octaviadan

Hi Welcome to the forum. I see that you are in Derby. I can recommend a very good Octavia man in Nottingham who will sort your car out. He is really good and definately knows his stuff and can easily set the timing on the TDI. Let me know if you want his details. Dan

Really sorry to hear that - I know how you feel as I have been in the same position "must 'ave been a gud'un" as my Dad would say.... Keep looking though - there will be one out there for you. Go for a higher spec car - avoid the basic 'classic' model. Ambiente come in 90bhp (which is adequate and gives excellent economy), Ambiente SE (as you looked at) comes in 90bhp and 130bhp PD, Elegance comes in 110bhp and from 2003 available in 130bhp PD and then the top of the range Laurin and Klement which comes with all the extra's including full leather, Xenon headlights etc. They come in 110bhp and 130PD power outputs. Earlier models come with the beige leather which does not suit all tastes (not to my liking) but from 2003 comes with a black leather interior. There is also a couple of other special edition models based on the Ambiente including 'Silverline' and 'Blueline' - both come in 90bhp form. In addition to the checks already mentioned, on any test drives make sure the turbo boosts properly and does not go into 'limp' mode. Do a search on the forum to explain what 'limp' mode is and what causes the problem - basically the variable vanes in the turbo stick due to excess build up of carbon deposits and cause overboost. The ECU will shut down the engine causing 'limp mode' so as not to destroy the engine! Dan

Only other bits you could check is that ALL four electric windows operate as they should and that the central locking works correctly. Also check the operation of the rear wash/wipe as the motors can fail (fairly common). Worth giving the air-con a check to see if that works okay and gets nice and cold on its lowest setting - if not could be just a simple re-gas. If needed get the garage to have this regassed as part of the deal. Everything is fixable but obviously the cost of putting things right adds up!! One final check would be to make sure there is no vibration felt in the cabin at tickover as this could be the dual-mass flywheel beginning to fail which is not a cheap fix (£700 minimum). At that mileage though it shouldn't be a problem. If all is well and the deal ends up being right for you then go for it! You won't regret it - be quick though as if it is a good one it won't hang around! Good luck Dan

Looks a good price if in good condition, as mileage is low. One of the last of line Octy 1's and is a special edition based on Ambiente with 130PD engine and six speed box, cruise control, controls on steering wheel for radio plus standard Ambiente spec fittings including air con, electric windows x4 and 6 stack CD system. The 130PD engine is fantastic and pretty good on fuel for the performance you get. Cambelt changes are every 60k or four years but it is important that water pump is replaced as well, so if done properly won't be ready until 100k. Dan

Check the air intake pipes from the air cleaner and associated bits to the throttle body for splits/holes. Similar happened to my brothers 2000 1.6 VW Bora. Taped up the offending areas with insulation tape as a temporary fix until a new part was sourced and sorted the problem! If this does not solve it, it could be the throttle body wanting a good clean. Dan

Does anybody else on here run a 110 TDi and a 100 TDi PD? I have a 2002 110 Elegance hatch and my wife has a 2003 100PD VW Bora S. I know the PD engine is well known for its 'punchy' performance and power/torque delivery, but the older VE pump injection engine should have 10bhp more. After driving both cars extensively, the 100PD is much quicker mid range - it would leave my 110 Elegance for dead! However fuel consumption on the 100PD is much worse - 5-10mpg typically. Just wondered whether my 110 is down on power OR the Bora has been mapped (although I have checked with both previous owners who both say that it hasn't). My Elegance has 89k on the clock (one previous owner before me); the Bora 91k. Got no issues with 'overboost', and runs well but it could be ready for a new MAF as it is the orignal. Have just had the pump IQ settings adjusted and the pressure regulating valve repaired which has made a bit of difference. Does anyone else have similar experiences? Dan

Will get a can of silicone lubricant spray this week and give it a go to see if it makes any difference - will let you know the outcome!! Dan

Thanks for the replies guys!! (Sorry it took me a while to respond - been away) I did lube the hinges with spray ptfe grease, which actually made it worse! Think dannyboy759 is right, however I have rocked the door but their appears to me no play in it. Are the hinge pins easy to replace? I remember Mk1 Granada and Mk4/5 Cortina front doors had a habit of this but the door dropped and you could feel the play in the door when you rocked it, however replacement of the top pin was relatively easy by drifting a new pin in from the top OR replace the entire hinge from a rear door of a scrap car which obviously hasn't had the weight or the use of the fronts! Dan

