Buying Superb III after SII

[trybar]

Hi,

 

Are there any specific points to look at S3 when buying after owning S2 for few years? My current has pretty much all the gizmo's except of L&K pack, new one has that as well.

 

On one I found now there is few issues: 

1. silver fascia around one of fog lights just unglued itself from half of glass, just sticks in the air, no sign of damage around

2. Beige interior is bit dirty especially driver side bottom of the door frame - not scratched, but just smudged from shoes etc

3. Battery was dead when tried to start it up

4. Salesman said there's no fuel to run test drive anyway...

5. Different car with L&K has sunroof, any consideration re this?

 

They prepare it for me for today, so questions:

re1 - obviously £500 drop from advertised price, but how hard is it to glue it permanently back together

re2 - how hard is it to clean those smudges - really...

re3 - obviously another £500 drop from advertised price  , any other considerations?

re4 - price drop is for real £500 on that - if it had no fuel, would have to replace fuel filter in S3?

 

Car has 17 plates..

[MrRich]

Hi,

 

That doesn't sound like a particularly good car to consider unless it's very cheap.  I think there are enough of these cars around to let you be a bit choosey should you want.

 

Thanks,

[KenONeill]

5 hours ago, trybar said:

On one I found now there is few issues:

Re points 1-4, go to a different dealership!

[Octy0GG]

Sunroof

 

Sunroofs come in 2 varieties.

 

1 Leaking

2 Not leaking yet

 

[freelunch]

Ha! After four years, mine's a number two. Had it open today.

[Hdsn555]

...the fact it had a flat battery, and no fuel in it 

[trybar]

Yes, had another visit there yesterday and car STILL was not able to start. And they even tried in on jumper battery. Bye  bye...

 

 

Not had sunroof before - if they leak, where? Is there any common location where they usualy show signs of it?

 

On subject of paddle shifters - how easy is it to add those if I have VCDS HEX+CAN? I know steering wheel replacement required, but how much those costs??

 

 

 

 

[Bap33]

11 hours ago, trybar said:

- if they leak, where? Is there any common location where they usualy show signs of it?

Mainly at ceiling and A-pilar junctions or at ceiling and C- o D-pilar junction. If it leaks you should find wet carpet at driver and front passenger location; or in the

 

11 hours ago, trybar said:

On subject of paddle shifters - how easy is it to add those if I have VCDS HEX+CAN?

Just have a search on this forum. I know this question has already been asked (and answered) at least twice.

 

On 30/05/2021 at 09:12, trybar said:

re2 - how hard is it to clean those smudges - really...

Quite easy: a small nylon brush, soapy water and some brief efforts.

 

[trybar]

On 31/05/2021 at 22:46, Bap33 said:

Mainly at ceiling and A-pilar junctions or at ceiling and C- o D-pilar junction. If it leaks you should find wet carpet at driver and front passenger location; or in the

Just have a search on this forum. I know this question has already been asked (and answered) at least twice.

Quite easy: a small nylon brush, soapy water and some brief efforts.

 

Quick search and I know which pillar is which.

Thanks, that was not smart question from me, true.

Thanks.

[Bap33]

1 hour ago, trybar said:

On 31/05/2021 at 23:46, Bap33 said:

Mainly at ceiling and A-pilar junctions or at ceiling and C- o D-pilar junction. If it leaks you should find wet carpet at driver and front passenger location; or in the boot well

 

Just have a search on this forum. I know this question has already been asked (and answered) at least twice.

 

Quite easy: a small nylon brush, soapy water and some brief efforts.

 

Quick search and I know which pillar is which.

Thanks, that was not smart question from me, true.

Thanks.

You're welcome!

 

Sorry, I've just noticed, I had forgotten some words...    

 

 

[numskull]

Personally I wouldn’t buy a Superb with a sunroof due to the potential for it to leak now or in the future; seems inevitable that it will. Also, the  fact is you might actually only use it 2-3 times per annum. My wife has an electric sunroof on her runout MKI 2003 2.0L Focus and she never uses it, except to dump air from the inside of the car when it’s hot, but you can just drop the windows on the Superb to do the same thing; the Focus does same too BTW. And yes, it has leaked, just once about 10 years ago which I fixed. But what I really dislike is they’re sooo noisy when they’re open. I understand that some people like them but given the climate ventilation system on the MKIII is, well, superb, so the use of sunroofs are all but irrelevant these days. 

[Penpusher]

I beg to differ regarding sunroofs.  Yes, I don't normally use it when driving along, unless we're driving slowly in town, for instance, but I prefer it to a solid roof as it makes the car much brighter inside, especially in winter.  Also, I often sit for an hour or two in the car whilst SWMBO's trawling through the rails at T K Maxx or Marks & Spencer and it's very pleasant to sit with the roof open on a warm day when I'm reading.  We don't have many shops in Brecon and SWMBO doesn't drive, so we go off to Merthyr Tydfil, Hereford, etc to satisfy her main pleasure in life!

[KenONeill]

19 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

I beg to differ regarding sunroofs

I agree your logic there. However, a sunroof robs headroom, costs money, and makes the shell heavier (high up at that) and less rigid.

 

Conclusion - I quite like having one that seals properly, but wouldn't pay extra for one.

