1 minute ago, TMB said:

You need to get onto JML with that idea. I can just see it now ''Introducing the new JML Wayfinder, works without that bothersome electricity!''

Do we have a stash of bakelite compasses?

Wee couple of things done on the car whilst I await a lambda sensor...

 

First things first, the alloy I replaced with another one came with a tyre on it, which unfortunately had a fair gash in the sidewall it turns out. So that's off and replaced with the spare from the boot. I'll have to get the tyre swapped between the FUBAR-ed alloy and the "better" one so that I'm not on the steelie for another eternity.

 

 

Secondly, I missed having AM radio in my car so that I could listen to a local station which doesn't broadcast on FM. So after being scalped by Halfords, I have an antenna amp thing for the car. Fitting this required having the stereo out, which then wouldn't stay in the dash. This was fixed today. Wiring for the antenna amp was done using the blue wire on the ISO loom and the wire from the amp and a crimp. Now works like a wee champ. Today was also when the fitting of a part I ordered was done... I finally managed to source a DIN drawer from an Elegance.

 

 

 

Job's a good 'un.

That bloody Sony barsteward. It never stays in the dash. 

 

I may have fallen out with it... just a little and bought an MS202 off eBay. I'm losing the CD changer at the moment but I've still got the cassette. Been looking for an MS502 but those are scarcer than gnashers in your typical farmyard fowl that were subject to a stop-motion movie about flying, an MS402 would even do right now, but it's a wait and see thing really. In the meantime, here's what I've rammed into the dash. It didn't even want a code, which was bizarre, but I'm not complaining. For a basic wee unit, it sounds rather good too and I have interference-free AM radio!

 

 

 

Edited 25 May, 20224 yr by AnnoyingPentium

See you found something then!!  I'm loving some of the little retrofits you've got going on, one of those cupholders would have improved my Fabia life tenfold.

34 minutes ago, valver16 said:

See you found something then!!  I'm loving some of the little retrofits you've got going on, one of those cupholders would have improved my Fabia life tenfold.

 

Aye, it's a bit basic though, no use of the rear speakers and no CD changer capability but it glows green when I ask the whole interior to, it gets me AM radio for the one local station I like, and I've still got the cassette.

 

Thank you, it hasn't been easy at times. I always consider that this is OEM+, as if it's kitted out the way it should have been, not to the spec of the skinflint owner who specced it lol.

Been out a "wee" drive today...

 

 

 

Bad news is the following though:

• Wheel wobble is still terrifying beyond an indicated 65mph (about 62mph). Thinking tracking or balancing still.
• The above may be linked to the bloody annoying clunk I'm getting over bumps, still.
• Brakes are very soft and require a lot of pedal travel to do very little... again. The discs on the front are looking a bit carp and the rear drums... well, the less said, the better.
• Handbrake is also horrid too.

 

Thankfully, the fuelling issue seems to have cleared up a little bit... my MPG seems to be touching 45-46 now, even if it is being indicated pessimistically on the computer. Cupar and back was great fun though!

Edited 28 May, 20224 yr by AnnoyingPentium

46 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

The above may be linked to the bloody annoying clunk I'm getting over bumps, still.

 

Not sure if you've already done this but worn drop links are notorious for clunks.

Just now, TMB said:

 

Not sure if you've already done this but worn drop links are notorious for clunks.

 

They look to be fairly new from what I seen underneath and when I had the wheels off. It's as nice tomorrow as it is today then I'll get the wheels off tomorrow and have a prod about things on the suspension side of the car and see if anything is... ****ed.

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

They look to be fairly new from what I seen underneath and when I had the wheels off. It's as nice tomorrow as it is today then I'll get the wheels off tomorrow and have a prod about things on the suspension side of the car and see if anything is... ****ed.

Mine lasted like a year before needing done again. Should have got the good meyle ones when I changed em

 

Get your wheels balanced yesterday. Won't cost much and if you know the lad they might not even charge you at all. That shaking will be wearing your wheel bearings like mad. Be one or both front wheels.

