Derek - thanks for that. I had that option on my first one but not the current one as Volvo have gone backwards with driver choices. As Ootahere says there is a way to disable it but it's not as easy as not applying a traditional handbrake and the car would need leaving in Neutral and chocking. You can stop the engine in Park without the Parking Brake but as soon as you take your seatbelt off and open the door or even leave it for a few minutes the Parking Brake automatically applies. Volvos manuals get increasing vague on some things as well. I couldn't even find what the various lever positions are when looking for Neutral description.

 

My TT is 10 years old now but will keep it for a few years to enjoy the relative simplicity! The Volvo is lovely but the tech is getting so frustrating nowadays especially some of the questionable safety features.

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by VAGCF

Tintowellfan - followed the link but couldn't see the text you posted.

 

I'd checked the spec for the other cars with the 1.5 and couldn't see rear disc brakes anywhere. Wouldn't make sense just to have them on the Monte Carlo?

Once it has Auto e-Brakes, seat belt off, drivers door open then use the switch and put the Parking Brake off. 

 

....................

It would make sense to have the Rear Disc Brakes JUST on 1.5 TSI ACT DSG,s.

 

So we need to hear from someone that has seen them without. 

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by Ootohere

26 minutes ago, VAGCF said:

Tintowellfan - followed the link but couldn't see the text you posted.

 

I'd checked the spec for the other cars with the 1.5 and couldn't see rear disc brakes anywhere. Wouldn't make sense just to have them on the Monte Carlo?

I just checked the Monte Carlo trim and it is clearly listed under 'standard equipment' 'safety and driver assistance'.

Also checked 1.5 colour edition and shows with rear discs.

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by Tintowellfan

Something weird here. I've checked again and it's still saying disc brakes front and drum brakes rear!

 

Wonder if it's because I'm viewing on my tablet rather than a PC? Will try that when I get home.

 

Sounds from what you are saying it's rear discs though which is good.

I don't know about the 1.5 mc but my 2023 mc 1.0 TSI 110 has drums on the back.  I never knew there was a choice.  The drum brakes work very well in tandem with the disks at the front but haven't got around to handbrake turns yet.

Got there in the end! I don't think I was seeing My Equipment when completing the build on my tablet, will check shortly. All I was seeing was the standard equipment right at the start before building my own and that changes once you have built it with the 1.5 TSI - so that's not really standard equipment is it! What a poor web-site, why didn't they mention in the standard equipment before you configure your own that if you choose the 1.5 TSI the rear brakes become disc, such basic stuff to get right - they could have put it in brackets after Rear Drums. 

 

Anyway, got the answer. Thanks for your replies guys.

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by VAGCF

4 hours ago, VAGCF said:

Something weird here. I've checked again and it's still saying disc brakes front and drum brakes rear!

 

Wonder if it's because I'm viewing on my tablet rather than a PC? Will try that when I get home.

 

Sounds from what you are saying it's rear discs though which is good.

Probably. I tend never to use anything other than my laptop or PC to do things like this. Tablet and phone only for basic stuff as they are a total pain to use!

Just checked and I can see it on my tablet but I probably ignored the Standard Equipment once built as I didn't expect it to change! It could be argued it's standard equipment for the 1.5 TSI but in that case it should be shown as I stated above before you start a build.

 

Certainly easier on the PC for things like this.

Edited 15 May, 20242 yr by VAGCF

As Tintowellfan has advised, ALL new 2024 UK-specification Skoda Fabia Mk4 cars that have the i.5litre motor have rear disk brakes as standard.

 

The Fabia configurator 'sequence' that will reveal this is Trims/Engines/Summary /Standard Equipment/Safety and Driver Assistance.

 

Taking the Fabia SE L trim as an example, in the Safety and Driver Assistance section the following extract applies to all cars irrespective of their engine size

 

 

Towards the bottom of the Safety and Driver Assistance section, for SE L trim Fabias with the 1.0litre motor, this appears

 

 

but, for SE L trim Fabias with the 1.5litre motor, this appears instead

 

 

(Logically, it would make better sense to have the type of rear brake fitment ("Drum brakes in rear" or "Disk brakes in rear") immediately below the "Disk brakes in front" entry, but there you go...)

 

So, to summarise. for 2024 UK-specification Fabias, all cars with the 1.0litre motor will have drum rear brakes (with no option to specify disk rear brakes instead), whereas all cars with the 1.5litre motor will have disk rear brakes.

