Hi,

Me and my partner have an 04 Fabia VRS. We love the car, but have two persisting issues that I'd really welcome some advice on, in the hope of finding fixes.

Firstly, of all the cars in our street - and ours is far from the oldest - we get condensation on the inside windscreen like you wouldn't believe. It's like, enough to bath in. It is of course, especially bad in Winter. And yesterday I discovered mould growing on a sodden carpet behind the front passenger seat :( I fully appreciate that because we only use the car about once a week (I cycle to work, she walks) damp is going to be a problem. But it was still pretty bad last year when we were using the car more frequently. Does anyone here know if something can be done to reduce the condensation build up on the inside of the windscreen? Is there some filter I should change or anything to improve air flow inside the cabin? I'd also love to know what the little duct is on the floor behind the front passenger seat? If anyone could advice on solutions I'd be extremely grateful!

Secondly, earlier this year the door sensor that issues a bleep if the headlamps are left on gave up the ghost after a year when its health was on the slide. It's annoying as it's the kind of feature I want to have in a grown ups car (my previous car was a Ford Ka. Don't ask). We've just about been lucky not to have drained the battery from leaving the lights on (well, we don't use it much). But it needs fixing. Does anyone know if these are easy to fix or will it require my garage taking the whole door apart to check the wiring?

Any advice from fellow Fabia owners on how to solve these irritating problems will really be much appreciated. Cheers!

Condensation and wet carpet. Firstly check that the rear washer tube has not become disconnected under the trim located rear passenger side (2 big clips and it pulls off).

Do the seals on the doors have water resting on them when you open the doors? If so the door carrier is leaking and needs sealing. There are many threads on this topic. Here's a video explaining the problem and process of fixing it

The duct on floor under passenger seat is just an air vent, air will come out through it if you put the fans on full and turn the fan direction to feet. Once any leak is fixed you can use this to help dry it out.

When you open just the driver's door does the interior light turn on? If it does then the problem is likely to be the dash panel needing replacement. If it doesn't it will be a switch in the lock mechanism which I understand necessitates replacement of the entire lock mechanism.

Edited 7 November, 201015 yr by anewman

Condensation has been an issue for me the last few days, I suppose due to the unusual weather of late. I don't do anywhere near as much travelling in my furby now, so the quick trip to the train station and back daily means she doesn't get a good run out and the engine and interior doesn't get as warm. Having said that, I haven't cleaned the windows in months so all that build up of grease and dust sucked into the interior can't be helping either.

I would also suggest that if you even use a rag or cloth to dry the windows and then leave this in the car, you shouldn't as the dampness of the said rag/cloth can only exasperate the problem.

Check out this link for info on fixing your condensation issue. You can use roof and gutter sealant from B&Q for about £5 to sort it.

http://www.fabia-vrs.com/technical-info/door-carrier-repair/

Thanks very much for these replies. Such a quick response, I never imagined it. It's given me great hope I can now resolve these issues. What nice people Skoda drivers are...

Thanks very much for these replies. Such a quick response, I never imagined it. It's given me great hope I can now resolve these issues. What nice people Skoda drivers are...

Was having major condensation issues myself recently. Changed the pollen filter and can't believe the difference! No condensation due to the cabin being able to breathe, and the blower is 10 times more powerful too. Mind you - you should have seen all the dead leaves and crap that fell out of the old filter when I pulled it!!

Was having major condensation issues myself recently. Changed the pollen filter and can't believe the difference! No condensation due to the cabin being able to breathe, and the blower is 10 times more powerful too. Mind you - you should have seen all the dead leaves and crap that fell out of the old filter when I pulled it!!

Have to agree this helps.

Following a service including Pollen filter i haven noticed as much condensation...

You need to fix the door seals (if it is this), before winter properly sets in, or the damp on the carpets will get worse, and you will have ice forming on the inside of the windscreen! This is not ideal! If you need any door clips then I have some spares which I don't need - otherwise they're about 25p from Skoda. There's plenty of threads on here about door carrier seals. Roof and gutter sealant is definitely the recommended substance to be using though!

Did mine a few days ago, can't believe how quickly the condensation has reduced and now the seals are bone dry even after a heavy downpour.

Condensation and wet carpet. Firstly check that the rear washer tube has not become disconnected under the trim located rear passenger side (2 big clips and it pulls off).

could you tell me more on this, i have just done the carriers and the floor is still soaking although i never really dried it out, but when i put the rear wash wipe on, no water comes out, the tank has just been filled with screen wash too... Which bit of plastic trim pulls off??

And where is the pollen filter, i would like to replace this also, my fans are not strong at all :(

And slightly off topic (sorry for hijacking your thread), what/why does a fan kick in, well i think its a fan when i stick it in reverse?? it sounds like its coming from the passenger foot well under the glove box...

Stewart

The bit of trim you're looking at is the one below. There are two massive clips holding it in which are quite obvious, and there's a hidden push on clip and it slots into the bit at the top. The washer tube connection is arrowed, but cannot be seen in the picture. It is just a tube with a push-fit connection. Remember this can still be leaking, even if water comes out the the rear wash. Apparently the way to tell is if there is a delay between pressing to squirt and the screen wash coming out (as it empties and needs to fill up again). My understanding is this is an intentional weak link to stop the pipe bursting elsewhere, and it is more prone to burst if screenwash has frozen.

Pollen filter is under the dash to the right of the glovebox. There are two clips holding it which need to be pushed either inwards or outwards to allow the whole assembly to drop down. Try to take care to remember which way everything goes in.

Edited 10 November, 201015 yr by anewman

Cheers anewman will try and get it sorted tomorrow