Hi there people,  anyone got advice on how the plastic little covers are removed without marking my wheels so that I can get at the bolts?

Generally in the boot with your wheel/tyre stuff will be a black plastic long-U shaped puller, as you push it on the sides of the bolt cover the puller's ends spring open more to hook on to the far end of the bolt covers and you pull the cover off.

 

This link will get you to the Driver's Handbook (or whatever they're calling it) for your car by VIN or model which will give more details. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

 

HTH.

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by nta16
mistaking the mistake

Much appreciated 😊

On ebay, this is the cheapest UK seller I could see with a little look but it shows you the tool you need. You might just find one stored in the boot well, along with the tyre inflator or other stuff. (Cut and paste, to look).

 

Wheel Nut Cap Removal Tool For Audi A4 Peugeot 307 Skoda & Other Ridged Car Caps (Fits: Audi)

Brand new

That's the one I was thinking of, I assume it fits a Mk2.

 

Same applies to all vehicles and many more items, that is ignore the usual macho rubbish and actually read the Driver's Handbook, and then refer to it when required, as it covers so many of the usual queries and things that need doing that many don't know or forget.

 

 

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by nta16
mistaking the mistake

@mrgf just for info, the link you put up was live for me, without the need for cut & paste.

 

You can do a shorter link by just using up to the end of the eBay item number, i.e.. -  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192299508828

 

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by nta16

@mrgfta muchly for tracking that down. @nta16 good shout. I’m off to see if I have original book now. Thanks again people 👍🏽

No problem.  You always want the relevant Driver's Handbook with the car, if you can't get it from the dealer-seller or the previous owner doesn't have it you can download the pdf copy from that previous link but it's not always as handy as a paper printed copy in the glovebox.

 

You also always want the second key or keyfob, if the dealer seller-doesn't have it again you can try contacting the previous owner in case they found it at the back of a drawer or some where after the car left them.   That's why I always recommend alternating the use of both keys or keyfobs that way you get even wear out of them and you always know where they are.

 

If you have a keyfob you want to make sure the battery in it doesn't go too low (see DH for details) otherwise issues can arise.  If you renew a keyfob battery then you want to resynchronise it with the car (see DH for details).  I'd do the same if the car battery is disconnected or changed.

 

Which brings me on to, always have a good car battery in good condition and in a good state of charge, with the post connections not loose or covered in crud (or battery) as even if the car starts and the headlights seem bright the battery might be too low for the car's computers to be happy and you don't want to upset them as they can play up in all sorts of ways and really make you wish you'd keep on top of the battery's state of charge.  Don't wait for an error light or message to appear to warn you as often by that time the computers are already serving their revenge.  The old timers used to often unfairly (but sometimes accurately) call such lights ("idiot lights").  

 

A bit of old timer's, er, advice. 

 

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by nta16
speeling and stuff

@nta16 excellent advice thanks. Makes me realise I need to look at battery connections and associated wires… plenty of creamy whiteish corrosion looking crud.

Unfortunately I have this car now due to a bereavement. But it does mean I have both keys and I’m pretty such all correct books etc.

I have a trickle charger already so I’ll hook batt up tomorrow during the day👍🏽😊 

The white-creamy-ish stuff might be battery terminal protection grease (or just lithium grease) some people spray it on or garages (sometimes to show a bit of extra effort).  It's ok but can collect grit/crud/muck and is a sticky mess to fingertips.  It's not needed on the actual battery posts of modern batteries, as some old timers might remember it to be last millennium, but some like to see it over the battery post connectors/clamps.

 

Sorry to here of your ownership path.

 

Do make sure the battery charger is suitable to the battery type but a trickle-charger should be fine, but note my neighbour's old big battery previously fitted to a diesel van took well over two days to charge up, off the vehicle, pretty close to the 60 hours the paperwork with my 20+-year old 4-stage maintenance charger said it might.

 

Battery on the car, the car is pulling power from the battery all the time (I don't know if it's more or less with the doors locked, alarm on, or doors unlocked alarm not on) so some of the trickle charge is immediately being lost.  If you have to trickle charge on and off for a number of days that's fine provided each time is long enough.

 

And you don't lock the charger into a baking oven of a black car with all the windows up during very hot weather as my neighbour did with my other old 4-amp 30+ year old charger.  When she put the ignition key in ready to lower the windows, she'd left the blower fan switched on which was the last straw for my old charger and it overheated it and the needle dial dropped like a stone to zero.  Her face was a picture when she thought she'd killer it.  I just disconnected it blow through its vents to cool it down then reconnected it to see it back to life.  It did reinforce all I'd been trying to explain to her about recharging the massive very old battery in her car in the hot weather.  We decided to give up until the weather cooled to average temperatures and she could try interment recharging with her 6-amp charger now.  I expect to hear any results in September when the MoT is due despite me telling her she be best to get it done (as you can) up to a month earlier.  Or first or second lot of cold weather in late autumn or early winter, when many others will be running after new batteries (whether they need them or not).

 

Check your book but on my wife's 2015 hatch the only thing that was lost when I took the car battery off the car to recharge for many hours was was the time clock.

 

Let us know how you get on.

 

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by nta16

I have a 2015 Fabia petrol. I would check your handbook but I think the wheel bolts have to be fitted dry ( no oil or grease) and you will need the key to remove the security bolt which should be beside the inflater or spare wheel.

