xman

From what I know about certain tv wildlife nature adventurers/experts, what you see on documentaries will be far from the real truth. From lengthy conversations with a TV producer friend involved with one such series/celebrity. "Cut".....now sod this tent.....lets get back to that 5 star hotel/restaurant.....see you tomorrow guys.....

Timing chains stretch over time no matter what revision/date. More accurately the link pivots wear, so they become more sloppy altering the link to link distance, the chain and sprocket teeth also wear down. So its vital in this engine to have regular clean fresh oil to elongate chain life. The revision in 2012 meant engine oil capacity went up from 3.6 to 3.9 litres, the ignition leads were fitted with "marten protection" (ribbed trunking), from memory, the pcv valve arrangement was modified (not sure but I seem to recall the PCV on our 2013 fabia CBZA was completely different to the one on the 2011 CBZB Octavia which had the one described elsewhere that breaks where its pushed into the camcover rubber grommet), The timing chain was different, got a different link configuration which also meant different sprockets The tensioner and guide rails were revised. Probably other things too Even when relatively young, a brief rattle can be frequently heard for a second or so occasionally when starting, especially after being stood even though the chain is not particularly stretched. This is quite different from the "death rattle" which is a lot louder and alarming. That's when the chain is loose and not properly engaged in the bottom sprocket and the sprocket is fighting against the tensioners attempts to pull the chain forward that fraction into position. I hope you understand what I mean. Never ever allow the engine to roll back, for instance parking in forward gear facing uphill. This forces the tensioner really back and imo damages it so loosens the chain lots with possible disastrous consequences when starting. If ever I hear that worrying rattle on start, I immediately switch off, take a deep breath, then restart. So far that works, a second restart will now have more or less tensioner pushed out fully and chain properly engaged on the sprockets. I think the hydraulic tensioner (which has had several revisions) has some kind of internal ratchet mechanism to stop it retracting, but from something I remember seeing somewhere on a Russian site, its a rather feeble design that can be overcome and wears/strips the ratchet in scenarios as described above, once its been forced back the ratchet is weak or u/s so more rattily starts. Measuring chain length is done by unscrewing/removing the hydraulic tensioner and measuring its extension, seem to recall its limit was 78mm and mine was at 74mm so no warranty repair authorised, despise the "death rattle" on many mornings. Had to pay to have it changed. And switched from 18,000 mile oil changes to 9,000 mile oil changes. Starting to hear those rattles again after not much longer mileage though (75,000, now 150,000) even though its the upgraded latest revision. Although its not as bad as the original chain was. If you're hearing rattles often and definitely if its "death rattle" loud, you need to address it quickly before its too late. That's far more reliable an indicator than measuring according to Skoda TPI, IMO that's a flawed method as the tensioner may be damaged and even pushed back a bit when you remove it. You could always try changing just the hydraulic tensioner, that's quite a simple job, as the old one may be knackered. Otherwise its a big job to change the whole kit. Writing this brings back many stressful memories of arguing with the Skoda dealer so forgive me if I don't want to talk much more about it.

He better check on zapmap or equivalent for charging points in the Antarctic before setting off Change to winter tyres too , maybe take a blanket or two and a thermos flask ... I hope he's not going to travel in a support convoy of fossil powered trucks with diesel generators to recharge him.

110 deg Oil is perfectly ok, in fact its better than 95 deg as it guarantees any water in the oil is boiled off. Radiator fans are controlled by Water Temperature not Oil Temperature. What engine is this anyway?

What are you talking about? All engines have a main mechanical water pump, on the TSI its a complex design featuring two themostats and driven by its own belt off the camshaft. In addition, Superbs have another one or two electic auxiliary water pumps, one to provide the cabin residual heating function and the other to cool the turbo. I repeat, how did you access this digital display you refered to? The only digital temperatures shown on the dash are outside temperature and OIL temperature. Oil temperature can go to 140 deg in extreme summer max power autobahn driving. Motorway driving will see 100-110 deg as normal, round town it'll drop to around 90-95 deg but could stay above 100 under certain contiditions. Oil temperatures are not the same as Water temperature (as is shown on the dash dial) If water temperatures got up 110 degrees you'd probably blowing off coolant due to the pressure in the system. The dial would go into the red and you would get a visual/audible warning to stop.

