Hi guys, new to the forum.

Currently driving this Ikea wardrobe:

Hoping to get rid of it soon though and get my hands on a mk1 VRS.

I just wanted to know, what are the common faults/issues I should look out for with these cars? I'm aware all 20VT engines chew coil packs from time to time, but any other mechanical/body/engine issues I should be aware of?

Also, my Volvo has done 110k and feels really tired and worn out. Do the mk1 Octavias generally age well? Or do I need to try and get a low miler?

Finally, what's the best route for tuning? I was thinking along the line of decat downpipe, exhaust system, maybe a different TIP/intake and a stage 2 revo map. Any good suggestions as to what I should avoid or what I should definitely go for? I know custom code maps are meant to be good, but, they cost a fortune at my local VAG specialist and the revo maps are reasonably cheap from a different local specialist.

Many thanks.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/137484-vrs-buying-guide-please-read/

There is the buying guide for the octy, covers pretty much everything!

In my opinion for tuning in the Midlands it has to be R-tech, I prefer the much smoother linear power delivery of my R-tech map. Been in a revo car and although, arguably, they might make slightly more peak power the drivability of the R-tech map sells it for me.

Mine has done 99,750 miles now (going on to the big 100 next week lol. Feels good, steering is tight and it corners sharp and precise with very little roll.

Previously it was just a family car so things like bushes aren't really tended to be looked at. I have since had the rear beam bushes (with fabia vRS bushes), arb bushes done, super pro dog bone mount on the gearbox (makes a massive difference) and have the superpro wishbone bushes in my room ready to go on which will make a world of difference too.

The engine will live on long, just invest a few £s on suspension bits and it will drive like new

Also, my Volvo has done 110k and feels really tired and worn out. Do the mk1 Octavias generally age well? Or do I need to try and get a low miler?

Really? My old '96 V40 covered 170,000 and felt as tight as a drum, except for the knackered Renault 2.0 engine. My Octavia at 50,000 was completely shagged suspension and bushes all round, had several hose issues, worn discs all round, disgusting interior and is beginning to show signs of rust. Wish I'd never bought it. To be fair, mine MAY have spent the last 20,000 miles as a towing slave, but even so, everybody complains about the handling of standard vRS's and I'm wondering just how many people are running around with knackered shox. (Mine's actually not bad with new standard shox and superpro poly bushes all round, but could be a little bit more stable for the power it has.)

In comparison, the Volvo I'd owned from very early on, had a galvanised body and couldn't rust, and in 170,000 miles apart from brakes and servicing, only had a clutch master cylinder replaced, two front bottom arms and an exhaust system in 2010.

I'd have another Volvo tomorrow, if only I hadn't lost far too much in the vRS. The only thing I wasn't keen on with the Volvo was the feel of the gearbox (Renault issue though, I guess).

I hope other people have better stories to tell, but so far (although the interior was an unnecessary extravagence) I'm already about £1500 in, on top of what I paid for it.

Personally I'd keep the wardrobe. I don't like getting rid of cars unless I have to.

I wont pretend to be an expert, but I did find the guide pinned to this forum very useful.http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/137484-vrs-buying-guide-please-read/

I was lucky I bought my car from a friend, he had done all the hard work and credit to him he choose well. I have had my VRS with 93000 miles up it for 3 weeks now and I am very pleased and enjoy each time I drive it. No body that has been out in my car can believe its a 2001 model no knocks or bangs squeaks rattles or anything. Just look for a good example, I believe there are a lot of abused examples out there.

I am sure if you purchase on you will enjoy it.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/137484-vrs-buying-guide-please-read/

There is the buying guide for the octy, covers pretty much everything!

In my opinion for tuning in the Midlands it has to be R-tech, I prefer the much smoother linear power delivery of my R-tech map. Been in a revo car and although, arguably, they might make slightly more peak power the drivability of the R-tech map sells it for me.

Mine has done 99,750 miles now (going on to the big 100 next week lol. Feels good, steering is tight and it corners sharp and precise with very little roll.

Previously it was just a family car so things like bushes aren't really tended to be looked at. I have since had the rear beam bushes (with fabia vRS bushes), arb bushes done, super pro dog bone mount on the gearbox (makes a massive difference) and have the superpro wishbone bushes in my room ready to go on which will make a world of difference too.

The engine will live on long, just invest a few £s on suspension bits and it will drive like new

Thanks for the reply.

To be honest, R-Tech was where I intended to go, I only said Revo because I thought that's what they did at R-Tech - but at least we're on the same level there.

