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Just bought a high-mileage 1.9 Tdi, what strategy for looking after it?


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Hi Folks,

First post here, and first Skoda. :happy:

I've just today committed to buy a 2002 Fabia 1.9 TDi Estate, with 155k miles on the clock. £1600, and I would hope to get 18 months out of it. If I get a couple of years beyond that, it's a bonus.

It's in pretty good nick, with a generally very good service history up until last year, when the owner seems to have decided to stop servicing it. The last documented service was September 2011. The timing belt was replaced at 118k, but I'm not sure if it was done at 60k. If it was, there's no record. Anyway, I do approx 6000 miles a year, so in theory I shouldn't need to replace the timing belt for 4 years.

The dealer has put it through an MoT (exp Feb 2014), and is reconditioning the starter motor, but is not offering a warranty.

My question is, what strategy to take with servicing and general maintenance? I don't want to spend unecessarily on a car that's not worth it, but neither do I want to skimp if I can prolong the life of a decent vehicle.

Given the uncertain history in the last 18 months, it's tempting to go for a 'major' service. Something like the Gold service at Mr Clutch (£189), or the pricier one from Halfords Autocentre. Would a Skoda specialist be worthwhile? I may wait a couple of months before I do that, to make sure the car doesn't die.

But after that? Yearly servicing, or just a change of oil?

Thanks in advance.

Rich.

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Welcome to the forum.

I would suggest an immediate service to include, oil, oil filter, air filter, pollen filter and fuel filter. Then after that an oil and oil filter change every year, and the rest of the items in the first service every other year.

Whatever you decide, make sure the correct oil is used.....Quantum Platinum (VW 505.01 spec).

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Thanks for the replies. Both of those strategies sound good.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a Skoda specialist in Newcastle?

Iknow it's a trek but vw/skoda pulman in durham are spot on mate with quality and prices arnt to bad

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Welcome :) This is more bangernomics than normal advice so some of it will be quite different to that which I'd give to others. Firstly in some respects the age and mileage work for you, most things that crop up will have been done and dealt with before hand. Your biggest expense will be a turbo failure or a clutch/DMF failure.

Dealer and no warranty? That's not quite right legally, any sale to a member of the public gets a minimum of 3 months, you're not trade so it's not a trade sale.

Now as to services, the interval on the car is 10k or 12 months, the belt interval is 60k or 4 years, it's not usually the belt that fails but the rollers and tensioner, that then causes the belt to fail, when you do the belt you do the water pump as the labour is the same if it fails and make sure they use new coolant. As you do so few miles this is the point where i'd normally explain the cost per mile being higher to run a diesel than a petrol as you do so few miles and have to change the belt at 3-400 inc belt kit and pump. I'll skip that bit and move on to the interval, you can probably extend that time assuming you don't care if the end result is a total loss, it's not likely to be but I take no responsibility if you do.

As to getting it serviced by anyone I'd suggest not taking it to any of the places mentioned. In fact based on what you have said i'd go the other way. Get the oil changed every 10k at the likes of National Tyres and book online as it's a lot cheaper, save your money for actual repairs, stamps in the book are an admission you paid a few hundred on paying someone to perform basic checks you can easily do yourself and aren't going to mean much at this stage and represent 12.5% of your cars purchase value.

After that spend £6 on a generic VCDS lead, this will allow you to read fault codes. Now it's time to start using your eyes, grab a Haynes, most things you need to know are in it, you can get away with basic tools, they'll certainly cost a lot less than paying for a service.

Your main fabia mechanical issues are likely to be below, it's not exhaustive but it'll cover the basics.

Console bushes, i'd be amazed if they haven't been done by now. Put the car on full lock to the right and check the left bush, if it's pointing top and bottom only ( | ) then check for tears top and bottom. If it's like an X (X) or (+) then you should be OK.

Drop links are next, rather than get your hands dirty just listen to when you go over bumps for a knock. No knock then move on.

ARB bushes, any lateral movement and it's time to bodge it with £40 of 3rd party bushes.

