You may have read my report about my breakdown last Thursday [skoda Fabia vRS] - refer http://www.briskoda.net/forums/fabia/intercooler-turbo-pipe-causes-breakdown-what-now/55972/? - to which I unfortunately had no technical responses. I reported the matter to Skoda Customer Care yesterday and was still awaiting someone knowledgeable to ring me back.

Well it happened AGAIN today !!!!!

Exactly the same dull thud and instant loss of power. Fortunately I'd only just set out from home - again going to Swindon to get a train to London for a meeting - and hence had the presence of mind NOT to over-rev it. Accordingly since I was only just over a mile from home, I turned the car round and crept back at slow speed - max 30mph... I abandoned the car in the drive and called a taxi.

I spoke to the dealer when I was in London and he was a little more sympathetic this time but said they could only decide whether it's faulty after inspecting it...

This evening I jacked the car up, took the undertray off, and found exactly the same problem - the turbo pipe from the intercooler had come adrift.

I've put it back together again but have noticed two points which (a) might explain the recurrence and ( might explain why it's happening in the first place.

The recurrence MIGHT been because the AA man didn't fully push the connection home all round. I found that the first time I tried it, it clicked into place but feeling round the other side (impossible to view there) I thought the pipe was not fully home and sure enough I found I could push it in a bit more until it was properly seated all round.

However the reason it might have occurred in the first place is that the lugs on the pipe don't properly line up with the recesses in the socket - hence when pushed fully home it's slightly rotated and not fully engaging. Nether the pipe connector nor the socket appeared to want to rotate slightly to achieve proper alignment.

Despite the dealer saying my warranty would be voided if I tried to reinforce the connection, I've decided that a hose clip tightened around the clip ought to hold it in place preventing it from opening up slightly and letting the connection pop up.

I've decided presently to wait for the phone call from Skoda in the first place at which point I can put my theory across to them, before going any further with the dealer.

Incidentally the taxi back from the station was an Octavia diesel - when I explained the situation to him he pointed out he doesn't use that dealer any more after a poor experience...

The pictures appear to have uploaded in the wrong order - but you should be able to work out which is which:

Situation as found - note the undertray fixes in on the flange just underneath the connection

Misalignment of the components - the "bumps" on the pipe (white in the photo owing to the flash) don't align with the notches in the socket

Pipe pushed fully home again - showing the spring clip around that holds the bumps in place.

Hose clip added - not to apply pressure generally to the joint but to inhibit the spring clip from being forced outwards and releasing the connection.

The fact that from my office I can literally see the Gloucester Honda dealer is very tempting...

Good write up Perhaps it would be prudent for me to also add a Jubilee clip to ensure the pipe stays in place. Any idea what diameter the pipe is, so I can select the correct sized J/Clip?

All my turbo pipework is held together with big meaty jubilee clip style bolts. A good move I say.

Weird none of mine have popped off in over 40k+ of driving. Sounds like the jubilee clip might do the job for now, but I'd be tempted to take it off before you take it back to the dealership. At least they cant try and get out of doing any work by saying you've fiddled with it and broke it.

Good write up Perhaps it would be prudent for me to also add a Jubilee clip to ensure the pipe stays in place. Any idea what diameter the pipe is, so I can select the correct sized J/Clip?

Stupidly I didn't measure the actual diameter of the socket prior to putting it all back together. Rather than pull it apart again I estimated 70mm.

I went to Halfords and asked the rather young assistant for "Hose Clips" - he said "you mean Jubilee Clips?" and took me over to a shelf full of ... "Hose Clips":)

They only have 25-40 and 40-60 sizes (and smaller) - but I realised I could put two together to make a larger one. So I used 2 x 25-40 which was fine...

Sounds like the jubilee clip might do the job for now, but I'd be tempted to take it off before you take it back to the dealership. At least they cant try and get out of doing any work by saying you've fiddled with it and broke it.

I've considered this - but they already know all about the problem from phone calls - and yesterday the car broke down on the way to the railway station - which is also the way to the dealer... So I might not get there...

my advice stay away from garages as much as possible, I once had a vw 411 which used a fuel fired heater, when the hose which was fed from a small tank at the rear started to leak I took it to my dealer, was told that the job had been done, on checking under the car a couple of days later, got a strong smell of petrol, and found that some idiot of a so called mechanic had inserted a small copper pipe between two pieces of the fabric pipe, within 5 inches of a hot exhaust!, when I went back to the garage they didnt know where the pipe came and went to, I had to walk under the car to show them! pity skoda dont publish workshop manuals then we would know better how to maintain our cars.

Skoda Customer Services have telephoned back today to say that there's no Skoda modification for this problem - and they thinks it's rare not common... They suggest the probable cause would be extreme use - but I've pointed out that both times it happened it was while accelerating from 30mph to 40mph in 3rd or 4th gear and this can't be considered at all extreme... They do say the dealer should check the car over.

pity skoda dont publish workshop manuals then we would know better how to maintain our cars.

You can buy the official manuals if you have the money. The SkodaAuto Deutschland site below will give you an idea of which manuals you might need and the cost.

https://www.skoda-haendlershop.de/fss/php/global/index.php?shopSession=ee6f2b40819a2d84c4a169d67e3b9127

PS: I also owned a VW411 - in fact the first one imported into Malta. It was one of my less successful car purchases... :(