Hi everyone

First post here after doing a lot of reading over the weekend, so first up thanks for all the useful threads people have posted. I've got a lot of VAG cars in my history (mostly MKII GTI's and Corrados), but this if my first Skoda.

I've just been given (generous I know) a 2006 Skoda Fabia 1.9TDI (PD100 - it's the Elegance model).

Basically it was an elderly relatives so has sat in the garage since April 2011. I've got two questions really:

1) What sort of precautions should I take before trying to fire it up? Other than a new battery I'm not sure what I need to be careful of - don't want to break anything!

2) Obviously the first thing I'll be doing is taking it for a service and MOT. The car has done less than 10K (!!) and was serviced yearly up until it stopped being used. What work do you think I should ask to have done? Cambelt? The car looks like it just came out the showroom but not sure what sort of damage being sat for so long could have done...

Any help with that will be great, once it's back on the road I'll get some pictures and we can talk mods...

Cheers

Cambelt I'd definitely replace, it's 60,000 miles or every 4 years, whichever is soonest.

brake fluid change for a start, tyres may have developed flat spots, fuel filter may have some water in now, not sure. I'd drop the oil, oil filter and refill.

Basically just check all the fluids before starting.

Have a good look round the engine bay for any animal nests or damage to wiring etc (it happens!).

Tyres might need renewing.

The cambelt will be oerdue (get it done ASAP as the rubber may have perished- quickly whip the cover off and have a look).

Phil

to add to what SoftScoop and Phil mentioned, when you get the cam belt done, do the water pump at the same time as it's accessible when they do it.

What a nice gift!

Has it been 100% static in that time? Ever given a brief run around outside the garage in that time? If so I would be less concerned about the tyres, but the cambelt should be done for sure.

Turn the engine over by hand, check the cambelt hasn't developed any kinks/cracks, check the clutch disengages and do an oil change before starting the engine.

Roll the car a foot, so you can check the brakes are not 'welded on' and check the tyres for flat spots.

...the cambelt should be done for sure.

+1

If it were mine, I'd replace the cambelt before starting it.

What about brakes? They are bound to be shot?

What about brakes? They are bound to be shot?

They might be ok after a little drive and used a few times.

If it's drums on the rear they will be really stuck!

Phil

They might be ok after a little drive and used a few times.

If it's drums on the rear they will be really stuck!

Phil

1.9TDi, Phil so discs.

Cambelt I'd definitely replace, it's 60,000 miles or every 4 years, whichever is soonest.

The cambelt will be oerdue (get it done ASAP as the rubber may have perished- quickly whip the cover off and have a look).

to add to what SoftScoop and Phil mentioned, when you get the cam belt done, do the water pump at the same time as it's accessible when they do it.

If so I would be less concerned about the tyres, but the cambelt should be done for sure.

If it were mine, I'd replace the cambelt before starting it.

As usual, cambelt scaremongers are out in force, funny how they always target the newbies as these are best paying-over-the-odds garage customers. Cambelt does not require replacing every 4 years, it is to be replaced at mileage, not time, the bogus 4 year time limit is Skoda UK con not practised anywhere else in Europe. Mileage limit for 2006 engine is likely to be much higher than 60k miles, likely 80k miles at least, but double check in "service schedule", booklet, where you can also see if perhaps cambelt has been replaced just prior to the car being garaged.

2 years without movement means tyres likely need replacing, flat spots are almost a given unless they were regularly rotated or the car was on stands. As others advised, check all fluids, you know about battery, but other than that I'd start it and idle it for at least a minute to get oil running at pressure to all locations, most importantly the turbo bearing. Then try moving gently, see if brakes are stuck, if they free up they'll be OK after a few applications.

Edited 5 March, 201313 yr by dieselV6

Skoda do actually recomend a 60k miles/4 years change whichever is sooner.

Rubber deteriates over time hence the 4 year interval regardless of mileage.

Otherwise a car just doing say 5000 miles a year would not need a belt change for way over 4 years!

Phil

Rubber deteriorates simples

FYI DieselV6 - not just Skoda UK

http://www.volkswage.../cambelt-change

Audi recommend every 5 years or 75,000 miles

http://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/maintaining-your-audi/regular-maintenance.html

as above plus id let the engine tick over for a couple of mins before driving/ reving

as above plus id let the engine tick over for a couple of mins before driving/ reving

Yup.

It will sound like a bag of spanners until the oil pressure is up and reaches the valves etc.

You may even find a sticky valve causing problems (heard of this on the PD's).

Phil

Get in touch if you would like the cam belt replacing..

Skoda do actually recomend a 60k miles/4 years change whichever is sooner.

Rubber deteriates over time hence the 4 year interval regardless of mileage.

Otherwise a car just doing say 5000 miles a year would not need a belt change for way over 4 years!

FYI DieselV6 - not just Skoda UK

http://www.volkswage.../cambelt-change

Audi recommend every 5 years or 75,000 miles

http://www.audi.co.u...aintenance.html

You need to separate dealership workshop manager's wet dream of duping gullible customers out of their money from the actual car manufacturer specification.

