Fabia vRS BLT Engine Hesitation.

[Jim_VRS]

fitted 9mm one, lost 3alan keys on the plastic sump cover...grrr!

also the top screw slots back in nicely, but the bottom one cross threads everytime as the two pipes wont re-allign and they're real buggers to push into place. So mine currently shreeks at me when the stutter should kick in.

so now i have a loud shreek instead of the stutter....great! anybody free to sort it? Yorkshire area lol....it's really annoying me & proving impossible to reallign the two pipes.

Advice anyone?

[Guest]

fitted 9mm one, lost 3alan keys on the plastic sump cover...grrr!

also the top screw slots back in nicely, but the bottom one cross threads everytime as the two pipes wont re-allign and they're real buggers to push into place. So mine currently shreeks at me when the stutter should kick in.

so now i have a loud shreek instead of the stutter....great! anybody free to sort it? Yorkshire area lol....it's really annoying me & proving impossible to reallign the two pipes.

Advice anyone?

this was exactly the problem i had. My solution? I took it to a little local independent mechanic and he had no problem in getting the bottom screw in properly with all the right tools. He did the job there and then, at about 5:45pm and didn't ask for any payment. Excellent service and so I dropped off ten bottles of Stella to him the next day.

I'd say that sort of tactic is your best bet my friend!

[Fabia_TDI]

Hearing a lot of tales about not getting the bottom screw in. I had a job too! If you mangle the thread on the screw it will never go in. If you need a spare screw and you didn't want to go to your Skoda dealer you could get one from here - M8, 20mm long, 1.25mm thread:

Stagonset - Online Stainless Steel Fasteners

Might be a worthwhile precaution for any amateur mechanics (like me) taking on this job. If you can't put it back together your car is off the road.

[Guest]

Hearing a lot of tales about not getting the bottom screw in. I had a job too! If you mangle the thread on the screw it will never go in. If you need a spare screw and you didn't want to go to your Skoda dealer you could get one from here - M8, 20mm long, 1.25mm thread:

Stagonset - Online Stainless Steel Fasteners

Might be a worthwhile precaution for any amateur mechanics (like me) taking on this job. If you can't put it back together your car is off the road.

Except to say that you can usually get it back in enough so that you can limp the car to the nearest mechanic. I could anyway!

[Jim_VRS]

this was exactly the problem i had. My solution? I took it to a little local independent mechanic and he had no problem in getting the bottom screw in properly with all the right tools. He did the job there and then, at about 5:45pm and didn't ask for any payment. Excellent service and so I dropped off ten bottles of Stella to him the next day.

I'd say that sort of tactic is your best bet my friend!

thanks for that mate, I'll get it sorted by a pro..

it's well weird though how the top one goes in like a dream and the bottom one cross threds between the two parts all the time...Glad someone else had same problem though.

[Guest]

thanks for that mate, I'll get it sorted by a pro..

it's well weird though how the top one goes in like a dream and the bottom one cross threds between the two parts all the time...Glad someone else had same problem though.

yeh, my impression was the same as you posted. It was easy enough to get the two parts lined up for the top screw, but, no matter how much I pushed and pulled the two parts, the bottom bits just wouldn't line up. The mechanic I saw applied something to the screw and got it straight in. Having some experience and the correct tools obviously makes a world of difference!

[Trotts]

Hi Folks

I have read this post and i would like it confirmed, plain and simple, that the 14.5 mm Gasket, the 'official' Fix, will not work and I am wasting my time having this done for free at my local stealership!

I have today had the first service done on my vRS at just under 10,000 miles. I am perhaps a bit luckier than some, in that the hesitation was not that bad on my car and it has not detracted from me enjoying the car (Sprint Yellow if you see it around Brizzle !)

So when getting fleeced I enquired with the staff (who have done 3 'fix's with the 14.5) and they have ordered the Gasket for me which will be in a day or so. They tell me all three customers seem to be happy, no problems.

So, would or should I try the 14.5 or simply say 'forget it' and live with it as it is, or try and insist on the 9 mm hole ? Here NO ONE seems to have had success with the official 'fix'?

[VRStu]

A dealer 'shouldn't' fit the 9mm.

