New (used) Superb Estate - things to check

[daveb99]

I’m looking at purchasing a Superb 3 estate in the coming days/weeks, specifically the L&K TDI 190 DSG, around 3 years old, with anything up to 60k miles.   It will more than likely be from an independent trader or private seller, not from a Skoda dealer, due to my budget.

 

I've bought a number of used cars over the years but haven’t had a Skoda before, I’ve done some reading on here but would be really grateful of any further help in terms of what to look out for when viewing, checking and driving the car.

 

On top of the usual 'generic' car checks, such as full service history on schedule, full condition inside and out, tyres, brakes, etc etc what should I be wary of or specifically check due to it being a weak point or prone to failure, perhaps?

 

I'm not ruling out the 4x4 version, but it isn’t essential for where I live and I've read a few things about the Haldex being noisy etc with age, would I be better to steer clear and stick with 2wd at this mileage?

 

I have a few random questions too...

 

Regarding the service schedule, how often does the cambelt need to be changed on these engines?

Am I right in thinking the TDI 190 DSG uses the 6 speed DSG box?   Does it have paddles on the steering wheel (I’m looking at 65 / 16 plates mostly)?

I've read that the DSG can be a bit sluggish pulling away.  Was this fixed with a software update at all, and it is really that bad?  I see some people use Sport mode to address this but I presume that also means slightly snappier changes.

What does the SCR signify in the 190 engine?

 

Any help would be much appreciated, many thanks.

 

[Gizmo]

1 hour ago, daveb99 said:

On top of the usual 'generic' car checks, such as full service history on schedule, full condition inside and out, tyres, brakes, etc etc what should I be wary of or specifically check due to it being a weak point or prone to failure, perhaps?

 

Mine is currently on 52K miles has so far required nothing apart from regular servicing and a set of brakes (the rear discs are a shocking quality so will require changing if they have not already been done, a full set of Brembo discs and pads for the 190 cost me just £221 from eurocarparts) 

 

1 hour ago, daveb99 said:

II'm not ruling out the 4x4 version, but it isn’t essential for where I live and I've read a few things about the Haldex being noisy etc with age, would I be better to steer clear and stick with 2wd at this mileage?

 

If you are considering a remap then do not rule out 4x4 as the 190 is on the limit when in 2WD IMO

 

1 hour ago, daveb99 said:

Regarding the service schedule, how often does the cambelt need to be changed on these engines?

Am I right in thinking the TDI 190 DSG uses the 6 speed DSG box?   Does it have paddles on the steering wheel (I’m looking at 65 / 16 plates mostly)?

 

The service history is all online now so there will be no service book... but there should still be all of the receipts from the services, if not you will have to phone a dealer for the history.

 

The cam belt intervals get changed by Škoda periodically, current I believe it is every 4 years.

 

Yes the 190 uses the 6 speed DSG.

 

Flappy paddles were an option, so some will have them some won’t, they can be retro-fitted at a later date if you must have them, but they require a new steering wheel (not a bad thing as you can fit the SportLine FBSW)

 

1 hour ago, daveb99 said:

 

I've read that the DSG can be a bit sluggish pulling away.  Was this fixed with a software update at all, and it is really that bad?  I see some people use Sport mode to address this but I presume that also means slightly snappier changes.

 

Nothing to do with the DSG, it’s down to EU6 software for the engine, VCDS coding or better still a ‘pedal box’ can reduce / eliminate the lag.

 

1 hour ago, daveb99 said:

What does the SCR signify in the 190 engine?

 

SCR means the car also needs adblue, the filler is right next to the fuel cap and can be filled up from an adblue ‘fuel pump’ which a lot of forecourts have (it may be next to the HGV pumps). A tankful will last anything up to 9K miles, I forget how big the tank is exactly but it’s not big 10 - 13 ltrs?

 

[daveb99]

Thanks, that has been really helpful.  I drove another 190 TDI DSG earlier today and the gearbox seems good to me - I didn't notice it being particularly sluggish at all, and I've had my fair share of autos over the years, including DSGs and the wonderful ZF 8 speed box in a 5 series.

 

Things move quickly in my household sometimes and after much thinking and lots of phone calls I've now put down a holding deposit on a 65 plate 190 L&K Estate DSG in Business Grey, it has a few factory extras, TV Tuner, Space saver wheel, Variable boot floor, and Travel Assist.

