Fabia 1.6tdi

[polanglo]

Hello,

I'm considering buying a Fabia 1.6 tdi at the end of the year and was just wondering what owners think of this engine. Some reviews say it's noisy. Some say it's ok. Any pointers? I've driven a lot recently an Octavia 1.9tdi from 2007 and a new 2011 2.0tdi 110bhp. The latter sounds like a petrol engine from inside the cabin. Is the Fabia noisier?

Anyway, what I really want to know is what is the rpm in 5th gear, I think that's top in a Fabia, at 70 and 80 mph. In addition, what is the real world mpg you guys are getting?

What's all the fuss about this dpf thing? what is the dpf? Do I have to rev it once in a while?

My driving will mostly be town but also 3 times a year from Poland to the UK, I'm resident in Poland and need a decent car that will be economical on long journeys.

Thanks for any help

Steve

[seboni121]

I've the crtdi 1.6 105 bhp and it's a cracker, very good engine much better than a 1.9tdi IMO as I've had both engines, fuel economy 58-64 mpg likes to cruise at 80 mph or more at 2.500 rpm, nice and quiet not as quiet as a Octavia as it got less soundproofing, it's a joy to drive, dpf issues non at all but if you do mostly town driving you may get issues, put vpower or similar high rated diesel to keep the dpf soot free, I drive mine hard mostly so that's the reason I have no issues, you may be better of with a petrol engine if you don't give the engine some hard driving now and again

[polanglo]

hi, thanks..that's probably sealed it for me as I really wanted to buy an Octavia 1.2tsi but at 80 in 6th it does 3000rpm and fuel economy suffers. Plus since it's a fabia the top model costs the same as the 1.2tsi Octavia in Poland right now. Maybe even cheaper as they have winter promotions from November to Feb. I saw some threads that UK owners have to wait AGES for a new car, sometimes months..so I wonder if a Fabia's waiting list is shorter. I want to order in November so God knows how long I'll have to wait. I fancy one in black with a white roof and some 16 inch alloys.

[jonny boy]

What's all the fuss about this dpf thing? what is the dpf? Do I have to rev it once in a while?

DPF is a Diesel Particulate Filter. There's no 'smoke' at all with these fitted and emissions are very low indeed.

Best way to look after the DPF is (approx every 500 miles) drive the car in 3rd for example at around 4-4.5k revs for 15 minutes in order to get it very hot.

This then acts like a catalyst for the DPF and 'cleans' out any deposits.

I did this process on my Ford C-Max 1.6Tdci religiously and it never ever smoked.

[polanglo]

thanks for that...i've been reading some threads about owners bitching about bad fuel economy with this engine but it seems that you should run it in not too gently and then just drive the thing! ...it's obvious that mpg improves with mileage, isn't it? So I think I'll plumb for a Fabia. Yes, I wanted the Octavia 1.2tsi but I just can't afford it and anyway I can get a top-spec Fabia. I need the guarantee of at least 60mpg. With the petrol driven hard I will get 40. No contest. Just have to wait 10 months...I really miss having a car. Right now I cycle every day..not good in the Polish winter.

[seboni121]

thanks for that...i've been reading some threads about owners bitching about bad fuel economy with this engine but it seems that you should run it in not too gently and then just drive the thing! ...it's obvious that mpg improves with mileage, isn't it? So I think I'll plumb for a Fabia. Yes, I wanted the Octavia 1.2tsi but I just can't afford it and anyway I can get a top-spec Fabia. I need the guarantee of at least 60mpg. With the petrol driven hard I will get 40. No contest. Just have to wait 10 months...I really miss having a car. Right now I cycle every day..not good in the Polish winter.

I've the black pearl fabia elegance top spec with the toys, it's a nice drive get the 105 bhp though

[tlx]

Yes, it is a lovely engine but do not depend on getting good fuel economy! There is plenty on here about fuel consumption with these engines and people have very different experiences, and this is not just down to driving style as some have suggested. It seems that you may be lucky and get an engine which gives you good consumption, or you may be unlucky (like me) and get one that gives poor consumption! I drove 40K miles with the 1.9TDI (Fabia 1) and have now driven 10.5K miles with a 1.6 105. Fuel consumption is worse with the 1.6, and I have averaged a bit under 50 mpg so far. On motorways over a 200 mile trip at indicated 80 the best I have had is 55mpg and the worst 46mpg. However for my money this is a far nicer engine than the 1.9, much quieter (a bit noisy when cold and at low revs, but fine otherwise), and it just seems to pull so well (try some welly at 80!). It has plenty of power for most practical purposes and feels so much more refined than the 1.9 which I loved at the time (and my other car is a BMW 320D). Despite the fuel consumption being much poorer than I had expected, I still love this car and think it represents superb value with the VAT deal.

