Hello all

Was looking to purchase a Fabia 1.4 16v 54 plate 20,000 miles on the clock from the Bro In Law.

He has informed me that there is a slight knock from the front of the car on the odd occasion. Generally speaking it sounds like a slight tap for a 3 second period which only occurs during a cold or wet period and when the car is travelling up a slight incline.

After the car has heated up and you return to the same incline the problem does not re-occur. Also you get a slight flicking noise from the heaters which sounds like a leaf is stuck.. Could the two be related?..

Has anyone else experienced this problem?. Could this problem develop into a major one taking into consideration that this only occurs on inclines and when very cold.

Also would I be paying a good price on .

"54" plate Fabia Comfort 1.4 16v

20,000 miles on the clock

Alloys, Aircon, metallic paint

Full Service history

1 owner Bro In Law..

The car is in super mint condition.

Also being new to the forums are the Fabia Comforts a good buy?.. Skoda people dont shout at me for asking that question!!

£4000 cash !!

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance to anyone who responds/

Firstly, the price is very cheap - I'd say at least £1500 cheaper than you'd expect to pay from a dealer. I paid £5000 for an '04 with 40K on the clock and no aircon, and that was the best deal I could find after months of searching, so I'd bite his hand off.

My car has the 1.4 engine as well, and the engine knocks when it's cold. I don't think it's anything to worry about, as it disappears when warm. I think it's just a trait of the car.

Also, the thing that sounds like a leaf in your heater is almost certainly a leaf in your heater.

WOW what a great response.!!

Pleased in a way to hear someone is having similar problems and hopefully is nothing to worry about. It does sound something similar but the confusing situation is it only does it when going up a slight incline and cold.

As for the leaf, is there any easy way to remove from behind the vents?

Also pleased to hear I might be getting a bargain, especially knowing where the car is coming from with regards owner is reassuring!

So heres to a Knocking Skoda !! which if it only taps on the odd occasion I can deal with, was just questioning incase it might be the telling signs of problems ahead...

Big THANKS!!

I believe you can remove leaves etc via the pollen filter which is located in the passenger footwell.

My car knocks in the cold for about the first couple of minutes of my journey in the morning, but that's all uphill anyway, so I don't know if it does it downhill. I'm convinced it's nothing to worry about though, as the car generally runs like a dream, is powerful enough for my needs, and feels much bigger than it is. I've had it since June, and it's the best car I've had bar none.

Other things to look out for... if it's been raining, check the rear footwells to see if the carpets are damp. Many Fabias suffer from dodgy door seals at the back. It's a simple DIY job to repair, but something to be aware of.

Also, if it's not been done already, I'd recommend changing the plastic gearknob for the Skoda leather version, as it transforms the feel of the gearshift completely. Was the first bit of tinkering I did... it's been a slippery slope since then!

Thanks again for your help, it is much appreciated!

I have contacted the Bro In Law and asked about the back footwells and no problems to date.

Back to the knocking noise, it seems to disappear after 5 mins of drving. Maybe being slightly over cautious!!

Here goes my £4000 into the Bros hand!

BIG THANKS again its gave me some form of reassurance...

Will look at changing the gearknob on your recommendation as I found the gearstick to be slightly dull !!