First Dabble into Shedding | MK1 Skoda Octavia TDI

First Dabble into Shedding | MK1 Skoda Octavia TDI

Author
Discussion

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Friday 25th October 2019
quotequote all
Afternoon All,

I have been reading lots of 'shedding' posts for a couple of months now and the more I read them, the more I wanted to join the shedding group.

After recently sold our Corsa C (which was family owned from new, 43k on the clock 1.3CDTI) and thinking we've made a massive mistake, it was time to hit the likes of eBay, Autotrader, Facebook and Gumtree. I had been looking around for a few months now, but not fully ready to make a purchase. The usual suspects were the following cars;

MK1 Focus - in the end discounted due to rust issues
MK2 Focus - looked stupid tatty
Mk4 Golf - couldn't find any cheap enough
MK1 Octavia TDI

I have a mixed bag history of cars really, had a few Saxos in my time, MK1 Focus, Skoda Octavia vRS, Leon FR, Focus ST but now I trundle around in a Ford Kuga ST-Line Powershift (31yrs old, means I need comfort lol). Wife is currently doing her lessons again after a few years absence, so long term will be taking on the family bus so I wanted to get myself into a 'Shed' for commuting/running around/tip runs and the like.

My budget was £500 - happy to get something with 3+ months test on it and with a decent history.

Whilst browsing eBay last weeks stumbled across a Skoda Octavia MK1 TDI with 239k on the clock, was ready to buy until they said they wanted £600 for it - so I politely declined.

Back to eBay it was and this car popped up, local and looked in a good nick.

Car in question is a 2002 Octavia 1.9TDI 110bhp Elegance;

168,000 mls
2 owners from new - 1st owner was in army, owned until 2016.
Lots of reciepts
Service history to 135,000 miles
3 months MOT
Pretty clean inside and out



Cost me £450.

I know you shouldn't maintain sheds too much, but will look at doing the following over the next few months.

New carpet mats
New replacement keys (the metal has fallen off the bottom)
Brake light switch (glow plug light flashes sometimes)
Tracking needs doing (OCD with the steering wheel out)
Service

I think it could do with a cambelt soon but part of me just wants to push my luck.

Will post more pictures and progress as we go along...

Thanks for reading

Davie

4,732 posts

214 months

Friday 25th October 2019
quotequote all
Absolute winner there sir!

A very similar, albeit red Octavia estate popped up locally a few weeks back complete with the standard issue one elderly owner from new, every stamp in the book on schedule and looking like it was T-Cut'd and Turtle Wax'd weekly. Seemed cheap at £850 and they really are pretty good things too, simple, solid, versatile and will return good MPG. I'm actually pretty annoyed that I at least go and have a look now.

With something like this, it's worth keeping it tidy... granted don't go mad but likewise don't wreck it and you could probably run it for a year and get back all of what you paid if not more, a lot more and that means almost free motoring and that can't be scoffed at.

Well played!

Smitters

3,995 posts

156 months

Friday 25th October 2019
quotequote all
Ah, sheds. When your phone is worth more than your car and the single most valuable component is often the fuel tank, simply because of the fuel within.

Enjoy. Shed motoring is excellent, even though the temptation to shower your new shed with gifts is strong.

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Friday 25th October 2019
quotequote all
I know it’s crazy isn’t it - the fact a new iPhone costs £769 now.

Bought a new small bits for it earlier;

Brake light switch
Front wipers
Rear wiper
Mats
2x replacement keys (metal has fallen off others so can’t hook them)

It’s had £15.00 of Morrisons finest diesel.

Blanco92

201 posts

70 months

Sunday 27th October 2019
quotequote all
This is where my driving history began.

2011, before I’d even passed my test, I was looking for my first car. Found one of these on eBay, a grey 2000 SLX with the 1.9 TDI 110bhp engine, just 44k Miles. Was being sold as spares/repairs by a trader who took it as PX. It was very sick, any oil poured in the top of the engine would be out of the exhaust pipe minutes later. This is despite receipts from the previous owner having spent ~£3k at a local “Skoda specialist” trying (and failing) to fix it. Receipt indicated expensive items such as conrods, valve seals, injectors, fuel pumps and more had been replaced (to me, it seems all misdiagnosis). It hadn’t been MOTd for almost 3 years.

