Hi all, newbie here as I'd like to clarify something!

My local VW dealership told me they would order the stalk/chip required to install a speed limiter/cruise control into my Fabia (which obviously lacks same). A few weeks go by, and I don't hear from them. I went back in and they told me it's not possible to fit speed limiters/cruise controls in Skodas post factory. I'm confused as three weeks earlier it was possible, and now it's not. I originally bought the car at a different dealership which told me the car HAD a speed limiter (it definitely doesn't). This goes to say, I'm very eager to get a speed limiter installed in the car. 

 

Anyway my question to the community is if this is possible to achieve? TIA 

Share VIN of your Fabia and I will check

9 minutes ago, pab567 said:

Share VIN of your Fabia and I will check

Thank you pab567, the VIN is: TMBFA6NJ9JZ160550

I am afraid they are right - such accessory is available only for cars manufactured after 30.07.2018 and yours was made on 21.03.2018. Sorry 😞

 

2 minutes ago, pab567 said:

I am afraid they are right - such accessory is available only for cars manufactured after 30.07.2018 and yours was made on 21.03.2018. Sorry 😞

 

Damn, I got unlucky there. Really appreciate you checking for me though! 

The adaptive Cruise Control is a separate ECU, but I would gamble that the connector is there. The column control stalk is different as mentioned. The irony here is that the 77GHz front facing radar behind the grill is the expensive item in the system. On older Skodas, this was a dealer upgrade, which I would happily pay for, but my Fabia is 2017 so I expect the dealer will say not possible as per pad567's comment above.

On a related topic, I'll mention I work for an OEM and have two degrees on the topic of Embedded controllers (ECUs). Why is the speed limiter so unreliable? I'd be publicly flailed if I released anything as unreliable. If the car stops under engine stop-start, the limiter quits. If the horn antenna is full of water, mud, snow, yes, it can't work properly. But on a freshly washed car, a warm day like today, sunny, dry, it still gets the hump and wont work. 200 mile round trip, M25 special with 50mph for "System test", and it works at best 10% of the time. Is there some technique to have the limiter work all the time?

23 hours ago, Miikey63 said:

On a related topic, I'll mention I work for an OEM and have two degrees on the topic of Embedded controllers (ECUs).

Ah -ar. 👍

23 hours ago, Miikey63 said:

Why is the speed limiter so unreliable? I'd be publicly flailed if I released anything as unreliable. If the car stops under engine stop-start, the limiter quits. If the horn antenna is full of water, mud, snow, yes, it can't work properly. But on a freshly washed car, a warm day like today, sunny, dry, it still gets the hump and wont work. 200 mile round trip, M25 special with 50mph for "System test", and it works at best 10% of the time. Is there some technique to have the limiter work all the time?

Very simple, two explanations, a) are the letters VW (VAG) and b) is many/most car/vehicle manufacturers what cheap, not just as chips but also chips, programming and development. They of course copied good ole (smaller) English car manufacturers where the customers did the product development with use and real world use of their vehicles and some adapting and modifying. Then there was competition from those manufacturers that made better products and less corporate American style business practices. Costello V8 to Rover RV8 to MGF (via MX-5) for you. 😁

Did you inherit the Fabia, a gift from someone that doesn't like you, or like me it's your wife's car and she makes her own choices and decisions but expects you to sort anything car related. 😄

Great to have your knowledge and expertise on here.

A 2017 keeps you out of some experiences, even if a VW three-pot (makes an A-series seem as sweet as a nut), get yourself a 2018, 2019 or later and you'll be using your knowledge and expertise to more use on your own VW product and able to pass on the resolves. 😁

The 3-pot 1.0 matched with the DS7 Audi twin-clutch manual is the car's best feature. It's well calibrated but it will make some bad choices if you force it into manual changes to get onto a busy junction. That engine, BTW (biased) is a copy of the Ford 3-pot that won Engine of the Year 5 years in a row from Engine International magazine. It's in the Fiesta, Focus, Puma at 165hp.

And yes, my Wife inherited the car from my Mum. Her favorite feature is that it pairs with the music on her phone. Mum was scammed by the garage in Cornwall to the extent that they added £1000 to the price between the test drive and her buying it. Helston Renault dealer IIRC. Then they failed it on the first MoT, under false pretenses! It's accurate that there are few small autos in Cornwall due to the terrain, but there were 10 of the same within 10 miles of me, and I'd offered to inspect, select and buy one to take down as a test drive shake down (250 miles). I'll get off this soapbox now.

