SlowBloke

Sorry if this is a bit techy/boring. I have had a year old diesel Fabia for a couple of months now and have been keeping a record of mpg, briming the tank each time I top up. Two things have become apparent from the figures: I am not getting the 60-70mpg I was hoping for yet. The best so far is 58. The car has done 12000 mile so perhaps it is still 'running in'. I live in mid Norfolk so most of my driving is done on country lanes and small roads with the occasional trip into Norwich. Some fuels are better than others. The best so far has been BP super diesel (whatever they call it). Standard BP and Esso diesel gave about 56mpg. I am trying Shell super diesel currentlyly. Also, when starting with the BP and Shell supper diesel after standard diesel, the engine idled badly for a few hundred miles. I assume that the computer is re-adjusting the engine settings to suit the change in fuel quality. The idling speed went up from 800 to 1000rpm but with it hunting up and down.I would be interested in any comments on this. Once I have tried all the local suppliers I intend in settling on whichever fuel gives the best economy. I will avoid the supermarket stuff because of rumours that the injection pump only like the best. Time will tell if this is true but I don't want to find out the hard way. I have another car - a big 4X4 - which runs on supermarket diesel, mostly Morrisons or Waitrose, and seems happy enough. I run some injector cleaner through it about twice a year. SB

All interesting stuff. I have an engineering background but admit I have lost contact with most of the latest development relating to engines. I have noticed over time that when faced with a problem relating to increasing the cost of something (like a car) someone somewhere around the world will come up with a clever trick and the market will shift in their favour. As an example of such an opportunity, I got interested in using gas (LPG) in diesel engines way back when factory fork lift trucks started to run away when passing through an area contaminated with leaking fuel gas. From this there was developed a kit to provide a normal diesel engine with a small flow of LPG in order to produce a cleaner exhaust, and - optionally - greater power or improved fuel consumption. You can still buy these kits to fit to older, simpler diesel engines. The computer bits on the current VAG diesels would give up if this were done, though. However, the secret of LPG is that the gases (propane and butane) burn relatively slowly meaning that there is heat at the end of the power stroke to burn the fine particles of smoke and produce a much cleaner exhaust. With an old smoky diesel engine, fitting one of these LPG kits cleans up the exhaust, particularly under full power operating conditions. So there might be scope for VAG to investigate developing the current engines to use a small amount of LPG (less than 10%) as an exhaust cleaner. The stuff is readily available at most garages, it's relatively cheap and adds to the fuel supply rather than reducing power. It also offers scope to burn more diesel fuel producing more power without producing smoke. Developing such a dual-fuel engine would be a big project but the dividend would be a very strong position in the car market. SB

I have a basic 105hp 1.6 diesel which has now done 11,000 miles. Fuel consumption is around 58mpg for mostly rural driving. I live in mid Norfolk so there only small towns apart from Norwich which I only visit every 2 weeks or so. I agree with the driving suggestions but thought I would add a bit of technical information about diesel engines. When Diesel invented the engine, he was seeking to have an engine which burned fuel at the highest temperature and pressure - much higher than contemporary petrol and gas engines. This was to get the best economy. With modern diesel engines, the non-turbo charged versions have a compression ratio of around 23-25 to 1. The turbo charged version (of the same engine) will only have a compression ration of about 18 to 1. However, once running at working speed, the turbo charger compresses the air to half its volume. This raises the effective compression ratio for the engine to 36 to 1 making it much more efficient. This is why you need to drive with the engine benefiting from the turbocharger. It would be nice to have a pressure gauge on the engine inlet to be able to monitor the turbocharger. Then you could tailor your driving to get the best economy. If you drive your diesel Fabia hard, it would also be nice to have an exhaust gas temperature gauge as this is where diesel engines can suffer if driven too hard. A high temperature indicates the engine isn't burning and using the fuel efficiently. Diesel fuel doesn't burn instantly and if the engine is running too fast, some of the fuel is still burning when it leaves the cylinder. This overheats the exhaust valves, cylinder head and turbocharger reducing their life. It also indicates fuel is being wasted. SB

