I'm guessing STW's sometime-weapon-of-choice 😆

I'm looking to change cars. Circa 2003/upto 100kmiles, possibly auto (is the auto box bombproof?), of course belts changed ontime (whats the recommended change for a 1.9TDI belt?).

What should I look out for? Apart from the usual mechanical checks.

Would you consider a 100k 2003 TDI as 'tired'?

Whats the diff between pre-PD and post-PD? Ive seen a few times on here mention that before PD was more reliable?

Ps. I cant consider a Skoda ('er indoors just wont allow it) 😕

Had a 2001 51 TDI 130 Estate Manual.

Bought it with 118k on the clock now got 180k on the clock 2 years later and it runs fine. No problems in 60k, just keep changing the oil.

Slight turbo issue at the moment which i am trying to fix, but other than that, bombproof.

Timing belt on my 2003 1.9TDI was at 60k.

I wouldn't say 100k would be tired as long as it has a FSH and has been looked after. Also look at the different power versions. I think there was 100, 115 and 130 bhp versions.

Excellent fuel economy. I got between 55-60 mpg on mine (100bhp version)

60k is belt interval.

Bought my 2001 100ps one with 130k on the clock and now has 212k. Definitely not tired at 100k.

Pre PD Engines were 90 or 110bhp

PD ones were 100, 115, 130bhp in the Passat (and 150bhp in the Golf too).

Timing belt is every 60k iirc

100k miles if well looked after is only just run in… (old cliche I know, but it's true)

Would seriously go for a manual box rather than an auto, auto's are power sapping, use a lot more fuel, slower, and generally a lot less reliable.

I've got an 'o3 estate, diesel 1.9, 130pd engine. Economy excellent, love it to bits.
From everything I read before hand, plus my wife's Golf having same engine, stick with the pd130 engine for economy.
Got mine April 03 with 44k miles on clock, now got 89k. Still fine, no hint of anything feeling tired.
if that's of any help……
cheers
Q

ps…Hamish – logs? 😉

Go to Honest John for known problems. Like most modern cars they're ok.It's on the list for my next motor. My head says Honda Accord,my heart says Subaru Legacy,but I'm not ruling any estate out of the equation.

Pre PD Engines were 90 or 110bhp

Check.

When is the big major service? Obviously I'll only buy one that has had the biggie carried out and noted in the service history. I know sometimes outside of the warranty period people just take them to indies and ask for the basics to be done.

Young Dave riley, I'd LOVE another Subaru but after ironing out the niggles on my Forester I really dont want to suffer fresh/new car niggles along with the bad mpg 🙁

We have a baby on the way so its sensible and quiet/comfy from now on 😀

When is the big major service?

Every 60k, with the timing belt

FWIW the old non PD engines are probably/possibly slightly more reliable than the PD ones. Certainly they're cheaper to fix if anything goes wrong.

As for economy, would say the opposite of what christowkid says is true. The 130bhp TDi engines are less economical than the lower powered ones in general. OK, it depends how you drive, but think about it… How do you get more power? You burn more fuel! 100bhp PD engine is likely to be the most economical, or perhaps the 115 with a 6 speed box.

Oh, and the non PD engines can be made significantly quicker as can the PD engines. If you can find a 110bhp non PD engine (110's had much bigger injectors than the 90's) then it'll remap to about 145bhp quite easily so I'm told with nothing else doing. The 130 PD's will of course go to about 175-180bhp though!

Whats your thoughts on this? Major PLC? hmmm or do they mean a government dept? 🙄

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200948347117108/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/volkswagen/model/passat/body-type/estate/price-to/5000/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-age/up_to_7_years_old/postcode/m154ld/keywords/history/page/1/radius/40?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fresults%2Fusedcars%2Fpostcode%2Fm154ld%2Fradius%2F40%2Fmake%2Fvolkswagen%2Fmodel%2Fpassat%2Fkeywords%2Fhistory%2Fbody-type%2Festate%2Fprice-to%2F5000%2Ffuel-type%2Fdiesel%2Fmaximum-age%2Fup_to_7_years_old%2Fpage%2F1%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc&logcode=p

Young Dave riley, I'd LOVE another Subaru but after ironing out the niggles on my Forester I really dont want to suffer fresh/new car niggles along with the bad mpg

Hora, looking to go the other way 😉

Well form a Golf Estate 130bhp PD TDI to a Forester or petrol Scobby Estate (none turbo Ver).

