Hi,

I'm new, and just about to become a Skoda owner for the second time (the last time was in the early 80s with a Skoda Estelle that I soon got to know very well in mechanical terms.)

I'm just about to buy a 06 Skoda Superb 2.5 V6 Elegance from a neighbour who is also a good friend. The price is right, the car has done 25,000 miles and was first registered on April 1st 2006. This means that I have about two and a half moths of the warranty remaining. I know it's been looked after well, and as he has had it from new, I've total confidence in the cars history.

I'd appreciate any advice on ownership of one of these cars, as it's the first time I've ever owned a newish car with low miles, having ran and maintained a number of much older cars in my life. I'm a mechanical engineer who designs and installs industrial control systems by profession, so I'm pretty able to at least understand most engineering principles.

I've spoken to the local Skoda agents and they suggest that an "end of warranty" check would be a good idea, which makes a lot of sense to me, and I assume that that can be tied in with the first MOT. I know that the car has the "pollen filter seal leak" which I believe is quite common, but not sure whether that is a warranty issue or not. They also say that Skoda will do a 2 year warranty extension for around £500 which I have no idea whether or not that's a good deal.

The car has had one service at 19,000 miles, and like others, I'm a little uneasy about oil lasting that long between changes. Experience (touch and feel) tells me that whenever I've done a 10,000 mile oil change on a car, I would never put the old oil back in and tell it to do another 10,000 miles .... but then maybe I'm a dinosaur?

All advice on anything gratefully received,

Thanks,

Colin

Take the extended warranty mate.

How much are you paying for the car?

I have the same car but Nov 2005. I took out ext warranty (Full Skoda inc RAC Skoda Assist) in November through Main Dealer - cost me £360 for a year. I note that the ext warranty does NOT cover water ingress - so you need to get that sorted before the Main warranty runs out. There is a mod now for this from VW - look at post "Pollen Filter repair"started by me.

Good luck with car - I don't think you will be disappointed - I haven't

It all depends on the price, but if you have haggled hard they are generally good cars. There a few common faults but the water ingress one seems to be the most common. As far as I know the 1.9tdi is more reliable, but the 2.5tdi is still a good engine.

Depends what you call "The price is right"

Glass's guide say:

Part-exchange Price:

Excellent condition:

£8520

Average condition:

£7600

Below average condition:

£6760

Bear in mind this is trade in price not forecourt price, but also be aware that dealers won't give you those prices in the current economic climate - if they want a p/x at all. The new Superb coming out will also make the MKI less desirable.

It wouldn't be MY engine of choice - the one to really have is the 1.9TDi 130, it offers much better MPG, cheaper tax and is only marginally slower (although you wouldn't call it slow by any means) the only real downside is a V6 will always sound better - is that worth the extra running cost? for me no.

But the biggest issue for me is the water ingress,

has it been repaired?

how long has it been leaking?

do all the convenience items now work? (when they leak the convenience unit floods as it is located under the passenger side carpet) although this should be a warranty claim as it is

a/ dealer serviced, and

b/ it is a design fault - you will however be lucky to get a Skoda dealer to either admit it is a common fault and therefore fix it under warranty.

Whether the 2 year warranty extension is worth £500 really depends on the small print to see what is covered (more importantly what is NOT covered)

As for the long life servicing, that really isn't an issue, but if you like it can be put onto annual / 10K miles interval.

Depends what you call "The price is right"

Glass's guide say:

Part-exchange Price:

Excellent condition:

£8520

Average condition:

£7600

Below average condition:

£6760

Bear in mind this is trade in price not forecourt price, but also be aware that dealers won't give you those prices in the current economic climate - if they want a p/x at all. The new Superb coming out will also make the MKI less desirable.

It wouldn't be MY engine of choice - the one to really have is the 1.9TDi 130, it offers much better MPG, cheaper tax and is only marginally slower (although you wouldn't call it slow by any means) the only real downside is a V6 will always sound better - is that worth the extra running cost? for me no.

But the biggest issue for me is the water ingress,

has it been repaired?

how long has it been leaking?

do all the convenience items now work? (when they leak the convenience unit floods as it is located under the passenger side carpet) although this should be a warranty claim as it is

a/ dealer serviced, and

b/ it is a design fault - you will however be lucky to get a Skoda dealer to either admit it is a common fault and therefore fix it under warranty.

Whether the 2 year warranty extension is worth £500 really depends on the small print to see what is covered (more importantly what is NOT covered)

As for the long life servicing, that really isn't an issue, but if you like it can be put onto annual / 10K miles interval.

