Hi, thanks for your replies to my non starting (but clicking!) fabia, yep it was the starter motor (R.I.P. starter motor 31/1/2001 - 27/9/2007).

Heres another one, my gearchange has become really notchy, reverse is especially bad. she drives perfectly, with no clutch slipping at all, i've heard that it may be something simple like an adjustment of the cables, mine has two, one for sideways movement and one for up and down.

is it easy to adjust or best to take it to a garage, however the ones i've been to so far all say "SORRY CANT BE ADJUSTED, ITS HYDRAULIC", well duh, i know that, but according to my haynes manual it can be done on certain gearboxes (of which mine is one), it even shows you in the book.

I think maybe when you explained it to the garages they misunderstood what you said. When thay said it cant be adjusted they were probably referring to the clutch system. The clutch system is hydraulic and means that it is auto adjusting. You should be able to adjust the gearshift cables, as you said is in the haynes manual.

I've adjusted mine several times - keeping it really smooth - also you can clean up the shifter linkages on top of the transmission and put a dab of silicone grease in there.

Worst comes to worst - a change of the transmission fluid can help.....