I bought a new Fabia 12 tsi 90 in June. After about 2 weeks I noticed the coolant level was on the lower mark in the top up bottle. I took it to the dealer and they topped it up. After a total of 1637 mile i noticed that it was back down to the lower mark. the garage inspected the car, no leaks and pressure ok.  They topped it up and asked me to check it after 500 mile. After roughly 400 it was just below the lower mark. They've had it from Monday to Friday, done just over 300 mile in it and told me it's to do with the cooling system and pressure.  If the cap is taken off it rises back up, they say. No mention of this in the handbook, comments very welcome. Cheers.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Stop opening it, and stop topping up.

The Minimum level is fine.

It should not drop below that.

 

If there was able to be a  'Fill to this line level'  there would be one.   The 'MAX'  is not the Fill to this level line.

There is a MIN and MAX,  and Dealership staff over fill to MAX and then the car finds its level.

 

There should be no air in the system, and if it goes below minimum get them to investigate.

 

Maybe now if you have the correct Anti Freeze, when cold, put it a little above MIN, and mark the level on the bottle with a marker pen.

Hi Molly56 have you had a warning light come on the dashboard or were you just concerned that water level looked low. Take the advice from the above post the built in sensor will come on if the level drops to far and show up as a red thermometer on the dash.

I only had problems once on my old fabia when the weather was very cold I would start the car the warning light came on stop and restarted the car light went out put a very small amount of water in the expansion tank problem solved. Joe

Thanks for the replies. I haven't topped it up myself nor taken the cap off. I thought at first the garage had missed the water level being on the minimum mark in their pre delivery check. It's new so I took it back and they quickly topped it up.  I did have a 2006 Fabia prior to my last car, a Kia C'eed and can't ever remember the water level going down like this on either. It was just slightly below the min mark before it went back in last Mon.  They say they've been on the phone to Skoda, done the checks and everything's fine, also on Friday that my style of driving can affect it.  That puzzled me a bit.  No lights have come on and the temp gauge hasn't altered. It's my first new car, wish I knew someone with the same model.

 

I'll see how it goes now, some longer journeys coming up and as you say probably ok.  

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by molly56

my old GLII 1.2TDi was the same, It was happy on minimum level

 

I topped it up first time I checked under the bonnet, week later it was back to back to minimum,

 

I topped it up again then realised it was happy minimum never topped it up again and it never went below minimum in the 2 1/2 years I owned it

?

Why do they always say 'We have been on the phone to Skoda'? 

 

Who to,

the Technical Department at Skoda UK Milton Keynes or the Factory in CZ?

 

They are full of Guff at Service Desks.

They have a Computer, they have a Report System for Faults, 

they can check TPI's etc.

 

Funnily if there are owners with Coolant Problems in the future, Skoda UK / CZ will say,  or Dealership Employees will say.

'We have never heard of that before'.

 

These are supposed to be 'Factory Trained Technicians' that check your car,  you have to wonder.

'Simply Clever'. 

or Simply hard to believe the person in a Dealership or Customer Services.

 

.................

As long as it has been put on the System against your car, they are aware of it, 

and you have a record.

 

If the Coolant Drops again, call Skoda UK Customer Services, Raise a Case and get a Customer Services Handler,

have them collect the car and drop off a courtesy car,

or take the car into them and leave it with them until they resolve Coolant Loss.

Get a a Courtesy car and the cost of fuel for wasted journeys.

 

Enjoy the car though.

Thanks for the replies, sure it is on their system. Hopefully it will be ok, too

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by molly56

Thanks for the replies. It's my first new car, wish I knew someone with the same model.

 

I'll see how it goes now, some longer journeys coming up and as you say probably ok.

Hi Molly 56 I have the same model since April and done 4.5k miles. I have just been out to check the expansion tank the level is below the minimum mark. It's just about level with the top of the word MIN next time I have the car out for a run and it's fully heated I will check the level and let you know. Joe PS let me know when you have your car out what the level is when fully heated

Thank you, interesting. Is that the first time you've noticed it low though?

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by molly56

You will have to have it out and fully heated, 

and then check once it is fully cooled again.

(obviously check were it might be when up to heat and stopped, but that is not the level you are really interested in,

that is why it is a sealed (Pressurised) expansion tank, with an overflow, which is where the Coolant has gone out of,

that the dealer filled to the 'MAX' mark.)

Thank you, interesting. Is that the first time you've noticed it low though?

