32miles covered and I'm back for some fluids (oil & coolant for the car, tea for me!). Its on the ramps right now waiting for the temperature to drop a little and I'll drop the oil for another can of dino juices, and try to put some more miles on it today 

Well it actually works! Spent a jolly afternoon going up and down a 9mile stretch of road that includes dual carriageways, 7 roundabouts, is mostly flat and is quiet enough so I could do my own thing. Did 120miles in total. Quite hard to keep the revs down off the round abouts sometimes

 

Rear brakes are squeaky/handbrake ineffective, new calipers ordered.

My squib is clicking quite a bit so need to sort that out.

Need to reinstall the catch can and try to keep fumes out of the cabin.

A faint chu chu chu noise when turning hard right, suspect CV joint.

More interior panels required asap!

 

May put some more miles on it tonight. May even consider taking it to Rockingham.

Brilliant news. Well done.

Brilliant news. Well done.

 

Thanks. It certainly feels good having it on the road.

 

Another 50miles done today... fixed my clicking, which I thought was the squib, was actually my retrofitted with electrical tape column plastics. Need to figure out a better way to do that :p

 

I do have a more serious issue. I stopped for fuel on my way around today (not done particularly good MPG so far, £38 took me 200miles roughly, slightly worse than the Celica) and the car struggled to start. Dash lights all over the shop and my steering wheel light has popped back up and not gone away with the others (not read the code yet but I'm guessing communications issue from past experience). It didn't start particularly well before the meltdown, I've already put a new Yuasa battery in so next check is going to be to hook it up to another battery just for the starter and try that... will eliminate my wiring which would be next under the spot light before the starter its self.

I think the starting issue has been found. The crimp joint on my cable running from the boot came apart in my hands when I took it off to solder as a precaution!

 

I think I'll clean it this weekend and take some pictures... (not my strong point I know)

Great to hear Dan!

Think there's any legal issues with doing oil changes in service stations? I suppose as long as you get the oil out quick enough there is nothing they can do to stop you :P

Dealing with the aftermath of the girlfriend modifying the Yaris using the armco barrier on Friday has put 250miles on the Fabia  (running around getting her stuff and wasting time looking at cars that clearly not 'immaculate' and should not have an MOT), so I'll be able to change to fully synth this weekend and use some more revs

 

Car has been performing well. My only very annoying issue is the occurrence of the following fault:

 

Drive battery voltage: Signal too low

 

I've now soldered all the crimped joints on the heavy duty cable and the earlier issue of the car being sluggish to start/dropping power has been resolved (main cause was a really bad crimp back at the battery). Also cleaned all the connectors for the earth points etc.

Think you have a battery drain somewhere?  Is there a permanent live somewhere perhaps you don't know about?

Think you have a battery drain somewhere?  Is there a permanent live somewhere perhaps you don't know about?

 

Don't think so. There are times the dash light doesn't come on which may be after a morning start or after 10mins of being left. Other times I get it after stopping to fill up. Car starts fine now even after being left for a few days. Only other symptom besides the dash light is intermittent power steering at low speeds... but that's inconsistent too, may work fine in a car park but then stop on a low speed junction.

 

I think it may be to do with the voltage sensor. In a stock configuration there is a wire that connects almost directly to the earth terminal on the battery which I believe runs to the ECU, this wire is now connected to a random chassis ground point. Quick and dirty test can be done here... I'll run a wire through the cabin to the battery and connect it to this wire and see if that makes a difference. Failing that I'll get the bosses fancy multi meter and check the readings in various places when I start the car... 

 

Car has been running pretty well. I replaced the 25mm2 cable from the boot with a 50mm2 cable as I was having sluggish starting/low voltage warnings/intermittent PAS even after redoing and soldering all the joints. The new cable is 3 or 4 times heavier than the old one, and has sorted all the problems listed previously and smoothed out the cold start idle which is a result!