Thanks for that ... you've confirmed that the car is a good deal ... I won't say exactly what the price is (as the deal has yet to complete), but I'm really happy with it. Incidentally, my neighbour is buying another brand new Superb, so he's obviously well impressed with the car.

At the moment all the electrics are fine, and he tells me that he only really notices a small leak when the car is washed, but I'll have a good look ASAP. Presumably that MUST be a warranty issue? If it leaks, there must be an issue.

Historically, I've never taken out warranties or RAC/AA membership as I figure that over the years, the cost of the annual premiums add up to a lot of cash, and as I've only ever failed to get home under my own steam once in the last 35 years (when a VW Passat coil / igniter unit failed), I figure that I've a lot of cash left to pay for the odd recovery service should it ever be needed.

All my cars before this one have been at least 6 years old, and maybe I've been lucky, but they've all be remarkably reliable (Honda, Toyotas and VWs). I can't think that I would have claimed for anything on any of them under warranty. Most things could be sorted out with a bit of advice, searching and arm twisting a friendly mechanic, so I'm a bit wary of blowing £500 on something that may never be used. Also, it's amazing how good GFS are providing sensibly priced spares, though I accept that the more complicated the car is, the more you are forced to the main dealers.

I have an 06/06 2.5TDI Tip Elegance now coming up to 55k miles. No faults to date and delightful motoring. MPG is 33 - 44. Oil / filter is changed every 10k - I'm too old fashioned to believe that oil will do 20k. The 'biggy' 60k service is on the horizon - quoted a 'special' price of £549 for the cambelt and £293 for the service - £842 in all by Colbourne's in Guildford. Needless to say I am looking at other options. There is a VW TSB 518 for B6 Passats (ie Superb) which requires the removal of the 2 plugs in the plenum chamber to resolve water ingress- but it doesn't seem to have reached SUK. I bought the car with my eyes open as far as resale value (wot value?)is concerned - but no regrets. And it tows my other car /trailer 'superbly'

I have an 06/06 2.5TDI Tip Elegance now coming up to 55k miles. No faults to date and delightful motoring. MPG is 33 - 44. Oil / filter is changed every 10k - I'm too old fashioned to believe that oil will do 20k. The 'biggy' 60k service is on the horizon - quoted a 'special' price of £549 for the cambelt and £293 for the service - £842 in all by Colbourne's in Guildford. Needless to say I am looking at other options. There is a VW TSB 518 for B6 Passats (ie Superb) which requires the removal of the 2 plugs in the plenum chamber to resolve water ingress- but it doesn't seem to have reached SUK. I bought the car with my eyes open as far as resale value (wot value?)is concerned - but no regrets. And it tows my other car /trailer 'superbly'

Sounds good to me. My view is that a huge chunk of the depreciation has already happened, and as I plan to keep it for the long term, averaging out the depreciation over the next 6 or 7 years, it's got ot be a good deal. And as "er indoors" says, we've got to that stage in life when maybe now is the time to treat ourselves a little.

Regarding the oil that goes in these things, is it the ultra expensive long life fully synthetic that's always used, or will any good quality fully synthetic oil by a recognised manufacturer be OK as long as it's changed more frequently?

The cambelts service is interesting. I've read various threads suggesting that it has to be done at 40K or 40 years whichever comes soonest, but there seems to be a lot of debate over this. My old Passat had never had the belt changed ,as originally VW didn't specify changing it, then apparently they introduced 60K, then brought that down to 40K. I bought it at 70k and changed the belt as it seemed to be getting slack quite often, then changed it again at 114k when the tensioner was making a noise and sure enough the tensioner bearings were found to be quite rough at that stage.

Seems like as long as the bearings are OK in the things that the cambelt turns (water pump, tensioners etc.) then life is sweet, but if they seize, then watch out.

A mate of mine is a service manager at a Saab garage near me, and I was chatting to him the other night about the cost of a cambelt change. Seems like the hours allocated for the job is around 5.5 hours, and as their costs are £45 per hour, then that works out at around £250, and I see that GFS do the complete kit for about £115, meaning that around £365 plus VAT would be the expected price. I guess I'm a little lucky there as I know him and the mechanic really well and have total confidence in their abilities.

Talking about oil, I've looked around all the sites but am a little confused about the right oil for the car. Seems like the oils for variable service intervals are:

VW 506.00 For all diesel engines except those with unit injectors, with variable service intervals. Viscosity rating: SAE 0w-30

or

VW 506.01 For all diesel engines, including those with unit injectors, with variable service intervals.

