sjdean

Apparently they only put a thimble full of petrol on. It's also not TSI only FSI. But even so, I think because of GDI, they do have a HPFP too. Im guessing HPFP shouldn't really run dry. One of the guys started it., pulled it out, stopped the engine. Only 30 seconds. Couldn't start it after that. Had to crank it long time! Thought maybe I just wasn't used to the starting procedure and it had got flooded or something so thought nothing of it. And the starting issue on return from the test drive sounded plausible lack of fuel. But knowing that could be anything... yeah.... i'll back away slowly. I think Im now between two choices, keeping my old car and spending £2k to get a recon engine, carbon wrap for the door pillars, new rear bumper a good valet, two rear tyres, stainless exhaust and I should be good to go! And the other choice, I just can't rule out the Passat.

How about the starting issue?

Thanks for that willydog. Got it back to the garage after a test drive (2m), tried all the gadgets. Switched off, took a look round the car. THen couldn't get the thing to start. But it was either being empty on fuel or as the guy said, immobiliser was on. I seem to do half tests without pushing the issue, then come back issues and then wish I had done an extended test. Grrr. Haven't ruled it out yet, but definitely want to check the starting over. Quite happy with the performance of it. Just hoping the MPG is going to be there. Got up to 32mpg on the drive around town. But my car was giving 38mpg on the way back. And this is my problem, trying to find something of equal calibre to mine. Double Grrrr. Simon

Didn't notice any of that to be honest. Certainly no steam or smoke on startup, looked good, coolant, which Im hoping was the red stuff in the round bowl on the left of the engine bay looked OK through the window. Didn't think to check the dipstick. As for condensation, do VAG design their engines differently to Nissan? I've never seen that problem on my Nissan, or, so far, any other car I've seen so far. It was very light though on this. But that, with the starting issue, put me off a little bit. Seems both are common issues though and not worth worrying about? Simon

Looked at a Skoda Octavia 2.0 FSI from 2005 today. 75k on the clock. Nice nice. Pulls away really well, feels nicely solid, not lumbering. Bit concerned about it taking 10 revolutions of the starter to fire up, my Primera starts up on the first click. But hey ho, maybe just a characteristic of the car, maybe lack of fuel, it has been stuck round a forecourt. Then I check under the oil filler cap, eek, creamy residue. Not white, just a sort of creamy brown colour. Not very much at all though. Alarm bells start ringing. Then I come to this forum and find that this is now a common occurrence on Petrol Engines that aren't thrashed around? How in the? I've never seen that on any petrol engine car I've driven, and I've driven all kinds of journeys. What gives with VW Design? Stupidly I never checked the dip stick, but in all honesty, these two issues together, should I be worried about? Im totally sick of looking at cars now. If I don't get the passat, Im keeping mine and changing the engine! SImon

Trouble is MrGrump, the 05/06 Passats, PD engines, 2.0 version, 140/170 bhp - potential problems left right and centre. Just tried the Skoda 2.0 FSI, nice, pulls well, great car to drive. Then I looked under the oil filler cap. A slight bit of creamy chocolate mayo. Also took about 10 seconds to start the blasted the thing. Otherwise that would have been perfect. Eek. Simon

I come from a Primera SE. Hard to find another decent Primera SE. I don't necessarily have £8k to spend, it all depends on MPG too. If there's no savings on fuel or road tax, then all Im spending is £4k tops. If I got some saving on Diesel, I can make adjustments to the budgets. Im working out costs of ownership over four years based on tax, servicing, loan repayments, fuel costs, residual resale value etc, and both the Octy and Passat are working out around £270 a month over four years in costs. I don't particularly want to be paying a car off over four years, £4k is more preferable, unless it's a car I really really want. Why have I narrowed it down to those two? I think the answer is in the question. I've narrowed it down to those two after looking at others. People have said avoid Ford Mondeo Mk4. Nice car I must admit, I can't see any evidence why, hugely reliable by all accounts. But Im not awfully comfortable inside, very bulky. Had a good chance at a £5k one, but someone said avoid the earlier models of the Mk4, and anything after that is £1k more on so forth. So once Im upto £6k on a car, you know, why not go the extra year and get the car I want? PD Engined Passats, not great Im informed, and earlier models had problems with EPB. Makes sense to stick with CR engine. 1.9 engined B5.5/B5 Passats are more expensive to insure than a B6 Passat. The Octavia would be good in 1.9 equivalent of an earlier or later vintage, but... Im against re-chipping the thing and then having to deal with the already high insurance. Iffy about the 2.0 PD Skoda's for the same reason as the VW, and Skoda Octavia CR engines are probably just as expensive as their Passat counterparts. Honda Civic has an overwhelmingly complicated dash, don't like it. Peugeot 407, I feel Im miles away from the front of the car and couldn't get comfortable. Ride was rough in a Prius and sluggish in 0-30. Maybe a duff one. The Avensis (2005 shape) has a big hunk of plastic in the drivers footwell interfering with big feet otherwise 1.8 VVT T3-X min spec would be on the cards, but those are quite expensie anyhow for the same vintage. Vectra is too plasticky. Mk3 Petrol Mondeo is a possibility. Qashcai is too expensive and the Nissan Cube apparently isn't so good on the juice. So I really only want to spend £4k max, closer to £3k. That will put me in the 2 year category to pay off. But as I say, if its a case that I can save £40 a month on fuel, well, there's anothing £1k on the budget! If it has the radio I want, there's £500 also on the budget. Im overcomplicating this and instead of just picking a figure out, Im looking at everything as part of the budget. Though it makes sense to me. If I went for a £4k - loads around, but quite a few give appalling MPG. I think there are some 5L VW Phaetons around somewhere for that price bracket :-)

My plan so far, is, unless I hear anything different, or any major update, something that Im wasting my time with the Skoda and should go with the Passat for economy and CR engines are OK... then, Im going to test drive the Skoda, if I like it, I like it, I buy it. If not, i buy the Passat. Must admit the Passat does strike me as a very big car, like the Mondeo. Would be a bit worried about its agility.