I have to admit it's the first time I have really taken a close look at the exact level. I have checked the oil level a couple of times and noticed there was water in the expansion bottle. It will be interesting to see where the level is when car is up to working temperature

Will keep a check on the level and see if it drops any further will take it back to the dealership if I get the "never heard of it " at least I can say I know more than they do Joe

Edited 25 October, 201510 yr by JoePeddos

Yeh, thanks. I've been thinking there must be a overflow but still surprised to see it at the minimum so quick. It "will find it's level " apparently.

Thanks Joe. Should remember to quote....

Will keep a check on the level and see if it drops any further will take it back to the dealership if I get the "never heard of it " at least I can say I know more than they do Joe

 

Checked the level this morning after car had stood overnight it was down just under letters of MIN  Took car to the local dealers after doing some shopping so engine was fully heated level had climbed to just under the black MIN bar. Guy from garage topped it up to just over the MIN level and left me the bottle with still a drop in. I asked him to register my visit which he promised to do

 

Will check in the morning and if I need to top it up to the MIN level then see what happens over the next few weeks Joe

Yeh, thanks. I've been thinking there must be a overflow but still surprised to see it at the minimum so quick. It "will find it's level " apparently.

 

 

Will keep a check on the level and see if it drops any further will take it back to the dealership if I get the "never heard of it " at least I can say I know more than they do Joe

 

Checked the level this morning after car had stood overnight it was down just under letters of MIN  Took car to the local dealers after doing some shopping so engine was fully heated level had climbed to just under the black MIN bar. Guy from garage topped it up to just over the MIN level and left me the bottle with still a drop in. I asked him to register my visit which he promised to do

 

Will check in the morning and if I need to top it up to the MIN level then see what happens over the next few weeks Joe

 

Yep - noticed this too - quite strange.

 

Brought it into dealer one day recently, when I was passing. I thought it was a PDI oversight.  The mechanic topped it up to half way between Min and Max, and gave me a talk about thermal expansion and contraction !!

 

Now - a few weeks later - it's back to Min mark - hot or cold!

 

As you say molly - it seems to just find its own level!  How that happens - I haven't figured !

After the furore of the VW diesel emissions we will get the tale of them fitting the wrong size expansion bottles to all the cars. Well it's possible that the back room boys are  over this one as well   Joe  

Anything is possible.

 

But then a member in this thread said a Dealership Employee was 'Phoning Skoda'.? (post #4)

What for?  To find out about cars?

 

Enough members in this section have the All New 2015 Skoda Fabia now,  Petrol & Diesels in various countries.

So you just need to ask others how their cars Coolant Level is behaving.

 

Briskoda Members doing Market Research for Skoda CZ / Das Auto ,  

 'Simply Clever'  & Vorsprung Durch Technik.

All skodas i have owned the water levels have been at the min mark. which is normal     Even my yeti i have now 2l diesel is at the min mark

All skodas i have owned the water levels have been at the min mark. which is normal     Even my yeti i have now 2l diesel is at the min mark

 

... and I'm interested in how that happens?  Is it that the lid releases the "top-up" amount when driving?  No coolant stain marks that I can see !

It goes out the Black Rubber Overflow pipe, which drops it on the road.

 

Check what is fitted to your own car,

and when looking at the Minimum Level, be sure to look from a low angle.

It goes out the Black Rubber Overflow pipe, which drops it on the road.

 

Check what is fitted to your own car,

and when looking at the Minimum Level, be sure to look from a low angle.

 

Exactly as in the picture

Ah, Ok - I thought that pipe joined back into the circuit - didn't look hard enough to see where the opening to atmosphere was.

It goes out the Black Rubber Overflow pipe, which drops it on the road.

 

Check what is fitted to your own car,

and when looking at the Minimum Level, be sure to look from a low angle.

 

Not correct, the overflow is that bit of plastic on the LHS of that picture, the black tube will be part of the self purging system which does, as Dithane said, return to the system

I never showed where the pipe is.  that is showing min and max when looking straight on at it.

That was an example of a Filler (Expansion) Bottle on a Mk2, from google images,

the extra liquid does depart the sealed, pressurised system by a rubber pipe, and Steam is allowed to be released.

Heat rises obviously, and you take steam out above the liquid level.

(self Bleading.) 

That picture you posted is exactly the same as the tanks currently in use on at least the latest 6R 6C Polo, and the part that I refer to on the LHS of that picture is really a moulded tube that allows high pressure vapour and if over filled, water to escape up past the now raised top seal and out into the, still sealed to the outside world, or at least where the owner's hand might be, area where it discharges down that moulded tube and into the outside world.  If you take the cap off the tank you will see what that tube is for.