[Pagan-Image]

37 minutes ago, Penpusher said:

I beg to differ regarding sunroofs.  Yes, I don't normally use it when driving along, unless we're driving slowly in town, for instance, but I prefer it to a solid roof as it makes the car much brighter inside, especially in winter.  Also, I often sit for an hour or two in the car whilst SWMBO's trawling through the rails at T K Maxx or Marks & Spencer and it's very pleasant to sit with the roof open on a warm day when I'm reading.  We don't have many shops in Brecon and SWMBO doesn't drive, so we go off to Merthyr Tydfil, Hereford, etc to satisfy her main pleasure in life!

And you lose the all important sunglasses holder!

[Penpusher]

5 hours ago, KenONeill said:

I agree your logic there. However, a sunroof robs headroom, costs money, and makes the shell heavier (high up at that) and less rigid.

 

Conclusion - I quite like having one that seals properly, but wouldn't pay extra for one.

I can agree with your reasons for not having a sunroof, but for me they are outweighed by the advantages.  The point you make about a sunroof robbing headroom is correct, but I find there's plenty of headroom anyway, so that doesn't matter to me.  Oh, and I'm not that small at 6'1".

 

5 hours ago, Pagan-Image said:

And you lose the all important sunglasses holder!

As we're both retired, I rarely go anywhere without SWMBO, so I only have to ask for anything I want and it's handed to me.   If it's sunglasses, I don't even have to reach up!

[Octy0GG]

Aye  - Sunroofs.

 

Or as I would be more inclined to view it a roof that someone has gone and put a hole in.  

 

Weakened Shell

More weight  - As high up as possible

Reduced headroom

It will leak eventually

Very noisy when driving at any speed

If it is glass plenty are cracking

Another potential corrosion area

Something else to go wrong

More light into interior - but I don't want the interior lit up and loads of reflections, I'm concentrating on the view outside the car. 

 

All for the advantage of being able to burn the top of my head on a sunny day - Not quite bald yet but getting sparse up there.

 

And people buying new cars actually spend extra money for this.

 

Interesting though if you look at adverts for older cars 'no sunroof' is often listed at the top of the list of desirable features, cars with a sunroof - the sunroof either doesn't get mentioned and the photographs are carefully taken to avoid it being obvious or alternatively they are declared along with some lame 'not that bad really' type story. The words 'no sunroof' needs no additional selling.  

 

I have been both lucky and unlucky with sunroofs:

Saab 900 classic -  Not leaking when sold at 20 years. Very seldom open it should be said.

Ford Escort MK V - Leaked like a sieve at 4 years. 

 

[KenONeill]

2 hours ago, Penpusher said:

Oh, and I'm not that small at 6'1".

Well. I'm only 4'22", but I tend to adjust my seat (given a height adjustment) about as high as the headliner allows.

[numskull]

16 hours ago, Penpusher said:

Yes, I don't normally use it when driving along, unless we're driving slowly in town....

...breathing in all that lovely pollution...
 

16 hours ago, Penpusher said:

Also, I often sit for an hour or two in the car whilst SWMBO's trawling through the rails at T K Maxx or Marks & Spencer and it's very pleasant to sit with the roof open on a warm day when I'm reading. 

Ahhh... I’m pleased to see the 1960’s are as alive ‘n’ well in South Wales as they are in Ireland....

[Bap33]

An interesting compromise (to me at least) would be a panoramic roof. A single panel glass roof, but not opening, as proposed in several Peugeot for instance.

No leak, no particular reduced headroom, no noise, no actuation system failure (except maybe for the awning system if installed), and a brighter interior!

SWMBO appreciated it a lot on its ex 2008 Mk1.

[KenONeill]

6 hours ago, numskull said:

breathing in all that lovely pollution

Unless you use recirc, and spend hours rebreathing you own used air, the same pollution will come in through windows and/or the ventilation system.

[numskull]

Hmmmm, but I never have the windows open, always have AC on and the filtration system will switch on the recirc if needed, all of which will keep most grot out of the cabin. 

[KenONeill]

13 minutes ago, numskull said:

Hmmmm, but I never have the windows open, always have AC on and the filtration system will switch on the recirc if needed, all of which will keep most grot out of the cabin. 

If you've believed 12 impossible things this morning, why not finish off with breakfast at Milliways, the restaurant at the end of the Universe?

 

Seriously, if you have recirc "permanently on" the car will switch it off without telling you, so you don't pass out from oxygen deprivation!

[numskull]

 

29 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Seriously, if you have recirc "permanently on" the car will switch it off without telling you, so you don't pass out from oxygen deprivation!

Seriously, I suggest you read a post properly before you start hitting a keyboard in a misguided response. Please highlight where I said I keep recirc “permanently on”?

 

BTW, I think it was something like doing 6 impossible things but I don’t understand the analogy with this and THG anyway. 

[KenONeill]

17 minutes ago, numskull said:

Please highlight where I said I keep recirc “permanently on”?

Ok, you didn't say that, but you do imply that the a/c switches in and out of recirc. It doesn't. The only thing that keeps "outside the car" out near permanently is the pollen filter. And even that doesn't work if you want to let people or stuff in or out of the car.

[numskull]

“...but you do imply that the a/c switches in and out of recirc. It doesn’t.”

 

It may not on a 2002 Octavia TDi110, but it does on a 2016 Superb L&K. I quote from page 122 of the owners handbook...

 

”If a considerable increase in concentration of pollutants is recognised by the air quality sensor, recirculated air mode will temporarily be switched on.
When the pollutant concentration decreases to the normal level, the recircula- ted air mode is automatically switched off.“