How about a 2005 Octavia for £3k? Worth a punt? Bit wary about going older, but wary about high price diesel repairs. I realise everything or nothing could happen. But it's a risk none the less. Grrr. Going to take a look at the Skoda tomorrow unless anyone can please please please give me an idea why I should avoid a 2.0 FSi which is has two new drive shafts, or a reason to take the Passat :-)

My car knows it's due for the scrap heap in the sky and has stopped smoking on startup the day Im due to change it. Assuming it continues to go wrong, my choice is betweenba 2005 Skoda Octavia, 2.0 FSI Petrol 150bhp with 70k miles for £3.5k. Or a 2009 VW Passat 2.0 TDI 140bhp with 80k for £8k. I really want the Passat, but it will take four years to pay off. The Skoda would take 2 years. The Skoda wins on that. The Skoda would need a Bolero head unit (RCD510), new CAN Gateway and MDI Interface totalling around £500, I'd probably need 4 new tyres too - I don't run around on rubbish. The Passat would only need the MDI interface, so wins on that. Im struggling to decide which one to go for. I destroyed several petrol engines previously, and I think it was eventually determined it was through high revving, not red-lining, and not for length, but just really hard driving. Maybe a strong diesel is better? Taking into account economy, tax, MPG, radio costs, servicing and residuals, over four years, both cars work out even. The Skoda is now 8 years old which could be at the age where it will start to have problems. The VW is Diesel and only 3 years old, but we all know about high costs for those parts. The Skoda would get 27 to 31 mpg around town, the CR if reports are correct between 35 to 39. I just can't decide. Paying a car off in two years is a big plus, but at the end of two years, if I want another car in two years time, I need to save money! So it works out even. I have an old car, and I know old cars need work like exhausts, brake disks and pads, cv joints etc. The Skoda looks like a smaller car, so might be more fun to drive. The Passat though is the car I want, but with high price potential failures like DMF, DPF and injectors, it's a bit concerning. I do 12k a year but people say that's not enough for a diesel. It used to be 10k, and I've seen people say anything between that and 30k! I still think on 12k, I could save between £30 to £50 on fuel. If my current car is anything to go by, which being a Petrol 1.8, shows to be getting around 35mpg on the motorway vs 29mpg around town, then diesel could be a massive saving. So.... So far Skoda wins, quicker to pay back, simpler, relative known quantity with MPG VW would win if I could be fairly sure I wouldn't have lots of expensive repairs and get a good MPG. With everything so firmly split down the middle, need some thoughts... What should I go for? Thanks Simon

The concensus seems to be that while this IS a problem, not everyone is affected. So 50/50. Maybe even better. I realise Im getting annoying, I just don't part with money too easily. Thanks SImon

Dammit. I thought Petrols were supposed to be simpler. And the price to super unleaded adds an extra £10 a month. Depends on MPG as well. If I only get 27mpg round town... ooh.... eeeh.... ahhh.....

Still trying to find the "perfect" car. So, the Carbon Build up problem on the FSI, what I haven't quite got a grip on, is what the incidence of this is? I mean frankly if I have to run the stupid thing on super unleaded and what not, and thrash it every weekend and it doesn't like short journeys, I may as well buy a CR TDI. But is the carbon build up just a scare story? In a 2005 vintage of 2.0 FSI in the Octavia (and yes, FSI, not TFSI, not TSI), how common is the carbon build up? Or should I look to put £500 quid away every couple of years for a head decoking? Simon

I've done those sums, and the Diesel wins on fuel, wins on tax, but ... Ok this is where my argument falls flat on face because Im comparing a 2005 FSI Skoda to a 2010 CR Passat. £3k for the former, £8k for the latter. But over four years of ownership, the Skoda wins out. Big problem, will I really achieve the 39mpg round town that is reported in the Passat without DPF issues? Ummm. Don't know. Too risky to sink £8k in....

Good question. i guess ultimately, at the 12,000 mile mark, I sit comfortably between Diesel and Petrol. The VAG PD Engines (140+) I've heard, umm, mixed reports over and I'd rather best avoid. The Mondeo PSA lumps don't offer fantastically great economy to justify the expense, and with the added complications of DPF filters and DMF's, Im a bit cagey when my work journeys are 10 mile either way coupled with lots of other shorter journeys. However I do have a fair few motorway journeys, but I'd hate to have the more expensive CR engine or at least something with a DPF that will get clogged. So finding that one car that covers all bases seems to be a bit hit and miss for me at the moment. I'd have another Primera in a shot if I could find a good SE spec under £2k and less than 80k on the clock. You may ask why not just a 1.9 TDI Octy, yes, except for unlike the Passat B5 or the Audi A4/A6, they don't have the 130 BHP equiv which I'd be looking for. Sadly the examples of those I've seen for £3k-£4k are very ropey and poor repairs to rear end shunts. So far the better example is the FSI, but people are telling me the TFSI has better economy, but Im seeing no proof of this so far, either via the ratings on AutoTrader, or apparently, as borne out of the forum comments.