Checked the coolant earlier on the Felly, and it was below minimum...Also a bit of mayo inside the filler cap...Oh dear...

you have a leak!!!!!!

a bit of mayo is to be expected in this temperature, could be waterpump seals or anything

I've noticed its been a little sluggish though recently, but that could be the valve clearances needing doing...

I agree if that much coolant went in the engine you'd have more than "a bit" of mayo.

I had a similar worry a few weeks back - it seems I had an external leak that only occurred when the temperature dropped below zero. Replacing the thermostat housing o-ring and cleaning up the mating surfaces seems to have resolved the problem. Start the engine from cold and have close look to see if there's any seepage around the likely places (water pump, thermostat housing, etc.). A pale cloth or sheet of kitchen roll comes in handy for finding drips you might not otherwise see - just hold it against the area and see if it comes away with any pink spots on it.

Will have to check at the weekend as it is always bloody dark when the car is at home..Topped it back up with a mix of proper red Skoda coolant, and some of our rediculously hard water...That wont do the car any robin hood, but well...

Wherabouts is the water pump on the MPi so I know where to look for said water leaks?

Should be same as SPI I'd have thought bottom left of engine as you face it, driven by the drive belt.

I've noticed a puddle of water down there. Looks a swine to get there thanks to the airbox & pas pump....

Well, at least there's an obvious culprit! The whole airbox/intake is actually dead easy to remove so you can go in from the top - the main pain is that in FWD form, the water pump casing doubles as the engine mount so it's slightly more than a simple unbolt job.

Bugger...

Yup it is most deffo that. Leaking at the bottom of it by the looks. And why make the pump housing part of the engine mount? I havent got the gear to sort that job...Harrumph! Doesn't seem to be losing much at the mo, and the car has been stuck in traffic a lot lately. Temp needle goes to about 3/4 in traffic, the fan cuts in and drops to about half. Barely gets above half in normal driving, and you can see when the stat opens, as the temp drops on the gauge..

And why make the pump housing part of the engine mount?

You mean why make the engine mount part of the pump housing?

As for gear - when I did my timing belt I also dismantled and removed the whole engine mount (to renew the rubber bit) with nothing but a small plank of wood on a couple of bricks under the sump and a jack under the sill to lift it a couple of inches as and when needed. From what I can tell, although the mount is different on the 1.3, the procedure looks pretty much the same - be glad you don't have aircon pipes right in the way...

Absolutely nowt round here like that mate. I live in a flat, plus I have bugger all tools. Might try and see if I can do it round the FIL's when I get chance. Also need to take the stereo out because who ever replaced the Grundig put the plastic housing in backwards co it doesnt go into the clips on the inside of the dash..Eeejits. Also the wiring was dangling in the footwell..Now shoved up into the dash..

Need to find a cheap spanner monkey who will do it for some beer tokens..