Ahhh yes, my friends Fabia has the uprated dog bone mount and he says it made a big difference.

Really? My old '96 V40 covered 170,000 and felt as tight as a drum, except for the knackered Renault 2.0 engine. My Octavia at 50,000 was completely shagged suspension and bushes all round, had several hose issues, worn discs all round, disgusting interior and is beginning to show signs of rust. Wish I'd never bought it. To be fair, mine MAY have spent the last 20,000 miles as a towing slave, but even so, everybody complains about the handling of standard vRS's and I'm wondering just how many people are running around with knackered shox. (Mine's actually not bad with new standard shox and superpro poly bushes all round, but could be a little bit more stable for the power it has.)

In comparison, the Volvo I'd owned from very early on, had a galvanised body and couldn't rust, and in 170,000 miles apart from brakes and servicing, only had a clutch master cylinder replaced, two front bottom arms and an exhaust system in 2010.

I'd have another Volvo tomorrow, if only I hadn't lost far too much in the vRS. The only thing I wasn't keen on with the Volvo was the feel of the gearbox (Renault issue though, I guess).

I hope other people have better stories to tell, but so far (although the interior was an unnecessary extravagence) I'm already about £1500 in, on top of what I paid for it.

Personally I'd keep the wardrobe. I don't like getting rid of cars unless I have to.

Unfortunately, mine doesn't seem to have worn very well. Also, if i'm honest, the earlier models such as V40's and the P1 cars such as the V70/S70/C70 seem to have retained the reliability from the earlier BOMB proof 850 models etc... but the P2 S60 doesn't seem as reliable to me.

I bought the car on 103k and i'm now at 110k so who knows what kind of life it has had! All I know is it does have full Volvo service history. When I received the car, quite a few bushes were shot and a shocker soon went bang after I clipped a rather unfortunate pot hole. The replacement list is now extensive including wishbone front bushes, wishbone rear bushes, wishbone ball joints, front shocks, front drop links, upper stabiliser bushes, lower stabiliser bushes... the list really is endless.

To add to this, the 4WD packed up the other week and i've spent the last week with it on my mates two poster ramp. Cost to replace 4WD sleeve between gearbox and transfer case was only £122 PLUS my time. I shudder to think what a dealer would've charged though.

I'm just very disappointed with the reliability issues. I want and need a daily driver I can just jump into and drive away in 99% of the time. The other 1% i'll forgive, as nothings ever 100% reliable. But I can honestly say it's spent too long off the road and I haven't been able to enjoy what this car is really about (electronic adjustable dampening, Brembo 4 pots all round, 300bhp forged engine from factory).

I thought the Skoda may have been my ticket out of this to be honest...

I wont pretend to be an expert, but I did find the guide pinned to this forum very useful.http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/137484-vrs-buying-guide-please-read/

I was lucky I bought my car from a friend, he had done all the hard work and credit to him he choose well. I have had my VRS with 93000 miles up it for 3 weeks now and I am very pleased and enjoy each time I drive it. No body that has been out in my car can believe its a 2001 model no knocks or bangs squeaks rattles or anything. Just look for a good example, I believe there are a lot of abused examples out there.

I am sure if you purchase on you will enjoy it.

Thanks for the advice. My friend has a mk1 Fabia VRS and his has covered somewhere between 100k and 130k I believe. Tight as anything, feels brand new to drive.

Any other modifications worthwhile such as forge TIP? Jabbasport bits?

I bought mine on here. The for sale area is a great place to find a well cared for car

Unfortunately, mine doesn't seem to have worn very well. Also, if i'm honest, the earlier models such as V40's and the P1 cars such as the V70/S70/C70 seem to have retained the reliability from the earlier BOMB proof 850 models etc... but the P2 S60 doesn't seem as reliable to me.

I bought the car on 103k and i'm now at 110k so who knows what kind of life it has had! All I know is it does have full Volvo service history. When I received the car, quite a few bushes were shot and a shocker soon went bang after I clipped a rather unfortunate pot hole. The replacement list is now extensive including wishbone front bushes, wishbone rear bushes, wishbone ball joints, front shocks, front drop links, upper stabiliser bushes, lower stabiliser bushes... the list really is endless.

To add to this, the 4WD packed up the other week and i've spent the last week with it on my mates two poster ramp. Cost to replace 4WD sleeve between gearbox and transfer case was only £122 PLUS my time. I shudder to think what a dealer would've charged though.