Think I told you before but when I put my montes wheels from the back to the front it magically started shaking super bad over 80mph. Could have been a fiver if anything at all to get sorted. 

12 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Thinking tracking or balancing still.

I'm thinking front wheel bearing(s). Jack the wheels up and check them yourself. I'd be most surprised if it's tracking, but it could be an outer rod end.

 

Brakes. Have you tried holding the foot brake on hard, and then applying the handbrake as hard as you can twice. That often works the self-adjusters where normal service usage doesn't.

4 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

I'm thinking front wheel bearing(s). Jack the wheels up and check them yourself. I'd be most surprised if it's tracking, but it could be an outer rod end.

 

You could be onto something there. I've had one of the bearings done (front left) a wee while back, but it could be any other really.

 

5 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Brakes. Have you tried holding the foot brake on hard, and then applying the handbrake as hard as you can twice. That often works the self-adjusters where normal service usage doesn't.

 

I'll try that. Cheers Ken.

 

10 hours ago, DieselMonte said:

Mine lasted like a year before needing done again. Should have got the good meyle ones when I changed em

 

Get your wheels balanced yesterday. Won't cost much and if you know the lad they might not even charge you at all. That shaking will be wearing your wheel bearings like mad. Be one or both front wheels.

Think I told you before but when I put my montes wheels from the back to the front it magically started shaking super bad over 80mph. Could have been a fiver if anything at all to get sorted. 

 

I'll check about and see what things are like under there and I'll report back.

As yous will know having read this thread, I've got some sort of unknown issue that keeps coming and going (as my Fuelly will show you as well)...

 

 

When the car isn't too great, it's seeing about 36mpg at best, but when I'm lighter on the throttle I can make some bizarre numbers pop up on the screen... I can average 42-44 when it's okay anyway.

 

 

Just a shame the roads aren't flat everywhere with no traffic.

 

Anyway, I've also given the car a fairly substantial wash as it was absolutely ****ing filthy...

 

 

Now a little more fresh though...

 

 

And yes, I did finally get the carpet cleaner to work, and it does a smashing job.

Did you decide you didn't like the standard Skoda stereo you bought, Ryan?

1 minute ago, TMB said:

Did you decide you didn't like the standard Skoda stereo you bought, Ryan?

 

The lack of rear cabin filler as a result of the MS202 wasn't working for me, since it doesn't output to the rear speakers at all. The Symphony went back in this evening as well. The Alpine's blue display is too glaring sadly... the Sony I had been using may have blown up when a wire broke free from the aerial antenna crimp and shorted in the back of the stereo... so I'm hunting another one of those down for mucho cheapness now.

I see

Been a little while since I produced a post, but I've been busy with work and other life ****e yadda yadda yadda and the car has become a backburner type deal. Okay, I've got the excuses out of the way, time to actually get onto the important ****.

 

To bring you all up to speed in small segments...

 

Part One of Suffering: Brake Servo Hose

 

The split brake servo hose that I masterfully taped up was constantly playing on my mind (what if it went etc etc etc), so I bought another one using my staff discount at the parts place that the work owns.

 

 

Figuring out how to change this was rather confusing for such a simple part. A chain of PMs between @Breezy_Pete and I eventually cleared up the questions and fears I had about diving into this. Big thanks to him though.

 

Now have a hose without red insulating tape on it. No longer fully matches the car, but ach well, safety and that.

 

Part Two of Suffering: Stereo Replacement

 

I blew up the old Sony stereo I had. That was daft. Didn't mean it though!

 

Anyway, after accidentally making a blood brothers pact with the stereo cage that made it look like I'd got into a fight with a cheese grater, I had a car stereo with functional CD changer again! Wooooooo!!

 

 

Now I can have Jesus Jones with the fantabulous autoreverse as well!

 

 

Part Three of Suffering: Death Wobble

 

The death wobble over 55mph was doing my head in, especially on longer trips as my hands would get really sore from clenching the wheel or the continuous vibration. To rectify this, wheel balancing was more than a must, it was a ****ing necessity. So that got done. I opted to check if the car needed tracking, and the garage checked, but honestly it's not bad enough, so that's fine.

