How bad is the low sump issue?

[lard-ajc]

I'm currently considering what car to get for my new job. I;m a vet and travel down farm tracks frequently. I'm currently torn between the octy 1 and octy 2. Main concern with the original is the low clearance problems with the sump - with a guard fitted i'm concerned that i may be grounded more often. Is it a truly major problem or one that's been found once or twice but has been blown out of proprtion? Main downside with the octy 2 is the price - don't wnat to spend much over £5k and that limits my options for the new version thanks for any advice L

[ethos]

Can't comment too much, but i've been down some pretty bumpy tracks down in oooh-aaaarrr land (Cornwall) and don't seem to have caught it yet.

How bad are the tracks?

[lard-ajc]

not too bad - current job supplies me with a new style focus and i've not grounded it yet

[SimonJ]

A 4x4 Octavia 1 with a sump guard should be fine. Mine is lower than a standard 4x4 but not as low as a vRS and I've had no problems so far.

[Graham PoLoskie]

As I mentioned in your previous post the ground clearance is pretty poor. i'm up and down a lot of farm tracks and on forest roads for marshalling at rallies and you do catch quite often. I had a sump guard fitted so it is a bit lower but even going up roads carefully staying out of potholes and wheel ruts I still scrape the bottom. Our local livestock market staff have Octavias, Boras and Golfs and a few of them have had replacement sumps.

I've never burst my sump but the sump guard is fairly battle scarred.

I do think however the MK2 Octavia sits a bit higher.

[FOZ1]

Mk 1 4x4 should be fine, it's certainly higher than a Focus, + you get the added peace of mind of 4 wheel drive when needed.

[mrmo]

i live on a dirt road, only caught the sump once, a pick axe sorted it out.

[lard-ajc]

can you get the 4x4 as a diesel? only seen 1.8T versions so far

[KenONeill]

I try and avoid rutted tracks, but I've never grounded the undertray on my Elegance TDi on potholed roads.

[Kandy]

As I said before I frequently scrape mine (PD130) in places where no other car I've had ever did - I use quite a lot of poor roads/drives - but it hasn't resulted in any damage - just sounds nasty - so I wouldn't worry.

[DGW]

can you get the 4x4 as a diesel? only seen 1.8T versions so far

A diesel version was available in Europe but not the UK.

[auroan]

As said no mk1 4x4 diesel in the UK, if you can push the budget a mk2 4x4 diesel would be ideal.

[Graham PoLoskie]

won't your new practice supply a car?

[redbaron]

most sump issues have come from "flying" vRS / 4x4s at "low altitude" over hidden crests....

its not a big issue dont worry.....

[FOZ1]

most sump issues have come from "flying" vRS / 4x4s at "low altitude" over hidden crests....

its not a big issue dont worry.....

:rofl:

[lard-ajc]

won't your new practice supply a car?

no, the deal is i get more pay (effectivly a car allowance) and I'm paid by the business mile Apparently much better tax-wise

[Stuart_J]

no, the deal is i get more pay (effectivly a car allowance) and I'm paid by the business mile Apparently much better tax-wise

Agreeed

4x4 would be ideal as its about 1 1/2" higher but its a bit juicy as it runs lower ratios than the other Petrol models.

As Paul (redbarron) said Most damaged sumps are caused by hitting things at speed or driving like a TWAAAT (extra A's to get it past the sensor) A 2wd with a sump guard if treated with respect should be fine.

However a seriously good comprimise for you would be the 4x4 converted to run on LPG. Cheap to run, good ground clearance & fantastic traction.

We have both 2 & 4wd Octie 1's & the 2 WD struggles with a wet grass slope let alone anything worse. Being a vet at some point you will need to get into the thick of it & its a pain waiting for someone with a 4x4

4x4's are now cheap to get hold of & most are estates which is a bonus I guess, add the LPg & a sump guard & you can go just about anywhere.

Stuart

[thomj42]

mine octy 1 vrs is lowered a little bit so probably not representative, but i catch the sump on the farm roads (otherwise known as the dual-cabbageway) all the time.

near my parents house the laneway has grass growing in the centre, i crawl along at 2mph and hear the thing dragging off every hump in the road, it makes me cringe :(

but it makes up for it on the motorway :P

[pdhealy]

Octavia RS Mk 1 is not nearly as bad as the Alfa 156 1.8TS.

Front bumper will usually warn you, but watch old narrow roads which have a raised middle (i.e. sides where tyres run have subsided). I badly caught the underside of mine on such a road, but not the sump - at the underside of the dogbone mount!

[auroan]

I used to catch my Octy vRS front lip a few times, but I new better to go anywhere remotely near rough.

[lard-ajc]

sorry for dragging this up again, can someone tell me what height the octy 1 rides at (specifically the height of the sump from the ground

thanks very much

andrew

[DGW]

... can someone tell me what height the octy 1 rides at (specifically the height of the sump from the ground)

Which model - 'standard', vRS, or 4X4?

[iain]

my vrs with a sump guard is about 3 inches off the ground to the guard

there is another inch or so between the guard and the sump.

HTH

[Dittle]

Where's the best place to get a guard from and roughly how much? I go marshalling on stage rallys and i'm planning using my VRS for road rallying too and i'm not wanting to suffer from a broken sump!!!

[iain]

the main dealer suppled and fitted mine

I can't quite remember but I think it was about £250.00 fitted.

You can buy the bit and fit it your self but you need a special tool to put the captive nuts into the car's body