OK, so we started the Felicia (1.3 petrol, 1998) yesterday, and it was like trying to start a locomotive! Admittedly, we had gone away for Xmas and it was 2 weeks since it last started, and it was -1, but it turned over, tried to catch, and when it did, it was really rough, like it was running on one cylinder, and wouldn't stay running - I tried about 10 times, tried coaxing the accelerator, but the same issue. Eventually, it would start, but when I tried to pull away, it would conk out, even with about 3000RPM. So, I managed to start it about 20 minutes later, and juts left it idling, and I went back after about 20 minutes, and it was fine.

Any ideas where to start with trying to rectify this?

Quick thoughts.

What needs rectifying, you put it was fine, do you mean you still have the crank-but-not-starting-for-a-long-time?

What basics have you covered such as age and type of petrol (I've forgot already what engine is fitted, injection or carb), others will remember plus there are threads and posts on such an issue but they can tend to be long as specifics and details are missing at the start of the threads and really being remote from the vehicle questions and answers are usually need.

Have you fitted new parts, how well did the engine start previous to this.

Fuel, ignition, compression.

Post a video if you can, but it is 99% the ECT

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Quick thoughts.

What needs rectifying, you put it was fine, do you mean you still have the crank-but-not-starting-for-a-long-time?

What basics have you covered such as age and type of petrol (I've forgot already what engine is fitted, injection or carb), others will remember plus there are threads and posts on such an issue but they can tend to be long as specifics and details are missing at the start of the threads and really being remote from the vehicle questions and answers are usually need.

Have you fitted new parts, how well did the engine start previous to this.

Fuel, ignition, compression.

Basically, it was like a bag of nails to begin with , but after 1/2 an hour, was idling fine - I am guessing that 2 weeks of inactivity and minus temps could have contributed, but I'm not an expert. But, it's a '98 model, 1.3 Felicia LXI Petrol, about 100k miles, and we've only just been given the car, so we have no idea of what's been replaced, but it has been recently serviced.

2 hours ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

Post a video if you can, but it is 99% the ECT

Will see what happens when I attempt to start it again, but thanks for the hint - it makes sense, but I the coolant light doesn't appear though?

59 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

but I the coolant light doesn't appear though?

A coolant sensor with debris on it or with damaged cables (both have happened to me) does not make the light bulb to turn on.

A faulty sensor can make the cluster gauge to show''fake'' results for the coolant temperature and make the needle to go up-down unpredictably (also happened to me) .

Not to mention that it feeds the ECU with OL where being an NTC thermistor makes the ECU think it's -50C and it causes it to run super rich and flood.

This is for you to test. There are two lines cause this is the tolerance zone, so as you can imagine, if it OL, it aint that good

And this is the NTC element responsible for the dashboard. Note they made a mistake, and in cells 60C 90C 120C it should be Ω and not kΩ

Edited 4 January4 Jan by Thefeliciahacker

For GR the O 'C measurement can be achieved.

Sorry I wasn't sure if it was you with a different engine. The chaps have given a good thing to check based on their knowledge and ownership experiences.

Don't rely on lights lighting up to warn you, wrongly, they used to be known as idiot lights over here, same for the warnings and lights on your modern car, they'll flash up like an Xmas tree if you let the 12v battery get just slightly low in state.

It can be handy to have two people at a start up like this to look under the bonnet and exhaust as that can sometimes give clues.

Subject to checking everything, particularly all the safety components and systems and not just engine, the car needs taking for reasonable distance drives to get things fully warmed up and moving more freely and to test all and find wrinkles and niggles and faults and give an order of attention priority or need.

Off topic

A mate had the first of the BMW MINI John Cooper Works, he got it very early and took it to a show and won a 1st Prize with it at an owner's show. He did keep his cars very clean and polished but never usually put them in shows as he knew more about the cars (BMC/BL Minis too) than concours judges but he told me the cup would add to the premium for the car when he sold it.

21 hours ago, TonyW1967 said:

But, it's a '98 model, 1.3 Felicia LXI Petrol, about 100k miles, and we've only just been given the car, so we have no idea of what's been replaced, but it has been recently serviced.

I always recommend you carry out a staggered full 36,000-mile (60,000km) service of the whole car in between driving the car.

Priorities to check and service or repair as required are brakes, steering and suspension (all three include tyres) safety electrics (lights, horn. wipers, blower, etc.) reflective number plates (see and be seen).

A 12v battery in good state of charge and health is always best, also helps with diagnosis of starting, electric and electronic issues. Check all cables, wire, connections are all clean, secure and protected.

Engine, gearbox (diff) - replace oils and filter(s) and as much as possible and practical clean and flush. Replace plugs and other ignition parts as required. Clean fuel system (replace filter) as possible, check fuel pump.

Cooling/heating system - clean, flush, back-flush, flush again, refill engine block, radiator, pipes and matrix. Clean external rad fins and grille. Thermostat, sensors and water pump as required.

Power steering - flush replace fluid.