[seboni121]

Yes, it is a lovely engine but do not depend on getting good fuel economy! There is plenty on here about fuel consumption with these engines and people have very different experiences, and this is not just down to driving style as some have suggested. It seems that you may be lucky and get an engine which gives you good consumption, or you may be unlucky (like me) and get one that gives poor consumption! I drove 40K miles with the 1.9TDI (Fabia 1) and have now driven 10.5K miles with a 1.6 105. Fuel consumption is worse with the 1.6, and I have averaged a bit under 50 mpg so far. On motorways over a 200 mile trip at indicated 80 the best I have had is 55mpg and the worst 46mpg. However for my money this is a far nicer engine than the 1.9, much quieter (a bit noisy when cold and at low revs, but fine otherwise), and it just seems to pull so well (try some welly at 80!). It has plenty of power for most practical purposes and feels so much more refined than the 1.9 which I loved at the time (and my other car is a BMW 320D). Despite the fuel consumption being much poorer than I had expected, I still love this car and think it represents superb value with the VAT deal.

Strange I get great mpg although I agree if you plant your foot mpg drops like a duck that's swallowed a brick

[Whitelighter]

My fuel economy is really quite good - just over 64mpg as an average since new, recently been high 60's with the last tank managing a 70.1mpg average.

Interestingly, I have been using the expensive BP diesel and have noticed a good 10% increase in economy which offsets the less than 5% increase in fuel cost

[polanglo]

thanks for all your comments..i've taken them on board but will still plum for the diesel. After driving my ex's cars for the last 3 years i.e. the first thread I wrote I can't go back to petrol. Those Octavias are the best cars I have ever driven. So it's whetted my appetite. Next time I'll do the maths and write how much the Fabia will cost in sterling...I am sure it's a bit cheaper here.

[Mr Blobby]

First 1500 miles on new Fabia 1.6 CR tdi 105bhp. Computer shows 60 mpg but just over 7% optimistic (checked manually over 3 refuellings) so true is 56mpg. Don't assume your computer mpg is correct. My wifes old Passat diesel estate also 7% optimistic but my last fabia was accurate. A bit disappointing as consistently averaged 60mpg in my old PD version which I had for 10 years and did just over 100,000 miles in. Reckon the 110 ponds saving each year in road tax should more or less make up the difference. However did hope to get a least a true 60 mpg - so instead of being 10 mpg better (official) fuel consmption at present I am actually getting 4 mpg worse. Has anyone managed to average the official combined 67 mpg?

Quick pointers compared with my old Fabia (elegance)

better ride over bumps but more roll

quieter and refined - drives more like a big car than a super mini

better more supportive seats but I would like to sit a bit lower than ajustment allows

more room in back for pasengers

lack of instrument dimming a bad omission - I have fixed blue windscreem film over my dash - make the dash a bit dimmer in the daytime but far better at night.

[PassatNoMore]

I've the black pearl fabia elegance top spec with the toys, it's a nice drive get the 105 bhp though

+1

Engine much smoother / quieter than the old 1.9 Lump.

I do miss the mid range grunt of the old 1.9 tho'

Fuel economy not great yet (2k Miles mostly short town runs)

Edited 12 April, 2012 by PassatNoMore

[Guest]

