What can be done?

[TehRin]

I'm looking to get another Skoda, but this time a Superb PD130.

 

What can be done to these engines? I've heard about stuff like EGR/DPF deletes, air filters and remaps - but could this get me up to around 180 bhp?

 

Also what coilovers can be bought? and what wheels/wheel sizes suit these?

 

Are they more luxurious than Passats, or the same? 

 

Cheers, Ryan

[rotodiesel]

Why not buy a car (from another supplier if necessary) which meets your requirements? Your proposed course of action is likely to lead to expense and grief.

 

rotodiesel.

[TehRin]

Because I actually like Skoda Superbs, I don't have a problem with it. I'd just like to see what can be done, and some inspiration.

[Chris]

Lots can be done. The 130bhp engine was used in the Fabia VRS so there's lots of add ons etc. a remap will take you to 180bhp without too much trouble. Then there's other bits, depends on how much you want to spend etc etc.

[Cown]

Just FYI the PD130 was never fitted with DPF. Only the PD140 2.0 TDI had DPF fitted and that should never have been on the market. Stay away from that. 

[TehRin]

Thanks!  

 

What's wrong with the PD140? I'm curious now.

[Chris]

Everything. Don't even think about them.

[ericsuperbee]

Ryan - You just need to read through some of the back posts on the 2.0 diesel on the Forum. The 1.9 will do mega miles - but if you want really luxury motoring from a Superb try a well maintained 2.5 V6 TDI Elegance - you won't bother with anything else!!

[TehRin]

Ryan - You just need to read through some of the back posts on the 2.0 diesel on the Forum. The 1.9 will do mega miles - but if you want really luxury motoring from a Superb try a well maintained 2.5 V6 TDI Elegance - you won't bother with anything else!!

 

Funny you should say that! I actually looked into these today and was surprised they get good MPG, and I'm able to insure one (for under 2K :P ), so I'm seriously considering one! Are these engines just as tunable as the PD130's?

[Chris]

The 2.5 v6 TDI is ancient. Not as tunable..it has a nice noise but the 1.9 is lighter and has better mpg, tunes better and much more commonplace.

[rotodiesel]

All of these cars are bangers now, so any undue expense will finish them off.

 

The V6 diesel uses ancient rotary pump fuel supply technology and happens to have one of the most unreliable (and expensive) fuel pumps fitted. Its fuel consumption and hence tax bracket are very unfavourable compared with the 1.9 to which it gains very little in performance - especially so as the gearing of the two cars is the same. The V6 would have pulled a higher top gear, which would have made it a lot better. The extra weight of the V6 makes the ponderous handling even worse.

 

Ease of maintenence is essential when running a banger, and the V6 is a pig. Belt changes, cooling system work and the dreaded fuel system are all difficult to deal with. All slush pump auto transmissions are unreliable when mated to a high torque diesel engine, hence the development of the DSG (when they get it right).

 

The 1.9 PD 5 speed manual is the only version worth having now, as it can be kept running for reasonable costs. Model year '05 -> gets folding rear seats - essential in my view. The model year is the 10th digit in the VIN. A base model with added cruise is the best value - the car is just not good enough to warrant higher levels of trim - these do nothing to remedy the car's weaknesses.

 

rotodiesel.

Edited 22 November, 2013 by rotodiesel

[ericsuperbee]

I'm on my 2nd V6tdi now - 1st one lasted me 7 years and 124k miles. 2nd one has just turned 41k miles and should last me a while yet. Yes, they are probably a bit more bother and expensive to run, but in Elegance trim they offer real quality motoring - in my case around 43mpg on a run - quite happy with that. I looked at Audis and Phaetons for the replacement but you are again looking at twice the price and probably equal expense for an equivalent.

[rotodiesel]

I think the big problem with the old Superb was its very poor dynamic qualities - a direct result of its nose heavy weight distribution. The full length of the engine + bellhousing overhangs the front axle, giving the car uneven weight distribution and a very high polar moment of inertia. Bigger engines and more trim just make things worse.

 

The old Superb was never offered with any options which could have improved it - other than trim. The Audi 4 link rear end is seemingly incompatible with the Superb's floor pan and the ground clearance of these cars is inadequate in standard trim, so lowering the centre of gravity is not a viable option for sensible use.

 

The reason I bought one was to get an AWX diesel engine as cheaply as possible. I needed it in a heavy body with a high nose weight to give traction for towing, combined with legroom for two very tall lads. It was  basically a fair deal in basic trim, but I have been appalled by the trading practices of VAG (eg. selling the 2,0 PD engine) and VAG M-K (4 year cambelt UK exclusive) and several other things which do not correspond with my ideas of fair trading.

 

Add to that the design faults (rain water ingress) and all the extra time I have spent dealing with the design c o c k ups present in this (ancient) design, it's not much of a product. Finally, the fact that it takes me about twice as long to perform routine maintenance on this car compared with a US or Japanese design (compare changing an air or fuel filter element, or even an oil change) makes it a dubious deal.

 

It is because so little thought has been given to the ease of routine maintenance by its designers that these cars give more trouble than they should. In the hands of the dealer's "lad", your undertray is almost certain to be broken or missing some of its fixings. The average owner using a dealer for sevicing is likely to be thoroughly shafted.

 

Mine never sees a dealer and I address as many of its design faults as I can find. So far, it has been reasonably reliable, economical and comfortable.

 

rotodiesel.