The original g12 red coolant mixed with blue/green stuff can make a gel.

The original g12 red coolant mixed with blue/green stuff can make a gel.

Thats true... Could be that I guess.

One of my mates managed to flush his old system out (after a blowing head gasket caused oil contamination) with water mixed with bio washing powder... Worked a treat. It was spotless by the time he rinsed it out with water before refilling with g12...

...The strange things we think of when desperate for solutions to everyday problems.

I aim to have them check EVERYTHING before deciding on a head gasket replacement. It's the last thing I need. Is the oily coolant not a by-product of the overcooling caused by the original broken stat? I don't know. I'm miles away from the garage but they are friends of my mate's family, didn't seem the type to rip me off.

Oil in the coolant is pretty much an indicator that the gasket is either blowing, been blowing previously (and fixed without doing a proper flush), or blown.

I'd say depending on how much oil is in there that it probably needs looking at carefully and replacing... But depending on how confident you are and how bad it is, it could cost you anything from just parts and a weekend tinkering to an arm and a leg if you're paying for labour alongside parts.

If the engine had been overheating for a long period of time however... The head could have warped. That would be MUCH worse than a head gasket blowing slightly, as it'd require either another head or skimming of the existing head depending on how bad it is. Not a pretty job either way you look at it, and you could be without a car for a while if you're strapped for cash (who isn't?).

In any case, to do it via a garage is likely to cost you a bomb. For them to even get the head off to diagnose will cost in labour... And at the worst you'll have a car stuck in the garage with them until it gets done either way.

I'd say if they can flush the system and confirm the stat and housing is ok... Do that and get it to wherever you need it to stay (possibly via a tow) and then prepare for some serious diagnosis alongside more than likely a head gasket replacement by the sounds of it - And just hope that it's only a gasket replacement.

Needless to say I'm cacking myself. Anything regarding a head gasket is an expensive job isn't it.

Needless to say I'm cacking myself. Anything regarding a head gasket is an expensive job isn't it.

You say that, but if you're not in a major rush, and not afraid of taking things apart and putting them back together... And the head isn't damaged... Then it's only really the cost of a new gasket set and a set of head bolts. If the head is slightly warped, taking it to a motor engineering workshop to get it skimmed shouldn't set you back too much - you'll pretty much save a bomb on labour.

Any update?

It was the HG - replaced yesterday and I'm off to collect today. No idea of cost yet. Gulp.

Car working fine now. Stat wasn't faulty but housing has been sealed up. Got a new radiator. Not sure what sequence of events led to the malfunctioning in the first place. Seems a coincidence that the HG blew after I fitted the new stat. Or maybe my handiwork brought about its demise sooner.

Could be that the new stat built the pressure up like it did not with the failed one in, causing the HG to go. I think my HG is slowly going, and it's a known issue. There was an improved headgasket released made by temac. I believe you are supposed to be able to tell by looking at the top of the block at the visible part of the headgasket and it should either have a T or Temac printed there. It's unfortunate it happened after you swapped out the thermostat, but don't let it put you off doing little jobs - I don't think it was your fault - was either bound to happen or a fault with the thermostat.

Could be that the new stat built the pressure up like it did not with the failed one in, causing the HG to go. I think my HG is slowly going, and it's a known issue. There was an improved headgasket released made by temac. I believe you are supposed to be able to tell by looking at the top of the block at the visible part of the headgasket and it should either have a T or Temac printed there. It's unfortunate it happened after you swapped out the thermostat, but don't let it put you off doing little jobs - I don't think it was your fault - was either bound to happen or a fault with the thermostat.

Seconded. It could have happened to any one of us really - those parts are all inter-connected and dependent on each other.

At some point, it might be good for us MPI'ers to meet up and compare some notes/tips... There's lots of info about there for VRS owners, but not so much for us little MPI'ers!

At some point, it might be good for us MPI'ers to meet up and compare some notes/tips... There's lots of info about there for VRS owners, but not so much for us little MPI'ers!

I think main things are temp sender/self-destruct thermostat. Headgasket. Timing chain on higher mileage vehicles (no tensioner fitted so if it stretches it gets loose). Rather poor MPG compared with more modern cars of similar cylinder displacement capacity. Otherwise they are generally quite bullet proof.

Then I think everything else is shared with VRS etc, like leaky door carriers.

So if my timing chain goes I can complete the set!

I think it's quite a charming engine, a relic of the old Skoda. And I've grown fond of it since I started tinkering with it.

By the way, was someone saying the push-in oil caps were hot property? I may well cash in on mine...

So if my timing chain goes I can complete the set!

I think it's quite a charming engine, a relic of the old Skoda. And I've grown fond of it since I started tinkering with it.