Yes, as I found out, but rear disc brakes only show when you complete a build with the 1.5 engine not when you're looking at the Standard Equipment when you are browsing the specification - Explore the Models/ View Standard Equipment.

Edited 16 May, 20242 yr by VAGCF

I saw a beautiful new looking dark Blue Fabia today , I could not see any obvious badges,

the rear had large drums but the front had huge discs something like 10" diameter.

I believe the diameter of the current Fabia's front brake discs is 256mm.

 

This may seem large, but my 2009 Roomster's front discs have a 288mm diameter (and rear discs not drums).

 

 

@DerekU was that a diesel Roomster? 

I believe they are 276mm on the front of the 1.5 TSI / 150 ps Fabia.. 

15 hours ago, Ootohere said:

@DerekU was that a diesel Roomster? . 

 

No - 1.6 petrol.

Octohere

 

My mistake regarding the diameter of my 2009 Skoda Roomster's front discs.

 

I've measured them a bit more carefully and, although they are certainly NOT 288mm, they are definitely larger than my Fabia's. To get an exact measurement I'd need to remove a wheel, but the Roomster's front discs are around 270mm, so may be the 276mm-diameter you've mentioned for Fabia Mk4s that have the 1.5litre motor.

They know over the years what is needed and bigger or disks on the rear might be more important for style / looks other than function, the cars stop at UK speed limits on road.

 

330 mm is the Upgrade Disc sizes available for Mk4 Fabia. 

 

What is strange is that back about 15 years ago it was first brake fluid change at 3 years and then each 2,  & now it is back to first at 2 years and then each 2 years.

 

Maybe more about money for Franchised Dealerships than actually for Customer / Public safety.

 

Have the cars done at 2 years with customers paying and then the Dealership does not need to do Used 3 year old car Brake Fluid changes when selling Skoda Approved Used Cars and saying FMDSH.    Or history of what is not done as much as what has been actually done as per Guidelines, Recommendations or Specifications / Schedules.

Ootohere with regards to your comment:

They know over the years what is needed and bigger or disks on the rear might be more important for style / looks other than function, the cars stop at UK speed limits on road.

 

I repeat an earlier comment I made about rear drums, particularly on VAG vehicles.

 

Having owned possibly some 30 odd cars over the years, and regularly serviced several family members cars over these years, I was only too happy to pay £100 to avoid rear drums/shoes. They can be an absolute nightmare in wet weather, particularly in the winter. My wife's VW UP is the worst ever, common talking point on VW UP forums. Have on numerous occasions had to remove and stripdown/clean them as they became seized solid. I now do it every Autumn and then again pre- MOT time in March, total pain in the ar.e. Any car I have owned with discs and pads on rear has been totally maintenace free.

I agree with the above and I similarly have been making sure that I avoid buying VW Group cars that don't have rear disc brakes. since 2000, and yes I do all my own brake servicing.

On 15/05/2024 at 09:08, DerekU said:

Of the options you've listed the following are still available.

 

1: Comfort Package - now called "Charging Package" providing a USB-C port on the rear-view mirror and USB-C charging sockets with increased charging performance (2x front, 2x rear) -- £350

 

2:  Variable boot floor -- £175

 

3: Emergency space-saving spare wheel (for 16"-18" wheels) -- £150

 

As has been observed above, the option to replace the now-standard drum rear brakes with disc brakes is no longer available.

 

All the options available for the very latest Fabia Monte Carlo model can be found here.

 

https://cc.skoda-auto.com/gbr/en-GB/extras-scenic?activePage=extraequipments&color=8X8X&configurationId=&extraEquipments=&id=GBR%3Bskoda%3B2024%3BPJ37L5%3B0%3BGYOKYOK%3Bmda20240514082659%3Ben-GB%3B%3B60007%3B60217&interior=NV&modifiedPages=trimlines&snapshotVersion=c9daccf6-51dd-4656-ab6f-eb556811d979&trimline=PJ7|Monte Carlo6021760007&visitedPages=trimlines

 

(This may help with disabling a Volvo XC40's automatic parking brake)

 

https://www.volvocars.com/uk/support/car/xc40/article/4e034dd7899c6641c0a8015156455109

Re the space-saving spare wheel, could you please state what size it is? I have a 2023 Colour Edition Fabia 4 with 17" wheels and don't like the idea of having no spare. If possible I'd like a proper spare wheel but suspect the stowage doesn't allow for that, but would appreciate confirmation of that. The emergency puncture kit will destroy the tyre it's pumped into as I understand it. We've just received the car (ex Demonstrator) and love it, but I'd feel happier with a spare in the boot!

