Fabia vRS temp warning light/buzzer

[alcock555]

Hey guys,

picked up my 54 plate Fabia vRS PD a few weeks ago and i'm well chuffed with it

but occasionally the coolant temp warning light (and buzzer) come on and stay on when i start the engine, this is regardless of engine temp as it will do it when stone cold or after being restarted after a long run

i've obviously kept an eye on the coolant level and this all seems in order

any suggesstions?

cheers, Alcock555 :confused:

[Disco_Mikey]

Mine does this, but only when its frosty...

Im putting it down to a posible wiring fault, or the sensor playing up

Surely you will have got some kind of warranty with it?

[WW_VRS]

Worth a check if the coolant has the right colour, it should be kinda pink. If you bought it via a dealer, take it in for sure.

The sensor is generally in the reservoir bottle, and it's a cheap part to replace

[ap0gee1978]

My car did this, and I topped up the coolant to the MAX line when cold. Think it was a 'dead' spot on the sensor, but if it does it again I'll replace the tank as WW_VRS suggests (only about a tenner from dealers) as the sensor's built-in. SWMBO's car did it, and the tank was nearly empty () Looks like the garage forgot to put the cap on properly after service!

I did read on here that the G12 will cope with anything the UK can throw at it temperature-wise at any concentration between 40:60 and 60:40, so I'm not concerned about a hundred mls or so of demin. water messing things up too badly...

[JP1 VRS]

My coolant is blue and isnt the g12 as spec from dealer is this a problem?

[vladivostok]

Mine does this, but only when its frosty...

Im putting it down to a posible wiring fault, or the sensor playing up

Surely you will have got some kind of warranty with it?

Same as mine, I have had the base spec Fabia from new in 2002 and this light/buzzer has been the bane of my life! I have replaced the bottle, only to find the problem crop up again a short while later. Since this didn't work I shorted it out for a while, during which period I lent it to my daughter but she managed to boil it up on the way to a pop festival since the thermostatic engine fan wasn't working and a working light would have warned her of impending problems. I now have the thing connected up again, but early in the morning (usually only when the outside temperature is low), it flashes and bleeps at me after a few seconds driving.

The question I have, is simply, is the light/buzzer trying to tell me something other than the temperature is hot/coolant level is low, like 'fan not working' or 'it's pretty nippy outside, check sufficient anti-freeze?' If this were the case then I could put up with it, but the handbook gives no clues and as things are, it is p*ssing me right off. Please help me! :confused:

[Disco_Mikey]

Need to get mine booked in to have my power steering looked at. Might just mention it, see if they can fault it...

[vladivostok]

Back to shorting it out again now. After all, I had been driving for thirty years without a coolant level indicator (which apparently is all the thing does). I know how to open the bonnet, so what do I need the thing for anyway!

[Organist]

Back to shorting it out again now. After all, I had been driving for thirty years without a coolant level indicator (which apparently is all the thing does). I know how to open the bonnet, so what do I need the thing for anyway!

Absolutely - my first car (a Morris Minor) didn't even have a temperature gauge!

[karlos_fabVRS]

Mine also has this problem now and again, but if I drive for 20 or 30 seconds and then turn the engine off than then back on again the warning light and buzzer has gone.

[Conshine]

Mine did it and I just changed the tank, they are not that expensive from Skoda anyway.

Ben

[DeanVRS]

I had this same problem and i was told there was a common problem with the thermostat and expantion bottle so had them replaced under warrenty and has never happened since!

[Titanium_Man]

Sorry to dig up an old thread but having a similar issue....

When I parked up last night, no beep and this particular warning light, ever. Turned over this

morning and after possibly 20 seconds the light flashes, what looks like a thermometer with water/oil(?!) Underneath it and that aggressive 3 beep warming.

I'm away for the weekend so don't have my manual to hand to check what the warning lamp is actually for?! I have a full coolant tank, it has not been touched in any way, oil level is exactly the same as it was after its service last November and the temperature gague is showing normal.

