DaKKs_152's Fabia 1.4MPI

[waool1988]

Thanks man ... And I understood you right away ... I understand ECU remapping is your sister's speciality; however, I would get the info from you if you were going to help me :p

I have the VAG COM 409 cable but I could not make it work with any software. I tired almost all VCDS versions with no success. I will try once more this weekend and I am going to give it a go with FreeSSM too.

I did a couple things for my car made it rev happier beyond 4500RPM. I blocked all crank case breathers from the intake system and let the crank case breath throw small filter. The performance differed noticeably at high RPMs. I thought you would be interested in this because you have an identical engine.

[DaKKs_152]

Thanks man ... And I understood you right away ... I understand ECU remapping is your sister's speciality; however, I would get the info from you if you were going to help me :p

I have the VAG COM 409 cable but I could not make it work with any software. I tired almost all VCDS versions with no success. I will try once more this weekend and I am going to give it a go with FreeSSM too.

I did a couple things for my car made it rev happier beyond 4500RPM. I blocked all crank case breathers from the intake system and let the crank case breath throw small filter. The performance differed noticeably at high RPMs. I thought you would be interested in this because you have an identical engine.

Ta for the tip. I'll get right on it after the MOT. They're a bit cranky (pun not intended) about engine mods over here.

To tell you the truth, the cables might be a hit or miss. Go for the more expensive ones. You can get cables for 5 quid or 20. The really cheap ones are rubbish. I had one and i had to resolder the usb connector to the board, quality control ftw...

Also, FreeSSM does not work on VAG cars (or engines, more specifically). I use VCDS for VAG and FreeSSM for the rest. FreeSSM works splendid on Subaru, BMW and Mercedes. I dunno what makes those special, but when i connected it to my sister's A-class, the damn thing could show me what I had for breakfast.

[waool1988]

Our MOT are particulate too! .... And yup, I got a cheap one :/ .. I was not sure it would work so I got it cheap, but it looks good quality though :/

I did not have the skoda this weekend. My cousin had an accident and I gave him the car for the time being.

I want to ask you a question though. What does work for Renaults? ... I have a 197 and I would like to be able to check what the ecu doing

[DaKKs_152]

Our MOT are particulate too! .... And yup, I got a cheap one :/ .. I was not sure it would work so I got it cheap, but it looks good quality though :/

I did not have the skoda this weekend. My cousin had an accident and I gave him the car for the time being.

I want to ask you a question though. What does work for Renaults? ... I have a 197 and I would like to be able to check what the ecu doing

Any generic ODB2 cable and software should work. It wont be perfect unless you go for pro equipment, but for clearing DTCs ans stuff, it'll do fine.

[waool1988]

Thanks man

[DaKKs_152]

It seems this thread is at an end. My father's colleague broke the driver side door lock. By broke, I mean buggered it up beyond all recognition, the damn key turns 360 degrees in the lock. And since the passenger side is already broken I will need to replace the entire set and program new keys, something that the insurance company will never accept. Its around 500-600 euros including new locks and keys. And I wont mention the windows I'll have to break in order to move the car. Which is more than 18% of the car's market value. Its probably getting written off. I could probably spin a story about a break in, but I doubt they'd fix it.

All good things must come to an end, it seems. I might return with a Roomster or Rapid this summer, but for now, I'm probably just gonna buy a cheap banger and drive it 'til it dies.

[waool1988]

;(

[MillsyVRS]

sorry to hear that mate, i enjoyed watching the progress you made. You must have been fuming!

[DaKKs_152]

Still fuming here. He's lucky that I have to knock out a window to move the car or I would've knocked his teeth out. I can let my anger out of the glass instead.

I mean, its not about the car. A car can be replaced, even if I did love the little bugger, its more that all my hard work and money will go to waste, cause the insurance company sure as hell isn't going to care about new speakers, engine mods or anything. To them, its a high mileage, decade old budget car. (The Fabia was once Sweden's cheapest car.)

[DaKKs_152]

Update:

After a a few heated emails and phone calls, my insurance company agreed to fix the car. Just got it back this afternoon.

New stereo wiring, driver side window and new locks. I raised some hell about the glass fragments so they cleaned the entire interior too. All the stains are gone. Had this annoying coke stain after an idiot copper pulled out in front of me and my McDonalds dinner hit the windshield... The saying "Fan hit, **** everywhere" comes to mind...

[waool1988]

Congratulations

[Dethtardis]

Just read the thread with interest, I really like what you've done. Good news on the keys, it's a pain having such a secure car!

