J999VRS

The smart money is using rain x only where the arc of the wipers do not sweep. This way you let the wipers do the job they are meant to do and leave the rain x or similar product to take care of the rest. Sorted!!

I traded up from a standard Fabia VRS to a diesel Octavia VRS (combi). If I am honest, I was a little disappointed with the Octavia 'at first'. I dont like the unsettled ride on 18" rims with Dunlops. The car almost always seems nervous and jiggly. Push on handling is safe and predictable. Perhaps not as much fun as the Fabia but very competent and refined. Predictably, the fuel economy is not as good as the Fabia which was outstanding for the level of driving performance it provided. However the Octy is still good for the size of car and performance available. The Octy's power band is too narrow however which means that Ist and 2nd gear are despatched too quickly when pushing on. Wheel spin also happens too easily. The 170 is fast but you have to use the revs so it does not feel as flexible as the 130 in the Fabia VRS. I also find that the 170 growls and sounds gruff compared to the 130. Where the Octy really scores is in long journey refinement and comfort. It is so good at gobbling up the miles with ease. You have to use cruise control or a fair measure of restraint in order to avoid collecting speeding fines. The Octy's build quality is much better than the Fabia. Just listen to the sound you get when closing a door. Every bit as good as a mercedes. The fit and finish of all interior trim is very good and the rear carpets are dry, unlike my Fabia! I have the estate so plenty of room and the seats are definitely better than those in the Fabia. I was lucky in finding a car with ALL the toys including sat nav, sun roof, Zenons, cruise, maxi dot, hands free etc so the level of equipment is high and makes for a rewarding driving experience. The longer I own the Octy, the more I have come to appreciate its merits over the Fabia. It is a more grown up car but not as much fun to drive. There was a time when I would happily have gone back to the Fabia but not now. Like everyone, I wait in eager anticipation of the next generation Fabia VRS if it ever materialises. It will have to be very good indeed if it is to better the Octavia VRS.

When I had my Fabia VRS, I cured the leaking door problem (and a colleagues VRS at work) by drilling three holes in the door seal at the bottom. I had noticed that water always sat on top of the seal. Capiliary action then did the rest when the door was shut and the water was sucked into the car by the fabric on the bottom of the door trim. I noticed that there were already drain holes in the bottom of the seal so I figured that three in the top of the seal (in the hollow) part allowed the water to pass into the seal and drain away outside the car. It sounds a bit drastic but it worked and neither of us had wet carpets again. Sometimes the simple solutions are the best!!!

Go with red, stays looking clean longer - easy to touch up and rare!

Tha car is back and fixed this time. Three exhaust temperature sensors (something to do with the Diesel particulate filter) have been replaced. All dash lights are now extinguished and all is well.

Car back in Rivervale today for some sort of exaust sensor to be replaced. Latest news is that this didn't rectify all the faults as one or other light remains on. I am now told that they are confident that they know exactly what the fault is but they want to keep the car overnight to effect the the repairs with replacement parts tommorrow? I wonder what widget they will try this time:thumbdwn:

Rivervale have spoken to the Tech Dept @ VAG and have now ordered some sort of valve which is fitted in the exaust system just before the diesel particulate filter. I am a bit concerned having read other contributions on this thread that this may not cure the fault on my car. As it is all under warranty, I will just have to let them get on with it. Update to follow when part has been fitted.

Sure enough, the light came on less than quarter of a mile from the garage. I returned immediately and the light was extinguished by the garage again and yes it came on again on the drive home together with the engine in limp mode. Rivervale tell me that the diadnostic machine doesn't tell them what the fault is so they need to consult with their technical dept before any progress can be made. They would also like the car for several days in order to properly invstigate the cause of the light activation. Arggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Took my VRS TDI (1st reg April 2007) to Oxford from Worthing on Saturday. Drove reasonably fast the whole journey (certainly not dawdling anyway) On the way home I booted the car away from a roundabout. There was a power surge followed by a stutter and hesitation as the engine went into 'limp to a garage mode'. The glow plug light came on and then intermittently for the rest of a frustrating journey home. The following day, hoping alll may have cleared, the engine management light came on suggesting a fault with the exhaust system?. This is the first time I have used the car for four weeks so I am NOT impressed. Is this a sign of things to come? Car is in Rivervale Brighton today to be looked at. I have just been told it was an unspecified light activation which has been cleared but they can't give me a reason for the warning lights coming on in the first place? I dont think this will be my last post on this subject somehow in fact, upon reading other posts on here, I might put a wager on the light coming on before I get home?