I'm surprised there is even an option to have them 🙃

11 hours ago, Chug41 said:

Re the space-saving spare wheel, could you please state what size it is? 

 

The Fabia Mk4 options list for the 'entry level' SE Comfort model includes two spare-wheel choices as shown below

 

 

This makes sense, as the SE Comfort model has 15" wheels as standard, with 16" wheels as an option.

 

The Fabia SE L model (like mine) has 16" wheels as standard, with the option to choose 17" or 18" wheels, and the only factory-order spare-wheel option listed is the first one (Emergency space-saving spare wheel (for 16"-18" wheels)).

 

My car was already in the UK at a Skoda dealership when I bought it and had the standard 'sealant' puncture-repair kit, so I asked the Skoda dealer to obtain a spare-wheel and tool-kit (£200). What was provided included the wheel-tyre combination shown in this advert 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354562159376

 

The steel wheel is 15" diameter with a 185/65 R15 88H tyre (NEXEN-branded in my car's case). The tyre is an 'ordinary' type (not the skinny space-saving variety) but - as it differs from the specification of my car's other four wheels/tyres - it is clearly marked for emergency use at a 50mph maximum speed.

 

The implication of the two Skoda spare-wheel options seems to be that - if a Fabia has over-15" wheels - a space-saving (skinny?) spare-wheel should be chosen, but the 15" spare-wheel fits OK on my car's hubs and in the car's spare-wheel well. 

 

I can't confirm what you'd get if you ordered the 'space-saving' 16"-18" option as I've never seen it, but, if you take off one of your car's 17" wheels and see if it will fit in the spare-wheel well, you'll know whether a non-skinny wheel/tyre would go in.

 

(It may be that Fabia's that come as standard with 17" wheels (eg. the Monte Carlo) have larger front discs and the 15" spare-wheel won't fit over the discs - but that's just a guess...)

10 minutes ago, DerekU said:

 

The Fabia Mk4 options list for the 'entry level' SE Comfort model includes two spare-wheel choices as shown below

 

 

This makes sense, as the SE Comfort model has 15" wheels as standard, with 16" wheels as an option.

 

The Fabia SE L model (like mine) has 16" wheels as standard, with the option to choose 17" or 18" wheels, and the only factory-order spare-wheel option listed is the first one (Emergency space-saving spare wheel (for 16"-18" wheels)).

 

My car was already in the UK at a Skoda dealership when I bought it and had the standard 'sealant' puncture-repair kit, so I asked the Skoda dealer to obtain a spare-wheel and tool-kit (£200). What was provided included the wheel-tyre combination shown in this advert 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/354562159376

 

The steel wheel is 15" diameter with a 185/65 R15 88H tyre (NEXEN-branded in my car's case). The tyre is an 'ordinary' type (not the skinny space-saving variety) but - as it differs from the specification of my car's other four wheels/tyres - it is clearly marked for emergency use at a 50mph maximum speed.

 

The implication of the two Skoda spare-wheel options seems to be that - if a Fabia has over-15" wheels - a space-saving (skinny?) spare-wheel should be chosen, but the 15" spare-wheel fits OK on my car's hubs and in the car's spare-wheel well. 

 

I can't confirm what you'd get if you ordered the 'space-saving' 16"-18" option as I've never seen it, but, if you take off one of your car's 17" wheels and see if it will fit in the spare-wheel well, you'll know whether a non-skinny wheel/tyre would go in.

 

(It may be that Fabia's that come as standard with 17" wheels (eg. the Monte Carlo) have larger front discs and the 15" spare-wheel won't fit over the discs - but that's just a guess...)

Thank you so much for this detailed reply to my query DerekU, and so quickly too! Your suggestion that I try fitting one of my wheels into the spare stowage in my boot is a good one which I'll check out, but I rather suspect that it won't. Hence the space savers/speed restricted for larger than 15" fitted wheels. Your link to the ebay offer perfectly illustrates the wheel tyre combination needed, plus of course any associated tools. A great response to this newbie's first post. I only hope that I can be half as helpful to others in future. Again, much thanks! 

Basically same diameter as my 215/45x17" OE Monte carlo wheels/tyres.

Don't understand the two listed options, as I dont see the need for any different wheel/tyre combination than the one I have in my boot as it should fit any model of fabia.

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

Edited 22 June, 20241 yr by Tintowellfan