I was driving home yesterday when something odd happened with the Windscreen wipers on my Fabia. I tried to use my front windscreen washer and my back windscreen wiper moved. I soon found out that moving the wiper control up and down did nothing and trying to use the back wipers did nothing either.
After some research on the internet (Google is my best friend) I found that this was due to blowing a fuse. This happens when you try to use your windscreen washer when it is frozen. If this happens to you then don’t worry, you can just swap the fuse and you will be fine.
Skoda Fabia Fuse Panel
Skoda Fabia Fuse Panel Ledgend
The fuse box on the Fabia is located behind the driver side door on the main dashboard panel, next to the stearing wheel. To open it just find the little notch in the bottom half, pop your key in there and twist it. The whole thing should come off, but it is a little tricky.
To get things working again just replace fuse 21 with a 10 amp fuse. If you don’t have a fuse handy you can swap the broken one (make sure it is broken) with fuse 32, which controls the back windscreen wiper. This will mean that you can drive to your local fuse shop and pick up a fuse even if it is raining.
To get the fuse panel cover back on just put in the panel by lining up the three hooks on the straight edge and push it towards the front of the car. Once you have it nearly in place you can either hit it in with your fist or just close the door on it.
To stop this fuse blowing you need to make sure that your washer fluid is not frozen before you use it. You can always increase the concentration of the fluid to prevent this from hapening during the winter.
[Update: Images taken from Fuse Panel Layout fabia-vrs.com. If you have any Fabia problems then take a look, it's a good site with lots of information.]
Thanks for this info saved me alot of time and money
Having just aquired a 2004 Fabia 1.9 TDi without an owners manual!I drove from Shrewsbury to Anglesey and back to Wrexham minus the use of wipers. Once back at base an internet search and your advice solved the problem.Many thanks for restoring my sanity.Are there any other issues I can look forward to !? BNJ.
Cheers mate that worked a treat, the manual said it was a different fuse in a different place.
The fuse 41/15 debate: 41 = wipers, 15 = washer?
The wipers won’t go without the washer working, and it’s the washer that gets knackered – or rather doesn’t, thanks to the protective fuse – when operated in a frozen condition. Could be wrong though!
<<>> Have a look under the trim by the top of the rear seat, passenger side, as a matter of urgency!!! Our rear wash stopped and it took weeks before we realised the pipe joint had popped off and was pumping fluid back down the wheel-arch skin into the rear footwell. Had to strip the carpet out and it took days to dry out. The car still smells faintly of glycol 6 months later.
Thanks for the fuse number info Philip; just fixed mine too.
@all Thanks for the kind words! I read every comment
@psycole I think that’s a good synopsis of what is going on
@John Thanks for that info, I might take a look tonight and see if that’s the case. Although with the temperature dropping to -10 I don’t think I’ll be able to test anything!
Superb advice, Changed fuse 41 and it did nothing, But swapped fuse 21 with 32 for a temporary fix and worked a treat!
Yes, fuse 21 did the trick for me too.
I’ll have to wait until it all thaws out before I can increase the concentration of the washer fluid.
Guess that will be next summer!!
PHILIP NORTON – THANKS, MUCH APPRECIATED
I have had the same problem with my wipers, i have checked the 20A fuses that are associated with the wipers and they are all ok, i have checked fuse number 21 and i have no fuse in space 21. I removed a 5A fuse from elsewhere in the fusebox and put it where number 21 should be and still nothing…. HELP!!!
Brilliant mate, i didn’t know a car had fuses this morning, this happened to me and i had it fixed in 10 minutes of reading your blog, absolute legend.
Great post mate saved me a load of hassle. Couldn’t work out why the windscreen wipers had stopped but the fuse hadn’t blown. Never would have guessed it was the washers causing the problem I changed fuse 15 rather than 21 though as that was the one that had blown.
