I stand corrected then, didn't realize cars have advanced that much over the years . Maybe that goes with a few dealer forums I've read where the modern younger motorist buys a car on pcp with the maintenance package and never expects to check levels between services under the bonnet.

Got MOT Friday, always take car for 3rd gear run before to warm engine up for emissions. On the wife's Megane with temp gauge can judge optimum moment to dump car with garage, with the Fabia it's guesswork.

EDIT   people with Mk 3 Fabia 1.4TDI,s would have been very grateful for temp gauges as Skoda /VW managed to mess them up. Blaming the coolant and not VW.  Eventually dealing with some lemons they built.  Sadly they have left many buying used cars or cars out of warranty in the lurch.  See top of MK3 section. ,......    Surely you know that unless in the coldest of air temps 10 miles of a drive even using all the  gears will have the coolant at a normal operating temp.   Then the car being MOT,d as soon as being handed in is a nice thing.   At least if a re-test is required because of failing on emissions  at a test.    It has never been an issue that bothered me with older diesels and UK MOTs though.

Edited 6 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

And a bottle of Comma Diesel Magic , always does the trick. 

I find that as diesel running correctly and a clean air filter is enough. Additives not required as it is Derv you are running anyway.

They've arrived!

Thanks Parts In Motion and Fed Ex.

Tomorrow the fun begins.

1 hour ago, Cheapas said:

They've arrived!

Thanks Parts In Motion and Fed Ex.

Tomorrow the fun begins.

You might want to carefully take some measurements and write down the specification of each spring. This is so that if you notice a problem after you have fitted them, you can refer to your notes. For example, if one side is higher than the other, if the back end is high or low, if the ride seems too hard or too soft, etc.

 

Weight:

Wire Diameter:

Length:

Outer Diameter:

Number of Coil Turns:

 

If they are a matched pair, they should be within a few grams of each other.

 

They should be within a couple of millimetres height difference...preferably you won't be able to spot any difference in height when held up together.

 

Edited 6 April, 20215 yr by Carlston

Ok Carlston, thanks will do.

They've both got the same code RA5136 on boxes. Annoyingly ones got a chip in the protective coating.

Just put them on a flat surface, they look the same height. Both have 8 coil turns.

The ride on our Fabia has  always seems rock hard

3 minutes ago, Cheapas said:

Ok Carlston, thanks will do.

They've both got the same code RA5136 on boxes. Annoyingly ones got a chip in the protective coating.

Just put them on a flat surface, they look the same height. Both have 8 coil turns.

The ride on our Fabia has  always seems rock hard

 

I would put a small piece of masking tape where the chip is. Then when the springs are fitted, coat the chip with a tiny squirt of motorcycle chain lube or grease to stop it rusting.

 

Most people have a garage to change springs, and I doubt they would worry about chipped coatings. The garage might roughly handling the springs on concrete and add an extra chip.

 

Anyhow, springs usually break at the ends...usually the last half turn or so...as this is where the stress point is.

 

Many people will chip front springs using coil spring compressors.

 

Were the boxes unsealed? or could the chip have been done in the factory before boxing? 

It's not too sad, I'll slap some copper grease on.

You must be pysichic- old spring broke on the end , maybe an inch piece.

Remember now loud bang coming down M2 one night, so presume it was that. 

Put a little rust inhibitor or etch primer on chips and then a little paint, or even nail varnish. 

The broken spring was once like the nice new wrapped ones.

 

 

Edited 6 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Wow, were you stationery when that broke? Any tyre damage?

I heard an explosion outside and had no idea what it was. It was winter and the  Jimny had been sitting a long time over winter not doing much.  I found the broken part on the ground the next day and discovered the front spring broken.  They are very long springs though and sit compressed when just parked.    On Fabia vRS it is the driver's side front spring that commonly breaks and you can be unaware and maybe just hear grinding when you reverse. 