Can anyone shed any light at all??!

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I'd guess it's the coolant temp sensor in the top of the tank. Gets covered in crud (that's a technical term) and makes it go loopy. Often when the ambient temperatures drop iv noticed. Try turning it on & off a couple of times, it'll probably go off.

[Titanium_Man]

I'd guess it's the coolant temp sensor in the top of the tank. Gets covered in crud (that's a technical term) and makes it go loopy. Often when the ambient temperatures drop iv noticed. Try turning it on & off a couple of times, it'll probably go off.

Yeah that was the 1st thing I checked, look pretty clean to me.

My mechanic has hooked it up to his diagnostic system and came up with something like "temp sensor relay" but I didn't have enough time to work out exactly what that means before I hit the M4 south :(

Does that make sense to anyone?!?

[Red Fox]

replace the coolent bottle its a 5 min job and costs £20. it rules out the possibility of it being the issue, plus you know you have a brand new part.

http://www.skodapart...2000-2007-34672

[Titanium_Man]

Little update ....

Turns out the guy who I work with has worked for vag for a long time and seems to know his stuff.

I originally went round to hook her up to his vcds to get the exact fault code reading and as soon as I showed him the flashing light, he popped the bonnet, pulled hard on the black box that sits above the drivers strut and pointed at this...

Took 5 minutes to fix and encased the clutch of wires in a hard plastic casing to protect it from future idiots leaning on the box!!

[alex_d9]

Hi, i am having the same problem , but in addition to this the fuel level indicator stays on zero when the warning light flashed on. Has anyone experienced this before?

[stuart vrs]

hi all,

i have had the same problem as you all, its not every morning though, wwhen it pings i knock off the ignition and restart the car, no ping, but on 2 occassions my eml (engine management light) has stayed on meaning a visit to skoda to investigate the problem, which meant the changing of 3 glow plugs. hope this is of assistance. still get the pings after 2 days of non driving, sometimes.

[waynef]

Little update ....

Turns out the guy who I work with has worked for vag for a long time and seems to know his stuff.

I originally went round to hook her up to his vcds to get the exact fault code reading and as soon as I showed him the flashing light, he popped the bonnet, pulled hard on the black box that sits above the drivers strut and pointed at this...

Took 5 minutes to fix and encased the clutch of wires in a hard plastic casing to protect it from future idiots leaning on the box!!

jars, could you refresh the picture please, as I would really appreciate knowing more about what it was he pulled on to resolve this, as my Fabia vRS is red-lighting/buzzing.

 

THANK YOU!

[Titanium_Man]

There you go fella

[Ackeofsweden]

Hello all

I have the same problem with my Fabia 1.

But the sensor doesnt get any signal so it's not the sensor that is wrong.

[stevobeavo]

Have you checked te wiring shown above

[Pashley2496]

On 02/10/2012 at 20:16, alex_d9 said:

Hi, i am having the same problem , but in addition to this the fuel level indicator stays on zero when the warning light flashed on. Has anyone experienced this before?

Hi mate, know this is years later. I have this exact fault now. 1.4 mpi 02. 
Engine temperature light comes on soon after starting, no fault code on VCDS, replaced expansion tank and thermostat housing as that went anyway, none of these made any difference. Sometimes the fuel gauge will work, but as soon as the temp light goes on it will go from full to 0. 

[TMB]

1 hour ago, Pashley2496 said:

Hi mate, know this is years later. I have this exact fault now. 1.4 mpi 02. 
Engine temperature light comes on soon after starting, no fault code on VCDS, replaced expansion tank and thermostat housing as that went anyway, none of these made any difference. Sometimes the fuel gauge will work, but as soon as the temp light goes on it will go from full to 0. 

 

Could be dodgy solder joints on the instrument cluster circuit board at the green connector. You can reflow them if you're good with a soldering iron.

 

This video is about the immobiliser but shows how to remove and open the cluster to access the solder joints...

 

 

Edited 6 November, 2020 by TMB