thrope

I replaced mine with one from Amazon Basics. Its only a few pounds more and I think they're made properly. I once had an Amazon Basics wall charger recalled 6 months after I bought it (free replacement) - I don't think that would happen with anything from ebay!

Have you got anything in the cigarette lighter? (Satnav, mobile charger). I had a double-USB port off ebay that must have had no shielding at all and killed the radio completely - but it took me months to realise!

I took it in this morning and they changed it for me while I waited. This time they had Shell Helix Ultra ECT 5W-30 (they showed me the can) which is VW 507 00 which I think is also fine for PD - from http://www.oilspecifications.org/img/vw-specifications-chart.png So I'm happy that they put it right in the end.

I rang up again and now they say it was "Shell Helix Ultra Professional AG 5W-30" which as far as I can see is also not VW 505 01 although they insist that is what the supplier says is the right spec for the car: http://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/oils-lubricants/helix-for-cars/helix-fully-synthetic/shell-helix-ultra-professional-ag-5w-30.html He did say they would get a 505 01 in and do it in front of me tomorrow though.

Yeah - for the sake of £65 I've decided to just take it somewhere else for a fresh change. Won't be going back to ATS.

Thanks - thats exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for! I went in this morning and they said the oil on the invoice was just a dummy. They put the reg into the system and the correct oil filter and oil for the car are automatically delivered - they just don't always enter this accurately on the invoice. So they went into the system and showed me a screen that listed. Shell Helix HX7 PRO AF 5W-30 So I assumed this is a higher grade oil and thought I should trust their system. On checking it seems this AF one is certified for Ford specs, but that the VW spec one is Shell Helix HX7 PRO AV. Is there likely to be much difference to these - or could they be the same product that has just been passed through the certifications under a different name. I'm still thinking of taking it to a better local garage for a fresh change...

Thanks. I was travelling a lot in September and didn't think about the MOT until the week it was due. All the independent local garages I know are pretty busy and couldn't take it for 2 weeks or more... so I thought I'd try them just for the MOT (also its right by my flat so quite convenient). I did ring them and they said come in on Monday and they'd check everything. I guess I was posting more to confirm that it is an issue and that if it is Helix Ultra 505 00 I am not being unreasonable to ask them to change it for 505 01. How bad is it to drive a couple of miles on the 505 00? or is it better not to use the car at all.

Hi, I took my 2001 1.9 TDi Fabia to ATS for an MOT and oil change. I was just looking over the invoice and it says: 5LT HELIX ULTRA 5W-40 I looked up online and Helix Ultra seems to be VW 505 00 certified but not VW 505 01 which I read is necessary for this PD enginge. Is this right? Am I within my rights to ask ATS to change it for something VW 505 01? Is there any way I can tell that they do?

I have a 2001 Fabia Estate - 1.9 TDi. Its started running a bit rough... I first started noticing it in a quite narrow rev range around 1800-2000 usually at slow speeds - it just got a tiny bit juddery/stuttery. Since then it has got a bit worse and now sometimes happens quite badly on the motorway over a wider range (1800-2200 maybe) which is annoying when in traffic going around 60. It tends not to happen until the engine is warm, and then lately when its been getting bad on these motorway trips I found turning the engine off and on again often sorts it out for the rest of that trip. I think there is a loss of power but its not too bad - I can still get on fine in traffic. I've searched here, but most of the descriptions I found seem to be related to throttle - this problem seems to be independent of the accelerator - even when coasting it is juttery in that ref range and putting my foot down etc. doesn't seem to make much difference. MOT/service is due in about 2 weeks so I was hoping to leave it until then, but wanted to check it wasn't likely to be something bad - I will have to do around 4 x 40mile trips between now and then (but thats all). I was hoping I could get through just by pulling over and turning off/on again as necessary. Since the car is more or less worthless now I guess I was going to try an independent garage rather than a Skoda dealer - but if this is likely to require a vagcom fault read out I guess I should find a VW specialist? Or are all independent garages likely to have the computer stuff these days? (There is both a regular independent and a VW/German car specialist in my neighbourhood, both with very good reviews) Thanks for any advice

Just another thanks... Succesfully followed the guide this afternoon. I'm usualy rubbish at car stuff, especially when there is trim involved, but managed to complete this without too much trouble and everything went back together perfectly! Trickiest parts for me were the general awkwardness of lying under the steering wheel, reattaching the can cooler pipe but mainly actually getting the new part in - I got the old one out pretty easily with a bit of wiggling but completely lost track of where the hole was or which direction the twist should be, so to get it back in I had to get a torch and a small mirror - even then it was pretty hard. But once it went it was fine. AC working perfectly. For reference I need a T15 and a T20 (first two screws are T20) Thanks again

Hi all, I've been using this site for a couple of years... not posted often but found it a very useful resource. Anyway I have some parts I'd like to put up for sale but I don't seem to have persmissions to post in the for sale forum. Is there anything I can do to get it? It's just the parts are Europe specific (not for UK) but too expensive to post (so ebay is out) so finding anyone to take them now I am back in the UK is a long shot... but I thought with a post on the forum it would always be searchable on the offchance the item might be useful to someone in the future.