My 2002 Elegance hatch has developed an annoying 'creaking' noise from the nearside front door when going over certain bumps in the road etc. Before I start stripping door panels off, has anyone got an idea what it could be? Hoping it is something easy and simple to fix.... Thanks in anticipation Dan

Works great now, thanks Dan

The .pdf link for the file appears to be duff as I can't get it to open - states 'there was a problem reading this document (109)' Dan

Definately should be a 'sticky'. Would like to know the best way to tackle the job like what tools are required, do you remove the turbo plus exhaust manifold from the top or the bottom, plus any other potential headaches (i.e. snapped/sheared studs etc). Dan

A full 'how to' step by step guide is required to do this job please!! Dan

Well mine is the original one (clutch and flywheel) and has just turned 158k this week. Can't comment whether they are any better than Ford's etc, but really the life of these will depend on many factors like how it has been driven by previous owners and if it has been used for heavy towing etc. Dan

Well mine has which has the ALH engine fitted (2001 Ambiente). Are you having problems? Dan

Had exactly the same problem as you last year on my 2001 1.9TDi Ambiente (there should be my posts on here about this somewhere), as my rear cylinder actually popped on the MOT ramp! Managed to get home but brakes were to the floor. I replaced the offending wheel cylinder (offside) and bled with Gunson's Eezibleed, but could not get a decent pedal. The only solution was to fit a new master cylinder, which cured the problem. I think that once the brake pedal has gone to the floor, this inverts the seals for them never to return to their proper seating. The master cylinder is only about £70ish from TPS so not too expensive. Dan

Greg123, a member on here runs Small Engine - see his website www.small-engine.co.uk. He is based in Nottingham off Bells Lane, not far from J26 M1 off A610. Greg is a great bloke - knows his stuff, is very helpful and definately won't rip you off!! He has done various pieces of work on both my Octavia and the wife's Fabia, both TDI's. Highly recommended!! Anyway your cambelt should not need changing until 120k so you have another 30k to do yet!! All the best Dan

Hi I have owned a 2001 90bhp Ambiente for nearly 2 1/2 years and have covered 48k in that time (got 153k on the clock now). I have a 35 mile commute and consisently achieve 60+mpg (according to on-board computer). Some trips have recorded upto 70mpg (again according to the on-board computer). Most driving is open road with the last 5miles or so is City driving and I do put my foot down on the open road! 44mpg sounds far too low for your car. Have you had codes read off the ECU to see if it has logged any faults? I would also check: - Air filter (change 10-20k miles, don't leave to the recommended 40k!) - MAF sensor (common fault) - change fuel filter - check timing on VAG-COM - Vac hose pipes for turbo If your car is fitted with VNT turbo (mine is despite most people saying that 90 ALH engine is not fitted with a VNT turbo) then you could have a problem with slightly sticky vanes. I had a similiar problem sticking in underboost, only slightly, but knocked off performance and fuel consumption, but has since sorted itself out. Again this can be checked for efficiency on VAG-COM. There is also something that can be checked on the fuel pump itself - something Greg123 checked for me and adjusted, but for the life of me can't remember what it was, which also can affect fuel consumption and performance. We also own a 2002 Fabia 100PD and the Octavia is far more economical - the Fabia struggles to get 50mpg! Dan

TPS prices for genuine (made by Valeo) are around £11 a set inc VAT BUT the last two sets (one set I had changed FOC) have been p*** poor quality, so I won't be buying them again! Bosch sets I find are the best - I have had a set on my Octavia for over 16 months and are still okay - they were about £15 a set from Eurocarparts. Dan

I will give it an OD on Millers. Super diesel seems quite hard to find in my area but will find some! I will check and if necessary clean the EGR and blank off - my Octavia (non-PD) ran better and cleaner with the EGR blanked. Dan

Air filter changed when new MAF fitted. I have given it one dose of Millers Diesel Sport 4 but I will give it an 'overdose' of the stuff - made my Octavia better when I did this. It seems as though I have done all the necessary stuff but to no avail! Possibly a good long run may sort it out? Dan

New genuine MAF fitted (has been tested for efficiency and is working spot on) just before Christmas and new (genuine) fuel filter fitted mid January! Oil change as well with Quantum Platinum two weeks ago! Could be temp sensor but nothing has been logged on VAG-COM and has been scanned at least 4-5 times of late. Dan