So I'm fancying a change from my daily driver - Fabia estate 1.6 auto

 

As I have a fast petrol 2nd car (BMW 130i) then I'm fancying something like the Octavia 2.0 tdi pd dsg

 

It has to be an auto as my left knee is not up to clutch pumping

 

I do some long runs but maybe not enough as I also do quite a fair few short journeys so I think it best to avoid a dpf hence I'm not looking at vrs or cr

 

Have read quite a bit on here so would be grateful if somebody could summarise key things to look out for

 

Also does the dsg on the 2.0 tdi pd Octy have a dmf? How will I tell if it could be on its way out?

 

Many thanks in advance

Edited 6 February, 20188 yr by Jayne

Anybody?

Depends on the age of the car if it has a DPF or not - Skoda didn't put them on the 2.0 PD (except the VRS) until it became mandatory with Euro 5 in 2010. Easy way is to check the engine code in the boot, if it's a BKD then it's not got a DPF. If you do short journeys, even if you escape the DPF there's still things like the VNT turbo vanes getting clogged up to consider.

 

The DSG does have a DMF, listen for angry knocking sounds coming from the gearbox.

Many thanks for the reply Chris - very useful

 

Yes I am trying to avoid a DPF due to a good proportion of short journeys in my driving so I'm going on the side of caution + avoiding one so I'll watch that engine code

 

I'm not too worried by a DMF its one of those things - will be listening out for for any knocking sounds from the gearbox

 

I didn't know about the VNT turbo vanes getting clogged though - how big an issue could this be and also is it easy or expensive to fix?

Popular opinion on here suggests the CR engines are better at dealing with a DPF than PD engines as they were at least designed with a DPF in mind, whereas the PD engine was not. 

 

If the car you intend to purchase has a DMF (not sure if all cars have them), plenty of people on  here have carried out a DMF to SMF conversion and they appear to be happy with it. 

 

Personal experience, my Octy Scout arrived from the factory with a faulty DMF, but the replacement appears to be behaving itself. 

As for the DPF, my daily commute for 3 years of 50 miles each way of motorway and A Roads, has  been replaced for the last 5 years of predominantly 2-2.5 mile commute each way of mostly 30/40mph roads with the occasional 20 mile blast on the motorway to pick my wife up from work, and I don't appear to be suffering any DPF issues, and that's whilst also committing the heinous crime of only using supermarket fuel! 

 

I don't think the 1.9PD engine has a DPF, cannot comment reference DMF. 

1 minute ago, Jayne said:

Many thanks for the reply Chris - very useful

 

Yes I am trying to avoid a DPF due to a good proportion of short journeys in my driving so I'm going on the side of caution + avoiding one so I'll watch that engine code

 

I'm not too worried by a DMF its one of those things - will be listening out for for any knocking sounds from the gearbox

 

I didn't know about the VNT turbo vanes getting clogged though - how big an issue could this be and also is it easy or expensive to fix?

 

I've got an early 2010 (59 plate) 2.0 BKD DSG ant to be fair I love it - I bought it specifically because it was the newest diesel car I could find that didn't have a DPF! Mines just shy of 80,000 miles and no nasty noises from the DMF yet, hoping it will stay that way!

 

VNT vanes clogging is more of a minor annoyance, when you put your foot down you may occasionally end up with too much turbo boost and have the limp home mode triggered, turning it off and on will reset things. The solution is to clean the turbo, either by squirting oven cleaner into it, or removing and cleaning it properly... This isn't a VAG problem though, lots of other makes have the same problem.

The 2.0 PD DSG's all have dual mass flywheel.

 

The easiest way to tell if the DMF is worn is to start the engine with the window or door open and listen carefully as you put it in D or R. If the engine noise gets quieter when it is in gear compared to when it is in N or P, then this is most likely a DMF rattle. It's not worn out yet but getting there.

 

The DMF on my 2.0 PD DSG started to rattle around 50,000 miles. It continued like this until around 90,000 miles when it started flying apart.....luckily causing no major damage. The DMF had a redesign around 2010 I think, so any cars that have had the DMF replaced since then should do much more mileage before the DMF fails. There are no solid flywheel options for DSG cars.      