It was bought it for £620. New turbo (£350, also eBay), and a new exhaust (due oil contamination) and the car was right as rain again. Now time for MOT. Just before setting off, it was idling away, when the engine clunked to a stop; not a good noise. Closer inspection revealed the timing belt had snapped. Bear in mind earlier I mentioned conrods and valves. So all this work, evidently without replacing the timing belt, instead refitting it! Horror show.

Two inlet and two exhaust valves, a set of cam followers, new head gasket later and rebuilt, I eventually had it roadworthy and ran it faultlessly for 18 months before selling for £1800.

It was an experience.

drmike37

456 posts

55 months

Sunday 27th October 2019
quotequote all
Not afraid of commitment are you? It’ll absolutely refuse to die, and do everything you need. You’ll still have it in 5 years, I bet.

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Monday 28th October 2019
quotequote all
Not afraid of commitment lol.

I'm about 150 miles in now, overall very impressed with the car.

Everything works - air con, electric windows (with exception of one rear window) and even the sunroof. The car drives extremely well considering it's mileage and got 58.9mpg on the way to work - so happy days!

I do think the vanes on the turbo is sticking though, as yesterday felt like I had no power until I restarted the engine. From reading the forums on Briskoda it just needs a squirt of Mr Muscle which apparently frees them up - but it will be getting a good 400 miles per week on it so hopefully get them red hot and cleaned up in no time.

Overall really pleased for the money I paid....

gman88667733

1,192 posts

66 months

Monday 28th October 2019
quotequote all
Cracking buy. I had a 2005 mk2 Octavia 1.9, but a DSG... that was unfortunately problematic for me, but I still love the 1.9tdi engine, it is a cracking engine. Had it been a manual, i'd have kept it.

I still get tempted by the cheap estate versions of these, £500-£750 gets you a decent runaround!

My new neighbours have a mk1 estate on 178k miles and it is not helping my impulse to switch cars!

Best of luck

miken2k8

362 posts

82 months

Monday 28th October 2019
quotequote all
moving on to shedding from a corsa c?

Rosewood Red

857 posts

152 months

Monday 28th October 2019
quotequote all
miken2k8 said:
moving on to shedding from a corsa c?
biglaugh

chrismc1977

854 posts

111 months

Monday 28th October 2019
quotequote all
For the cost of a cable off eBay & a blacksmoke.co.uk remap file @£50 you can turn 110hp into 140 too.

My old Leon 110 got the treatment & was absolutely good as gold

Fuzzy69r

159 posts

82 months

Tuesday 29th October 2019
quotequote all
Davie said:
Absolute winner there sir!

A very similar, albeit red Octavia estate popped up locally a few weeks back complete with the standard issue one elderly owner from new, every stamp in the book on schedule and looking like it was T-Cut'd and Turtle Wax'd weekly. Seemed cheap at £850 and they really are pretty good things too, simple, solid, versatile and will return good MPG. I'm actually pretty annoyed that I at least go and have a look now.

With something like this, it's worth keeping it tidy... granted don't go mad but likewise don't wreck it and you could probably run it for a year and get back all of what you paid if not more, a lot more and that means almost free motoring and that can't be scoffed at.

Well played!
That sounds very much like the car that I picked up on FB marketplace , it wasn’t in shotts was it , 04 plate ? .

Top shedding on these motors as mine is exactly the same but red and only 126,000 miles , 61mpg on the way back up to aberdeen and to think that I chased a b5.5 Passat estate for long enough when these were right under my radar


Evanivitch

19,802 posts

121 months

Tuesday 29th October 2019
quotequote all
Great sheds, used one when my commute got bigger and needed a mule for the tip. 62 MPG is achievable without going too slowly. A few cheap preventative things you can do:

- As you already mentioned, starting getting that turbo cleaned before the vanes gummed up. I had some luck with fuel tank additive, but an Italian tune-up would work before it becomes an actual issue. The PD100 is very lazy in this car.

- Replace the fuel injector loom under the rocker cover. It's only a £30 part from what I remember, but the plastic goes brittle in the hot oil, and when it does fail it's a bigger job to pull apart.

