I know there was a minor facelift and a few changes along the lines after 04 but is anyone able to summarise any changes, cosmetic or otherwise after the 04 model?

Edited 26 October, 201015 yr by Dougie S

I know there was a minor facelift and a few changes along the lines after 04 but is anyone able to summarise any changes, cosmetic or otherwise after the 04 model?

The BLT engine was from 06 onwards?

Which apparantly produes 150 bhp but... idk.

Erm, the yellows went from lemon yellow to sprint yellow....

Sure its 06 the facelift?

The Dash changed texture

The rear light Cluster changed shade

On the very early models the final drive gear was a different ratio

Later models had three point center back seat belt (i think)

BLT engines came in 2006

I'm sure there is a link to many more but i cant remember off the top of my head

Matt

I know there was a minor facelift and a few changes along the lines after 04 but is anyone able to summarise any changes, cosmetic or otherwise after the 04 model?

Could you clarify - as I read that you're only interested in changes AFTER the 2004 facelift?

The 2004 facelift was in any case a rolling programme - some changes were made before others - they didn't all happen at the same time and my 2004vRS had some but not others - there are a number of changes at this point.

Changes AFTER the 2004 facelift had gone through though are minimal:

~ BLT engine - late 2005/early 2006 - I think this statement may refer to it: "From week 43, 24th October 2005 the Fabia vRS engine becomes EUIV compliant."

~ Leather became a dealer fit option - around early 2006 (the price lists start featuring it though the cost is initally noted as TBA)

~ Earlier cars were Lemon Yellow 8Q8Q. Later cars were Sprint Yellow F2F2. The date of the change was "week 22 (29 May 2006)"

~ Battery - became smaller - changed from 340 A (70 Ah) to 330 A (61 Ah) - and the design of the battery and its top cover changed. Date not known but possibly associated with the BLT engine change

~ Rear brakes may have changed (option code changes on later cars)

~ "Last drop wipe" feature was deleted as the default option - later cars need VAGCOM to turn it on - circa first half mid 2006. (corrected - see post #16)

~ Recirc air mode switches off automatically if air direction selected for windscreen - but can be manually switched back on (not sure if this was a change or a clarification in the supplementary manual).

~ Necessity to replace the belt tensioners and the airbag system modules after 15 years done away with (not sure if this was a change or a clarification in the supplementary manual).

... and one I'm currently investigating - a possible change to the top brake light - on the basis I could see it operating in the old car (2004vRS) but can't in the new one... Did the surround change?

Edited 28 October, 201015 yr by DRJ

For clarity a few points to mention:

The Dash changed texture

The change in dash texture was late on during the 2004 facelift update programme - my 2004vRS didn't have it but did have all the other facelift changes - apart from the price increase!

The rear light Cluster changed shade

Incorrect - it didn't change "shade" - it changed design...

On the very early models the final drive gear was a different ratio

Somewhat incorrect and very frequently misquoted - the car in any case has two final drive ratios and the gear ratios changed as well - refer my posting of the full charts elsewhere on this forum illustrating this.

Later models had three point center back seat belt (i think)

That was a pre-facelift change - standardisation of a three point rear centre seatbelt occurred from build week 38/2004 (26 April 2004) onwards

Edited 27 October, 201015 yr by DRJ

I'm getting rather an anorak at this...

it would appear so....

When I sealed Bezzys doors recently I noted his had door lock pins

on all the doors instead of just the front. I think his was an 04 or a 54.

From reeding post on leaking doors, do we know when the door carrier changed from screw to rivets? Was it pre vRS?

I'm not sure what my 04 vRS has, but it leaks.

I'm getting rather an anorak at this...

do you mind if i agree with you on this?

When I sealed Bezzys doors recently I noted his had door lock pins

on all the doors instead of just the front. I think his was an 04 or a 54.

The deletion of the rear door lock pins was a 2004 Facelift change - I had it on my 2004vRS...

Ahh, basically I have the option of an early 06 model (jan) or an 04 model with the older style lights. The 06 is a bit nicer condition and has leather heated seats but though mileage is similar it will probs be about £1000-1500 more expensive. Both have the garret turbo retrofitted and some similar mods though the 06 seems a bit more meticulously kept. Not sure whether the extra cash is really worth it given the price will drop by at least 50% no doubt over the next few years.