Having read this thread with interest - the imminent arrival of cold weather making it relevant again - I thought I would add a couple of thoughts. If the weather turns cold and wet, consider leaving the car in first or reverse gear and leaving the handbrake off when parking at night. If the brake shoes are damp and then freeze they will often stick on making it difficult to drive away in the morning. If doing this, be careful when driving away in the morning - don't accidentally knock it out of gear and roll into the next car. My last car was an old Saab whick locked the car in reverse when removing the ignition key. So the handbrake was rarely used when parking. I don't know if it is difficult to remove the drums. I did it on an old Polo a few years ago and it required dismantling the bearings but it wasn't hard or complicated. Cleaning out the brake drums has to be one of the easier jobs on a car. Just some paraffin or white spirit and a paintbrush to wash away the dust and any grease, check for wear on shoes and linkages and re-assemble. Rusty Disks!! Just remember when you put alloy wheels on mild steel or cast iron hubs and disks that the steel/iron will rust faster. Any mix of different metals acts like a battery and one of the metals will corrode faster. If you fit a stainless steel exhaust, the mild steel clamps will need replacing after 18 months as they have corroded to the point of failing. If you suspect sticking brakes (front or rear) find a quiet level street or car park. With the car stationary, press the brake pedal hard for a second and then drive forward slowly. Let the car coast to a stop from about 2mph. If the car stops with even a slight jerk, one of the brake is sticking. Repeat the process but use the handbrake firmly first. I find that disk callipers need an application of red brake grease every 2-3 years to maintain their freedom from sticking. You can still buy red grease in a small tub for a few pounds. Clean out under the piston outer weather seal with a few cotton buds. The old grease will have turned hard and brown. Use a little WD40 as a solvent if the grease is too hard to remove effectively. Then use a small syringe (can be bought from most chemists for pennies) to inject a little new red grease around the piston under the weather seal. The result will be a calliper which won't stick on and the car can be driven through water with less chance of corrosion of the pistons. SB

A similar device is used by the fire stations to have their trucks ready for immediate use. It is a good idea and should help a lot regarding engine wear. It is thought that about 90% of bore wear is when the engine is below normal operating temperature. Petrol engines use addition fuel when cold and this washes the oil off the cylinder walls making them more vulnerable to wear. With diesel engines you get something similar as diesel oil is not a good lubricant. Also, diesel engines don't work well when cold - hence the worse engine noise when cold. Some heat from the engine will escape into the engine bay warming the electrical bits as well which should avoid or at least reduce any ECU problems. However, timing the heater use to when you intend to use the car is necessary otherwise the engine is either still cold or you waste electricity by heating the engine for longer than necessary. A good garage is still a good idea if you have one as the car will be warmer in the winter and any heat will stay longer. SB

I had a ride in the sun yesterday. We went to the north Norfolk coast which was very nice. However, if you know the area, it abounds with narrow winding roads through some of the towns and villages. I found myself on such a road facing a very narrow part with an approaching car - so I braked and didn't notice I was still in third gear and now below 10mph. The engine stalled although the car was still rolling slowly so I restarted the engine while moving. The dashboard warning light for the power steering then lit (a little orange steering wheel). I didn't notice the steering was particularly heavy. In fact the car felt less twitchy than normal which was quite nice. However, after a couple of miles I found a lay-by and stopped. I turned off the engine and restarted after a few seconds. The steering was back to normal. So, the message is, if you stall the car and can stop, do so before restarting the engine. SB

A little warning. Raising the tyre pressures by more than about 2 psi can make the car very skittish on wet roads. It's worth doing a test run somewhere quiet on a wet day just to see but be VERY careful. Also, you may find that the tyres are wearing badly. By this I mean that rubber is being removed faster generally and that the wear rate is most around the centre strip of the tread. These problems are caused because the higher pressure is making the tread cross section more domed so that the load on the rubber is concentrated there and less on the edges of the tread. If you save fuel by having the tyres harder, you may pay for it when the tyres need replacing. If you want to run the tyres harder than normal, get a good tread depth gauge and keep a monthly record of the depth of tread at about 4 points on each tyre (by the valve, centre and edge and opposite the valve likewise). Finally, if you have an accident and the insurer or cops check the tyre pressures, there may be problems if they are not set to the specified pressure. SB

