Worries re VRS

[Claireysmurf]

I almost backed out of going ahead with the purchase of a used VRS after having read the threads on here and Pistonheads (and plenty of other sites) about oil consumption and engine failures. I have spoken to the previous owner of the car, the dealership and Skoda UK and have decided to go ahead

The car was part exchanged in October at 4500 miles and 9 months old and had no warranty work done. The previous owner said the car was too small for his family and too heavy on fuel around town (just under 30mpg) and used a litre of oil in 4500 miles.

I pick it up on tuesday. Fingers crossed

*Edited as I typed 'picked it up'

Edited 14 March, 2013 by Claireysmurf

[terakris]

Enjoy, sure you will be fine... They don't all drink oil

[pee81]

Do you know if the previous owner has run it on super unleaded?

[Claireysmurf]

No idea. He said he rarely thrashed it. Not sure if that was empty words though...

[Moist Von Lipwig]

There are good ones and bad ones. The bad ones get plenty of press and while there is an issue with the design it is not catastrophic to all (he says touching wood with crossed fingers!).

If the original owner only used 1 litre of oil while running it in then it doesn't sound like there is an issue with yours, also his low mpg round town probably low as it was running in.

General advice, as you have probably already read, is check the oil regularly, run it on Super Unleaded and use the flappy paddles.

Enjoy it.

[pipsyp]

Dont listen to any of the "MUST use super unleaded" claptrap its completely unfounded and pure scaremongering. Whilst Skoda advise it is preferred to run the vRS on 98 RON the car will run happily on 95 RON fuel with no risk of damage; even says on the car fuel flap and handbook that you can. Most UK super is only 97 RON in any case.

I ran mine on normal unleaded for months and quite frankly the car ran no differently; certainly i noticed no difference. My car ran like a peach, always started with no problems and used a litre of oil every 6k or so up to the point i sold it with 11k on the clock, over half that mileage was done with 95 RON.

If your car uses oil or blows up it was always destined to, fuel grade will have nothing to do wit it. Only thing i personally never did (cant speak for my wife she'd have put any old crud in im sure) is put supermarket fuel in.

Only things to be aware of really....if the car has a slightly lumpy idle dont worry this is a characteristic of the engine and tends to clear once warmed up. Also there is a high rev misfire ECU update that I had applied to my May 11 car as id occasionally get the flashing emmissions light when booting it over 6k RPM, once applied never did it again and drove better.....if the car is a similar age or older ask the dealer to apply the update.

Edited 14 March, 2013 by pipsyp

[kaa]

whats wrong with using supermarket fuel, out of curiosity

[Ad Lav]

June 11 plate vrs estate, no high rpm issues as run on 99ron from day one.

Had an identical car in dealers last week with high rpm misfire and flashing light - fuel used 95ron.

[Ootohere]

Just done my last run with my vRS, sad its going its a good one.

14 miles in 23 minutes, held up behind traffic and starting from cold.

Amazing mix of economy or performance when needed. (with 99 ron..)

george

Saved enough pennies to buy a coffee, loved the van.

[Claireysmurf]

How likely am I to push it that hard in any case? On my test drives I didn't push it past 5k rpm and still ended up doing 80+ in a 50 limit.

I am driving a Fabia 2 1.6TDi 75 at the moment so 3.5k revs feels a treat right now!

[PulsarET]

Just done my last run with my vRS, sad its going its a good one.

14 miles in 23 minutes, held up behind traffic and starting from cold.

Amazing mix of economy or performance when needed. (with 99 ron..)

george

Saved enough pennies to buy a coffee, loved the van.

What are you replacing it with?

[Ootohere]

A Subaru XV cvt,

but SWIO (she who is obeyed) has a vRS we are keeping, so will still have a twincharger.

george

[PulsarET]

A Subaru XV cvt,

but SWIO (she who is obeyed) has a vRS we are keeping, so will still have a twincharger.

george

I'm trading my Subaru for a vRS

[XK140]

A Subaru XV cvt,

but SWIO (she who is obeyed) has a vRS we are keeping, so will still have a twincharger.

george

I thought you were getting a Seat Ibiza twin charger,or have I missed something?