A few weeks ago I went to top up the coolant on mine and it locked with keys in the ignition. Didn't have a spare so I got an auto locksmith to open it. Not before I took a hammer and a screwdriver to the lock in panic. Didn't hit it hard enough to destroy, fortunately

Jut wondering, how does your oil cap fit straight into the rocker cover? Is it a different part? Mine only seems to fit into the crappy plastic tea tray.

When your servo was going, did the brake pedal make a 'pfff-ffff-fff' noise as you depressed it? My idle is still erratic and I can't think why

Also, if you're wondering about cone filters, here's one I fitted one into the airbox...

Don't use a drill or a saw, use a soldering iron instead! I lopped the whole bottom off below where it attatches, I think it's the resonance chamber. Now it sounds a bit like an 80s rally car!

[waool1988]

Jut wondering, how does your oil cap fit straight into the rocker cover? Is it a different part? Mine only seems to fit into the crappy plastic tea tray.

you just need to adjust the rubber seals

[DaKKs_152]

you just need to adjust the rubber seals

Its a different part. Remove the engine cover, and you'll find a backup on the back of it. That what I'm using.

Just read the thread with interest, I really like what you've done. Good news on the keys, it's a pain having such a secure car!

A few weeks ago I went to top up the coolant on mine and it locked with keys in the ignition. Didn't have a spare so I got an auto locksmith to open it. Not before I took a hammer and a screwdriver to the lock in panic. Didn't hit it hard enough to destroy, fortunately

Jut wondering, how does your oil cap fit straight into the rocker cover? Is it a different part? Mine only seems to fit into the crappy plastic tea tray.

When your servo was going, did the brake pedal make a 'pfff-ffff-fff' noise as you depressed it? My idle is still erratic and I can't think why

Also, if you're wondering about cone filters, here's one I fitted one into the airbox...

Don't use a drill or a saw, use a soldering iron instead! I lopped the whole bottom off below where it attatches, I think it's the resonance chamber. Now it sounds a bit like an 80s rally car!

The servo was a bit of an oddball on mine. It gave ghost faults on cyl 3, coolant temp and emissions. The easiest was to spot a dodgy servo is that it doesnt adjust the "wheel weight" ie, the wheel is just as easy to turn at 60mph as at 2mph. Which makes the car very difficult to control at high speeds.

I'm currently using a K&N panel filter, with the CAI kit I built myself. That, a remap, and same racefuel and the little bugger goes like a rocket. Gonna give it a sport exhaust and some coilies after the winter (i don't have a garage/workshop atm)

The oil cap is a different part. Remove the engine cover, and you'll find a backup on the back of it. That what I'm using. I was going to paint the cover yellow, but it broke and I'm a cheap ****** so I never bought a new one.

EDIT: Also, this project is pretty much over. I'm still going to do some basic mods, but nothing mind blowing. I need a bigger car and I was planning on buying a new car this winter, but I pushed it back to late summer instead. I can use a trailer when the need arises until then. My godmother's son is turning 16 this summer and I'm going to give him my Fabia. I'm probably sticking with Skoda though. There's a 2/3 chance that I stick around with a Rapid or a Roomster. Otherwise, I'll probably go turncoat and buy a VW.

Edited 23 November, 2012 by DaKKs_152

[waool1988]

Its a different part. Remove the engine cover, and you'll find a backup on the back of it. That what I'm using.

My car does not have an engine plastic cover. You would be looking straight away on the manifold and valve cover when you open up the bonnet. Just check the seals on the plastic oil cover. Sometimes they move a bit and cause that. I recommend you putting something upon it to secure it in place. I popped out one about a month ago.

[DaKKs_152]

Just booked an afternoon at the workshop at school. Pretty sure my head gasket is either gone, or nearly gone. Car seemed a bit dodgy even before it overheated, but now I'm almost certain. Still runs fine, no DTCs, environmental tests passed with flying colours on the MOT in october and yesterday too. But the sludge in the coolant tank, the fact that it uses far more coolant that could be passed of as a coincidence now some serious mayo in the oil cap. It reeks of HG issues.

Changed the coolant tank since it was beyond salvation. Had to flush the system anyway. Need to replace the exhaust from the cat and back and the shocks in the back had completely given up. But that can wait until spring.

