Thinking Of Buying - Advice (NOW BOUGHT) + (Bits 'N' Bobs)

[FUBAR]

I have seen a 1.9 PD TDi Ambiance (8v 90bhp)for sale 2001 with low mileage and looks pretty mint. Is there any way other than VCDS that I can check the mileage on this car? Not owned a Mk1 Octy before, is there anything I should be looking out for on a 13 year old example??? 

 

Does anyone have a ball park figure as to MPG for the 8v 90bhp model and any remap dramas to bring it up a little? 

 

[Tall]

Is there any way other than VCDS that I can check the mileage on this car?

The mileage recorded at all previous MOT's were listed on the next/current MOT cerificate on our (formerly owned) 2007 Citroen C4. I wouldn't think someone would clock their car annually, so maybe worth a look. BTW you can also check if the car had any advisories at it's last MOT by checking online using the info from the MOT cert.

[FUBAR]

The mileage recorded at all previous MOT's were listed on the next/current MOT cerificate on our (formerly owned) 2007 Citroen C4. I wouldn't think someone would clock their car annually, so maybe worth a look. BTW you can also check if the car had any advisories at it's last MOT by checking online using the info from the MOT cert.

 

Just got some more info on it and am going to go see it. 

 

2001

42K

MOT - end of Sept but booked in for 17th to sell with new one work for MOT done.

Elderly gentleman owned from new and garaged now unable to drive any more.

All old MOT certificates.

Timing belt changed at 5 years old and (son selling) is unsure if it's bee done since said be safer to change it which of course I would and pump.

Tax - end of Nov (checked online guy wasnt sure if expired)

 

He said the only issue there ever was with it was a fault with indicators which apparently was due to the hazard light switch which was replaced by their mechanic and said it was a common fault. Is that a common one?  

[mbames]

90 won't be a PD engine, I don't think.  The only PDs were the 100 & 130.

 

Get the engine code off the sticker in the boot or the service handbook for confirmation.

 

Indicators do have issues with the hazard relay

[mikec]

That's certainly well below average mileage - got a 2004 ambient now has 68k on the clock - just done timing belt and water-pump - around town you'l probably see about 40-45mpg and on a run about 50-60mpg (as long as you don't have a lead foot) like me 

[peter3197]

I bought a 2003 90bhp last year with 38000 on the clock. Averages 52 mpg in mixed motoring but did 63 on a run to Scotland and back, 600 miles plus.

[yesiamtom]

Check for limp mode when buying. I think that's the biggy on these engines.

 

Also, as said by someone else, 90bhp is not a PD. Perhaps if it were 100bhp or 105 but I don't think those engiens were in the mk1 octavia.

[FUBAR]

Cheers for all the help all, I had a read just before I left, yea not a PD that was just my mistake 105 and above for that. Got there car was as described was in middle of a dense urban area with 30's for miles around so no big speed test drive possible (rush hour too....) and I was there an hour before someone else was due to see it. Seller said he would call me to let me know if it had sold or not after the guy had been at 6 ish, so I went up before Took the car, all old MOT's mileage 100% just over 42K MOT booked and paid for I need to change that to a more local one and on the face of it not expecting any issues. One issue I had on way back which took about 30 min drive to get out of city and onto motorway etc no power at all for actual big acceleration not just having got out of the 530D......... Timed a 0-60 as 46 seconds Turbo sounded as it should on reving from idle so with fingers crossed unplugged MAF and boom 0-60 in 17 seconds (thank feck!) no lights etc were on to indicate in limp mode or anything but that should be easily sorted now, will try a clean if not just fire a new one in and get belts and water pump changed. Got 52mpg on motorway after all city driving then last half of drive with MAF unplugged average went up to 54mpg all at bang on the speed limit GPS so happy enough. 

 

Only other thing which was only apparent on way back due to sat nav. Speedo is out by id guess 10mph on what it should read?? At 70mph on GPS (tried phone and sat nav) needle is at 65mpg on speedo, as I would expect it to be out about 5mph the other way I am assuming it's about 10mph out. Does anyone know of this as a common issue?

 

The wee beast

 

[peter3197]

What size tyres has it got on? Wrong tyres could lead to speedo error.

