I love my Fabia Mk1 VRS!

Had it from new.

05 reg with 107k on the clock.

Still makes me smile ever time I drive it.

 

However this emission issue is getting up my nose and will, less so, probably hit our pockets.

 

So............can I spend money upgrading it to reduce the emissions to Euro5 levels?

 

We have a diesel Mk3 Octavia VRS estate with the “right” engine in it.

But the Fabia deserves respect.

 

Your thoughts?

 

No, not possible. Any particular emissions type bother you, NOx? Particulates? CO2?

 

Edit; just remembered, there is a DPF retrofit kit available I think, if particulates matter to you?

 

If NOx bothers you, make sure your EGR valve is in excellent condition, if CO2 matters you might want to disable the EGR system.

 

 

Edited 22 November, 20178 yr by Wino

You could change the engine to a Euro 5 compliant unit and ask for the emissions to be tested according to the fitted engine rather than the age of the vehicle, you could probably also get the VED taxation class changed if it passed those tests at a VOSA test centre.

Would a Euro 5 compliant engine fit?

Would it involve the whole drive chain change?

Not impossible?! 

Written off recent VAG car with “nice” engine and gearbox in it could be possible.

Getting the new taxation class would also be fun.........and expensive.

 

Thank you 

From Wino’s reply.

 

Like the retrofit kit for particulates.

But it is basically maintaining the long term running of this car with a little bit of conscience.

 

Thank you Wino

3 minutes ago, rogerwa said:

basically maintaining the long term running of this car with a little bit of conscience.

 

Keep the car well maintained and enjoy it.  

As VW have amply demonstrated, Euro5 qualification isn't worth the paper it's written on; other manufacturers probably being equally guilty of 'sidestepping' the testing.

 

6 minutes ago, rogerwa said:

But it is basically maintaining the long term running of this car with a little bit of conscience.

Why not get a new car? A new car not only has a cleaner and more efficient engine , but also the overall construction and design leads to a cleaner and more efficient vehicle. Not to mention modern cars are safer. Why do you want to go to such a fuss to get an old car to perform slightly better on the emissions?

Meet your green credentials by keeping it running for as many years as you can before it gets scrapped. 

It is very green so far still running and not replaced by some Euro 5 TDI with Defeat Devices and cheating EU testing.

 

16 minutes ago, rogerwa said:

Would a Euro 5 compliant engine fit?

Would it involve the whole drive chain change?

Not impossible?! 

Written off recent VAG car with “nice” engine and gearbox in it could be possible.

Getting the new taxation class would also be fun.........and expensive.

 

Thank you 

 

2006-2009 VW Polo Bluemotion would be the only real donor worth considering, that drivetrain is VERY frugal and very clean and it's the same 9N platform so everything should fit.

 

Anything is possible given the resources.

14 minutes ago, LightRain said:

Why not get a new car? A new car not only has a cleaner and more efficient engine , but also the overall construction and design leads to a cleaner and more efficient vehicle. Not to mention modern cars are safer. Why do you want to go to such a fuss to get an old car to perform slightly better on the emissions?

A new car is not as much fun as this car. Also we have a new car, but I am old and weird and just love driving this smooth pocket rocket. Told you I was weird.

18 minutes ago, LightRain said:

Why not get a new car? A new car not only has a cleaner and more efficient engine , but also the overall construction and design leads to a cleaner and more efficient vehicle. Not to mention modern cars are safer. Why do you want to go to such a fuss to get an old car to perform slightly better on the emissions?

A new car is not as much fun as this car. Also we have a new car, but I am old and weird and just love driving this smooth pocket rocket. Told you I was weird.

The Bluemotion donor is wrong in so many ways. Fugal while being good, I am looking for the other f (fun).

18 minutes ago, sepulchrave said:

 

2006-2009 VW Polo Bluemotion would be the only real donor worth considering, that drivetrain is VERY frugal and very clean and it's the same 9N platform so everything should fit.

 

Anything is possible given the resources.

Good call actually. Real world emissions any better? Maybe a smidge.

5 minutes ago, rogerwa said:

A new car is not as much fun as this car. Also we have a new car, but I am old and weird and just love driving this smooth pocket rocket. Told you I was weird.

Well that's cool, I was just wondering. An engine swap isn't going to be an easy or cost effective solution and probably won't offer much in the way of better emissions relative to your current engine. Much better (as has been said) to keep the car running well and take it past its expected life, or maybe a new car that is as fun as you want comes along eventually.

Umm: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4284572/VW-Polo-bad-lorry-pollution.html

 

Just stick to the fabia as it is or buy an electric car. Real world there would be very little difference even with a modern 'clean diesel'. The perfect solution doesnt exist

Edited 22 November, 20178 yr by clarendon462

6 minutes ago, rogerwa said:

The Bluemotion donor is wrong in so many ways. Fugal while being good, I am looking for the other f (fun).

 

Then mod a petrol turbo, much cleaner and much faster. I have the 2.0 petrol Fabia, it's not as quick as the VRS but if I shoved a turbo up it, it would be an awful lot quicker albeit thirstier.

Now that is interesting. Been stuck in the diesel camp because of this VRS.

Will look into this one.

9 minutes ago, clarendon462 said:

Umm: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4284572/VW-Polo-bad-lorry-pollution.html

 

Just stick to the fabia as it is or buy an electric car. Real world there would be very little difference even with a modern 'clean diesel'. The perfect solution doesnt exist

Much as I despise the daily fail, that is highly relevant and interesting.

You could go for the ultimate Dave Angel project, electric conversion. Or if you fancy some control engineering practise, hybrid conversion

2 minutes ago, Wino said:

Much as I despise the daily fail, that is highly relevant and interesting.

 

Arrrggghhhh, my eyes! I clicked on it as well, a cunning stunt that Paul Dacre.

 

It isn't even the same Polo so the relevance is hugely limited.

Don't think Polo engine bay size varies massively...

10 minutes ago, Wino said:

Don't think Polo engine bay size varies massively...

 

True, entirely different platform though so nothing will match up, none of the mounts and none of the electronics will talk to each other nicely.

In other words nothing will fit without extensive modification and an exponentially higher level of ingenuity and resources will be required together with extensive fabrication.

You could keep the car as is and join Friends of the Earth and the Green Party and do some litter picking  around your area, walk or cycle on short trips,

all that instead of using a Milk Float Motor and Batteries someone else could use.

@sepulchrave Ah, I wasn't meaning a transplant from a Polo with proven dodgy emissions though, I was meaning that the whole transplant in a newer - supposedly better emissions - engine idea is flawed, in the real world; judging by that article.

Edited 22 November, 20178 yr by Wino

48 minutes ago, Wino said:

@sepulchrave Ah, I wasn't meaning a transplant from a Polo with proven dodgy emissions though, I was meaning that the whole transplant in a newer - supposedly better emissions - engine idea is flawed, in the real world; judging by that article.

 

Huh?

 

Of course it's a terrible idea no matter what size the engine bay is, the correct answer is to buy a newer model of car for lower emissions, however there are much better high-performance engines to be found further back in time, and none of them are diesels.