If your battery charger is as old as mine 20 plus years it would probably be unsuitable for modern stop/start battery Joe

Were any mk2 fabias equipped with stop/start? 

3 hours ago, JoePeddos said:

I have a 2015 Fabia petrol. I would check your handbook but I think the wheel bolts have to be fitted dry ( no oil or grease) and you will need the key to remove the security bolt which should be beside the inflater or spare wheel.

If your battery charger is as old as mine 20 plus years it would probably be unsuitable for modern stop/start battery Joe

Totally agree, as if you take your car into a tyre place or garage and they insist on tightening the bolt or nut with a rattle gun it might make things wore rather than better.

 

As for the battery charger to battery you do want the right type and not to overcharge the battery particularly careful with AGM batteries which also want low slow chargers as do most cars batteries for best charging.

 

With care an old charger is fine on even EFB and AGM batteries and if that's all you have then it's better than battery problems but a dedicated charger would be better, then of course you need to consider the build and operating quality of the charger and its use and conditions it's used in.  Many of the more modern chargers would be less effective and you'd have to watch more than the older ones and brand new ones depend on the quality of their electronics and build.

 

One key ingredient often overlooked in the charging process is the person doing it and their knowledge and a lot more often patience which is why car battery sales are good and will no doubt get higher with the modern technology in cars.  Even I panicked and replaced my wife's Fabia battery before I should have just for an easier life.

 

3 hours ago, DieselMonte said:

Were any mk2 fabias equipped with stop/start? 

Unsure, but mine certainly isn’t

Okay so first ever attempt at car stuff or painting … I’m pretty pleased how wheel came out considering how it began. Tyre now back on and refitted to car. All good👍🏽
Also I have attached pic of battery white stuff…

Have also now had a chance to properly walk round and take pics, check vin number, decide I need a paint pen thingy for rear bumber etc etc lol

Also need to find name of cover that hides the hinge point of windscreen wipers…

Also pic attached.

Mine is exactly the same, has the white anti corrosion stuff on the battery and the scuff mark on the wiper.  Looking at used wiper arms on eBay they all seem to have the same marking so must be a common issue.

My matrix has that same corrosion on the wiper arms. I'd take the wipers off the car and either paint them, or get a nice set from a scrapyard.

My monte doesnt seem to have that wear on the wiper but they are pretty faded.

17 minutes ago, felix79 said:

Unsure, but mine certainly isn’t

Mine definately hasn't got it either.

2 minutes ago, WillSmithy said:

Mine is exactly the same, has the white anti corrosion stuff on the battery and the scuff mark on the wiper.  Looking at used wiper arms on eBay they all seem to have the same marking so must be a common issue.

Ok cool thanks 🙏. I won’t sweat it as much then lol. Going to look at options, better half does vinyl sticky stuff through her business so might see if we can cobble together a solution. Also maybe I can paint it…hmmm🤔

@DieselMonte good point!  I need to find a scrap yard near me. That’d be handy for future thoughts and plans I’m sure😂

White stuff on battery just looks like a guy was trying to empty the can of whatever it is.  Nothing to worry about, just check the battery post terminal clamps and connections are are tight (but not stupidly so).  If it's sticky then it's probably also holding all that natural debris.

 

The bottom of the wiper arm is a common sight on cars, it probably does have a name (the rubber part of the wiper blades are called elements) but it's part of the arm as a whole so unless you're really into DIY you'd have to get a complete arm (new or used).  I expect you could do something to it and paint it all but I don't know what you'd use, I avoid paints and adhesives.

 

I do know applying paint to plastic, particularly if the plastic is scratched, isn't an easy thing to get a really good finish and paint on plastic will look different to paint on metal, then applying the very reflective top coat highlights any differences more.  A suggestion, as plastic doesn't rust why not leave it until you have more practice and able to do more research on how to get a better finish.

 

Check your Driver's Handbook, check you have any codes you need (radio, etc.) then if possible remove the battery and give it a long, slow and low recharge for as long as possible or until full.  You wont regret have a good battery fully recharged but you will a battery too low to operate those computers fully.

 

All cars are stop/start, the electronics for this are between the driver's ears. 😊

 

 

Just to clear up, that car never ever had a plastic dust/water cover on the end of its wiper arm, that small plastic bung to cover the nut is all that gets fitted to front wiper arms nowadays - well from VW Group anyway, so new/used arms it will need, I'd think getting a good job done on alloy that has powdered away like that, will be a bit tricky - even using many coats of satin finish Hammerite .

I expect you could wire brush the arm hinge end and give it a lick or two of paint but I'm not sure how good it'd look and how long it'd last and possibly unless you can blend in you might have to paint the rest of the arm and then the other arm to match.

 

Some people seem to have a knack of removing the arms but that might need a soak of GT85 or PlusGas (ordinary WD40 isn't as good at penetrating) and then you might need some sort of puller or less subtle tool.

 

As I scrolled passed the white stuff on the battery terminal it reminded me that it looks like a bomb dropping from a bird.  

 

Certainly not applied by a delicate hand but someone who believes lots more is lots better, but at least they had a go.

 

Edited 10 August, 20214 yr by nta16

the wipers can be sanded down and given as many treatments as you like, rust inhibitor, etch primers the best of paints, they go back to crap.

 

Yes they probably need frequent paint touch-up.  Usual thing of prevention is better than cure., either do the best that can be done or buy new and start from fresh.

 

It becomes a pre and post winter exercise if you want them looking nice.