hey there a few more questions i could do with asking.

For those who didnt read my post on engine oil..I am somewhat ignorant on car maintainence, i have just passed my test and my grandad gave me his old Skoda. He didn't have the handbook or a haynes and his neighbour used to maintain his car for him (he has parkinsons so cant keep steady hands), problem is the neighbours moved away and we're stuck. I WILL be buying either a new handbook or a haynes but at the moment i cant afford cause im a student and most of my money is going on insurance.

So my questions..

1) My wiper blades need to be replaced so does anyone know what wipers i need and how do I replace them? Ive measured the ones that came with it, and its 20 inches on the front, 16 inches on the back. Would universal ones fit? or do i need specific ones? and how do i fit them?

2) I'm really confused about the dashboard controls. There seems to be about three different things for the lights! On my driving instructors car, it was a simple twist one of the sticks like the indicator stick twice, but its much different on the Felicia. So how do I turn my lights on dipped? And then to turn it onto full beam is it a simple forward push of the stick you pull to flash someone to turn them on full? (sorry about the poor expression).

3) Near the steering wheel on the left hand side there is like a turning dial thing. It has like a head lights symbol with arrows pointing up and down. You can turn it from a 'o' to 'I' to 'II'. Just wondering what this is? Is it to change the positioning of your headlights? And if it is what should i set it to? What would the other options be used for (if anything)?

If anyone who has a N reg Felicia can help i would be really really grateful, ive never owned a car before and i dont really have anyone to explain it or a handbook :'(. Your probably thinking What the hell do they teach these newbies, but everything is different than on my instructors car.

Thanks for reading, i hope someone can clear up my confusions.

1) Universal wipers will be just fine! (just make sure they are the righ sizes of course!)

2) The switch on the right is for the sidelights then to turn the dipped beam on push the left hand switch. You can just leave the dipped beam switch on (left) then just use the right hand (sidelight) switch. And yes... you are right about the full beam switch on the indicator stalk!

3) That little switch is to adjust the height of the lights... but it probably don't work as nearly all of them fail on all the cars so just ignor it basically! lol

Phil

Welcome to the Skoda Felicia owners section!!

I think Felly wipers are 20s/20

The lights you'll get used to

Handbooks can be found on fleabay.

To turn the dipped beam on you press the sidelights button then the dipped beam button on the dashboard - and the little symbols on the dash will also light up.

I have a bulb/wiper size list somewhere I'll dig it out.

I don't know if you ever drive with just the sidelights on? (We dont here in Sweden since dipped beam is compulsory in daylight too).

If not, you don't have to care about the dipped switch ever. Just leave it constantly "on" and use the sidelight switch which works as a "main" switch. And as on most German cars, if you turn off ignition dipped will go off and leave you with sidelights only.

Wipers, as already said, are 20" front and 16" or 15" rear.

The heigh adjusting thingy should be at "0" (twelwe o'clock) normally - I or II when you carry a lot of heavy stuff in the boot. But as philje says, they often break (mine only work on one side) and in that case just forget about it.

Just discovered the lights operation on SWMBO's new felicia.

1st button on the left is side lights.

2nd button on the left is main lights

button on the right is rear fog light

Practical hint since ISTR you saying you're on a budget. Check wiper prices at a Skoda dealer vs a local filling station. Don't bother with the gold-plated ones in Halfords.

You'll get a universal blade, and a bag of plastic widgets. Select the widget that's the same as the one on the old blade.

Even better... get tourself to tescos and they've got buy one get one free on flat wiper baldes... so its £8 for two of them which is good.

Just fitted mine and they're good!!!

Thanks for your help guys im completely useless! My headlight dial thing works! messed about with it last night to see if i can work it out from what you guys said. I think i get it but its gonna be while before i have the confidence to do a night drive (im a very nervous driver: it took me 5 times to pass my driving test cuz of nerves, and id been learning for a year before i felt good enough to put in for it).

Think you should go for a night drive on thursday and go to the Malthouse meet... it's not far from you... near Halifax.

I won't be there unfortunately though... but other nice folks will be!!

Driving at night isn't that bad, so long as there is street lights around. Could be a good idea to go for a drive with someone you know who has plenty of driving experience. Or you could try do pass plus which doesn't have a test and may reduce your insurance a little.

SWMBO has just passed and bought a Felicia like you.

Headlight 472

Front Fog Light 453

Front indicator 581

Rear indicator 581

Side Indicator 501

High Level Brake Light 504

Stop/Tail light 380

Reverse light 382

Rear Fog light 382

Number plate light 501

Thats the bulb number list I compiled.

There's only one way to get good at night driving. Do it, preferably in a car with good headlights.

On the general point, check out the Racing and Advanced Driving Techniques forum. Even the most apparently daft questions there will get a helpful response or several.

Maybe you should invest in some decent bulbs as that will help... Good bulbs make a huge difference and i know how poor the standard felly ones are!

You will get 15% off and free sidelight bulbs with Powerbulbs:

http://briskoda.net/forums/members-benefits/15-discount-free-shipping-sidelights-powerbulbs/91406/

:+1: Powerbulbs service is excellent, and they often do specials like 2 sets for the price of one. The free Phillips "blue-white" sidelights aren't a gimmick either; they actually do give a cleaner, whiter light than standard bulbs (which surprised me).

