Considering a new Octavia Diesel - DPF concerns

[Quyeno]

Hi guys

 

I think it's time to retire my trusty and very old W reg Octavia.  Have been looking at some Octavias, may be 5 years old or there abouts.  I've only just heard about DPFs and was advised that since I mostly do town driving and even then it's at weekends, I'm better off getting a petrol version.  

I was wondering what you guys though about this advice?  Or is the DPF a non issue?

Thanks

[dubhman284]

Imho as i owned a diesel vrs with a dpf and like u did constant town driving and because it was my first Diesel but sold to me on its fuel consumption and cheap Diesel at the pumps i disregarded the dpf as a minor point..however if u are a town/urban driver and low mileage i would strongly urge you to go the peteol route.1)much more refined /quiet engine 2)Diesels are more expensive to purchase3)My Dpf was constantly doing regens and i also got the warning light numerous times which indicates you must take it for a 20 min drive at a constant rev..i think 2000-2500 revs its in the manual........so it became a bloody nuisance..so i traded it against a petrol Vrs and am soooo happy that i did as it suits my needs..but on the other hand i had no issue towards Diesels just i made a totally inaccurate choice of fuel type vehicle for my needs..i hope this piece of advice helps you a little.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Edited 8 June, 2016 by dubhman284

[Gabbo]

As above, if you are only doing short distances & town city driving a petrol will be better suited to your needs.

 

A 5 year-old Octavia would have you looking at a Mk2 (not the current Mk3).

I never owned one but from what I read the Mk2 system was not as robust as the current engines when driving short distances with a DPF.

There are several people like dubhman who talk about problems with short journeys..

 

If you went for a Mk3 Octavia these seem to be much more adapted to lower mileage driving even with a DPF.

I dont recall any diesel owners reporting they have the DPF warning light on the car even for regular short journey use.

However, I would still say a petrol would be a better choice than a diesel unless you do a couple of longer trips each month or so.

Edited 8 June, 2016 by Gabbo

[Quyeno]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I think I might up my budget and consider a Mk3. I do drive from Edinburgh to Glasgow about once or twice a month to see the parents, so if that can help with burning the DPF then I guess it may be an option.  
 

I have a mate who's a VW mechanic and does a bit of work on the side for mates, I usually get him to fix any car problems.  Is the DPF something a mechanic can do without the use of a diagnostic station?  I understand it's part of the exhaust and from the pictures it looks modular but then may be the ECU needs tinkering with once a new DPF is installed?

[gullyg]

It's not just the dpf getting knackered that's the issue.

When SWMBO used the vrs for a couple of weeks I got 13mpg due to constant interrupted regenerations along with a significant loss of power.

30 miles a day (2x 15miles) keeps my dpf sweet although I still only get low 40s mpg wise. Any less than that and a diesel is a really bad idea.

Edited 8 June, 2016 by gullyg

[dubhman284]

In response to all above including my previous post...i should have stated that my Diesel was a Vrs mk3 and lots of short journeys and was a 3 month old ex demo/sales managers car...so maybe the way it was driven previous to me purchasing may also have had a negative impact ..but i too confirm the regens use up fuel and in my case were frequent enough to bother me..and light came on fairly regular ..NOT dreaded one where it goes into limp mode and u have to get the car regened in a garage!!.as i said it did happen regular enough..but i am a low mileage and city dweller...and i agree i never got to see the large mpg as they seem to only occur if u are on motorways over a long cruise..well thats what i used to keep telling myself when i had the mk3 Diesel Vrs..On another point..in Republic of Ireland Diesels are the Vrs you are most likely to see..and goes for most large engines here due to tax and insurance costs..so future value may also be a point to bear in mind..regardless they drop in value as soon as u drive it away..so happy choosing whatever you go with...Me..im

Back in petrol mode now though 230Vrs.. happy out:)

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Edited 8 June, 2016 by dubhman284

[Quyeno]

Yeah I hear you.  Been thinking about it this afternoon and I think I'll get a petrol.  I guess I'd be the same and only get to appreciate the mileage economy every now and then.  Thanks for making my decision easier guys!  Truly appreciated.

[MrAdamwood]

If your only doing town/city driving why get a Vrs?

[dubhman284]

If your only doing town/city driving why get a Vrs?

I can only answer for myself on that .. when u get some time to yourself ..Weekend jaunts to the countryside and u like to have a little pleasure while winding thru the countryside oh and the spec.in the 230 Vrs is pretty good..leather electric adjustable heated seats .. diff on the steering ..etc..oh and the fact that everywhere you look theres Fords.. Golfs or Audi or Bmw etc....not many Vrs...so i like that.each to their own i suppose...Sure in this era if u live in a city u dont need to own a car ..just use one of those car sharing online apps...buses, taxis ..cycle or walk.but not for me im a lazy git ...and i like cars:)

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[SurreyJohn]

Go for the petrol, frequent town driving and short runs doesn't suit the diesel.

You won't get good mileage driving a cold Diesel engine, and won't warm through properly.

Not just the DPF, also likely to get carbon build up in turbo, and if that plays up will reoccur unless you replace the oil feed pipes.

If you are looking at a mk2 then try and get the tsi engine, not the old fsi. Later engines had much lower CO2

Edited 8 June, 2016 by SurreyJohn

[harrylime]

You could also consider one of the last 1.9 PD diesel engines, no DPF or regenerations to worry about and 50 mpg on any decent run. Mine is a 2007 and has never missed a beat in almost 5 years

Edited 8 June, 2016 by harrylime

[davitc]

Long motorway journeys don't allways count for a passive regen.

 

I done a 100 mile motorway trip a few weeks ago and the car wanted to do an Active regen when I arrived home   this can be because the cooling effect of the high speed driving does not allow the DPF to heat up enough to burn the soot out.

 

Luckily my commutes are 50 min journeys so it has a chance too catch up.  The car has now done 3500 miles and I haven't had the light on once.

 

As long as you deal with the light by following the instructions in the manual you should be OK, but I'd seriously consider the petrol if I had the choice again.

Edited 8 June, 2016 by davitc