Breezy_Pete

The opposite direction gear thing is a bad idea if your engine has a timing chain with a hydraulic tensioner. Any movement will turn the engine backwards, tighten the tensioner side of the chain and either put force on the ratchet (if the tensioner has one) or just squeeze oil out of it if it doesn't.

A tester malfunction I think, they're only human. There's an MOT testers forum you could query that and the current scenario on. Open to Joe Public as well as trade/testers. MOT Forum - The MOT Testing Forum for the UK MOT Testing Industry (motester.co.uk) I'm not sure at all, but I have a feeling VCDS Lite might work on early Mk2 Fabias. Anyone tried it on a pre-facelift mk2? @Tech1e do you happen to know? If it does, that's definitely the best value fault finding solution you can have, as it's freeware and a third-party cable to connect car to laptop will cost you <£20.

Yep, tester doesn't inspect the MIL light function for diesels first used before 1st July 2008 according to the test manual. Close to the bottom of the page here: 8. Nuisance - MOT inspection manual: cars and passenger vehicles - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

There are rules relating to 'EML on' being an MOT failure that depend on when the car was made. I'll check in a minute, but I think it's quite possible that a 2007 car is immune from the ruling. The windows not working cannot bring on the EML.

This post shows one approach to fixing it if it is the relay that's causing the problem, but you need to be sure that it isn't the actual wiper motor before going down that path. I guess you've tried the full speed setting as well as intermittent and normal speed? You could also swap in a replacement control unit, scrapyards sell lots on ebay mostly around the £30-50 price range. You'd ideally read the coding configuration of your existing unit, so that you could re-code any replacement if something doesn't work after the swap. VCDS required for this. Buy exactly the same part number as written on your existing one if you go for this solution.

OK, well the relay that runs the wipers is soldered onto the circuit board inside a control unit above the accelerator pedal. Known by various names like 'onboard supply control unit' or body control module. More info and diagnostic suggestions shortly.

Have you checked the appropriate fuse for the wipers?

Shock top mount?

I might have a go too, like the idea, seem to remember doing it on a mk2 Golf years ago, when I was doing similarly short commutes. Due to pee down with rain tomorrow though, shoulda done it today.

An M14 triple-square socket is definitely not the same as, nor similar to a locking wheel bolt tool. Ask google for a picture.

The sort of tool you only use once, because it's totally unnecessary. It's dead easy to do 90° visually, or mark with tippex etc.

Not worth doing anything about unless it gets worse, I'd say. If you really want to help the engine live a long time, the best investment is probably to check, and replace if necessary, the oil separator module on the back of the engine; and check that the oil pick-up gauze in the sump is free of stuck particles. Between those two you'd be reasonably sure of a good supply of clean oil that won't degrade too fast.

Was that video with fully warmed up engine, or just started?

Did you change the oil filter too?

maybe?

Are you sure? The regulating valve basically does that job. There is sometimes/always? a sacrificial coupling between compressor and pulley that serves to disconnect shaft from aux belt in the event of compressor seize-up, are you sure that isn't what's failed, and what you're seeing as a clutch? There's only the one electrical connector that I can see on pictures in the page you linked above, and that is for the control valve, not an electromagnetic clutch.

Go to this page https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/octavia/oct/2010-663/2/260-260020/#1 (on a computer rather than a phone) and scroll a long way down the table. Your compressor part number appears to be the first of the ones starting 5N0, namely 5N0 820 803 C manufactured by Sanden, for the date range up to 12th Feb 2012. Use that part number as the basis for researching the compressor and what can be done other than total replacement. The diagram shows pulley as a separate part (8) but there's no part number for that in the table. The table - about halfway down - refers to a 'regulating valve' part number 1K0 260 839, from which I infer that this is a clutchless, variable displacement design. You do have to wonder whether an internal failure may have caused the pulley problem, but I'm sure others with more experience of this particular compressor can guide you better than I.

Petrol or diesel engine? (engine code if poss.)

Put up with endless pop-ups and navigate your way to what you need starting from here: Skoda Workshop Manuals > Octavia Mk2 > Brake systems > Technical Data > Brakes (workshop-manuals.com)

You're no doubt looking to be here really. Not clear if you want to be in a 'for sale' bit or 'free stuff'. Classifieds - BRISKODA

Easiest way to rule in/out that 'no low speed function' possibility is to pull the relevant fuse while the fan is running. If it's on the low speed, it'll stop, if it's running at high speed, it won't. The fuse in question is No.8 in the fuse panel above the battery. It's in the section to the right of the strip fuses as you look into the engine bay, probably under a clip-on cover. 30 Amp rated.

I'd certainly be interested in having a close look at the cluster to see if I can work out what's gone wrong. If it looks like I can fix it, you get it back FOC and you'll have a full set of spares.

@J.R. I've not done the job myself, nor do I fancy doing from what I've seen, but have a look on youtube for relevant videos of the replacement process/access. I watched this one recently, but I fear it is rather long for your taste. Don't remember noticing the electrical connection's access but I think if you skim through it you'll find what you're after.

Fact is, as soon as sepulchrave described it as a 'quick and easy job', I had considerable doubts that it could be the same set-up. Only way I could be sure is to dig down into which engine sep was referring to, and had worked on. No malice or hidden meanings.

You sound upset, take a while to calm down then you should apologise to the OP for talking irrelevance.