Hi,

First post, so be gentle.

Currently looking to buy a car and came across a 2011 Skoda Fabia VRS 1.4 TSi DSG with 22,000 miles on the clock. It's from a genuine Skoda dealership.

I've trawled through all the posts all night and it's left me undecided. I'm assuming it's the original CAVE engine but I'll know further when I go look at it this morning.

Any advice/tips/things to look for? Or should I stay away?

Any help would be really appreciated!

Thanks,

Adam

The pinned threads at the top and all the similar posts asking the same as you for the last 4 years about cover it all.

 

Is it cheap enough and are they going to put a 12 month Skoda Warranty on it?

A genuine Skoda Dealership will know of the known issues even if the sales person does not.

So as long as they sell you a good one, show the Service and Warranty history and assure you that the car is fit for purpose you have covered all the basis.

 

If it has had Oil consumption tests yet no remedial work then walk away.

 

Enjoy the test drive.

As Offski has suggested above, you absolutely MUST be sure that the car has a complete service history -  by an authorised Skoda workshop, that it is unmodified (tuning box, exhaust, suspension, etc.) AND that it comes with a 12 month unconditional warranty from Skoda - i.e. one that fully covers any problems with the engine and/or gearbox.

Beyond this, you should consider two issues:

• This car has done about 5,000 miles per year. That may suggest that it has typically been used for short journeys where the engine never reaches its optimum temperature. This MAY be a significant factor in high oil consumption issues.
• Why are you interested in this particular model? It has a somewhat suspect highly developed engine design. It targets a market that is likely to exploit the performance aspect - possibly on short journeys? Skoda appear to have decided not to utilise the engine design in their current generation Mk III Fabia - there has to be a reason for this!

In the final analysis, you need to consider whether you are willing to take a risk on the possibility of some very expensive bills and/or a low resale value.

Incidentally, I consider the Mk II Skoda Fabia vRS to be a brilliant car, loads of power and a superb gearbox in an inconspicuous, understated package. It is just a pity that it has a harsh ride in town, is a bit noisy on long journeys and has possible engine problems.

As Harry said, "You have got to ask yourself 'Do you feel lucky? Well, do you?'"

 

ps - Incidentally, as a further thought, you might try insisting that the selling garage agree to provide a FREE, official oil consumption test as part of the deal? If you get this, drive the car as you normally would, normal journeys at the speed you would plan to drive it - do not take it for a 300 mile run over a weekend. It is worth a try

Edited 30 October, 20169 yr by vxh26

vxh26/ vxh28

?

Did you ever have a 2nd test drive in a Mk2 Fabia vRS, and what Fabia is it that you now have with poor headlights?

Thanks, guys.

Really appreciate it.

The car has had no mods or changes. Always serviced by Skoda dealer. No changes/updates to engine or parts. One previous owner from new 2011 and the only complaint he had (before trading it in for a new Fabia) was that he had to change the oil very regularly.

Only comes with a three month warranty though.

They can buy a 12 month Skoda Warranty for less than the under £300 it would cost you.

So push for that from them. Or the money off the Asking Price and a Full Service before collection.

ie Major Service if it has not been done.

 

On fixed servicing it would require the Oil & Filter every year. Low mileage does not change that.

So 2012 Minor Service.

2013 Oil & Fiter & Pollen filter

2014 Oil & Filter & Brake Fluid change.

2015 Oil & Filter and maybe Air Filter & Spark plugs.

 

Now it would be Brake Fluid Change again, and if no new Spark Plugs already they should be changed now.

So if the Dealership wants to sell a Full Main Dealer History car with a Skoda Warranty see if the Plugs, Filters & Brake Fluid are all changed now.

 

PS

The Software should be the latest as there have been updates since it was built in 2011.

The DSG Service Campaign should have been done if the car is one that left the factory with Synthetic Oil in the DSG.

http://master.skoda-auto.com/mini-apps/recall-actions

Edited 30 October, 20169 yr by Offski

I've got a 61 plate waiting for an engine replacement. Will be up for sale when it's completed if you're interested.

