[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by ritwikbhatt

3. Would changing the water pump assembly be reccomended due to age of the car?

In my view, changing the water pump is a must if its not done already. It gives away mostly around the 50k kms mark on these motors. You don't want to be soaking up the timing belt with coolant like I did.

[ritwikbhatt]

Originally Posted by vignesh.cv

In my view, changing the water pump is a must if its not done already. It gives away mostly around the 50k kms mark on these motors. You don't want to be soaking up the timing belt with coolant like I did.

Hi Vignesh,

Thanks for the input. But the 1.8 TSi motor has a timing chain yes?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by DRIVE_ADDICT

Came across a well maintained Laura Ambiente 2.0 CR TDI MT with service history.
Following are the details.
ODO @64k. 2013 model. 2nd owner.

Whats the fair price for this? Note this is in Bangalore. Current ask is 7L with scope for negotiation.

Heard from owner the timing kit replacement is above 1L and current clutch is good for another 15 to 20K as per ASS.
Test drove as well, didnt find anything odd in the clutch.

What else i need to check for and what all major replacement expected in the near future service?
My plan is to have this as second car for next 2 yrs, may run near 1L mark and sell off.

Price is exceedingly high!
In Mumbai these would go for less than 5L easily, but the pricing down south is higher for diesels. Do negotiate heavily!

The 2.0 TDi & 6 speed DSG are quite reliable. What is recommended and often overlooked is a DSG engine oil change at the 4 year / 60Kkm mark (whichever is earlier).

What could be an issue are the sensors such as ABS, etc.

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Price is exceedingly high!
In Mumbai these would go for less than 5L easily, but the pricing down south is higher for diesels. Do negotiate heavily!

The 2.0 TDi & 6 speed DSG are quite reliable. What is recommended and often overlooked is a DSG engine oil change at the 4 year / 60Kkm mark (whichever is earlier).

What could be an issue are the sensors such as ABS, etc.

This is MT and maintained pretty well.
Price negotiated to 6L. Owner has invoice copy of every service.
Even the original spare bulbs which he changed to Night breaker, Spare Original Skoda wheel cap set (3), etc.
Insurance with road side assistance valid till 2021.

The owner has a multi car garage and he maintains his cars pretty well. Nothing skipped in service based on the invoice copy. Last service done at 63k with oil, filters and the usual stuffs along with tyres (Pirelli).
No mods done, nothing touched on electrical.

Took the plunge and agreed on it. Yes the price is higher but for the way it got maintained + its Bangalore reg, i thought its worth it.

Yes did a research and found sensor is one thing which cost a bomb, but one TD with that 2.0 ltr diesel and the way the car up kept. I fell for it.

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by DRIVE_ADDICT

This is MT and maintained pretty well.
Price negotiated to 6L. Owner has invoice copy of every service.
Even the original spare bulbs which he changed to Night breaker, Spare Original Skoda wheel cap set (3), etc.
Insurance with road side assistance valid till 2021.

Took the plunge and agreed on it. Yes the price is higher but for the way it got maintained + its Bangalore reg, i thought its worth it.

6L is a good deal if nothing needs to addressed immediately and the service history is clean and comprehensive like you said. Bangalore used car resale value is always a bit on the higher side anyway.

The MT powertrain in that car is pretty bulletproof so there shouldn't be any other immediate expenses. Happy mile munching!

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by ritwikbhatt

But the 1.8 TSi motor has a timing chain yes?

My bad, yes. I was somehow having the TDi engine in my mind. The timing chain on the TSi motor doesn't need to be changed - it is more like a component for the life of the motor. If the car has been maintained well, there is little need to change the timing chain. You may also go through this thread (VW / Skoda 1.8L TSI: When to replace the timing chain?) for more information and clarity on the same.