How have you found the Forester?

Golf has been fine, but some have suffered from the plastic blades on the water pump giving up, so worth changing at the same time as the cambelt, not sure if its the same for the Passat but worth checking.

Well, this is my first VW so can't directly compare.
'to work', on minor roads I get 50-52mpg, my wife's GT TDi Golf is about the same, but maybe 52-54mpg, a friend at school has a brand new 100bhp ( 110? )Golf and is struggling around low-mid 40's for mpg. She now wishes she got the more powerful engine.
that's all I know!
cheers
Q

Hey Hora,

If you have a laptop, an ebay account and around £25. Get yourself a vag-com cable and the software (easy to obtain, shout me if your stuck) and you can go and see whether the engine is kicking up any faults before you hand over your hard earned. It's dead easy and the software speaks regular English so you wouldn't have to worry about some strange error code. (I assume you know what a Lambda is, knock sensor, TPS etc)

hope this helps,

jt

@Christowkid – yep – got a good load so nice and toasty – topping them up with coal though – which cheaper. 🙂

When is the big major service? Obviously I'll only buy one that has had the biggie carried out and noted in the service history. I know sometimes outside of the warranty period people just take them to indies and ask for the basics to be done.

There is no 'big service' other than the belt at 60k intervals. Servicing is every 10k and one 10k service is slightly more intensive than the other – in turn.

In my experience VW main agent servicing absolutely does not mean you can expect a healthy car. I've bought veedubs in the past with FVWSH and have found things like air filters missing bodge ups etc. FSH is important, but a good idependent is the way to go IMHO.

ski, I bought mine privately. I didnt realise the clutch was worn (it didnt slip etc) but was quite heavy- I didnt notice this until someone else pointed it out. Its a common Forester fault as a lot of owners use the hill assist start (burns the clutch) and the CV boots can go- these are the common Forester probs. So in the early days of ownership I replaced the clutch/cambelt and droplink/bushings and one CV boot* (at the last *MOT in Feb 09).

Otherwise in 18months I've racked up 27,000miles fault-free miles 😀

However…the £100 in petrol it cost me on a weekend jaunt to London/Brighton last weekend rankled me abit. Plus in Summer we are going to see our friends in Germany again along with a summer holiday planned in Brugge/France 🙂 so I need something more economical now. Plus Im itching for a change 😀

Here is my beloved Forester on Boxing day at Rivington Pike. I will miss her 🙁

At one of the tags LOL I have to make sure Im replacing the Foz with a gem!

Mmm nice car,but the fuel consumption isa worry.The Honda Hearse has moved to the top of the pile for me….bit run-of-the-mill copared to a Legacy.

I test drove a Legacy- very nice but long and still (relatively) thirsty.

Hora – whats the story with your wife's aversion to Skoda's.
For 4k you can find a next generation model over the Passat with useful bits like DSG box, cruise, climate. More car less money.

Just seen on your other thread about a 2.5 TDI Audi, I'm running a 2.5 TDI Passat which is bomb proof. I've had it for nearly 3 years and done about 40 k in it-it's now got 76k on it and still going strong.

Any specific question's just email me.

Mine had 105K on the clock when I bought it (2005 Highline 130 TDI). That kind of miles is not a lot for one of these. My work colleague has bought one with over twice that on it and apart from a £30 hose for the turbo it runs fine. Mine was £4000 so if it runs to 200k as I expect it to then I scrap it I have still had some cheap motoring.

The spec includes climate and cruise so unless you want the DSG then the Skoda mentioned doesn't have a lot more appeal. Plus the Passat will hold its value better.

My wife is the same, if I spent 20k on a top spec skoda she still wouldn't want it, and all the girls at her work feel the same.
Her parents, years ago bought a skoda and it's scarred her for life.