 

 

Part Four of Suffering: The Immediate Future

 

At the time of writing, I have received a post-cat lambda sensor in the post and I'm trying to figure out where the hell the MAP sensor I ordered is, as I haven't got it. I'm seeing something variable between about 31mpg and 42mpg on longer trips, it's weird and costly. Got some trips coming up, so it's getting used quite a bit too. How exciting!

 

Still got more to do, including procuring some front tyres as the tread is getting to where it's almost lower than I'm comfortable with.

 

Part Five of Suffering: The Distant-but-not-too Distant Future

 

I don't know the long-term for this car yet. I know that something will be incoming at some point this year, so that may mean the Fabia is gawn oot of the household, but there's a few things needs done with the incoming vehicle before I take it on (which the current owner is rectifying). It's non-Skoda, so sorry to disappoint. In an ideal world, the Fabia will be staying though. Even if only on limited use or something.

 

Part Six of Suffering: Overall Conclusion

 

Yes. Progress is finally happening. Got some more things to do still. 'Nuff said, eh?

You and your posh autoreverse cassette malarkey. Only the latest tech for you

11 hours ago, TMB said:

You and your posh autoreverse cassette malarkey. Only the latest tech for you

 

Of course, Lee. Gotta keep with the times!

Wow, many many months have passed... holy ****.

 

What have I done in that time? I could say absolutely nothing, but that would be a blatant lie. I can't be bothered to write out a big detailed post, so you'll get it in list form with pictures...

 

• New tyres - Falken EcoRun Ziex tyres. Very nice.
• Hole in the exhaust... 

• Cleaned it.

• Cupholder.

• Broke down. P0171, running lean. It's been away since I cleared it. Thanks to @Breezy_Pete for delivering over the phone tech advice when I was having a meltdown in the Tesco car park in Carlisle.

• Horns, ****ing air horns.

 

 

(They're not actually musical)

 

• Met up with a mate with a C5.

• Tow bar.

 

 

And now we're here. Smashing.

 

Now... any questions?

Edited 19 September, 20223 yr by AnnoyingPentium

How did the towbar get wired in? Have you got the towing indicator light confirmation on the dash going?

14 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

How did the towbar get wired in?

 

Just tapped into the wiring loom for the taillights. Runs absolutely fine.

 

15 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Have you got the towing indicator light confirmation on the dash going?

 

The what?!

Perfect. If you look in the owners manual you'll see there's a second warning light that should work when you have a tow connected, giving a visual confirmation that the trailer indicators are working (when they are).

Should be a dead easy VCDS recode of the onboard supply control unit to enable it. You just add 1 to the existing coding.

Just now, Breezy_Pete said:

Perfect. If you look in the owners manual you'll see there's a second warning light that should work when you have a tow connected, giving a visual confirmation that the trailer indicators are working (when they are).

Should be a dead easy VCDS recode of the onboard supply control unit to enable it. You just add 1 to the existing coding.

 

Cheers, Pete. May have to see to going about doing that at some point.

It's a requirement in theory, either an auditory or visual confirmation, so you can tell if one's failed. 

In practice, I don't think they test towing electrics of the 7-pin variety at MOT IIRC.

Won't work if it's an LED lightboard btw, unless you add some resistors in parallel to make them look to the control unit like proper bulbs.

Edited 19 September, 20223 yr by Breezy_Pete

58 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

It's a requirement in theory, either an auditory or visual confirmation, so you can tell if one's failed. 

In practice, I don't think they test towing electrics of the 7-pin variety at MOT IIRC.

Won't work if it's an LED lightboard btw, unless you add some resistors in parallel to make them look to the control unit like proper bulbs.

 

I wasn't sure if the bulb would do like the rest and flash double-time when one goes duff.

 

It's not an LED lightboard, just a basic old school set up that my Grampa threw together in the 90s when him and my father built the trailer.