Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

Skoda Fabia 7speed DSG

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Skoda Fabia 7speed DSG

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varesecrazy

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After a need for small engined Automatic arose.. the options soon became pretty focussed

Budget wasnt vast..and summer 2021 was a poor time to 'buy used'

Car is a 2015 1197cc 4cyl petrol on 45k

Runs pretty strongly.. its a revver..and has a buzzy exhaust note

100 miles in now.. it is definitely not a 'Handling..or poise' build
Seems competent until you push

Im comparing it to a 10 years older
GM _ FIAT Chassis with 85/75 petrol/diesel turbos

Fuel economy is so far 'o.k.'..only @5 miles at normal motorway speeds

Next 24 hours will see another 110 of motorway

Interior.. nicely finished.. good cup holders..etc

Random arrangement of buttons.. and a Cruise stalk that infuriates

Got the Front RADAR to pile on the ABS once too :eek:

Pics and updates to follow .
 
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Ah. The first post for the new VAG section.

Same year and engine as my manual.

I guess it is an 'SE L' with both cruise and the emergency braking feature. My SE has the radar, but only to squeak at me, does nothing else.

My manual does 50mpg, or more, and is difficult to make worse. The auto may be thirstier. The engine can be a little harsh at lower speeds, noise-wise, as it is always very smooth.

Cruise stalk is same as on many VW group vehicles, and will take some time to get used to, especially the 'cancel' function, as it is easy to signal, or turn it off. I guess you've found the button on the bottom of the stalk that changes between cruise and limiter. Set and resume can give unexpected results. Set is easy, but doubles as -. If you are travelling at or above the set speed, the - will reduce the target. If you are below the set speed, it just sets the speed you are at, not 1mph below the previous setting.
Press and hold either + or - to increment 5mph instead of 1mph.

Headlamp switch pulls out for rear foglamp.

Centre screen is a mix of touchscreen and buttons, I like it, once used to it. Multifunction display between dials can be toggled to display lots of things from the main display, so can be viewed with radio off. This includes phone functions. Toggle on end of wiper stalk scrolls the menu items, but a press and hold will give the option to change menus. Select using the OK button on the bottom.

Car uses Bluetooth v1.3. If you have a newer phone using 1.4, you will get reduced finctionality. I changed my phone back to 1.3, so can't use the Covid app, but can communicate with the car.

If you want to compare, I can meet you at lunchtime at your work, if that suits, or we can meet in an evening. Compile your list of questions, test me.

Handling is soft, as you've found. Will take corners well, but needs the power pulling all the way through, to avoid squeaky bum syndrome.

Inside the fuel cap are the tyre pressures. ECO at 2.1bar, gives a harsh ride, and is more skittish. Standard at 2.1bar is great. With a mile load, I up the rears only to 2.4, but with a full load, it does need the full uplift to 3.2 as suggested. (Four people off to bowls is a lot of weight) Fuel cap sits on top of the flap when refuelling, align the cutouts.
 
Forgot the DSG.

My experience of the DSG is that it is very good, but can be caught out, if you are brutal, or over-enthusiastic.
It has to guess whether you will need an up or down change next, and is usually very good at this. But sudden stop/go may take it by surprise. A very fast approach to a roundabout, for example, and a quick brake release and harsh acceleration may have it floundering for the correct gear. Not what it was meant for, and probably not a problem for you.
 
portland_bill said:
Ah. The first post for the new VAG section.
Inside the fuel cap are the tyre pressures. ECO at 2.1bar, gives a harsh ride, and is more skittish. Standard at 2.1bar is great. With a mile load, I up the rears only to 2.4, but with a full load, it does need the full uplift to 3.2 as suggested. (Four people off to bowls is a lot of weight) Fuel cap sits on top of the flap when refuelling, align the cutouts.
Click to expand...

VAGitarians beware.. ;)

Thanks for that Nigel

Are those tyre pressures real..?
Ive got some 'gubbins' attached to the filler flap

Cruise stalk.. spent an hour on Youtube.. knew MORE about it before I started :eek:
 
Inside the filler flap is a label giving three sets of pressures. Normal, ECO, and full load.
There's also an ice scraper, probably green, that slides upwards to remove. Very useful. It also acts as a magnifying glass for the tyre pressure label.

Yes, the pressures are correct. 2.1bar for normal. Softer really makes a difference, makes it so squidgy, so keep them up. The 2.4 ECO feels a bit stiff, and like it is on tiptoes. I tried this for a week, without any noticeable difference in fuel consumption, so is not worth the loss of stability and control. If the car is fully loaded, standard pressures again feel soft, and horrible, but the higher settings bring it back to normal feel.
 
StevenRB45 said:
Done the old bounce test? 6 years old seems a bit early for dampers to have let go.
Click to expand...

In my years in the trade, I never really understood the theory of the bounce test.
If dampers are working properly, the car should compress, and rebound, once, no further movement. Any car that bounces with a person pushing on the wing has dampers that were dead a long time ago.

At any speed, even a slow walking pace, a 1 tonne car hitting a bump or pothole has a considerable force behind it, for the spring to absorb and rebound from. If a person, leaning on the front wing, can put a similar force into the car, the wing will crush. Always better to drive it gently, to see and feel the movement.

In the eighties, damper test rigs were popular. An attachment to a four-post lift, that jiggled the car and sensors measured the vehicle movement. Never seen one pass even a new damper, completely valuless.
 
Mot testers are no longer permitted to bounce test dampers....that followed from a large number of plastic wings on popular french cars being damaged during testing!
 
jackwhoo said:
Mot testers are no longer permitted to bounce test dampers....that followed from a large number of plastic wings on popular french cars being damaged during testing!
Click to expand...