Actually frequent regular use of the car will help you to sort the car and learn how to drive it and what it is capable of, once fully(?) sorted you don't need to treat it much different to when it was used when new.

Keep letting us know how things are going.

Thanks all, some good info there, and plenty of things for my Son to focus on regarding check/service/repair! :-)

7 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

Thanks all, some good info there, and plenty of things for my Son to focus on regarding check/service/repair! :-)

May I say something if I don't overstep,

The Felicia, although a very nice car to practice wrenching on, is ill-advised for a young driver.

Why? Cause it is an old machine without any effective active safety, when I was 18 and got my license, my parents objected on getting the Felicia as a "first car" but I insisted because I just loved the Felicia. It certaintly does not mean I did the right thing, then around a week later I also got the Brera which i've been driving ever since in conjunction with the Felicia. Neither of those cars are ideal for a "first car" but I got them nonetheless.

Where I want to end? Please teach your son basic non-augmented car control skills. I.E., braking without ABS, oversteer control in a FWD non-ESP vehicle, weight transfer without ARBs etc. These are very important skills when you drive an old machine. Of course, there is the possibility that he "just has it natural" in that case rest assured and sleep easy, some people are just gifted with the ability to control machines and "feel" them.

Edited 5 January5 Jan by Thefeliciahacker

I used to do notes for newbies who like me weren't very mechanical but I no longer have most of them but if you want to PM?DM? me I'll give you the few that's left.

Great to hear your son will be doing the work and not you, offering guidance is fine (until its no longer wanted/needed 😄) but hands on experience is what's needed. Tell your son it's not always fun to find out for himself and it's a lot cheaper to learn by the experience of others. The 'Owner's Manual' would be very useful especially if your son wasn't driving such vehicles back then.

Good luck.

2 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Great to hear your son will be doing the work and not you, offering guidance is fine (until its no longer wanted/needed 😄) but hands on experience is what's needed.

I've been wrenching on cars since I was 16, 99% it was in objection with my father, but I didn't care, to this day every time I buy a tool or spares I get the face of unappreciation, of course it has gotten a bit out of hand with the money i've spent but who cares. For me it's better than spending it at clubs getting drunk... Generally now, I do everything in all the family's cars, and why not, it's one of the few things still left in my miserable life that gives me joy, real joy, that really makes me happy, the best kind of happy.

37 minutes ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

May I say something if I don't overstep,

The Felicia, although a very nice car to practice wrenching on, is ill-advised for a young driver.

Why? Cause it is an old machine without any effective active safety, when I was 18 and got my license, my parents objected on getting the Felicia as a "first car" but I insisted because I just loved the Felicia. It certaintly does not mean I did the right thing, then around a week later I also got the Brera which i've been driving ever since in conjunction with the Felicia. Neither of those cars are ideal for a "first car" but I got them nonetheless.

Where I want to end? Please teach your son basic non-augmented car control skills. I.E., braking without ABS, oversteer control in a FWD non-ESP vehicle, weight transfer without ARBs etc. These are very important skills when you drive an old machine. Of course, there is the possibility that he "just has it natural" in that case rest assured and sleep easy, some people are just gifted with the ability to control machines and "feel" them.

No worries, the main reason is for him to learn about car mechanics, and as we live in the Czech Republic, it's sort of an ideal car to tinker with, especially considering parts supply. Plus, there are lots of these older Skodas around, and will be for many years, so it'll be good for him to learn the rudimentaries on this type. He hasn't passed his car licence yet, but when he does, I doubt he'll keep the car for long. And yes, I will definitely put him through some advanced driving training (like I did after he passed his motorbike test). :-)

41 minutes ago, nta16 said:

I used to do notes for newbies who like me weren't very mechanical but I no longer have most of them but if you want to PM?DM? me I'll give you the few that's left.

Great to hear your son will be doing the work and not you, offering guidance is fine (until its no longer wanted/needed 😄) but hands on experience is what's needed. Tell your son it's not always fun to find out for himself and it's a lot cheaper to learn by the experience of others. The 'Owner's Manual' would be very useful especially if your son wasn't driving such vehicles back then.

Good luck.

We have a large TV in the garage, so it'll be good for showing the manuals, youTube videos, etc - I've already got him going through the User's manual (in Czech), and the Haynes manual (for me) is on it's way. I've also downloaded some more of the repair and maintenance manuals, and will go through them when time permits.

44 minutes ago, nta16 said:

I used to do notes for newbies who like me weren't very mechanical but I no longer have most of them but if you want to PM?DM? me I'll give you the few that's left.

Great to hear your son will be doing the work and not you, offering guidance is fine (until its no longer wanted/needed 😄) but hands on experience is what's needed. Tell your son it's not always fun to find out for himself and it's a lot cheaper to learn by the experience of others. The 'Owner's Manual' would be very useful especially if your son wasn't driving such vehicles back then.

Good luck.