Hi Just wanted to add my support to the staff at Simpsons Skoda in Preston. Kelly who I dealt with recently when purchasing an Octavia VRS Combi was most helpful and kept me updtated at all times. I suspect the red Fabia VRS referred to in a previous entry on this thread might be my old car (gone but not forgotten) I loved that little car and hope the new owner enjoys it as much as I did. (I'm flattered by your comments about my old car Kelly) I am looking forward to putting my VRS plates on the Octavia.

Ants, Is this your Directors new demonstrator. I bought the red vrs combi PJ07 *g* which you will recall had a similar spec. I.m enjoying the car very much and wonder if my fab VRS has sold yet? The silver roof bars in your photo dont look right as they dont match the black window rubbers etc - they look odd to me. I am not sure about those wheels on 'race blue' either?

They look cack!

Like many, I am thinking of trading up from my Fabia VRS to the Octavia VRS diesel> I would be interested to hear from owbers who have already done this. Is the 170TDI as sweet, smooth and quiet as the 130TDI?. What I particularly enjoy about the Fabia is the lag free throttle response (at most speeds) I have heard some negative things about the 170. Is there anyone out ther who can re-assure me?

Well there's disappointment for central south coast Skoda owners as the City Gates Skoda dealerships all appear to have gone into receivership. This includes City Gates Skoda @ Chichester, Ballamy's @ Shoreham and Saltdean Garages @ Peacehaven. I went to Ballamy's on Friday hoping to find out when the new Octavia VRS diesel will arrive. All staff and cars on the forecourt have disappeared overnight. This must have sent Skoda UK into a flat spin so close to the launch of an important new car which may represent a large new market share if the VRS diesel lives up to expectations? I think my nearest Skoda dealer is at Copthorn Crawley. Skoda UK are now urgently seeking a new franchise locally apparently (what a mess)

Took my Fabia for first service today and asked for the seat belt warning light in the dash display to be re ativated together with the audible warning signal. Both these had worked briefly in October 2003 when the vehicle was new. I can be forgetful wit my seat belt on ocassions and find the warning device helpful if not a little irritating. On collecting the vehicle from City Gates Chichester I was told that the Fabia VRS does not have either of these functions!!!? I contested this but to no avail. Skoda technical have apparently been consulted who also informed City Gates that the Fabia VRS does not have this function. My memory of the vehicle when new was that it did and page 36 in the owners mnual confirms the existence of both warning light and six second audible warning signal to remind the driver to engage his/her seat belt!!!? So please fellow Fabia VRS drivers out there, who is right? City Gates insist that they cannot help and their diagnostic system confirms this? If it helps, the audible signal I recall, was the same as that heard when the car is low on fuel or the lights are left on. Page 27 and 36 in the manual shows what the warning light should look like? What has your Fabia VRS got if anything re seat belt warning?

No, Should have taken a picture from the relevant angle. The gap between bumper and towball exceeds that required by law. The photo's dont actually show this and tend to make it look closer than it is.

Photo's attached

Done it!!! After much deliberation I decided to simply try the skoda supplied fixed swan neck tow bar listed for the standard Fabia. To my suprise it fits the VRS and it is in fact one of the neatest swan necks I have seen on any car and extremely strong too. Simply a case of removing the old bumper iron from beneath the bumper and sliding and bolting the towbar bracket into place. You do have to cut a piece out of the underside of the bumper to allow for the swan neck to protrude from underneath and to allow the single electric socket mounting to swing up and down on it's spring loaded bracket. This is very neat and cannot be seen in the 'up' position. A template is supplied for the cut under the bumper which cannot be seen from the rear of the car. I had visions of the swan neck protruding through a hole in the bumper itself but this is not the case. It comes out from underneath where it is bolted with two bolts to the ironwork, This makes the swan neck removable by simply undoing the two bolts. I haven't sorted the electrics yet as I want to source a single 12 pin socket which my local Skoda dealer says is not available for the Fabia?. I have ordered one for a Polo from VAG and hope and trust that the wiring will be compatible for the Fabia. All in all it looks like good news. I see no reason why the considerably more expensive removable swan neck bar also supplied by Skoda for the Fabia will not fit. Will post again when electrice sorted. All the clearances, ie towball to ground and towball to bumper are well within legal requirements so no worries!!!

