Breezy_Pete

Well the clocks (in a Fabia is where that CAN signal gets 'understood' and converted into the speedo needle position. Not sure where else the speed signal is utilised, if anywhere. Just clarify please, which bits in the car at the moment are from Fabia, and which are still original to the Arosa? Engine = Fabia? Gearbox = ? ABS ECU = Arosa? Cluster = ??

I think in Mk1 Fabia vRS the vehicle speed is communicated from ABS ECU to Instrument cluster by CAN message rather than a wire. Not sure how that helps, if at all.

Take a photo of what there is and post it in here. Usually about 4/5/6 strip fuses and then about 3 or 4 blade fuses under a cover to the right of the strip fuses.

Removal of the oil cap while the engine is running will, and should, make the engine struggle. I can't picture a piece of wire being effective at blocking that hole. Why not take the cap off carefully, then you can inspect the diaphragm inside, and re-fit it at a different angle to give better finger access to the hole. There are just a few plastic ramp catches around the outside that hold the cap on.

Have you checked that the alternator fuse isn't broken? Strip fuse no.1 in fuseholder above battery.

Not sure how much if at all this will help, but the VW group part numbers for the individual parts are shown here: coupling; before parts order, physical inspection... - Fabia(FAB) [EUROPA 2003 year] (7zap.com) (View on a computer not a phone or most of the useful information will be missing) Which 3 options does ECP's utterly crap reg number lookup suggest? Screenshot?

The substance and the smell will disappear very rapidly. Not worth the cost and effort to replace.

0.3mA is not a plausible reading, do you mean 0.3A? Or 30mA?

You think you get as much discount as a pro?

Just let the mechanic buy it.

Not sure whether there's sufficient access to remove the voltage regulator/brushpack with the alternator in situ, but if there is you could eyeball the sliprings and probably even get some very fine wet-n-dry on them if they do look grubby and tarnished? I seem to remember that the Bosch alts are a bit friendlier to get the volt reg off compared to the Valeo ones. Do remove battery negative before anything else if you do get involved down there, the main +ve cable is fused, but it's a whopper of a strip-fuse so you could cause a big old spark otherwise.

Has the car been unused for any amount of time prior to that shopping trip? I'm wondering if the slip rings have maybe just tarnished a bit. Bosch or Valeo alternator?

There's a pressure equalising port/hole in the cap of the PCV, red arrow pointing at it in this photo. Find a way to block that while the engine is running and see whether it affects the idle speed or smoothness. It should not. If the idle changes, the valve needs replacement.

I tend to agree.

You would have to unplug the oxygen sensor that pokes up through it (connector accessed from below), then there seem to be three or four screws, the two visible on the top, and an awkward one - maybe two - much lower, near the bottom; probably also easier to access from under car. Lots of photos of a secondhand one here: SKODA FABIA 5J MK2 07-14 1.2 PETROL EXHAUST CATALYST HEAT SHIELD 03D253041H | eBay Presumably the photo isn't your car? That one looks perfect?

Happy that you did bump it. I'll fix any broken picture links shortly (Dropbox killed its public folder, meanly). For now I've done the two photos in the post describing the origin of the blue wire above.

Don't see one here: crankshaft; conrod; bearings - Superb(SUP) [EUROPA 2013 year] (7zap.com)

It's a BBZ engine. Not sure whether a dodgy coil or two could give those symptoms, presumably you had the trouble before you started swapping in others?

When it's in 'reluctant mode' does the cranking sound normal, like it's compressing OK, or more even and faster like it isn't? Engine code would be handy to know too. How many miles on the clock?

No start/stop, nothing to code.

Check the ports they connect to at both ends too, especially for the small hose; if you didn't already. Easily blocked in the narrowest parts I imagine.

Hehe, I thought "wow, look, they even found oval bungs that exactly fit the exhaust ports!", but then looked closer and saw that they're just round ones squished to fit. It was very nicely extracted and prepped for shipping and fitting though. Whole loom still intact ready to just plug in at ECU and 14-way. bay connector, and so many bits left on,

It wasn't a daft question Lee, it's been running since Friday 5pm, just the pictures posted finished Thursday evening.

Yep, very pleased with it. I think the dogbone mount is 'code F' though, and am waiting on a new one, probably Wednesday arrival/fit. I think then I'll really be able relax, put my feet up and say to the missus; "There you go, all good for another 100k+ miles... ....FFS don't crash it tomorrow!"

The replacement engine came from a Polo, so has oil level and temperature sender. I wonder how long I'll be able to resist adding the necessary wire to the cluster to get that to do something... Not sure whether the cluster can display oil temp if coded right, but oil level warning facility might be useful if that at least could be enabled.