 

Hi folks many thanks for the replies 

 

Fin - the driving you do now looks very similar to mine so either I'm being over cautious or you're lucky with your car + the dpf not raising its ugly head

 

I'm still going to go PD and make sure its dpf free though - I like the old PD's used to drive my dads old X reg 1.9 tdi Octy estate plenty and the lack of refinement people talk about doesn't bother me - seems a fair trade to be dpf free 

 

Chris - good to hear you're enjoying yours  

 

Just done a bit of reading on here on VNT vanes and several people have had success with diesel additives as well so it doesn't sound like a major problem

 

When I find that lateish 20. pd tdi dsg (BKD) what in particular do I need to look out for? 

Thanks for that Booke

 

Have started a list of what I need to look for when I go viewing - DSG + your tips for checking it are going on said list

This looked good value compared to what else is for sale that sort of age lowish miles

 

But then I noticed it had a tow bar that puts me off a bit - makes me think it could have had a hard life

 

Plus the private plate must have come off the car as its not coming up with the MOT history based on that reg number

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201801273154250?minimum-badge-engine-size=2.0&sort=price-asc&make=SKODA&transmission=Automatic&model=OCTAVIA&advertising-location=at_cars&keywords=pd&maximum-mileage=80000&radius=1500&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&postcode=hd97nw&page=1

Edited 9 February, 20188 yr by Jayne

33 minutes ago, Jayne said:

Fin - the driving you do now looks very similar to mine so either I'm being over cautious or you're lucky with your car + the dpf not raising its ugly head. 

Just for clarification, my Scout is on 95k. At the time I  bought it I was unaware of DPF's and potential issues they may cause depending on the type of driving/distance you do. I merely wanted a vehicle that would do the weekly commute from Pompey to Glasgow in one schlep without getting ripped off by the outrageous fuel prices at the motorway services - 15ppl more than I paid at home! 

 

If I had known about the potential issues with DPF's, I would have either bought the 1.8 petrol Scout, or looked elsewhere for a petrol 4x4, or possibly even a 1.4 Yeti. 

 

Best wishes in your search. 

Thanks for the reply Fin - A lot of people don't know about the dpf until it causes them problems - my friend with her Golf tdi can tell you nearly all the need to know about the dpf now but when she bought the car she didn't know what it was or why it was there - steep expensive learning curve

 

But your car must be appreciating your driving style and that's the main thing

 

I've been half looking at the petrol engines but that's not exactly a straightforward choice which one is it? Can't work out if there is a peach amongst them + which one it is Reading so much conflicting info and my budget has to be max £7k

 

My Fabia 1.6 auto might be as dull as dishwater but it just doesn't mess me about and its a 6 speed box which always seems to be in the right gear

Edited 10 February, 20188 yr by Jayne

I'd certainly consider a petrol, but you really don't want the 7 speed dry clutch DSG fitted to most of the petrols. It's renowned for going expensively wrong.   

 

You can get an Octavia with the 1.6 or 2.0 FSI and standard (non DSG) auto transmission, which is dependable although probably quite rare. 

Edited 10 February, 20188 yr by booke23

DPF can cause a lot of issues, and replacing it generally is rather expensive. Despite that, you still might consider a car with DPF.

I don't know about any UK regulations, but in Europe having a DPF becomes mandatory.

There are already a lot of cities which just don't allow older cars with too much emissions -> Basicly: any car without DPF. This for example applies to Antwerp, Paris, Berlin and a lot of other German cities as well.

 

Also, for the environment: DPF is much better.. Only not for your wallet if it has issues

 

If the environment doesn't care you, you don't have plans on visiting Europe frequently, and there are no upcoming requirements in the UK: go for one without DPF. In other case you might reconsider your options

 

If you're driving only short distances, DPF issues might occur earlier. Generally diesel engines (especially ones with DPF) are not designed for your daily shopping needs and other short drives. In those cases you're better off with a petrol engine (as long as it's not the oil-consuming 1.8TSI)

 

Edited 10 February, 20188 yr by DJSmiley

Thanks for the reply DJSmiley

 

In the UK we can still drive older cars that were manufactured without a dpf such as the tdi pf but there are some restrictions starting such as emissions charges into cities

 

I don't travel into cities and I don't travel abroad so for me I see it as the last chance to own one of these cars before the axe falls on them completely and they are no longer allowed on the road

 

I have looked at the petrol options but for my budget of upto £6k there are a couple of 1.4tsi dsg Octy estates - I'm assuming the 1.4 tsi isn't an oil burner like the 1.8 tsi as you point out?