Fabia 1.4 Tdi - Is It Any Good??

[sepulchrave]

10 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

...80hp...a bat out of hell!

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

When you've got 64 horses to play with then you can make a milk float look quick, to be fair.

[KeithCheetham]

4 hours ago, markbsac said:

i have just bought a 2009 1.4 TDI

 Being a 2009 it will fall into the Mk2 model, which are generally 1, 2, 3 and Greenline models - there is a Sport but this is quite rare. The official 2009 brochure quotes the 1 as 70 or 80 BHP, the 2 and 3 as only 80 BHP and the Greenline as a 80BHP with a DPF. I have owned a Mk1 70BHP 1.4 TDI and now have a Mk2 80 BHP 1.4 TDI Greenline, and while they are day/night with power and delivery I have never really found either lacking as I drive on the torque curve at the lower end of the rev range - most of my driving in both was long climbs over the Pennines at both end of the day. Town driving should not be a problem, just keep to the standard servicing regime and ensure that the correct specification of oil is used.

[markbsac]

i took it out for a serious test drive today through the rev ranges.....im very impressed..she performed just as good if not better than my petrol in every respect and to be honest my fishing kit fits in it lovely 

[markbsac]

9 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I've never had a 1.4 TDI, only the 1.2 HTP but my neighbours 1.4 TDI 80hp seems to shift like a bat out of hell!

i put my foot down in her today the pick up and speed was quite impressive i must say

 

Edited 5 February, 2022 by markbsac

[markbsac]

so many opinions ..but what is the correct oil to put in the 1.4 TDI ? im not convinced where i bought it from has used the correct oil to be honest

Edited 5 February, 2022 by markbsac

[KeithCheetham]

13 hours ago, markbsac said:

so many opinions ..but what is the correct oil to put in the 1.4 TDI ? im not convinced where i bought it from has used the correct oil to be honest

 If you are unsure what oil is in it, I would suggest changing anyway just for peace of mind. Do you know what model it is based on my comments in earlier post.

VRN - Oil (tps.trade)

Edited 6 February, 2022 by KeithCheetham
Additional data

[markbsac]

28 minutes ago, KeithCheetham said:

 If you are unsure what oil is in it, I would suggest changing anyway just for peace of mind. Do you know what model it is based on my comments in earlier post.

VRN - Oil (tps.trade)

thanks keith thats quite a decent price for oil also PLATINUM PLUS 23 5W-30

[nta16]

With engine oil (and filter) timely regular changes are important, as well as air filter and even perhaps fuel (I found clean 🤣 city diesel like V-Power left a cloud of silver grey instead of the usual black dense ****), as with computers GIGO for cars SISO.

 

As there are correct oils there's also quality of oils but that's a whole new argument, and regular timely changes are still required.

 

Most, quite rightly, usually drive diesels differently to petrols, using (much) lower revs, and more torque, which can add to the clogging up effect so I'd also look at cleaning stuff after the air intake like MAF and throttle body as this could make noticeable improvements generally and are often not done previously.

 

Once you get used to driving the car as a diesel rather than petrol, with a serviced and clean engine, you will see very good real life mpg figures - disregarding any dash figures on any car, but perhaps particularly a VW product. 🤣

 

[KeithCheetham]

5 hours ago, nta16 said:

throttle body

 

 These are not applicable on a diesel. If you look at a diesel runaway videos you will see that the engines can run on their own sump oil, typically if a turbo oil seal goes, with the general only way of stopping these if stationary is to block the air inlet and starve them of air as there is no inlet flap to do this. A flap would allow only minimal air in that would be insufficient to burn enough oil for high revs. 5 Worst Diesel Fails (Runaway Diesels, any diesel owner's nightmare) - Bing video

[sepulchrave]

Modern diesels all have ASV's to prevent running on.

[nta16]

Wasn't this "running on" or "dieseling" in the last millennium when I was a young girl, but so much has changed since then, it used to be all fields around here . . .  

 

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Wasn't this "running on" or "dieseling" in the last millennium when I was a young girl, but so much has changed since then, it used to be all fields around here . . .  

 

Yes it was. The most spectacular case I think I can remember seeing was in the "Scrappy Races" Here's a pointer to the relevant episode.

[VanhireBoys]

That takes me back Ken - great show !

 

I do know of a 1.4 TDi which has 170k miles on it - still going very well. The secret is the correct oil and regular changes. The car is going from Capatagle to Galway and back 70 miles round trip 5 days a week and sometimes weekends as well. Car has been at this for at least 5 years. 

 

So nothing to fear if the wee car is serviced right and driven with mechanical sympathy!

 

 

[KeithCheetham]

16 hours ago, sepulchrave said:

Modern diesels all have ASV's to prevent running on.

 I did not know that, as while I knew one was fitted to the 1.9 VRS TDI - not sure which of the 2 engines - the last vehicle I was aware of that had a flap that was actuated in relation to the throttle pedal was a Sherpa Diesel which I believe gave a vacuum in the inlet manifold for the brake servo, so every day is a school day.

 Regarding high mileage, my 56 plate 1.4 TDI Classic (OY56VYL)  had 167K miles on the clock the last time I MOT'd it in Sept 2015 before I decided that I fancied a 1.9 TDI Elegance for all the extra comfort gadgets such as heated seats/mirrors. I gifted the 1.4 to a friend who ran it for another 2 years with last MOT mileage of just under 179K.