I have recently bought a 1.6 diesel Fabia and asked about the cost of a tow bar with electrics. The kit was available for around £200 and fitting would raise this to about £550. This information was from a Skoda dealer last week so is fairly fresh. This seems quite a lot and if I go ahead I might fit the kit myself (assuming I can) and get the dealer to check the installation. The dealer might not be interested or might want to charge as much for the check as actually fitting the bits so I don't know if this approach would work.. However, I like to do things like painting the metal bits with some tough paint (like a couple of coats of Hammerite) and greasing the bolts so they don't rust solid. It's the electrics which might be a problem. I can cope with connectors and relays but the Can bus might be beyond me. SB

Thanks for your comments. It's unlikely that I will be changing tyres in the near future but was concerned that if I fitted another brand of tyre the noise would be even worse or that there was a problem with the car. The Bridgestone web site page for the Futura tyre says: "No other tyre satisfies your quest for harmony quite like the TURANZA. Its state-of-the-art construction and innovative tread design achieve an unprecedented synergy between safety, comfort and performance. The TURANZA is engineered for superior traction and braking in the wet while offering outstanding stability and steering response in all conditions. Most of all, its smooth, quiet, economical performance will redefine your concept of motoring perfection." I accept that the tyres grip well and the steering is very responsive but the noise is annoying. I imagine that the tyre side walls are quite stiff which helps to give responsive steering but transmits more noise from the tread to the car body. SB

I have a 1.6 diesel Fabia II. It drives nicely and handles well. So I am a happy owner. However, I am surprised by the amount of road noise. It may be the tyres which are Bridgestone 195/55/R15 and I think the type is called Turanza. Has anyone any thoughts on quiet and noisy tyres for a standard shopping trolley Fabia? SB

I finally changed the bulbs! As my car has the 1.6 diesel engine, the fuel filter is right behind the headlamp unit on the driver's side. So I undid the 3 bolts holding it down in order to get at the dipped bulb on that side. It was a bit of a job to get one of the bolts back in as the air conditioning pipes are directly above the bolt hole and I wasn't going to take them off! The nearside bulb could be changed at the side of the road, but the offside one would be a struggle unless you have unusually small (and strong) hands. The lamps need lining up so that's the next job. The headlamp units have a plastic plug in the top with an Allen key socket in it so I am assuming that this is the adjuster. SB

By the way, MrCarMats is the web site listed by VRsCation but named My CarMats. SB

I ordered a set of mats from MrCarMats, the best quality ones and asked to have a heel plate fitted to the driver's mat. The order was delivered this morning and the heel plate is missing. I am waiting for their office to open so I can complain. Also, I ordered the best quality deep pile ones at around £40 and they look a bit cheap. So unless something magical happens in the next couple of hours, I am not impressed! SB

Thanks for your advice and comments. Just a small suggestion from the world of sailing. Boats often have aluminium masts and you must NEVER put copper or brass fittings on them. The reason is that the two metals act like a battery and the aluminium rots very quickly. For this reason (I may be over cautious) I never put coppaslip on alloy wheels. I prefer a heavy waterproof grease or possibly Waxoyl painted on the hub face to reduce corrosion.. SB

Thanks for the advice. I wondered if I had said something wrong when there was no reply sooner. I will try a bit harder to twist the bulbs and hope I don't break anything SB

