Still getting used to my SE-L estate after years with my VW Up.

Should there be a powerful air flow from the vents?

I can hear the fan for the air con turning and getting louder when the knob is turned up but there seems to be no increase in air flow at the vents.

They are all fully open and the car does warm up but if you put your hand up to the vent the air flow is quite weak.

Have you got them on recirculate (rather than getting air from outside) perhaps?

Might also depend on which air vents you mean and your expectations but generally going from 1 through to 4 on the blower control knob increases noise and airflow.

Check the cabin filter (passenger footwell) for condition and fit, ours was full of crap and missing the retaining clip so most of the airflow was just going straight downwards, to the easiest path. I replaced the filter with a new one and got a used clip from eBay.

Edited 15 December, 202515 Dec by whitedot

Good video on how to - Skoda Fabia Mk3: How To Replace Pollen Filter (Cabin Filter) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTstE0MtXI

Other good videos with info on Fabia Mk3, some of it is also in the car's 'Owners Manual' too. -

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHH-B9onXpOqdKjFA815CBd7YB4hocem5

If you don't have the paper printed car's 'Owner's Manual' you can get a free VWŠkoda pdf download from the VWŠkoda 'Owner's Manual' site. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/apps/manuals/Models

Thanks for the advice.

I will check it on outside and recirculated air tomorrow.

Also take a look at the pollen filter - though with two discs gone in my back this could prove to be a painful procedure after viewing the video clip.

Very unusually VW make changing the cabin filter very straightforward, quick, easy thing to do. I've done it from kneeling (on a pad) outside the car, still a bit of a twist to see but you could use a mirror and/or go by blind feel.

I have been down and had a look this morning and very odd findings.

The vents are blowing fine now on both outside and recirculated air.

When I was out driving on Sunday I could not feel much coming through at all.

Would it make a difference this morning with not having the engine fired up?

So many computer programs - have you got one of those Climatronic things?

Sorry but I am not sure if it is a climatronic but it is a climate control unit not an air con system with the knobs and dials.

Climatronic is just VW(?)Škoda name, description, marketing term, climate control being better(?) than just (manual) air-con.

Yeah with an 'L' on the end of the 'SE' you'll get some "features" / "improvements"(?) as standard over the 'S' and 'SE', just PITA things to go wrong in my view but there will plenty of others here that can explain it to you and probably may find it to be the eight wonder of the world.

You'll have to have a good read of the 'Owner's Manual' and see how much it tells you about what its computers want and controls and will and will not allow you to do and what settings you make do what and what they allow you to alter. The computer program will be thinking of things like temperature inside and out and other stuff, for your convenience. (The computer control over some of the manual air-con, heating controls p1ss me off off enough without the Climatronic and I'm used to a lot more air in a car than you get with modern cars.)

Thanks for that.

I had a very similar climate control system in my Audi A2 and never encountered a problem with it.

I will have a read of any relevant material in the owners manual.

They certainly make things very complicated these days but I suppose when it all works it is beneficial.

18 minutes ago, Mugwamp said:

I had a very similar climate control system in my Audi A2 and never encountered a problem with it.

In that case perhaps you might have an issue or fault in the system then(?).

19 minutes ago, Mugwamp said:

when it all works it is beneficial.

Not always.

Up, A2 now Fabia, you're obviously a VW fan, as you can tell I'm not, but then I'm not a fan of modern cars, until a couple of years ago my daily car was from 1973 and you had to lift the bonnet to turn the heater on but the fresh air ventilation was plenty.

Let us know how you get on.

@rum4mo is a VW fan and will know more about their air-cons and climate systems and their practical use.

Very chequered driving history.

Triumph Herald,Morris Mini,Triumph Dolomite,Ford Escort estate,Ford Capri,Land Rover,alfa 33,VW Golf GTi MkII,VW Passat estate,Toyota Rav 4,three x Audi A2`s,VW Up and now the Fabia.Plus commercials Nissan cabstar,ford 35cwt van,daihatsu 4 x 4,Toyota Lite Ace.

Also bikes Yam RD 250 and 350LC,Kawasaki S3 Triple,Harley Sportster,Suzuki GT380,Moto Guzzi 850 T3.

Definitely prefer the earlier models easier to diagnose what`s gone wrong.

If I find the cause of my present woes I will let you know.

Triumph Herald, our next door neighbour has one that sees the light of day as often as my old Audi S4, but judging by the time between leaving and going back into the garage it is only going “once round the block”.

Edited 17 December, 202517 Dec by rum4mo

As far as air quantity coming out of the dash vents, with “auto” systems running in auto mode, the decision as to where the air is getting directed is controlled by the Climatronic etc controller.

To prove that it is possible to get more air out of these vents you could try moving away from auto mode by selecting one of the options on the dedicated buttons.

Yep, tried the dedicated buttons and no increase in air flow on any of them.

Very odd that yesterday with the engine off air flow was good.

We had 4 Triumph Heralds in all as they kept rotting out and failing MoT`s.

Went many miles in them with frequent stops to top up the rad.

The good side was that you could pick them up for about £80.

Bother on the airflow thing!

OFF Topic warning

I had a 1981 2.0S Capri from 2006 to 2007 it needed the least amount of work I've ever had with an old car (called "classic") it was a fill in as I waited for a restored 1973 Triumph Mk3 GT6. It was 4 days short of the no "road tax" that was an omen for ownership as that was by far the most expensive "classic" to keep. The Capri was bought from me by an enthusiast for his wife and kept as a daily user and show car, featured in a video and is still in some use today, the GT6 I doubt but it went to Ireland after me so I can't check.

Other than the Capri which I got from my neighbour and I knew the car from new the GT6 and other "classics" I had were a very lot more than £80, I can't think of paying that little since just after passing my driving test 48 years ago this month.

Yes it was a long time ago the first Triumph Herald bought by my then girlfriend,later my wife in 1975 for £80.

And you still married her - must have been love.

I once briefly thought about getting a ("classic") Herald ragtop (Vitesse) but quickly came to my senses and switched thoughts to a 1275 Minor ragtop but I got neither. Same as when I briefly considered a short-term ownership of a Jag V12 XJ pillarless coupe.

I realised when I put that post that I have been with my wife a couple of weeks longer than I have held a full driving licence. Until very recently I thought I passed my test a number of months before I actually did, there was a delay getting a test date then, a number of weeks but I forget how long.

It was and we were together for 35 years.