Hello I need to change the starter motor on my fabia and can't seem to find any information on what needs to be taking off to be able to remove the starter am I right in thinking if I take the battery and battery tray off I will be able to access the starter bolts from the top or am I going to need to go from underneath to get to the bolts any info before I start it would be an advantage I have purchased the online haynes manual for the vehicle but can't seem to find anything on how to remove it unless I am looking in the wrong part which is highly likely I much prefer the old books

Sorry I don't know. I would start by looking to see if I could get at it from the underside once the plastic tray is removed but that could all well be a waste of time. The video that follows I think looks like it might be for a Mk3.

I had Haynes from 60s and 70s and never found them much use as they seemed to cover how to open a door to rebuilding an engine but little in between and some errors and omissions in parts specifications.

Are you sure you need to replace the starter motor, seems soon even allowing for poorer quality less durable VW parts that can be on VW's products.

HTH.

Hello thanks for the reply unfortunately that video is of the mark 2 not 3 the starter looks like it's directly below the battery so think the easier access would be from the top (I could be wrong tho) it's definitely the starter as can hear it jamming up when trying to start sometimes

Sorry I wasn't sure, I only had a quick look at the video and thought a Mk3 might or might not be the same for getting at starter motor.

Sounds like 21st century German engineering quality for the starter motor then. The Japanese and "cheap" Korean cars tend(ed) to have lighter, smaller, more efficient and robust alternators and starters. Still you'd hope that VW could have theirs last more than 8 years, I'm sure if you asked it'd be a one-off tiny batch fault of therm.

Be careful about aftermarket starters if they are anything like the quality of aftermarket alternators with wrong fitments and short lives.

Off-topic

If you want to say, which model exactly of Topdon do you have and how do you find it's function and accuracy on your VWs and subscription charges?

Yea I thought it should have lasted longer to be honest but never had a stop start before so just put it down to the extra wear of that to be honest

Its the topdon artidiag600s with free updates to be honest I haven't long had it so only plugged it in to check faults really it has showed the faults each time and cleared them when pressed to clear but other than that I haven't done anymore with it I just got it to use on other vehicles really as I have vcds for my skodas

The starters and alternators are supposed to be good enough to allow for full start/stop use and VW have had it on their model for a long time now. To be fair I can't remember seeing anything(?) on here about Mk3s having starter or alternator issues (but then I forget a lot) so perhaps it is an issue to a limited time of production as I have seen something about VW starter motors generally playing up, perhaps for this period showing a batch fault.

Other than the plug socket they don't look much different to the ones on my 1960s and 70s cars, cars are such ancient technology.

Let us know how you get on with this, perhaps you might feel like taking a few photos and doing a write-up for the Fabia Guides section.

Thanks for info on Topdon, I thought I recognised the button(s) on the right of it from some diagnostics vids on a YT channel I follow but the scan tools change so often I can't keep up with model numbers and features even from one supplier.