These outdated stigma's really last it seems. I have seen lots of great Octavia estates but she just isn't interested.

If anybody from Skoda UK want's to lend me A Skoda Estate so I can try and change her mind I'd be willing to do a full long term test to see if she will change her mind.

Agree. GF is old enough to remember the skip jokes though. So do I but I can get passed that.

I think the last of the old shape Passat's with the 130 bhp 1.9 AFN engine with the Highline Spec represent good value for money. These were highly loaded models to get rid of the old stock of 1.9's because the 2.0 TDI's had come out. Full of kit at a good price. The 1.9's are probably still more popular than the 2.0's, such a good engine.

Another 130 TDI Passat Estate Sport 6 speed box here, now at 103K, touch wood never had a problem, have changed tyres, discs, wipers and the belt. Nothing else! Still looks very good drives, feels like it did at 20K does 42mpg fast/town to 52 plus on a run, best ever just over 60 on a long run, but it is nearly always driven swiftly by both of us. Amazingly quick considering, IMO worth getting sport as normal suspension is too soft/rolly but ours is hussled along. Gearbox notchy, always has been, they all are but I only notice it after driving another car. Based on ours I highly recommend it – think a Golf would be more fun (for a normal car) but if one needs the space….

I have an 07 plate TDI 170. It rocks. Got 44k on it, hasn't missed a beat. Changed tyres and wiper blades and I expect pads and possibly discs soon but otherwise no probs.

It's been to France twice, 4 bikes and all our stuff inside and still space or 10 cases of wine on the way home. Once it's moving just press the loud pedal and it pulls solidly way past a ton (on the autobahn, of course). Never had less than 40mpg over a full tank, 42ish is usual including sitting in traffic and bikes on roof etc.

Would only change it for an A6 Quattro with one of the V6 diesel engines in it. Or an RS6 or an M5 estate 🙂

OK, it depends how you drive, but think about it… How do you get more power? You burn more fuel!

You only have more power when your foot is on the floor. When you are doing 70mph down the motorway in either car you are using the same amount of power and hence the same fuel regardless of what the maximum possible power is. In a diesel, at any rate. Actually, there is a slight penalty as the higher powered cars have larger turbos which increase consumption a bit.

Non PDs are very reliable but old now. If you stretch to 2005 and onwards you can get a common rail which drives much better than a PD. PDs have a huge torque slug then nothing over 3k, whereas common rail keep pulling to the limiter.

Hora, YGM.

I've a 53 plate TDi sport (130bhp) on about 78k, we've put about 40k on it. great car, drives well with bags of space, it all the car anyman needs.

had to stump up for the belt, CV joints and breaks…services are about 120 quid (that little garage opposite trafford timber).

If you want a closer look give me a shout, I seem to remember I'm pretty close to the horaville.

You only have more power when your foot is on the floor. When you are doing 70mph down the motorway in either car you are using the same amount of power and hence the same fuel regardless of what the maximum possible power is. In a diesel, at any rate. Actually, there is a slight penalty as the higher powered cars have larger turbos which increase consumption a bit.

Non PDs are very reliable but old now. If you stretch to 2005 and onwards you can get a common rail which drives much better than a PD. PDs have a huge torque slug then nothing over 3k, whereas common rail keep pulling to the limiter.

I was being simplistic… You are of course totally right, it's mainly due to the larger turbo and injectors, but ultimately driving more efficiently will make the biggest difference.

Having driven a few PD engined cars now, got to say I more than agree with your next comment. Driving both a 150bhp TDi Golf and a 130bhp TDi A4 (that had incidentally been chipped to circa 180bhp), both had nothing at all until about 2000rpm when the big turbo finally spooled up, then they would break traction on the front tyres quite easily under full throttle, then you'd have to change gear by 3200rpm as all the power started to tail off…

No wonder they all had six speed boxes, you NEED it!

