ShoooRn

Hi all, so I'm sadly begining to think it's time me and my Mk1 octavia part ways. The trusty Mk1 hatch has done me through many trips all over the UK and through Europe and has never let me down once which is more than can be said for previous cars despite my Mk1 now having clocked over 159k! I bought the car on 82k so it shows you how far it's come with me. It's a two owner too so it's clearly been loved by us both. Now I've moved house and had a little one I want a little more space and a bit more economy with a little ease of use. I've been hunting for a Mk3 TDI DSG Estate for a while now but it'll need the following: Xenons, cruise control and heated seats. Aslong as it has the above I'll be well away into what will hopefully be another 5 years of happy Skoda ownership! I've found a car I like... in actual fact I found it about 3 weeks ago so the fact it's still sitting around has got me doubting the car. Anything I should be looking for on the Mk3 TDI VRS' guys and gals? Cheers all!

Cheers for response. I did indeed have a genuine VAG sensor on order from TPS it currently is living at home on my garage floor (in a box) awaiting instalation. On the journey back from TPS I disconnected my MAF and low and behold got all my boost back alongside no surging. I got home and ordered a BOSCH maf from GSF. Picked up the MAF saturday and the car drove ten times better, still a bit of a surge but no hesitance and no kangaroo-ing. Next weekend I'm boost hose checking, oil pickup pipe replacing etc etc.

Probably common as muck these two but a little back story. I've had a boost issue for a while, would kangaroo and boost surge from Low RPM, then came a flat spot out of nowhere (make boost then drop off) so figured the N75 valve had failed. On driving to work last friday the car bogged down at 70mph and had an almost intermitment backfire. Getting back on the throttle it was hesitant. It then continued fine but if I tried to accelerate past 3000rpm the car would increase in noise but acceleration would drop off. This seems like a boost hose leak (more pressure=expansion in the hose forcing a leak) but there is no noise to say so. I changed the N75 valve Sunday and reset the codes. Codes still standing: O2 sensor fail (lambda; I am running a decat). Coolant temp sensor fail - I changed this two years ago and the code came back within a Day so ignored since then. Driving after the N75 has made the power flatter - there is no surge midrang the power is consistent but the car always feels a little restricted like it's lost some boost as opposed to before, the power is just smoother but not as rushed it is strange. My issues still standing: The car still wants to cut out and hesitates on startup, especially when reversing. It sounds like it's running a lumpy cam. When I say on startup this is after the SAI has closed (so 2mins idle then go to pull away). The boost feels restricted - no noticeable extra smoke on hard WOT driving. If I shift down mid driving and get back on the throttle it acts as though it is trying to stall. I still have some kangaroo-ing low down balanced only by the occasional rev. Temp gauge is no longer getting to 90 unless idling on a very hot day possible stuck thermostat? My plans for this weekend: Service, oil and filter with sparks Change coolant temp sensor Try to clean MAF. Thoughts: Could the MAF be playing up but not showing up a fault via the OBD? Would that cause the hesistance? Could a coil be playing up causing hesistance on downshifting? Could a exhaust manifold blow cause these things? Could a worn turbo bearing cause hesistance? Is the turbo finally gone (149k) Any help greatly appreciated.

Update So I took the car to CMC in Northampton above and they stated it was normal turbo operation - for a while last year I ran with the standard airbox on and noticed a drop in performance and MPG so went back to CAI and lived with the noise until June this year where I took it to VRS Northampton - they diagnosed an issue with the DV valve sticking and replaced the PCV hose. Drove away - all good and then I hear it again 10mins into driving. Frustrated and a further £100 out of pocket I live with it whilst I go to the Ring. I'm determined to find it so: my SAI is gone - it hisses on startup and I need to wait 3mins or it will kangaroo the car. Could this squeal on WOT? on part throttle at low RPM (coming onto boost) the car will spike (no squeal) could their be air coming in from a mani leak forcing the turbo to spin quicker at low RPM? I run a decat but occasionally recently with AC/heating on I can smell the emissions enter the vehicle unless recirculate is selected before I stop the vehicle - I wonder if a crack is formed in the mani? Now I can't visibily see any cracks in the manifold but I don't want to replace parts willy nilly to not solve it. I feel I've done that a few times already. Any ideas? Octabus - I have changed to the standard airbox a few times now and whilst the sound is quieter it does not fully go away. I cannot see any splits in the intercooler plumbing and the garages have yet to find any either.

