Hi,

 

I am a new member as I am considering buying an Octavia 2.0 TDI DSG. 

 

I currently drive a Volvo S60 2.4 D5 185bhp Saloon. It has been the best car I have owned, but it is not as economical as I would like it to be. a £72 tank returns 415 miles. That is a mix of 60:40 Motorway:Town driving. 

 

I am considering going into the taxi trade, therefore I will be doing in the region of 40k miles a year. I have spent several weeks now reading this forum and the issues with the 1.9tdi and the 2.0 tdi, to which I have decided to go for the 2.0tdi, because I don't want to face the conrod issues.

 

As I will be doing high miles, what is the cost of replacing an Auto Gearbox or the Auto clutch? How reliable are they? 

 

Also, there are not many octavia 2.0tdi DSG's on the classifieds. Is anyone thinking of selling soon? 

I need an 07 plate and above.

The 6 speed DSG fitted to the 2.0 and 1.9 diesels seems very reliable.......the clutches are wet and seem to last a very long time. The flywheel is the only thing that will need replacing if doing mega miles. A member on here had one with 400,000 miles and it was still on original clutches, although it had had 2 or 3 flywheel replacements during this time. 

 

I wouldn't rule out a 1.9.......in fact I think I'd prefer one for taxi work....the extra economy translates directly into bigger profits! The conrod issue is only a problem with certain versions of the 1.9....some engine codes are totally unaffected by this issue. 

My three years old Octy 2.0 DSG has 59000 on it with no issues at all, but that's not exactly taxi mileage.

I get a MFD-indicated 55 mpg, which in reality is still north of 50mpg - say 525 miles from a £60 tank at today's prices. 

I would buy a 1.9 as far more reliable for taxi work. 40k miles per annum about right you will deffo change dmf and the turbo and maybe the erg valve. A 07 plate will come with plenty of miles already.

I would for go for 1.9 too as better mpg and con rod issues are rare as people tend to post failures on forums.

Dsg issues seem to be with the 7 speed dry clutch which is used on the 1.6 cr but the 6 speed one seems to be more reliable.

What engine codes on the 1.9 were effected?

I will be looking to do taxi work part time. So 20k is for motorway commute for my main job, and then 20k for taxi work local town.

I've seen a 2.0tdi with a trader. 07 115k on the clock. L&K edition for £2995. Thinking about going to see it but it's 150 miles away!

I get a MFD-indicated 55 mpg, which in reality is still north of 50mpg - say 525 miles from a £60 tank at today's prices. 

Almost the same as my 1.9dsg. 8.85 miles to the £1 at last count.

I would prefer the 2.0 for the smoother feel, if nothing else.

 

A 07 plate will come with plenty of miles already.

What, even if he gets a low mileage one?

As above. I doubt you will ever wear the clutches (I say clutches as it has two). They are lubricated with oil so wear rate is very low. The only consideration is that the gearbox needs an oil and filter change every 40k miles so make sure that has been done.

 

There's not a huge difference between the 2.0 and 1.9 in terms of economy I don't think. the 1.9 can get slightly better but I would just go for whatever car has the lowest miles, best condition and at the right price etc.

 

The conrod problems seem isolated to the BXE engine code but they are very few and far between considering the number of 1.9 BXE engines on the roads (this engine was used in the Golf, A3 and Octavia).

 

Doing mainly short town runs and a few longer runs thrown in with the 1.9 DSG we are averaging between 44 and 48mpg.

 

On a long run we can get almost 60mpg. Managed York to Dover, Dunkirk to Dusseldorf and then Dusseldorf to the Mosel on one tank of fuel (677 miles before refuelling).

 

The 1.9 is also surprising in terms of power and acceleration. It might sound weedy on paper compared to the 2.0 but under normal driving it pulls nice and strong and feels effortless paired with the DSG

Thanks Phil. The Octavia I went to see after a 150 mile drive, the trader decided to put the price up once I got there! 

 

Think I have decided to go for a 2.0 TDI, but there are not that many about in the L&K spec. Think I will wait for the right one to turn up and then go for it. 

 

I'm not sure whether considering an estate would be a good option? Is the MPG vastly affected by having an estate vs the hatchback?

That's cheeky!

 

The Hatchback and Estate 2.0 L&K have identical book figures for MPG, tax band and insurance group.

 

The Hatchback achieves 0-60 0.1 seconds faster and has a higher top speed by 3mph. The estate is only 15KG heavier (they are the exact same length).