I'm just very disappointed with the reliability issues. I want and need a daily driver I can just jump into and drive away in 99% of the time. The other 1% i'll forgive, as nothings ever 100% reliable. But I can honestly say it's spent too long off the road and I haven't been able to enjoy what this car is really about (electronic adjustable dampening, Brembo 4 pots all round, 300bhp forged engine from factory).

Well, in that case, I'm glad all the V50's I looked at before I bought this were lemons (they'd all been badly crash repaired, despite the garages insisting they hadn't!!!)

So far I'm sure my experience isn't the norm, but these vRS do have sensor issues, potential oil pickup pipe issues, coil pack issues (hopefully the latest service gram and current coil pack issue will sort that) and several hose issues which is a pain in the bum. There is a lot to wear on these, and it would seem that a lot of parts do. As an owner of a rather sweet and trouble free E92 335iSE, I'm very disappointed with the obvious gap in quality between VW product and BMW.

I've still got slight pulsing issues with mine that I've yet to get to the bottom of, but I've got such an extensive list of stuff I've still yet to do, like cam belt, drive belt (and drive belt tensioner which seems to be noisy knackered), tyres, coolant change, oil pickup pipe replacement, gearbox oil change, and dodgy headlights (with height adjusters that also seem to be completely knackered) before I can even begin to think about the engine.

But don't let that put you off...

Not saying my experience is typical, I hope far from the norm, but I've only had mine since Feb. and I'm far from impressed with what I've had to spend. Any long term owner will tell you that these aren't the cheapest of things to run.

I was actually looking at an S60R as a replacement for mine...bad idea?

I bought mine on here. The for sale area is a great place to find a well cared for car

I'll check it out before I buy, many thanks

Well, in that case, I'm glad all the V50's I looked at before I bought this were lemons (they'd all been badly crash repaired, despite the garages insisting they hadn't!!!)

So far I'm sure my experience isn't the norm, but these vRS do have sensor issues, potential oil pickup pipe issues, coil pack issues (hopefully the latest service gram and current coil pack issue will sort that) and several hose issues which is a pain in the bum. There is a lot to wear on these, and it would seem that a lot of parts do. As an owner of a rather sweet and trouble free E92 335iSE, I'm very disappointed with the obvious gap in quality between VW product and BMW.

I've still got slight pulsing issues with mine that I've yet to get to the bottom of, but I've got such an extensive list of stuff I've still yet to do, like cam belt, drive belt (and drive belt tensioner which seems to be noisy knackered), tyres, coolant change, oil pickup pipe replacement, gearbox oil change, and dodgy headlights (with height adjusters that also seem to be completely knackered) before I can even begin to think about the engine.

But don't let that put you off...

Not saying my experience is typical, I hope far from the norm, but I've only had mine since Feb. and I'm far from impressed with what I've had to spend. Any long term owner will tell you that these aren't the cheapest of things to run.

I have heard about the sensor issues and my mechanic friend mentioned the other day about the oil pick up problems, but the oil problem really shocked me as I hadn't heard of this before on the 20VT engines. What's the remedy? New pick up? New gasket? Oil flush and re-fill?

As for the BMW, well, that's in a totally different class to the VAG models so not really a fair comparison. Prior to the Volvo I had a 2004 E60 530i. Fantastic machine, wouldn't expect a VAG model to be similar in build quality but they cost a fraction of the initial cost, so, I suppose it balances itself out, everything's relative.

I was actually looking at an S60R as a replacement for mine...bad idea?

In my honest opinion, the S60R is a FANTASTIC car. It's fast, it handles well, it's not too bad on fuel when driven sensibly and it's a great looking car without a doubt. A bit of a wolf in sheeps clothing.

The problem is, it doesn't carry the old school Volvo reliability. If you own one of these cars, it WILL break down at some point in it's life and it'll cost a few quid to put right. If you're prepared for this, then you will love the car and probably not get too mad when it goes wrong.

The truth is I started my own business two years ago, and over the past 4-5 months (Volvo ownership) my money has become very tight. As such, I cannot afford to keep throwing money at the Volvo. If I could, I would keep the car without a second thought.

You're talking about a car here, that in 2004, only 7,500 (ish) were produced. About 4,000 of these went to North America and the remaining numbers were spread across the rest of the globe. Production numbers then reduced each year until 2007 when they stopped producing these cars. That's a pretty rare car if you ask me. I only know of two others floating around locally, one nearby and one about 15 miles away, ironically the one that's further away is one my girlfriends road.

