1st year expenses

2012 is coming. I wanted to summarize total expenses for the first year.

Skoda Fabia 1st year expenses chart

Important highlights:
- total 17,642 NIS or 1,470 NIS/month
- half of the budget spent on fuel
- quarter on insurance
If you want to take depreciation loss for this year into account (+16,500):
- total 34,142 NIS or 2,845 NIS/month

Few things to note:
- Loans: from initial 72,000 NIS loan I now have only about 30,000 NIS. It was hard for me to return such a sum but I did it. So probably, if you keep your loan plan as planned with Skoda it's cost should be more expensive.
- Insurance: it can be lower or higher depends on several parameters like age, history, insurance company.

Bottom line - take this chart as start point of overall expenses for your new car for the first year. Also, I didn't show here any money spent on extra oil changes, toys (like Multitronics, dash cam), security things, accessories (luggage nets, wash stuff) and much more. You can add another 8,000 NIS here :-)

If you thinking about to buy a car or take company car. My previous leased company car (regular sedan) cost me 3 000 NIS/month that is 36 000 per year. Of course it includes fuel, insurance, garage cost. But if you driving only 20 000 km/year and you can do related work by yourself (insurances, garage, etc) - you better consider to buy a car. Because after 3 years of paying for leased car - you have nothing, but in case of you own car - you have your 3 years old vehicle that you can sell or change for new one.

My recommendation if you want to buy/lease a car:
- 600-800 km a year - use taxi
- 1,000 - 17,000 km a year - buy a car
- 18,000 - leasing at work

Compare charts from data that I have now.

Skoda Fabia expenses compare

As you know, fuel price changes almost every month, here relevant stats too:

- minimum 6.69 NIS/liter (

- average 7.35 NIS/liter

- maximum 8.80 NIS/liter (because of 98 octan)

By the way - Happy New Year!

Update (2012-02-19): Added depreciation loss and fuel data.

My car care toolset

The orange thing on the top right is garden sprayer. Before it, I was using that water bottle full of 9 liters to wash a car. With a 5 liters sprayer (60-100 NIS in store) I need only 3-3.5 liters for body and 1.5-2 liters for wheels.

5 liters sprayer

Sprayer - for home and garden... and car wash ;-)

Diagnostic scan tool Multitronics VC731

If you remember, back in April I got a new toy Multitronics VG1031GPL - advanced scan tool for vehicle.

Few days ago I bought newer version of it Multitronics VC731. It's was used device, barely few weeks and in good condition. Installation simple as usual - just plug in in diagnostic port and voila! I actually just replaced units, because wiring is the same.

Multitronics VC731

Here a quick video.
Now, about main feature for me and a reason of upgrade. No, it's not color screen or faster CPU or more functions - it's about USB port. Now I can easily update firmware, setup screens and download last 20 trip logs for my statistics table.

But, USB port is closed with cover. To get there you need to uninstall device, remove case. And it's totally wrong, so I made a hole for USB cable. This is actually what manufacturer should do.

Hand-made USB hole

In case someone interested in my old device Multitronics VG1031GPL, I'm selling it. Write me if interested. It works with most modern (and not) cars. Verified car list is here (use Google Translate from Russian), but this is not a full list actually.

See also
Multitronics VC731 product page (Rus)

Luggage nets installed

This is DMA 710 002 - 1 set of luggage nets for luggage compartment installed from recent delivery - feels so free and cool! Because it double sided, it's not only holds things but you can also put inside stuff.

Update (2012-02-23)
Finally scanned fitting instructions DMA 710 001 Rack program - Fitting instructions (PDF) for you.

Air filter inspection

Last week I was thinking about K&N performance filter for my Fabia. Actually, you need a set:

• Round Air Filter E-2997
• Recharger Filter Care Service Kit

And I already found a place to buy here in Israel - pitstop.co.il. We negotiated the lowest price 360 NIS for filter and 90 NIS for care kit (instead of 400 and 120). From eBay you can get the same for about 300 and 100, so 450 NIS is a good price here. But, after some research I found this article Can a better air filter improve fuel economy? We'll find out... with all comments there and I start to doubt. It's very simple, less resistance means bigger holes and more dust come to engine. May be other engines are good with that, but 1.2 TSI should be so sensitive and I decided to wait with purchase.

Original 6R0 129 620 A - air filter costs 185 NIS in Skoda's garage, I can bring same for about 100 NIS. It should be replaced every 60K km or 4 years. I went to check condition of mine that went through 16K already. And it looks fine, I think I will change it around 30K.

6R0 129 620 A - air filter - after 16K km

Outside inspection

Inside inspection

See also
Proven eBay seller for K&N filters
K&N filter discussion on local forum (Russian)

Fabia scaled model

Image source: http://goo.gl/J6R1o

Cute small Fabia 1:43 scaled model at Abrex cars - Skoda Fabia II (model with white roof), just €10...

