Hi everyone,

 

At my wits end with my Skoda Fabia 06 plate and wondering if someone can help. I have posted about its problems on here before.

 

In the past few months my Skoda Fabia has had several lights come on the dashboard at different times - the power steering light (the power steering sometimes goes stiff and heavy when this light comes on, but not always), the yellow engine management light, and, most frequently, the yellow ABS and handbrake light both flash together and it beeps.  

 

I have taken the car to two different garages on several separate occasions (one of these is a specialist auto electrician), they’ve done several diagnostics, and they have tried various things to fix the issues, including new battery, new earth wire, replacing corroded wires, cleaning out ABS sensors and putting a new plug in at the sensor - but the problem always comes back. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be causing this that the garages may not have thought of? 

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Sophie 

 

 

Have you checked the brake fluid level?

11 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

Have you checked the brake fluid level?

 

Hi - no, I haven’t personally but can ask the garage whether they checked this, thanks for the suggestion!

 

Just quite confused that 2 garages haven’t been able to find the problem even after I’ve taken it in to be looked at maybe 6 times now... wasn’t sure if anyone else had maybe experienced this and could pinpoint what had caused it. Will mention the brake fluid to them!

 

 

It's worth checking the strip fuses on top of the battery as they can develop very hard to see cracks which can make intermittent connection. 

 

 

 

43 minutes ago, TMB said:

It's worth checking the strip fuses on top of the battery as they can develop very hard to see cracks which can make intermittent connection. 

 

 

 

thank you for this suggestion  will ask them about that too!

Hello @SophieMilne, I would suggest checking voltage, amps and resistance through the electrical system under load. When  my voltage regulator failed, I experienced the symptoms you describe. If that little guy is toast, your new battery won't last long -I know because I had to replace mine just a week after the fact. Of all the things they changed at the garages, this contraption would help the most, at least that was my case. 

Before I replaced the voltage regulator: 

-ABS and ASR stopped working: the strip fuse was blown for no reason (brake fluid was OK, tyre pressures OK, etc). 

-Power steering stopped working while the car was running, especially at idle. Wouldn't come back unless I restarted the car.

-Speaking of restarting the car, since the voltage regulator was toast, the battery would discharge completely WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING so restarting the car after a power steering failure wasn't an option, except on downhill or towed.

Replaced the little fellow, haven't got those failures ever since. 

Hope this helps.

@SophieMilne - As an alternative suggestion, maybe one of the connectors on the alternator load sense wires is loose, causing intermittent connections and hence intermittent charge. The only ways to identify this as a possible fault are if you get lots of fault lights (as per #1) and/or the charge warning light doesn't illuminate when you switch the car on but don't start the engine.

On 31/03/2019 at 22:14, SophieMilne said:

Just quite confused that 2 garages haven’t been able to find the problem even after I’ve taken it in to be looked at maybe 6 times now...

Just curious. Did you pay every time they worked on your car although they didn't fix it?

One other thing. Most garages don't have mechanics that know how to diagnose cars. They don't search for evidence of fault then, and only then, replace faulty parts or do the repair. All they know is to throw parts at cars, fill fat bills for the customers and hope they will not return. Which in your case didn't happen. That is why I asked you about payments. Normally you pay only if the problem is fixed. Otherwise they should take their parts back, put back the original ones and apologize for being amateurs.

On 02/04/2019 at 05:57, juanse_2691 said:

Hello @SophieMilne, I would suggest checking voltage, amps and resistance through the electrical system under load. When  my voltage regulator failed, I experienced the symptoms you describe. If that little guy is toast, your new battery won't last long -I know because I had to replace mine just a week after the fact. Of all the things they changed at the garages, this contraption would help the most, at least that was my case. 

Before I replaced the voltage regulator: 

-ABS and ASR stopped working: the strip fuse was blown for no reason (brake fluid was OK, tyre pressures OK, etc). 

-Power steering stopped working while the car was running, especially at idle. Wouldn't come back unless I restarted the car.

-Speaking of restarting the car, since the voltage regulator was toast, the battery would discharge completely WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING so restarting the car after a power steering failure wasn't an option, except on downhill or towed.

Replaced the little fellow, haven't got those failures ever since. 

Hope this helps.

Hi Juanse_2691 - this sounds EXACTLY like the problems I have been having! Thank you so much - will show this to the garage!  

On 02/04/2019 at 09:16, KenONeill said:

@SophieMilne - As an alternative suggestion, maybe one of the connectors on the alternator load sense wires is loose, causing intermittent connections and hence intermittent charge. The only ways to identify this as a possible fault are if you get lots of fault lights (as per #1) and/or the charge warning light doesn't illuminate when you switch the car on but don't start the engine.

Hi KenONeill - another great suggestion, thank you - I will show this to them too!  

On 02/04/2019 at 09:37, RicardoM said:

Just curious. Did you pay every time they worked on your car although they didn't fix it?

One other thing. Most garages don't have mechanics that know how to diagnose cars. They don't search for evidence of fault then, and only then, replace faulty parts or do the repair. All they know is to throw parts at cars, fill fat bills for the customers and hope they will not return. Which in your case didn't happen. That is why I asked you about payments. Normally you pay only if the problem is fixed. Otherwise they should take their parts back, put back the original ones and apologize for being amateurs.

Hi RicardoM,

 

Yes, I’ve paid most of these times except on 2 occasions where the garage has admitted they had no idea - they didn’t do any work so they didn’t try to charge me thankfully.

 

Annoyingly the auto electrician have charged me both times even though the problem wasn’t sorted. I wasn’t sure what my rights are in regards to having to pay for it. Thanks for this info!

11 hours ago, SophieMilne said:

Hi KenONeill - another great suggestion, thank you - I will show this to them too!  

No problem. If the charge warning light doesn't come on, then you need to have the control wires continuity tested (for breaks) and the end connectors on them checked for tightness. It should take under an hour all in; when my Octy did that the bill was 30 minutes labour only.

Edited 5 April, 20197 yr by KenONeill
typo

Sophie- as some other posters have mentioned, giving details of your car on your profile ( Mine is a 1.4 Tdi 04 plate, with an AMF engine. ( See plate on boot cover, under carpet) will help those looking to give advice.  Problem I notice these days is that ,especially with electrical faults, there's a lock of faulting skills. it's a case of try it and see if problem is resolved, rather than a logical solution. Additional, a location ,if you feel safe to give it , can help those near to you to possibly help. I've found the Skoda community much like the old days when I used to borrow FIL  Reliant. I broke down and before I'd opened bonnet, there were bikers around me offering to help. On here it's more of an online help solution, but in the same vein.

On 31/03/2019 at 17:57, SophieMilne said:

Hi everyone,

 

At my wits end with my Skoda Fabia 06 plate and wondering if someone can help. I have posted about its problems on here before.

 

In the past few months my Skoda Fabia has had several lights come on the dashboard at different times - the power steering light (the power steering sometimes goes stiff and heavy when this light comes on, but not always), the yellow engine management light, and, most frequently, the yellow ABS and handbrake light both flash together and it beeps.  

 

I have taken the car to two different garages on several separate occasions (one of these is a specialist auto electrician), they’ve done several diagnostics, and they have tried various things to fix the issues, including new battery, new earth wire, replacing corroded wires, cleaning out ABS sensors and putting a new plug in at the sensor - but the problem always comes back. 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be causing this that the garages may not have thought of? 

 

Thank you in advance!

 

Sophie 

 

 

 

Hello Sophie,

 

My nephew have the same problem, I try a lot things and can't resolve, I put new alternator but nothing. Do you have solution?

My best regards,

Jorge.