[ashkamath]

Guys, need some advice. A friend of mine (2nd owner) is selling his GOA registered Skoda Laura 2007 Ambient 1.9TDI PD MT. The car has been lying idle unused since an year now (Covid issue) and battery was stolen. Both the front window power motors have gone kaput and the door beadings have totally disintegrated and needs new fitment.
The other day, I put the battery from my car into Laura and saw that all lights on MID are flashing. Speedo /Odo doesn't appear to work and the engine makes a large wheezing sound when I took it for a spin. He says it's some issue with the muffler /exhaust. The car also has a bit of rust showing up on the body at edges.

My friend is jobless now and wants to dispose off the car at the earliest. He is requesting me if I could buy it from him.

Looking at the above mentioned issues, I am not very sure. There are many Laura owners here. I would want to know, given the list of problems mentioned, what would be an approximate repair cost and what would be the resale value of the car (if I need to propose a price) The car has done about 1,75,000 kms or thereabouts.

Is it a good idea to buy the car that's 14 years old with 1.75L mileage and with a host of known issues. If the issues are fixable at a reasonable amount then I can think of helping him by buying the car from him.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by ashkamath

Is it a good idea to buy the car that's 14 years old with 1.75L mileage and with a host of known issues. If the issues are fixable at a reasonable amount then I can think of helping him by buying the car from him.

Just give him whatever money you want to give him as a gift or loan or whatever. Don't buy that car trying to do him a favour, you will regret it

[rohnxD]

Hello, fellow Team BHPians,

I am a new member here, and was hoping to get your advice on something very important. Do you think it makes sense to get a Skoda Laura 2.0 L&K TDI (AT) with a single owner which has clocked 110k kms for 4 lacs? The car seems to be in a fantastic condition, and the owner seems to have a solid service history, however I'm skeptical as the DSG is notoriously known for its issues.

I really want to get a Laura because it's something that fits my budget (4-5 lacs) and I want to get a car that is fun to drive but is also economical at the same time, has a good interior, and something that I could possible customize in the future with an ECU remap or something more perhaps. I might sell the car off in a couple years anyway. There is no way I could consider getting a petrol with the prices touching 110rs, so going for the diesel is probably the better option.

I will be using the car everyday for work (40kms total), and the occasional long distance drives. I am from Pune, and finding a manual Diesel Laura with less mileage on it has proven to be difficult, it's partially my fault because I don't want a car registered outside Pune. If anyone from here knows someone who owns a Diesel Laura (MH 14 or MH 12 registered) it would be of great help.

Please feel free to share your opinion and what you think I should do. I will attach a few pictures of the car I'm planning to buy.

[vishy76]

This example seems to be in good nick aesthetically, but only service records can say how well it has been kept, especially since it's a DSG. Here's what you should look out for:

- Timing kit should have been changed at the 7-8 year mark. If it still hasn't been changed, get it done ASAP. Well overdue. Also get the water pump changed

- DSG fluid should have been compulsorily changed every 4-5 years or 60K km. If it hasn't been, I would simply walk away. The DQ250 is quite a reliable gearbox by VW standards but it's equally sensitive to timely fluid changes. Also check if the flywheel has been changed before. If not, it might be an expense for you in the future. Around 45-50K at an FNG. A bad Flywheel will cause excess vibrations and loud clanging noises from the front left of the car

- All suspension components including the subframe bushes and the mountings for the engine and gearbox should have ideally been changed. If not, negotiate keeping these in mind

- Check if all the electronics including the headlamps work perfectly. No ABS or ESP lights on the cluster. If there are, get it scanned. Could be something as cheap as a 1.5K per piece ABS sensor or a 1.5L ABS module

- Air con should cool well without delay. The Laura has been recalled once for compressor replacement in India IIRC

BTW, I am apprehensive about the seat covers on this example. It's an L&K and I am assuming it came with shoulder airbags.

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Originally Posted by DRIVE_ADDICT

Took the plunge and agreed on it. Yes the price is higher but for the way it got maintained + its Bangalore reg, i thought its worth it.

.

So its been an year with this pre-worshipped Skoda Laura TDI MT CR2.0 and done 6k kms over this uneventful year.
Did a couple of Bangalore - Chennai round trips and few weekend outing around Kanakapura is all that I have done.
Completed yearly service with PPS Skoda Bangalore last week and it turns out to be a smooth experience. I see only +ve review for PPS so far, hope it remains the same.