The only digital readout on a (or at least my) Superb is for Oil Temperature, and 109 deg is fine.

No need to paste back to your pc. Just edit the sd card With the sd card on your pc, open the high12.....folder on the sd card containing mib1, mib2 sub folders and metainfo2.txt, cut and paste the 3 items back to the root directory of the sd card, you can then delete the (now empty) high12_p189.... folder. Much faster as all that needs to be done is a directory reshuffle taking a few seconds.

Don't know, you'll have to check somewhere like 7zap.com and look at the parts list for the coolant and turbo sections

You didnt just copy or download the zip file to the SD card? Thats wrong. You download to your PC hard drive and then unzip to the SD card The root folder of your sd card should look like this...

Googling other VAG forums seems to indicate this is an extremely common problem with many just saying its normal and a characteristic. No definitive fix or success stories to be found, many people have tried changing the hydraulic lifters etc with no or very little success. One guy with the 8V 1.4 version said his turned out to be a faulty distributor, You could try running without the aux belt attached to check alternator/tensioner or loose crankshaft pulley. I assume the crankshaft pulley hasn't got a damper built in or attached? Did you check for play in the camshaft bridge bearings? Did you check for broken valve springs? Could be a oilway blockage restricting oil flow to the lifters. Could be a very noisy injector? (Surely not that loud) Other than that it maybe piston slap (but that usually quietens as the engine heats up), conrod little/big end wear, crank bearings shagged (deep knock) You may have to accept that's just the way these engines are.

What engine is it? Petrol or Diesel? If its cambelt, might be a broken or loose tensioner. If its a camchain could stretched chain or faulty tensioner.

Afaik, if your car has a turbocharger then there is an electric auxiliary pump that continues to pump coolant for around one minute after ignition is switched off or engine has stopped. Its main job is to cool the turbo (bearings) after engine stops. Its usually quite quiet and a just high pitch hum. If you look at the coolant reservoir you can often see the coolant being pumped back during this period. Some engines have two auxiliary electric pumps, they are not easy to spot, buried in the pipework behind or under the engine and quite small. I think the second pump is to pump coolant round the internal heater, as some cars (eg Superb) have a function where the heater continues to work on residual heat when the engine has stopped, for instance in stop/start mode or if the driver selects rest mode on the heater.. Other buzzes and clicks can be from the electric turbo actuator which does some stuff on power down as well as start up.

£135 option for a 2009 Fabia 3

Hmmm...so much for "wet box" reliability. Seems some are still as prone to expensive failure as the infamous dry box DQ200, despite not even reaching its first "recommended service interval".

Columbus does not need a special SD card, that is the Amundsen unit that needs the Skoda protected SD card. Download the zip file from the Skoda portal onto your computer, requires approx 28gb free disk space. You need a 32gb SD card....Format your (32gb) SD card (use fat32) thereby clearing its contents Unzip/extract the files from the downloaded zip file onto the SD card, (using windows explorer, right click on the zip file to see the options) Place card into the SD1 slot in the glove compartment (if its a micro SD make sure you use a full size adaptor) make sure its fully in. Turn on Columbus, press menu, settings (on 2nd page) then find the update software/map page. It can take 30-60 seconds to find the update. If it says update not found, then press and hold the power button for ten seconds to power down Columbus completely. Then turn it back on and retry. You don't need to turn on the ignition or engine while doing this, but if you have a battery charger, it may be a good idea to connect that as it can take up to an hour to update Columbus, depending on the speed of your SD card

