iPidge

A bit of help if possible! 1.6FSI elegance, 55 plate. Had a few issues - mostly with, I'm sure, coked up inlet valves. Had it looked at a few times, and had a few different cleaners sprayed in the throttle body. That seems better, but whilst in the garage, a fault code regarding the radiator fans came up - apparently the smaller of the two fans isn't working, and it's the 'fan pack' that needs replacing. The garage quoted circa £350 for this, but through eurocarparts and the like, a replacement fan unit is only about £150. My question is... does anyone know if the fan controllers are on the fan unit i.e. if I were to simply replace the fan unit, would this be all that's needed, or is there an additional fan control unit elsewhere? Also, are there any decent guides online as how best to replace the fan unit?? Cheers, Ian

I'm sure I'm burning oil somewhere as getting through a tank of oil in about 700miles! Also, the car seems to be "running rough" - jsut a bit hesitant at low revs, and idles like a pig! I've a feeling i'll need to take it into the garage to get it sorted, but wanted to check here as to common problems that I could have a look at myself? Was planning on taking out the coil/spark plugs to see if there's a particular cylinder affected (oil residue/burnt plug). Any other common sites for oil to be lost from? (there's no obvious oil leak on the drive etc, so sure it's not coming 'out' of the car!) Cheers, Ian

It's a different process for the rear - not something I've attempted yet (not needed to). Decant = remove some fluid. When you push the piston back (in order to fit the new pads) it will force fluid back 'into' the brake fluid bottle. If this bottle is already nearly full, it'll spill! Good luck changing the brakes - it's fairly easy to be honest! Ian

So... Pads and discs done! All in, cost £38 for mintex DISCS(eBay seller) and and £26 for Pagid pads (euro car parts) - cheaper all in than simply getting new pads at Kwikfit... And the pictures: Car getting 'air'.. Old braking gear Simply remove the 2 calliper bolts (7mm Allen key) and rest on a suitable bucket.. Use a G clamp to puch back the piston (open the brake fluid bottle cap and decant some out) Was a faff getting the disc off - rubber mallet was a must! (And of course removing the single torx screw) Plenty of copperslip on the carrier before fitting new disc Copperslip on the BACK of the new pads All fitted back together Well, nearly all back on! So there you go - pretty simple to do, and saves a few quid. I'm tempted to paint the callipers - not for an 'angry' look (it's just a 1.6!), but to make it look neater - thinking black or silver...?? Any questions, give me a shout! Ian

Have a look at the thread I posted in the 'octavia technical section' a few days ago - good technical diagrams there.... http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/205664-changing-brake-padscalipers-tech-drawings/ Ian

Hey - first post here so "Hello" also! I've been lurking here for a while, and have been looking through for advice on how to change the front discs and pads - both here and the 'general web'. THere seems to be a mixed bag of advice, and some of the best stuff comes from the other VAG group sites (a SEAT one in particluar), but a lot of them weren't for my particular brakes. Then I came across this, and in particular for my needs this image: I found it simple, and as I work best using diagrams, I liked the exploded tech drawings.... So, there you go! This may be old news, and prob won't appeal to most, but if your callipers are FS-III (like mine), FN-3, 2-FN, or your car has rear brakes (!), then it may be of use!! Take it easy peeps! Will likely do the boring thing of posting pics when I change them! Ian, Octavia II 1.6 FSI owner