As some of you may know I'm going to revert back to OEM suspension on the Octavia. I've sorted the dampers and I'm set on Bilstein B4's but Ideally I want RS suspension springs that are the same as stock (which is proving difficult to find). I've tried TPS and I've tried ebay for OEM springs but I'm struggling. Does anyone know where I can purchase OEM springs from? I love how my ST suspension sits but the ride is just too stiff for me at present. Failing that whats the ride like on Eibachs?

Little update; Service and new pipes inbound: So the octy had it's 123,000 mile service on Monday. Brand new Bosch filter and Quantum oil. Car is running sweet but still with that boost leak. Car pulls hard still and at present feels very fast but my economy is still poor. So I went to VRS performance in Northampton. The guys did another boost leak check and found that it's coming from one of the pipes off the inlet that go down near the dipstick; not ideal and they've stated a price of £100 to replace - it's an easy enough job but I just needed the boost leak check as it's doing my head in! I have just ordered the pipes that come off the inlet and will replace as soon as they arrive. I'm hoping that pulling off all the hoses will help me identify the issue and see if there's any more splits but we will see! I've got a new dipstick tube to come too as it's likely it'll snap. It's the PCV system that is causing the leak - annoyingly if R-Tech were to map the car I'd get the system deleted but hey ho!

Hi all, probably a while since I've posted up on here sadly! The octy has been a trooper soaking everything I threw at him and getting the right sort of attention too! I've since taken it to Santa Pod (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atw94S39Hew) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5UqUtbfwMA) I've also been to Trax and a few other shows so some of you may have seen it around and about: So after about 15k of the Octavia being on the KW ST suspension I'm finding that the ride isn't as comfortable as it once was or that my body is getting older and for the extra mileage I'm starting to do in the octy it's probably about time I went for something softer... so whilst I have loved the KW ST Suspension (the look it gives is spot on and the handling is perfect for the smooth twisty stuff). I think it's about time I went softer so I'm eyeing up Bilstein B4 suspension and VRS springs and debating whether to go for it. Sadly I also had been having thoughts of selling and going diesel... but the petrol roar and the reliability of my octy makes me want to keep it... even if I have been getting 30mpg average. Hi fella sadly I do not have any pics of the bay with the one red silicone hose fitted so I may not be of help even if I did grab a shot. And another pic to tie you over:

I wholeheartedly agree which is what put me off a few months ago. Lots of good points gents - but yes diesel is finally being picked up in our country as being worse for the local environment but I'm not 100% when tax is going to change. My mileage is 14-16k in just the octy, around 5k in the S2000 and about 2k in the girlfriends Lupo. I think in reality I need to use the Fiance's Lupo a hell of a lot more for the local around town stuff rather than doing the easy fun thing and jumping in the octy each time but I just enjoy driving the Octavia a hell of a lot more. Reason I changed from the focus TDCI in the first place was despite having a track/weekend car I often found myself miserable and bored in the focus as the lack of a soundtrack did my head in. I know full well that in the near future I'll be looking at a 335D for the daily stuff but until then I do think it makes sense to stick with the petrol VRS.