This has just happened to me! I am so fed up with this car the boot don’t open light warning don’t work driver window switch opens passenger door..I feel like torching it.
just found your fuse number and designation diagram which allowed me to fix my wipers
cheers and thanks for the the published info
hi Chris – just noticed your plee for help -i had the same problem as you i think – what i did was checked all my fuses by taking them out and looking at them one by one (make sure you work out how to remember where they came from) i found a 10amp fuse broken (you can see by holding it up to the light) i changed that and it was fine (i thought i would have to buy a new motor – good luck with yours
Thanks for the post, had the same problem on my 1.4TDI 2006, the solution described is spot on with but there is a difference on my model, its fuse number 15, a 10A fuse that had failed. As described the fix is to use fuse 32 as a get you home.
Help help help! Been searching the web all day for answers and this is the nearest i have came so far, my question is this -
Both rear and front wipers work (front on all speeds too).
However, I get no screen wash coming out front or back. I have noticed that I cannot even hear the pump trying when I place the demand.
I topped up with neat screenwash and the level does not decrease. I have replaced motor and stalk after firstly replacing the fuses spoken about here but no success
any thoughts / advice would be appreciated.
Thanks for the great tips, the wipers stopped a couple of days ago and I spent an hour trying to find the cause, then read this page. The washer fuse 15 had gone and once replaced all was well, thanks
great advise, I’d a similar problem on my ibiza, since the seat and skodia are very much alike I applied the samew logic and hey presto ! thanks for good advise.
A great help, fixed a problem for us!
Thanks for this. Fuse 15 for me (nothing in 21 on this Fabia)
Calvin
My car was the same Alll wipers working but not a sound from the water pump. Afer it had thawed out the pump started working again. Hope this helps.
Same problem for me! I didn’t have a fuse 21 either, so I had to replace fuse 15 instead and that worked.
PAUL.
Same here Brian W…… manual says fuse 41 … but it’s fuse 15.
1.4 tdi 53 plate
Thanks to all…..was just about to phone the garage.
Just changed fuse 15 and my wipers have sprung into action. Thanks for the advice!! Marie x
Many thanks. Changed fuse 15 and the wipers work again. Would not have thought that the washer fuse would stop the wipers working.
Thanks to everyone for the advice. I initially panicked as I too didn’t have a fuse in space 21. It turned out to be 15
Yep same here.I really thought I would need a new window wiper motor and luckily came across this advise. Fuse no 15. Cost of a new fuse was 25p. Thanks again.
Changing fuse 32 worked a treat (1.4 2004 fabia comfort). Lovely job
Thank you very much.
Thanks very much for your advice. My only problem was getting the tiny fuses. Swapped the back wiper fuse in while I was waiting as you suggested.
Thanks for this – wipers restored to working order once more.
You are a star. Fuse 15 for me. Everyone I asked thought it was a a faulty stalk.
Many thanks to everyone
Same as many above (i.e. front wipers not working). Putting new 10A fuse in 15 fixed it for me (Like others, I used the working fuse from 32 as a temporary fix, losing the back wipers until I replaced that one). Many thanks. Stephen
thank you thank you thank you. I checked 21 and sorted it in minutes-after having paid the garage to look at it three times and they could not find what was wrong!
thankyou easy when you know how, many thanks
Must have been a bit of a hairy drive home if your wipers weren’t working. I’ve been there before with my head out the side window getting soaked hoping I make it where I’m going. Not fun.
No doubt it’s a good idea to unstick wipers from ice before using them. I’m surprised you didn’t cause more damage than merely blowing a fuse. Thanks for the article because had I blow a fuse, I’d probably get suckered paying a mechanic a few hundred to fix it.
Anybody help? The slow front wiper on my Skoda Fabia has suddenly stopped working for no apparent reason.It continues to work on the other settings,and the washer is fine.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Perfect! My ’06 reg VRS didn’t have anything in 21 but I pulled all the red 10a fuses until I found the blown one. Replaced it with the 10a from the top left corner (boot release motor?) and then went out and found a car parts shop that stocked fuses AND concentrated washer fluid! I won’t use water on it’s own again as it must have frozen in the sub zero temps overnight.
I too thought it was a broken stalk as rear window wipers were activating even when I pulled the stick towards me (which would usually spray and wipe the windscreen) but after replacing the fuse everything works as expected now.
Brill, worked a treat. What a strange set-up thanks for the help.
Cheers!
thanks for the info makes sence when you know there is a link ,will try when able