I've never had an issue with updating Columbus MIB2.5 on my MY18 Superb I use one of the many genuine Kingston 32gb micro sd plus adapter cards I have laying about and using Windows 10. There used to be a problem years ago of many fake cards around, particularly from EBay, Amazon etc. doctored to report 32gb or 64gb when it was a 2gb or reject card and I indeed did somehow end up with one. You won't normally see any evidence of this on your computer, only when you try to access data and it can't be found, This free tool will check if your card is really what it claims to be https://h2testw.en.lo4d.com/windows Some older card readers/writers will only support up to 32gb (sdhc), so be aware of that possibility. (I use a £3 USB adaptor/card reader in my computer) When I come to update the car, I don't turn on the ignition. But I do connect my battery charger, just in case, but it shouldn't be necessary. I put the sd card in its full size adaptor into sd1 slot, making sure its fully clicked home. Turn on columbus, press menu, settings (on second page) and scroll/find the update option (can't remember exactly where). It takes perhaps 30-60 seconds before the update is found. I just press update and away it goes, approx 30-45mins to finish. A couple of times it has come back and said "update not found", so I just turn off Columbus using the hard reset by pressing the power button for 10 seconds. Then turn it back on and repeat the previous paragraph and so far always works. I download from the Skoda portal using my vin, but I have also checked the vw download links posted and can confirm the map data is exactly the same, although one is packed in Zip format while the other is in 7z format, which may require you to install 7-zip software (free)

Sounds a bit like Trigger's Broom https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LAh8HryVaeY

Here's something that I read in the owners manual Operational Faults Electrical power windows do not operate If the battery has been disconnected and then reconnected while the window was opened, the electrical power windows will not operate. The system must be activated. Proceed as follows to re-establish the function. › Switch on the ignition. › Pull the top edge of the button in the driver's door and close the window. › Release the button. › Pull the relevant button upwards again for another approximately 3 seconds and hold. You might want to try that after disconnecting/reconnecting the battery (but make sure you have the key in your hand and your door is open in case the central locking locks the car) Another thing that came to mind is the possibility of the door card mounted alarm overide button playing some role in your problems.

That suggests his seat isn't down as far as possible. I wonder if he's using the electric seat controls correctly, they are quite complex and not too intuitive. I needed to refer to the owners manual to work out what to push, which way and what it did. Plus the seat memories and key memories how they work. Manuals available to download here https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Its a FOC option so no money to waste. Remember it also has a washer. I decided to have a rear wiper on my Superb 3 hatch which is the original external design the Octavia 4 is cloned from, albeit somewhat unsuccessfully. It is not used too often. Then I garage my car, most of the time. When stood out overnight, it is useful to clear the back window when..... We have the usual windy mix of saharan dust, farmers field and light rain, leaving an opaque coating/mucky window. Hey, theres a washer, why not use that? When stood or parked in rain with HGVs bombing close past, again instant whiteout at the back. When we have a snow fall or frost overnight..... When the roof is covered with nice large beads of water after rain or washing and the first time you move off it keeping runing off all down the rear window for the first mile. If its torrential downpour on the motorway and again its streaming down off the roof down the back. When birds have pooed on the back window Is it law to be able to see out your back window? You can always remove it, but you can't add it on after its built. But thats just me. I don't spend any time staring at the back of cars from the outside, if an Octavia or Superb hatch passed by me, would I even notice if it had a rear wiper or not? No...only thing I might notice is the colour or how chavvy it looks if its been lowered. Oh, I forgot that it may put people off come selling it (privately) if its not fitted.

If it is really as low as it goes then I think it must be a sunroof related thing. I know that my old alhambra lost a good 4-5 cm height internally due to the factory fitted sunroof over an earlier model we had without the sunroof. I suggest you check on the passenger side if its the same just in case its the seat stopping short of its lowest setting. The electric seats have multiple adjustments and from what I recall some also seem to affect height, eg you can alter the height /angle of the front, also a touch more lean back might give you a bit of room. I am just short of six foot and there is plenty of room with the seat at the highest setting which is my preference, I get annoyed when my son lowers it to his preferred bum on the floor position, he is a couple of inches tallsr than me. The issue I and my much shorter wife have is we often hit our heads getting into the car on the low A pillar, and being quite low overall, having to lift/drag my bum over to the centre of the seat over the rh bolster. Worried I will wear the leather as other have posted about. See if you can try out a Superb without the sunroof to confirm.