[FUBAR]

What size tyres has it got on? Wrong tyres could lead to speedo error.

 

195/65/15's 

[peter3197]

Not that then, they are the standard size.

[FUBAR]

was looking at this thread http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/213692-speedo-instrument-cluster-problems-solved/?hl=%2Boctavia+%2Binstrument+%2Bcluster#entry3533647

 

Will keep GPS on to keep an eye on it see if it's consistent or not. Would have been one hell of a bad way to get done for speeding! 

[yesiamtom]

I expect the turbo needs a very good ragging (when hot) to clear it out, possibly even mr muscle clean. 42k miles in that many years is nothing. I expect the engine has been driven conservatively as well.

[Stinker]

Nice looking car.  Had one of these from 38K to 98K with virually no issues whatsoever except for hazard light switch, brake light switch (brings orange light on on dash) and anti roll bar bushes. Friend still driving it with no issues either. These are typically bomb proof. Oh, had water in boot well but took the boot seal off and put a bead of silicone along the lower edge before refitting seal. Sorted.

 

Sounds like you might have duff MAF or maybe a hose split/off? From memory this turbo doesn't have variable vanes so isn't prone to sticking but I may be wrong(think the 110BHP had the V/V turbo).

 

Mine was surprisingly lifty in 3rd and 4th gear especially.  I always used a good dose of Millers fuel additive. Made the engine smoother, quiter and punchier.

 

My speedo was, as you said, over optomistic by 3 or 4 mph at indicated 70mph (67 on sat nav).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Hope you get sorted.

[FUBAR]

I expect the turbo needs a very good ragging (when hot) to clear it out, possibly even mr muscle clean. 42k miles in that many years is nothing. I expect the engine has been driven conservatively as well.

With MAF unplugged seems to spool up very smoothly and with no hesitation or interruption etc What Mr Muscle are folk using and in what way exactly lol? 

 

Nice looking car.  Had one of these from 38K to 98K with virually no issues whatsoever except for hazard light switch, brake light switch (brings orange light on on dash) and anti roll bar bushes. Friend still driving it with no issues either. These are typically bomb proof. Oh, had water in boot well but took the boot seal off and put a bead of silicone along the lower edge before refitting seal. Sorted.

 

Sounds like you might have duff MAF or maybe a hose split/off? From memory this turbo doesn't have variable vanes so isn't prone to sticking but I may be wrong(think the 110BHP had the V/V turbo).

 

Mine was surprisingly lifty in 3rd and 4th gear especially.  I always used a good dose of Millers fuel additive. Made the engine smoother, quiter and punchier.

 

My speedo was, as you said, over optomistic by 3 or 4 mph at indicated 70mph (67 on sat nav).

 

Hope this helps.

 

Hope you get sorted.

I don't think it's a hose, all seem fine and the unplugging MAF makes it 20 times better. MAF off at moment but has some absolutely annoying screws on it with pins in middle needing a hallow T20 to remove the sensor itself from it's housing :( It's a BOSCH one in it so at least I can match the part number as ECP brings up about 4 different Bosch ones for my reg bahhhh. Hazard light switch has just been done according to seller and good news at 1am ish someone cancelled an MOT so I took it at 8 this morning after a 1 hour 20 min drive there and she passed with no advisories 1200 miles since last MOT. Now got MOT for just over 54 weeks :D .Will sort out MAF if cleaning it doesn't work just replace then it's belts and water pump and a full service and she is set for the next 200 years of reliability all being well. 

 

My speedo isnt being optimistic it's being pessimistic As in at 30mph indicated I would get prosecuted for speeding going by GPS so it's a good 10mph off what it should normally read as a bit under not over. :(  

[Stinker]

My speedo isnt being optimistic it's being pessimistic As in at 30mph indicated I would get prosecuted for speeding going by GPS so it's a good 10mph off what it should normally read as a bit under not over. :(

Yeah, I meant as you said it should probably be over reading, not under reading.

0-60 should be a lot less than 17 secs. From memory on the flat mine covered 30-70 mph in under 9 secs through the gears. It really punched above its weight for 90 bhp. But this was with a strong dose of Millers in it every fill. They are super reliable cars with a really meaty throttle response which I liked (for all their horsepower). It didn't go so well until I got the timing belt done and I think he advanced the timing a bit. This made it a bit noisier but it really went!

