Now i'm not convinced its just to do with the cold weather but most mornings the car struggles to start, it probably takes a second or two to actually kick in and when it does i'm not convinced its starting on all cylinders. I've almost felt like ducking at times as it feels like its moving around ALOT, plenty of knocking and its like it only just catches when it does go.

I've also noticed the heater chucks so much heat even when just one notch up from the extreme cold position, which means the air condenses as soon as i open the door or stop and the windows steam up.

Now i'm thinking headgasket, but my Dad even suggested that a glow plug could be broken for the starting. I've tried looking into the coolant resevoir but you cant really see much.

Am i panicking over nothing?

i would say try new glowplugs,i know they make a hell of a racket trying to start when the glowplugs are jiggered

as for the temp, It uses a thermostat, so when very cold it will heat up alot when on the first part of red... it detects the temp in the cabin...

e.g, assuming you run with the aircon on, a quarter turn of the heater will give the same temp in the cabin when its 30 celcius outside, as it will when its minus 10 outside

dunno about the poor starting.... could be glowplugs....

What fuel are you using?

I'll look into the glow plugs, are they easy to change?

I tend not to run with the air con at all, due to the amount of condesation it leaves in the cabin! Plus i dont do too many long journeys to give it a good use. It might just be that i do must of my journey with it warming up so the i guess the heating probably is going to be a bit variable until the whole system is up and running at the right temperature.

I tend to fill up mostly at shell, occasionally its at tesco. I had started using millars additives a few times and blamed the poor starting on that and stopped using it.

Struggling to catch? Moving around a lot? Same problem as me by the sound of things.

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/fabia/rough-starting/94858/

Chrispy suggested turning the ignition to position 2 then turn off again, repeat a few times then start. I didn't find this helped but I'm experimenting with leaving the ignition in position 2 for a short period after the glow plug light goes out before starting (with some success). Might well be glow plugs anyway. How normal is it for these things to fail? My car is less than two years old!

Hi, yeah it does seem like it. Hmm, engine temp sensor, i'll look into that.

Doesnt it also squirt fuel in, as well as heating the glow plugs?

I tend not to run with the air con at all, due to the amount of condesation it leaves in the cabin!

Au Contraire,I use the air con to speed up the demisting process.When the cabin air is cooled,it it's also dried when any moisture in the air condenses on the cold surfaces within the air con unit.When the heater is turned up,it blows warm dry air on to the windscreen.Simple.

I don't like the thermostat thing with the heater controls. Give me old fashioned heater controls any day

Ah, as long as your not using Bio which would explain a few things. Have you had the codes read?

I tend not to run with the air con at all, due to the amount of condesation it leaves in the cabin!

Au Contraire,I use the air con to speed up the demisting process.When the cabin air is cooled,it it's also dried when any moisture in the air condenses on the cold surfaces within the air con unit.When the heater is turned up,it blows warm dry air on to the windscreen.Simple.

Exactly, at this time of year as long as the ambient temperature is high enough to allow the compressor to work then the A/C should demist things a lot quicker than just warm air.

Hi, yeah it does seem like it. Hmm, engine temp sensor, i'll look into that.

Doesnt it also squirt fuel in, as well as heating the glow plugs?

I don't think that modern TDI engines need to squirt in extra fuel, that was an old trick used on indirect injection engines as an aid to boost compression - but it caused a lot more smoke as well. I'd check that the preheaters are working.

I thought that was what the squirting noise was when waiting for the glowplug light to go out, though i cant say i remember hearing it recently.

I was going to plug vag-com into the car at the weekend but it was a bit too wet out to walk outside with a laptop in my hands!