If you want wider perspective on a 4/5 year belt con, it is VAG (Volkswagen Auto Group) UK Milton Keynes "invention" designed to keep the workshops busy to the cost of the unsuspecting customer, and a classic example of Ripoff Britain mentality. Dealerships in Europe do not have this recommendation, and neither is it in any Volkswagen Group car Service Schedules printed in the last 11 years (which is how long at least this VAG UK con has been going on).

Timing belt is kevlar plus nitrile rubber, the way to degrade it with time is to pour chemicals over it (coolant, water or oil). In absence of these, nitrile rubber is very durable, newest Conti belts (e.g. 1.6CR in 2012 Roomster) are marketed as "lifetime" in the US, and as 130k miles in Europe including UK (with the usual VAG UK "but spend money with us every 4/5 years" con slapped on top). I would not worry about timing belt at all till about 8 years, in fact replacing (unprotected) aux drivebelt every 6 years or so would make more sense than replacing triming belt every 4 years when still under mileage limit. Nitrile rubber is used everywhere around the engine, including places in contact with fuel/high temps, and you do not replace every rubber part on the engine every 4 years, do you?

Edited 5 March, 201313 yr by dieselV6

Oil, oil filter, coolant, battery, fuel filter, brake fluid, tyres, clean/free off the brakes, check console bushes/drop links, yes the cam belt/rollers/pump are technically due, it's a £2-400 job depending who you get to do it, for a car that cost you nothing I'd not quibble about doing the stuff mentioned.

No, cambelt is not due at all, all other things you mentioned are spot on. The car is at 10k mileage, and at 6 years timing belt warrants inspection at best. If it looks smooth, is of correct minimum width and the tensioner marks are aligned, timing belt does not require replacement.

Edited 5 March, 201313 yr by dieselV6

You need to separate dealership workshop manager's wet dream of duping gullible customers out of their money from the actual car manufacturer specification.

If you want wider perspective on a 4/5 year belt con, it is VAG (Volkswagen Auto Group) UK Milton Keynes "invention" designed to keep the workshops busy to the cost of the unsuspecting customer, and a classic example of Ripoff Britain mentality. Dealerships in Europe do not have this recommendation, and neither is it in any Volkswagen Group car Service Schedules printed in the last 11 years (which is how long at least this VAG UK con has been going on).

Timing belt is kevlar plus nitrile rubber, the way to degrade it with time is to pour chemicals over it (coolant, water or oil). In absence of these, nitrile rubber is very durable, newest Conti belts (e.g. 1.6CR in 2012 Roomster) are marketed as "lifetime" in the US, and as 130k miles in Europe including UK (with the usual VAG UK "but spend money with us every 4/5 years" con slapped on top). I would not worry about timing belt at all till about 8 years, in fact replacing (unprotected) aux drivebelt every 6 years or so would make more sense than replacing triming belt every 4 years when still under mileage limit. Nitrile rubber is used everywhere around the engine, including places in contact with fuel/high temps, and you do not replace every rubber part on the engine every 4 years, do you?

That's lovely, but surely you've noticed this is the Fabia I section, we're a little short on 2012 1.6 CR's? More importantly the belt failure's aren't usually caused by the belt failing, that's simply the end result, tensioners and rollers tend to give up first. I'm not saying Skoda's application of belt change intervals is right, but it's not that far out. Would I stretch a car that's driven with mechanical sympathy and does motorway miles all day to 75k? Possibly.

My 2.0 PD140 Leon has a claimed 80k or 4 year interval but when you look at the manual it's actually less if you convert the stated km figure into miles, first dealer did it at 4 years (prior to me owning it), next dealer tried to tell me 60k (on a belt that was changed 2 years earlier at 40k) so yes the dealers do try it on, they also back down when you asked for an official revised service schedule.

If you choose to ignore the change interval then in fairness not a lot will happen in the short term, if it does then as long as you can stand the bills without moaning then fair play

No, cambelt is not due at all, all other things you mentioned are spot on. The car is at 10k mileage, and at 6 years timing belt warrants inspection at best. If it looks smooth, is of correct minimum width

Paradoxically, the low mileage for the age probably would warrant the cambelt being changed more than on a similar car with average mileage.

The belt itself may well be fine, and good for the life of the engine, but what about the tensioner and rollers that are also changed as part of a cam belt change? You can't inspect the bearings inside these items....on this particular car they may have suffered from corrosion which you can't even see.

If any of these components fail, it's the same result as the belt breaking.......so I say change the cambelt.....which on a PD engine means changing the tensioner and rollers too (and maybe the waterpump).

Edited 5 March, 201313 yr by booke23

Wow I didn't expect so many responses (and a minor debate).

Many thanks to everyone that took the time - clearly a good forum to stick around .

I agree that for a car that hasn't cost anything I'm certainly not going to quibble at a few bits needing to be done - just never had anything that's sat for quite so long.

I think it's a case of giving it a good looking over, firing it up, letting it idle for a while, checking/freeing the brakes then straight off to the garage for the jobs mentioned above. I appreciate the argument re:cambelt but the cost vs. worry of not doing it makes me err on the side of caution. Plus maintaining the good service history it's already got can't be a bad thing.

Here's hoping the tyres haven't got massive incurable flatspots! That'd be a pain...

Have you checked the history? You say its been garaged from April 2011 - That puts it at roughly 5 years old at the time. In theory, Skoda would have done the cambelt in 2010, adhering to their own 4 year rule?