell your dealership ASAP about this and see what they say.

These articles compare the Polo and Fabia and should give you a well-balanced view. https://www.motorpoint.co.uk/comparisons/skoda-fabia-vs-volkswagen-polo https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-group-tests/89672/skoda-fabia-vs-volkswagen-polo-2023-twin-test-review Regarding your other enquiry about choosing a manual or DSG automatic transmission Fabia Mk4 for your wife to drive, I have a 2024 Fabia SE L with 110PS 1.0litre motor and DSG transmission and I've no complaints about the 'marriage' between motor and transmission (and I'm obsessively critical!) My wife (aged 83) is 'non-technical', has also never driven an automatic car and is definitely not going to start now. If you are really concerned about your wife getting to grips with a Fabia DSG, I suggest you let her familiarise herself with your Q5 (I assume that's an Audi Q5) and see how she adjusts to that. If your wife is happy with the Q5, get a DSG Fabia: If she dislikes the Q5's DSG transmission, get a manual Fabia.

Although there is (apparently) no online video explaining how to remove a Fabia Mk4's rear-door card, this video describes card-removal for a 2017 Mk3 with manual window-winder. The removal procedure is similar(though not identical) to that used for a Fabia Mk4 and the video includes sight of the rear of the removed door-card that resembles fairly closely the photo of a Mk4 card I provided in my posting on Monday. The following link offers various car manuals. https://cardiagn.com/ 11 Skoda Fabia-related manuals are available, including a workshop manual for a Fabia Mk4 (2022-2023). I'm not sure how complete this manual is: I looked for a couple of things that were present in the index, but were missing from the 'text'. Fortunately guidance on rear-door-card removal was present in both index and text. (And, of course, there's no charge for accessing the information.)

This image is of the back of a door-card from a Fabia Mk4. As Peter said in his original enquiry, there are fixing screws under two removable 'caps' in one edge of the card and a visible fixing in the card's lower edge - and that's it! There may well be further fixings behind the armrest's trim panels, but the procedure for removing a Fabia Mk4's rear-door card does not seem to be available anywhere online for free.

Which of your car's menus need the engine running to use? I note that, earlier, you said "Our Fabia 4 mc has no ignition switch". I assume your car (like mine) has 'keyless engine starting' with the push-button on its steering column shown in the photo below. This replaces the traditional 2-stage key-operated ignition switch, with (Stage 1) a simple press turning on the Fabia's ignition, while (Stage 2) pressing the button with (depending on whether the car has manual or automatic transmission) the clutch or brake pedal being simultaneously depressed, causing the engine to start. It's definitely the case that some setting menus need the car's ignition to be turned on (Stage 1) but going to Stage 2 should really not be required. The last time I Bluetooth-connected my iPhone 7 to my car was in May 2024. Out of curiosity I did it again today following exactly the guidance in the video I provided a reference to in my last posting. 'Pairing' took place with no difficulties and I successfully made a phone call just to check everything worked. I did not need to turn on my car's ignition, just its infotainment system.

Do you actually mean that? Although selecting/altering some items in a Fabia Mk 4's settings menus requires the car's ignition to be switched on (advice to do this should appear on the car's infotainment display-unit) as far as I'm aware every settings-menu item can be selected/altered without needing to have the car's engine running. A Fabia Mk 4 can have one of three types of infotainment display-unit (Swing, Bolero or Amundsen) and guidance on connecting a smartphone using Bluetooth is covered separately for each type in the Owner's Manual. This video describes the procedure for a Fabia with the Amundsen display-unit The smartphone needs to be compatible with the infotainment display-unit and the Bluetooth and Visibility items need to be 'ticked' in the display-unit's settings. I've no interest in using a phone in my Fabia, but, when experimenting, my elderly iPhone 7 connected easily to my car's Amundsen display-unit via Bluetooth. My Fabia does not have 'wireless' Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, but cable-connecting my iPhone 7 was also straightforward. Nimni originally said "Today I entered my car and the phone didn't connect to the infotainment. I tried several times and got a message bluetooth needs to be turned on?" I'm unsure if that means the phone connected previously but now did not, or that nimni expected the car to automatically recognise his phone with no action needed on his part. As bazz2004 has suggested, it's more likely to be something wrong with the Bluetooth-related settings on nimni's Fabia and/or phone, rather than an 'electronic' fault.

The Fabia Mk4 Owner's Manual has the following advice on fitting the towing eye to the car's front or rear. This guidance is 100% accurate, but, if a Mk4 owner ever has to do this, it may be worth highlighting that, when the appropriate side of the plastic 'cap' is pressed (arrow with 1 on it) the cap's opposite side only moves up a very small amount and (unless you have fingernails like Count Dracula's) it will be necessary to prise up that side of the cap quite forcefully with a suitable tool (and very carefully to avoid damaging the cap's and/or bumper's paintwork). The cap is attached to the bumper with a thin hard-plastic 'tether', so it won't fly off when it comes free. I found it reasonably easy to remove the complete rear cap+tether from the rear bumper for cleaning, but lack of space meant I could not do the same with the front cap. To aid subsequent removal I rubbed some wax polish paste over the rear of the caps.

