Breezy_Pete

That's not the right number to go by. If you sign up to this site Škoda spare parts online store (skoda-parts.com), you'd be able to input your VIN and have that filter the results to get you to the correct OE number. Or you could message me with it, or post it here and I'll tell you.

Yes, I would think they'll be fine. However, phone ECP or drop in and show them how there doesn't seem to be a claimed (by Monroe) match between the ones they sold you and the correct OE number for your VIN/car, and see what they say.

3Q0 513 049 FN is your real OE rear shock part number.

Can't check for an hour or so, just arrived at gym. You may well find that what you've been sold is correct, once we know the real part number we're trying to match.

You can't be far from a place to purchase a second tool from then. I think Sep is right, chances are a previous visitation to that screw has damaged the head a little (probably by under-engagement of the tool), and now it just needs some help with some force. A well lit close-up photo of the screw head may help everyone understand the situation, though I realise that's easier said than done. Do you have replacement screws? Technically they are supposed to be single use. Stick your VIN in a message, or here if you'd like me to find part number.

I can't find a figure for your version of engine, the earlier BBY/BKY engines with manual gearbox suggest a range of 660-860rpm. If you had diagnostic capability, you could find a measuring block somewhere in the engine ECU that would list actual and specified idle rpm, which might give a cross-check. Are your wheels/tyres a standard size for the vehicle?

Idling speed sounds high, let me see if I can find a 'book' figure. It could just be that someone has taken the instrument cluster apart at some point and put the needle back on the rpm gauge slightly wrong.

Yes. where the hard plastic is stretched over the connections it sometimes cracks and leaks air. This could affect fuelling and also the pressure level in the inlet manifold, possibly influencing the gear-change suggestions from the instrument cluster. Lots of other possible problems though. I presume you don't have any warning lights lit? Do you have any way of reading engine fault codes?

Have you ever inspected the brake servo vacuum pipe for cracks at the junctions?

Something is not quite right, you should be going quite a bit further on each litre. According to spritmonitor, your exact car/engine/gearbox/year combination typically averages 6.5l/100km Gasoline consumption: Skoda - Fabia - Spritmonitor.de There will be an element of self selection of those trying to be 'hypermilers' being more interested in being on spritmonitor than those who don't care. Opening up the age filtering to include cars right back to 2007 with same engine size/power etc gives a similar average (6.8) with a far larger sample size: Gasoline consumption: Skoda - Fabia - Spritmonitor.de

Sparks themselves could indeed cause a big problem if the old battery has leaked enough hydrogen, but that's fortunately rare. What many people worry unnecessarily about is the spark that can and will occur when reconnecting the last lead to a new battery, after the car has been without a battery for a little while, such as during a change. In 'times gone by' this barely happened at all, because cars didn't used to have much electronics at all in them, so few or none of the reservoir capacitors mentioned above. Modern cars have dozens of electronic modules, all with such reservoir caps, which will all empty when power is removed for a while. This means that a significant current flows briefly upon reconnection, recharging all of these capacitors. This means a much bigger spark than many 'old-timers' might be expecting. It doesn't cause any problem though. As you are going to keep all these modules charged, you should have little if any sparking anyway.

The OP is determined he's going to do it with back-up power on, so no point in trying to persuade him otherwise, I feel. No need to worry about sparks, they won't do any harm, if they occur. Attaching jump leads or charger leads to the battery clamps will be fine. But he should make a better job of attaching the terminal clamps than the last person to do them.

Whereabouts are you?

From a thread about front shocks, and a similar confusing part number sticker, note something similar going on between the two contradictory labels, the arrowed one being the real part number

As mac suggests, @Ukpaul204, this (identifying the correct fitment part via VIN) really is the starting point you need to go from, before worrying about anything else. The sticker in your photo shows a VW group part number, but not necessarily the right one for that shock absorber, it may be a subcomponent of it. Reason I say this is that the part number has 512 as its middle section. Look at Crasher's list of compatible shocks, and you'll see that all the real, actual OE part numbers have 513 as their middle characters. If you look at parts catalogues for Superb or Octy rear shocks, I believe you'll find that they are all 513's too, so the number you're trying to cross-reference is not helping you at all!

The yellow wire continues into the cabin, changing to yellow/green at some point, and ends up at pin 22 of the 36-way connector at the instrument cluster. The red wire should go to earth. When pad is thick enough, these are connected, so shorting is the right thing to do. Earth the wire going into the 36-way, to see if that works. If not, are you 100% sure the warning light is for pad thickness, not e.g. brake fluid level?

Wildly improbable. No idea what that article suggests, but if you are thinking of changing the battery with engine running, please forget that straight away.

Generally nothing much is lost when changing batteries. Might just have to re-enable one-touch window operation. Note that both of those battery clamps appear to have been misfitted. The battery posts are tapered, and both of those clamps haven't been pushed far enough down the tapers before being tightened. When fitting to the new battery, loosen off fully and push down all the way on the post tapers, which should open up the clamps, that way the tightening won't end up running out of adjustment as both look to have in your photo.

Oh, fair enough. Many garages aren't keen on fitting supplied parts. Coil and spark plug part numbers here (once you figure out your engine code): LLLParts Injectors and seals here, I think; first item 2, and item 3 LLLParts

Why not let them buy the parts?

Don't fit an EFB or AGM type, your charging system isn't suitable. I could look up Skoda part number and Ah/CCA spec if you supply VIN, but dimensions won't be 'lookupable' by that means I don't think. That info is probably all written on the top surface of the battery anyway, so take a ruler out and measure it while you're there. Length and width should be easy to get, depth probably by just sticking the ruler down beside the battery vertically.

I agree on your last point (and the edit about Ribe) and yes, the terms are often muddled. Perhaps I should have checked with the OP exactly what his 'spline' bit looked like, but the advice about ensuring full engagement is never wasted words.

It's XZN, not XYN, which is triple-square, dunno what it stands for. "I've never seen 4 triangles with 60 degree points", you say, so I guess that means they don't exist?

Either M10 or M8, depending on engine type, I think. Triple square has 90 degree points, spline are 60 degree (4 triangles rather than 3 squares. Will fit and probably work OK, biut be extra-careful that they go all the way into the screw heads (hammer on end of extensions til you feel it bottom out). Yes, access is awkward. Keep turning the driveshaft to get each screw into most accessible position as you go.

What's your VIN?