Following from my last post where I mentioned my rattling DMF, I'll attach a sound clip of the rattle as I'm not sure how severe it should be before changing. Or do most wait until it fails to change it?

It is audible from inside the cabin, but not too loud though. My partner doesn't notice it.

Edited 11 May, 20197 yr by gman88667733

Unless you are not keeping the car for much longer or you cannot afford the replacement at the moment, it makes no sense not to do it asap imo, to avoid any risk of any further damage to anything else if this is likely.

 

What can be damaged if it goes bang?

I'm reluctant to do it asap because we have just spend a fair amount on the car and it seems to have endless issues... however, if I had confidence in it, I wouldn't think twice.

Not sure bud. if no-one answers on here it won't be difficult to research / find out. 

 

I was lucky enough to get mine replaced prior to purchase / as a purchase promise.

 

Good luck with it.

Reading some of the threads on here it can last a long time, or go pop the next day. 

 

My DMF was defective from build and lasted 3 years before it was eventually changed under warranty. 

 

I believe it can damage the clutch as Škoda stated mine didn't require replacing as the defective DMF hadn't damaged it. 

This leaves me with the dilemma of, do I spend out probaby £1500 on the DMF, fixing the air con and the other few bits that need doing. Taking the cost of the car (£2500) up to £5k after the first year. Or am I better off to change it now and take a smaller hit.

I really don't know what these cars are like for long term reliability. Mine is an 05 plate, it has now done 103k and is a DSG. It's had all new brakes, new turbo, cambelt and water pump and a couple other bits since I got it in July.

Is it really worth paying out?

@gman88667733 Mine's a very similar car, albeit an estate, and seems to have had very similar issues, bar the Turbo (fingers crossed).

 

Can you live without the air con??? as i believe this can be a number of things at around a grand each. Mine doesn't work either and especially being an estate, i wish it did, but i'm not going to throw money at it.

 

But it has proven pretty reliable so far, since 2011 (touch wood). Main issue has been brakes which have all been replaced now.

 

 

My brakes have all been done, so that should be done for a while. It's had an alternator clutch pulley as well. 

I can live without air con, so perhaps I could leave that for now, then at least find out what is the issue and then decide whether it is worth fixing.

I think I still will hold off until July for my MOT and if all is well, I probably will fork out for the DMF.

Aircon will cause no problems while you are living without it, it took me a lot of time and faffing to finally end up replacing the compressor on mine which was really cheap bought direct from China and arrived in a couple of days.

 

OTOH when the DMF started rattling on my MK1 1.9TDi within a couple of days it had shaken the clutch pressure plate apart but it was still driveable but the drive straps were cutting through the bellhousing and I was lucky to save the gearbox, many MK2 have needed expensive gearbox and clutch/DMF replacements when faulty clutch pressure plates have done the same.

 

On this car the first sign of DMF degradation it will be changed.

11 hours ago, gman88667733 said:

This leaves me with the dilemma of, do I spend out probaby £1500 on the DMF, fixing the air con and the other few bits that need doing. Taking the cost of the car (£2500) up to £5k after the first year. Or am I better off to change it now and take a smaller hit.

I really don't know what these cars are like for long term reliability. Mine is an 05 plate, it has now done 103k and is a DSG. It's had all new brakes, new turbo, cambelt and water pump and a couple other bits since I got it in July.

Is it really worth paying out?

 

IMO - change it. The worse it gets the less likely you are to be able to get it sold easy.

Okay, I see the general consensus here! As the car is still somewhat new to me (10 months) I will hold off until the MOT at the start of July. Assuming nothing bad comes up, I'll get it all done. 

Probably right about the air con though, as nice as it is, I may just be throwing money at it unsuccessfully.