However, if the car is serviced on fixed intervals (say annual (about 8k miles) in my case, I was looking at Total Quartz Future 9000 5W-30, about which the makers say:

Technological advantages of Quartz Future 9000 5W-30

> Improves engine lubrication when cold, and at high temperatures

> Operates in the most extreme of weather and driving conditions

> Improved engine performance

Economical advantages of Quartz Future 9000 5W-30

> Reduces fuel consumption by up to 9.8%*

> Reduces engine wear by up to 50%**

> Reduces pollutant emissions by up to 10.2%

> Meets the requirements of extended oil change intervals

*Sources UTAC comparison with a standard 15W-40 oil

**ACEA tests against standard 10W-40 oil

QUARTZ FUTURE 9000 5W-30

Quartz Future 9000 5W-30 is the latest in fuel economising lubricants. Its performance formulation is the result of the perfect combination of synthetic base oils and additives. Quartz Future 9000 5W-30 has been developed especially for all the latest petrol and diesel engines (including direct injection and common rail engines)

I can't actually tell from the Total brochure what VW rating this oil has, as it seems to be pretty new on the market. From the right supplier, this oil is amazing value for money and the spec seems to suggest that it suits all the latest petrol and diesel engines. Maybe it's not yet been rated by VW?

Hahahaha welcome to the VW guess the oil game....

I use VX 5/30 in my 130 1.9 TDi, other's will say you must use VAG 501 - 507 oil in it, but while I was at VW I browsed their oils on the shelf, and guess what, they all had the same A and B specs as my Fully synthetic VX oil, imo 500 series branding of oil is just a marketing tool to get you to VAG oils, don't be tempted to just sling any old oil in though, there is a reason for insistance on good oil, but good oil can be bought from many vendors not just VAG.

Hi, I bought my long life oil from halfords, their brand for £41.99, after I did my oil change I did find some Motaquip 507 oil on ebay at £6 pound a litre plus delivery which is about £6.75 for 5 litres so not much difference but the cheapest I found on the net.

Not a cheap job to do home service on these car's by the time I'd bought an oil and air filter the bill was around £70 but that was still cheaper than just the oil was gonna cost from Skoda!

Hahahaha welcome to the VW guess the oil game....

don't be tempted to just sling any old oil in though, there is a reason for insistance on good oil, but good oil can be bought from many vendors not just VAG.

It is a tricky one, and I'm never really sure whether by paying loads of money, you are paying for loads of quality or just loads of profit for the vendor.

The reason I asked about the Total Quartz Future 9000 oil is that it comes from a huge oil giant (used to be called Elf), and the spec states that it's fully synthetic, has been developed for all the latest diesel engines AND meets the requirements of extended oil change intervals. Seems to tick all the boxes, and I bought a 5 litre container of it yesterday from my local branch of Mole Valley Farmers for the princely sum of £17.60!!

Seems too good to be true .... if I decide not to use it in the Superb, then it's definitely going into the Yaris at the next oil change.

I'm confused .... big multi-national oil company, apparently top specification yet very cheap price.

I know that MVF turn over a lot of agricultural oil and grease products to their mainly farmer customers, so just maybe they get one heck of a discount and pass it on to their customers? Incidentally, they used to do Fuchs oils, and their prices for the Titan range were quite remarkable as well.

It is a tricky one, and I'm never really sure whether by paying loads of money, you are paying for loads of quality or just loads of profit for the vendor.

The reason I asked about the Total Quartz Future 9000 oil is that it comes from a huge oil giant (used to be called Elf), and the spec states that it's fully synthetic, has been developed for all the latest diesel engines AND meets the requirements of extended oil change intervals. Seems to tick all the boxes, and I bought a 5 litre container of it yesterday from my local branch of Mole Valley Farmers for the princely sum of £17.60!!

Seems too good to be true .... if I decide not to use it in the Superb, then it's definitely going into the Yaris at the next oil change.

I'm confused .... big multi-national oil company, apparently top specification yet very cheap price.

I know that MVF turn over a lot of agricultural oil and grease products to their mainly farmer customers, so just maybe they get one heck of a discount and pass it on to their customers? Incidentally, they used to do Fuchs oils, and their prices for the Titan range were quite remarkable as well.