Hello Polangla, the Fabia 1.6cr diesel is a good choice. They are a brilliant car and well made. There are some things worthy of note concerning fuel consumption however that you should be aware of. You will have noticed one or two big threads about fuel economy from last year or so etc, and some other comments like the one from Mr Blobby above. Mr Blobby makers valid points but this does indeed give the impression of these engines not being very economical. Most of the people who make these comments do so in the very early days of ownership when the car is not properly run in or it has very low miles on it such as Mr Blobby's. In fact, virtually always the fuel economy does improve dramatically as miles go on. I know this as for 10 months I followed 13 individuals and conducted a fuel economy survey with them. One of these individuals was my sister. Some were posters on this site and the VW site. All complained bitterly of very poor fuel consumption from their 1.6cr engines. Several of the cars had been back to the dealers for checks to make sure nothing obvious was wrong. I checked out two cars myself (I'm ex-tech). All the cars appeared ok. So, over time, and sometimes with some advice from me and one or two others on this site about driving style, the cars and drivers were monitored. It was not a scientific monitoring under proper test conditions but it was sufficient to be able to spot a trend. What I found was cars with this engine often need quite some time to settle down. This is due to several factors. But all the cars I followed have settled down nicely and all were giving between 60-66mpg regularly and some such as my sister regularly get 70mpg (but in fourth gear only!). If you do town work then mid fifties is more likely, or less. I also found winter diesel, which is now slightly lower in calorific value than the previous winter diesel (due to an increase in the bio mix), along with low winter temps, reduces fuel economy by 4-7mpg easily and sometime more depending on use of the car and topograhy driven in. In addition...

1. The ECU is set in LEARNING MODE for the first 3,000 miles. This is a time when the engine and ecu communicate considerable information regarding technical stuff about how the engine is performing and being driven. It allows the ecu to learn and set parameters for airflow, fuel flow, injector timing under load at what revs etc, regens and much more. The way it is driven in the first 3,000 miles affects these readings considerably and will therefore affect the real time economy and the future economy of the vehicle. During this time the engine does not run at it's most efficient. Once learning has stopped, the car fuel economy does improve in most cases.

2. The 1.6cr needs to be run in religously, not too slow, not too fast, but following the book on this helps. Do not baby it with too much light throttle cruising to get good fuel economy during running in otherwise, being a diesel, the engine will not run in and will remain tight, and use more fuel. Vary the load and engine speed often during running in as per the book

3. The 1.6cr is a much shorter stroke diesel engine than it's predecessor the 1.9PD. This reduces piston speed. This allows the engine to rev more easily, more freely and allows faster warm ups amongst other things. It also makes the engine last a long time as with reduced piston speed the engine can cover very very big mileages without the need for strip downs. But, it does require a slightly different driving technique to the diesels of old to get the best out of it. It's designed to rev more so that's what it likes. Due to the high gear ratios of modern gearboxes, it doesn't like to slog it out in high gears at low speeds. Individuals who complain of poor consumption often rev the engine too little and this doesn't keep the engine clean inside or the dpf, reducing economy. Keep the revs up and it runs better and give better fuel economy.

Mr Blobby, you will notice your fuel computer will become more accurate as time goes by. Your car is still learning at the moment and this affects the mpg's and the onboard computer, I understand from Skoda. Your engine won't actually give it's best until you reach around 10k miles. Thats on average how long it take for the bedding in of the engine to take place. You will notice more power and better economy at that stage.

So bear in mind that many of the posts you may have read on this site from some time ago about poor fuel economy do not now apply as most, if not all the owners are in my estimation now enjoying good fuel economy. If you have a Seat 1.6cr, for some reason these cars are not so good on fuel economy maybe due to different software and aerodynamics perhaps! We have a regular poster with one, who consistently complains about his fuel economy although even he hasn't said anything about it recently.

Edited 12 April, 2012 by Estate Man

[PassatNoMore]

Thanks Estate Man - great info and lots of stuff I didn't know about - one thing's certain, I'm being far too gentle with my new engine!

[Guest]

Yeah...they need to be driven and given a good blast regularly. It's vital. And don't worry, you can't hurt your diesel engine. They are pretty much indestructable and last pretty much forever. People who get the best mpg's usually are the ones who give it a good, fast, foot down drive to get the engine and oil nice and hot on very regular basis. Get the revs up to shake off and blow out the cat, dpf, and clean the injectors and valves. A sustained 4th gear drive at speed is good. This doesn't negate the economy your get from diesel either. It improves it and does the engine good.

[threadbear]

Hello

I have a Fabia 1.6 Tdi CR 105 estate which as now done 18000 miles. Recently we drove to North Wales for a few days and I am still amazed at how refined this car is. At 70 mph, the car is virtually silent except for a little tyre noise. I checked the tyres pressures beforehand and always try and use Shell. Travelling up to Conwy, I achieved about 62 miles to the gallon. Whilst in Snowdonia area, I git upto 74 miles to the gallon. Surely the excellent road surfaces are a contributing factor? When I filled up, I had done 520 miles on 40 litres of diesel and the tank wasnt empty!

