Goodbye Octavia diesel ...hello Octavia petrol

[Stubod]

Just Part exe'd my 9 year old 2.0 litre diesel Octy for a 2011 1.4 TSi petrol...(122 HP)

 

...the diesel was starting to get unreliable...called out AA for the first time in 30 years, so "time to go" as the annual repair bills started to outway the depreciation....always loved the performance / economy but just getting too unreliable (and rusty..??). So took the plunge and recently changed to a 2011 TSi...performance seems "similar", and the car seems "mint", but I guess time will tell...traditionally I have kept cars for years, but I think most modern cars are built to be good for 5 years then "tough"...and I have always had concerns re the "complexity" and longetivity of "electro / mecahanical components...

 

..will the 1.4 prove to be more reliable...?...probably not, so will look to change again after a couple of years...

 

 

[RGKTSi]

Good choice, great car and engine. I tried a 1.4TSi and thought it was a fantastic smooth engine. I would have been more than happy with the smaller engine. I know I went for a 1.8TSi but that's because a deal was had, suppose the extra power nice when on holiday fully loaded.

I don't think the engine will be any less unreliable as a diesel from the VW Group. The 1.4TSi is used in a number of cars across the VW Group.

[SBirch]

I think it will be fine. By 2011 all the big bugs had been found and fixed. Just be kind to your turbo by not turning off the engine when it's red hot and keep the oil nice and clean.

An electrical gremlin might occur, but you take your chances with that.

[Stubod]

Ta for the feedback and the tip re hot engine and Turbo. I not that the service interval is only 10k miles, so I assume this is because of the Turbo needing good oil.....should nlot be a problem as I now only tend to do 10k per year and change the oil every year anyway..(there does not seem much else to serice these days?).

 

I notice that it has a gear change indicator, but it seems to want to change up far to early to me.....was going up a small incline in 5th pulling about 1500 rpm and it ws indicating to change up?...,tried it to see what happened, but the engine was really struggling and obviously not very "happy"...so I think I will ignore it.....

 

Avereage MPG is showing about 50 which is better than the diesel.....but will check by doing a tank top up rather than believe the computer.....

 

...happy so far....

Edited 21 June, 2014 by Stubod

[RGKTSi]

As SBirch said, always let engine idle for a while if you have been using it hard, I always do and have done with any turbo engine, petrol or diesel they are no different.

The 1.8TSi has a water cooled turbo, not sure if 1.4 TSi has, someone will know on here. Water cooling also helps with turbo cooling.

Use good quality oil changed once a year and you can't go wrong. I think they are a great reliable engine.

Mine is too old for the gear change indicator, Citigo has it, never take any notice of it, your right wants you to change up too early possibly labouring engine.

[SBirch]

I did a lot of research here before I got my car, it left me with the following impressions :

Modern diesel engines are very complex and hence have problems (DMF/DPF/pizo injectors).

VW has no faith in their camb belts, and changing them every 4 years is expensive (1.8tsi uses a chain)

Lots of small trips is harder on batteries and engines than lots of motorway miles.

Never buy a recently introduced model, you get more kit and reliability later down its life cycle.

There was a tread on here about supper high mileage reliable cars, common trait? Yearly oil changes.

I have noticed that the fuel computers tend to be 5 - 7% over optimistic. A check of mine showed about 5%, close enough for me.

Anyway I use it more of comparison with it's self and an extra check that all is OK.

Just remembered the TSI engines do tend to need topping up with oil, so keep an eye on that. Mine uses about 1lt between anual services (9k miles). Using more in winter.

Good luck

Simon

[7oaksoda]

I've got a 10 plate 1.4TSI, came from a 2.0 diesel Mazda. Bought it in Sept 11 and hasn't missed a beat since, usedto be on variable service but I only 12k a year so changed to fixed. Lovely engine, decent go when needed and eeconomical when not, I'm getting a calculated 43 mpg. Only downside is it feels like there's a lack of grunt when fully loaded (passengers and/or bootful of luggage) but day to day she's a dream to drive. Mk3 Octavia has a higher power 1.4TSI but I haven't tried this yet.

Steve.