[waool1988]

The head gasket is a relatively easy job and you can get a gasket kit from ebay.co.uk for 30 quid

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/139552-changing-a-head-gasket-what-i-did-with-pics/

[Chris Coates]

Make sure you're swapping for a TEMAC gasket

[DaKKs_152]

Right, this project is back on track. As I've mentioned before I no longer have access to a workshop, so everything is done outside in the parking lot. Had plenty of issues pop up in recent weeks. And now that the weather is stable enough, ie. I won't go outside during a sunny day and ten minutes later run back inside like the wrath of God had been unleashed upon me.

- Rubbery whining noise coming from the underside during suspension movement (pot holes, kerbs, speed bumps etc) Cause currently unknown.

- Damaged front left suspension, grinding noise during suspension movement (pot holes, kerbs, speed bumps etc) Cause currently unknown.

- Boot, rusted. Must be completely disassembled, ground down and repainted.

- Rockers, both sides, rusted. Mostly surface rust. Some grinding and a lick of paint should fix it.

- Dented and rusted front left fender + rusted underneath. Surface rust. Must be replaced.

And now the biggest issue I haven't solved yet. Everything else is just bodywork, my speciality.

It keeps warning for low coolant level when the engine is cold. Three loud long beeps and coolant warning light. It gives no DTCs, the coolant level is fine, car does not overheat and the issue disappears once the engine reaches normal working temperature. It doesn't leak anywhere either.

[Taylor93]

Isnt there a sensor in the coolant expansion tank to measure the coolant volume? perhaps theres a fault with it if there is not physical loss of coolant?

[DaKKs_152]

Isnt there a sensor in the coolant expansion tank to measure the coolant volume? perhaps theres a fault with it if there is not physical loss of coolant?

Well, I suppose it is possible. I'm currently using a after market (non-oem) tank. However, it worked splendidly for over 6 months. At this point I'm assuming there is smoe sort of blockage in the system. Which is solved by the higher pressure of an engine at working temperature. Issue disappears once the engine is hot.

I still have the old OEM tank. There was nothing wrong with it per-se, except it was dirty as hell, you could barely see the coolant level. If you know away of cleaning it out, please share. I spent two hours trying to clean it out, unsuccessfully.

Edited 24 June, 2013 by DaKKs_152

[Taylor93]

tried bleach? or a toliet cleaner?

just make sure you rinse it out well before refitting it hahah

[waool1988]

Right, this project is back on track. As I've mentioned before I no longer have access to a workshop, so everything is done outside in the parking lot. Had plenty of issues pop up in recent weeks. And now that the weather is stable enough, ie. I won't go outside during a sunny day and ten minutes later run back inside like the wrath of God had been unleashed upon me.

- Rubbery whining noise coming from the underside during suspension movement (pot holes, kerbs, speed bumps etc) Cause currently unknown.

- Damaged front left suspension, grinding noise during suspension movement (pot holes, kerbs, speed bumps etc) Cause currently unknown.

- Boot, rusted. Must be completely disassembled, ground down and repainted.

- Rockers, both sides, rusted. Mostly surface rust. Some grinding and a lick of paint should fix it.

- Dented and rusted front left fender + rusted underneath. Surface rust. Must be replaced.

And now the biggest issue I haven't solved yet. Everything else is just bodywork, my speciality.

It keeps warning for low coolant level when the engine is cold. Three loud long beeps and coolant warning light. It gives no DTCs, the coolant level is fine, car does not overheat and the issue disappears once the engine reaches normal working temperature. It doesn't leak anywhere either.

I would check the bushings for the control arms. These are know to ware and cause some knocking sounds.

[DaKKs_152]

Thanks, mate.

I'm starting to reconsider this car. Bought the damn thing for 1200 quid, spent 650 on a new PAS pump within the first few months. New fender, new ICE system, extra parts. Easily 500-600 quid. Now it needs new brakes, new shocks and springs, new radiator, new bushes all around. Soon its going to need a new exhaust, probably cat and back as well. So that's another 400 quid.  I have half a mind of just selling it. 
 

Though its served me faithfully for over 10 000 kilometers (6200+ miles)

 

 

btw, do front brake pads for an 2000 Octavia cl 1.4 fit a fabia? 1JO698151E ?

[DaKKs_152]

Almost forgot to update. Replaced the radiator and the collant tank. No more coolant level warnings and no more leaking radiator. Took it for a test drive and it ran fine. Speaking of fines. Got back from the test drive with fines for a missing front plate and for not having my drivers license with me. 200 quid, give or take. F***!

 

Next time i cant be arsed to put the front end back on for a test drive, i'll probably reconsider....