 

So they are pretty much identical just you have a higher luggage area with the estate... I personally don't like the look of the estate and the hatchback boot is plenty big enough. I have had 5 adults with 5 suitcases and 5 pieces of hand luggage in my car before (had to take the parcel shelf out but could still see out the back window).

 

Don't exclude the 1.9 from your searches. There are L&K models with the 1.9 and if the right one comes up at the right price then I'd say go for it.

 

What is your maximum budget?

 

Phil

Edited 18 December, 201510 yr by Phil-E

Why specifically L&K? The elegance has a pretty good spec imo.

ive got both the hatch back and the estate. Both are 2 liter diesels with a bkd engine on and the manual gearbox's.
Considered getting the elergance model at all?
 

As mentioned, both the 1.9 and 2.0 DSG are good choices. Remember if you can find an Elegence spec car with optional leather, you basically have a L&K. 

 

The estate and hatchback are identical in terms of passenger accommodation, but you'll get more luggage in the boot of the estate. However the estate models typically attract slightly higher prices on the used market.

 

As for economy of the 2.0 vs 1.9......I own a 2.0 TDI DSG Octavia and a 1.9 TDI manual Fabia. On my 25 mile trip to work (main road/motorway no traffic hold ups) the Fabia typically does about 63-65 MPG, while the Octavia (driven identically) will return 58 mpg on the same route. So there is not much in it on a long run, however on a regular short trip to town that I do (usually start stop traffic), the Fabia will still return around 50 mpg, while the 2.0 TDI Octavia DSG will only return 38 mpg. My point being that the 2.0 DSG does seem to struggle badly with mpg in town driving. I imagine the 1.9 DSG won't be quite so bad. Something worth considering when choosing a car for Taxi work.     

MY 2.0l tdi L&K Estate,used for taxi work common fault failures include :

Two DMF,

one turbo but second starting to overboost

tandem fuel pump leak

EGR valve

Injector loom failure ( brittle).

Rear console bushes X 2 each side.

Egr cooler leak.

Average 40 mpg around town and 50 mpg on run.

Drive gently for MPG but then you get turbo vanes " Gumming " up.

DSG is fantastic but needs expensive oil change every 40K miles.

Plus points when it's running ok it is a FANTASIC car Ideal for taxi work

1.9 on fleet are more reliable, only the common EGR failure is much harder to fix.

Doubt if part time Taxi work is viable due to high overheads.

LEATHER SEATS A GREAT ADVANTAGE WHEN CLEANING OFF SICK.

Shark remap stage 1 and economy on 1.9 bxe octavia manual is better still and drives a whole heap better. Will do better economy mapped than a fabia 1.9 105 manual. Not just mfd figures but worked out run for run its usually 5mpg better and once weight is added this gap can widen.

Early L&K s were up specced Elegance models.

non of the fleet skoda either 1.9 or 2.0ltr have ever and a clutch pack, some 1.9 s have 300,000 miles, one had mechatronic failure which meant manual changes , ALL have had DMF changes.Although I strongly recommenned the 40,000 mile gearbox oil + filter change close to 2 hundred pounds, I know a couple of our cars only got done after 100,000 miles.

P.S add to my list drive shaft failure at 150,000 miles.

Well, I ended up getting a 1.9 TDI Elegance with 87k on the clock, which has all the extras, so I am happy. The engine is impressive and I have to say it surprised me with how nippy it is. I don't think I shall be opting in for a re-map just yet, but will see how it goes. 

 

Still haven't decided if I will enter the taxi trade, but still haven't ruled it out. I understand there are high overheads, but it could be worthwhile. 

 

I just had the gearbox oil and filter changed at the dealer over the weekend. cost £180, but I think that will be a job that is required every year or 2 so I can keep the gearbox healthy. 

 

I do however only get 500 miles from a tank, which seems to be far less than everyone else. Not sure why, but will have to look into it. A full tank in my eyes is filling up again just before the fuel reserve light appears. Don't want to let any gunk go through the system by using any of the reserves. What is the best way to investigate the cause for not getting close to 600 miles like other members? 

First thing to check is your driving style.

I've found the best MPG on the 1.9 DSG is to be nice and light on the throttle and try to spend as much time as possible off it (so coming off nice and early for roundabouts etc).

My current tank with mainly short town runs and a run out to near Nottingham the other day. With the trip miles and remaining miles I'm just over 600 on a tank.

Current average is 45mpg but we do mainly short runs across town.