I have a 05 fabia vrs. 89k on the clock. My coolant keeps going below min and the light and buzzer goes off. However when I undo the cap to top up it hisses like mad and the coolant comes above the max level and stays there for 200 miles or so.

I personally think its the head gasket but as it is under the "Skoda used car warranty" the dealer is saying there is no problem and it's meant to fall and rise. I'm at a loose end. Thinking of getting rid of the car.

Have you tried water pump mine use to do the same

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sounds like water pump, is temp ok? oil in water vice versa?

No i havent yet. but it was changed last year when the belt was done. It couldn't be that already? Do they go that quick?

The temp is ok and no oil water mix but the coolant pipes feel like they are gonna bust after a long drive.

could also be air in the system, may be worth doing a bleed, maybe park facing up hill, cap of and running (the car i mean) air in system causes large rises and falls in levels when temp changes.

Check radiator hoses too.

Are they both warm? Is the inlet hose balooning/feeling under a lot of pressure?

Could also be a stuck thermostat.

Phil

As far as I can tell the thermostat is working properly. The pipe under the rad feels like it has a steel pipe inside it. As soon as the cap Is undone it goes back squigy until the coolant light comes on.

Does the heater work inside the car and get HOT ?

If it does then it's not the thermostat, if bleeding the system doesn't cure it then it could well be the head gasket on it's way out.

A compression check could point you in the right direction.

Edited 11 June, 201214 yr by R1chard

Try flushing the system till it runs clean and then refil. Did this to mine which had similar problem and it worked. I also changed the expansion tank and cap as a precaution which may be your next job if the flushing doesn't work.

Good luck

The coolant is being pressurised some how because it's coming out of the expansion tank. It's going to be one of those things where I change a part and see if it cures it and keep going until I have a sparkling new engine bay!

I'm just pulling my hair out with the main dealer saying it might be happening because they suspect the water pump is leaking. Which in my opinion that wouldn't make the coolant level fall and then rise when the cap is taken off.

And it gets well Hot inside the car. Can't fault the heaters. Especially having owned a felicia before this!

I had the very same problem so i stripd the head of my fabia and it had all the water in bores 2/3 so it could be the head gasket u dont need 2 bleed the system on these cars they are self blleding if the heaters work then its not air locked sounds like it could be the worse like

I had the very same problem so i stripd the head of my fabia and it had all the water in bores 2/3 so it could be the head gasket u dont need 2 bleed the system on these cars they are self blleding if the heaters work then its not air locked sounds like it could be the worse like

Sounds like I'm going to end up doing the head gasket. It's under warranty but I feel the dealer does not really want to know as the warranty only has a month left.

Be a pest, phone them, pop in, speak to manager, get a job logged into the system asap so you can prove the problem was before the warranty runs out. They like to string things until its out and then charge you, like i say the more bother you are the quicker they want you out of the way.

Oh and on my other car (citroen) it had a week of warranty left had 16k on clock and needed new droplinks, they said its not covered, the mention of trading standards seem to lever them into action where my own clout wouldnt

Would suggest that you pressurise the cooling system and see if the pressure holds. If it goes down them there is a leak somewhere. If it goes down and there is no external sign of a leak then a leak down test (diesel compression test) will needed. This will show if the head gasket is in trouble.

Steve

I've been back to the dealer with this car more times than I care to remember. They have pressure tested the cooling system and they said they said that come back all ok. They told me yesterday that the water pump is leaking and the cause if the problems and they want to charge me £60 to do more diagnosis. I might just pay the £60 and get compression test done. I really think its the head gasket.

Thanks everyone for posting!

Danny.

I'm having the exact same problem bud. Have you got any updates as to what it was or what you did to cure it?

cheers

Ross

Hi Ross. Hate to ruin your day! I've taken my car to another dealer and they are changing the head gasket under warranty. Hopefully this will solve my problem. Hope this helps.

Danny.

Gutted not what I wanted to hear lol. It's strange that I've never heard of a fabia vrs needing its head gasket changed and now mine and yours need done. Looks like this will be getting done when its in getting a new clutch, SMF and LSD.

Cheers

Ross

Just reporting back. Head gasket done and the problem has gone away! Getting better MPG and feels quicker!

That's good news - well done for persevering with it and getting it sorted under warranty