Stanky's Car Fixing Thread - New Battery Day 25/10

[hairnet]

train nodders bobble hat and battered cougloule?

@Inspector Morose knows about that

 

[Stanky]

Just passed through Salisbury

Fun* fact, 100% of the times I've passed through Salisbury on a collection mission, the Russian state has just committed an aggressive act leading to international condemnation. Maybe I should stay at home more? 

Now passing the time with this 

[3VOM]

42 minutes ago, Stanky said:

No one ever wants to sit next to me on public transport for some reason...

"I've got an atom bomb here"

[Eyersey1234]

Chodspeed @Stanky

[Eyersey1234]

Im guessing a bASe Dacia Sandero

[Stanky]

All change! 

Onto last train, with just enough time to pick up regional delicacies

[Stanky]

Nearly there. Final mode of transport engaged

 

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

1 hour ago, 3VOM said:

"I've got an atom bomb here"

rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, "i love confetti"

[CaptainBoom]

5 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

rip, rip, rip, rip, rip, "i love confetti"

Has anyone seen my camel?

[castros_bro]

10 minutes ago, CaptainBoom said:

Has anyone seen my camel?

[dozeydustman]

Much excite! Have a good journey Stanky

[SiC]

Have a safe journey back Stanky! 

[Stanky]

We're on our way! South coast here I come 

 

[mintwth]

Just in case you'll be playing fuel gauge roulette on the way back, the Tesco by J8 was out of every fuel except Momentum earlier on today (around 15:30).

[SiC]

16 minutes ago, mintwth said:

Just in case you'll be playing fuel gauge roulette on the way back, the Tesco by J8 was out of every fuel except Momentum earlier on today (around 15:30).

I'm not that much of a tight arse 🤣

[Noel Tidybeard]

27 minutes ago, SiC said:

I'm not that much of a tight arse 🤣

not what you're wife says! 🤣😂

[Stanky]

And I'm home! Uneventful journey back down the m4, A34, M3 and M27, returning a highly respectable 53.3 MPG according to the computer. I've still got a bit under half a tank left - thanks @SiC!

Car drives well, steady at 70mph with no untoward noises or smells, other than ones I was responsible for. Seat is comfortable for a 2+ hour journey and ergonomics are good as per typical 2000s VAG. The clutch bit point is a bit on the high side, but I shall have a look to see if there is adjustment on the cable (?) before going further. It doesn't slip or anything, just sits higher than is comfortable in heavy traffic around Bristol for protraced periods of time. Other than that though, its a good little car and will be a perfect runabout for my wife.

There are a few things to keep me busy, the passenger door lock module has gone peculiar (TADTS) but a new replacement came with the car, and I'd like to have a look at some of the prime giffer rattle can paint repairs in due course. Tomorrow I will upgrade the car with premium branded rubber floor mats. Overall very pleased with the purchase, the UK rail network and the hospitality extended by SiC during the collection.

Updates to follow once I've got a rivet gun for the door lock module job.

[Stanky]

Had a bit of time today to see to some small jobs. I had a look at the battery as i have a virtually brand new 078 battery which i bought, then removed from the Daewoo. Annoyingly, the Fabia has a 063 battery so the terminals are the wrong way around, and the negative lead is only about 8cm long so no chance of swapping that in. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the existing battery, but I've got this 078 sat here with nothing I can fit it to.

Next up was to fit a full set of Michelin rubber mats. Again, salvaged from the Daewoo before it got fragged and a decent set all things considered. This should protect the carpet from the worst of what my errant children can inflict.

I filled the washer bottle up with new screenwash, on the way home I got one good blast of screenwash then nothing, so thats something else ticked off.

I had a look at what adjustment there is on the clutch, but this is hydraulic not cable operated and the wisdom I found on the internet says there is no adjustment on these, drive it til it starts to slip then get the clutch replaced, so it will stay as-is with a high bite for now. It doesn't slip so whatever.

The next job to do will be the cambelt and water pump. SiC had a look and reckoned it has tippex marks on the cam pulleys so we reckon its been done at least once in the last 89k miles/15 years, but probabaly ought to be replaced again since we don't know if this was 14 years ago, or 14 months ago. A full gates kit of belt, water pump, tensioner, idler and things is just over £100 so not very expensive for the peace of mind it affords. Something for another day though.

