Hi All,

Owner of a Skoda Fabia 1.4 tdi 15 plate.

Recently had the resistor changed for the A/C and heater due to only having 4 speed or off available.

Since then I'm having a funny issue where the temperate rises on the dial to way above 90 and I also get a warning on the dash which displays the car is overheating please stop when safe to do so or something similar.

So I pull the car over and check the engine etc. It's not warm to touch So I'm wondering if its some sort of sensor or thermostat needs changing?

Has anyone had any similar to advise.

I've got it booked in my local garage on the 27th March (they're very busy).

I've read through this thread already:

Recall on diesel cooling issue? - Skoda Fabia Mk3 (2014-2021) - BRISKODA

The heater blower resistor (so not Climatronic) should have nothing to do with engine heat warnings so it's just a coincidence or somebody b*gger'd something up while messing around the dash or got the computers tiny dumb minds in a twist or they done it for themselves.

The wrong warning need sorting, you need a scan tool to check for error codes for diagnosis, sometimes just clearing the code(s) and driving the car can sort thing if the computers have got themselves twisted.

Or s you put it could be a sensor or worse.

A low state of battery charge (and health) can cause all sorts of warning lights even when the headlights seem bright enough and well before the battery can't start the engine, does the start/stop operate when it should, if it doesn't this is often the first sign of battery in lower state of charge. Fully recharging the battery with a battery charger can often sort this if the battery hasn't been hammered to far and/or too often.

Have you checked the coolant and oil levels?

Edited 13 March, 20251 yr by nta16

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

The heater blower resistor (so not Climatronic) should have nothing to do with engine heat warnings so it's just a coincidence or somebody b*gger'd something up while messing around the dash or got the computers tiny dumb minds in a twist or they done it for themselves.

The wrong warning need sorting, you need a scan tool to check for error codes for diagnosis, sometimes just clearing the code(s) and driving the car can sort thing if the computers have got themselves twisted.

Or s you put it could be a sensor or worse.

A low state of battery charge (and health) can cause all sorts of warning lights even when the headlights seem bright enough and well before the battery can't start the engine, does the start/stop operate when it should, if it doesn't this is often the first sign of battery in lower state of charge. Fully recharging the battery with a battery charger can often sort this if the battery hasn't been hammered to far and/or too often.

Have you checked the coolant and oil levels?

To be honest it may of been doing it before then anyway. Thank you for the advice will definitely try the the battery suggestions. I've checked levels for coolant and oil and these seem normal. To be honest I've noticed sometimes the stop start says something like insuffientpower particularly when having the AC on so battery health might be an issue.

If I was to take the battery out to charge it would anything need to be reset do you know like radio etc?

Edited 13 March, 20251 yr by Matt_West_Mids

34 minutes ago, Matt_West_Mids said:

would anything need to be reset do you know like radio etc

Just the clock.

34 minutes ago, Matt_West_Mids said:

take the battery out to charge it

With a smart charger!

35 minutes ago, Matt_West_Mids said:

the stop start says something like insufficient power particularly when having the AC

The engine needs to run for the AC to work at normal power.

Thanks. AG Falco

22 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

Just the clock.

With a smart charger!

The engine needs to run for the AC to work at normal power.

Thanks. AG Falco

Thanks the engine was running I was just stopped at traffic lights at the time .

Edited 13 March, 20251 yr by Matt_West_Mids

Dealing with the battery first as it's my hobby horse you don't have to take the battery off to charge it but it will slightly speed the (slow anyway) process up especially if taking the battery to a warmer location than say 5c or below outside ambient temperature, around 20c the battery likes.

 

If you read the 'Owner's Manual' and refer to it when required you can sometimes potentially save yourself time and hassle with the car and money from unnecessary visits to Dealerships, garages, mechanics and auto-electricians.  If you don't have the paper printed copy you can get a free VWŠkoda pdf download from this VWŠkoda site. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models

I always suggest fully recharging the battery with an appropriate battery charger maintainer after reading the instructions in the Owner's Manual and for the charger maintainer.  For best results the recharge wants to be low (in amps, 2, 3 or 4) which will also be slower, many hours depending on how low the battery has got.