 

I suspect I have a tiny boost leak at low boost which is worse when the engine is cold so I'm going to make a smoke generator and test it tomorrow morning. Went to B&Q and bought a bucket of chicken poop... mostly I want the bucket but the poop is good for the garden :p

 

Next up I need an exhaust!

Car looks great

16" steelies ? Looks awesome bud

Car looks great

 

The camera is a good fibber :P 

 

16" steelies ? Looks awesome bud

 

Yep. Need 16s to fit over the 312s on the front.

I can just see the 256 rears too

I have major engine envy! :P

Fascinating thread. You certainly have some tenacity!

I can just see the 256 rears too

 

Rears are brand new Octy vRS rears as I bought new calipers (hence the green), hand brake was only working properly on one side. Turns out its my cable :(

 

Will paint the front calipers to match, though they can't be seen so much with steelies. Still contemplating 288s and 15" wheels to get a bit more compliance on the really crappy roads around here. Need to decide soon as the discs/pads I have on the front right now came with the calipers and need replacing with something decent.

Yeah I'm going 15" steelies and keeping oem Ibiza 288's adding to sleeper look, plus 195/50 15's are dirt cheap just got two yoko parada spec 2 for £83 posted

Rears are brand new Octy vRS rears as I bought new calipers (hence the green), hand brake was only working properly on one side. Turns out its my cable :(

Will paint the front calipers to match, though they can't be seen so much with steelies. Still contemplating 288s and 15" wheels to get a bit more compliance on the really crappy roads around here. Need to decide soon as the discs/pads I have on the front right now came with the calipers and need replacing with something decent.

I've got some skoda green paint you can use if ya want?

Just gimme the tin back when you've finished.

I've got some skoda green paint you can use if ya want?

Just gimme the tin back when you've finished.

 

Thanks, will be in touch if I stick with green. Do fancy blue to be different (and because this car isn't pretending to be a vRS :p).

 

Picking up a few sets of 16" alloys that came up locally this weekend, though I'm still not decided whether to stick with 16s or not (got a few sets of local 15s on watch too which end on Saturday... will need a wheel shed soon).

 

Decided to sort out the airbag light last weekend, replacement bag fitted to the seat, passenger disable switch and light fitted, new controller with no crash codes fitted (don't think the crash codes are a problem but I had the controller so why not), however I failed to fit the Ibiza seatbelts, the belts attach to a rail on the Ibiza rather than a single fixed point in the Fabia (think I need belts from a 5dr Ibiza). May revisit this but for now they are disabled in VCDS.

Thanks, will be in touch if I stick with green. Do fancy blue to be different (and because this car isn't pretending to be a vRS :p).

 

Picking up a few sets of 16" alloys that came up locally this weekend, though I'm still not decided whether to stick with 16s or not (got a few sets of local 15s on watch too which end on Saturday... will need a wheel shed soon).

 

Decided to sort out the airbag light last weekend, replacement bag fitted to the seat, passenger disable switch and light fitted, new controller with no crash codes fitted (don't think the crash codes are a problem but I had the controller so why not), however I failed to fit the Ibiza seatbelts, the belts attach to a rail on the Ibiza rather than a single fixed point in the Fabia (think I need belts from a 5dr Ibiza). May revisit this but for now they are disabled in VCDS.

Same as mine I've deactivated the seat airbags and belt tensioners, and the passenger deactivation switch and airbag off light are hidden behind glovebox,

Same as mine I've deactivated the seat airbags and belt tensioners, and the passenger deactivation switch and airbag off light are hidden behind glovebox,

 

Put the Ibiza seats in :P

 

May hide my light as it doesn't really fit :(

Put the Ibiza seats in :P

 

May hide my light as it doesn't really fit :(

My Ibiza seats were wrecked they were binned, You can get the light to fit with minor mod to the back

Can just see it above stereo, I just hid it as it looked a little out of place

My Ibiza seats were wrecked they were binned, You can get the light to fit with minor mod to the back

Can just see it above stereo, I just hid it as it looked a little out of place

 

Yep that's what mines like. Will shove it somewhere out the way next time I have the stereo out.