 

Out of interest, how much is the one you're looking at?

I brought a 2010 VRS at the start of March, before doing much research (big mistake), it was 35k 2 owner full service history and looked immaculate. Unfortunately I found receipts for on oil consumption test  (in the October before I brought it) a few weeks after I got it, then I started doing research. Skoda UK & the dealer that serviced it (this is also the dealer in hull that took it in part ex, knew it was a grenade and punted it to a garage in Carlisle), messed me about for so long playing to you to me, it was the best part of 8 weeks before I found out what was actually done to the car.

 

It had the full breather mod, and oil jet work, and a new timing belt fitted with good will in the November before I brought it, that was after it failed 2 oil consumption tests. The dealer that did the work later admitted that even after the work it only just passed an oil consumption test, so the work they had done had not fixed the issue.

 

I noticed the car was using oil, but was feeling OK about it as the Skoda dealer told me what the guidelines/tolerance were and it was within the. Then on further research he lied about acceptable/within tolerences consumption. On top of that I was burning plugs for fun. I had 3/4 weeks of back, and forth with SUK/the dealer that did the work, even writing to the CEO of SUK, and the outcome was it would probably need a new engine, and as goodwill applied/used to do the oil jets/breather work I would get nowt from SUK. So to cut a long story short I traded it in ASAP and lost a fortune on it!!, as I figured that was better than driving a ticking time bomb that would cost £3500-4000 when the engine gave up.

 

For all people say get a warranty etc, I can honestly say I wouldn't bother with one, I think they are really pushing the engine to get 180bhp out of it, and that is probably the source of the issues. It's all well, and good getting a warranty but who wanted the hassle of having to argue to get an engine replaced, and the hassle of getting it done. On top of that a new engine doesn't necessarily fix the issue as I'm sure some member are on their 2nd/3rd engines. it wont be popular on here but in my opinion its like playing Russian roulette with a car, and as much fun as it is to drive its just not worth the headache.

 

I also test drove a Golf GTi and a Leon FR and both were just as much fun as the VRS albeit you had to pay more to get a same year GTI/FR as the VRS

Edited 31 October, 20169 yr by scoobysn7x

<SNIP> I think they are really pushing the engine to get 180bhp out of it, and that is probably the source of the issues. <SNIP>

 

I suspect that scooby has it spot on here and that this is why Skoda have given up on this engine.  In light of this, I am amazed that people try to squeeze even more BHP out of the vRS - incredible!

If the op wants a vrs without the risk,a member is selling a near replica running 200bhp+

Many upgrades and looks well looked after

Look under the thread entitled 'what's it worth now'

The oil issues have nothing to do with the engine being squeezed though. 1.4 tsi's with bigger turbos and upgraded peripherals have been making close to 400bhp and hundreds have been in stage 2+  ~250bhp all without issues for years and consumptions as low as 100ml per 1000km or even less. At the same time, untouched ones have failed catastrophically so there goes the "blame it on the power" argument. There are particular components that have been wrongly designed and selected (oil jets being a major one amongst them) and depending on the use are prone to failure, but it's totally unrelated with the engine's output. It's a big shame VAG got the idea right about twin-charging but could not support it with the necessary reliable peripherals as the ones that work as they should are cracking cars (I personally enjoyed 5 years of relatively trouble-free ownership at 180 to 220 bhp levels). Even worse, they never looked into rectifying the issues seriously and in-time (repeatedly asking dealerships to go through proven non-working fixes before coming up with the oil jets in 2014 when lots of bad reputation was already out and many owners had got rid).

 

I'm only noting this on an academical level as there are a couple of posts that suggest the problem was the power when it is clear (to anyone having spent enough time studying and experiencing these engines in different states of tune) that it isn't. Obviously to the end user it won't matter if it is a stressed design or simply the case of bad peripherals. At the end of the day he wants a car for which he won't have to worry about so we agree on that one.

