Hello folks, I've joined this forum as I am about to purchase ( next Friday) a 05 plate Fabia TDI Elegence estate.. :eek: I tried very hard not to!! but I eventually gave in to my more sensible side:rolleyes: I have just one wee niggle I'd like some feed back on. The torque is amazing but I felt a slight vibration through the clutch when changing gear. I have asked the dealer to check it out but I wondered if any one else had this problem. Oh can some one reasure me I'm doing the right thing:O I am very apprehensive about this purchase I need some moral support:)

Welcome to Briskoda, you will enjoy your car.

Great car !

Fantastic standard specification for the money, very comfortable, great performance, excellent economy, enough room for wife kids & two dogs (but I am a bit biased towards them)

Wonder if it's been remapped - your description sounds like the DMF vibrating under heavy torque.

You'll enjoy it.

Do a search on web sites and you'll find many many ecstatic owners - and any problems with the Fabias seem to be mostly on the petrols - and then only up to 2002/ 2003.

Was going to get the Elegance saloon until my wife said she fancied the vRS (biggest surprise of my life).

Thanks for all your comments:thumbup: I have no idea what a DFM is :confused: but the car has done 32K in under 2 years which I thought a wee bit high though I do that kind of mileage myself. I'm buying through a Skoda dealer in Stirling who supplied it to the previous owner who has himself just purchased another new Fabia estate. Mine's a Black Magic with reversing sensors that did not work when I test drove the car:P I'm hoping to have trouble free motoring for at least 3 years.. my previous car was a Citroen C5...........:eek:

DMF = dual mass flywheel - part of the clutch system.

Worth mentioning to the garage so you look like you know what you're talking about and can't be fobbed off with a dodgy car.

Definately get the DMF checked out - not sure if it is a warranty thing as the small print may say it is part of the clutch and therefore a 'consumable' item - but if you tell them about it before you sign on the dotted you are the man with the power. If they won't budge just walk away, there will always be another one somewhere else - clutch vibration is not a good thing.

Got myself a new Fabia Estate Amb 1.9tdi in September.

Actually also initially noticed a vibration through the clutch pedal, now I don't even notice anymore.

Very happy with the car, just as anyone would be

I have an 05 TDI Elegance estate and like it very much. Good choice!

Thanks for the technical lesson Devonutopia I'll certainly be checking it on Friday. Even with the car in nutral depressing the clutch and then bringing it up to where it would normally bite I could feel a little tremble through the pedal.

Gus did you mention it to the dealer? The car was exceptionally responsive though this may be due to me driving a C5 for the last 18 months! :P The Fabia gave me initial wheel spin in first and second and I'm not that type of driver!:eek: The tyres looked fine and the roads were greasy so perhaps that would explain it..

anyway thanks again for all your advise and support! I'll let you know how I get on!

Thanks for the technical lesson Devonutopia

Now thats something you dont hear often, damn good job usually aswell.

Even with the car in nutral depressing the clutch and then bringing it up to where it would normally bite I could feel a little tremble through the pedal.

VAG TDIs aren't the soothest, some vibration normal IMO, as long as the clutch didn't judder as you pulled away.

The Fabia gave me initial wheel spin in first and second and I'm not that type of driver!:eek: The tyres looked fine and the roads were greasy so perhaps that would explain it.

My vRS will wheelspin in third on a greasy road, so that's to be expected. There's lots of torque even with a 1.4TDI or TDI 100.

Cheers Mebuya and all,

No, did not even mention to the dealer. Aware of the rattle a diesel makes, I found it not so strange that something in connection with the engine/gearbox is vibrating slighly But for some reason, I do not notice it much nowadays...as mentioned.

Well on Friday pm I reluctantly drove to my Skoda dealer and picked up my 05 plate TDI estate.:confused: I was heading down to Bute for the weekend a 100 mile trip through some great Highland scenery to Colintrive where I get the ferry across to Bute.

After 10 minutes I thought "here this is fun!" after an hour I had covered 50miles and as I approached the Highland Pass know as "the Rest and be Thankful I checked the fuel consumption.. a staggering 69MPG:eek: I wasn't even trying in fact I had to get past quite a few watch the scenery drivers as I headed up Loch Lomondside and the response from the pedal was fantastic:thumbup: Once over the pass and at the ferry terminal I checked the MPG again 65MPG quite incredible.

Ok so it's a bit noisy at idle but boy is it fun to drive after 3 years with a Citroen C5:P

2 things...Out of couriosity

1) The service book lists all the euipment the car has by means of a code system. How can I check what the codes refer to?

2) The TDI lettering is red on the DI what the signficance of the red lettering?

And all you people who said I would enjoy the car .. well your dead right. Its simple fantastic:thumbup:

Glad you are enjoying it.

The DI means it is 100bhp

Ah - would a black DI indicate a 75bhp 1.4?

Glad you took the plunge and bought one, they are as you say great cars !

You did very well getting 69 mpg including a trip up the rest and be thankfull !

You can find out what your option codes mean HERE.

MDK1 ta much I though for a monent it was the same as the Volkswagen and donated 130bhp.. it feels like it! and TD-EYE I'm driving from Cumbernauld to Stirling each day and have not gone below 60mpg for a journey yet and on the M80 you either do 80 in the outside lane or 50 in the inside.. I stick to the outside!! and thanks for the option codes. I'm trying to find out if I have a model that shows the computer data in the box between the Rev and speedo counter and not just where the clock is!:confused:

I'm trying to find out if I have a model that shows the computer data in the box between the Rev and speedo counter and not just where the clock is!:confused:

I think that's what's known as a maxidot display. Mine is an older model (02) Elegance Estate and does not have that only the various warning symbols lie there with the computer displaying in a small window in the speedometer and the clock in a small window in the rev counter. Yours being a newer model may be different ? :confused:

I'm trying to find out if I have a model that shows the computer data in the box between the Rev and speedo counter and not just where the clock is!:confused:

That'll be the maxidot you are referring to. I think this is only shown in the Skoda brochures (with the small print "photo shows a car that is not to UK specification"). From what I remember being posted on here a while ago, UK cars only get maxidot if they have the sat-nav option too and at

I bought an '04 comfort TDi estate in november '05 and it is a great wee car would recomend it only thing is i wish i could of found an elegance

Aye well Weirdkerr I have an 05 elegance but not the comfort seats:rolleyes: but it's interesting that the maxidot only comes with the sat nav:mad: It makes no mention of this in the handbook:confused:

I am having the same nerves about picking up my Fabia estate 1.9 TDI Elegance on Monday as I know nothing about cars I got the RAC Engineer to check it over he has given it the thumbs up the only faults he found werea nail in one of the tyres and some scuff marks on one of the alloy wheels and a few minor scratches on the bodywork which hopefully the garage will sort out. I have a slight persuader I have not paid for it yet.

The other thing is the tyres 3 of them are at 4mm and the other 2 are 5mm In the past I have changed tyres at 4mm what do other members think is a safe thickness apparently the legal limit is something like 1.9mm which sounds rather thin.

Well had my estate from new and after some 32k have had to change the fronts after about 22k (down to abot 3mm) and guesd I'll need to change the whole set around the 40k mark. If you can get some new ones I'd pussh for it.

Oh I'm still on the original 14" alloys so far, might go for something bigger when I do the change as I feal the do look too small.