MOT Advisory “Coolant Leak” on 2009 Fabia - potential buyer looking for advice

[rum4mo]

I thought that in general now, MOT tested does cover fluids leaking, and if leaking bad enough will mean a failure, though you'd need to be a mug or very unfortunate to have that happen during an MOT test.

[UrbanPanzer]

1 hour ago, rum4mo said:

I thought that in general now, MOT tested does cover fluids leaking, and if leaking bad enough will mean a failure, though you'd need to be a mug or very unfortunate to have that happen during an MOT test.

 

Not in the HGV world......................happens a lot!!!...

 

REF coolant leaks, cannot be failed for it, but any MOT tester with any professionalism, would advise it imo.

[Phil866]

My Spitfire 1500 had an advisory for a 'minor engine oil leak' at its last mot (does not need one now due to it's age) which made me smile. It was from the rocker cover. Try finding a 40 odd year old car that doesn't have an oil leak..... 

[eccleshill]

On 18/01/2020 at 22:36, 72vintage said:

 

 He said be bought it in December (from a Skoda dealer who had it in as a P/X) and he took it for a service and MOT immediately. The dates se to fit as he obviously got it MOTD early as the renewal wasn’t due for a few months yet. 

 

That doesn't sound right to me!  Dealers do NOT service and MOT their stock until it is sold.  Reason being, they don't know how long it is going to sit on their forecourt.  If it doesn't sell and they move it on through the trade why would they take a loss on the cost of the test and service?

I would walk away from this one!  Could be that someone else was on the verge of buying and backed out, maybe due to the water leak or maybe because they discovered how much it was going to cost to repair.

[rum4mo]

I must admit, the above is what I've normally found when looking at used cars - especially the MOT part, any sorting out of problems will be related to the price the buyer paid or the dealer got away with.

[72vintage]

Thanks all for your suggestions and advice, I had a mechanic (ex VW now private) give the car a good look over yesterday and he drove it too, my Dad has also looked over it all as well, he's not an expert but knows his way around a car.  Between the three of us and the paperwork and records we have decided that we think it's OK, as much as we can know with a used car. Mechanic could see no signs of a leak anywhere and there certainly wasn't anything dripping or anything like that. It's a £1,900 car and at this end of the market I appreciate that you can't ever be sure of anything, and you aren't getting a Rolls Royce!! I've got the dealer to throw in a 6 month mechanical warranty for the price we agreed and I am considering having my mechanic put a new cam belt on so I know that's done, and new discs and brakes. Here's a picture of it! 🙂  Keep all your bits crossed for me! Thanks again for your support. 

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, 72vintage said:

there certainly wasn't anything dripping or anything like that.

And there shouldn't have been. I was once advised of an "oil leak", which turned out to be a slack rocker cover bolt!

[Pirate76]

Looks very smart

[72vintage]

Thanks all. 

[dancingbear84]

Nice. You’ve got fog lights. I’m jealous I want front dogs it makes the car look a lot better in my opinion 

[72vintage]

38 minutes ago, dancingbear84 said:

Nice. You’ve got fog lights. I’m jealous I want front dogs it makes the car look a lot better in my opinion 

 

Ah thanks ☺️ that’s nice. Yes I think it certainly looks really smart. It’s clearly been well looked after from a cosmetic point of view so let’s hope that’s an indicator of owners who’ve treated it well overall. 🤞🏻

[26DIPP]

My daughter has the same Fabia, that you are looking at, 2009, 3, 1.4l petrol. We noticed a coolant leak a few months after the sale - could have been old or new.

The 1.4l has a known problem with the air intake preheater - PN 036121188B - which is a pig to get to and fix if it is that. I crawled under the car looking for any sign of leak. Looking up behind the engine block you can see a black plastic structure which almost looks like a manifold. This part likes to split and leak.

We were quoted £120 to fix. I do DIY repairs, but I think it is a workshop job as you take a lot of parts off.

You might be able to reach round and behind it as on the 2. picture to feel for a leak.

Just use the faults to haggle. Front discs and pads are £60 - 80, just replaced, and the timing belt was £350.

 

View looking up

 

View from left onto engine

 

View from right

 

 

[72vintage]

25 minutes ago, 26DIPP said:

My daughter has the same Fabia, that you are looking at, 2009, 3, 1.4l petrol. We noticed a coolant leak a few months after the sale - could have been old or new.

The 1.4l has a known problem with the air intake preheater - PN 036121188B - which is a pig to get to and fix if it is that. I crawled under the car looking for any sign of leak. Looking up behind the engine block you can see a black plastic structure which almost looks like a manifold. This part likes to split and leak.

We were quoted £120 to fix. I do DIY repairs, but I think it is a workshop job as you take a lot of parts off.

You might be able to reach round and behind it as on the 2. picture to feel for a leak.

Just use the faults to haggle. Front discs and pads are £60 - 80, just replaced, and the timing belt was £350.

 

View looking up

 

View from left onto engine

 

View from right

 

 

Thank you, that’s really kind to send me the info and photos. I’ll pass them to my mechanic. 👍🏻

[KenONeill]

15 hours ago, dancingbear84 said:

I want front dogs

Try www.iditerod.com .

[dancingbear84]

1 hour ago, KenONeill said:

Try www.iditerod.com .

Ha predictive text fail. Not dogs, fogs!

although a Fabia pulled by huskies would be fun

[72vintage]

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!! 😱🤣

6 hours ago, dancingbear84 said:

Ha predictive text fail. Not dogs, fogs!

although a Fabia pulled by huskies would be fun

 

[UrbanPanzer]

On 22/01/2020 at 18:33, dancingbear84 said:

Nice. You’ve got fog lights. I’m jealous I want front dogs it makes the car look a lot better in my opinion 

 

Pop the grilles out, the wiring "may" be there tied up out the way, if it is then you just need some lights and a switch.😀

[dancingbear84]

3 hours ago, UrbanPanzer said:

 

Pop the grilles out, the wiring "may" be there tied up out the way, if it is then you just need some lights and a switch.😀

Thanks, I’ll take a look when I get a few minutes spare

[rum4mo]

On 22/01/2020 at 20:25, 72vintage said:

Thank you, that’s really kind to send me the info and photos. I’ll pass them to my mechanic. 👍🏻

 

I'm almost certain that that part is the oil separator and it tends to be the O-ring that causes that leakage,  I'm not sure which one the large one or the small one, my daughter's previous car a late 2009 Ibiza SC 1.4 16V suffered from that - I bought new O-rings, but never got round to replacing them, not a bad leak just wetted the nearby inlet manifold.