I am trading in one of my Skodas as I need to buy an Octavia TDi to tow my caravan. I had originally been going to sel my Fabia its a 52 plate with 34000 on the clock. I was going to keep the SDi and my husband would get the TDi that we are going to buy (hopefully). However having read all the problems with injectors going wrong and the price to have problem fixed I am wondering whether to keep the Fabia and sell the SDi that way at least we would have only one car that had injectors so only one if they went wrong. If we had two Octavias and and both the injectors went it would be a nightmare. What do you think. The both of them are great and have had no problems at all with either of them its just that the Fabia seems to have less to go wrong with it. The Octavia SDi that we have is a Y 2001 plate with 71,000 on the clock. We would be looking to buy something similar in a TDi. Anne

The Fabia has injectors too...

Not sure if I've got the wrong end of the stick here.

No you don't I thought it only had injectors if had an i at the end of the letters. What a dilema. The fabia doesn't have air conditioning etc it would appear to have less to go wrong with it. If these major things go do they have to be fixed by a Skoda dealer I have fantastic mechanic but I know some cars have to be put on a computer ie Ford Mondeo. Anne

Ah ok, I'm with you. No, almost all cars use injectors now.

I take your point about the Octavia having more to go wrong, but at the same time, they're fairly relaible. I think if it were me, I would probably sell the Octavia. Simply because the Fabia is smaller - if you're getting another Octavia, it seems pointless having two large (ish) cars if you don't need them. You may as well have a smaller car which is easier to park in town etc. I would imagine the road tax will be cheaper for the fabia, and as you say, there is less to go wrong with it.

I see what your saying about having two large cars but the Octavia probably gets the same if not better fuel consumption than the Fabia. Also I have in the country and very rarely in the town. My main concern is if things go wrong which is the easiest to fix. Anne

All diesel cars have injectors. The difficulty (and it's still confusing some at least of us), is knowing whether they have old-fashioned mechanical injectors, unit injectors (VAG "Pompe Duse" engines only AFAIK), electronic injectors (most VAG engines, inc SDi) or "common rail" systems, but that only applies to new registered VAG cars.

So do you think a Y 2001 Octavia 1.9SDi would have the mechanical injectors. and if so would a mechanic be able to fix these. I am just worried I have two large(ish) cars and something goes wrong. My Octavia has only done 71,000. Surley should get a good few years before anything major. Anne

I'd have thought that all Octys have electronic injectors; certainly all the turbos do, and personally I'd not want to tow anything with an SDi's 68bhp.

So do you think a Y 2001 Octavia 1.9SDi would have the mechanical injectors. and if so would a mechanic be able to fix these. I am just worried I have two large(ish) cars and something goes wrong. My Octavia has only done 71,000. Surley should get a good few years before anything major. Anne

A friend of mine has a 52 plate SDi, used as a taxi. Last time I spoke to him, it had just done 300,000 miles. It has only had one major problem which was the gearbox - it was replaced at around 270,000 miles IIRC. So yours is just run in with 71k on the clock!