Just got a 51plate Fabia 1.4 8v covered 36000 miles since new as my first car

What should i look out for?

And what can i do to make it more efficient? (performance or economy)

And my radio flicks between cassette and fm and doesnt stop at either , any tips?

Cheers Guys

Just got a 51plate Fabia 1.4 8v covered 36000 miles since new as my first car

Excellent - its a nice torquey engine and it hasn't done many miles!

I'm guessing the reason it hasn't done too many miles is that it has been someone's shopping/local commute car?

What should i look out for?

Check the aux belt is still in good condition, there's no cam belt (its a cam chain) so this wont have been replaced, however if the car sounds rattly like a tractor this may need doing.

Do the headlights flicker when you are on full lock/using the power steering? There's plenty of that in the search. Does the temperature guage settle in the middle once the car is warm?

And what can i do to make it more efficient? (performance or economy)

Not a lot TBH, the 1.4 8v is not efficient, it's an old lump of an engine! Unless you drive like a saint, don't expect more than 38-40mpg. I drive mine quite hard and see 35mpg. Checking the temp sensor is working is a good start if you are getting poor economy. Cleaning the throttle bodies also helps.

And my radio flicks between cassette and fm and doesnt stop at either , any tips?

Yeah mine did that too, I ended up getting a new head unit fitted as it was more than its worth to fix. If you do get a new head unit, make sure you get an amplifier for the aerial, it is built in to the standard symphony unit.

Enjoy your car... I wish mine had only 36k on the clock... steadily approaching 102k in mine now!

Martin

If you don't need a CD player, I have a fully-functional MS402 radio-cassette you can have...

Other than the above, check that the doors don't leak, and the air con works if you have it (although it's shut off below 4degC to prevent the evaporator freezing, so you might need to wait for the weather to improve before you can check this!!!) Again, there is plenty on here regarding fixing these if they're problems you have!

Excellent - its a nice torquey engine and it hasn't done many miles!

I'm guessing the reason it hasn't done too many miles is that it has been someone's shopping/local commute car?

Check the aux belt is still in good condition, there's no cam belt (its a cam chain) so this wont have been replaced, however if the car sounds rattly like a tractor this may need doing.

Do the headlights flicker when you are on full lock/using the power steering? There's plenty of that in the search. Does the temperature guage settle in the middle once the car is warm?

Not a lot TBH, the 1.4 8v is not efficient, it's an old lump of an engine! Unless you drive like a saint, don't expect more than 38-40mpg. I drive mine quite hard and see 35mpg. Checking the temp sensor is working is a good start if you are getting poor economy. Cleaning the throttle bodies also helps.

Yeah mine did that too, I ended up getting a new head unit fitted as it was more than its worth to fix. If you do get a new head unit, make sure you get an amplifier for the aerial, it is built in to the standard symphony unit.

Enjoy your car... I wish mine had only 36k on the clock... steadily approaching 102k in mine now!

Martin

Yeah it was someones shopping trolley in the Livingston area and Its mine now so if you see a silver fabia around Glasgow give a us a toot

Nah it doesnt rattle the lights only flickered slightly when parking last night

It sits bang on middle of the scale , cheers for the heads up on the belts/chains , will keep an eye on them

If you don't need a CD player, I have a fully-functional MS402 radio-cassette you can have...

Other than the above, check that the doors don't leak, and the air con works if you have it (although it's shut off below 4degC to prevent the evaporator freezing, so you might need to wait for the weather to improve before you can check this!!!) Again, there is plenty on here regarding fixing these if they're problems you have!

Will check the doors when mother nature decides to warm up And nah it doesnt have air con

Nah it doesnt rattle the lights only flickered slightly when parking last night

Don't worry if the lights dim a bit while you're manoeuvring - this is simply down to the amount of current drawn by the power steering pump.

Don't worry if the lights dim a bit while you're manoeuvring - this is simply down to the amount of current drawn by the power steering pump.

Ah okay cheers

Nightbreakers or philps extremes?