JamieH86

Cwmbran, old south Wales.

Cheers. Well I found a 1K0959455DG on eBay with all the right specs so I can have that in my back pocket if the garage says it needs replacing, or return it if not.

Amazing cheers. One thought I had, some meat on the context... a few weeks ago I had the water pump replaced and overnight the coolant level dropped as there must have been air in the system. It dropped to juuuuuust above the bottom of the tank... I could see a bit of pink fluid above the pipe out. The garage said just to top it up with water. I'd say the water content is about 750ml, sufficient to take the level from the bottom of the tank to the minimum line. When cold, the liquid sits on the minimum line. BUt now I am thinking... a) would the water be preventing adequate engine cooling, as it isn't suited to the job as much as coolant is, and b) would it do to keep the level higher than minimum (halfway say between min and max). Anyway I wonder if this is a cause for the recent increase in fan activity too so will replace coolant and see how that goes.

Cheers. It came on again earlier after a short drive to the shop; I managed to get the bonnet open in time to confirm it was only the larger of the two spinning. Then arriving back at home (again short drive!) it was on for a minute or two after switching the engine off. But it is c. 30 degrees again and low speed, local drives.

You wouldn't at all be able to identify the part number of the smaller fan, would you?

Cheers, though afraid I've not got one.

Thanks for looking. That's where it slips from "would check myself" to "haven't the time or skills and a mechanic might well laugh at me".

Sure the VIN is TMBJS21zx52065473. The fuse is ok and the small fan can be moved by hand freely so if it is meant to be running I guess the fan is just dead.

Oh by the way, my wife has offered a diagnosis of "extreme paranoia", or in other words the issue lies between the chair and the steering wheel.

Hello. Context is key: 2005 1.9 TDI estate (is estate relevant? Hmm...) Anyway for the last... let's say roughly two years I've noticed the fan is audibly running more than it used to after turning the engine off. Only for 15 seconds or so, so that isn't the issue, but it's only the larger fan. I never seem to see the smaller one on the left turning. Yesterday I had a long drive and it was about 30 degrees and the large fan ran for about a minute or two after stopping. So... I am not concerned about the large fan being on, as it operates correctly and does not get stuck on, and the engine does not overheat (never over 90 on the dial) but... should both fans run? Is the large one having to compensate which is why I've noticed the large one doing more work?

AA cars is a good place. Usually come with a new MOT, year's AA membership and warranty etc. Used Skoda Octavia cars for sale...Used Skoda Octavia cars for sale

Things that always put me off... No service history. No plate visible. Short MOTs. To be honest once you discount these three red flags, anything left is probably ok.

I suppose it's hard to answer without knowing what "reasonable mileage" means to you. Is it 100,000 miles or fewer? 150,000? These cars, at their age, will all likely have what a lot of people would consider 'high' mileage but that doesn't really mean much if you get one with a full (and I mean "lots of services" not "lots of paper") service history and proper maintenance etc. Mine is on 253,000 miles and has just been voted Car of the Year 2025 at the South Wales Car Awards. Admittedly the awards only exist in my house, so there's only one nominee, but it's still deserved I'd say.

Mine was erratic and finally died in January 2021. Might replace it soon!

Seeing as whenever I am on the M4 there are some drivers (never Skoda ones, of course!) who treat the outside lane like the Autobahn, I wonder do these cameras actually work? Are they literally snapping driver after driver after driver or are motorway cameras just interested in 100mph and up or something?

So is that suggesting the speedo is inaccurate then? If I am using Google Maps on the motorway it will show 67/68mph whilst the speedometer shows 70 - so is the GPS on Google a "true" reading then would you suggest?

I use Google Maps and the speed is usually a few mph out.

When I changed mine it was literally just under the glove box, beneath the removeable felt cover.

15 years?! That's mad. Are they backdating that to cars that are that old? Anyway mine is 3 years and 6 months old now and has done about 40,000 miles (this is a 1.9 TDI) but I only paid about £280 for the whole job, parts and labour, so I'm guessing this was not a top level belt. I've been thinking about getting it changed soon as I've got a long drive to Poland and back in July and it'd be just typical...

It's whichever comes first of 60,000 miles or four years, I think, so as yours is getting on for five years I'd probably get it done.

That's a lot, he'll want a diesel!

That's true, but not necessarily relevant. THe OP is not specifically looking for a 1.9 TDI and said his son wants something newer anyway, which means most diesels will be in play regardless of Ulez.

Most diesels ten years or younger will be Ulez or Lez compliant.

Well if it's for travelling a lot for work then that answers the petrol versus diesel question at least.

Okay, and the answer is - the cowboys that replaced the pump cross-thread on the brake pipes to the new pump (apparently this is BAD!) causing damage and a leak. The pump now needs replacing owing to this, luckily I have managed to get a second-hand one at a decent price. I will be writing to the original garage, recorded delivery, to provide suitable documentary evidence of costs incurred and requesting a refund.