So this one is specifically for the MQB vehicle owners! (Golf 7 & 7.5 / Leon / Octavia). This may not be a mod you have even seen before, never mind knowing the benefits to your vehicle and overall drive! The Racingline Carbon Fibre Rear Brace reinforces the bodyshell at its weakest point for a more precise and pleasurable drive.
The MQB platform vehicles have a pretty stiff bodyshell. Between the front end suspension the chassis is very rigid however, at the rear the chassis has much more flex. This means that with hard driving the handling of the vehicle is much harder. You can upgrade the suspension underneath and try to strengthen and secure however it won’t affect the flex of the body up top! VW have acknowledged this and the Clubsport S Golf gets a factory rear brace!
How does it work?
Adding a Racingline carbon fibre brace creates a stronger, stiffer rear body. It solves this issue by locking the crucial hard points together. Despite the added stiffness, this improved handling performance comes without sacrificing any ride quality or introducing any additional noise, vibration, or harshness into the cabin. Solid billet aluminium mounts are used and secured into beautiful, ultra-stiff carbon fibre link bars drastically stiffening the rear of the chassis.
Easy to fit?
All you need to fit the brace is a set of triple square drive sockets! The brace comes in pieces, with instructions on how to put together and fit to the vehicle. That’s another pro of this performance part, you can easily fit it yourself! The clever design means that installation is simple, using existing body mounting points with no drilling and no removal of trim required, and is completely reversible. You can use the brace with the back seats up or down and it doesn’t really take up any boot space!
You can purchase the Racingline Carbon Fibre Rear Body Brace here at our sister company. ‘VAG performance’ You also have the option to pay conveniently with Klarna!
If you have any questions regarding the fitment or whether its for you, pop us a message ‘Here’. We always have someone available and happy to help with any queries.
Common Skoda Fabia issues… what to look for? Following on with our monthly study of a popular vehicle; We thought we’d move onto a slightly more standard daily driver, the Skoda Fabia.
What to look for?
One of the most common issues we come across is with the Windscreen washer pump. The pump itself either packs up or (throughout the winter months) the pipes block up and split. Water then leaks in the passenger footwell. Because of this people usually assume it’s their door seals and the water pump is overlooked.
The next problem they have is with Suspension. The Fabia suspension is known to be quiet stiff and a firmer drive. Due to this, its prone to failure. When buying a Fabia always do the bonnet test. Push hard on the bonnet and if takes more than 1-2 bounces back to get back to normal, have the suspension checked over by a specialist.
Skoda Fabia’s (1.4ltr Petrol engines) have a reputation for being one of the most oil dependent cars out there. If you are looking to purchase a Fabia and the oil is low, we would question the service history. We would also double check the rest of the vehicle. Purely because, if the oil has not been checked regularly, maintenance on the rest of vehicle may have been neglected.
Window regulator issues.
Window regulators are also a common part for failing on a Fabia. If your windows aren’t going up and down properly, sticking or falling to one side; these are all symptoms of your window regular being faulty! There are a couple of tips to try and prevent the regulator from failing. Once the window is up, don’t hold the button as it puts extra pressure on the motor. Also try using rubber care products. This will stop the seals from going hard and will allow the window to go up and down freely.
The Skoda Fabia electric power steering pump is very common to fail on all models. What starts off as intermittent loss of power steering, usually leads to total failure if left to progress.
Common Faults include:
1. Intermittent loss of steering.
2. Steering heavy on idle & on revs.
3. Noisy power steering pump.
4. Blowing fuses.
5. Steering warning light on.
Gearbox issues
Last but not least the DSG gearbox. Certain 7 speed Fabia’s suffered serious issues with the VW manufactured 7 speed gearbox. Most cars with this gearbox were recalled. However, check when buying that the gearbox is nice and smooth and there aren’t any pre-existing issues. You will get also get a fault on the dash come up when selecting gear if there is a fault with the gearbox. This will simply say ‘PRNDS’. If this warning light occurs, we would advise getting a diagnostics test done asap.
You can get in touch with us on 01642 613852 if you are wanting vehicle inspection/diagnostic test. We carry out a full report on the vehicle which you can also keep for your records!
You can also get in touch via the contact page here: https://www.northeastautotech.com/contact/ or our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/northeastautotech/
By carrying out DSG Mechatronic testing instead of replacing the whole unit we can save you money as well as not just getting rid of parts unnecessarily. DSG Gearbox repair work has become more and more common on Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT and Skoda vehicles.
If you go to the dealership for a DSG repair or S Tronic repair, you will only be offered a replacement option at thousands of pounds. We repair and pass on the savings of on average 40%.
The internal housing is common for cracking. Luckily we can carry out a repair procedure on this and not have to replace the whole mechatronic unit.
You’ll notice there is a fault if any of these things occur.
It comes up on the display saying ‘Gearbox fault visit workshop’
The ‘PRNDS’ lights are flashing.
Loss of drive
Missed gears on selection
No reverse gear
Clutch failure (struggling to engage gears or loss of drive)
If any of these things are happening with your VAG vehicle, get in touch with us via email or call the reception on 01642 613852. We can diagnose the fault, give you a price on the repair and save you £££ in doing so!
See our Youtube videos attached which show the mechatronic testing.
This video below is before the repair was carried out. As you can see on the machine, the unit has no pressure and is not reaching the requirement.
Once repaired, the machine is clearly showing the pressure has been reached and test is carried out.
DSG clutch replacement for fabia ibiza polo golf A3 A1
DSG clutch replacement service is carried out at our Teesside based workshop. We are finding more and more failures as the years go on. The VW DSG 7 speed DQ200 gearbox and the Audi S Tronic 7 speed DQ200. Has what is called a dry clutch system apposed to the earlier 6 speed DQ250 wet clutch system.
MK7 Volkswagen golf 1.4 TFSI CAVA in with failure of K2 clutch which controls 2, 4, 6 gears was recovered in for duel clutch replacement.
DSG dual clutch transmission mechatronnic repair work is a routine procedure for us in our VW specialist workshop. Audi S Tronic gearbox is the same unit found in the VW volkswagen SEAT and Skoda cars.
DSG clutch replacement service is carried out at our Teesside based workshop. We are finding more and more failures as the years go on. The VW DSG 7 speed DQ200 gearbox and the Audi S Tronic 7 speed DQ200. Has what is called a dry clutch system apposed to the earlier 6 speed DQ250 wet clutch system.