I always did it by opening the nearest door and standing on a sill or open the boot and use the strong edge.

Seems I should have been damaging the car instead :ROFLMAO:

Depending how far they've gone you might notice other symptoms eg. tyre damage from skipping along the road etc but again that's only really there if the damper is beyond knackered.
 
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varesecrazy said:
I felt it was a bit 'bouncy'..

Will have some time next week to investigate the Fabia :)
Click to expand...


I still am 50/50 about the ride.. and a visit to PB confirmed how annoyingly VW use a Cruise symbol for something that isnt Cruise..

The company that WAS going to put cruise on my 2008 grande does the same for the Fabia

I will hold off for a few weeks though to ensure the car is staying.
 
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Well.. 3 weeks on..

Car was loaned to a friend who did 1800 miles around Scotland

MPG.. high 30's ride was bouncy..brakes are still grumbly

Ive now perfomed a lot of running around and 2 weekends of my 110 mile commute

MPG flat to house @56..twinair is also @56

DSG keeps 70mph revs LOW due to 7speed..
But 109bhp 1.2 drinks more on hills

70mph shows 65MPG.. twinair is nearer 60

Skoda Stop:Start will kill the motor at a roundabout 200 metres from home.. so stone cold.. I am getting used to prodding its 'disable' button.

Got a comfier driving position figured out.. is now 'tolerable'..
Jury is still out.. ;)
 
Well..

I can now conclusively say:

Its not liking E10 fuel.. and Im not liking it

Seat isnt good for my dodgy leg
The ride annoys me.. and as for the Electricals.. :(


Was almost tempted by an Alfa TCT 2 litre diesel.. but I may as well hold out while the warranty is still on this

SEAT interior can be pretty garish.. but maybe the seats are shorter.. and the ride better.
 
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varesecrazy said:
Well..

I can now conclusively say:

Its not liking E10 fuel.. and Im not liking it

Seat isnt good for my dodgy leg
The ride annoys me.. and as for the Electricals.. :(


Was almost tempted by an Alfa TCT 2 litre diesel.. but I may as well hold out while the warranty is still on this

SEAT interior can be pretty garish.. but maybe the seats are shorter.. and the ride better.
Click to expand...

I'm on my second tank of E10, and can't say I've noticed any difference, in performance or economy.
Also on the second tank of E10 with the Panda, which seems to like it. Running well, and appears to be more economical, but cooler weather, so less work for the aircon will affect that too, but currently economy is better than usual at this time of year.
 
Fuel wise Ivr not done a 'brim to brim'.. but both cars are still basically racking up 10 pence per mile on a weekly basis :)

What I DO WONDER :

Will it upset the Cars own Calculations... if it's 'calorific value' is well down on what the car was built to run on 8 to 10 years ago
 
varesecrazy said:
Fuel wise Ivr not done a 'brim to brim'.. but both cars are still basically racking up 10 pence per mile on a weekly basis :)

What I DO WONDER :

Will it upset the Cars own Calculations... if it's 'calorific value' is well down on what the car was built to run on 8 to 10 years ago
Click to expand...
Ampera has been fine on E10 over the last tank, achieved my highest fuelly MPG to date actually, 157, probably more to do with the few hundred kWh I've stuffed into it though ;)

ECUs are pretty clever these days and will cope with different RON ratings so I imagine they'll make necessary adjustments to E10. Haven't much of mainland europe been using E10 for years? Doubt the cars sold in the UK and in the rest of europe have any specific changes towards fuel mapping in the ECU
 
Didge3 said:
Ampera has been fine on E10 over the last tank, achieved my highest fuelly MPG to date actually, 157, probably more to do with the few hundred kWh I've stuffed into it though ;)

ECUs are pretty clever these days and will cope with different RON ratings so I imagine they'll make necessary adjustments to E10. Haven't much of mainland europe been using E10 for years? Doubt the cars sold in the UK and in the rest of europe have any specific changes towards fuel mapping in the ECU
Click to expand...

Think it depends though...as well as compensation for lower grade fuel they may be able to compensate for higher grade fuel.

Small turbos can usually wind a bit more timing in of the manufacturer has allowed it, get a bit more torque and power than on lower octane and that's before you get to E10 having less actual power per drop than E5.

France has been on E10 for years so chances of the Citroën caring are about zero...as they won't have done any re-engineering they didn't have to. Same with the VW group I'd bet as well but less power per drop will raise consumption.
 
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varesecrazy said:
Well.. 3 weeks on..

Car was loaned to a friend who did 1800 miles around Scotland

MPG.. high 30's ride was bouncy..brakes are still grumbly

Ive now perfomed a lot of running around and 2 weekends of my 110 mile commute

MPG flat to house @56..twinair is also @56

DSG keeps 70mph revs LOW due to 7speed..
But 109bhp 1.2 drinks more on hills

70mph shows 65MPG.. twinair is nearer 60

Skoda Stop:Start will kill the motor at a roundabout 200 metres from home.. so stone cold.. I am getting used to prodding its 'disable' button.

Got a comfier driving position figured out.. is now 'tolerable'..
Jury is still out.. ;)
Click to expand...

Well that was a painful experiment..

Skods has been replaced by a FIAT petrol manual ( with factory cruise )

Skoda still annoys me... only car I remember owning being so poorly suspended cost £220 not Seven grand

Gearbox is nice.. but wont miss the rest.

Supposed to get my £7k back next week..
 
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