2001 Skoda Fabia Comfort from UK and Ireland - Comments

Hi. My 2001 Skoda Fabia 16v (30,000 miles) has just started experiencing the same engine management problems that so many other people have talked about. I too have taken it to my local garage and each time they have run tests and reset it. I've been told it could be one of 300 problems and that it could take a long time and quite a lot of money to sort out (which, reading the other comments, seems an understatement!).

I notice that one person drove their car for a year with the light on. Does anyone know if it is safe to do this or should I really invest the money into sorting out the problem?

I bought an X-reg, 2000, Fabia 1.4 Classic, 55k on clock, for when my wife passed her test. Strange as it may sound, but luckily for her she didn't pass it as this car would have knocked her confidence sideways and possibly been lethal.

I've been driving for 20 years and never experienced anything like it in a second hand car. The day after I bought it the power steering lumen came on - took it back to dealer and they topped up the power steering fluid and it disappeared for a week, but has been intermittent ever since. I ignore it and simply pretend at all times that I don't have power steering. This is a necessary precautionary measure as there is no correlation between the lumen being illuminated and the power steering working. My wife would not be even able to turn the wheel sometimes, it's that heavy.

Engine management light comes on and off intermittently and randomly. I've ignored it.

Coolant warning now randomly lights up... checked coolant...no problem... I ignore it.

Engine cuts out due to uneven idle... I get ready with the key to restart or 'bump' start the car at any time.

Flickering lights been a constant problem... nothing to do with alternator or battery, they are fine. I've ignored it.

I've had the car 7 months... total cost of maintenance = £0.00!!! These problems are inherent with this make and model... this sit proves that.

I suggest you treat this car like a Windows 2000 based computer. For you non-IT literate folk out there, this operating system required re-booting every 4 hours to function properly. I, rather casually (and this is not recommended practice), 're-boot' the Fabia when warning lights are on and annoying me. Whilst at traffic lights I turn it off and back on again and lo and behold, 80% of the time the warning lights go away for the rest of the day, the flickering stops of the beams and the power steering works again. This is a wholly unsatisfactory solution, but its cost me nothing, been as successful as many of you poor souls who've shelled out your hard earned cash and I'm just going to trade it in in 5 months to a dealer for a minimum £1000 deal for a completely different model. It only cost me £2k so £1k for a years 'maintenance free' motoring seems like a bargain to me... as long as you've got a sense of humour about the ridiculous way you have to drive it. Luckily, I have!!!

Steve.

stevey.coops@gmail.com

Fabia Elegance 1.4 16V 196.000 Km.

Engine Management light ON.

* Have cleaned air intake, light still ON

* Have replaced EGR valve, 170 Euro, light still ON

* Have replaced Lambda sensor, 160 Euro, light still ON

* Have tried 100 octane fuel for 1 month, light still ON.

Any ideas to help me for this? Greetings from Greece.

X reg Fabia:

Engine management light on, engine oil light on, washer bottle light on, traction control light on, now and again ABS and brake light on, faulty light bulb light on (sometimes), passenger and drivers windows mechanism broke within weeks of each other, radiator leaks.

Had all these problems for 15 months, done 26000 miles, only bought petrol and brake pads, oil for it...

Car drives well, heated seats and A/C work :)

Low maintenance car if you ignore the warning lights.

Hi, I've owned a Skoda Fabia 1.4 16v W reg for less than a week, and in that week this is what's happened..

* Erratic idle, and car acceleration stays up even when you release the accelerator, some times giving it a kick forward. Had the throttle body cleaned & two sensors, still same as it was before.

* Idle dropped low to the point it felt like it would cut out, turned engine off and on.. worked fine.

* Steering light came on (goes off if you restart the engine).

* Heaters work when they feel like it.

* I unlocked the doors and the windows came down.

* Lights flickering

I've had a diagnostics done.. returned nothing, mechanic wants to charge me £35 to check for loose earth wire connection, but I think I'm going to pay the extra £30 and take it to Skoda, hopefully they can tell me what's wrong, and I'm praying it's not the ECU.

Other than that, the car drives lovely. I think I'm even getting used to sounding like a boy racer at traffic lights LOL.

All in all though, a lovely car, just seems to be plagued by silly faults.

An update on my stall comment dated 20th August 2008... To try to cure the problem I have now had a new EGR valve, a new lambda sensor, a new ECU, a new camshaft sensor, new fuel and pollen filters, new spark plugs and had the throttle cleaned. I ALWAYS drive it on high octane fuel, NOT from a supermarket. And still it stalls. Almost always within the 1st 20 minutes of any journey. At best the rev counter dips and returns, at worst the car stalls at 70mph and stays stalled until I pull over and turn it back on. Usually the car stalls then bump starts itself - a bit unnerving. Local Skoda dealer has no more ideas. I'm told it may be the main electrical relay (possibly £400 to replace). By the way I have a spare 2nd hand ECU!

Yeah, don't buy a Skoda, I have put two comments on here (DAN) now the gearbox is gone. So much for the reliable economic little motor... oh even worse, that new re-designed anti roll bar they are on about.. yep you've guessed it, what a crock of s**t.

Hello, I have recently bought a Skoda Fabia for my son. It is a 1.4mpi and has the problem of flickering headlights when steering!