[FUBAR]

My speedo isnt being optimistic it's being pessimistic As in at 30mph indicated I would get prosecuted for speeding going by GPS so it's a good 10mph off what it should normally read as a bit under not over. :(

Yeah, I meant as you said it should probably be over reading, not under reading.

0-60 should be a lot less than 17 secs. From memory on the flat mine covered 30-70 mph in under 9 secs through the gears. It really punched above its weight for 90 bhp. But this was with a strong dose of Millers in it every fill. They are super reliable cars with a really meaty throttle response which I liked (for all their horsepower). It didn't go so well until I got the timing belt done and I think he advanced the timing a bit. This made it a bit noisier but it really went!

 

Yea 17 sec 0-60 was after unplugging MAF 46 odd before that Should return to more normal times with new one on, fingers crossed!

[Stinker]

There were a lot of imports of these in Northern Ireland around this time from the south (of Ireland), think the saving was about £2K. The UK cars had rear wash wipe, skoda radio cassette with 6 disc CD changer in the boot and air conditioning. This might be an import Fubar, not that this is necessarily a bad thing. You had to change down a gear for the air con and the pipe for the rear wash wipe could burst at a fitting behind the Cd changer!

[FUBAR]

There were a lot of imports of these in Northern Ireland around this time from the south (of Ireland), think the saving was about £2K. The UK cars had rear wash wipe, skoda radio cassette with 6 disc CD changer in the boot and air conditioning. This might be an import Fubar, not that this is necessarily a bad thing. You had to change down a gear for the air con and the pipe for the rear wash wipe could burst at a fitting behind the Cd changer!

 

HPI brought it back as not an import and V5C(NI) has it as first registered in NI. I did think that with the rear wiper initially, but am unsure now. 

[FUBAR]

Ok a little update, I got another Bosch MAF ordered same part number and the company sent me out one but box had part of lable ripped off (part with part number....) then on the MAF housing where part number is on side of it the last 3 digits have been basically shaved off...... WTF? Wasn't a cheapy one and I know exactly what one they have sent, as it looks identical to one of the 2 Bosch ones that appeared on ECP against my reg (got it from another parts place for £15 less)...... Same fit anyway and plug so I fired it on and car transformed instantly after she was warmed 0-60 in 9 seconds flat which I think is impressive for the car! 

 

Although I was met with 1 issue :( soon as it was installed and first moving car I joined main road from a 30 to a 60 zone and slowly let it accelerate through the rev range all was smooth then in 3rd at 3500rpm ish boom, what I can only describe as limp mode.... Stopped car, restarted and tried again all back to normal and drove on and on and on couldnt make it happen again. In the end when nice and warm it did it's 0-60 to see what difference was and got a good clearing of it's lungs. 

 

Does anyone know if the 1.9TDi 90bhp has a variable vane turbo? If so is Mr Muscle the way to go? Car has been driven so little in last few years and no idea how long MAF was gone for etc. Could it just have been because it was the first time it got any sort of real boost in a good while? 

 

ps. what is the score with Mr Muscle I keep reading about? 

[trundlenut]

The later 90bhp engines did have vnt turbos, so yours will have

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[mac11irl]

i believe yes, we do have VNT

Edited 15 August, 2014 by mac11irl

[FUBAR]

The later 90bhp engines did have vnt turbos, so yours will have

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

 

i believe yes, we do have VNT

 

Cheers guys, the plot thickens! Need to get rid of the other car so I can get my teeth into this one properly, my temp insurance is up as of a couple of hours ago so she is moored to the drive :( 

[Toxicvrs]

HTH http://www.briskoda.net/forums/index.php?/topic/243533-The-Mr-Muscle-VNT-Turbo-Treatment---thought-we-needed-a-guide-of-sorts

[FUBAR]

HTH http://www.briskoda.net/forums/index.php?/topic/243533-The-Mr-Muscle-VNT-Turbo-Treatment---thought-we-needed-a-guide-of-sorts

 

Cheers mucker, I had just found that and saved link. Looks like a nice enough way to go Will wait to see if it does it again before I attempt it though.