These earlier forum threads referred to the Fabia's aero wheel covers and their removal For removing the aero covers the Fabia Owner's Manual recommends use of the metal 'tool' shown here. This was originally intended for removing the cosmetic plastic caps covering the heads of VAG Group cars' wheel bolts (though there's a plastic 'tweezers' tool that does a better job.) The metal tool is small and insignificant. If a spare-wheel has been specified, the tool should be in the foam-plastic insert that holds wheel-changing equipment (jack, wheel-wrench, etc.) 🔧 𝗦𝗞𝗢𝗗𝗔 𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦: 𝗛𝗜...1.462 Aufrufe | 🔧 𝗦𝗞𝗢𝗗𝗔 𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦: 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡...🔧 𝗦𝗞𝗢𝗗𝗔 𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗦: 𝗛𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧! 🔧 Ever wondered about that mysterious little gadget tucked away in your Skoda's toolkit? Mystery solved! Those aerodynamic wheel cov...If the car just has a puncture-repair kit (12V inflator, canister of sealant) I'd expect the little tool to be in there (maybe!) The VAG reference for the metal tool is 6X0012243 and a GOOGLE-search on that reference will identify plenty of suppliers (and plenty of different asking-prices!) One BRISKODA forum-member purchased two of the metal tools to make the initial 'pull' easier. As shown in one of the earlier forum discussions about the aero covers, I DIYed my own more efficient 'pullers' out of fencing wire. See also the warning about 'brittleness' here

This video relates to a Fabia Mk 3, but the symptoms sound similar to your car's.

This link may interest you https://www.varta-automotive.com/en-gb/knowledge/articles/article-details/efb-or-agm---which-battery-do-i-need Technically, there's nothing to prevent your Fabia's EFB starter-battery being replaced by an AGM battery (plus there's space for a dimensionally larger battery with a higher capacity). It's to be expected that recoding the Fabia's system would be necessary to 'recognise' the new battery, but that's commonplace with VAG cars. I believe there would be no amazing improvement making such a change, though - if the car is only be driven very infrequently - it might extend the need-to-recharge interval.

I'd be interested in a list of "the important shortcomings" that you have identified.

A photo of the VRS wheel without the aero trim I'm not sure I like it any better and I'm reliably informed that removing the aero trim will increase fuel consumption by 10%. (Or was that 0.0010% ?)

If you GOOGLE-search on skoda retrofitting heated windscreen you'll retrieve several discussions about this possibility, including some on the BRISKODA forums. GOOGLE AI says Retrofitting a heated windscreen to a Skoda, while possible, can be complex and may require more than just a new windscreen. It often involves replacing the A/C control panel and potentially coding the vehicle's system to recognise the new functionality. The process can be expensive, with costs potentially exceeding £1000 for a factory-fitted windscreen. Rather than retrofitting a heated windscreen to a Fabia Mk4 that does not have one, it would be wiser to replace the car with a Fabia that does have one. In the USA cars often used to be marketed with a 'delete option'. The car's standard specification was high, but, when ordering, buyers could choose to delete features that they did not want, thus reducing the cost. This is the opposite approach to cars being marketed with a 'basic' specification and a buyer choosing (say) a different colour, different wheels, etc. at an extra cost. My Fabia Mk4 SE L DCT is silver and bought new off the Skoda dealer's 'forecourt'. If I'd wanted a different colour or a significantly different specification, I would have needed to have bought elsewhere or specially ordered and accepted a time delay. The only thing I chose to 'retrofit' was the spare-wheel pack that the car lacked - but that was easy.

This image is taken from an advert is for a 2023 Fabia Colour Edition with manual transmission and I've green-arrowed the button that turns the car's START/STOP system OFF. This is the standard position of the START/STOP button of a Fabia Mk4 with manual or automated transmission. The purpose of the 'keyless start' button on the right of the steering-column beneath the steering-wheel is to switch the car's ignition ON or OFF and start the car's engine.

I think my Fabia's Amundsen infotainment unit differs from your car's, but I'm guessing the menus will be similar. This image shows the my unit's "Openings and closing settings" and the three "Door unlocking" choices are All doors Single door Vehicle side "Single door" - only the driver's door is unlocked. "Vehicle side" - the driver's door and the passenger door on the driver's side are unlocked. "All doors" - all four of the car's doors AND THE BOOT LID are unlocked. Regarding Window operation (Convenience opening), in an earlier forum thread I said: A comment on the simultaneously opening or closing of all the car's windows feature (called "convenience" window operation by Skoda). This is set via the infotainment system menu as described on the link below (the video relates to a Skoda Superb, but the procedure is similar for a Fabia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwL9bo4HkA8 There have been reports that the windows can open spontaneously, either resulting from an electrical glitch or from the key-fob button being accidentally pressed. So, if you have no particular use for the feature, it might be wise to turn it off. The video also shows the Central locking/Door unlocking setting on the display. I THINK the factory setting on a brand-new Fabia is likely to be Driver's door only, which can be disconcerting when you unlock the car and the passengers find they can't get in!

Where in the infotainment system, please?

If Davytee68 knows what the dealership did to address the boot unlocking issue, it would be worth having that information. LOCKING of the boot lid can be delayed To do this would require Skoda dealership action (or use of a diagnostic tool like OBDeleven as shown here) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_dAkgxvl9M so it MIGHT be possible similarly to vice-versa and delay boot-lid opening (though the justification for having that option is less obvious). However, if faiiure-to-open only happens now and again, the lock itself is more likely to be the culprit.