I think it should be ok, if your not sure look on it does it list A3 B3 on the jug, if it does it should be fine, I use the VX oil for 2 reasons, 1 - it goes in all VX VXR cars including the 6.0 VXR8 and 2 - I get it trade at £22 for 5 litres, retail it's not an option as it's list is £54 iirc, check VW dealer's, they have a suitable oil for about £27 iirc, but tbh I think you'll find the ELF stuff more than good enough.

I think it should be ok, if your not sure look on it does it list A3 B3 on the jug, if it does it should be fine,

I think that is a very sweeping and dangerous statement to make.

The 506.01 oil i use is ACEA A5 / A1; B5 / B1 so according to you wouldn't be fine, some 507.00 oil is not A3 B3 either, so also not suitable according to your comment! I think this proves it's not the ACEA specs you need to be looking at.

If YOU PERSONALLY are prepared to take the risk by not putting VAG spec oil into your motor then that is fine, just don't go advising others that it 'should be fine'

VAG don't make the oil, so don't stand to make a penny from it (unless you buy it from them) There are numerous oil manufacturers who make the oil to the VAG spec, so is it really worth saving £20 - £30 on an oil change and taking a chance that the non VAG spec oil will be up to the job, a risk that could cost you thousands if its not?

I use the VX oil for 2 reasons, 1 - it goes in all VX VXR cars including the 6.0 VXR8

Thats fine but the last time i checked Vauxhall don't use VAG engines.

and 2 - I get it trade at £22 for 5 litres,

Which sums it up really, you use it because you can get it cheap, if you could get VAG spec oil for the same money would you still use it whilst assuming it is up to it? I doubt it.

I think that is a very sweeping and dangerous statement to make.

The 506.01 oil i use is ACEA A5 / A1; B5 / B1 so according to you wouldn't be fine, some 507.00 oil is not A3 B3 either, so also not suitable according to your comment! I think this proves it's not the ACEA specs you need to be looking at.

If YOU PERSONALLY are prepared to take the risk by not putting VAG spec oil into your motor then that is fine, just don't go advising others that it 'should be fine'

VAG don't make the oil, so don't stand to make a penny from it (unless you buy it from them) There are numerous oil manufacturers who make the oil to the VAG spec, so is it really worth saving £20 - £30 on an oil change and taking a chance that the non VAG spec oil will be up to the job, a risk that could cost you thousands if its not?

Thats fine but the last time i checked Vauxhall don't use VAG engines.

Which sums it up really, you use it because you can get it cheap, if you could get VAG spec oil for the same money would you still use it whilst assuming it is up to it? I doubt it.

1 - They are the same specs written on both the VAG and VW product.

2 - The oil I use goes in 400 BHP engines, go figure.

3 - Yes cos I ! get it cheap, it ain't cheap oil, it's as expensive as VAG off the shelf

30k on and there are no signs it's damaging the engine, and for all the gumpf about don't use this don't use that, there is a VAG 10/40 oil on the shelf at VW dealers that states it meets 506 spec, £28 for 5 litres iirc.

As for the sweeping statement at the beginning, it's not sweeping, it's saying if the bottle says A3 B3 it will be fine to use.

And to finish, if these engines are so fragile, why is my friends 5.5 still running fine with 230k on it having had a diet of anything he can lay his hands on.

My honest opinion is that if you use a fully synthetic oil from a good brand and change it no later than 12k you shouldn't have any issues, as for ELF oils I suppose years of F1 experience doesn't count don't does it.

Here's a clue for ppl, on the bottle it should say suitable for all modern diesel engines, this in itself wouldn't be on there if it wasn't because someone could come back and say your oil knackered my engine and the oil firm would be libel.

Edited 24 January, 200917 yr by Supurbia

Have done a little more research on the Total range of oils, and the attached PDF shows that the Total Quartz Future 9000 is rated as ACEA A5/B5, but have yet to determine how that relates to the VW 5** numbers.

Presumably a higher rating on the A5/B5 is a good thing, but I haven't had a chance to research it yet.

Sorry, PDF was too large for initial post, so have reduced the size and should be attached here.

and I've since found this after a quick Google

The ACEA specs are split into performance/application catagories as follows:

B1 Fuel economy diesel

B2 Standard performance level (now obsolete)

B3 High performance and/or extended drain

B4 For direct injection car diesel engines

B5 Combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance

Total Oil Specs.pdf

Edited 25 January, 200917 yr by CRC

I'd be looking to satisfy myself that any oil I put into my engines is going to at least meet the lubrication performance standard that the engine was intially designed for (if not exceed it).

