[Closed] VW Caddy - anyone?

We bought a Caddy Maxi Life as a family car/camper/gear hauler. We bought the 2 litre 140 bhp version and find that we get good mpg and the extra power is useful at times. Having bought it we have fitted a hard shell roof tent and I have made a camping unit which unfolds into a bed in the back, giving us a 4 berth + dog, camper. When folded up the camper bed only takes up the last 45cm of boot space, so in normal every day use it is still a 5 seater. The boot space is large with the seats in, with the seats out it is massive.
Only thing I’d say regarding the seats is that if you are to take them out, they are very heavy, so it is more of a two man operation if you value your back.
If you join the Caddy2k forum and make it through all their rules, there is a wealth of information on their, particularly about the 1.6 litre engine, which does suffer injector problems.

Thanks branwell.

If you join the Caddy2k forum and make it through all their rules,

Aye, they seem to like their rules!

Had a Maxi Life 1.6 for over 3yrs - no issues at all even with the DSG box.
Friend has it now and I still use it when needed.

Yes, once through all the hoops, it is worth it.

14 months and 12k miles into Caddy ownership here, with an ex BG Maxi panel van. It's a 1.6 as you'd expect, but after a remap (took it from 100 to 140bhp) it goes ok and fuel economy hasn't changed.

Bought a good condition low mileage van and paid a slight premium as a result, but was worth it to me. There were vans out there with 100k on the clock and really tatty interiors going for £6k, paid just under £7k for mine with 50k on the clock and in VGC. Was due a cambelt service when I got it so got that done straight away, and other than the rear discs and pads now need replacing, and the fact I still haven't had it lowered, it's been superb!

Which of course means it's about to fail catastrophically now but hey ho...

Word of warning on the recall regarding emissions on these engines. Have taken advice from several people I know and respect in the industry NOT to take mine back for the recall work. The reduced emissions come at a strain on the EGR valve apparently, and mpg also suffers once the work is done.

That's really helpful mboy, There's loads of those ex-BG vans for sale, with decent mileage.

I'll second the advice to NOT get the recall ECU reflash. Had it done to our company 1.6 and less than two months later the EGR died. Thankfully VW fixed it for free after I complained, but still..

Liking the look of some of the rear seat conversions available, specifically the ones that fold forward, I reckon that would give enough space for me to sleep in, without needing to physically remove the seats.

I may have you mixed up with someone else, but didn't you recently go from a small van to a LWB transporter? Why they change back to a small van if you don't mind me asking?

Looking at small vans myself at the moment but never commit as I keep getting distracted by larger ones.

No, that's me K!

I'm spending too much time running around in a big van, spending too much on fuel, and tbh it's overkill for what I need. It's only ever me that sleeps in it, and I managed that just dandy in my old tranny connect.

I knew when I bought it that I wouldn't lose anything if at all if I decided it wasn't for me, and I think that time has come.

And someone has just taken a key along it for the second time in a short while, It's quite a blingy looking van, attracts wee spiteful bastards by the looks of it.

Sounds similar to my needs, I know a connect or caddy is the sensible option, but still I procrastinate.

You know we love ours Greg.

After 7 years of owning our original 2.0l 140bhp maxi life (only ever kept a car for max 3 years before that) we have just bought a brand new 2.0 150bhp maxi life.

In 7 years of day use never had anything go wrong bar wear and tear bits.

7 seat bench was always in the garage.

I'm 6 foot 1 and with the rear seats 60/40 seats just folded up I could lie full out in the back.

2.0l 140bhp did just about 40mpg on a run, only had 1 tank of diesel through the new one and already had 1 journey in the mid-50s.

No idea on the 1.6 or 1.9 but the 2.0l had enough poke to overtake anywhere on an A road

The caddy2k forums's not that onerous - prob this sort of discussion is as much in the accessible area anyway.

