should I sell Octavia 1,9 TDi Elegance

[kthned]

Hi 

 

I am stuck in making a decision to sell my Octavia 1,9 TDi Elegance 2003 just because I drive not that much. I drive around 10-15 KM in a day but some days I take long drive = 50 km to keep my engine running (once per week). 

I love the car and specs  :sun: but just due to less milage per day my mechanic suggested to get rid of it and buy petrol engine.( more suited to my requirements). According to him the Turbo is also getting deteriorating day by day and soon I have to replace it. 

 

I have three questions from this expert group

 

1, Is the Turbo failure due to low running or it could happen to anyone who drive longer. My current car mileage is 160 000 miles ?

2. Should I act upon my mechanic advice and sell it .?

3. Does the low mileage cause problem to deisel engin generally ?

 

Hope to get some helpful answers as always in this group. 

 

Regards

kthned

Edited 11 January, 2015 by kthned

[mac11irl]

Diesel engines dont like shoort trips as they dont to heat up properly... which can cause problems. Even 1 50km spin per week wouldnt really be enough to warrant the diessel for your milage. A small petrol engine is what you really need, but which would suit better in day to day living..

[ruffday]

I would say keep it.

Why bother spending money on another car when you have a good one already.

The Turbo can go at any time and I don't think any mechanic can say when it will go.

It may last you for years now if you are not doing many miles.

The main thing you will have to worry about will be the battery losing charge through lack of use.

As you have an older Diesel engine doing small trips wont do it any damage just give it a good blast every now and then.

 

You have no DPF so you don't have to worry about that failing.

[kthned]

Thanks both for your answers... I have look at number of reviews from different websites about Skoda 1,9 TDI and none said to avoid it for short trips. But of course I understand the car is not bulid for short trips/city car but one has to keep the car is in running condition every now and then.

 

@ruffday: your answer on tearing of TDI is quite satisfactory, I am trying to understand that what are the consequences if the turbo goes down and how would I know the time is nearer to change it .

[ExpatHotspur]

Your mechanic has your interests in mind. My late father used an independent mechanic, and kept his cars until the guy told him large bills were on the horizon. You definitely not doing enough miles to warrant diesel, and short journeys wont do your power plant any good. Your mechanic seems to be saying " Sell your 2000GBP car, before it costs you 1500GBP to repair it (made up numbers). Question is, would you get like for like age/ mileage/ spec petrol version, or would you be looking to modernise. Because if its the latter, the depreciation hit on the new one will be far bigger than the impending parts bill on your current one. 

[kthned]

Thanks ExpatHotspur, for a really good headsUP.. Actually there are many factors... I have had this car for about an year and I love the driving ... on the other hand I know the turbo is deterioting but rest is super fine til now :0. and one cant say specifically when there is a need for change thats the real world huh...

Now if I consider following options

Buying a new car gives me depreciaton,,,, Buying another used car is a RISK again.... Keeping this car I know Turbo is on the corner. So the question is if I change the turbo then would it be suitable car. Long question short... Is it harm/sin to have diesel car when you drive lets say 25-30 km per day on an average. 

 

[mikec]

I have the 90HP diesel and do an average of 10 miles a day and everything is still running without a problem for me.

 

All i do is give it a blast around the moterway every now and then to keep it clean of gunk 

[KenONeill]

It's hard for me to say for certain when I don't know how you drive or on what sort of roads.

 

I do about 40km/day on mostly UK National Speed Limit roads and occasional several hundred km trips. I tend to accelerate "assertively", using about 80% opening but changing gears at 2_000rpm or so. My car is slightly older (chronologically and milage) than yours and hasn't had any significant failures other than a Throttle Position Sensor. Also I know some taxi owners who run Octy TDis and they tend to get better than 400_000km out of turbos.

[ruffday]

Has your mechanic actually removed the turbo or is he just saying that due to mileage that it is wearing.

I know some that have done well over 200,000 miles and are still going strong and some have gone under 100,000.

 

For what the car is worth I would keep it until it breaks and either fix it or sell it.

If the Turbo goes it really is not that expensive to have a recon unit fitted.

[kthned]

Mechanic is suggesting that the Turbo is losing power. I once noticed last month that the car is not speeding up on the motorway and stuck at 110 kmh and never goes up even on full blast. I dint experience this for a while (travel over 2000 km after that incident). I think that trigger him to change the Turbo may be ?

 

Has your mechanic actually removed the turbo or is he just saying that due to mileage that it is wearing.

I know some that have done well over 200,000 miles and are still going strong and some have gone under 100,000.

 

For what the car is worth I would keep it until it breaks and either fix it or sell it.

If the Turbo goes it really is not that expensive to have a recon unit fitted.

[ruffday]

Mechanic is suggesting that the Turbo is losing power. I once noticed last month that the car is not speeding up on the motorway and stuck at 110 kmh and never goes up even on full blast. I dint experience this for a while (travel over 2000 km after that incident). I think that trigger him to change the Turbo may be ?

 

I would have a search around on the forum as it could be lots of things.

I am no expert on these issues but it may even just need a clean out.

[KenONeill]

Mechanic is suggesting that the Turbo is losing power. I once noticed last month that the car is not speeding up on the motorway and stuck at 110 kmh and never goes up even on full blast. I dint experience this for a while (travel over 2000 km after that incident). I think that trigger him to change the Turbo may be ?

Well, that does sound like a loss of power, but I'm not convinced that that means a new turbo.