For VAG engines the ONLY performance specs that are recognised are the VW 5xx.xx standards.

The VAG TDI engines with PD injectors seem to need some really good high pressure anti-wear additives, and these additives are both difficult to source and expensive. It is unlikely an inexpensive oil will have sufficient quantities of this additive.

I use only VW 504.00/507.00 spec oil in both my VAG engines. If you use the wrong spec oil you may have difficulty getting a lubrication related engine problem fixed under warranty.

Each owner has to decide what oil they wish to put in their engine, and they also accept responsibility for the consequences of that decision if they choose a "low spec" oil.

My thoughts exactly Greg

Pick the correct VAG spec oil that you car needs, then buy it from one of the many manufactures that make the oil to that spec and you can't go wrong.

Put non VAG spec oil in and you yourself must be prepared to take the gamble that it is going to be OK.

Obviously people like Vauxhall wont check to see if their oil meets VAG spec because it is was never intended to be used in a VAG engine, is it worth the risk? you decide.

The oil I use goes in 400 BHP engines, go figure.

Forgive my ignorance of the technical aspects here - but what relevance does the specific power output of an engine have on this? Especially when the engine with which we're actually concerned is a PD unit, with its associated lubrication requirements?

Just an observation from a somewhat un-technical, but interested, er...observer.

Forgive my ignorance of the technical aspects here - but what relevance does the specific power output of an engine have on this? Especially when the engine with which we're actually concerned is a PD unit, with its associated lubrication requirements?

Just an observation from a somewhat un-technical, but interested, er...observer.

Basically it's gonna get worked hard.

To all other's, if you want to pay the VAG price that's fine, my mind decided that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy on their part, and for those who think I'm wrong go to GSF and ask for Fuchs oil.

To all other's, if you want to pay the VAG price that's fine, my mind decided that this is nothing more than a marketing ploy on their part,

Remind me never to buy a VAG motor that you've done an oil change on then .....

Remind me never to buy a VAG motor that you've done an oil change on then .....

I don't use cheap oil, I just don't see the point in paying £60 for oil when I can get a suitable oil for £23.

But as already mentioned by others... it isn't suitable as it doesn't meet the man. published specs.

Seems like I've stirred up a hornet's nest here, and to be honest, I have sympathies with both points of view. Every car I've ever owned to date (all petrol) have been run on a diet of Castrol GTX, changed at around 8k miles, and nothing else. In that time, I've never had a single engine related problem and all of them have sailed well past 150 k miles and hardly used a drop of oil when they were eventually sold (or scrapped). I wouldn't mind betting that putting Castrol GTD (or the Total Future 9000) in the Superb and changing it every 8k miles would also give no problems.

But, the question is .... how much am I prepared to bet?

I've bought the car now and love it to bits, but it's a lot of money to gamble with, so the chicken inside me suggests that I get it right, even if it does cost me more money. Having said that, I don't like being ripped off for something that does nothing more than something that costs a quarter of the price.

The car is on variable servicing at the moment, the last (only) service was 19K miles, and it's now done 28K, so it's done about 9k miles and the oil looks BLACK. However, the on board computer may well decide that's good for another 10K, and may even go another 15k as I see that the V6 can go to 24k miles between oil changes. It tells me that it senses the condition of the oil, but I can't see how it can do that with instruments, so I'm in the dark about how it does it.

The manual states that the car was factory filled with engine oil to the following spec:

VW 506 00 Diesel Engines (except PD engines)

VW 506 01 Diesel Engines (which I assume must mean PD engines, but isn't stated)

It also states in the next breath that if this oil is not available, then the oil must be changed at 15k kilometres ( about 9k miles) or 1 year. If this is the case, then the vehicle MUST be changed to the fixed service interval QG2.

Unfortunately, it neglects to tell me what spec is required if you opt for the 9k annual oil change, which is what I feel more comfortable with. I have a sneaking suspicion that any good quality diesel oil would be suitable for this and that the VW506 xx stuff is for these "up to 24k miles service intervals", which I concede would require an oil made of stern stuff.

I assume that the 2.5 TDI V6 engine is not a PD engine, but it doesn't actually state that in the manual.

So, as there's no point taking out a second mortgage to put in VW 506 00 oil, as I will be changing at less than 50% of it's life span, what spec should I actually put in it that will protect it until the 9K oil and filter change.

It seems a simple enough question, but I haven't worked out the answer yet ... thanks for your help and advice.