Hello all,

 

New to the forums. 

 

I have a late 2015 Fabia 1.2 tsi 110 and had three questions:

 

1)  When I start the engine and for around 5 minutes afterwards, the engine makes a strange buzzing sound. The only way I can describe it (and this is very specific) is like the buzzing sound that the tape recorder in a police interview makes when it starts recording. My Seat Leon 1.2 tsi also made the same noise. Can I assume this is normal!?

 

2) I am starting to get a short-lived moan / squeak (like a metal gate closing slowly), presumably from somewhere in the steering system when I turn the wheel. I've only noticed this when manoeuvring, not driving on the open road. Does this sound like something expensive is going bad?

 

3) Anyone found the paint REALLY thin? The bonnet is absolutely covered in stone chips. I wonder whether it's partly to do with the relatively steep angle of the bonnet.

 

Thanks in advance!

JJ

1,  You wouldn't happen to have air con on would you? Probably not, but is the only buzzing I've noticed on mine. Only does it when its actively using the air con (I have climate control and I leave it on auto so it comes on and off). (video here: https://bit.ly/2KGNtBp)

2, No idea,

3, Mine definitely had a few stone chips on the front after 3 years, also managed to get a stone chip in the windscreen within the first 2 weeks of ownership when someone changed lane in front of me! One on the bonnet was through to the metal, so made sure i sorted it with rust preventative, etch primer then a mixture of the top coat and touch up paint. Can barely notice it now. But yeah, I thought the previous owner was just a bit of a tailgater but maybe that's not it.

4 hours ago, Confused_Cheese said:

1,  You wouldn't happen to have air con on would you? Probably not, but is the only buzzing I've noticed on mine. Only does it when its actively using the air con (I have climate control and I leave it on auto so it comes on and off). (video here: https://bit.ly/2KGNtBp)

2, No idea,

3, Mine definitely had a few stone chips on the front after 3 years, also managed to get a stone chip in the windscreen within the first 2 weeks of ownership when someone changed lane in front of me! One on the bonnet was through to the metal, so made sure i sorted it with rust preventative, etch primer then a mixture of the top coat and touch up paint. Can barely notice it now. But yeah, I thought the previous owner was just a bit of a tailgater but maybe that's not it.

 

I got 2 stone chips within 2 months of owning mine, then none since, unfortunately it required my windscreen to be replaced before its MOT. Not got any chips in the paint on my bonnet though suprisingly with the car being close to 5 years old now, seems like my windscreen has taken the brunt of it so far!

 

1) Most likely the air-con, its certainly not quiet, and my dad often notices i'm almost home when i come round the block before i've even gotten onto our street if he's out in the garden!

2) Sometimes i get a bit of brake screech when doing slow maneuvres (usually when reversing) when moving the steering wheel, my left front disc is warped, so that's likely whats doing it for me. Sometimes a whirring at full lock (i've been told that's the open diff though)

3) Not noticed it personally.

Buzzing can be cold injectors. I’d describe it more like a high pitched, fast frequency rattle though. 

Brakes can be quite squeaky, especially if Skoda’s originals. 

After kwik fit replaced the brakes on my MK 1 fabia VRS they squeaked when turning really bad... eventually got it sorted but that was a long saga. Never been back to a kwik fit and never will. That's a good shout though, might just need some grease to stop the vibration or something.

On 28/06/2019 at 00:12, Confused_Cheese said:

a mixture of the top coat and touch up paint.

 

In my experience the result of mixing colour and clear-coat is not solvent-hard -- the surface dye component wipes away with isopropyl even after it's dried. I prefer to apply a final, thin later of pure clear-coat using good-quality masking tape (like the 3M Blue stuff) cut to shape.

Edited 29 June, 20196 yr by ettlz

13 hours ago, Confused_Cheese said:

After kwik fit replaced the brakes on my MK 1 fabia VRS they squeaked when turning really bad... eventually got it sorted but that was a long saga. Never been back to a kwik fit and never will. That's a good shout though, might just need some grease to stop the vibration or something.

 

I've always taken the line that one thing that you must do with a new car, in respect of the brakes, is to make sure that you know if the factory fit brake pads are fitted with anti-squeal shims, if they are, then the manufacturer has decided that the pads need these anti-squeal shims. Always make sure that you only ever buy new parts that have these shims fitted, I'd doubt if KwikFit or maybe other fast fit places bother about that, same goes for buying from ECP, choice the brand wisely and with ECP make sure that you have done your "due diligence" checks on the chosen brand's website as they will provide the correct trade kit for that job, but ECP might just as always stock a shortened range that almost does the job, safety will be assured, but annoying noises might come as a free extra.

 

Edit:- I fitted some ECP sourced rear pads from ATE to my previous B5 VW Passat, it must have deafened lots of people before I gave in and fitted Pagid pads which were the same as fitted at the factory.  For my wife's 2002 VW Polo, I could not buy the correct pads from ECP for both ends, so I contacted TMW Friction's UK sales rep, and pointed out that VW fitted their products at the factory, Textar on rear and Pagid on front and ECP were the sole importer of TMD Friction pads, so sort things out for me - they sent out a complete front and rear pads that were exactly the correct versions!