So I've been working out my MPG the last few weeks and after running a lot of work pool derv cars during the week I've been realizing that sitting at 60mph on the motorway just to see reasonable economy from my Mk1 VRS is really not ideal (trip computer says 40mpg typically). Now the octy is mildly breathed on but lately my average mpg figure (pump to pump) has been around the 30mpg mark which means I'm spending more time at the pump then I'd like. Now I wouldn't normally consider this but as I currently have a S2000 in the garage waiting for the summer months to return I'm thinking of going back to Diesel but I don't really want to go backwards (I had a focus TDCI sport mapped to 138bhp previously) so ideally would want more power or similar to the Mk1 octy VRS for my daily driver. The big issue for me is that if I can find a diesel that achieves 40mpg I'll be making a saving of about £900 by the time I marry my fiancé in less than a year which will go a long way to the honeymoon fund. Ideally I don't want to spend a penny so whatever I get for the Octavia I'll be throwing at the next car. My options: 1. Fabia VRS mk1 - look after it then map to get it on par with the octy. 2. Ibiza Cupra PD160 - Leave stock and enjoy a car I remember from my days at University. 3. Keep the octy - drive conservatively for a year on the commute and enjoy the noise of a petrol. My octy is not mapped but it does run a decat, a miltek full system, R-Tech open cone, and seems to have a small boost leak about 4k (which doesn't help). Thoughts ladies and gents?

I know this seems to be a common fault but I can get my headlights to angle down but they refuse to go back up again... I presume the motor is knackered. Anyone else experienced down but not up? Cheers all!

So doing my morning breakfast reading and as usual I read the thread of the day. Again an Octy VRS makes it's way to the pages. This one on 130k but sitting at £850! This to me seems too cheap. Now the octy vrs is without a doubt one of the better cars on the VW platform with the 1.8 20vT engine. So I'm not sure what to make of the price of this one. I remember 150k cars going for nearly 2k a year ago. Surely we've not had the octy mk1 depreciate that much. I also wonder how many VRS' are still on the road (How many left is useless)? I appear to be the only corrida red in my local area and I see no other octy's on my commute although someone has just bought an early corrdia red at work. Thoughts ladies and gents? http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1588160

Hi Guys - cheers for the post. Regarding the grill I actually have a silver grill that I bought from the bay the other week. I just need to spray it up and be happy with it. I'm going to start this at the weekend. Will upload pics when i finish. Regarding the KW suspension I think I bought it from Awesome GTI or DPM performance. I remember I had to speak on the phone but thats all I remember: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155426088810311&l=d849826caa Was hoping that image would help. On the road again... So I left work at 4.30pm with the intention of getting to GSF and then getting to my home to fix the car. Sadly this was not to be as the car decided to breakdown on me and become undriveable in a village near work. I called the nice chap from Greenflag and then got him to drive me back to pick up the coils and back to the car again to get it fitted. Once in the car was up and running again and I was a happy chappy! Going to fit the other three coils at the weekend in the daylight and will comment if they feel any different.

This will look so smart on the coilies. I love the mods done so far; it is nice to see another red daily vrs. I'd love to be running stage two power and to see that you've got it back to its urgency with the map that it had previously is a big win for me!

When your coils don't work like they used to before... 08/03/2016 So I've still got the squeal from the car on boost and on taking it to the Garage their analysis was... "Normal boost noise" which I know it isn't. I'm looking at orderring a oversized TIP and going from there as I believe my OE pipe has a small leak at present. Then to make matters worse this morning I went to get on boost coming off the motorway and the car startered splutterring and vibrating as though it had a violent misfire. I am pretty confident that it's the coils and I'm also pretty confident they're OE so at 113k they've lasted a good while! I've got a set of four bolt down units on order from GSF that I'll grab after work tonight; felt it better to replace them as the car will be mapped this year. In other news I'm looking at getting my saxo track car back on the road again this year. Hell of a lot of work to be done but good regardless and alot of fun!

So I took it to the garage, the garage seem to think it's normal for the turbo and just been amplified through the new CAI. To me its still high pitched but if its not the turbo on its last legs its happy days.