Hi 

 

I'm new to the Forum, so I might be posting in the correct place. 

 

I have a Fabia 2023 and I want to remove the back seats so I can fit more camping gear. 

No fasteners are visable and don't feel wrenching panels of without any idea what I should be looking for is a good idea. 

Any advice would be appreciated! 

Hi, welcome.

 

Are the back seats designed to come out, they're not on the Mk3, what does it have in the Owner's Manual?

 

If you mean to 'spanner' them out then it's a matter of looking at the fixings and having the right tools for the job, if VW don't mind you doing so it might be Torx or if they want to be more awkward it might be those XZN/triple-square/12 point thingies.

 

Hi 

 

Thanks for replying. 

No there not designed to come out.

I just cannot see the fasteners, so I would like some advise on removing the covers. 

You say 'workshop manual' I didn't think they existed anymore! 

 

Haynes manuals disappeared to online only and became useless from what I've seen. 

I had a 2005 Citroen Xsara picasso before buying this Skoda, so I'm a bit out of touch. 

13 minutes ago, Pete79 said:

You say 'workshop manual' I didn't think they existed anymore! 

No sorry you've misread and misunderstood, I mean the 'Owner's Manual' (what used to be the Driver's Handbook) that used to come with the car as a paper printed copy (and pdf versions) now virtual(?) versions.  I've only recently given away 1974 and 1980 versions of Haynes for the same model of car at least one error and omission was repeated from earlier to later, for new owners particularly and many even long term owners the Driver's Handbook gives much more useful information.

 

It would tell you if the seats were designed to be removable and lots more info, you need to consult it for even simple things that you've been doing for decades as often there are little twists you have forgotten or don't know about or the extra complexities the German marques like to throw in to show how clever they are.

 

My last car was a 1973 MG Midget got shot last year and I thought I saw coming the opposite way on a road today but was too slow to read the reg but it sounded like my old car.  2004 is the newest car I've ever owned, when it was 11 months old.

 

I was thinking just to fold the rear seats down or looking at the rear seat base(s) for fixings but my wife's car isn't here to check for you, they will come out for repair/replacement.

 

I have a feeling with my wife's car you just yank the rear seat base upwards to get it out but I'd need to consult a Skoda WSM to be sure and to know about back rest fittings, then there might be eclectics to some higher level trim models.

 

I'd imagine removing rear seats could be done fairly easily and quickly but then would any 2023 electronics and computer programs get arsey, I don't know, unless someone else was paying every penny for and to run a 2023 car I doubt I'd ever have one as the 2015 car already has a few bits that annoy me. 

I've had to except a modern car with a fully integrated computer, because I'm not able repair cars anymore. 

Saying that though the Fabia is amazing. I followed the advice and got the 95ch engine. 

Power when I need it, not had that for some time. 

The rear seats must have sensors because the computer registers if seat belts have been used. 

I will just have a go and see what happens. 

I'm glad to hear your happy with your car. 

 

I've never been a VW fan, although I've been told the 17+ year old ones are better built and more reliable, I've been disappointed with my wife's 2015's parts longevity, or more accurately lack of, and annoyed at the over complexity the German marques insist on.  So I'm unusual here in not being a fan and a bit biased in the opposite direction to most here.

 

The seats will have the stuff for seatbelt wearing so fiddley plastic wire connects will need disconnecting, what the car's computer programs make of this I don't know.  I also wonder what insurance companies would make of removing non-removable seats but again don't know.

 

If you can't see any fixings then you must need to remove something to expose them but I don't know what as I've never investigated this.

 

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

 

Some advice I always give, especially if you're going to do lots of short journeys and very few longer journeys, when appropriate check the state of charge of the car battery even if the car starts fine and the lights are bright enough as the car's computer programs can throw up all sorts of issues even before any warning lights or messages.  For the first time in 40+ years of car ownership I've used a car battery charger preventative maintenance on one of our cars (helped out with neighbours and friends batteries for decades) and bought an appropriate charger and maintainer for the start/stop battery.