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by newbie69

Re

VW & the VW Group giving up on these engine, they did stop fitting them to the Polo GTI, Audi A1 185, Skoda Fabia vRS & Seat Ibiza.

 

Running one is a gamble but fun, and you just have to take into account that of the 1,800 CAVE engine vRS that were sold in the UK the failure rate is greater than 25%.

That is Engines already rebuilt, replaced or fitted with new breather pipes, oil spray jets etc.

ie they failed Oil Consumption tests.

Actually the failure rate is greater than 1 in 3 if you consider how many have had failure of oil consumption tests and required warranty work under Manufacturers Warranty 

or after market.

Just one of those failures that the VW Group are not prepared to admit but that they can provide the figures for rather easily.

& the failures with the VW, Seat, Audi sister cars are no less than with the Skoda that has the Volkswagen Built engine, not a Skoda one.

On a purely "academic level", you say

"1.4 tsi's with bigger turbos and upgraded peripherals have been making close to 400bhp and hundreds have been in stage 2+  ~250bhp all without issues for years"

and that

"There are particular components that have been wrongly designed and selected (oil jets being a major one amongst them)"

I take it that these 400 bhp 1.4 TSIs used different, correctly designed and selected components - e.g. oil jets - and ran without issues for years. Is that really your assertion.

 

Are you really suggesting that the problem was simply due to wrongly designed and selected components and that VAG lacked the competence to and/or interest in rectifying the issues and instead advised garages to go through proven non-working fixes?

They had the knowledge and the competence but not the interest in rectifying the issues.

& yes they did approve non-working fixes.

They kept on building and selling and then revising the engines as they knew the failure rate was rising, and they never changed the Service Schedule / Guidelines.

They played with Spark Plugs, Software & Component changes while still official dealership employees and VW Group Employees made out that there was no Fundamental Design, Manufacturing, Component Choice or Quality control failures.

 

But none of that is new for the Volkswagen Group.

 

You do know which Volkswagen's they continued fitting Twincharger to dont you?

After discontinuing them in the Polo, Fabia, A1 & Ibiza.

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by Offski

On a purely "academic level", you say

"1.4 tsi's with bigger turbos and upgraded peripherals have been making close to 400bhp and hundreds have been in stage 2+  ~250bhp all without issues for years"

and that

"There are particular components that have been wrongly designed and selected (oil jets being a major one amongst them)"

I take it that these 400 bhp 1.4 TSIs used different, correctly designed and selected components - e.g. oil jets - and ran without issues for years. Is that really your assertion.

 

Are you really suggesting that the problem was simply due to wrongly designed and selected components and that VAG lacked the competence to and/or interest in rectifying the issues and instead advised garages to go through proven non-working fixes?

 

Yes. This is the conclusion that me, many other owners and several tuners have arrived to after 5+ years of owning, tuning, modifying, testing, data-logging and in general spending a lot of our time with the car. 180bhp was never the issue. Rings, jets and other items have been. Why not everyone had the same issues is probably something that only VW can answer but the typical pattern that comes with squeezed engines was not present so it clearly wasn't the issue.

 

What is your knowledge basis on the subject that tells otherwise? Hands-on examples please.

 

*Note: reproducing stuff you randomly read online without ever having opened a vRS bonnet is not taken seriously by anyone. We all have a history in this forum I believe.

 

PS. I always ask but never get a decent reply: What are you still doing in this forum and in such threads? What can you possibly contribute that Google search can not?

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by newbie69

He has researched now for 3 year.

He joined here and the VW forum using the vxh28 name, so starting with no knowledge and since he drove a car eventually after asking were the Oil Filter was etc.

So basically as clued up as many a Main Dealer sales person or the Customer Services Communications Manager.

 

Still waiting for some actual experiences of him running a Twincharger, 

but according to a post this week he has some car needing better lighting since the clocks changed and nights are dark.

[VAG] had the knowledge and the competence but not the interest in rectifying the issues.

<SNIP>

VAG knew what was wrong with the engines but were not interested in resolving the problem then?

