On the mileage I do, I only refuel once a month ! I sure that's the case with alot of the OAP market who buy the Fabias.

I am sure that not even Skoda would be in the business of driving granny's to distraction by getting them to check the oil every time they left the house !

Perhaps that one for You Tube

Nick

18/02/07

Anyhow I think you know to keep an eye on it now. Get it looked at and best of luck to you I hope you havent done any damage, by the sounds of it you havent.

Keep an eye on it now it has been topped up, if it continues to use oil then you know something is amiss.

A thought has just ocurred to me.

The Golf used 20w-50 oil, whereas I've put-in, on the dealer's recommendation, 10w-40, which, I take it, he has been using when he's done the last three services. 10w-40 is a generally a lighter grade of oil - in fact in the 70's and 80's this was the stuff I put in my Honda 125 motorcycle ! What a recommendation !

Is that why the potential oil loss is greater with the Fabia ?

Lets face it, in the absence of significant improvements in engineering tolerances, vehicle marketeers would love to show how much more economical their cars have become, and substitution of a lighter grade oil is a "quick fix" way for this to be achieved - even if this impacts negatively on component life. A three -year vehicle life fits their marketing strategy nicely, in a western world where net incomes are double what they thirty years ago ! Why rely on post sale spare parts sales, when you can force people to buy a whole new vehicle ?

I just formulating a suggested list of do's for when it goes into the dealer next week:-

Firstly, in this order,

compression test

inspect ohc for destruction of case hardening on lobes

If these are ok, then

drain oil, replace filter

remove sump and check for sludge, clean if necessary,

Check all breathers for sludge, remove and clean if necessary,

flush system with detergent oil.

replace filter and refill with standard oil.

As its out of warranty, there's no impedimnt to doing it myself, except that, nowadays, the parts are not freely available. Such is my confidence in these so called main dealers. But, in the period which has elapsed since I owned the Golf, the range of half-decent London based parts suppliers e.g. Vee Wee and German and Swedish seems to have severely diminished. I could even find a sump gasket on the interweb !

Struggling on !

Nick,

18/02/07

i wouldn't bother getting anything more done than the oil and filter changed

if they do all those checks and find something is worn , what are they going to say ? "it needs an engine mate " then more expense for you

black sludge seems to be a thing of the past on most if not all modern engines , unless the oil never gets changed , and detergent engine flushes can/will cause more harm than good

Recomended oil for the Fabia is 10w40 and is just fine.

Engineering tolerances are far far better than they used to be, variable servicing and PD engines wouldnt be possible if they werent. The oil consumption figures are just a get out clause on warranty really. An engine has to be pretty bad before it warrants repairs, but to be honest most of them dont use alot if any after 40,000 miles anyhow.

Many thanks for your input.

However, I would say that, judging by the posts on the interweb, particularly regarding the Audi and Passat 1.8 in the States, design flaws in oil delivery systems and consequent problems e.g. sludge, are still with us !

From my own experience, I know that the rubber part of the EGR pipe on the Golf used to get quite a lot of solid matter accumulating at the top, although it did not actually block.

Nick,

19/02/07