The Common rail engines (and the older non PD engines, though they are somewhat a tractor by comparison now though, albeit one that will keep going on and on) are indeed way more flexible. Have driven a couple of the Octavia vRS TDi's with the 170 engine in, and they're a lot smoother right through the rev range, up to over 4000rpm. The E90 BMW 320D I had for a while as a company car (newer 177bhp engine) was so smooth it was hard to believe it was a diesel. Not much below 1500 revs still granted, but then it would pick up smoothly and progressively and keep on going, and going, and going… Until almost 5000rpm before the power tailed off noticably! Amazing considering that engine still only had a single turbo. The 335D and the 123D with their twin turbo common rail engines (one big, one small) will be even smoother and more progressive still!

a mate put 215,000 miles on his. Clutch went which effectively wrote it off being £800 to repair.

He said after 200,000 it really started to feel like it was falling to bits.

it was on a 52 plate. He drives a lot. he always got 48mpg out of it despite it living on the motorway.

+1 for checking out Honest John for stuff to look out for HERE

High mileage up and down the motorways is no problem, but it is if its done all that on short journeys. Check it out with the seller. Avoid auto if you can as its extra to go wrong and saps power. Avoid anything with a towbar – towing anything puts extra load on the drivetrain

Ta guys. Its a Passat or a A6 Tdi (same engine) if I can find either for a comparable price.

😀

Passat will be much cheaper to buy and much cheaper to maintain, even though it's the same engine. Audi parts and servicing are more expensive.

Hora,
They are OK, but not great. Loads of problems with the front suspension. Scuttle drain holes block and the car fills with water. This can take out the brake servo, wiper motor and central convenience module – the central locking then goes mental. On the PD model the injectors can fail (Circa £400 each + fitting).
'Longlife service' intervals are a joke. Service once a year and have a competent garage set it to 'standard service' intervals.
…Apart from that they are good!
Hth
Marko

yeah as above check the drain holes in the scuttle! 6" of water in the footwell at 6 in the morning is a pain!

I was in the process of buying my parents passat estate: Y-reg 1.9 tdi 130 pd SE, 118k miles – going to buy for £2000 with first service free to replace front discs.
Lost it on the ice going relatively slowly (30mph) and went into a transit coming the other way.
:'( :'( it was a perfect car for me and am now going to look for another. kick myself about it everytime I drive my current rover 25…

had a Y-reg 130 pd since new. Used as a joiners van (over-loaded with gear), then trips round the alps every summer. Been brilliant.
The front susspension is vastly over-complicated (same setup as Audi A6)and bits do wear (use local garage and after-market parts to keep cost down!) Had a problem with miss-firing; turned out to be the wiring to the injectors (they sit in the hot oil inside the cylinderhead!), part £45, and an hour of my time to fix (needed to get a £25 fault-code reader from e-bay and google the fault it came up with as garages hadn't a clue about this one!)How many "faulty" injectors out there have really just been the associated wiring, which gets changed anyway when you do the injectors?
On balance highly recommend this car.
Have never fancied a Legacy because of their fuel consumption and its not unknown for the cylinderheads to go on these (+ you have two of them to replace!)

Mate is on his second. Bought his last one new before the current model because he did`nt like the new shape.
Personnaly I prefer my Touran especially for carrying my 2 grandkids around, much more flexible as a kid carrier imo. Can get over 45mpg on high speed 😉 motorway driving, around town/commuting wife gets over 40 easily.
I have in the past owned Polos, Golfs and Jettas.

hamishthecat – Member

There is no 'big service' other than the belt at 60k intervals. Servicing is every 10k and one 10k service is slightly more intensive than the other – in turn.

There's a time element to servicing too. It's 15k (kms by the way) or 12-months which ever is soonest. Every 24-months or 30k brake fluid should be tested, pollen filter changed and other items included as part of an Inspection service. Every 48-months or 60k there are other items. At 90k or 5-years the cambelt should be changed (and then again every two years or 30k

It's no good buying a 7-year old car that's got 40k (miles) on the clock if all the above hasn't been done.

Honest John is a good read. You'd be surprised how many people write to complain that their 5-year old 30k car has failed even though they've only serviced it twice!