I have read the many articles on this problem, and there does not seem to be a definite answer.

The rotation sensor seems favorite, but as an electrical engineer I do not understand why this should effect the lights because its job is to switch on power to the steering pump. Surely the fact that voltage is dropping to the lights is a supply problem ie bad earth or high resistance somewhere or defective battery?

Otherwise the car is great.

Could any auto electrician help me please.

Thank you.

Hi.

I too have had the problems listed above, but am getting worried as no one has any real answers to these problems.

I have already spent €1000 fixing the wrong problems - steering unit, battery but obviously that did not work.

Can anyone who managed to solve the power steering and battery problem, please shed any light on the matter.

All of my electrics failed one day as I was driving, no wipers (it was raining), no power steering, indicators, nothing. I had been to the garage just the week before and they thought it had been fixed again. I had to swerve off the road like a mad person!

As with other comments, I find the dealer garage not of any help.

Any thoughts would be appreciated,

Just as a follow on to my previous post. I was told initially that it definitely was not a problem with the alternator as it had come up fine on the computer diagnostic but turns out it was an intermittent problem with the alternator. It was running down the battery and the power steering was first to go followed by the lights, wipers etc.

Alternator fixed, not replaced and working perfectly so far.

Just thought this might be helpful to others.

M.

Hi just thought I'd update on the comment I left on 24th March in regards to my Fabia having erratic idle and no end of other problems. Skoda mis-diagnosed the problem, costing me £230 (from an independent garage) for a new throttle body.. problems remained. So back it went to Skoda to have a new accelerator pedal, and a new water pump, which also meant a new cam belt at the reduced cost of £355, as I argued with Skoda that I'd been messed around and had already paid £230 for a part my car never needed, which did fix the erratic idle and over revving.

I'm still having problems with the steering light every so often, which Skoda think is an electrical fault.. and to top it off my engine management light has come on today, so off it goes again to Skoda for a diagnostics. I'm also wondering whether it's worth biting the bullet and replacing the steering angle sensor, as this seems to fix the steering light and flickering lights for most people. You can buy them on ebay quite cheap, so may be worth it in the long run.

Other than all that, a good little car LOL.

I bought a Y reg Skoda Fabia Comfort 1.4 a month ago. Engine management light came on and stayed on. Took it to a Skoda dealership for a diagnostic and came up with a fault with the EGR. Had that replaced at over £200, was fine for about 200 miles and has come back on again! Thing is, it's running like a dream, so I don't know what to do now.

I've owned cars from vdumb, I mean dub group for 10 years. Every one has had stupid electrics, usually to do with central locking and windows or revs/engine management. They just can't get it right.

First Audi 100; revving erratically; airflow meter and sensor £10 from scrappie (700 from Audi).

Next Passat; lock car, car unlocks and all windows come down. Couldn't be bothered fixing it. Locking it from the boot seemed to work (guess there was a leak or sensor gone somewhere).

Seat Leon; engine management light repeatedly coming on, fix was new lambda sensors or ignition coils (what's wrong with a dizzy and ht leads).

Now my skoda Fabia 1.4 comfort. Engine management light intermittent, think there's water in the electrics as it happens more regularly in the wet. Changed ignition coils; helped a little, but not fixed completely (hasn't done it for a while, so will start now I've mentioned).

Knocking coming from suspension (first check stabilizer bars), but more likely you've got one of Skodas lovely cracked springs. Mine just broke in half after knocking, then noticed some springy noises at low speed turns, then a bang on a low speed bump (don't replace with Skoda springs, get after market ones).

Well so much for VW being reliable. I'm going back to British 1935 Austin 7; works like a dream, no lights flickering when power steering pump gets low on fluid/power, no stupid sensors going causing a perfectly working car to stop working, no warning lights telling you your car is about to spontaneously combust. And environmentally friendly; it was made over 70 years ago and is worth 10x what it was when new.

Why don't we all go back to basics? And never never go to VW dealership, go to an independent VW garage. Certainly all they know at VW is plug a laptop in (probably with broken sensors) to your car to calculate how much money they can drain from you.

I have had my Fabia 1.4 Comfort from new (7/2000), and when it has a problem it's a BIG one. Mine was one of those that had a water pump design fault which Skoda eventually fixed. Then three years later we couldn't use it for two months, as the part for it had to come from Poland and there was some kind of problem getting it.

Over the years we have had ongoing issues, including the rain or cold weather messing with the electric windows or doors and the sunroof leaking. However, it ran okay and my daughter loves this car.

Now, the power-steering has gone and the dealership are talking about £650++ plus labour plus VAT. I am a lone parent and am wondering should I start saving for this work or leave it. I've been driving it with on/off power-steering.

It doesn't qualify for the cash-back as it's a year short. Should I just swop it, but for what? My daughter and I depend totally on our car, Wilbur. Any suggestions?

Best Wishes and Thanks.

PS, London.

To previous poster, get the power steering pump from scrap yard (some will take it off for you) then get local garage to fit it. For people with the management warning light try wiggling/unplug and replug the connections to sensors in engine bay it may just be a dodgy connection. I had my light on again all week and did this, I also shook the ECU (silver box at passenger side bulkhead). Now the light is off yay.