hi, im currently hunting for a fabia VRS. will be my second car, love these cars. initially it was gonna be a seat ibiza 1.9 tdi 130 as they are cheaper to insure as im only 19. but i recently found out that the 2003 and 2004 models and much much cheaper and within my budget im happy to say as i dont have millions to spend and it has to be an earlier model with upwards of 80000 miles just want to ask a few questions and i ask for any advice anyone is willing to offer, will be much appreciated is this kind of milage an issue on these cars, i know that diesels run forever but just was wondering is anybody has any advice or information ive read about EGR bypasses etc and i think i understand the basic principles, if anyone is willing to explain in detail please do so for example, the EGR vacuum pipe? why to block it? where the oil comes from and why oil in the boost pipes is a probelm? the boost pipes are just the pipes connecting to the turbo? any help will be much appreciated has everybody had good experiences with the fabia and like it etc>

many thanks, jordan

hi, im currently hunting for a fabia VRS. will be my second car, love these cars. initially it was gonna be a seat ibiza 1.9 tdi 130 as they are cheaper to insure as im only 19. but i recently found out that the 2003 and 2004 models and much much cheaper and within my budget im happy to say as i dont have millions to spend and it has to be an earlier model with upwards of 80000 miles just want to ask a few questions and i ask for any advice anyone is willing to offer, will be much appreciated is this kind of milage an issue on these cars, i know that diesels run forever but just was wondering is anybody has any advice or information ive read about EGR bypasses etc and i think i understand the basic principles, if anyone is willing to explain in detail please do so for example, the EGR vacuum pipe? why to block it? where the oil comes from and why oil in the boost pipes is a probelm? the boost pipes are just the pipes connecting to the turbo? any help will be much appreciated has everybody had good experiences with the fabia and like it etc>

many thanks, jordan

Hi yes 80,000 miles is nothing for the PD130 engine - its barley run in

You have a Octy MK 2 VRS (tdi) ?!

welcome...

i dont know the answers to any of the q's you have , so i am useless there i'm afraid..

Oil in the boost pipes comes from the crank case vent off the top of the engine, youll see a plastic pipe coming off the top of the engine and into where the air goes into the engine

Soot in the boost pipes comes from the egr valve, soot and oil = thick tar / gunk which can clog up the vains in your turbo and act as a lubricant to help blow your boost pipes apart

Get rid of both and your engine will love u

As on any high mileage car, a full service history is vital. The big service item is the cambelt change which should be 60,000 miles or 4 years - if it's not been done, then think very hard about it as it's a £400 bill.

Depending on how it's been driven, the clutch could be on it's way out. Power steering issues are quite common and early cars had poor sealing on the rear doors that left carpets wet and the car smelly.

Check all the electrics work - windows, mirrors (powered and heated), heated rear window, all 4 fan speeds - the fan should generate very good levels of airflow - check the aircon works. It's VAG Climatic so it should stabilise the temperature inside the car to roughly what it says on the dial - if it doesn't it could be expensive to make it work right again.

Listen for clonks over bumps and speed humps - that's the bushes which wear out quite often. Wheel bearings are also surprisingly common failures at 60,000 miles plus. If the car rolls about a lot, that's normal as the standard suspension is quite soft.

If you can, get it on a straight bit of dual carriageway and roll along at 30mph in 3rd gear then floor it. You may see a big puff of smoke - that's OK - and it might think for a bit, but it should pull like the proverbial train. If it doesn't there is something wrong. When you change up it should pull AGAIN and AGAIN especially in 6th!

If you leave the car idling, it SHOULD start to whistle after 2-3 minutes.

There shouldn't be any rust on the bodywork. The wheels could be corroded to heck and back though. It should be fairly quiet inside the car but outside it'll sound like a tractor.

The seats are a very good indicator of how loved the car has been - if they're filthy... draw your own conclusions.

Check it's all there as well - jack, spare (what condition is it in?), wheel spanner etc.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a modified car. Before I get accused of double standards (I drive a modified car) I know who did my mods and I know they all work. Plus I've never modded my engine. Buy a good standard car and budget to modify it afterwards.

You don't say how much you have to spend, but I'd spend 80% of my money on the car and keep the other 20% for surprises afterwards.