A friend of mine has a Skoda Fabia 1.9 turbodiesel 2006 model. I offered to change the battery for him yesterday. However, I was very puzzled because the handbook stated, in capital letters, that the battery should be disconnected with the ignition in the on position otherwise damage would result. Now this is exactly the opposite of what I have been used to. My intention was to use a battery keeper from a slave battery to the EOBD socket with the ignition off. I have googled this but can find no information. Has anyone encountered any instance of a car requiring the ignition to be on when disconnecting the battery and what is the reason for it? I would have thought that fitting a battery keeper would be perfectly satisfactory. All information gratefully received.

manual is wrong, ignition off and keys out when changing the battery.

thanks for that - in passing, how do you get the fuses/cage off? I managed to release one clip. but didn't want to go any further as I was confused by the (incorrect) manual instructions. What is the battery code? what CCAs? Skoda/ Haynes not at all helpful!

Is this for a Fabia II or Fabia I?

Even if someone quotes a battery, measure yours up just to be sure if you are fitting it yourself, as most web sites say that my 56 plate 1.4TDI has an 096 battery, only Euro Car Parts mentions an 027 which is physically shorter and actually the correct one (an 096 would not go in the tray). I know from reading various posts that the 1.9 PD VRS appears to have had a mid life change of battery to the 027 on the later models. To get the tray off, I had to pass a screwdriver down the back to ease the clips, the one at the back being the worst.

Edited 10 December, 201114 yr by KeithCheetham