Another couple of changes to add to the list......

Front grille was changed from "slats all facing head on" to "slats split half and half pointing in towards the centre".

Lane change indicators added.

The battery cover/surround was changed between 2005 and 2006. Our two cars have different ones.

Not sure about the last drop wipe thing mentioned above.... Our 05 and 06 cars both had it from new.

Cheers

Dave.

Edited 28 October, 201015 yr by WaveyDavey

'Comfort' indication added from 04-plate onwards (don't know the build week, sorry DRJ!). So not strictly a 'facelift' change.

Both my 04-plates had it; my 53-plate did not.

Steve

P.S. Has anyone mentioned the ASR/ESP icon graphic changing too??

Please note everyone I believe we're supposed to be commenting about the changes that occurred AFTER the facelift changes had gone through - hence I need to comment on some of the above responses...

Front grille was changed from "slats all facing head on" to "slats split half and half pointing in towards the centre".

That's definitely a facelift change hence I didn't mention it previously - my 2004vRS had the changed grille.

Lane change indicators added.

I presume by that you mean the "convenience turn signal" - from the manual:

If you only wish to flash three times (the so-called convenience turn

signal*), push the lever briefly up to the upper or lower pressure point

and release it.

That's certainly not a post facelift change but it may be a facelift change that I wasn't aware of - my 2004vRS had this feature.

The battery cover/surround was changed between 2005 and 2006. Our two cars have different ones.

I mentioned that one in post #4...

Not sure about the last drop wipe thing mentioned above.... Our 05 and 06 cars both had it from new.

My quote was from the supplementary manual dated 05/2006 that came with my car - hence perhaps should have said "mid 2006" rather than "early 2006" for this.

'Comfort' indication added from 04-plate onwards (don't know the build week, sorry DRJ!). So not strictly a 'facelift' change.

Please explain what this is - I can't fathom...

P.S. Has anyone mentioned the ASR/ESP icon graphic changing too??

No - missed that one - I believe this IS a post facelift change but don't know when apart from being between 2004 and 2007...

I'm getting rather an anorak at this...

No ****

Please explain what this is - I can't fathom..

The ability of the indicators to flash 3 times with a 'tap' of the indicator stalk.

I'm getting rather an anorak at this...

I think you need to consider stopping before you appear on that 'Freak Like Me' TV show.

The facelift came on an 05 model year that's why some of them were spread on different reg's.

'Comfort' indication added from 04-plate onwards (don't know the build week, sorry DRJ!). So not strictly a 'facelift' change.

Please explain what this is - I can't fathom...

The ability of the indicators to flash 3 times with a 'tap' of the indicator stalk.

Sorry - but you're getting terminology confused there - it's not "Comfort" but rather "Convenience" - as I've confirmed by quotation from the manual in post #16 after WaveyDavey mentioned it in post #13

The facelift came on an 05 model year that's why some of them were spread on different reg's.

Sorry, i'm not clear what you're getting at here. The main point regarding the facelift to be borne in mind is that it didn't happen all in one go with all cars up to a certain point being pre-facelift and the next car having all the facelift items in. My 2004vRS was a case in point - it didn't have the new dash top or the price increase but did have all the other items (I think). Skoda appear to have a "continuous improvement" policy and hence changes generally occur randomly rather than at set points - though the facelift does appear to have been much more coordinated. I suspect that the fact my car had the older dash texture was simply a case of running down stocks of the old component to save them going into spares stock when hardly anyone is going to retro-replace a dashtop. The same may have happened with other seldom needed spare parts like the different rear door cards.

In terms of when it was introduced, I bought my vRS approx one month after a friend bought his - both as new cars and both from the same dealer. His was pre-facelift and registered on a 54 plate on 1 September 2004, whereas mine was post-facelift and registered on a 54 plate in October 2004. I conclude it's just possible that a very early post-facelift car was registered on a 04 plate and clearly the last few pre-facelift cars were on 54 plates but generally it's the case that 53 and 04 cars are pre-facelift and 54 onwards are post-facelift

I'm getting rather an anorak at this...

just a tad....

I forgot something else - another change which happened somewhere between 2004 and 2007 - the design of the FABIA badge changed.

Edited 29 October, 201015 yr by DRJ