I got my first Skoda on Monday. It is a 1 year old 1.6 diesel SE. So it has the standard alloy wheels (nice!). Being a bit of a a tinkerer, I wasn't impressed by the look of the drum brakes at the back. They were painted a dismal shade of grey and were starting to go rusty. With the alloy wheels having 5 narrow spoke the drums are very much on display. So I bought some matt black spray paint and prepared to repaint the drums. HOWEVER!! When I tried to remove the first wheel, it was firmly stuck on the hub. I had to use a cold chisel and lump hammer to separate the wheel from the hub. The back face of the wheel is tapered where it meets the hub and the chisel sat on this taper and acted as a wedge. Once the wheel had stated to move - when there was a small gap between the two components - I used a metal bar as a lever to gradually pry the wheel off. I put a piece of wood between the bar and the spoke of the wheel to prevent damage to the alloy. This took about 30 minutes and would have been very difficult if I had been stuck at the side of the road with a flat tyre. All 4 wheels were firmly stuck on their hubs. The cause was a build up of rust on the central boss of the hub. This was easily removed with steel wool and some fine emery paper. I then put some grease on the hub to reduce the risk of it rusting further. The wheels then went back on easily and should be OK to remove in future. I f you have a fairly new car, I strongly recommend you check that the wheels come off easily or clean and grease the hubs to ensure they aren't a problem if you need to change a tyre when on a trip. This problem may only apply if your car has allow wheels. Finally, I painted the drums which now look neat and tidy with the matt black paint

I bought a 2010 Fabia yesterday. It has projector headlamps so it has H7 bulbs in them. I can't work out how to get the bulbs out. The handbook says twist the bulb and connector to the left (anti-clock viewed from the back?) but I can't get them to move and am afraid of breaking something. I want to fit higher output bulbs (halogen but with a xenon gas filling so more light for the same watts). The standard bulbs seem a bit weak and watery. It's the dipped beams I want to improve as these are on most of the time round here and stay on when the mains come on adding to their output. Any advice would be appreciated SB

I joined this forum a few weeks ago but haven't said anything as I didn't have a Skoda. This changed yesterday when I bought a 2010 1.6 diesel Fabia. As my handle suggests, I am a boring old ... As a result I am not so interested in who get produce the best 0-60 time but how to get the best fuel consumption and make my car last as long as possible. It is probably the last car I will buy as I kept may last car 10 years and the one before that for 16. I bought my car in the Birmingham area and drove it back to my home in Norfolk. The car was delivering about 60mpg according to the gauge on the dashboard which is fine by me. I hope to do better but it's a new car (to me, 10,000 miles and a year old). I am full of question like the multitude of readings on the central panel on the instrument panel. I can tickle the buttons on the right hand stick under the steering wheel (the one which controls the wipers) and the button under the instrument panel and get many different readings half of which I don't understand. I want to fit more powerful dipped headlamp bulbs but can't get the old ones out. I am sure someone knows how to unclip the H7 bulbs in the projector lamps but I can't manage it yet. So, I guess I am off to the Fabia forum to ask these things and probably annoy several racing types here. I have a fairly long experience of tinkering with cars (about 150 years) and may be able to help with basic tasks like replacing brake pads so maybe someone will appreciate my contributions. Thanks for your patience and I am looking forward to a long time sharing thoughts and ideas here. SB

I joined this forum a few weeks ago but haven't said anything as I didn't have a Skoda. This changed yesterday when I bought a 2010 1.6 diesel Fabia. As my handle suggests, I am a boring old ... As a result I am not so interested in who get produce the best 0-60 time but how to get the best fuel consumption and make my car last as long as possible. It is probably the last car I will buy as I kept may last car 10 years and the one before that for 16. I bought my car in the Birmingham area and drove it back to my home in Norfolk. The car was delivering about 60mpg according to the gauge on the dashboard which is fine by me. I hope to do better but it's a new car (to me, 10,000 miles and a year old). I am full of question like the multitude of readings on the central panel on the instrument panel. I can tickle the buttons on the right hand stick under the steering wheel (the one which controls the wipers) and the button under the instrument panel and get many different readings half of which I don't understand. I want to fit more powerful dipped headlamp bulbs but can't get the old ones out. I am sure someone knows how to unclip the H7 bulbs in the projector lamps but I can't manage it yet. So, I guess I am off to the Fabia forum to ask these things and probably annoy several racing types here. I have a fairly long experience of tinkering with cars (about 150 years) and may be able to help with basic tasks like replacing brake pads so maybe someone will appreciate my contributions. Thanks for your patience and I am looking forward to a long time sharing thoughts and ideas here. SB