Big Sheep
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Posts posted by Big Sheep
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Brian69, the wheels on the polo are 'Serron' black diamond cut alloys.
I've now had two weeks ownership of the polo and I'm enjoying it but it is quiet a bit different in character to the Fabia. On my commute to work I can get upto 40 mpg if driven reasonably carefully. If you drive it like you stole it, it will return mid twenties (never saw that on the vRS) but saying that the GTI actually tends to encourage sensible driving. The manual box is actually very good to use with a short, slick throw although the spacing of the ratios could be better. I much prefer a DSG when stuck in town traffic but on an open road manual is better. Seats are very comfortable, there are no shakes or rattles and it has much more of a premium feel compared to the Skoda. Not sure I would have paid full price for one of these but I got a reasonable deal on a nearly new. Time will tell whether this will be a long term keeper.
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Estate Man, maybe your not getting my concern. I've never before considered using an after market warranty company prior to owning the vRS. The 'complex' technology on this car was a selling point and the 'VAT free' deal made it something of a bargain. However, after 5 years of ownership I had concerns with the long term reliability of the twin charger engine and the DSG gearbox. Problems with the 7 speed dry clutch DSG are well documented. What is the point of buying a warranty from Warranty Direct when they can refuse a claim on wear or tear whether or not wear and tear can actually be proven to have been the root cause?
Could they also refuse a claim if the car had a pre-existing condition such as high oil consumption? The more you drill down into the small print from these companies the less attractive they are.
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I've only had the car for 5 months/ 6k miles so currently going down the Consumer Rights path with arnold clark to try get a repair as it's before 6 months, but of course they've never heard of it etc, so I'm not holding out much hope. Likewise, had a warrenty with warrenty direct, and even though they state they cover automatic clutches, they don't with the dry clutch dsg, just bit of warning for all!
Independent garage has done a bit of work on 1.4tsi's, but mainly engine and admittedly not much with gearbox, but he found a fault code and reckons all symptoms are consistent with the clutch pack and not the mech unit.
Warranty Direct don't cover dry clutch DSGs !!! How many get out clauses do these sharks have? I've just traded in my vRS after over 5 years of ownership (backed up with a Skoda extended warranty). It was a tough decision. I was going to keep the car and get cover through Warranty Direct or Warranty Wise because of concerns over engine/DSG long term reliability. I'm now glad I let the car go even though my wallet is hurting.
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Thanks Dan. I have to say that I have found advisors at Adrian Flux generally knowledgable and helpful, which is more than can be said for certain car insurers. Best for kit car insurance as well.
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If my existing 15" winter wheels don't sell this weekend I'll try one on the front of the Polo to see if it fits and clears the brakes.
I was working on the fact that the German TUV winter tyre approvals for the Polo GTI are for 195/50R16 or 205/45R16 tyres. VW market 16" winter wheels for this car. I don't want to fall foul on insurance.
The TUV Serienbereifung winter tyre approval for the Fabia II CAVE (vRS) is 185/55R15 85H M+S - therefore 15" rims. One advantage of this is you get a very comfortable ride in the winter on the much fatter tyres!
As it stands it is damn difficult to get insurers to cover alternative wheel sizes for winter tyres without upping your premium for a 'modification'. So far I have got Adrian Flux, Axa and Swiftcover to send me statements to say that they will cover me without any extra charge. Iincredibly some companies have refused to offer cover.
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After 5 years and 4 months I have decided to move on from my Fabia vRS. This has been a very difficult decision as it has been one of the most enjoyable cars I have owned (I'll even forgive it the engine change after high oil consumption in the early days!). As a fast commuting to work car it was perfect and in my opinion the 1.4 twin charger engine / DSG gearbox combination is hard to beat for speed, excitement, safe overtaking, relaxing town driving and economy. The car always looked great in green and black and remained a rare beast in my neck of the woods.