Edited 29 June, 20196 yr by rum4mo

Hi all,

 

 

Thanks for all your replies. What a great forum.

 

I think your replies have reassured me about point 1. Confused_Cheese - the noise in the video is the EXACT one I was referring to, thank you.

 

For point 2., I hadn't thought of the brakes, so I will do some testing (manoeuvring whilst using the brakes) to see if I can easily replicate the issue, which will help to point me in the right direction of what I should be looking into. Would much rather it were something to do with the brakes really!

 

For point 3., it looks like some other people are dealing with stone chips as well. I think I need to address these properly soon or I'll regret it.

 

Just one other thing - does anyone find their 1.2 tsi 'rattles' quite a bit when going up a moderately steep hill in 2nd? Am I basically causing it to lug and just need to get used to changing right down on any hill? I find the power is near the end of second into third, which is probably normal.

 

Cheers,

JJ

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, jj_fabia said:

does anyone find their 1.2 tsi 'rattles' quite a bit when going up a moderately steep hill in 2nd?

 

How fast are you going up said hill? The engines are very smooth from 1800 rpm upwards, which is about 18mph in 2nd. If you're going less than ~15mph you probably want to be keeping to 1st. Depending on how steep the hill is. If you're having to put your foot down you should probably be in a lower gear. Lugging it for long periods of time isn't going to do anything great.

 

My 1.2 TSI 90 has plenty of pull all the way up to about 80-85mph (keeping in 3rd), then it starts to run out of puff from lack of horsepower. The engines have very strong torque from 1500 all the way to about 4000 where it starts tailing off a little.

As @FabiaGonzales says, they're a bit grumbly under load below 1.8k... Drop down a gear and keep it above 2k on steeper bits... Get the turbo helping out and forget the fuel economy 😉

Oh and always glad to help, especially when it reconfirm mines fine too 😀 I don't really notice the buzzing now unless I'm getting a ticket in a multistory car park with the window down 🙉 

In very hot weather the steering bushes on most cars I owned, squeaked a squirt of silicone usually sorter it.

On 27/06/2019 at 17:49, jj_fabia said:

Hello all,

 

New to the forums. 

 

I have a late 2015 Fabia 1.2 tsi 110 and had three questions:

 

1)  When I start the engine and for around 5 minutes afterwards, the engine makes a strange buzzing sound. The only way I can describe it (and this is very specific) is like the buzzing sound that the tape recorder in a police interview makes when it starts recording. My Seat Leon 1.2 tsi also made the same noise. Can I assume this is normal!?

 

2) I am starting to get a short-lived moan / squeak (like a metal gate closing slowly), presumably from somewhere in the steering system when I turn the wheel. I've only noticed this when manoeuvring, not driving on the open road. Does this sound like something expensive is going bad?

 

3) Anyone found the paint REALLY thin? The bonnet is absolutely covered in stone chips. I wonder whether it's partly to do with the relatively steep angle of the bonnet.

 

Thanks in advance!

JJ

 

I do also wonder if the Police are in fact hiding under the bonnet and might still be recording you!! Although this noise is pretty normal. It's more pronounced on some cars than others.

The steering squeak is most likely a seal on the steering column going a bit dry. It will go away usually of it's own accord.

The paint chips...pretty normal over time especially if the car has been used as speed on motorways and dual carriageways.

47 minutes ago, GeneralPurpose said:

 

I do also wonder if the Police are in fact hiding under the bonnet and might still be recording you!! Although this noise is pretty normal. It's more pronounced on some cars than others.

The steering squeak is most likely a seal on the steering column going a bit dry. It will go away usually of it's own accord.

The paint chips...pretty normal over time especially if the car has been used as speed on motorways and dual carriageways.

 

I've found a consistent way to reproduce the squeak when turning the wheel, by lightly applying the brakes (just enough to hold the car), and turning the wheel.

 

Technically the way VAG have set up the geometry there should be zero scrub radius, but as with all surfaces, there are uneven ones, hills, slopes, rough bits, and that causes the wheel to want to turn on the axle a little bit. This causes the brakes to shudder against the very slightly moving disc.

 

You can reproduce a similar noise by very slowly releasing the handbrake until the point where the car starts to move, it'll make a little moan as the brakes shudder for a moment before there's enough movement to stop it. Note, if you have drum brakes on the rear, you might not be able to reproduce it. Mine has discs on the rear.

 

Hold the brakes harder so they can't slip at all? Noise gone.

 

The noise also reduces when the brakes are much cleaner and dry. If theyve been sat for a while, or if it's damp or wet, they're more prone to doing it.

Edited 1 July, 20196 yr by FabiaGonzales

If I'm feeling like being annoying, I make sure that the handbrake makes noises when parked in traffic on a slope, my wife HATES that noise, so I've just got to do that! I might need to move about quite a bit to make the rear discs make that creaking noise though.

Since plastic bushes have been used on car steering set ups, they squeak and squeal dependent on heat and humidity (As do disc brakes)