ndicki

I have to replace the rear left-hand side parking sensor on my 2004 Octy II, and as they seem - seem! - to have changed the type of sensor used, I'm not sure what the part number is. As I don't want to strip out the existing one until I have a new one to replace it with, I can't just take a look that easily! Also, can they be changed easily without removing the whole bumper? Anybody able to let me know? Thanks!

This sounds exactly like what my August 2004 140 TDi has been doing. None of the dealerships I've seen could tell me anything - I had the crankshaft argument and ignored it on the principle that A. it failed to convince, and B. it really did fail to convince. And in between times, I had the clutch, flywheel and cylinders replaced. Possibly unnecessarily. Then someone mentioned a thingy in the gearbox (in French, which didn't help, so I have no idea what it might be) which sounded more convincing. Anyway, the long and the short is that the gearbox packed up completely yesterday and the car has to go in anyway. Wait and see what they find... Says he, quailing at the idea of shelling out a load more cash for nothing.

I LIKE IT! Miles nicer than the blue... (Runs away before the others can lynch him...) Makes me wonder - it was bad enough fantasising about a yellow or an anthracite grey one. Now I've got three to dream about! Just checked - you can have Platingrau as well - Platinum Grey, I expect it is in English. Less exciting, that one.

Thanks - very good informative answers there. I'm not a mechanic, so I'd lose out there, but I tend to keep my cars for quite a long time, so I get used to the idea of 'investing' in them to keep them in decent nick. Oil changes I can manage of course, but more than that might be a bit challenging, with or without the Haynes Manual! As far as fuel consumption is concerned, the increase is perhaps not as bad as that, as I do more fast roads than short distances, so it wouldn't be too bad compared to my +/- 6 litre/100kms AZV Octy. Also I understand that the older diesels including the 2.5 will accept biofuels - I used to run my old MkI 90cv Octy on 75% chip oil for three seasons a year. That made some difference! As petrol is 30% more expensive than diesel oil here, petrol is doubly out. But I like a car to have a decent top speed and bags of acceleration, so the PD130 is not the car for me despite its many qualities. And I go to Germany a lot! I agree about the Tiptronic - I had a go with a 2.5 Tiptronic a couple of years ago, and found it sluggish. The manual, on paper at least, looks dead good. As I live in France (few 2.5 manuals to be found) I'd be looking for a car in Germany where A: they are reasonably common and not overpriced, and B: people look after their cars properly... L&K or Praha models - Continental specs - are findable at a reasonable price.

I'm hacked off... with the more recent engine types which just haven't been lucky for me at all. I've had to fork out a lot of cash to keep my 2004 PD140 Octy 2 on the road, and when it finally gives up as it soon will at not much more than 260,000km, I'm hesitating between a new CR-engined Octy or Superb 2, or stepping back to the old V6 Superb 1. If it's anything like the old MkI 90PS 1.9 Octy I sold not long ago after my wife used it to test every concrete bollard for miles around, it's unkillable, while the more recent Skodas just don't comvince me that I'm not going to end up with high repair bills sooner than I ought to. OK, it's still not French-standard drop-to-bits, but they don't seem to me to be as solid as the older generation. What say you? Am I wrong, and should I get a new CR-engined car, or might there be something in what I feel, and I would do better to pick up a second hand manual V6 2.5...?

I love the responsivity of the PD140 engine at the right revs in my 2004 Octy 2, but I've had a knackered turbo, porous cylinder head (2004 build) and possibly a bad crankshaft bearing, all around 250,000 km. Let's just say that it isn't the older generation of engines which soldiered on for ever...

And yet the 2.5 v6 163PS has a reputation for leaking oil everywhere and generally being sub-par... Or at least, when I ran a search for reliability, it came out badly. The old 1.9 used on the Octy MkI, I'd agree with - indestructible, though pretty sober to drive. One of mine went to 330,000km before I sold the car, and the other to 250,000 (written off vandalised). Never any trouble with either.

What about if you simply take the thing off and refit if necessary prior to the MOT test? Would that affect performance positively, and get around the problem?

Nasty traits... Not sure. I can't say for the 170, never having driven one, but the 140 is a total blast! If you're not expecting it, it really does jerk your head back a bit when it hits the band. You soon get used to it, and learn when to change gears and avoid it if you don't want it.

It's still bloody awful!

My 2004 BKD PD140 is a... well, my older one has done 250,000 kms, but with a porous cylinder head, broken turbo and now as far as I can see, a dodgy crankshaft... My old 1999 1.9 90cv MkI Octy went to 320,000km, admittedly with a totally gummed-up turbo (but semi-decent performance up to about 60 mph all the same, which you won't get from a PD engine once the turbo stops cooperating) AND I could run it on 70% chip oil. Mistake to sell the thing, although as the wife had been driving it for a couple of years, there wasn't a single vertical body panel without at least one dent in, and the front and rear spoilers were hanging on by little more than blind faith...

Exactly the info I needed - thanks. Bit dark to do it now, but I'll give it a look tomorrow. Now what I need is a nice wooden gear knob...

OK, got you so far... It's getting the plate up that's not easy. Don't want to risk bits of flying plastic! Any special technique?

Bump! Somebody must know - this is one place where brute force and ignorance - my usual technique - could cost me a lot of money...