Angle sensor, its probably been done already but beware any change in PAS weight. It could be the sensor, low fluid, bad earth, a bad pump, a leak in the rack, top fuses on the battery box or a few other things.

Brake fluid, just change it, it's stupidly cheap and not worth not doing. Discs and pads are easy as well, don't buy Eicher pads, they're just nasty.

Front wheel bearings, they tend to go on fabia's, i'd normally suggest doing both sides when the first one goes as it will go shortly afterwards but in your case do what's required only. I run them till they become clearly audible in a straight line or get unduly loud when cornering, pay to get them changed its an utter ball ache unless you have a 2 ton press. It's under £30 for a non genuine part and an inexpensive garage should do it for not a lot, I paid £50. Check the drive shaft seals at the same time and if they need replacing either live with it (i've had a slow weep since I got the car 20k/12 months ago) or do both, the gearbox fluid isn't cheap but i'd suggest genuine is the way to go.

Engine and dog bone mounts can go, again it'll be quite obvious. The lead to the alternator (charge sense cable) also snaps at the connector as it's too short.

Check the shocks by lifting the dust covers, if they are weeping then they need replacing. Top mounts can get noisy as well, if you have to do a shock then I've always been taught to do the same to the other side, running this the way you suggest (cheaply) then just go with the side that needs doing. Tyres aren't worth skimping on, the cost between no names and brand names isn't worth saving over the course of ownership.

Oh and relax, despite all the above a PD can cope with high miles as long as it's properly maintained.

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Iknow it's a trek but vw/skoda pulman in durham are spot on mate with quality and prices arnt to bad

Wouldn't pee in the place if it was on fire. I took a car with Skoda approved used warranty on it to them after 3 days of ownership (they were closed on the 2nd day and couldn't fit it in on the third) and nearly rejected it because they charged me to fix it. Useless isn't the word, it took a recorded delivery rejection letter before I got a refund.

Oh and it's 505.01 oil, I'll assume the post from Booke23 is a typo :)

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Oh and it's 505.01 oil, I'll assume the post from Booke23 is a typo :)

:doh: Yes, 505.01......well spotted.

I'll try to get a Mod to edit my earlier post.....don't want someone in the future finding this thread and putting the wrong oil in their PD!

Edited by booke23
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Wouldn't pee in the place if it was on fire. I took a car with Skoda approved used warranty on it to them after 3 days of ownership (they were closed on the 2nd day and couldn't fit it in on the third) and nearly rejected it because they charged me to fix it. Useless isn't the word, it took a recorded delivery rejection letter before I got a refund.

Oh and it's 505.01 oil, I'll assume the post from Booke23 is a typo :)

I've heard a few people complaining about them but they've been sound with me everytime I've been so can't really give any bad points about them even got a free sump plug off them today :p

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If I had to use a dealer locally it'd be Silbury, they will move from list price when suitably motivated on both parts and service but I do most things myself or use a very reasonable garage for things like wheel bearings :)

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Thanks again for the welcome and the advice everybody. It's really helpful.

I had originally discounted the idea of a diesel because of my low mileage. But when I did the sums they came out quite agreeable. I guess at this end of the scale, the purchase price has had a lot of the diesel premium taken out of it, and, as you say, service intervals can be stretched a little. Given the belt isn't due for 20,000 miles, thats 3-4 years away. If the car is still going then, it won't owe me anything.

Thanks for the detailed reply, Avalon. Some of that has me reaching for my dictionary, but I guess I'll have to learn. I've never done anything more complicated than changing the oil myself. I vaguely remember seeing console bushes on one of the receipts I saw, so I guess they've been done.

I suppose it makes sense to contact the dealer who's been servicing it recently. They may have some records of what's been done. I had been looking at Silbury. What do you mean by 'suitably motivated'. I presume if I didn't want a courtesy car that should knock a chunk off? They're quoting £250 but make it clear on the website that they may do it for less. Something in the region of £200 for full service and decent once-over doesn't sound too bad. At least I would know what the position is. They seem to have a shorter checklist compared to Halfords, but maybe they don't mention every single item.

