On the two Mk1 Fabias I've owned, they didn't have fully automatic climate control, but they did/do have a heating temperature control which has some sort of thermostat.

So if I set the dial at a certain point, the system varies the the hot air flow to attain a set temperature.  However air conditioning is switched on manually (although this last summer, the a/c button has mainly been gathering dust).

 

I'm contemplating a Mk3 Fabia at some point, and the models with full Climatronic are looking quite pricey.

 

So on the non-Climatronic versions, does the temperature control

1. use a thermostat to keep a set temperature, or
2. is it a more basic direct control of the the flap that lets the hot air in?

I've had a look at the manual and brochure but haven't spotted a definite answer either way.

I have one without climatronic (Don't like the system as I can't make it lower than 16 degrees). When you start the car the AC will switch on then turn off once it reaches the temprature you've set on the dial. If you've set it on the middle it turns off after it's reached around 20 degrees. It will turn it back on when it lowers or highers.

 

I think this is what you're asking?

About 2 months ago I walked passed a 15 plate new Fabia looking inside the heating controls looked like the dial version I had on my Mk 1 diesel estate. I have the Mk 3 1.2 petrol SEL climatronic single zone version Joe

I have one without climatronic (Don't like the system as I can't make it lower than 16 degrees). When you start the car the AC will switch on then turn off once it reaches the temprature you've set on the dial. If you've set it on the middle it turns off after it's reached around 20 degrees. It will turn it back on when it lowers or highers.

 

I think this is what you're asking?

Yes it is what I'm asking - thanks.

Does anyone know if UK-spec cars are the same?

About 2 months ago I walked passed a 15 plate new Fabia looking inside the heating controls looked like the dial version I had on my Mk 1 diesel estate. I have the Mk 3 1.2 petrol SEL climatronic single zone version Joe

 

The heating controls in Mk1 Fabias have temperatures in Celsius marked on the dial, but the Mk3 version doesn't seem to - it just has red and blue (like older cars I had before the Fabia where it was just a direct opening/closing of the hot air flap).  Also the brochure doesn't mention controlling the temperature, whereas if memory serves, the Mk1 brochure did.

I believe that VW are moving away from the 'Climatic' A/C systems they used to have, where the temperature was automatically regulated, back to old-school A/C systems where there's a simple flap that is adjusted to mix the hot and cold air. You can retrofit it to later Golf Mk.6s, there is a guide somewhere online, and I presume that other cars of that era which lost Climatic are probably the same. Newer cars though I doubt it, as there were never models built with Climatic where you can get the replacement heater controls.

VAG seemed to have moved away from fitting "Climatic" on many of their manual AC equipped cars, particularly smaller ones.

I seem to remember MY10.5/11 Mk2 Fabia facelifts suddenly started coming without Climatic....I remember this as was somewhat expecting our Fabia vRS to come with it (one reason I didnt bother ordering Climatronic) and it didnt.

Id wager the Mk3 Fabia just has fully manual AC....arguably its less to go wrong so in some ways a benefit.