[AnnoyingPentium]

On 2/25/2022 at 6:15 PM, Stanky said:

Seat is comfortable for a 2+ hour journey and ergonomics are good as per typical 2000s VAG.

You have the better seats compared to my Fab, yours are basically vRS ones in black trimming.

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

Annoyingly, the Fabia has a 063 battery so the terminals are the wrong way around, and the negative lead is only about 8cm long so no chance of swapping that in.

I had to move mine since it sheared off the inner wing, just as a word of caution, don't be a ham-fisted oaf. 😆

Re: the door lock. They can deadlock themselves (same on Octavia), so see that job sooner rather than later, as I'd rather not be having to hack a door card to bits trying to get into it whilst being unable to open the door.

Good choice with the Fabia though, even if I'm a little biased.

EDIT - I've also got a page with some resources for Fabia related things, at least original documentation etc, if you require it. It's here.

[SiC]

On 2/25/2022 at 6:15 PM, Stanky said:

And I'm home! Uneventful journey back down the m4, A34, M3 and M27

I'd have thought you'd gone south for the scenic route!

On 2/25/2022 at 6:15 PM, Stanky said:

Seat is comfortable for a 2+ hour journey and ergonomics are good as per typical 2000s VAG.

They surprised me how good they are, especially for a small car. It was a major reason I kept it so long. 

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the existing battery, but I've got this 078 sat here with nothing I can fit it to.

The battery looked pretty new. I have left the car for two weeks and it started readily without it feeling any difference to turning over. So I think it's still pretty strong.

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

I filled the washer bottle up with new screenwash, on the way home I got one good blast of screenwash then nothing, so thats something else ticked off.

Sorry about that! I meant to check the tyre pressures and make sure the washer fluid was topped up. I replaced the tank not long after buying it along with the pump that came with it. Original was cracked and only took about a fifth before it leaked out - probably ice damage. Iirc I paid extra for a Febi unit so not some super cheap shite. I think that was the last time I filled it up and it's lasted all this time!

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

I had a look at what adjustment there is on the clutch, but this is hydraulic not cable operated and the wisdom I found on the internet says there is no adjustment on these, drive it til it starts to slip then get the clutch replaced, so it will stay as-is with a high bite for now. It doesn't slip so whatever.

I found the same thing. Felt high but everywhere said, including on similar engined Polos, said TADIS. Some even had them changed to find the bite point the same. @Andyrewmentioned that his Fabia felt similar too and was a common complaint on briskoda. There was zero slippage in the whole time I owned it, even trying hard to provoke it on hills. So I took it as completely normal for Fabia. I suspect because its optimised for super light operation, the trade off is the high bite point. 

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

The next job to do will be the cambelt and water pump. SiC had a look and reckoned it has tippex marks on the cam pulleys so we reckon its been done at least once in the last 89k miles/15 years, but probabaly ought to be replaced again since we don't know if this was 14 years ago, or 14 months ago. A full gates kit of belt, water pump, tensioner, idler and things is just over £100 so not very expensive for the peace of mind it affords. Something for another day though.

I did ask at my local garage and it's only like a 3.5hr job iirc, so not a big job. 

This is the top cam cover off.

Definitely seems a decent enough car to be worth doing it. Generally well looked after over its life. If I kept it, I'd have done it myself over the summer as looks a straightforward and easy job on these. Stretch bolts on the engine mount if you do it yourself, so don't forget to get new ones.

[Stanky]

I had a crack at replacing the front passenger door lock module today and have been comprehensively thwarted.

There ought to be a grub screw holding the door handle to the door skin, it is vital that this is undone NO MORE THAN THIRTEEN FULL TURNS, allowing the rear portion of the door handle outer to pull out and give access to the cable that releases the door latch. On the Fabia, someone has been here before, and the grub screw is entirely absent - looking through the access hole there is just a threaded blind hole with no screw. Also, the rear portion seems stuck fast in the door and no amount of wiggling or levering it would get it to budge so I had no choice but to put it all back together and retreat inside.