 

With the bonnet open and engine running, have a listen for "sucking air noises" from the RHS of the engine bay where the turbo-intercooler-manifold pipework is. Check whether or not the fuel flter needs changing. If you can find someone with VCDS, get them to check the injection (and hence cam) timing.

 

If you're prepared to get your hands dirty and understand this, take the lower intercooler pipe off and drain any oil that's built up in there.

[pikpilot]

Mechanic is suggesting that the Turbo is losing power. I once noticed last month that the car is not speeding up on the motorway and stuck at 110 kmh and never goes up even on full blast. I dint experience this for a while (travel over 2000 km after that incident). I think that trigger him to change the Turbo may be ?

 That is about terminal velocity in limp home mode. Next time it happens, pull off at the next junction then stop and restart the engine. If power is restored then sticky vanes is your problem.

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Low mileages kill the turbo but only because the VNT mechanism gets carbon'd up.  Cleaning the mechanism (inside the turbo) should restore all lost power.

 

There is significantly less wear on a diesel engine when cold compared to a petrol engine as diesel fuel is a lubricant. 

 

Only addditional thing with a low mileage diesel is to change the oil more reguarly as condensation in the oil system will not burn off as the engine is not getting hot enough (look at the inside of your oil cap - white stuff is water).

 

Get the turbo internally cleaned and keep it.

 

One indication a turbo is starting to fail is if there is play in the shaft bearings.  Remove the inlet pipe and spin the blade by hand, if you can move the shaft off centre then your bearing is failing.  Get it reconditioned or a new one before either oil bypasses the seal and the engine drinks itself dry or the blades make contact with the housing, shatter and get injested by the engine.

Edited 15 January, 2015 by Sheldon.Cooper

[Skoda_Saint]

If you do, hope not, at some point need a turbo give Xman a shout as he could be a lot cheaper than sourcing local.

[Rob1971]

I cleaned the variable blade valve on my turbo and hey presto, like a new motor. Chuck some diesel treatment in every couple of fill ups and give it a good blast every now and then. Turbos generally work or don't work! The 110hp are prone to VBV sticking and giving the feeling that the turbo ain't working. Look up the VBV on you tube and they are a simple but effective bit of kit giving you turbo power assist right across the rev range.

[newtooctavia]

Has your mechanic actually removed the turbo or is he just saying that due to mileage that it is wearing.

I know some that have done well over 200,000 miles and are still going strong and some have gone under 100,000.

 

For what the car is worth I would keep it until it breaks and either fix it or sell it.

If the Turbo goes it really is not that expensive to have a recon unit fitted.

Is the correct answer.

[berre]

hi,

 

I have the same engine (also year 2003) and do even less km... I have a company car since 2007 with a total-card so it's logical I use that one most of the time... when I got my company car I also looked in to the option of selling the car but I would have lost way too much money on it so I don't even want to imagine how much I would get for it now even although it's in perfect condition... only about 60.000km and in showroom condition (not a scratch or dent on it).

 

So far (touch wood) I haven't had any issues... I do use sometimes a diesel-cleaning additive but reading this topic I looked a bit into the direction of turbo cleaners and apparently those exist as well (e.g. Bardahl Turbo Cleaner) so I might try it. Reviews seem to be positive but it's quite expensive (more than 70€) but I guess a new turbo costs more.

 

Ideally I would prefer to have it physically cleaned but I'm not a hero in car-mechanics so I would need to have someone do it but I have no idea on how much that would cost...

 

Cheers

B

[YellowCar]

Seems you've had some good points made already but I'll chuck my 2p in. Personally I wouldn't own a diesel if I wasn't doing mega miles and even then I'd think twice, but that's beside the point. Consider that you know where you're at with this car, there's nothing to say that if you change car you won't have to spend more on that in the 1st 6 months than you would on the car you've got whether the turbo does go or not. I've spent a fair bit on mine since I got it in July. Other than mods it's had cambelt, tyres, battery and it's in for wheel bearings tomorrow so there's 600 plus. There is a lot to be said for being acquainted with your car and only you can decide whether changing is worth the gamble. I would say that diesels do need good runs to keep cleaner and stay running sweeter so think about whether it really is suitable for your needs, rather than thinking what it will cost, which will probably be similar with another car over the next year or 2.

[Phil-E]

With a TDI you have to give it a blast every now and then.

 

It's ok saying you got for a long drive sometimes but that won't help.

 

You need to get the car up to temperature and use some full throttle to get the turbo spinning and let the engine rev out.

 

We only do short trips mainly through the week (10 miles max). Although most weeks there's a 50 to 100 mile journey too. Then at weekends it's either 20 miles max going to shops etc or a longer run (like to the airport tomorrow).

 

The engine usually gets some full throttle on each longer journey and with the DSG this means pretty much up to the red line.

 

Phil

[kthned]

 That is about terminal velocity in limp home mode. Next time it happens, pull off at the next junction then stop and restart the engine. If power is restored then sticky vanes is your problem.

 

Yes that true when i stoped the car and restart the problem gone... so it is sticky vanes problem apparently... How can i solve it should i use some additive ?

[pikpilot]

Yes that true when i stoped the car and restart the problem gone... so it is sticky vanes problem apparently... How can i solve it should i use some additive ?

 

There are two main options:

1) Have the turbo taken off and sent to one of the companies that will mechanically remove all the hard "coke" that is jamming up the mechanism

2) Use a chemical oven cleaner to remove the carbon. Not always successful in the long term but do a search on here for the "Mr Muscle Treatment". Advantage is that you can do it with the turbo on the car. Also some videos on the net for other VW group cars with the same engine.