If you are removing the battery again consult the 'Owner's Manual' about this and what requires resetting but as has been put already provided you make sure the electric windows and roof are fully closed usually it's only the time of day clock that needs resetting.

Disconnecting the battery may, or may not, help if some of the computers have got their tiny dumb minds in a twist as the old 'turnin'-off-'n'-agen' electronic reset, to ensure this personally I would with the battery disconnected or out turn the headlights on and carefully get the negative and positive battery terminal clamps touching or joined for x-number of seconds to drain the dregs of electric, not forgetting to turn the headlights back off.

Potential overheating -

No need for the above electric drain of the computers if you have a scan tool that can clear all error codes, also with the scan tool could also before do a full health report and look at live data to see if the sensor, dial, are showing the temperature correctly, allowing for the coolant temperature gauge needle being biased to show 90c and remain there even when some way above, below or moving around 90c.

If you have the facility on your dash menu, when the coolant needle goes way above 90c have you checked the oil temperature at that time to see if that is also above it's normal temperature, as this may give you an idea of whether the engine temperature has actually risen (bearing in mind these are two separate systems so not directly related and will always show different temperatures)?

Thanks all checked the battery and its showing 50% charge so taking it out and giving it a full charge now.

6 minutes ago, Matt_West_Mids said:

Thanks all checked the battery and its showing 50% charge so taking it out and giving it a full charge now.

Even out of the car with a 4-amps charger maintainer it could take 24+ hours to fully recharge and you do want to fully recharge the battery, as low and slow as reasonably possible (2 or 3 amps even better but longer of course).

If you can (not applicable to AGM batteries) check the 'water' (electrolyte) level in each of the six cells before and after charging the battery topping up with distilled water if required. Also you can do a visual check of the plates in each cell for furring up and perhaps buckling, usually that'll be more with the end cell(s). If any are buckled you will want to change the battery as soon as possible but if the battery recharges you can use it in the meantime.

With older batteries to get at the cell plugs to unscrew them you need to peel back the label(s) covering them - this is not possibly on a truly sealed battery and not AGM batteries as noted above.

I recommend occasional preventative recharging the battery (to full) with an appropriate charger maintainer when required or convenient, particularly before and after long periods of cold and hot weather. If you do this early in the life of the battery, depending on your use of car and battery, the recharging isn't often and the battery should last much longer than if not.

VW

 Charge level             No-load          voltage

1.28 g/cm3                 100%              12.7 V

1.21 g/cm3                 60%                12.3 V

1.18 g/cm3                 40%                12.1 V

1.10 g/cm3                 0%                  11.7 V

Figures from my ex-neighbour's Ring battery charger/tester. -

12.7v - 100%             12.5v - 90%               12.4v - 80%               12.3V - 70%

12.2v - 60%               12.1v - 50%               11.9v - 40%               11.8v - 30%

11.6v - 20%               11.3v - 10%

Edited 14 March, 20251 yr by nta16
typo

Just been out for a drive after putting the battery back in all seems ok thank you everyone for the advice!

Well done, that's good, but it is early days yet but if it's sorted, or even if not, you have only gained by doing very easy, simple and clean hands of recharging the battery and if it's a repair even better all jobs are best when, easy simple and clean-hands. Many jobs on a car that are serving, maintenance and even repairs boil down to clean and lubricate, engine oil & filter changes, electronic cleaning with clearing error codes or resetting computer stuff.

We'll look on the bright side and say that's the end of that unless you report back with a reoccurrence, whether that happens or not I think you've picked up on how important the state of battery charge and health is/can be on these modern VWs with their very complex and intertwined computer systems and programs.