Insurance cost for 2012

Last week I got a call from insurance agent Alexander Novik.

• Liability insurance cost 1,491 NIS
• Comprehensive is 3,253 NIS

Last year it was 1,773 and 3,089 NIS respectively.
Car code by Itzhak Levi is 676-153.

The first part is lower because I'm 30 now and second is greater because of more thefts of Skoda this year (2011). Now I need to check other offers, but this is a good one. The policy is Careful Driver from Phoenix.

See also
Vehicle theft report (Hebrew)
Vehicle theft - June 2011 (Hebrew, PPT)

Order experiment from Russian Exist.Ru

As you probably may know (or not) that Israeli auto-market is too expensive for normal people.

Let's take for example my try to get original dust and pollen filter. In Skoda Netanya when I asked about replacement part at 15K service they said from 2 types of filter, they import in Israel only the simple one and it costs 133 NIS. Now, i was told that in central Champion's storage it could be cheaper. This is the call log:

Me - I'm looking for dust and pollen filter for my Skoda Fabia

Sk - What is the licence number?

Me - 12-345-67 

Sk - For your car it will cost you 160 NIS without VAT (186 NIS total).

Me - What is exactly the type of it? I know there are two types. 

Sk - We have only this, I can't tell you part number - company policy. Come here to see it.

Me - WTF? I can't come from Netanya just to check it

Sk - I can't help you...

Me- Can you look at least is it black or white?

Sk - I don't know if I have it here... Wait... It's white...

What is a difference between "white" and "black" filter?

As we see, in Petah Tikva, central Champion's storage the same filter 6Q0 820 367 dust and pollen filter costs 186 NIS, but in Netanya Skoda's garage it's 133 NIS. Funny right? And also recall that more advanced version of this filter 6R0 819 653 pollen filter with odor and harmful substances filtration can be ordered for about 300+ NIS.

So I knew about this parts store in Russia - Exist.Ru. This store is a part of Temot International the aftermarket value network. The problem was I have no idea how to manage it from Israel. And I decide to try it.

I placed the following order via internet site.

Part #	Make	Description	Price*, NIS
03C 115 561 D	VAG	oil filter	60
N 908 132 02	VAG	plug with seal	8
1K0 201 051 K	VAG	fuel filter with pressure regulator	147
6R0 819 653	VAG	pollen filter with odor and harmful substances filtration	130
DMA 710 002	VAG	1 set of luggage nets for luggage compartment	150
HFA 381 038	VAG	aerosil spray candy white	40
HFB 380 083	VAG	paint touch-up stick shadow grey	35

* - this is final price including all money conversions and delivery costs

Now that's how it worked:
1. Nov 15th I send money via Western Union to my sister.
2. Nov 19th I submitted the order.
3. Nov 21st my sister in Moscow went to their office and paid money for whole order.
4. Dec 2nd all items were ready. Most of them were ready at Nov 24th.
5. Dec 5th I meet a man in Ben Gurion airport that took the package for me.
Not bad, right? Next time, if I will not find someone to bring me package, I gonna test shitty Russian post service.

This way prices at least 2 times cheaper. I also checked in few local stores (not Champion's) for several parts and they don't have it at all.

If you have someone flying at least one time in month from Moscow to Ben Gurion - contact me, we can arrange our paid delivery with black jack and... you know ;-)

Should be 1K0 201 051 K - fuel filter with pressure regulator (remark: 6.6 BAR)
I got 1K0 201 051 C filter with 6.4 bar pressure instead of 1K0 201 051 K with 6.6 bar as shown in ETKA. But I will send it back for replacement soon.
UPDATE: filter already sent, the right one on the way to me.

03C 115 561 D - oil filter and N 908 132 02 - plug with seal (remark: M14X1,5X22)

6R0 819 653 - pollen filter with odor and harmful substances filtration (model: PR-2V5)

DMA 710 002 - 1 set of luggage nets for luggage compartment (model: square back)

HFA 381 038 - aerosil spray candy white (remark: 1026/F9E/9P9P)
Also, i don't know whey the put green square sticker when it's white color...

HFB 380 083 - paint touch-up stick shadow grey (remark: 9154/F5X/5T5T)

Bulbs and Autolamps Online

Autolamps-Online is recommended online store to buy lamps. One week delivery time, placed in UK.

Bulbs table from manual

See also
2009 Autoexpress H7 headlight bulb review

New way to learn traffic?

New way to learn traffic?

On my way to work today I saw at least two places with camera attached to the car on intersections. While somebody sleeps in a car, camera catches data for post-processing? Interesting... Never saw this before.