So what did I go for as a replacement? I narrowed the choice down to the Fiesta ST, new Polo GTI or even a MX5 Mk4. In the end I part exchanged the vRS for a nearly new Polo 1.8 GTI with manual gearbox. This is similar but in a way a more grown up car, which can be relaxed and comfortable to drive when you want it to be. Many things are better such as the headlights, interior trim and 'info-tainment' system. The torque from the 1.8 engine is impressive. Handling is good enough. Reliability should be better than the Fabia vRS. I'm learning to have to change gear again!
Negatives are fuel consumption (early days), less storage space and on some bad roads the ride can be a little choppy. It is however a great car to drive and looks much better than the Fiesta ST (the ride also is not as harsh).
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i was told by skoda uk on the phone and by the garage that the engine no matter when changed is only covered up until the original warranty runs out, the garage that did the engine replacement cover now this is the important bit (THEIR WORKMANSHIP) for an extra amount of time i think its a year don't quote me on it so if the engine fails as a result of dodgy workmanship the garage will sort it out
Don't accept what they tell you. I was told much the same at first. Read my comments above and get writing! Those that don't ask don't get.
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Many vRS owners who have had replacement engines have managed to get extended warranties from SUK, but only after asking (via email or letter is best). Otherwise nothing will be given beyond the normal 3 year warranty. I initially got a one year non-transferable warranty on the car following the new engine but this was upgraded to a 2 year transferable extended warranty after I suffered the inconvenience of further problems with the car. Again I had to write a strongly worded email. Use phrases such as "I have lost confidence in the car" and "lost faith in the brand".
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No contest. It has to be the vRS!!! (with a 5 year extended warranty of course).
The Mk3 just doesn't interest me and isn't a drivers car.
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Interesting listening to the You and Yours report concerning the 2.0 litre TFSI. A few comments worth repeating here: -
Owners in the UK with oil consumption issues receiving widely varying treatment from Audi.
Audi state that up to 0.5 litre oil consumption per 620 miles is considered acceptable.
Owners are finding that oil consumption can get worse as the car approaches 5 years old.
Some are experiencing very high consumption (1 litre per 300 miles).
Owners in the US brought a court action against Audi.
Audi agreed a settlement whereby effected cars would be repaired and warranties extended to 8 years.
Audi avoided having to admit in court that there was a design fault with their engines.
Subsequently they have said that piston ring geometry has now been changed requiring a small modification to the piston.
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The last couple of mornings my outside air temperature display has suddenly dropped to around 0 degrees then climbed back to normal. Tonight it remained at minus 45 degrees C until half way through my journey back from work (and I didn't go via Siberia!).
Can anyone tell me the air temp sensor location on the vRS? I'll check the connector (possible water ingress?) before taking the car to the dealer.
Is this sensor for temp display info only or has it any other function?
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Hi Ant,
Totally agree with you and many have found the same. The first time I took my vRS down dark country lanes I too found the dip beam dangerous. The fix is to fit Osram Nightbreakers or Philips Xtreme and to wind the beam adjustment up by one or two turns (best done against a garage door so you can determine the amount of movement of each light). I have owned my vRS for 3 years now and love it despite the niggles. The car has just past its first MOT.
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Ally,
I've only just come across this thread. I agree with the points you make in your first post. I check my oil and top up in much the same manner as you do. My second engine uses oil but at a rate that is acceptable to me. My first engine used too much oil. Despite this and some other significant issues with the car, I have always received appropriate back up and good will from the dealer and Skoda UK. I plan to keep my vRS (owned for 3 years) for a while longer since I still enjoy driving it.
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Mad Monk, please can you forward a copy of that email from the DVLA to Skoda customer services and ask them to comment?
You might want to add that there are now a number of Briskoda members concerned that Skoda are not acting within the law by using the same engine number for the replacement engines.
Thanks.
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Hmm, reasoned argument... a tube from the top of the engine going into the sump and terminating there. Through that tube a thin strip with plastic cap and a pull eye is inserted. It is of an appropriate length to correctly indicate the level of the oil in the sump.