It drives well, has decent handling, and is light enough to annoy the odd German saloon driver who is confused about how fast (or more specifically, heavy) their large saloon is. I would never have picked it as a car, but I like it.

Most cars today have a built-in modem with mobile comms. Fixing some issue with an Over-the-air update is so much more convenient for you than having Y'all bring your car into a dealer. Hopefully, at some early point, the car asked you if it could gather data on your usage. Teslas are filming everything that goes on, all the time, and I know that because we taped up its cameras when we pulled one apart to benchmark. Which amuses me because Ford Blue-Cruise consistently beats Tesla's 'Full Self Driving' in comparitive tests. If you're fine with your car being as reliable as your phone, then enjoy your Tesla.

@Nigel, is that a Saab 99?

Years ago I had small capacity turbo'd Japanese engines cars and one with a turn of the century rarity a very good Merc engine (that later totally balls'd up the models and brand) so I'm used to better.

The Fabias aren't bad cars, like all modern cars they're over heavy, but a previous model apparently had weights added to stop it being quicker than the VW model. The standard versions aren't much for chassis and handling but given they're more than capable that can make them more fun for spirited driving within the safety limits of the roads. Any modern car with a bit more power and handling is generally, to me at least, very boring on the roads as they're over capable, the super and hyper cars are totally impractical on other than dual or motorways which is why many of their owns have very modest cars for fun.

I agree you might as well have an auto with the Fabia 1 litres but to generally ignore any gear selection numbers it puts up and all the computer systems and programs can have annoying quirks you have to get used to it seems, I've only driven a manual version for a few weeks.

Yes, over the air computer updating and Tesla, and "driverless" cars, subjects I'd best not comment on, as for full self driving at the moment, Tesla or others 😄. Those wheeled delivery pod things I think will help with perhaps very localised or regional rented systems on some roads or more likely terrain in military uses.

Unfortunately I've had to deal with the UK motor trade for decades so I know how bad some (many?) of them are, I've been ripped off by con-men that kept their reputation for being experts with the general public and many in the trade despite some knowing better (MG and Triumph "classic" car specialists, still going I think).

SAAB 99 was a car I wouldn't have minded but could never afford at the time (or now) but I'd have preferred a 96, no that's a Škoda before VW took over, a Estelle Rapid 130, later versions feature in UK car magazines as the poor man's Porsche (I wish I could find that to show the Porsche owners I knew and know) and " ... is more fun than a [ Golf ] GTi". When I had my Eagle F1 tyres on the saloon Estelle that followed that car I annoyed a Beemer driver by keeping with him on the country roads, quieter roads and I was younger and perhaps sillier than now.

When we (family) moved back to the UK in 1968, my Dad ordered a Volvo 145 Estate from the Ipswich concessionaires, the only Volvo one in the UK at the time. The car arrived from Ghent, Belgium, on time into Ipswich. We flew in from Lusaka (Zambia) and the car was supposed to be in long term parking so we could pick it up and drive to my Grandparents in Cornwall.

But no car. Dad got on the phone, and, as he had done the importing personally from Lusaka, the Volvo dealership had never seen one before. So, rather than deliver it as promised, they held onto it so they could get all their regional sales folks back from wherever to look at and review the car. Dad had ordered the 145S (twin carb 120hp 2.0L) because we had an Amazon in Africa and it was bullit proof. The running gear is essentially the same. We, self, brother and Mum, got on a train to Truro. Dad got on a train to Ipswich to extract his (paid for) car from the Concessionaires.

I just can't imagine anyone would expect such a plan to work today!

If anyone remembers 'The car's the star' with Quentin Wilson from the 1999, that was Dad, with pipe & dark green Volvo and 120,000 miles on the clock: filmed behind a garden gate of a home counties pretty cottage that wasn't ours, but the Producer had knocked on the door just to check if anyone was in.

That 145 weighed 1300kg. The reason cars are so heavy today is for NCAP crash ratings. Your 'A' pillar (holds the windscreen) is probably a steel box inside a steel box inside a final steel box. My classic 1971 mini weighed 700kg and our 2001 MGF weighs 950kg. Which is why an original Golf GTI is probably faster than the current one.

Probably not true of a Focus RS as that gets the same 2.3L 4-pot GDI Turbo with 350hp that goes into the Mustang. Plus a really trick front diff that runs traction control using two half-shaft electric clutches. Without doubt, if I'm going to have a wreck, I'd rather be in a modern car.