They are only allowed to fit the official sized one.

[MODVRS]

Deleted by MODVRS

Edited 20 June, 2009 by MODVRS
spelling

[Guest]

It will probably be difficult to get a definitive answer as there will be many different opinions. As somebody who has followed this from the start and self-applied the 9mm gasket I'd offer the following.

Skoda UK say the 14.5mm gasket will reduce the stutter, but not completely remove it. As Stu says they will not sanction the fitting of the 9mm gasket as the car will no longer meet EUIV emissions requirements.

Having read all the comments on this to date I'd say a few owners have reported that the 14.5mm fixed their car, although many owner's don't even aknowledge that the stutter is a problem in the first place. Several owners say the 14.5mm improves things, but the stutter is still there. I'd say the majority of people who've gone for the 9mm say the stutter has gone; probably two dozen in this category.

From my personal experience the 9mm fixed the stutter and made the engine much smoother throughout the rev range. It's not without concerns though as some people have had the engine management light come on, others have mangled bolts and lost tools in the engine bay and there is always the concern that a warranty problem may arise and SUK will use the mod as a get out. Also there is a very small risk that there may be emissions test problems at some future stage.

Sorry this probably isn't plain and simple enough, but if you read through the 50 page thread on it you'll see just how complicated it has all been.

yeh, just to echo that. Except to say that I don't foresee any great future problems having had the 9mm fix done as long as you keep the other part to switch back (temporarily) if you need to.

[Jim_VRS]

Mechanic coming round to sort my bottom bolt out tonight...woohoo! soon, i will have no stutter and no horrible shreeking sound (which comes from no fitting the bolt right)...yay. My main bug-bear about my car was the stutter, a year has passed since purchasing and now i can start to enjoy it.

...looks like i lost 3 allen keys in the process lol, but who cares, im sure i'll collect them one day when i need to take the plastic shelf out under the engine.

[nobeard]

I've had the 14.5mm done by the dealers - this reduces the stutter a little (I think). However, having done the 9mm one myself, this definitely fixes it 100%. Unfortunately, I also get the Engine Management light coming on sporadically. I'd still rather have this than the stutter! I'm thinking about purchasing a code reader that would allow me to clear this down when it occurs. Don't know if anyone can recommend one (and I can't afford VAG-COM!)?

This is all crazy stuff on a less than one year old car, but I'd rather do this and enjoy using my car than battling with Skoda constantly.

Why do demo cars never stutter? I wonder if they drop the 9mmm gasket in for these cars:confused:

[Jim_VRS]

Mechanic came...had exactly same problem and couldn't sort it, so he's stuck a 6mm bolt through it instead, which seems to have worked a treat. He reckons the pipe (being aluminum n all that) kinks when you undo the bolts to start with, so then there's a job on to get it back. I know the bolt is abit of a bodge, but i really couldn't see any other way round it, and as long as it's doing the job i don't care too much.

You people who haven't installed the 9mm, you don't know what your missing, it's absolute heaven when there's no stutter what so ever.

Loving it!! best mod ever!!!!

[Chrispy]

It's great when you have an ASZ engine and don't have these problems in the first place.

But then we can't get ours in race blue or with nice tints and leather as standard......

[Guest]

Mechanic came...had exactly same problem and couldn't sort it, so he's stuck a 6mm bolt through it instead, which seems to have worked a treat. He reckons the pipe (being aluminum n all that) kinks when you undo the bolts to start with, so then there's a job on to get it back. I know the bolt is abit of a bodge, but i really couldn't see any other way round it, and as long as it's doing the job i don't care too much.

You people who haven't installed the 9mm, you don't know what your missing, it's absolute heaven when there's no stutter what so ever.

Loving it!! best mod ever!!!!

I wouldn't be happy with that and I suspect that his tools weren't up to the job. You don't see the dealers having to bodge it with a make do bolt do you? I'd be tempted to get somebody else on the case tbh.

You're right about the effects of the 9mm gasket though.