 

I also advise actually reading and referring to the 'Owner's Manual', sadly no longer a paper printed copy or anywhere near as comprehensive as decades back but even more necessary for even the very simple jobs you've done for decades as often there's a little twist of complexity not expected sometimes to something like changing a remote fob battery and where any particular collection of possibly fuses might be for one item.

 

Here endth the sermon.  😄

 

I've no idea if other cars drive better or worse, I have only driven the cheapest hire cars and not even many of them. 

You have me all wrong, maintenance is what I do to the letter and more. I have always changed the oil twice as often as the manufacturer recommends.  

The engine in my old picasso ran perfectly with 300, 000 miles on the clock. 

Saying that it recently started blowing out sooty smoke, so the injecteurs needed changing and they are usually rusted in and you have to set up a piller drill to get them out. 

I know the Skoda will develope expensive repairs from 7 Years onwards regardless of its milage or maintenance, but the Picasso is a dirty obsolete car and so will the Skoda in a few years, but what option do I have. 

Total computer reliance in cars began in 2005. There are some lovely cars in the scrap yards nowadays that are beyond economic repair. 

My options were I cannot repair cars so pay to get the many faults on the Picasso fixed, by a second hand car with expensive faults about to happen or buy new. 

All these options stand no chance of standing the test of time, so I had the money and bought a new car in the hope it would be something I can really on to work without the unexpected costs that the other options have and therefore be the least expensive route to take. 

I've never spent so much on a car before it's excruciating expensive hopefully I made the right choice. 

Yes you are right about the insurance situation. 

You might find this repulsive, but I live in France and have done for 20 years, becoming unemployable since 2016, not being entitled to unemployment benefit in either country, money has been a bit tight until I retired. 

Therefore I don't know what second hand car prices are like in the UK. 

10,000€ buys you a 10 year old car. I paid 18,000€ for my Skoda and the government gave me 5000€ for scrapping my car, so what would you do? 

 

 

e. 

It 

 

Sorry you've totally lost me, are you replying to another post on another thread.

 

A mate has just had to get rid of a 2005 Picasso and replaced it with another Picasso of a similar vintage but this is in the UK.

 

I'm not sure why you'd think I'd find it repulsive wherever you live but putting your location as Hebden Bridge I think it's natural that my post to you would be as a UK perspective so any worries about removing the seats as regards UK insure are void.

 

You want to consider yourself lucky, from a UK perspective, to be given 5,000 Euro to scrap your previous car.

 

Sorry I wasn't able to help you more.

 

   

I don't know if you think Brexit is a good idea or not, but I get a lot of flack because I did not think it was the right thing to do and its effected and conversation I seem to have. How ever a lot less recently, I may add. 

I'm not one that agrees with whining! 

The countries policy here seems to be if you've not got the money they don't ask for it and give you financial assistance. 

Its been an mind changinging experiance and the average Brits that we know pay so much in taxes, but in reality they can afford it. It does not bother them. 

 

This is very distant from my original request for information about removing the seats. 

I will ask the insurance broker if taking the seats effects the insurance, but I am quite sure it's OK. My concern is if it effects the computer! 

 

You might be interested to know there is a real twist to car insurance here.

iA car is insured, not the driver of the car, so no car can ever not be insured and the government set the price for the minimum insurance cover. 

So its not possible to have an accident with an uninsured car and any accident involving a bike is claimed against the car insurance what ever the situation. 

 

 

Hi.

If you have any issues with insurance at all for removal of seats then please feel free to drop me a line.

Regards,

Dan.

On 03/06/2023 at 18:54, nta16 said:

Hi, welcome.

 

Are the back seats designed to come out, they're not on the Mk3, what does it have in the Owner's Manual?

 

If you mean to 'spanner' them out then it's a matter of looking at the fixings and having the right tools for the job, if VW don't mind you doing so it might be Torx or if they want to be more awkward it might be those XZN/triple-square/12 point thingies.

 

I tented with a Fabia estate and found that I could get almost as much in the car with the seats up as with them folded.

Put heavy stuff across the rear seats, then fill the footwells then the boot with lighter stuff (this helps the handling)

Later I did add a huge top box just to carry the Duvalay bedding rolls and some clothing.