Edited 9 April, 20251 yr by Miikey63
2nd paragraph

On 02/12/2024 at 23:37, pab567 said:

Share VIN of your Fabia and I will check

@pab567 , can you check mine? first registration was 31st May 2019. VIN is TMBFR6NJ3KZ126968.

The reason I ask is that Skoda is at the cheaper end of VAG and, apart from the adaptive cruise ECU and the column switch, has the hardware to run adaptive cruise. I'd not be surprised if the wiring looms are carry-over from the higher spec. cars.

Your Fabia was manufactured on March 29th, 2019:

It's equipped with speed limiter only but it has radar installed as it is equipped with forward collision warning - it has options:

6K2 - Forward collision warning incl. autonomous emergency braking, without adaptive cruise control

8T9 - Speed limiter without cruise control system and without adaptive cruise control

You car has the same radar as used in cars with adaptive cruise control - part number 5Q0907561K.

IMHO Skoda dealer should be able to add cruise control to your car

A friend of a friend bought a really nice Amazon possibly 10 years back, I had noticed the car and said it'd be too good and never get used by the chap who was interested in it because he more liked the idea of ownership and sure enough he bought never used it and was selling it a year later and only once if ever took it on the road. The car had been put together or restored by an engineer that worked at the Merc place at Brixworth and it really showed and could have been a nice show car (for those that like that sort of thing) but to me it was begging to be used, some might rally it but it was too good for that sort of life. Had I wanted a saloon at the time (and had the money) I'd have happily used it as an everyday car (I've wated far too much money on old cars to worry about keeping residual values).

I was given a lift home in a brand new (740?) in the mid-80s by a lad younger than me, it was his boss's/dad's new car, he drove it like a young lad would, great big comfortable leather and padded front seat, fastest comfy armchair I've ever been in. Bit different from the Mk1 Escort Mexico with roll cage and harness I sometimes got a lift back home in with the noise of the only cassette the owner driver seemed to posses (ZZ Top Eliminator, playing both sides) which just about toped the engine, exhaust and other noises - and different from the hour long double-decker bus ride back home. all before my first (real) Škoda.

The VWŠkoda Fabia Mk3 is cheaper trim but much VW/VAG is still on it and in it, some parts with have made in Škodaland same as SEAT might have some bits mase in SEATland I guess (can't remember). Bear in mind at one stage (Mk1 Fabia?) VWŠkoda were test brand for the VW engines so were in advance of the name-brand and VWŠkoda had to have hidden weights added to stop them showing as quicker than the overweight VWs.

A modern Bentley with the metal panels off shows loads of VAG / Audi(?) I forget fantastic plastic parts with the stamp, lots goes into the corporate brands melting pot(s).

Get yourself a VCDS and see what's on the Fabia that can be unleashed to Golf / Polo standards have a look at the part numbers too to see what might be common.

Mk1 GTi is the only VW I've ever thought I'd like to own and drive, when the Mk2s became popular with d' yuff of later time it was totally beyond me what they could see in a Mk2, even the GTi so big, heavy, old-person boring to me, but each to their own.

We had a straight (or was it V) 6 cylinder RS Focus in the club and a few Mustangs old and new (not latest ones) but good though the RS seemed not my cup of Darjeeling and our roads mean very concentrated and tiring driving for the really souped up cars and even standard cars too much to be used enjoyably on public roads. To me a little car and engine working to get along even at modern pace is much more enjoyable.

On 09/04/2025 at 22:27, pab567 said:

Your Fabia was manufactured on March 29th, 2019:

It's equipped with speed limiter only but it has radar installed as it is equipped with forward collision warning - it has options:

6K2 - Forward collision warning incl. autonomous emergency braking, without adaptive cruise control

8T9 - Speed limiter without cruise control system and without adaptive cruise control

You car has the same radar as used in cars with adaptive cruise control - part number 5Q0907561K.

IMHO Skoda dealer should be able to add cruise control to your car

Thank you pab: it's somewhat my expectation. There are so many options on modern cars that there are really never the two the same made. The cost of custom looms is large (surprisingly, still hand-made) and the shelf space on the production line drives the factory into complaint mode. It wasn't registered in the UK till 2019 so a march build was also expected. As much as I like adaptive cruise control, and it is a nice feature, along with lane departure warning, which my Wife hates, the powertrain ECU isn't going to recognise same without a dealer reflash. But the knowledge that it can be done is appreciated. I'm sure the upgrade is a £4-figure number, but I will enquire and report.

Edited 10 April, 20251 yr by Miikey63