Hi All, I’ve recently multimeter tested my battery as stop start stopped working. I have a 2023 1 litre 110 bhp SEL. The battery was charged to about 12.5 volts, which is okay. So I tested the alternator with the car on and under load. It was kicking out about 13.5 volts, which I thought a bit low as historically I was always told it should be about 14.5 volts. So I rang Skoda and they said it was normal and not to worry. My car is still under warranty so if it goes caput, I will bring it in to them to sort. However, I was just wondering has anyone else had a low-ish reading from their alternator? Is it standard on Mk 4 Skoda Fabias? Cheers.

Is that a Skoda Dealership you called? Even with just petrol engines there is regenarative braking / recuperation to help put charge to the battery. Helps with efficiency / fuel reduction.

Edited 4 December, 20254 Dec by Evolution13

Yeah, it’s the local Skoda dealership. I just thought 13.5 under load was a bit low and a sign the alternator was packing in. It’s out of warranty in March so I want to get it sorted before it does if it’s failing.

Fixed voltage charging is a thing of the past.

All sorts of factors will influence the output voltage which the alternator is commanded to produce, so it's no longer straightforward to assess whether an alternator is underperforming or not.

Thanks, I’m just worried it’s failing. I’m a driving instructor so I can’t afford to be off the road if it is on the way out and it’s still under warranty so if it does fail I want Skoda to fix it.

Consider getting one of the little LED-display voltmeters that plug into the accessory socket and give you a continuous readout of the battery voltage whilst on the move. Then you can get a feel for what the voltage ranges between and peaks at (probably on the over-run).

I have a dashcam plugged into that 😂

You get an adapter to plug in so that you can plug in 2 things.

Edited 4 December, 20254 Dec by Evolution13

Sorry I thought I had replied but it doesn’t seem to have posted. I’m reading that modern cars have smart alternators and alter the output based on battery SOC and also engine load. So a lower output might not be of concern as if the battery is over 75% charged and the energy demand isn’t crazy the alternator might not put out over 14 volts charge. It might also what Breezy_Pete was mentioning.

49 minutes ago, MURVAG82 said:

I have a dashcam plugged into that 😂

Unless you have a habit of moving between different cars and taking the dashcam with you, I'd seriously suggest getting a hard-wire kit for it so it switches on automatically on starting the car so you never risk driving without it being activated (sods law says that will be the time when you needed it the most) and then it frees up the power socket for other things, such as the LED voltmeter.

It’s something I thought about Graham, but I’m only starting out as an ADI, so I had so many other expenses I just thought I’d manually manage the dash cam in and out. I’m fairly good with it. I never leave it in over night as it’ll eat the battery.

Hi, I would also recommend hard wiring the dash cam, it’s really easy to do, I fitted ours when I took delivery of the car, and haven’t had any issue with battery drain, also if unfortunately someone knocks your car whilst parked you're likely to have footage for insurance purposes 👍

1 hour ago, Scotty68 said:

Hi, I would also recommend hard wiring the dash cam, it’s really easy to do...

This earlier forum thread may be of interest

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/514511-fitting-netbase-322gw/

And this video explains the general principles

Bump for @GB2125 Might be of interest.

The error:airbag warning came up on my dash yesterday. So I’ve had to book it in with Skoda. I’ve asked them to look at the alternator and battery whilst it’s in as I’ve a feeling the two issues could be linked. When the battery/alternator is possibly struggling, random other problems start happening. I’m not having much luck at the moment with my car, very very frustrating. Skoda can’t see it for a month either which is also very annoying.

Just as an update, I called another Skoda dealer and I’m booked in for tomorrow to get things sorted. The airbag light & forward assist are Joe throwing up warnings and the car is struggling to start so my money is on a battery or alternator going caput which is causing the other issues. I really hope they diagnose it properly and fix what needs fixing as it’s a major irritant currently.

Just an update, I had the car in with Skoda for the last 2 days. New battery fitted under warranty but the rigmarole I had to go through to get it sorted was barely worth it. But thankfully they did it so I can’t complain too much. The staff were nice to deal with but I get the feeling there isn’t much love for the Skoda HQ from their dealerships.

We have a similar car and did all the research and reviews. The reports and the spec are fantastic but I now feel it was a mistake we just have to live with.

It's great to drive and your pupils will love it. However, you will not escape reliability anxiety. The boffins came up with a 3 cylinder engine for economy with turbo boost for extra performance when needed. There has been emphasis on emission control and start-stop technology. In the right driving environment that's great but in our area whether it's crawling along the motorway or driving to do a supermarket shop the world is very different. The Fabia 4 has all sorts of electronic glitches which a dealership won't sort out and probably can't.

Unfortunately, there are likely to be similar issues with alternative makes and models. Simple is best and older Skodas, the Suzuki Swift, Toyota Auris, Honda Jazz and some ford Focuses would have been a better fit than a Skoda Fabia 4. No certainty with any of them though because there are a multitude of engine technologies for each car.

Skoda / VW do the Euro 6 1.0 3 cylinder without a turbo (MPI) and this KISS set up is all many need.

On 19/12/2025 at 18:51, MURVAG82 said:

Just an update, I had the car in with Skoda for the last 2 days. New battery fitted under warranty but the rigmarole I had to go through to get it sorted was barely worth it. But thankfully they did it so I can’t complain too much. The staff were nice to deal with but I get the feeling there isn’t much love for the Skoda HQ from their dealerships.

If you are not installing a DVM (digital volt meter) then you can carry out a fairly basic alternator test by monitoring the battery voltage while someone else starts the car, irrespective of the battery SOC, (at least on my Polo), the voltage will rise to 14.8V (ish) but only for less than a minute, and then fall back to ~ 13.5V, presumably to replace the tiny 0.3AH or so used in cranking the engine. Under normal driving conditions, even with the battery fully charged to its 85% SOC, the voltage allways rises to 14.6/14.9 on overrun and then returns to its normal 13.5V, a DVM or multimeter with the appropriate plug is required to monitor this.

The original post related to stop-start not working and worries about whether the battery and charging system were functioning correctly.  I had similar thoughts and bought a battery charger to see if it made a difference.  It also seemed possible that the recurring glitches with the digital display layout which changes when it feels like it might be due to the same problem.

The stop-start worked for a day after fully charging in the summer then that was it. It’s freezing at present and the stop-start suddenly began working on short journeys.  The car went in for a service after its second year and I made it known that I thought something was wrong. The service manager said they’d thoroughly checked the battery and found nothing of concern.

The level of charge and outside temperature don’t seem to have much relation the operation of stop-start. It’s certainly not been useful for us and is very unreliable.  I can see why so many drivers turn it off before pulling away.

The only thing that inhibits my Stop/Start is if the outside temperature falls to -2C or -2.5C, can't remember which, also, despite the VW manual stating that the engine temperature must be adequate or words to that effect, once you drive the car exactly 0.5kms and the OT is > -2/2.5C then the Stop/Start is enabled, period. My Polo& Battery are exactly 7 years old, I have seen the Stop/Start operate with a (VCDS) battery 73% SOC, it doesn't bother me in the slightest as I only use the Stop/Start selectively, my wife never, she just inhibits it after starting the car and just before putting the car in gear.