Which diesel Skoda Roomster?

[Calmore2]

Hi All,

 

I'm looking to buy a Skoda Roomster and the budget is around £5k max.

 

I want a diesel but have heard horrible stories about the 3 cylinder PD engines eating themselves without warning, so I want to avoid one of these?

 

Am I right in saying the 1.9Tdi are four cylinder? Are 1.4 and 1.6 diesels available in four cylinder format or are they all 3 cylinder? 

[bryanb]

My 1.6 CR Tdi 105hp is definitely four cylinder.

[Huskoda]

I'd say the 1.4 PD is the best of the lot. As long as you give it good oil, it should be the most trouble-free. It has no DMF (and the 1.6 has a DPF too) so less things to go wrong.

[grafitti]

The 1.9PD seems just as bulletproof, at least when I was researching what to buy, all the forums and reviews I could find were positive and how they could go on and on if serviced properly. I have no experience with 1.4PD.

1.9 is 4 cyl and should also be DPF free.

I intend to run mine into the ground, with proper care of course. 115k on the clock and only fault to date a broken 4th gear selector, which I put down to chance rather than an expected thing to go wrong.

[Jonny5ive]

1.9tdi PD105.

That is all.

[Robjon]

1.9tdi PD105.

That is all.

 

Agree with J5.  Best engine I've ever had.  Bombproof, economical, reliable - and no DPF to worry about.

 

I wish I could have kept my Scout 1.9TDI.  Sadly, I had to go DSG (petrol) because of an old knee injury.

[malcolmwoodyatt]

1.9 tdi pd 105, 1.9 sdi and 1.4 tdi pd 80 all good have owned them all. Bomb proof, reliable and economical.

[bluecar1]

so long as you keep the engine serviced with the correct oil they will go on for ages

 

my old mk1 Octavia 1.9TDi 90PS 237,000 miles in 7 years

 

my old roomster 1.9TDi 105PS 165,000 miles in 5 years

 

swmbo's mk1 fabia VRS 19.TDi 130PS 95,000 miles in 11 years (only issue EGR failed not long before we sold it)

 

my old GLII 1.2TDi 75PS 35,000 miles in 2 1/2 years

 

due to the low sulphur fuels these days acid build up in the oil is not so much of an issue as it was 10 years ago

[bobspark]

Thanks bluecar1 that's reassuring for all of us PD owners.

At a mileage to date of 55k at 5k a year should have at least another 10 years ownership.                                                                                                                                                                                                             I have heard of Octavia PD taxi,s running to very high mileages,and I've said on this forum many times use the correct PD spec oil to protect the fuel pump on the end of the cam shaft.(think I read that in car mechanics a long time  time ago)

I think in regard to the engines eating them selves Calmore 2 may be confused with the odd story of DPF engines where the the turbo has run away to destruction,and not necessary Skoda,s.

[RichardatWakefield]

Hi Calmore, I concur with what's been said above, also as well as no Diesel Particulate Filter, 1.9 tdi PD is Single Mass Flywheel, so one less thing to fail! Unsure what flywheel 1.4 has...

 

Have also owned the 75bhp version of the 3-cyl 1.4tdiPD in a Mk 1 Fabia, got it re-mapped to 99bhp, even more economical, but VERY vibratory if worked hard at low revs. Would think you'd be constantly changing gear with that in a Roomster, assuming it also probably has the simple wastegated turbo, where little happens below 2,000rpm (also thanks to only 6 valves).ie you might find the 3-cyl tiresome; try 1.4 and 1.9; latter is quite "grunty", but very willing, and cruises well. Tyre choice can reduce noise substantially, (now on Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance, which is quiet and low-rolling-resistance). Good service record inc regular oil and filter changes, and cambelt plus auxiliary belt plus water pump and idler and tensioner pulleys change at c74,000 miles essential. And stick with paper-element air filters, not oiled-finish aftermarket ones.

 

 

1.9tdiPD has variable-vane turbo, delivers a more progressive build-up of torque and power.

And like Jonny5ive I have had my Roomster re-mapped, last refill showed 66mpg, can't argue with that as it's not a slippery shape!

 

BTW, I haven't looked at used Roomster prices on Autotrader recently, but imagine £5k might not yet get you one of the newer 1.6tdi Common Rail injection Roomsters.  So my vote is 1.9tdiPD, whether you choose standard or Scout,  Panoramic Roof, Roof Rails, trim level, is up to you. Roof rails let you add roof bars to carry ladders, planks, bikes etc. Should find quite a selection of colours used; when I bought mine, many 2nd hands were variations on grey, plus the occasional black, amazon green, blues, wine red.

Yet around here I see a dark plum red, corrida (post-office!) red, a very dark blue, occasional whites, several pale blues, one dark green, and occasional Ocean blues same as mine. As they are now no longer manufactured, (but parts should be fine), they are kinda classic, I've occasionally given fellow Roomsterites a thumb-up, or a wave, and had it acknowledged occasionally!

 

Btw, headlights are awful, get Philips or Osram +130% replacement H7's from Powerbulbs, also done the front sidelights to white LED's, also interiors, bootlight, number-plate lamps ditto.

Powerbulbs are online, and coincidentally are based here in Wakefield.

 

I use supermarket fuel, but then add Millers EcoMax additive, been using it and its predecessors in diesels since c1988; also use Millers oils, check their website and/or ring them for latest specified recommendation.

 

Good luck, keep us posted,

Richard

[bluecar1]

the mk1 VRS  definitely had a dual mass flywheel, I know I changed the clutch and flywheel at 90,000 miles

[RichardatWakefield]

Ref SMF/DMF, I checked this out with Darkside Developments around the time of getting the remap done by them, they ran my vehicle details through, definitely has Single Mass Flywheel.

Richard

[xvalve]

I own 1.4 TDI (2007).

 

Currently at 75k km (about 50k miles) so the engine is practically new.

The motor is too weak for the car and quite noisy. These are actually the only 2 things I can complain about.

By opting for the 1.9 (or the newer 1.6) you can address both issues by getting a stronger and softer (4 cylinder vs 3) engine.

[bigjohn]

Hi All,

 

I'm looking to buy a Skoda Roomster and the budget is around £5k max.

 

I want a diesel but have heard horrible stories about the 3 cylinder PD engines eating themselves without warning, so I want to avoid one of these?

 

Am I right in saying the 1.9Tdi are four cylinder? Are 1.4 and 1.6 diesels available in four cylinder format or are they all 3 cylinder? 

 

The 1.4 is a 3 cylinder version of the 1.9 4 cylinder which are both the older but generally bullet proof pd engines. The 1.4 can have problems with its balancer shaft drive (the 1.9 doesn't have one) which can lunch the engine

 

The later 1.6 CR 4 cylinder diesel is quieter but lacks the bottom end grunt of the 1.9 pd and can have problems with the EGR valve and also has a DPF

 

In summary - the 1.9 is the best engine but all versions of this are starting to get on a bit

Edited 14 September, 2015 by bigjohn