Hi folks, I'm having this problem... I'm in Germany and it's been below -10 all week. Last few days have been ropey, glow plug light takes 20 or 30 seconds to go out and it took about 5 or 6 goes to get it started... today there were no signs of life at all and eventually the battery went flat. It's a 2001 (was 51 plate) Fabia 1.9 Tdi - as far as I know the glow plugs haven't been changed (woudl they be in regular servicing?) so is it worth ordering new ones anyway (I don't have a meter to test them and not sure I'd know how to anyway)? Are they easy enough to change? UPDATE EDIT: Actually it was just the battery - after charging it fully indoors it started fine (although it was only -8) ... have to see how it is tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the reply - I had a good look this morning and it looks like thats the case. I found this thread through search and only just noticed its in Fabia II so sorry for my off topic query! Any reasons not to get cheap ones off ebay or they should do the job? http://www.ebay.de/itm/Skoda-Fabia-99-07-SCHEINWERFER-H7-H3-RECHTS-/290612056874?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item43a9d4132a

Hope its OK for me to bump this thread. I am living in Germany and since my MOT/tax are expiring I am going to register my Fabia here. One of the things I need to change is the lights... I was looking at buying new headlight set on ebay to get it through the test here, but if I understand this thread maybe there is no physical difference between Europe headlight box and UK headlight box - there is just this switch. I have a 2001 (51 plate) Fabia Estate 1.9Tdi ... is it likely I will have the switch? Does anyone know if that is sufficient to pass the german MOT (TüV) test as a 'standard' light set up (ie would it end up the same as a European model). Thanks for any help.

Just check sizing and I think current alloys are ET43 and if I understand this is the measurement that affects how wide a tyre you can run. I have now found some ET43 14" steel rims, so these should do the trick? (They just didn't show up in the fabia search I did first of all).

Hi all, I'm living in Germany at the moment with my 2001 Fabia Estate (elegance). I was here last xmas and had to get the winter tyres, which to save money I just put on my alloys, switching back for the summer. This winter though I think I better get a set of steel rims. So I have the tyres already from last winter good as new more or less - they are 185/60 R14 tyres. Evidently they were the right size for the alloys (not sure what size they are). Now I am looking for 14" steel rims to put these on, all the ones I find labelled as fitting fabia are 14", 5 hole, ET35, and say only for 165/60 or 175/60 tyres. Is this strict? Can I get away with buying a Fabia steel rim like this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Satz-Stahlfelgen-POLO-FABIA-IBIZA-5x14-ET35-NEU-/370500476512?pt=Auto_Felgen&hash=item56438c9e60 and putting my 185's on it? I will need to do a TuV (German MOT) here in December so it needs to be not just safe but officially correct. Or do I need to ditch the winter tyres I have and get some 165 to go on steel rims? If I found alloys I guess I could use the existing tyres. Any advice appreciated, apologies if this is a duplicate (but I didn't find anything - don't imagine there is much interest in steel rims in the UK!)

I have a problem with boot opening on a 2001 Fabia Estate, elegance trim. The boot usually opens with a sort of electronic touch button (it doesn't really depress) which has stopped working. The lever by the drivers seat works fine though. Any ideas what it could be? Everything looks fine around the lock and all the other electrics are fine - there wouldn't be a fuse just for this would there?

Thanks very much for the advice... I'll go ahead and order the kit then. Cheers

Hi all, I've had the apparently common electric window failure. Window goes down but not up, sort of broken scratching sound. Provided I wind the motor so the cable is loose I can pull the window up and tape it shut. I have found someone to do the repair for me (from what I read it is a bit fiddly), but I am trying to decide whether to get one of the repair kits (available on ebay for €15) which just include the cables and winding mechanism, or whether I need the whole door panel (€50, and would require drilling and reattaching the riveted speaker). Over the phone the guy who is going to fit it thought the repair kit should be fine, but wondered if there is anything I can look for to be sure (I have the door skin off and can look through the holes in the inner panel etc. Thanks in advance IE this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/SKODA-FABIA-FENSTERHEBER-REPARATURSATZ-VORNE-RECHTS-/140399947618?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item20b07d2f62 vs: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Fensterheber-elektrisch-Skoda-Fabia-I-6Y-Vorne-Rechts-/270799157427?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item3f0ce338b3 (I'm in Germany at the moment so please excuse use of ebay.de)

Hi, I have a 2001 Fabia TDI with 82,000 miles on. I've had it about 4 years and it's been doing be proud really - most reliable car I've ever had and hasn't given me any trouble. Lately the suspension has started squeaking quite a lot - front and back - and all the time, even on a very little compression (ie gentle braking, not only going over a big bump). A couple of services ago I think they said something about bump struts or something, but it just got through an mot with no problems... There is a service due, which I'm sort of postponing due to cashflow (also it is due for 12 months, but I don't do much mileage, so it's only been 3-4k since the last service). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone could give some advice on what it's likely to be, how much it's likely to cost to sort out, and how important it is (I can live with the squeaking for a while, but obviously don't want to leave it if it's going to cause other problems) since I figure forwarned is forearmed for when I eventually take it in. Thanks!