Hi

Something is draining the battery on my Fabia I TDI. I suspect the radio, though other suggestions are welcome. (The alternator is new.) The radio was installed by some sort of ape and I can't get the screws undone, so in the short term I'd like to take the fuse out. Could someone tell me which one it is, please? I hope it's not shared with anything else...

Cheers,

Simon

The switched live and the permanent live are in the opposite position compared to standard on VAG cars, so you may well be right in identifying the radio as the source of your problem (convertors are available, or you can just swap the pins in the harness). The fuse you need is Fuse 45, which is only shared with sat nav (if you have it):

http://www.fabia-vrs.com/technical-info/fuse-panel-layout/

You shouldn't need to unscrew anything to get the radio out, though?!?

The switched live and the permanent live are in the opposite position compared to standard on VAG cars, so you may well be right in identifying the radio as the source of your problem (convertors are available, or you can just swap the pins in the harness). The fuse you need is Fuse 45, which is only shared with sat nav (if you have it):

http://www.fabia-vrs.com/technical-info/fuse-panel-layout/

You shouldn't need to unscrew anything to get the radio out, though?!?

Many thanks. I don't know much about electrics, though I'm slightly curious about the switched/permanent live issue: the radio cannot be switched on without the column switch at the 'on' position... BUT, if the radio has been on during a journey, it doesn't shut down until you actually remove the ignition key.

As to unecessary screwing, it's not the original radio.

You should be able to switch it on without the key in at all, but it will turn off when you take the key out. So it sounds like you might be right there. Aftermarket radio or not, I don't like the sound of screws! Can you get the tray underneath and the two vertical strips either side out, at all?

You should be able to switch it on without the key in at all, but it will turn off when you take the key out. So it sounds like you might be right there. Aftermarket radio or not, I don't like the sound of screws! Can you get the tray underneath and the two vertical strips either side out, at all?

Hmm. I'm in here, and it's out there. I'll wrap myself up and have a look. I can tell you, though, that there's a blanking piece above the radio, and this rattles over certain surfaces making it NOT my favourite component.

Right then: the cubby under the radio feels as though it's supposed to come out, but it won't with finger-power alone. The blanking panel above the radio wobbles and rattles, but I'm uneasy about applying any real screwdriver-type leverage in case I cause injury. The little panels each side of the radio probably pop out, but I'm not sure where to apply leverage and how much to apply. So I think I'll go with the fuse for the time being.

Cheers,

Simon