My Felicia let me down for the first time today. My wife goes to work at 5AM. She came back in this morning and woke me up to tell me the car wouldn't start so I gave her the keys for the MG and went back to bed. Had a quick look before I went to work a couple of hours later and found it was turning over but not firing.

 

So I had a proper look when I got home this afternoon. Soon established we had a spark so turned to the fuel side. Took the back seat out and the cover over the fuel pump. The wires there looked ok so I pulled the fuel line off and turned the engine over and sure enough, nothing was coming out (the fuel pump is very conviently placed to be able to see it from the drivers seat whilst turning the key).

 

Checked the fuse, that was fine, so turned to the relay. There are nine relays in the fuse box on my car as it has most extra's being an SLXi so i needed to find which one was for the fuel pump. The Haynes manual simply says it's relay number 5 which doesn't really help as it doesn't show a diagram of the fuse box to say which one is number 5! So a quick look on here and I found a photo and list of all the relays in the fuse box. I held the relay with one hand whilst turning the ignition on with the other to see if I could feel it clicking and I couldn't, so I swapped it with the one for the front fog lights and bingo, we had petrol again! Put it all back toghether and everything's fine again (except the front fog lights of course, but they're not that important and I'll get another relay next week)

 

Just thought I'd share my afternoon with you all and say that this forum is better than any Haynes manual.

Well at least you managed to fix it for free.. Good job, they are over £30 from skoda for those relays so I would just go down the scrapyard and fill up your underpants with the ones from a scrapper..

Well at least you managed to fix it for free.. Good job, they are over £30 from skoda for those relays so I would just go down the scrapyard and fill up your underpants with the ones from a scrapper..

+1 I'm making a trip to Silverlake again this week, Yoss. I'll keep an eye out.

 

Tom, know of any from othe models/ cars that'll do?

Etka tells me they are unique to the felicia because the part numbers begin 6u, but I don't believe that for one miniute tbh, I think they are just general purpose relays, even halfords might have them.

Etka tells me they are unique to the felicia because the part numbers begin 6u, but I don't believe that for one miniute tbh, I think they are just general purpose relays, even halfords might have them.

OK mate, I'll pop down someday this week with me 'big pants'! Need to get some blue tint Golf IV mirrors I stashed in the back of a Fiesta anyway lol

Yeah, I think they're standard relays. There are some in there that look different but this is the standard four pin with numbers 30, 85, 86 and 87 on them. I was going to get one from local friendly motor factors next week but if your going to Silverlakes, Lee it might not hurt to have a couple of spares.

I've always found Silverlakes very helpful. When I was having trouble with the MG's headlights they let me take the switch from a Rover 75 and try it on my car in the car park to see if that was the problem. When it wasn't they let me put it back, very trusting of them, I could have brought the old one back in if it had been the problem. They seem very well priced too.

Yeah, I think they're standard relays. There are some in there that look different but this is the standard four pin with numbers 30, 85, 86 and 87 on them. I was going to get one from local friendly motor factors next week but if your going to Silverlakes, Lee it might not hurt to have a couple of spares.

I've always found Silverlakes very helpful. When I was having trouble with the MG's headlights they let me take the switch from a Rover 75 and try it on my car in the car park to see if that was the problem. When it wasn't they let me put it back, very trusting of them, I could have brought the old one back in if it had been the problem. They seem very well priced too.

would this be the one, Yoss?

 

If it helps I've got a 1995 Felicia on the drive that I'm breaking. Could send you a relay. 

Yeah, that's it Lee, admittedly the one I took out has a Skoda logo on it but I'm not worried about that, I'm not entering it for any concours events yet and even if I did I'm not suite they check inside the fuse box!

I'll get one from my mate Martin at Swaythling Car Accessories next week. I got one off him for the Triumph (I run the head and spot lights through a relay) and it was less than a fiver.

Hello skodanorman, thanks for the offer, but as mentioned above it's not worth sending them from Wales. But I would take them out before you scrap the car and keep a couple in the glove box (of the car you're keeping obviously, not the one you're scrapping, that would be pointless!)

I'll be at Silverlakes sometime anyway so I'll have a rummage, Yoss

 

As a side note, I've often been told to take power from the fuse box... but how do you do that with these fuse boxes? Doesn't look like there is a spare terminal anywhere?

Thanks Adurer, that's perfect. That is what should be printed in the Haynes manual. I've saved that picture, I should print it off and stick it in the manual.

My car differs slightly in that there is no relay for the lights on warning buzzer. I think they changed it on the facelift cars. My old one had a buzzer, this one makes more of a beeping noise, which obviously doesn't need a relay.

As a side note, I've often been told to take power from the fuse box... but how do you do that with these fuse boxes? Doesn't look like there is a spare terminal anywhere?

Not sure if that applies to more modern cars. I don't know what the fusebox on your old Škodas is like but my Triumph only has two fuses! One for the stuff that works through the ignition and one for the permanent live. There are several spare terminals on each fuse so its easy to add things, but as you say, not sure how you would on newer cars.

Thanks Adurer, that's perfect. That is what should be printed in the Haynes manual. I've saved that picture, I should print it off and stick it in the manual.

No problem. I have plenty of photos ready to support at least a dozen guides for the most common repairs on Felicia. If anyone is willing to write them, count on me.

 

As a side note, I've often been told to take power from the fuse box... but how do you do that with these fuse boxes? Doesn't look like there is a spare terminal anywhere?

When in doubt, you can always count on the power socket near ashtray. On some models you can find a 4-pin connector in engine bay near firewall for optional equipment (usually the headlight washer) and a 10-pin connector behind the dash.