Has anyone had this issue with a 6Y (1999 - 2007) Skoda Fabia Mk1 and what, if anything can be done? My thoughts are:

1. Drill out the plastic handle and replace the unit with a new one - total cost about £20, but probably moderate amount of faff. 3 spanners

2. Replace the entire door with a 2nd hand one. I'll need a mega shallow XZN bit to undo the door from the door hinges but otherwise looks a piece of cake. Total cost about £50. 1 spanner.

Or is there a trick to this that I don't see? All the guides mention the grub screw that must not be undone more than 13 full turns, but none say what happens on turn 14. It appears turn 14 makes the grub screw fall into an alternate dimension and the innards of the door to be inaccessible for ever more?

[SiC]

On 3/5/2022 at 2:04 PM, Stanky said:

On the Fabia, someone has been here before

Erm, I probably was there last. 😳

I honestly don't remember there being a grub screw when I removed the door card. Nor do I see one in this diagram:

It was 4months ago so I can't fully remember what I did. However I only remember removing all the screws, pulling out the card to pop clips and then pull up on the card to unlatch from the top. Once loose, then unclipped the door handle wire from the door card and undone the wire connectors for the window switch.

[SiC]

This door card removal guide looks to be from ETKA:

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/body/body_work/trim_noise_insulation/door_trim_panels/removing_and_installing_the_front_door_trim_panel/

That looks identical to what I'd have done and the same I've done with most other VAG products of a similar age. I don't see any mention of grub screws in that either. I didn't actually know there was a hole to pop out the window switch. I used a plastic trim removal tool to gently remove it around the edge. 

Again, that states to remove/unhook the cable after the door card is removed. 

[SiC]

Btw I took the door card off expecting to replace the lock mechanism and then saw it was riveted in. After swearing and realising I didn't have any rivets, I put it all back together and then ordered some in the expectation of having to do the job again.

Before you drill out the rivets, double check they look to be the right size. Maybe drill one and compare before drilling out the others. I believe I got the right sized rivets from googling, but the forum I read it from may have been wrong!

Hate to see you remove the inner mechanism and not able to get it back together again as the rivets were the wrong size.

[Stanky]

Ah right sorry - badly explained. The thing I'm having issues with is part 36b in this diagram

screw #48 is entirely absent, but I am unable to pull #36b horizontally out of the door for reasons I don't fully understand. Its very difficult to get purchase on it for starters! If you look at your A4 door handle, 90% of it is the handle bit (#20), that you pull on, then at the trailing end is a D-shaped end cap, I need that to be removed so that the clip on the end of the door pull cable can be popped off the grab bit of the handle (#20), if that makes sense?

On the drivers door, this is the bit you put the key in if you open the door like a peasant - on the other 3 doors this is just a blank lump of plastic that really only serves to keep the grab bit of the handle (#20) attached to the door and the cable attached. #36B attaches to #28 by means of the grub screw #48.

I'm going to pop off the outer cap (#21a) then drill a small pilot hole into #36b, put in a wood screw and get some mole grips on it to pull it horizontally out of the door like a savage.

 

[SiC]

Ah I see, you're much further than I got. I was reading the internal door handle, not external.

When I got the car, the window switch housing wasn't seated properly. I assumed it was because the switch had been replaced. Maybe it was because someone had the door fully apart before.

 

[SiC]

Tbh I think I'd do similar and drill it out. Then either replace with second hand or be a savage and reaffix it all with tigerseal or something.

I remember having similar fun when trying to remove a seized lock barrel from a TT Mk2. 

[SiC]

Is 36b wiggling/moving at all? I'm wondering if it's seized into place. Or god forbid someone has used superglue or locktite after being in there before. 

[Stanky]

29 minutes ago, SiC said:

Is 36b wiggling/moving at all? I'm wondering if it's seized into place. Or god forbid someone has used superglue or locktite after being in there before. 

I was able to get a 5mm Allen key into the hole that the grub screw ought to have been in, but didn't have the diagram to hand to understand what I was doing.

The whole assembly moves a bit when wiggled with a screwdriver, but it's possible that #36b is glued to #28, as without #48 there would be almost nothing keeping #36 attached to the actual door...

 

[Dave_Q]

Sorry nothing constructive to add other than I deeply sympathise, I think I had to do something similar on a Fabia once and this is the setup with a second metal inner door card with the window reg attached to that so you can't really get to the inside of the door?

My arms still bare the scars.