<SNIP>

[VAG] never changed the Service Schedule / Guidelines.

<SNIP>

So that was the solution was it?  Change the Service Schedule / Guidelines, all the problems would have gone away, they would not have needed  to introduce the CTHE and we would now have an even better Mk III vRS?

What "changes" to the Service Schedule / Guidelines did they know they should have made and weren't interested in making?

No and you know it.   The fault is with the manifold inlet at the higher output twinchargers. Among other things.

But the spark plugs needed inspecting even if there were no misfires logged.

Then the CTHE Softeware was in the Fabia before the 2013 Seat Ibiza CTHE, which was delayed because the Software needed modified again.

The Long life 5w 30 FS VW 504 00 is another issue.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/296697-how-harsh-is-the-ride-in-a-fabia-vrs

Happy anniversary on being a Twincharger Fan Boy.

He has researched now for 3 year.

He joined here and the VW forum using the vxh28 name, so starting with no knowledge and since he drove a car eventually after asking were the Oil Filter was etc.

So basically as clued up as many a Main Dealer sales person or the Customer Services Communications Manager.

 

Still waiting for some actual experiences of him running a Twincharger, 

but according to a post this week he has some car needing better lighting since the clocks changed and nights are dark.

 

George come on, you know the rules for troll feeding...

 

I think he has not yet got over the fact that he never bought one, so he tries to make himself feel better by posting all that bs like "you know what? it probably had too much power to be good! I was better off not buying one in the first place :clap: ".

 

I think it's actually eating him inside 

<SNIP> 180bhp was never the issue. Rings, jets and other items have been. <SNIP>

Not according to our resident specialist, it seems that it was all down to VAG failing to change the Service Schedule / Guidelines.

<SNIP> Why not everyone had the same issues is probably something that only VW can answer <SNIP>

Very true but it appears that some people here claim to know presicely what the problem was.

 

As to why I am interested, I agree with you that the 1.4 TSi engine used in the Mk II Skoda Fabia vRS was a work of genius, asis the DSG box.

I am sad that VAG never managed to get it to work reliably.  I would be fascinated to understand why they didn't.

 

Added to this, I am hugely entertained by the complete rubbish that some self proclaimed experts spout here - it is PURE COMEDY GOLD

Use your brain.  & stop putting your spin on what i say.

If the owners with issues were not told 'they all do that' but the basics like the one spark plug with premature failure, and the oil use and fouling plugs were addressed less failures would have happened.

 

The service schedule is now change spark plugs at a Major Service, not the 40,000 miles as was.

Some Technicians still do not check the Spark Plugs and CTHE engines are having plugs fail at less than 20,000 miles.

Not according to our resident specialist, it seems that it was all down to VAG failing to change the Service Schedule / Guidelines.

Very true but it appears that some people here claim to know presicely what the problem was.

 

As to why I am interested, I agree with you that the 1.4 TSi engine used in the Mk II Skoda Fabia vRS was a work of genius, asis the DSG box.

I am sad that VAG never managed to get it to work reliably.  I would be fascinated to understand why they didn't.

 

Added to this, I am hugely entertained by the complete rubbish that some self proclaimed experts spout here - it is PURE COMEDY GOLD

 

I wouldn't worry about what George knows. Selective quoting is yet another one of your miserable attempts to cause debates when no-one's interested.

 

The only commedy is your entire presence in this forum and in particular, your ever-failing attempt to contradict people's real, prolonged, hands-on experiences with these engines with well, nothing from your side... 

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by newbie69

Wind up merchant.

http://volkswagenforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=14713

 

PS

Comedy Gold.

http://forum.qashqaiclub.co.uk/hi_topic12862.html

Edited 1 November, 20169 yr by Offski

Oh good, another needlessly argumentative thread.  This is such a nice forum, can you guys just stop it - or at least start your own thread to bitch at each other and leave the rest of us in peace?  A new member looking for some advice is introduced to the forum to this - it isn't really going to put across the very helpful and friendly community this forum usually is.

Two words,walk away.