The Missus W reg 1.4MPI Classic has an oil leak all of a sudden. Trying to locate it, and I'l like to whip off the plastic engine cover to look underneath - how does one go about doing that? Is it just the apparent 2 bolts?

Also, given that the car is quite a basic one (wind up windows, minimal dash buttons etc), I was rather suprised to find it has a trip computer fitted with the stalk etc to flick the displays between MPG and the other readings - is this original, or would it have been a modification at some point?

If it's original, I'm jealous...! My Astra doesn't get one of those..heh..

Remove the skodda badge and you'll find another bolt, another one is under the small plastic circle cover towards the p/s, the rest are obvious. I have a Y reg 1.4mpi classic and have no trip computer or cruise control etc. so i'd expect it was an option, one i'd like to have!

Ah, cheers! Yes, I thought it was odd - first time I had a cursory look at it, I thought "ruddy big complex looking lever, this..."..then noted the "reset" button, variable wipe delay and "toggle" end button, and thought "On a base model? Nahhh...".

Then fired it up yesterday after replacing the pollen filter and wipers, and had a play...presto, MPG readout, miles done, miles left to a tank, and so on.

No cruise control though.

Would love to fit one to my Astra, but apart from a scangauge or similar, it'd be a big wiring job and a lot of sensors that I don't have time to do, heh.

I will admit, I'm slowly warming to the Fabia....I love my Astra's, and I need automatic..I might be tempted to see if I can find a Fabia auto to play with..

The trip computer and cruise are the two things I do miss each day compared to the previous VAG based cars i've owned/driven. I rate the DSG quite highly as auto's go and have had it on a Mk5 Golf, Mk2 Octavia and Mk2 Leon, it's never missed a beat and the Octavia was over 100k. The standard 'auto' option isn't so great, last time I looked at the approved used Skoda listings the 1.2 and vRS were the only cars I noticed DSG as being available on though.

With the astra if you have a smart phone you can get a wifi or bluetooth obd2 tool that should be able to give mpg info etc. as well as read generic fault codes.

My TDi, has trip /miles left to empty / time/ overall consumption/real time consumption /miles covered .No cruise ,though .Tried it on a hire car once -not impressed . About the only time I might need it is in an average speed limit, but so far i've coped .Loved my Vauxhalls since my FD Victor ,Cav MK1 &2 and my Astra estate .Wife raves on about the latest Astra ,but my dream would be an Insignia 2L diesel .

Oh yes, the DSG is a lovely bit of kit. When my last Astra got totalled by someone accelerating into the back of it, my loan car was, much to my amazement, a Golf mk6 1.6FSI with the 6 speed DSG, in metallic grey/black. "It was the nearest equivalent to your 1.6 auto on the fleet, mate".

Mother of god, did that shift..and the smoothness of the DSG made my old AF13 4 speeder look clunky! It turned all the school management heads too, as they dropped it in the deputy heads spot (I'm only an IT Tech)..."who's is THAT?"..erm, mine...and they stared,,

Lovely motor. Couldn't afford it in a month of Sundays. As the DSG gets older, I'd like another..in a Skoda, or a VW, I'm not picky. The fact that it cracked 500 miles to a tank (my old Astra could do 430 and was probably a fair bit lighter) was impressive..

Once you've had cruise control you can't live without it!

Possibly the best invention ever!!

tried it - but like ABS, think it's a bit over rated . It takes a lot of the fun out of driving. Driving to me ,after 45 years on the road is all about control . If I get to close to car in front.I lift off. With Cruise, ther's another few soconds to find te brake pedal , to switch it off . Only time ,as I said, I found it usefull was in average speed areas, to give me more time to lok out for the idiots. More control taken away from driver , the worse the standard of driving becomes .

Air conditioning was a factory option and cars ordered with it came with the trip computer.