49 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

I don't think there are any other significant problems, it runs very smoothly and inaudibly at idle, hard to tell whether it is running from driver's seat, without looking at rpm.

Just a miniscule cracked vacuum line will cost you consumption over time. Ask me how i know.

22 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

who knows what this tool combination does?

(21mm socket normally for spark plugs, with important hex flats, and 7mm hex key shortened by about 25mm earlier this evening to fit under an obstruction).

No idea t.b.h.
Most fasteners are doublehex, as with most German cars.
That Allan key would not go onto any fastener that you would need to be able to access to get into some "easy access" compartment.

14 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Spritmonitor is saying 40mpg is about average, which sounds believable, given the age of most of these cars.

That's insane. Might as well drive the 1.4TSI then. The whole attraction for me is the low consumption and low maintenance paired with reasonable torque at low rpms.

Tool combination is for release of OE front struts.

21mm nut, 7mm hex orifice in the shaft of the damper, so hex key counterholds while spanner on the flats of the spark plug socket loosen the nut.

The 'water box' metalwork overhangs the strut tops, so there's limited space above the nuts.

More photos over the weekend, if plans work out...

Edited 17 April17 Apr by Breezy_Pete

eh nice.
I dumped the Monroe's in favor of Bilstein's. That rendered that tool useless (steps up to a 22m nut)

I could probably just hold the damper shafts (maybe with an assistant on the molegrips) cos the original dampers sre definitely not being re-used; but I quite like 'neat' workarounds rather than brutal ones.

Front suspension change was unremarkable really, did take a few pics I think which I may add later.

Unfortunately right now I'm en route to Roomster breakdown.

Somewhere in Norfolk, following a what3words address. Fortunately I had just finished an oil change on my sister's car, and we are under an hour away.

VCDS and a few tools on board, but I'm not wildly optimistic of an easy fix.

Reportedly a succession of warning lights came on, followed immediately by major power loss and luckily a safe spot to pull over into.

Allegedly not even turning over now. 🥲

Hopefully just a dead battery / alternator failure???

Coincidentally, i had to swap out the rectifier on the Fabia 2 weekends ago. 13.1V output with all accesoires turned on. Replaced then original one with a scrapyard one (snapped off connector) and ordered a new rectifier so it's a cheaper long term solution instead of buying a new one.

Hope you get the Roomster running under it's own power again.

59 minutes ago, skomaz said:

Hopefully just a dead battery / alternator failure???

Looking that way.

Just picked up a replacement battery only a few miles away. Fitting it shortly.

Sadly not just battery failure.

Either alt, or alt freewheel pulley freewheeling both ways (is that possible?).

Can't check the pulley for a few hours, at a family birthday in a different car.

Not finding a replacement alt showing as collectable at either GSF or ECP within at least 25 mile radius. ☹️

I'll check in bit. If I remember correctly, it is supposed to freewheel both directions.

If you can find one, is it worth putting a shout out on The Greenline to see if anyone local could hop, skip and jump it over to you?

Heck, if Eastbourne GSF of ECP have got one, I'll gladly drive it up to you 🏎️

Gaz

That's cheered me up Gaz, appreciate the sentiment greatly.

Hoping it'll turn out to be the pulley, which I have one of at home, I think. Offers of cars from various family members in the short term to get us where we may need to be.

🙂

Alternator pulley/clutch turns and slips both ways

Thanks.

Just checked and this one engages and turns rotor in the clockwise direction, as expected.

If rotor is wedged it freewheels with anticlockwise turning of pulley, again as expected.

Can't blame that I reckon.

Pretty sure I fitted a new regulator/brushpack before I fitted this (genuine, 2nd hand) alternator only 16 months ago, so I think it must be one of the diodes in the alt that has failed.

I'll try to test how much ac ripple voltage there is when it's running, tomorrow morning.

110Amp, 03F903023E is the genuine part number, to suit 2012 1.2 tsi Roomster.

Think it's a Bosch.

If anyone knows where I could buy something plug and play compatible within about 40 or so miles of Ely, Cambridgeshire, please let me know. 🙂

110 amps? You sure? It's from Bosch?

What accessoires does the car have.

Aside from parking sensors, electric windows and AC, there are no heated seats, no adaptive headlights or anything like that in our Fabia 2 and it's packing the 140A alternator.

Fuse board for the alternator is 175A as well.

This is the International portal for our local junkers.

This is also where is source most of the parts i slap in/on cars. They are legit.

Alternators

Edited Friday at 23:261 day by stigma

I was wrong about manufacturer, it's a Valeo.

The car has dealer-fitted detachable towbar and rear parking sensors, but I suspect the alternator was not changed from factory supplied one at the time. It's on the PR list as 110A.

I will try searching 03F903023D - Bosch 140A instead, thanks @stigma

Have now ordered an aftermarket new 140A one from Ebay/ Schmitz Rotary in Birmingham, should be with me at home on Mon/Tues.

We'll borrow Dad's car to get home and me back here again in a few days.

Thanks for the support folks. 🙂

Are you sure that's interchangeable?

That one does not support Start/Stop.

It also has been superseded by the F model.

Perhaps that means it uses a different LIN pin out

I'll pull up ETKA

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by stigma

The car doesn't have start/stop.

Home safely now, Yaris on the driveway (nice quiet, smooth trip home, just over 3hrs).

Old battery on charge, taking a good solid 6.2 amps for the last hour or so, seems to be recoverable.

Circumstances suggest that Wednesday will be the next mission eastward, with new alternator and every relevant tool I can imagine on board.

Sister's car's MOT that day, so will be good to be there if anything unexpected turns up.

You should be able to swap the alternator out in situ. Disconnect negative battery terminal. Remove the 02 sensor and remove the heat shield fasteners and move aside the heat shielding. Remove the fan shroud, remove the pulley that covers the bolt for the alternator. After that, remove the top bolt and lower the alternator with the bottom bolt still captive somewhat. Disconnect the communication plug, remove the negative clamp and the cable holder.

After that, disconnect and lower away and hang the AC compressor aside, pull out the last fastener and then lower away the alternator. Reverse install the new alternator.

Make sure you have part 6R0937629B with the 175A fuse for the alternator path.You don't want a lower amperage fuse board or you will end up with a no charge condition pretty quick.

GL.

Edited 9 hours ago9 hr by stigma

Thanks.

Alternator change was the first ever job I did on this car, before I'd even bought it, so I know tge method.

Don't think O2 sensor needs to come off on Roomster, nor fan shroud. I didn't last time anyhow.

Sometimes it's quicker and easier to make more space though, so I'll consider your suggestions.

Thanks again.

Something that needs investigation after the car is repaired and brought home...

...Apart from seconds before total shutdown, the charging system warning light (red battery symbol) didn't appear (I'm told, I wasn't in the car).

And when driving for a total of about 60 minutes with little or no alternator charging happening, with new battery reading (at ciggy lighter skt) as low as 12.1V at times, still no warning lights at all.

My partner was frequently probing the cigarette lighter socket with multimeter probes as I drove back to where the vehicle is parked now. The reading varied up and down by a few hundred mV, mostly about 12.3V, never above 12.5V. Why did that not trigger the warning light for charging system?? The light does come on when ignition is switched on, so it's not a dead LED.

VCDS scan done immediately on arrival at breakdown had lots of low voltage faults, obviously, including some modules reporting freeze frame T30 at about 11.5V.

Will attach that scan tomorrow.

I wonder what the threshold voltage is for 'battery light' to be displayed?

Some advance warning seems wise, particularly as power steering assistance completely disappears when voltage drops too low.

🤔

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by Breezy_Pete