[Ootohere]

Changed the plan,

SWIO was getting a Ibiza but my back is killing me and i really need something comfy & decent (clean) to take passengers,

and able to hitch a light box trailer to.

win win.

george

[pipsyp]

June 11 plate vrs estate, no high rpm issues as run on 99ron from day one.

Had an identical car in dealers last week with high rpm misfire and flashing light - fuel used 95ron.

Mine misfired at high revs from new using super (did use it religiously for the first 18 months or so of its life) and was no different on 95 RON. Only ever really did it when giving it everything it had but not every time. Had the ECU update and never did it again. Ita a known issue with the car and there is a Skoda service bulletin for it.

Edited 16 March, 2013 by pipsyp

[pipsyp]

whats wrong with using supermarket fuel, out of curiosity

Most incidents of contaminated fuel I hear of are at supermarket filling stations; each to their own but i dont personally trust then.

[Ootohere]

Just a thought,

Tesco Momentum 99 is bought at supermarket filling stations.

Supermarket filling station tanks will probably be used more than 'more expensive' Brand filling stations, and any problem will be very quickly picked up on,

compensation paid out will probably be quicker by Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury than by some franchised independent filling station.

(Storage underground fuel tanks more often full

& being refilled are less likely to have Moisture (H20) in than tanks at smaller stations with fuel being stored longer and replenished less often.)

george

[hammer32]

Just a thought,

Tesco Momentum 99 is bought at supermarket filling stations.

Supermarket filling station tanks will probably be used more than 'more expensive' Brand filling stations, and any problem will be very quickly picked up on,

compensation paid out will probably quicker by Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury than by some franchised independent filling station.

(Storage underground fuel tanks more often full

& being refilled are less likely to have Moisture (H20) in than tanks at smaller stations with fuel being stored longer and replenished less often.)

george

Very good point,well made.

[pipsyp]

Dont get me wrong ive filled up plenty of times at a supermarket in the past and havent had a problem, and if a supermarket was the only local place to fill up i wouldnt go out of my way to travel to a branded filling station; however I know of someone v recently filling up at a local tescos with diesel and it wrecking his engine, needing new fuel filter and injectors; I cant say ive heard of such problems with a branded station recently. Also i'd preference buying my fuel from somone whos primary business is to extract, refine and sell fuel, not sell food and sell discounted fuel as a side line. Also debateably the quality of the aditives in branded fuel is typically better than supermarket fuel and i reckon the likes of Shell, BP, Esso etc probably spend more time and money keeping checks on their tanks and pumps; my local BP garage is probably only 7 or 8 years old but v recently closed to install all new tanks and pump equipment.

[Ootohere]

I think it is unlikely that more checks or care is taken..

Care is taken with Multi Nationals no matter what business.

Managers and staff might be lax with things, be it a Supermarket Station or a Brand Leading station.

I know some Fuel/Filling station owners and what there other business interest are and how they run those.

re

Your mates engine,

It must have been dozens of other drivers that also had wrecked engines if it was a Super Market Fuel problem because his 50 litres or whatever will have been in with 10,000 or however many that all the other customers bought.

Any such problem will normally be on or in the local press or media, and sometimes reaches the National Press.

*My mate brimmed my brand new on lease diesel that had done 200 miles only with E85 in Morrisons.

2 weeks later after all was fixed i filled the tank with Unleaded and got 3 miles before it all needed replaced again.*

You read of these incidents about bad fuel, certainly, or as you say, you used to more often.

It was usually the wrong fuel type put in the Stations tanks.

The ones we talked about last year happened during fuel shortages and it was Shell Stations that had fuel delivered that had caused problems,

when it turned out to be not what it was supposed to be.

I seem to remember it was EVO or Scooby owners that had the problems with petrol.

Someone that posted that forum link at the time can maybe tell us what the story was.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17606124

Tankers collect fuel from Depots and refineries and that fuel is meeting minimum standards and is obviously checked all the way down till the tanker, like any additives, no doubt you should get whats being paid for,

funnily its Shell etc that do not reveal all the details, spec, formulation, so as they are easy to find, but they are in the public if you can find them.

Tesco Momentum is easy to find the facts & spec on. (not spec of additives)

http://www.tesco.com...efits-specs.asp

george