Hi

A few issues on behalf of a friend who owns a 1.3 Felicia 1998 its done 85,000 miles. A few months back he had his exhaust redone and the fitter mentioned that the engine was making a noise and suggested it was very serious, I told my friend not to worry as he doesn't use it much and as the car has such little value he might as well just run it into the ground, however the car has just failed its MOT on:

• Brake imbalance
  
• Excessive play in the wheel bearing
  
• advisory on corroded rear shock
  

With the engine noises as well I wondering whether to advise him just to scrap out the car, I hope i'm not offending anyone here but its milage is high for the small engine and the credit crunch hits all of us and he could pick up another for £300.

Can anyone guide me on the cause of the engine noises it sounds rougher than just tappets, when the car moves away it has to be held at higher revs and idles a little erratically. The MOT centre told him it sounded like a loose timing chain, could this be correct and is replacing the timing chain a difficult job DIY wise or expensive.

I'm used to cambelts and more modern much quieter and smoother running engines, its difficult to diagnose on the felicia because it makes a lot of noise at the best of times.

85k miles isn't high :P The noise probably will be the chain. The design didn't incorporate a pretensioner, the chains get loose and noisy. The parts to change the timing chain cost about £40, to get a garage to do it would cost about £160 in total. Apparently it's not too challenging a DIY job, and is explained in the Haynes manual, but not tried it myself. But it's more an annoying noise than anything so can safely be left a while.

Brake imbalance. Rear is easy to adjust.

Excessive play in wheel bearing - rear ones are easy to adjust.

Rear shock absorbers - not too difficult to change DIY and if you look on ebay a pair of rear shocks can be easily had delivered for under £40.

If he spends another £300 on one what's the chance that will need even more work doing on it?

You'd get more for it on ebay as spares and repairs than scrapping it, what with scrap metal values being rock bottom now.

Thanks, its not the rear brakes that are unbalanced unfortunately it is the front as is the wheel bearing, the garage said he needs a new wishbone on front to solve excessive play at £120 and are going to get back to him on the brakes. Do you think they rakes will be a seized caliper orjust the need of new pads, if its just pads and disks I'll do it for him.

If the timing chain is that cheap it will probably be worth doing then. My renault cambelt change cost £350 I thought it would be more in the region of that. What exactely should be changed the timing belt and both the gears or is their more too it?

I agree if it is that cheap to repair it is def worth keeping the bodywork isin really good shape.

Do you know if its springs and shocks on the rear or is it torsion bar shocks?

Many thanks

Do you think they rakes will be a seized caliper orjust the need of new pads, if its just pads and disks I'll do it for him.

I'm not really an expert but could just be seized guide pins perhaps? Could it even be the play in the wheel bearing causing it perhaps?

If the timing chain is that cheap it will probably be worth doing then. My renault cambelt change cost £350 I thought it would be more in the region of that. What exactely should be changed the timing belt and both the gears or is their more too it?

Here's the complete kit Complete Timing Chain Repair Kit for Skoda Felicia 1.3 >1997 - £34.29 : Skoda Parts, Jorily, The Skoda Parts Shop - Probably the UKs largest independent skoda parts supplier although this is for pre 1997 models. If you contact them Jorily should have the appropriate bits. When I asked a dealer for a quote they said £200 for the job including parts vat and labour, and an independent told me £160. I've just left it on mine for now as doesn't appear to affect running and is just a bit noisy.

Do you know if its springs and shocks on the rear or is it torsion bar shocks?

Coil springs around the shocks, although to be honest they're not all that compressed on the rear ones. You'd probably get away with using thick cable ties on the spring, although spring compressors would be preferable. These Coil Spring Compressor Kit - Screwfix.com, Where the Trade Buys worked ok for me.

Thats, great thanks much appreciated.

my felly 1.3 has nearly 100000 miles on her i done the timing chain my self good afternoons work as the sump as to come off..

I had a Favorit with 141K on it - with the same 1.3 engine. I have heard of other people who have had 300K out of the 1.3 - you should get a bit mileage out of it yet.

:)Where do you live?

If the bodywork is good fix it.

Brake imbalance

Front wheel bearings unsure of but the rears are easy to adjust and so are the shocks.

My mechanic always charges a good rate for working on my car and gives a realistic opinion on everything.

Thanks to all the above it all got sorted fairly cheaply in the end he opted to justlet the garage do the wishbone £120.

i can't figure out why it needed a new wishbone to tighten up a bearing?

a new wishbone inc bushes is £45 and half an hours work. that means the garage are charging £150ph!!!!

Wishbones are only £25-00 including bushes.