- Thermostats is probably due replacing. Again, such an underworked engine means they struggle to get to temperature. Certainly over winter you can block-up a third to two thirds of the grill with cable ties and correx with no risk of overheating, a faster warmup and a couple MPG on a long motorway run.

- DIY Polish restore on the headlights is an easy job.

- Console bushes tend to go on front suspension, just keep an eye as this will start to chew tyres if worn.

Alex Z

1,083 posts

75 months

Tuesday 29th October 2019
quotequote all
It’s not a PD engine in the 110

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Tuesday 29th October 2019
quotequote all
miken2k8 said:
moving on to shedding from a corsa c?
Ha yes, suppose in a way it does sound like that. However the Corsa we had was MINT, very low mileage and family owned since new so didn't feel like we were 'shedding' lol.

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Tuesday 29th October 2019
quotequote all
Evanivitch said:
Great sheds, used one when my commute got bigger and needed a mule for the tip. 62 MPG is achievable without going too slowly. A few cheap preventative things you can do:

- As you already mentioned, starting getting that turbo cleaned before the vanes gummed up. I had some luck with fuel tank additive, but an Italian tune-up would work before it becomes an actual issue. The PD100 is very lazy in this car.

- Replace the fuel injector loom under the rocker cover. It's only a £30 part from what I remember, but the plastic goes brittle in the hot oil, and when it does fail it's a bigger job to pull apart.

- Thermostats is probably due replacing. Again, such an underworked engine means they struggle to get to temperature. Certainly over winter you can block-up a third to two thirds of the grill with cable ties and correx with no risk of overheating, a faster warmup and a couple MPG on a long motorway run.

- DIY Polish restore on the headlights is an easy job.

- Console bushes tend to go on front suspension, just keep an eye as this will start to chew tyres if worn.
Awesome, thanks for this.

Yes, as mentioned - it's not a PD lump. I just been looking at fuel additives, I think I'll try that on my next tank (I guess too late to add now?) as I filled up last night with £40 worth of diesel so about £35 of it left.

swampy442

1,472 posts

210 months

Thursday 31st October 2019
quotequote all
Great choice! These were my shed du jour for many years. Actually picked up an Elegance estate locally a couple of years back, 160k, full history, MOT, 2 owners for 200 quid. Had a water leak (sunroof drains) which was an easy fix. I'd have a Skoda over the equivalent Audi or VW any day

Another tip for turbo vanes, Mr Muscle oven cleaner. Bottom pipe off the EGR valve, bit of plastic tubing down and squirt the crap out of it. Worked on several VAG diesels over the years.

LukeyP_

Original Poster:

400 posts

53 months

Friday 1st November 2019
quotequote all
swampy442 said:
Great choice! These were my shed du jour for many years. Actually picked up an Elegance estate locally a couple of years back, 160k, full history, MOT, 2 owners for 200 quid. Had a water leak (sunroof drains) which was an easy fix. I'd have a Skoda over the equivalent Audi or VW any day

Another tip for turbo vanes, Mr Muscle oven cleaner. Bottom pipe off the EGR valve, bit of plastic tubing down and squirt the crap out of it. Worked on several VAG diesels over the years.
Thank you, I had read that also and was tempted to give it a go - although it's done 300 miles this week (all motorway) and so far, it's running quite good.

First bit of rain overnight, moved car to find a nice rainbow effect beneath it. Having been checking my drive all week, I cannot see any oil so I'm hoping it's the tiniest of drips which looks worse in the rain.

georgezippy

413 posts

194 months

Friday 1st November 2019
quotequote all
I applaud your shed find. That looks good. I have had a PD115 in an A4 avant for the last 10 years, the commitment this is true, the bloody thing won't stop working so I can't bring myself to part with it.

viciousj377o

51 posts

82 months

Friday 1st November 2019
quotequote all
R.E. to the lack of power/limp mode issue.

The 110bhp shouldn't have a variable vane turbo. In fact the only non PD engine with VV is the ALH and that was 90bhp... I am fairly sure it never saw different states of tune or that it ever found its way into the octavia...

You will be looking at potentially the n75 valve or a boost leak at that age/mileage i'd imagine. Check pipework to/from intercooler, and all associated vac lines from/to/around the n75 valve (should be located by the top of the bulkhead but entirely possible Skoda put it elsewhere)

Enjoy!