The car is completely stock, just added seat cover while fixing the infamous door pads.

A remap is in plan before end of this year if all goes well.

Here are few pics taken today.

[KK_HakunaMatata]

Hi Guys,

Having owned few sedans for over 10 years (Accent, Corolla & Civic, all were pre-owned), now I am looking at getting a Laura 1.8 TSI.

I have come across a well maintained car and the owner is an enthusiast himself. I will be taking the car to Skoda ASS next week to check for the errors and to know the possible repairs/ replacements on the car.

I have also gone through some parts of this thread and have noted couple of points to keep in mind. I would request all the gurus here to help me with the cost I can expect in case of each of the below failures and add if I have missed anything -

• Timing chain snapping (what could be the cost of replacing all the parts like case, tensioner etc). Also I read on the forum that if the chain tensioner is replaced, it would be just fine, is this right?
• AC compressor. Can this be repaired or replaced?
• Water pump. What would be the cost of getting this in order?
• Suspension parts, bushes, subframe. What would be the cost of these and what is the usual time this is to be replaced?

The car I am checking out is a 2011 TSI with 62k on the ODO.

What are the additional things I should check out if the car is remapped, assuming the car is handled responsibly and maintained well by the owner after remapping.

Thanks in advance.

KK

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

An update:

Its been almost 2 years with my pre-owned Laura and the journey so far is good. Recently completed 2 back to back 1000+ kms vacation trips without any fuss.

Im super impressed by its highway manner, GC, FE and its neutral handling character.

My initial thought was to have this car for a short stint and change to something new post Covid. But i should say this car impressed me and my circle so much, that many in my circle is now looking for pre-owned well maintained Jetta/Laura.

Now the usual stuff associated with Germans, The niggle. and I hit one recently.

I started observing excessive noise from the Engine bay, especially during cold start + idle, The noise increases when engine takes the load in low rpm, especially when you release the clutch and see a very small dip in the rpm.

One good thing about Skoda/VW 2.0 TDI is that you got tons of diagnostics information available in internet, it will be quiet easy to isolate the issue yourself.

So this noise turns out to be from the alternator pulley and I can see the belt shattering on idle rpm and the noise originates from the belt area.

Here is the video for reference: (The noise is little more amplified since i captured the video in basement parking.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA-lmh9aDrk

A reference video which helped me the isolation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8735oG0k8Y

Skoda ASC also confirms that it is indeed from Alternator pulley and a friendly service rep there suggested me to fix it outside since ASC will change the pulley set + alternator and mention that will cost a bomb. On an FNG, we can just change the pulley and if needed, the alternator can be serviced as well.

Now Teambhp came to rescue with abundant source of info and directories of all independent garages in your city, based on reviews + suggestion from fellow bhpian Vignesh, gave the Car to Sri Adigas,
Though Adigas is located on the other end of Bangalore from where i stay, still i chose that, since this is the first time I'm giving the car outside the ASC and i was skeptical about the choice of FNG.

Now about Adigas, This place looks relatively small but very clean and tidy and i also see they are working on couple of big Germans.
They also align with the previous diagnosis and they changed the pulley and serviced the alternator. Adigas charged a fraction of what ASC estimated.

Now this is how the car idles post fix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpKhApHGvo4

[MileCruncher]

My Laura 1.8 TSI is up for sale. Details here - https://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy...da/Laura.html/

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Not sure how/why this happened, but post taking my car back from last service, I noticed a rough layer of dust stuck on the entire body of the car. I can sense some roughness while gently wiping the car surface with bare hand. I thought it might go off post a shampoo wash but no it was not..

Took the car to a friendly neighborhood car wash guy where i frequent, he tried applying some polish and waited for sometime and tried wiping off with cloth but no help. He then told me to visit some detailing guys and do a proper machine polish until then this won't go. So searched for a budget friendly guy nearby and opted to do a Teflon coat.

Not sure whether you can notice the white layer of dust on the paint surface in the first picture below, and subsequent pictures are post Teflon coat