My objection to this car is more principle than anything else. REALLY pathetic things give up. The power steering reservoirs leak, the four wheel drive sleeve breaks, the reverse sensor/switch on the gearbox fails, the steering stops and top mounts can creak, they put the Haldex unit so close to the exhaust that the heat from the exhaust system can damage it leading to a new unit at £600. It's just mickey mouse issues that make you want to pull your hair out...

Been a volvo tech i've had abit to do with R's, yeah there fantastic cars but they are expensive to fix when they go wrong which they do, the active chassis shockers fail - 350 quid a corner from volvo, 4wd angle gears - how deep are your pockets,

Buy a T5 without the active chassis,

Before i got vRS i was debating if to get a s60 but decided it was to big for what i really wanted plus the vRS has a bigger boot than the s60

I think Id better keep my cash in my pocket. Maybe a Mk2 vRS.

Was aware of the angle gear stuff & active dampers, didnt know those issues.

On the flip side, Ive had mine for 5 years and changed the following:

-Tyres

-Cambelt x2 and waterpump as necessary via service schedule

-Usual servicing

-Wiper motor has been replaced

-Coilpacks via recall

-1 Lambda sensor

-Remap

Thats it.

Been a volvo tech i've had abit to do with R's, yeah there fantastic cars but they are expensive to fix when they go wrong which they do, the active chassis shockers fail - 350 quid a corner from volvo, 4wd angle gears - how deep are your pockets,

Buy a T5 without the active chassis,

Before i got vRS i was debating if to get a s60 but decided it was to big for what i really wanted plus the vRS has a bigger boot than the s60

Well, Volvo are very expensive for parts in comparison to most other manufacturers i've used... and £350 a corner lol?? Try about £400 PLUS vat from Volvo. Most people use a local Monroe stockists based near where I live, £350 ish for a pair including vat.

The angle gears fail as well as you mentioned, and Volvo don't sell the input shaft on it's own. So even if the internals of the angle gear are fine, it's £800 approx for a new unit - what a joke.

To be honest, I don't think I would have a T5. I think it would have to be an 'R' for the looks, or nothing at all. The T5 just doesn't cut it for me, personally. Plus my 'R' in front wheel drive mode just spins up really bad, I imagine a mapped T5 to be the same.

I think Id better keep my cash in my pocket. Maybe a Mk2 vRS.

Was aware of the angle gear stuff & active dampers, didnt know those issues.

Well, it really depends what sort of dosh you have. If you are a competent DIY mechanic, then you can save £££'s on labour and parts aren't that cheap but if you have a few hundred quid kept back for a rainy day then you should be ok.

They're not the worlds most unreliable car, but they will fail on daft things.

I certainly wouldn't have a mk2 VRS, either keep your current VRS or buy an S60R, the mk2's look awful. Bloody DRL's make it look like a frickin christmas tree

I do have a mate whos a mechanic, not sure how well up on Volvos he is. Think Id better stick to my guns, although she isnt getting any younger on a Y plate

What price is the Volvo going for?

Edited 13 January, 201214 yr by Liverpool-Lad

I do have a mate whos a mechanic, not sure how well up on Volvos he is. Think Id better stick to my guns, although she isnt getting any younger on a Y plate

What price is the Volvo going for?

The choice is up to you my friend, it can be expensive to maintain but don't count the S60R out unless your completely skint like me lol because it is an awesome weapon even in standard form.

I'll be putting mine up for approx £6,000 as i've replaced LOADS lately:

Full Powerflex front poly bush kit including upper large and small stabiliser bushes, lower large and small stabiliser bushes, strut brace inserts, wishbone front bushes.

OE front anti roll bar drop links.

OE wishbone rear bushes.

OE wishbone ball joints.

OE steering stops.

Genuine XC90 'anti ping' drive shaft bolts.

OE top mount rubber spring seats.

OE top mount bearing plates.

OE track rod ends.

Monroe 4C front shocks (expensive).

I may be tempted to part with my Octy

I may be tempted to part with my Octy

Cool what you after next?

I'm not sure. I'm a "frequent changer" haha!

I'm not sure. I'm a "frequent changer" haha!

Haha tell me about it mate! I don't keep anything much longer than 6 months either :(

Since Feb 2010 i've had probably 5-6 cars, I wish I could find something I want to keep hold of...

Mine's a red 05 plate, FSH, 42k, and I'm the 2nd owner...

I'm of the opinion that nothing is not for sale, there's always a deal to be made!

If you wanna talk about it, send me a PM