Coolant & Oil light on

[adamyt]

My Fabia has the coolant level warning light on and once up to temp the engine oil light comes on, engine doesn't sound and different just its juddery self, everything else runs as normal,

 

It's full of oil, coolant tank is also full. From another thread someone mentioned replacing the oil pressure sensor (047-919-081B) which I'm going to do, I'll also be getting a new coolant bottle. Only ~£20 to find out if it's ruined. Anything else I should check? I've been having instrument cluster out a fair bit as I'm working on a digital cluster so I could also be suffering from cracked solder joints..

 

Also, ehem... While I'm at it I fitted a 2017 Seat Leon wheel, a harness frankentine was conducted to make it all work, still need to run an extra wire for the steering wheel controls as the harness only has space for one. Maybe the red stitching gave the car too many horse powers, who knows! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

[Breezy_Pete]

Which engine does your Fabia have?

[adamyt]

Whoops, had meant to put that up. It's a 1.4 mpi

[Breezy_Pete]

Check the solder joints of the green cluster connector before spending any money.

What year is it?

[adamyt]

It's 2001, only thing that makes me doubt its the cluster is the fact the oil light comes on when the engine is warm. I'll have a peak.

[adamyt]

Solder joints are all fine

[sepulchrave]

Replace the oil pressure sensor, failure is common and a new one is cheap, you can get rid of the coolant level lamp by shorting the tank sensor plug contacts together. 

[Breezy_Pete]

If you still get oil pressure warnings with new switch, get the sump off and clean out or replace the pick up pipe.

[adamyt]

7 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

Replace the oil pressure sensor, failure is common and a new one is cheap, you can get rid of the coolant level lamp by shorting the tank sensor plug contacts together. 

 

Just ordered the sensor and a new expansion tank 🤞

 

 

[adamyt]

7 hours ago, Wino said:

If you still get oil pressure warnings with new switch, get the sump off and clean out or replace the pick up pipe.

 

The sump actually has a very slight leak around the seal, I was planning to replace it with a new unit next time I serviced it.  The pick up pipe looks fairly long, where does it connect to?

[Breezy_Pete]

Pick up pipe is item 4 here, referred to as 'suction line'. Must admit I've never seen one in the flesh.

https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2001-225/1/115-115003/

 

Not quite as simple and cheap-looking as what I'd expected.

[adamyt]

On 15/07/2020 at 15:16, Wino said:

Pick up pipe is item 4 here, referred to as 'suction line'. Must admit I've never seen one in the flesh.

https://skoda.7zap.com/en/cz/fabia/fab/2001-225/1/115-115003/

 

Not quite as simple and cheap-looking as what I'd expected.

 

Looks like I'm clear of replacing that monster, installed the new sensor and all seems well. Oil was literally pouring out of the end of the old sensor. New coolant tank is waiting at my local sorting office, if only they were open for more than 2 hours.... Looks like my fab will be kicking for a while longer

[JON17]

On 15/07/2020 at 07:29, sepulchrave said:

Replace the oil pressure sensor, failure is common and a new one is cheap, you can get rid of the coolant level lamp by shorting the tank sensor plug contacts together. 

I am getting the same coolant level warning light as well / i replaced the tank it still comes on / i put i wire across it still came on /  i changed the temp sensor it still comes on ( it's not doing it all the time and it can do it straight away or after you have driven it for a short while ) car is a  02 1.4 mpi 

[Breezy_Pete]

36 minutes ago, JON17 said:

I am getting the same coolant level warning light as well / i replaced the tank it still comes on / i put i wire across it still came on /  i changed the temp sensor it still comes on ( it's not doing it all the time and it can do it straight away or after you have driven it for a short while ) car is a  02 1.4 mpi 

Probably a cracked solder joint at the cluster connector then.

[JON17]

Cluster joint ? 

[adamyt]

6 minutes ago, JON17 said:

Cluster joint ? 

 

The solder joints inside the instrument cluster crack sometimes causing weird faults. Check the video below, while it's aimed towards the immobiliser its the exact same repair.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpu7z2BWeXE

 

[Breezy_Pete]

Could also be wiring damage near or at the expansion tank connector in the engine bay. 

 

[adamyt]

1 minute ago, Wino said:

Could also be wiring damage near or at the expansion tank connector in the engine bay. 

 

 

They made another thread where they mentioned shorting out the connector, would be pretty screwed if its further up the harness? May be worth checking the cable with a multimeter.

 

Did a bit of Googleing, it turns out RoHS directives came out in 2002 limiting the use of lead in electronics (Solder namely), have you ever seen a pre-2002 Fabia have cracked joints in the cluster? 🤔

 

 

 

 

[JON17]

The car had  cracked joints in the cluster which stopped the car starting the top two were redone just taken dash out bottom four look cracked the weren't before so have redone them now will see how it goes thanks everyone 

[Breezy_Pete]

Yeah pretty sure the coolant shortage connection is one of the bottom few; hang on, I'll dig out a pic where it's marked.

 

[Breezy_Pete]

Pin 16?

[Breezy_Pete]

24 minutes ago, adamyt said:

RoHS directives came out in 2002 limiting the use of lead in electronics (Solder namely), have you ever seen a pre-2002 Fabia have cracked joints in the cluster?

 

Less to do with lead/unleaded solder, more to do with number of years of vibration, I suspect; and design that doesn't take into account the waggle of the pins that results from the loom flapping. 

Modern designs tend to have press-fit pins that aren't actually soldered at all, relying on mechanical fit to keep connector in permanent good interference contact with gold-plated through holes. 

[JON17]

The bottom four including number 16 as Wino said were cracked so i re-flowed them thanks all   

[adamyt]

Replaced my expansion tank as the sensor was trashed yesterday, found a leak in the radiator (think it's the fan switch) and today gunk in the coolant tank! Looking at older posts it seems the head gasket is fairly straight forward to swap assuming it doesn't need skimming however, does anyone know which tools are needed to remove it? Should I upgrade the headbolts and finally is this a suitable kit, if not does anyone have the OEM uprated part number?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-FABIA-1-4-8V-HEAD-GASKET-SET-BOLTS-00-03-AME-AQW-ATZ/153340782644

Edited 23 July, 2020 by adamyt

[Breezy_Pete]

Yep, tends to be the fan thermoswitch just needs tightening a tad.

 

Main thing is the HG should have Temac printed on it, which I can't see in the picture on that listing, ask the seller if it's there.