Please let me know how you get on with the towbar fitting, I am desparately in need of one now (hope to be using my parents 'Eriba' caravan on holiday) . No luck with any supplier with any of the enquiries I have made to date. :thumbdwn:

Thanks for the replies, check with the dealer that they have done their homework regarding a supplier for the towbar before they start carving up your bumper!! All of the enquiries I have made to date (many many) suggest there are no type approved suppliers of a tow bar for the Fabia VRS or any other type for that matter. I wish I had researched this problem before ordering the car, I might have ordered the TDI combi instead. I do love the VRS though, I just want it to be able to tow. I have told Skoda I may write to 'watchdog' in an effort to embarrass them into action. At present this is a problem of economics for Skoda although they would never admit to this. They simply wont sell enough towbars for this niche model to make type approval etc financially viable. Owners will suffer as a result and if we dont shout loudly enough I am not at all confident that anything will change. I may make enquiries with VW to see if the Polo towbar might work (same Chassis etc) If anyone does manage to find a towbar that works, please post relevant details here.

Yes, this would be the answer, I suppose the more queries and requests these companies get, the more likely they will design a tow bar for the Fabia VRS. Better still, they might just do one to order????????

Made some more enquiries about this today and its not good news. The problem with the Fabia VRS is apparently the rear bumper or to be precise the lower half of the rear bumper which is some three inches longer than the standard bumper. I spoke to a fitter today who had recently fitted a 'Bosal' fixed ball towbar to a fabia VRS. There was a problem with the clearance between the bumper and the ball itself. It meant that there was very little clearance for a tow coupling to hook onto the ball. Due to this,The fitter advised against trying to fit a towbar to the Fabia VRS. He also told me that the rear bumper on the Fabia VRS is actually moulded over a standard bumper which is underneath. He believed the only solution would be to fit a standard bumper and paint it the colour of the car. All this prompted me to go down to Clarion Cars (my local Skoda dealer) to compare a standard Fabia bumper with the VRS. The only visual difference is the extra length in the lower half which presumably is where the ball of a towbar would sit? This whole business is beginning to P*** me off as I hoped my Fabia VRS would soon be towing my dingy trailer, my mates trailer for runs to the tip and my parents 'Eriba' caravan (yes you heard correctly). I will probably be writing to Skoda in the near future. In the mean time I can only hope that 'Brink' or 'Bosal' decide to make a towbar to fit the Fabia VRS which I believe would make a cracking little tow car!!!

Has anyone made enquiries about fitting a towbar to the Fabia VRS. I have discovered that Skoda do not supply any sort of towbar for the Fabia VRS. I have contacted Skoda UK and been advised not under any circumstances to fit a tow bar to the fabia VRS because it is a sports model with lowered suspension and low profile tyres? I took them to task over this asking why the same does not appear to apply to the octavia VRS?There was no satisfactory answer to this. I believe the real problem with the Fabia VRS concerns the deep rear bumper which prevents a goose neck type tow bar being fitted. A detachable tow bar would also need a very large hole which would not look good. The same problem also apparently affects the Seat Leon with the deep back bumper. I have been told that a 'Brink' tow bar similar to those supplied to Skoda for the mainstream Fabia may fit but I have also been told that the VRS exhaust may get in the way? If any one has any input, I would like to hear of your experience. I tow a small dingy(or would do). It is a bit short sighted of SKODA to sell a sports vehicle life the Fabia VRS with no tow bar option. Buyers of a vehicle like this are likely to have such hobbies as sailing and jet skies etc?

Yes, you can advance the track on a particular disc. I was fiddling about with it earlier. The HU display refers to the changer including what you described in your last thread?

Thankyou for the replies. The magazine can be ejected with the new loom fitted and if the volume is turned right up, the scratching sound of a signal is just about audible but it's certainly not 'music'. I wasn't aware that a head unit may need re-coding in order to recognise the changer. Swan Garage at Chichester may not be either as the technician dealing with this problem has recently transfered from Renault and by his own admission, is not completely familiar with VAG products just yet. I cant recall what colour the plug at the rear or the HU was as i only saw it briefly when the tecnician was trying to explain the difficulties. I dont have the special tools for removing the HU either but I have asked for some for future use. 'Manny' that wiring info looks very useful. Make sure it can be accessed by others on this site for future reference. I shall return to the dealer armed with your suggestions in the hope that they can fix this problem at last? Thanks again.