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Welcome mad-rich good to see aother Fabia 1.9 TDi Estate owner , like you i dont do many miles in my 03 Fabia TDi Estate ive had it 2 1/2 years now paid 3k for it with

68k on now done 78k , superb car had service history but not Skoda after 3 years, mine is also done by a none skoda garage , also have a Fabia VRs bought new on 56 plate in black with full leather mileage today is 31233 !!

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Hi

Firstly, that is not a very high mileage; there's no reason you shouldn't get another 100K if it has been well treated in the past. Clutch same. Can't help with local servicing, but best is probably just ask friends for their experiences. An MOT will pick up any suspension problems. Cam belt should have been changed at 120K and due at 180, but check that it was done within last 4 years. Change brake fluid (it often gets left off service). Clean out scuttle drains. Check good screen wash liquid (or freezing will cause pipes to shoot off like fireworks). The best way to look after it is drive it - oh and enjoy it.

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As to getting it serviced by anyone I'd suggest not taking it to any of the places mentioned. In fact based on what you have said i'd go the other way. Get the oil changed every 10k at the likes of National Tyres and book online as it's a lot cheaper, save your money for actual repairs, stamps in the book are an admission you paid a few hundred on paying someone to perform basic checks you can easily do yourself and aren't going to mean much at this stage and represent 12.5% of your cars purchase value.

Great advice, my local tyre place wants another £20-£30 for a oil change MORE than Unit 18, plus they were going to use no PD oil. :D

As others have said, it still has plenty of miles left in it, but putting crap oil in and cheap sub standard parts will soon change that. By all means if your handy with a spanner do the bits yourself, but if not take it somewhere that knows their way around the car, it'll save you money in the long run.

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Can highly recommend Volkscentre in Blyth :)

Faultless service and very competitive prices. For example, timing belt & waterpump with fresh coolant - £265 inc VAT

I'd rather deep fry my own testicles while still attached than use that muppet.

He's the guy who told me he didn't change the BF on my car for 8 years because 'we don't do that here, it might pop a seal' when I called to check it's service history. I also found it had been on the same set of plugs for 8 years despite charging the previous owner for 8 full services in that time, he also ignored the console bushes being totally knackered, drop links, disc/pad/tyre condition and countless other things. No way that happened in the 9 months since he'd serviced and MOT'd it. If he'd ever bothered to read the fault codes he'd have spotted the angle sensor was dead as well.

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Thats not high miles, I had a 225k 1.9TDi octavia that was as strong as an Ox!!! Any my bro had a 1.9 TDi with over 350k on the clock, and thats still going as a courtesey car somewhere.

Regular oil changes with good oil, dont go red lining it, and just treat it with respect. It will go forever.

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Good advice from Avalon there. 155k isn't a load of miles for these engines really, all they need is a yearly service and you'll be grand.

Bushes, droplinks, etc can be bought for next to nothing on ebay (I recently got 2x new console bushes for £18 and 2x droplinks for £15) so I wouldn't worry about things like that.

I do the minor service myself every year and it takes an hour to do and parts and oil can be bought for <£50.

See my post here: http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/253852-just-got-a-great-deal-at-eurocarparts-for-minor-service-parts/

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Hi again. Thanks for the responses so far.

I collected the car on Thursday, and I've driven a couple of hundred miles in it over the Easter weekend. Very happy with it so far, especially the mpg, but it's given me an opportunity to notice a couple of niggles.

- Vibration from clutch pedal at the top of the pedal. And a noticeable click at the bottom of the pedal, although I can avoid this by not pushing it all the way down.

- Power steering hums a little on full lock. Also, the headlight intensity changes slightly at the same time.

- Central locking seems a bit odd. It locks quickly after unlocking, and activates apparently at random while driving. Also the boot is tricky to open. Sometimes I can open with the boot handle after unlocking the car with the key fob, sometimes I have to pull the catch by the driver's door. Sometimes even this doesn't work, and I need an assistant to lift the boot as I pull the catch

- No chime to remind me to switch off the headlights. (I've already had a flat battery once because of this.)