Pretty good stuff. Returing home, the car was consistently returning 64 mpg at 80 miles an hour.

The 1.6 CR TDi certainly seems to be an engine that loves eating the miles up!

[pinkpanther]

Up to 4K miles now in my 1.6 CR Tdi Roomster - admittedly it isn't a Fabia, but the 105 BHP engine is identical I think.

My fuelly link below reveals a best of 50 mpg and an average in the mid 40's.

No oil used thus far and I'm hoping to see much better fuel economy as I approach 10K miles.

[xreyuk]

Hey guys,

I have this engine in a Seat Leon 1.6TDI Ecomotive.

I've been having some issues with fuel economy and was wondering if you guys could help me with aiming for the correct kind of driving. I bought the car a few weeks ago with 3,500 miles on the clock, and have since done 1,600 miles in it myself.

It is essential for work that I drive as economically as possible, therefore I've been sitting on the motorway around 60mph to get the good fuel economy, and have had one or two good runs (1 at 67mpg, 1 at 70.1mpg), however I appear to be having fluctuating mpg, as much as 10mpg on the same route in same conditions, and believe this may be down to DPF regens. I've also been having low consumption around 70mph, this doesn't change, and is constantly mid 40s. When at 60mph, I can be as high as the 70s, or as low as the 50s for economy.

So, my question is, how long should I drive 'spirited' for, before I can settle down and start doing more economical journeys at 60mph? I understand that even still, I should still be giving it a fair blast once a week to keep the DPF clear etc.

Secondly, what sort of revs are too low for this engine? I realise my ecomotive has longer gear ratios than the standard engine, and I've been trying to drive up to 2,400rpm before changing gear, which usually drops me at around 1,500rpm (where the max torque is). Is this still too low for this engine as a normal driving style? Should I be looking to go higher? (Obviously, this question applies after the spirited first few miles)

Any help would be appreciated, particularly if someone could give me some figures regarding rpm etc?

Thanks

[polanglo]

Hello all, thanks for the replies on this topic, especially Estate man, lots of useful information. I shall add more when I test drive a few vehicles (obviously a Fabia 1.6tdi, but also a 1.2Tsi Octavia too see how that pans out, out of curiosity).

[Vandango]

Sorry to hijack your topic Polanglo, (I too have spent the last twelve months deciding upon a top spec Fabia or low spec Octavia. Plumped for the Fabia Elegance 105 CR Estate in the end, which I think is a great deal on the no VAT here. Just playing the waiting game. Been 3 weeks and still no definite date :wonder: - calling the dealer tomorrow for an update.) but I have a question for Estate Man. In your post above (#13). You say...

The way it is driven in the first 3,000 miles affects these readings considerably and will therefore affect the real time economy and the future economy of the vehicle. During this time the engine does not run at it's most efficient. Once learning has stopped, the car fuel economy does improve in most cases.

Now I tow a caravan (yes, I know...), and intend to do so with my impending arrival. What would you recommend? (apart from not towing ) For me it's either not towing during the learning phase so the engine can settle properly, as it will be solo more often than dragging; or throw a bit of towing after the 1,000 mile run in phase that the dealer told me about so the engine doesn't suddenly think wtf after it's finished learning.

Excellent post btw , nice to have a bit to studious feedback for us not so well knowing.

[Guest]

Hi Vandango, yep, in your handbook for your car the manufacuturer advises not to tow a trailer during running in. A caravan would be a 'no no' during the first 1000miles at least and longer if you can avoid it. But I would say after 1500 miles it should be fine bearing in mind that although the intial running in is finished, the longer term bedding in and conforming is then taking place in the engine and this still means if you are towing you should vary the engine speed and load often to avoid glazing the bores. Towing generates considerable extra heat in the engine even after the running in process has been carried out. The ecu won't mind in the slightest if you tow after the initial running in, especially if most of your miles are not towing. This learning thing is only to set the average engine fuelling and ignition parameters for the cars normal driving future and it's influence on performance and economy, whilst important, isn't huge.

[Vandango]

Cheers Estate Man. Thankfully the delivery of my new Fabia looks to be beyond my holidays this year . No build week as yet - ordered 5 weeks ago if any one is interested.

Oh, and to Polanglo, good luck with the quest for your perfect Skoda!

[logiclee]

I don't think anyone will complain about engine noise on the Fabia at motorway speeds. If you can hear your engine over the road noise there's something wrong with it. lol

Cheers

Lee