I detect a little bit of irony there
We are of course talking about why VW calibrated the stick for a hot dip.
So now we need to get to why not cold dips. As described by the VWG Manufacturers in the Owners Manuals ??
I have no idea as to the Answer why checked at Operating Temperature rather than as a Cold Check with a Engine not Started.
Me neither.
If you are checking at the petrol station every few fills as advised in the manual you need to wait a little bit to make sure all the oil is depressurised and back in the sump for accurate measurement.
This is the problem. Few other cars require the oil level to be checked so frequently!
Frankly I can't see what all the fuss is about?
Nothing really, it's only a dip stick but I guaranty the discussion isn't over yet.......
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Who says it is not designed for cold dip?
The goddam handbook !!!
I'm after a reasoned technical arguement here to explain the route VW took.
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Is there any really good reason with this engine why VW decided not to design the dip stick for a cold dip???
A cold dip is likely to be more consistant and safer.
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In my case there was no change to engine number. Therefore no change required to the V5. The replacement engine carries the same number as the original engine. The dealership stapled a photocopy of the replacement engine's identification sticker in the back of my service record together with an entry noting the date of the change. The old engine is returned to the factory for refurbishment at it's original number voided.
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It is also worth me mentioning on this topic that my car was initially a demonstrator so I am unsure if this has contributed to my issues (test pilots thrashng it from cold...)
They advised the engine will need "running in" is this correct or can it be driven as intended providing the oil is up to temperature first? I hav seen differing opinions on this issue?
I am now pushing the approved Skoda dealer who actually sold me the car to offer an extended warranty for my peace of mind and some form of good will gesture for my trouble.......no repsonse so far!
There is an opinion amongst many 'experts' that aggressive running-in is actually beneficial and will ultimately result in a better cylinder wall condition and piston ring seal. How the engine is run-in over the first few hundred miles has an impact on long term performance. I wouldn't be too concerned about it being a demonstrator. I bought many ex fleet/hire cars in the past and never had a problem with any of them.
I believe the wrong sort of running-in is being too gentle or not varying the rev's (being sat on the motorway at the same speed for long periods is not good). My advice would be to push the engine a little once the oil has warmed up (vary the rev's, don't hold back too much, let the engine pull, use the gears to engine brake). If you are not happy with any of this, just drive normally.
Push for the extended warranty.
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From the 119 (UK based only) Briskodian's who have made posts in the Fabia II forum about vRS high oil consumption, 56 have gone on to have (or are in the process of having) a replacement engine. Four of these cases have involved a second replacement engine.
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Much prefer the look of my mk2 green machine. The proportions and styling of the mk3 are not as good IMO (that's being polite). Will probably be going back to Ford in the future. If only the Skoda marketing and customer care people took more notice of us......
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That's 18 months old - hardly relevant today.
Here is an update of stats from Briskoda members reports: -
Oil breather mod fitted but failed to fix problem (the majority went on to have engine replacements) - 31 cases
Oil breather mod fitted but result pending (or outcome unknown) - 9 cases
Oil breather mod fitted and result positive (the resultant oil usage was acceptable to the person concerned) - 1 case
The saga continues.
NB. Vicky's story was particularly sad.
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No...Wife drove...It was her car
Gentle driving appears to give higher oil consumption than 'brisk' driving!
Goodbye vRS.
in Skoda Fabia Mk II (2007-2014)
Posted
Congratulations Brian, looks like you got a good deal from Arnold's. I went to a dealer 60 miles away in order to get a good price on a car with a few miles on the clock. Scotland would have been a bit far for me but I do have family up near Stirling! I was given £5,000 in part exchange for my 50,000 mile, 5 year old vRS.
Did you go manual or DSG? I'm guessing manual on account of the price.
I have got the panoramic sunroof that will be great once winter is over.
N.B. The VW Polo forums are not as good as Briskoda.