[MODVRS]

Deleted by MODVRS

Edited 20 June, 2009 by MODVRS

[Fabia_TDI]

The one thing I do know about bolts in that if a part is held on by two bolts you should not tighten either of them until both bolts are completely in. Maybe people are making this mistake? I don't know. Can't do any harm to mention it. Oh. And as stated previously if there is a risk you may have mangled the end of your bolt, get a new one.

[Jim_VRS]

I wouldn't be happy with that and I suspect that his tools weren't up to the job. You don't see the dealers having to bodge it with a make do bolt do you? I'd be tempted to get somebody else on the case tbh.

hmmm...true, it shouldn't have been a bodge, but it's gotta do for the time being...I'll just mention it next i take it in to Skoda and hopefully they will sort it for me. Doubt it like, they'll prob charge me an hours work for it, robbing gets.

Pipe must be stainless steel, surely? Can't see aluminium lasting long in the exhaust.

Probably is, can't remember what type of metal he said it was made out of.

[*tim*]

Finally got around to fitting the 9mm gasket, it took around 10minutes to fit which doesn't include the 45minutes it took to find it (but I did find 150euros in the process which I'd forgotten about so its not too bad )

The parts don't line up correctly so you have to be a bit careful to ensure you don't cross thread it (Joe I reckon this happened to you and your mechanic mate retapped the bolt). I done the top one up loosely and pushed / levered the parts together to ensure they were lined up before attempting to tighten it.

Onto the gasket. Does it work? Well YES

I considered myself to not be a sufferer, but it seems to made it smoother between 1500 and 2000rpm, not sure whether this is psychological or not. It also seems to smoother whilst down-changing into this rev range, something which I put down to the DMF. Further playing during the next few weeks will reveal if this is true.

MPG? too early to tell, but my trip computer read 46mpg from a 40mile journey, but it generally reads 10mpg over so I hope that it just needs time to adjust. However that the 'test' drive did involve a bit of playing with a police car on some country lanes :eek:

That is all

[Guest]

Finally got around to fitting the 9mm gasket, it took around 10minutes to fit which doesn't include the 45minutes it took to find it (but I did find 150euros in the process which I'd forgotten about so its not too bad )

The parts don't line up correctly so you have to be a bit careful to ensure you don't cross thread it (Joe I reckon this happened to you and your mechanic mate retapped the bolt). I done the top one up loosely and pushed / levered the parts together to ensure they were lined up before attempting to tighten it.

Onto the gasket. Does it work? Well YES

I considered myself to not be a sufferer, but it seems to made it smoother between 1500 and 2000rpm, not sure whether this is psychological or not. It also seems to smoother whilst down-changing into this rev range, something which I put down to the DMF. Further playing during the next few weeks will reveal if this is true.

MPG? too early to tell, but my trip computer read 46mpg from a 40mile journey, but it generally reads 10mpg over so I hope that it just needs time to adjust. However that the 'test' drive did involve a bit of playing with a police car on some country lanes :eek:

That is all

yes, similar experience to me and it did seem like I cross threaded the bolt and the guy did put something on / do something to the bolt before getting it back in correctly.

[Yella Fella]

just to clarify if this is the stutter issue or not as not noticed it before, but nearly a 1000 miles of driving in the past fortnight, i have this...

the stutter im noticing is when your accelerating and then changing gear and when it drops to around 1500, it stutters or if your doing a higher speed and your rev drops to the same then it stutters. Is that the stutter?

[MODVRS]

Deleted by MODVRS

Edited 20 June, 2009 by MODVRS

[Yella Fella]

ARGH!!!!!!!!! time for the 9mm gasket mother!

[Ess_Three]

Righty oh, that's me had the 9mm gasket swapped for the 'approved' 14.5mm gasket..

No more engine check lights....

And no obvious stutter.

It was done yesterday morning at 8am ish, by my local friendly dealer...and seems fine so far.

I'm hoping...

[nickliv]

I've had the 9mm gasket fitted for a while now, and no stutter, BUT I've had 3 CELs in the last week. Took it into the dealers, and the fault is with the EGR.

Looked for the 25mm gasket so I can effect a sneaky repair, and it's gone.

Anyone know the part number for the 25mm gasket so I can fit it before I go in for the job?

Cheers

Nick