 

Looking forward to seeing it, driving it and picking it up (deposit is refundable) - it has full Skoda history, just serviced, new Pirellis, and 1 private owner from new.    It has done 56k miles from new but looks to be one of those cars that has had a fastidious owner...

 

 

Edited 24 February, 2019 by daveb99

[daveb99]

I'm now going to view the car tomorrow (and hopefully drive it home).   Obviously I'll be taking a very close look at it inside and out, but what I'm interested in is what car-specific things I should be checking?   As I've said, it's a 190 TDI DSG L&K estate.    It has a very good history and I've done lots of research/checks, but as it'll be my first Skoda any help on things to check on the car itself would be much appreciated.  

 

It's being sold by a non-Skoda franchised dealer, so no Skoda used car warranty, but I believe I technically have 6 months under the sale of goods act (or whatever it's called now) if anything is amiss.   The dealer are including a 1 month warranty.

[BriskodaJeff]

The 190 TDI L&K is a brilliant car (though if you look at my profile you will see I am biased ). One thing to think about. A 65 plate Superb is version 1.0 of the car. If you could stretch to a MY17 or later version it would mean avoiding some of the issues early cars suffered. Otherwise look back to the 2015/16 posts and make sure you are familiar with issues arising at the time. I'm presuming that the warranty has expired, so give it a really good test drive. Sorry to sound pessimistic but I've always shield away from v1.0 of anything to avoid potential "early adopter" problems. But you sound like you know your way around used cars, so good luck whatever you decide. 

[100andthirty]

Of course you will check all the usual things on a used car - is it straight, state of wheels, tyres, is the steering wheel bar horizontal when driving straight ahead, brakes pulling evenly etc etc. 

Particular things to check for this car assuming you haven't already discovered them from perusing BriSkoda: AdBlue level as well as the amount of fuel, an umbrella in each door and the removable torch in the left side of the load bay

[daveb99]

Thanks for the quick replies.  Jeff - can you outline some of the early issues (I'm afraid I haven't got time tonight to search through old posts).   The car has full Skoda history from the same dealer from Day 1, and has just been serviced 400 miles ago.   According to Skoda, the only warranty claim it had was in Dec 2018 for a parking brake control motor.   

 

It's 1 private owner from new, and sounds/looks like it has been very well looked after - the interior looks mint from what I can see - so I'm hoping the owner had any significant niggles sorted out.   Unfortunately nowadays with GDPR, I'm not even allowed to see the address on the V5, to try and contact the previous owner....and the replacement V5 apparently won't have his/her address on it either - just a generic GDPR statement 

 

How do I check the AdBlue level? 

 

You have me worried now that it's going to be a lemon 

 

EDIT - It was registered end of Jan 2016, so as it's a Combi / estate as well (released later than the hatch?) I'm hoping they sorted some of the early niggles by then?

Edited 25 February, 2019 by daveb99

[Markbro]

Hi I have a January 28th, 2016 190 TDI Style Combi manual and purchased it almost one year ago with just under 48,000km on the clock. It is now at 67,000km. I had a Skoda warranty for 1 year so had wheel cap centres replaced, headlights refocused, a vibration at approximately 1000rpm sorted (hoses i think) and another at approximately 2000rpm in dash at centre speaker location mostly eliminated. Otherwise it has been problem free and had all applicable updates/ recalls carried out when I got it which you can check once you have tthe VIN number.

 

You'll see the AdBlue range under driving data when you scroll through the OBC.

 

Best of luck!

[MChris]

I have a late 2015 190bhp Superb Estate diesel.  Absolutely love it.  Currently at 83,000 miles.  The only problem I have experienced was the embarrassment of it failing its first MOT at about 66,000 miles.  Both rear shockers were leaking.  Other than that a great car with no issues.  Just ensure the DSG oil is changed every 40K.  It is not a DIY job.

[daveb99]

Thanks again for the replies.   So after a quick search it seems that the earlier cars (pre MY17) sometimes had a vibration in the dash / bulkhead area somewhere around 1000-2000rpm, this is something I noticed on the one I drove yesterday locally (and it was very annoying), but I’ve yet to drive the one I’m hoping to buy tomorrow of course.