By the way, was someone saying the push-in oil caps were hot property? I may well cash in on mine...

Yep, they are.

Plenty of people (me included) don't like the plastic engine cover on top of the little MPI engine, and usually choose to ditch it in favour of the alternative cap. I would, however when I got this car on the cheap (and it's beginning to show) it seems that the previous owner attempted plenty of DIY and lost parts - and so now I don't have one. :(

After picking up a replacement rocker cover after realising that previous owners had cracked it (cheers Darren), I need to go find me one heh. Jorily do caps at £3.99 a pop so might be a plan... Unless you're willing to part with yours at a better price?

I have just replaced the entire housing, thermostat and temp sender on mine - dramatic improvement.

The old one does show dramatically the problem. The thermostat housing has a couple of plastic lugs on it, which managed to both destroy themselves which results in the thermostat being totally buggered, which then renders the temp sender useless - Which then results in terrible fuel consumption and from what I saw, rather poor performance.

Replaced it today, and a dramatic improvement (aside from me noticing some bright spark had over-tightened the rocker cover and left it cracked and warped, update on that when I get a replacement. Might even take some piccies heh).

For the cost of a genuine temp sender, you may as well get the entire housing. And if you get an official part, guaranteed for 2 years

Hi there

Yep, they are.

Plenty of people (me included) don't like the plastic engine cover on top of the little MPI engine, and usually choose to ditch it in favour of the alternative cap. I would, however when I got this car on the cheap (and it's beginning to show) it seems that the previous owner attempted plenty of DIY and lost parts - and so now I don't have one.

After picking up a replacement rocker cover after realising that previous owners had cracked it (cheers Darren), I need to go find me one heh. Jorily do caps at £3.99 a pop so might be a plan... Unless you're willing to part with yours at a better price?

Hi there mate can I ask a question please?

I am having over fuelling problems with my 2002 skoda fabia 1.4 mpi,100miles to £30! I have just recently purchased the car and the temperature gauge was being a little funny rising to 1/2 then dropping to 1/4 and soon after the engine management light appeared!. I have stumbled across one of your earlier threads and decided to have the car examined at my local garage. The mechanic did a diagnostic check and found the temp sensor needed replacing. I initially had this replaced and the temp gauge sorted itself out, the over fuelling however was the same the car is returning very low mpg so I decided to have a look at a few other thing you mentioned in your earlier threads. The mechanic did a complete service on the car oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs etc... He also mentioned the coil pack looked as though it has been changed very recently, he cleaned out the throttle body and map sensor and after leaving his garage the engine management light re-appeared? The next 2 steps are the thermostat, possibly new thermostat housing and flushing the cooling system? Any ideas what the problem actually is or how I can get to the route cause of the slight misfire and over fuelling without a long winded process of elimination? Thanks

If the temperature rises quick enough, and doesn't drop, then I suspect the thermostat itself is ok.

Are there any other codes, as these are likely to give an indication?

After cleaning the throttle body, it's worth running a throttle body adaptation using the diagnostic equipment.

£30 to 100 miles is about 20mpg at 129.9p/l.

Hi there mate can I ask a question please?

I am having over fuelling problems with my 2002 skoda fabia 1.4 mpi,100miles to £30! I have just recently purchased the car and the temperature gauge was being a little funny rising to 1/2 then dropping to 1/4 and soon after the engine management light appeared!. I have stumbled across one of your earlier threads and decided to have the car examined at my local garage. The mechanic did a diagnostic check and found the temp sensor needed replacing. I initially had this replaced and the temp gauge sorted itself out, the over fuelling however was the same the car is returning very low mpg so I decided to have a look at a few other thing you mentioned in your earlier threads. The mechanic did a complete service on the car oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs etc... He also mentioned the coil pack looked as though it has been changed very recently, he cleaned out the throttle body and map sensor and after leaving his garage the engine management light re-appeared? The next 2 steps are the thermostat, possibly new thermostat housing and flushing the cooling system? Any ideas what the problem actually is or how I can get to the route cause of the slight misfire and over fuelling without a long winded process of elimination? Thanks

Your next port of call? And the most likely one considering you got a management light...

Lambda sensors. The problem with over-fuelling is that it coats the lambdas in soot. And one of the key fuelling calculators for the MPI engine are (in order) temp sensor, map, lambda 1, lambda 2. Lambda 1 is on the exhaust manifold and i'd wager that has had it.

Now as for your misfire... Could be caused by many things but i'd sort your pre-cat lambda first, and see if it goes away. If not... Then suspect coil pack and/or head gasket. To confirm get a compression test done on your cylinders which should confirm.