1.6 is surprisingly good IMO and fairly nippy considering its a big box. Overtakes need planning tho.
Seating's great -before 2012 or 2011 (I forget) you could flip up the middle row but not remove (well, without a spanner maybe). My normal bike now is a 6ft recumbent, so I just remove the rear bench and flip/remove part of the middle row. The seat weight isnt so much the problem as being awkward - the rear bench is easiest, followed by the single

I'm one of those that's mentioned injectors both there, and here.
Not sure how widespread, but there's certainly a few of us with multiple failures on the 1.6 - mines a mid 2012 maxi life. One went before Christmas about 30k, sat on what to do, eventually bit the bullet and replaced the pair under one spreader bar (need to replace copper washers under both if replacing one so labours the same for one or the pair). Picked up repaired caddy, spin down the nearby fast A road for 10 miles or so and one of the *other* pair failed 🙁 Recovery back to garage, and got second pair replaced.

Labour about 170+vat per pair, about 49-50 odds per pair, but about 300 inc VAT per injector. Ouch.

If it was just local running about I *might* have just changed one at a time, but labour+bits is almost the cost of one injector. And it gets mainly used for long journeys -match was a Wales trip for a metal fest, June is another fest in Belgium. Failing on the way back is one thing, failing on the way there and getting it repaired is another level of pain.

The faulty injectors *seem* to be one age range - you can check the part number (see caddy2k) on lifting the bonnet. But if finding the older part is there, dunno how much of an indication it is that it'll fail, there must be a lot out there.

But it's a great vehicle otherwise, considered t5s but ££ more. Hyundia i800 promising but middle bench only slides, have to unbolt rear bench- tho one or two companies are doing nice camper conversions, do maybe the seat issue is solvable.

Oh, egr valve replacement is about 900 quid! - main cost is labour.

I've got at 1.6 Maxi with the rear seat conversion. Load space is probably fine to sleep in with the seats tipped forward if you are less than 6ft. If you remove them (or just half if you have a split seat) then you will have loads of room. I can fit my 29er in at an angle with all the seats up - if that helps.

Can't advise on a caddy maxi as last December I bought a standard 2013 Highline 1.6tdi caddy, but I can say caddy life/ownership is pretty sweet, especially coming from a rather tatty 14yr old ford connect with no heater and ineffective power steering which died due the rear leaf spring mounts rotting through.

Like others have said there is a problem with the insulation failing on certain injectors with regard to the 1.6 tdi and it will go into 20mph limp mode which can be dangerous, the injector design was changed in late 2013 so from then on it's not a problem but VW still refuse to acknowledge there is an issue, and as others have said do not get the emissions recall updated by VW as it causes issues with constant DPF regen, also EGR failure is common and mpg takes a hit. The 1.6tdi 101bhp is ok in basic tune but I'd advise anyone to get it remapped and set up on a rolling road by a reputable tuner Pendle tuning are good if you live down south, (mine was done by falkland performance at Glenrothes) and is now at 148bhp and 315nm (similar to standard 2.0) which does make a noticeable difference to how it drives but I'd still rather have the 2.0 engine with a remap, fuel economy for me very rarely drops below 58 mpg but that will vary dependant of where/how you drive.

Caddy2k forum is worth persevering with, good knowledge base for upgrades and tricks/tips

Re limp mode - I think it depends on the situation, first time I'd just pulled out onto an 40mph Aroad and was accelerating from mebbe 20 so limp mode was v. noticeable. Second time it went at about 70, but in 5th gear I had enough speed/momentum and just enough pull despite limp mode (just give it a *little* throttle, more makes it worse I think) that I could make it the next 1/4 or 1/2 mile at a similar speed to the next junction. Might have been a bit more concerning if overtaking in the outside lane or a long way from a junction.

Great info folks, lots to chew over. Still waiting for access for caddy2k forum....

there must be a lot out there.

61,128 1.6 CR diesels registered - a few will be scrap now.

And if you are looking for a 'Life' there were only around 11,000 sold - these are registered as passenger vehicles and not commercials.

Hth