2008 Octavia with some Gremlins

Hi Folks,

I am a former Superb owner looking at purchasing an older Octavia for my daughter.

The car in question has very high kms (limited by a tight budget) at around 230,000

Its in remarkably good condition considering its age.

The engine (petrol) is smooth and the manual gearbox feels great.

The big concern is that it has the p3138 Inlet manifold runner control deviation code.

As I understand it, this error does not pose a serious threat to engine damage, but runs the risk of the car going into limp mode. From what I've read, people can drive around for years with this error without an issue.

What make me a bit suspicious is the presence of an OBD scanner in the boot. It makes me wonder if the owner has it there to get out of limp mode from time to time....

I believe the repair to overcome this is about $1500. I would not be able to afford this for a while though.

The car is listed for $4k. I know he is flexible.

I will quiz him on my concerns, but before I do I was hoping for a little bit more insight into the issue and whether I should just walk away.

Many Thanks!