 

Do they all do it?    If I find that the car has this vibration, is there now a known confirmed fix?   I won’t have the backing of a Skoda warranty so is it possible to do a DIY fix, or would a respected Indy specialist be able to do it perhaps?    I guess worst case I’d take it to a Skoda dealer for them to address it, but at a cost...

 

Other option of course is to walk away if it has it, but my budget doesn’t really stretch to an MY17 used L&K from a Skoda dealer to be honest. Thoughts welcomed....

Edited 25 February, 2019 by daveb99

[BriskodaJeff]

To be fair the vast majority of early cars seem (from what I have read on here) to have been fine, with a few notable exceptions - you could check out posts from MartiniB or Whenwillelearn for example. I'm certainly not trying to put you off, and there is no reason it should be a lemon. As said, I can't speak highly enough about mine - same spec but hatch rather than estate. 

 

One thing worth checking is the sticky thread at the top of this section on TPIs or "unofficial recalls" and make sure the relevant modifications were done on the one you are considering. And check out all of the tech during the test drive. It's brilliant stuff, but I'm guessing wouldn't be cheap to repair if it isn't working. I'm thinking about the ACC cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear radar etc. Best of luck and let us know how you get on. 

[daveb99]

Many thanks again Jeff.  I’ll be checking everything that’s for sure - especially during the 1 month “warranty” period also.

 

I have a feeling that the DSG oil change at 40k miles may not have been done, so I’ll be checking with the servicing dealer.   If it hasn’t then it has gone 16k miles past that, would that be a show stopper or would it be ok to get it done late (ie now)?   I guess it’s all about the usage, being above average mileage I suspect it has been largely motorway miles, so less stress on the internals and therefore less wear/risk - I’d hope.

[daveb99]

Update - I’ve now bought the car in question and driven it 100 miles home though glorious weather in the Peak District 

 

I have bought a lot of used cars in my 30 years of driving, probably too many, and this has to be in the top 3 in terms of condition.   The 1 and only owner was clearly a man after my own heart, it is spotless inside and out - literally like new inside.

 

It drives perfectly and has only an extremely quiet version of the vibration / resonance at about 1200rpm that I was concerned about.

 

What a great car.  I managed 56mpg despite lots of stop start in the north west, a hilly traverse through the peaks and a few blasts to see what it’s made of.

 

Beautifully screwed together in terms of the interior - a big cut above my old A6 and on a par with my old 5 series.   That shows how far Skoda have come.

 

I know it isn’t the last word in refinement - but the value for money and overall package is brilliant.

 

Thanks everyone for your help - and I look forward to contributing to this great forum.

[xlray]

One thing to note is that if it has a full Skoda service history it might be worth keeping that up into the fourth year, (thinking of the gearbox oil change if it has not been done).

 

That way you might get a bit of goodwill if anything else major causes trouble. 

 

I had an Altea with a rust bubble (inside to out) on the bottom of the tailgate. Even although it was eight years old Seat got a main dealer to repair it. They did want to look at the service book first though.

[daveb99]

11 hours ago, xlray said:

One thing to note is that if it has a full Skoda service history it might be worth keeping that up into the fourth year, (thinking of the gearbox oil change if it has not been done).

 

That way you might get a bit of goodwill if anything else major causes trouble. 

 

I had an Altea with a rust bubble (inside to out) on the bottom of the tailgate. Even although it was eight years old Seat got a main dealer to repair it. They did want to look at the service book first though.

 

Thanks, I think that’s a good idea, I was already thinking of sticking with main dealer servicing for another year or two, I’ve had goodwill claims in the past on a few cars, so the extra few quid on servicing can sometimes be very worthwhile, including for resale of course.

Edited 27 February, 2019 by daveb99

[Mactab]

Hi Daveb99

glad you are happy with the car. Im about to buy a fully loaded June 2016 190 DSG 4x4 estate.

may I ask what sort of money you paid for yours ? - just trying to get a handle on what sort of prices the cars are fetching at the moment.

Thanks in Advance

[daveb99]

15 minutes ago, Mactab said:

Hi Daveb99

glad you are happy with the car. Im about to buy a fully loaded June 2016 190 DSG 4x4 estate.

may I ask what sort of money you paid for yours ? - just trying to get a handle on what sort of prices the cars are fetching at the moment.

Thanks in Advance

 

Thanks, very happy so far but it is only day 2!   I’ve sent you a private message..