Thanks for your advice guys. Although i haven't had the balls to go on a solo night drive in my own car i did do a few hours with my instructor in his suzuki swift at night. As soon as i can get some cash together ill deffo invest in some quality bulbs cause winter will be coming round soon and i'll be using my lights alot early morning/evening. Way i see it is that your lights help you see and be seen so its not worth scrimping on them. ATM though im short on cash cause in last few week ive been hit with my insurance (it doubled overnight cause i went from provisional to fully liscenced, now £141 a month), shocked at the price of road tax, and had to fill 'er up twice at a tenner a shot, plus buying new seat covers and mats, cleaning products, a stoplock, foot pump, washer fluid and engine oil and today my stepdad is going to buy me some new wiper blades at tesco's cause the front are okay but the back is completely bald. Lol welcome to the world of owning a car eh? Thankfully some of them are one time buys but even so it all adds up, especially when your a student and dont have much cash in the first place. And :'( i still have to buy a haynes or handbook and a car maintainence for dummies book. Not to mention saving up for the MOT and service in Oct/Nov...I suppose it is all worth it in the end.

£1641 a year seems a bit much for insurance, even if paying monthly. Could be worth looking into the cancellation policy (i.e. how much cancelling will set you back) of your current insurer and looking for quotes with others using confused.com and so on, to see if you can save any money overall. I found ecarinsurance.co.uk cheapest for me but shopping around is always best as there isn't a magic insurer. It is the 1.3 isn't it?

For brighter bulbs, ebay is usually cheapest. For example OSRAM H4 NIGHTBREAKER HEADLIGHT BULBS 90% *£11.50* on eBay, also Bulbs Lenses, Lights Lighting Accessories, Car Tuning Styling, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 17-Jun-08 17:30:25 BST) Ebay can also be good for the Haynes manuals.

This might be a hard thing to try and get your head round the idea of, but try and look past the first car or 2 coming the other way. The idea is that, at night, this stops you looking at their headlights.

£1641 a year seems a bit much for insurance, even if paying monthly. Could be worth looking into the cancellation policy (i.e. how much cancelling will set you back) of your current insurer and looking for quotes with others using confused.com and so on, to see if you can save any money overall. I found ecarinsurance.co.uk cheapest for me but shopping around is always best as there isn't a magic insurer. It is the 1.3 isn't it?

For brighter bulbs, ebay is usually cheapest. For example OSRAM H4 NIGHTBREAKER HEADLIGHT BULBS 90% *£11.50* on eBay, also Bulbs Lenses, Lights Lighting Accessories, Car Tuning Styling, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 17-Jun-08 17:30:25 BST) Ebay can also be good for the Haynes manuals.

It is 10 payments of £141 and i had to pay a £150 deposit. Altogether about 1500 something like that. And yeah it's the 1.3. It's cause im 18 and the insurance i have includes breakdown service. Its Quinn direct, i DONT recommend them. End of my contract i'm gonna go with someone else. My cousin went to Tesco's insurance and found them best for her. she's been with them for 6 years since she was 19.

I dont understand Paypal neihter, tried to register a few month back but didnt understand it. so ebay is out of the question unfortunatly cause they have haynes manuals and handbooks and parts on there.

I was thinking that; 18yo single student.

Try Endsleigh for your renewal, or Liverpool Victoria (LV= - Just what is that all about?), the later especially if you've a direct relative who is or was in the Civil Service. When I switched to them I became one of those people who "saved £150 by switching to", and I was only paying £360 to start with!!

I was thinking that; 18yo single student.

Try Endsleigh for your renewal, or Liverpool Victoria (LV= - Just what is that all about?), the later especially if you've a direct relative who is or was in the Civil Service. When I switched to them I became one of those people who "saved £150 by switching to", and I was only paying £360 to start with!!

Ah cool, ill have a good look around and use as many comparison websites as possible and then call up and try haggle :P When i signed up for Quinn i was really naive but now ive learnt my lesson and ill try get a better deal with someone else.

TBH you were always going to get rooked for this year's cover; next year you'll have a year's experience and NCD, and well you can see just what a 15% reduction in premium is going to do even without you being considered a "better risk".

First year or two is always the worst!

Im still young and paying for it... the points i've got don't help.

But im paying just over £600 fully comp and i'm 22 with 3 years NCD!

I was just talking to a friend about the subject, and 2 years back her son's first year's premium was fully £1900. Maybe your's doesn't seems quite so bad now LinL?

insurance is very steep for young male drivers, 1.3 felly for me (17,male, no previous policies so no NCB) comp best i found is £1700 from churchill, found them to be cheapest

and hell dont buy through a comparison site, they are dishonest and they dont give you the "cheapest ppossible quote" they tell you that the cheaper ones cant insure you with the details you provided, go to the bottom of the list of prices it gives you and get direct quotes from the ones that wouldnt quote you, confused.com told me churchill wouldnt insure me cuz of age or something and i got a direct quote from churchill and the others it said wouldnt quote me and mostwere cheaper. churchill came out on top, and there is also some companies that the comparison sites dont do.

the cheapest that confused gave me was £2200, THATS £500 DIFFERANCE!!!

some of my friends found exactly the same thing with comparison sites.

SO DONT JUST TAKE WHAT CONFUSED.COM SAYS, THEYRE ****

hope i save some of you some money