A bit of searching leads me to believe the last 3 might be related to either a failing battery or alternator. I have a nearly new battery in my old car which I could pop in to see if it fixes anything. Is there anything else I should check?

I'm also missing rear headrests, parcel shelf and the interior rear door handle. (No idea how it passed its MoT last month with that?) Presumably these can be picked up from a scrapyard easily enough. While I'm there, is there anything else that it's worth getting a spare of?

The timing belt (is this the 'toothed belt' mentioned in the service history?) was replaced in Jan 2009, 38,000 miles ago. That would mean it's slightly overdue on time, but perhaps I could push it to 6 yrs.

It's going in for a service this week, so that should hopefully get me on track for keeping on top of things.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry to bump this again, but I have a couple of problems which have arisen out of getting it serviced at Halfords Autocentre 10 days ago. Probably my own fault for going there, but I've had good service there in the past.

- I know they didn't 'check condition of pollen filter and replace if necessary (extra charge for replacement)', despite that being on their service list because when I did, a whole bunch of leaves fell out along with the filthy filter.

- They also inflated the tyres to 22 instead of 29/31 PSI.

- They recommended a brake fluid change because it was 'discoloured and overdue' which I agreed to. However, when I later took the car to another garage (for a quote on rear discs & pads) they told me my boiling point was 170deg and the fluid needed changing.

Two things I can let go, but three begin to make me concerned. (Of course, the second garage might be mistaken or lying.)

Is it possible for something to be so wrong with the brake system that the fluid would degrade that much in 24 hours? That would have to be a lot of water contamination.

It also leaves me concerned about what else might have been missed off the service. Most importantly, did they use 505.01 oil? (Stupidly, I didn't explicitly ask for that. I said something along the lines of 'this uses a very specific oil, do you have it in stock?' to which they said something along the lines of 'Don't worry, We have all the correct oil for VW'. Quite vague, in hindsight :sweat:)

Should I get the brake fluid checked and then go back and challenge Halfords? If they haven't put 505.01 in, should I expect them to replace it for free? If they won't, should I replace the oil & filter at my own expense. It's only done 100 miles since then.

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I have no problem with the dealer. It has been exactly as he described, and not given me any real trouble. Nothing I wouldn't expect with the age of the car.

It would have been nice if he'd mentioned the door handle, but perhaps I should've spotted it. Anyway, £10 for a replacement and it turns out it's not even an MoT failure. The tailgate was fixed with WD-40. The clutch vibration seems to be 'normal' for the car, and not an indication of any problem. The electrical problems I can live with until I solve. (In fact, it seems the battery is a cheapo that's a bit sub-spec for the car, so they might well be fixed if I replace it.)

It's more the dodgy service from Halfords I'm miffed about. Which has now got me worried that they've missed a whole load of items, and used the wrong oil.

I'm going to get the brake fluid tested again, then give them a ring to see what they have to say. I reckon I've got them bang to rights on the pollen filter, if nothing else!

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Halfords in 'charged for but didn't do' shocker!!

Seriously, it's probably not a good idea to take it back there.

First off you're going in there with an axe to grind, so they aren't going

to be friendly or helpful. I'd contact the head office if it was me and get the

big boys upstairs on your side before you go back. Then you might be assured

of some level of honest service.

Next time, use google and find a decent independent, there must be a couple of

places near you that do good work. Or again, failing that, take it to skoda.

They may not be as pricey as you think.

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I'd contact the head office if it was me and get the big boys upstairs on your side before you go back.

I was going to take the opposite track. Speak to them directly and give them a chance to rectify it, with the unspoken threat that I will go screaming to Head Office if they don't fix things. Not a good plan?

To be honest, I'm not sure what I want them to do. Certainly not "bring it in and we'll fix it". Ideally, they'd refund me enough money to get the brake fluid and oil changed (+ oil flush?) at a decent independent.

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