 

Edited 7 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Well , job done and both springs fitted. No real probs apart from cleverly supporting car on axle stands on rear beam then realising needed it to move to get clearance. Old springs came out without needing spring compressors, thanks to all who said not to bother buying them. 

Replacement springs had same number of turns so that's good.

Pictures below:

The offending article , and a few useful tools to make life easier. Head torch from Tool Station £10. Absolutely love this, charges off usb so no batteries needed, no more faffing about trying to balance phone torch. Aldi impact driver £20 bare, got a few of their cordless tools. Still crack nuts off with breaker, then use this to unwind, great time saver. Lastly socket converter from Tool Station £4. 

Took drums off again, lubricated all pivot points and adjusted cable in cab, now on 5 clicks. 

MOT brought foward tomorrow now, so we'll see what Paul our friendly MOT tester has to say about handbrake.

Thanks again for everyone's advice and your time in supplying pictures etc.

Nearly forgot- the wheel barrow. For years been walking past it while humping tools from shed to driveway. 3 weeks ago had eureka moment, now use the barrow to move them all in one hit. Amount of years I've walked past it? 10+ dear God.

And a

Good.

I thought the Greenline rear springs would be the same as was used as OEM on a Mk2 vRS, but i see they are not.

 

Edited 7 April, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

Presume you mean because of the difference in colour dots . The replacement springs had no dots, so I'm presuming ones I've replaced were the originals. Not bad then for age of car.

If thats your workshop and lift I'm jealous. Getting too old grubbing about on my knees on cold driveways.

33 minutes ago, Cheapas said:

Nearly forgot- the wheel barrow. For years been walking past it while humping tools from shed to driveway. 3 weeks ago had eureka moment, now use the barrow to move them all in one hit. Amount of years I've walked past it? 10+ dear God.

 

Glad you got it all done OK. 

Sitting at same height as before at the back?

@Cheapas

That is an Old Skool ATS Euromaster where they have the gear and more than just an idea and the staff stay working for years and years and can be fully trusted.

Thanks Wino, tbh forgot to take measurements before starting, but standing back and looking at car looks right.

Took Carlstons advice and counted coil turns , both new and old the same.

e-Roottoot nice to have somewhere you can trust.

15 hours ago, Cheapas said:

 

And a

 

It looks like the coloured dots are 1 orange, 2 blue, 1 white.

 

1

6Q0511115AF

coil spring for vehicles with lowered running gear 1 paint mark 2 paint marks 1 paint mark

orange blue white Model data: PR-0YB

 

Edited 8 April, 20215 yr by Carlston

(08:32:18 AM) Cassie: Ok so the OE is 6Q0 511 115 AF which matches the KYB RA5136- that's a quote from Parts In Motion when the lady was checking for the correct item. Even their site said that was wrong , so fair play to her for sorting it.

Can't believe it matches what you've posted Carlston , not normally that lucky!

Well it passed thank gawd.

Got new style brake test report with mot cert and emissions report. Not seen one of these before, can anyone explain the test results at the bottom, particularly the efficiency section? Doesn't look brilliant to me , 25% efficient on park brake yet still passed?

Unfortunately garage has been taken over so couldn't ask mot man with Covid restrictions.

So interestingly checked mot history and car failed mot for fractured osr spring in May 16, with previous owner. 

However Skoda dealership only changed the broken one , not the pair.

I thought like discs these should be changed both sides at once.

I've changed the nsr.

Re the brake figures, someone else will explain better than me but its a function of how many kgf of retardation before the wheel locks compared to the recorded weight of the vehicle, the rear brakes on a FWD do very little work before locking up, I would say that yours are in excellent condition.

 

Why?

 

Because you have the same figures for the handbrake as the footbrake.

 

The pass figure is 16%

Ok, thanks JR, I didn't interpret the figures the way you have.

Be nice if vosa had a guide on the back of the report to explain the parameters in layman's terms. 

My first thought on seeing 25% with the pass rate set at 16% was just scraped through.

Sorry, I had the nsr break, but changed both.