Thanks, when I reach the Forum quota of 20 posts, I'll PM you for those notes! :-)

In my opinion whether your son is new to driving or has learnt in, and drives, a modern car a 1998 car is fine for him and will teach him more about driving and road sense than (almost) all more modern cars. In many ways the older car will be safer as the driver knows about the lack of modern safety and also doesn't have to worry about or (over) rely on all the over-interfering modern car features, "assists" and "aids" which make the driver more of a passenger so less safe to be in charge of the car, and possibly distracted playing around with its toys instead.

Also with an older car, particularly one that needs repairs, the driver learns proper driver maintenance and servicing which modern cars still need despite many modern drivers thinking it's not the driver's responsibility.

Personally I think it would be good if all youngsters initially learnt to drive and maintain old cars before moving on to a modern car so that they have better basic knowledge and understanding and experience of driving a car and being a driver. Won't be long before, like most Americans, drivers can't use a manual gearbox (not a good thing given the issues with modern automatic type box and their electronic masters. And the joy of mechanical handbrake control (and not for doughnuttin' or J-turns!).

Too much safety can make some driver's too complacent and reckless and that's when accidents happen and it's not always them that suffer the most, or at all.

He'll learn about braking distances, difference road and weather conditions make - and to look out for idiot drivers and to avoid them.

IF in the Czech Republic is like the UK with old cars then an old VWŠkoda would be greeted well on the road, at least by older drivers and pedestrians, waves and greetings being let out of side streets, conversations at petrol stations and garages, every one with a story about when they or someone they know/knew had one. Very different to being in a more modern car.

6 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

We have a large TV in the garage, so it'll be good for showing the manuals, youTube videos, etc

Good for helping but advice and quality of videoing can vary a lot and car might not always match your son's. Plenty of info on this forum and the other classic forums, even Project and Guides forums. I've watched YouTube videos with good diagnostics blokes still making the mistake of not checking the basics first before moving on to the sexy stuff and toys. The better ones will admit their mistake of overlooking the basics or other mistakes they make rather than editing it out or not putting that video up. Not (properly) testing the 12v battery used to catch out "classic" car owners and still catches out owners and professionals today. Literally today will be the busiest day for breakdown call outs and most will be where the owner/driver has neglected the battery with many modern car owners needlessly replacing the expensive 12v battery - what's called a distress sale purchase so you can get away with a higher charge still.

8 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

Thanks, when I reach the Forum quota of 20 posts, I'll PM you for those notes! :-)

I'll PM you then. Don't expect much as they were very basic stuff and I'm not sure how many of the 20 plus I still have.

Edited 5 January5 Jan by nta16
wrong word again

23 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

Plus, there are lots of these older Skodas around, and will be for many years, so it'll be good for him to learn the rudimentaries on this type.

If I were in CZ I would be getting a 130 rapid 5-speed fit two DCOES and be the happiest man alive

26 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

He hasn't passed his car licence yet, but when he does, I doubt he'll keep the car for long. And yes, I will definitely put him through some advanced driving training (like I did after he passed his motorbike test). :-)

You are doing some of the most correct things I've heard in a LONG LOOOONG time

30 minutes ago, TonyW1967 said:

He hasn't passed his car licence yet, but when he does, I doubt he'll keep the car for long. And yes, I will definitely put him through some advanced driving training (like I did after he passed his motorbike test). :-)

Sorry I missed this post.

I often put the best tuning you can do is further driver training and it can be transferred to other cars at no expense.

Motorbikes are a good example of being remote from the environment with earplugs, full face helmet, full "leathers" , gloves and boots it's no wonder they have to go so fast and make so much noise (similar to modern cars where the driver is so insulated and remote).

Coming from a motorbike your son might even enjoy the extreme of a slower, less power, noisier car, where pushing it a bit is more fun than in a modern car and still withing legal speeds, the fun of maintaining a speed and probably keeping up well with modern traffic but having a bit of fun rather than half-asleep with boredom in the modern car.

Don't fall into the trap of old car so any old cheap oils and petrol will do as with the modern oils and petrols the car will be better than when it was new and better quality modern oils (full synthetics of good quality) will also offer further and longer protection and provide more protect if other things go wrong and heat increases.

Remember if you can't increase power you can reduce weight and a 50hp old car is better power-to-weight than a modern lardy 50(+) hp car. Remind your son where the power band is on the car for revs but other than not exceeding legal speed limits not to worry about what number the speedo needle points to, it's all about how it feels not numbers. No matter how powerful, quick, fast your car or motorbike goes sometimes you could always want more and anyway other cars and bikes will be more powerful, quicker and faster.

I wonder, what the indications could be in a Summer day with 18 'C for example?

The part code is 357919754 but we measure in the pins (male) or in the other side (female, on the coolant switch) ?

On 04/01/2026 at 21:43, Thefeliciahacker said:

9 minutes ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

The part code is 357919754 but we measure in the pins (male) or in the other side (female, on the coolant switch)

we measure the ECTS so the thermistor (the sensor)

It should be around 1.8kΩ for the dash and 2.8kΩ for the ecu