Yuasa batteries are made in Wales

Heres a short, true story. My next door neighbours son left to work as a doctor in Australia. He parked his 3 or 4 year old Toyota Auris (not a hybrid) in his parents garage and left for the promised land. 18 months later, my next door neighbour came round and asked for my help starting said car as her son was visiting on holiday and wanted to sell the car. So armed with multimeter in hand, opened the bonnet and measured the battery at 0.01 volts. Zero point zero one volts ....mmm, pretty knackered I remarked, but not unexpected as no-one had thought to disconnect the battery. Probably will need a new battery I said, but I'll try recharging it but highly unlikely to recover it... Removed battery to my garage, connected my charger (which is a variable lab power supply) set volts to 14.8 volts, current flowing showing as between 0 and 1 mA, hmmm not good. Left it to have a cup of tea, came back thinking of handing it back and the current had risen to 7 to 8 mA. So I thought I'll leave it connected to see what happens. Half an hour its risen almost 100mA, rising a few mA every minute. 3 hours later its at 900mA and rising. Left overnight, and its charging at max (2.2A limit on the power supply) and the voltage is now due to current limiting now at 14.1v or so, but slowly rising. Neighbour asks me how its going, I said we'll pop it back on and see, but I doubt it'll turn the engine over. Put it back in the Toyota, turn the ignition on, it starts first turn! Wow, not even a struggle, Toyota engine immediately purring smoothly after being stood for 18 months, unbelievable! Next task, try to move car with rear parking brake discs left on for 18 months and stuck on, lots of revs and eventually bang, and away we go. Checked lots of restarts to check it wasn't a freak start. Son came over, drove it around for two weeks, then sold it to first buyer to view. The battery was a Yuasa EFB battery, small about 40Ah IIRC. Made in UK. Impressed.

2016 is only 5 or less years old. You were talking about a 16 year old car before. There are lots of cars in between. If you don't have the necessary mechanical knowledge or right mechanic friend, then you need to rely on warranties. A 10+ year car will be sold as seen, little or no warranty from a bottom rung sales outlet. There are some excellent examples of older cars available privately, but probably equally as many or more dogs and of course you have no comeback at all if you buy privately. Look for an example from a reputable garage with at least 6 month warranty, however check very very carefully what that warranty covers, read and understand the small print.

Condition is more important than mileage at those ages. There's much more to assess than its service record. You need someone you trust who is mechanically savvy and skilled to check the car over. Looking out for state of the suspension, underbody rust, brakes as well as engine gearbox etc. Its not something I can put in a simple checklist, it also depends on the car, its specification and more For instance the high mileage car may be MOT worthy but a thorough visual might see brakes, shock absorbers, bushes are all well worn and will soon all need changing. Assessing the engine, gearbox and drive line takes a certain set of skills and knowledge. Each engine variant has different things that you need to look out for. Oil burning, cam chains etc A low mileage older car could equally be a crock of sh** . Might be rust ridden, plus everything the previous example needed. Even needing a new set of tyres is something to budget. A cambelt and waterpump is a major maintenance milestone that many cars will have skipped. Cars of this age will have entered the twilight zone when it comes to service and maintenance. Done only on a need to fix/get going or get through an MOT basis using cheapest parts/labour possible. Some examples may simply be ready only for the scrapyard. Car service records can be "creative" or made up, buyer beware. Fabias can be sturdy cars but not something I would want to run beyond 120,000 miles unless you are really into bangernomics and have handy motor maintenance diy skills. They cost as much to service and usually much more to repair and maintain than a young low mileage car, it all depends.....Some may even cost more annually to run than they cost to buy or are worth. Ask yourself, why is the owner getting rid of it? Is the seller hiding something? Watch out for major issues, that where you need that trusted mechanic friend. Thats all I can advise, good luck hunting and hope you make the right, informed choice.