Octy vRS Achilles Heels

Tool · 14th February 2009, 01:50

WOW !!!
Thank you soo much sir ajmat !! . Talk about knowing a Vrs inside out.
This thread has put my fears to rest actually. !! Im hoping to get one very very soon myself and this thread is invaluable !!
If one does preventive maintenance ever 40 K km then one should be more than ok . no problems with that .
i really dont mind the timing belt/coils/water pump problems. Have no issues whatsoever in spending 30-35K ever 40,000 Km that i driver her.
Its the least i can do for a engine that puts out that kind of power it does and has to deal with crappy indian roads and crappy fuel .
Heck every service of my esteem cost me atleast 12-15 K anyways . so i dont find this bad at all. I know 12-15K service sounds a lot for a maruti. but thats the only way i ever felt satisfied with my car !!
Synthetic oil , K&N oil filter , injector cleaning , TB clean , Carbon clean Wheel Alignment Brakes Reset . New pads and Discs and brake flluid etc are all done every 10,000 Km maximum on my esteem and new iridium plugs every 20,000 km . Heck i change my Gear oil ever 3000-5000 Km just cause i can feel a difference . Some people call me stupid.. some call me anal.. but thats me

Cheers sir and Thank you very very Much.
Now more than ever im determined to go get me a VRS.. PLEASE HELP

Its good to be back !

JayD · 14th February 2009, 02:19

Gawd that's a lotta work for a new-ish car. I guess this is why one ca find that most used RS's in the market have done around 50K. I guess the original owners sell them before the trouble starts!

muneemmk · 14th February 2009, 06:19

Ajamt's been through hell and back, is this a problem commonly associated with the VRs or did Ajmat's S(K)oda come with Lemon ? The cost of the parts are unbelievable at usual Skoda A S S.
Last day a person I know changed his Drive shaft in his Laura for 16K,he imported this part from dubai, the A S S's part price for the same was around 30K , after this his A/C compressor conked off Cost 1.25 Lakh ,he's gonna import that too, The Sanden 507 compressor usually fitted on Ambys cost around 9K I wonder weather this could be fitted on the Laura

.

Now how are people driving around in Skodas with Power upgrades of 200+BHP doing ? The more heat the more power, more electronics, More problems ?

aaggoswami · 14th February 2009, 08:15

Very well structured posts. The costs are mind numbing, may be mind numbing is too mild a word. These failures in car that costs above Rs. 10-12 lakh happen only in India and Skoda can get away with impunity.
Write this to Skoda and give link of this thread.

What surprised me is that the 1.8T is also an interference engine. I now want to list down the cars with interference engines. I knew about Skoda Octavia diesel and Ford Feista, diesel or petrol I dont remember.

Skoda should have offered chain instead of belt and that too enclosed. This is I think second incidence of timing belt failure after Jalsa777's Skoda Octavia diesel that took hit from another vehicle and the belt snapped.
More and more threads are coming up for bad skoda quality.
Had skoda being into below Rs. 10 lakh segment from the begenning, they would have packed up. The only reason they are surviving in India is beacuse of their pseudo " premium " image.

iraghava · 14th February 2009, 13:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Why? - Timing belt snapped

What is THE damage? Officially Rs 150000 for a head rebuild, a lot less if done by a good independent

It costed us approx. 50k since we got it done outside. Finding the Genuine Timing Belt for the vRS (150 grooves) was a pain though. Had to be sourced from outside India.

GTO · 14th February 2009, 13:46

Invaluable information for RS owners (current & potential).

Ajmat, miss the Japs?

siddartha · 14th February 2009, 15:56

VW and Audi 1.8T Engine Coil Problems

details regarding coil packs, 2003 onwards may not have this problem

mura · 14th February 2009, 16:37

IIRC Toyotas and most Japanese cars with timing belts only need replacement of the same every 1lac kms, and mostly are non interference engines.

I had a 1998 Subaru Legacy in which the Tbelt failed after 270000km. I bought the car assuming it had clocked only 70000km as the ODO was clocked back but the guy left the log book indicating the true milage in the car.

Thank god it was a non interference engine. Rs.1500 later it was running again.

You certainly can't beat the japs for reliablity.

R2D2 · 14th February 2009, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Why? - Timing belt snapped

How do I know? - Engine may not turn or makes expensive noises when turned

What is the damage? Pistons hammered the valves, if they are waving at you when you lift the engine, ouch

What is THE damage? Officially Rs 150000 for a head rebuild, a lot less if done by a good independent

I am horribly shocked. Shoddy dealers, high maintenance costs, horrendously expensive spares and low reliability .

And people still find a reason to buy a Skoda? No wonder Europeans treat Skoda like you know what. We should learn from them. German QUALITY my foot.

Rgds,

SS-Traveller · 14th February 2009, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by mura

IIRC Toyotas and most Japanese cars with timing belts only need replacement of the same every 1lac kms, and mostly are non interference engines.

Even Hyundai recommends a TBelt change at 100k km, though I've changed mine on the Accent Viva CRDi at 87.5k km. Not sure if it's a non-interference engine.

Gasolinejunkie · 14th February 2009, 22:43

Yup, you couldn’t be more on the money. Vdubs, Audis and Skodas are great cars when everything is working well but can be real lemons when they start playing up. And with the electricals you sometimes get intermittent issues that are really hard to diagnose.

I’ve seen issues with the coil pack on the Passat, and when they were replaced it still didn’t purr because the valves were leaky. And that was on a 100,000 (give & take) engine. But what shocks me is water pump and timing belt issues at 40,000km. On a car that new I won’t even bother changing the transmission fluid. With the stabilizer bar link-pin bushes, replace them with urethane bushes. They last a lot longer.

flipsyde · 14th February 2009, 22:54

I think the biggest Achilles Heels for the vRS is the fact that its a SKODA!! Skoda has been getting undeserved attention and credit it never deserved. Neither did they make properly built cars nor did they help their customers take care of it. All they did was help themselves to the customers wallet.

That said, I would love to drive a vRS but to live with everyday I'd be happier with an Accord!!

@Tool : Hats off to you!! I would re-think my decision to buy a vRS after so many major issues discussed here. Shows your really smitten. Good luck with your find!!

Tool · 15th February 2009, 02:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipsyde

@Tool : Hats off to you!! I would re-think my decision to buy a vRS after so many major issues discussed here. Shows your really smitten. Good luck with your find!!

I would be lying if i said that this post didnt scare me .
But yes i am totally smitten !! madly in love id say hehehe.

Umm sirs ajmat and normally_crazy.. cant thank you enough !!

The amount you guys know is absolutely RIDIC !!

Now sirs if i did pick up a Vrs then what would you suggest i do to it instantly after i pick it up so that i dont have to worry about some of the minor niggles?
I will definately change the water pump and coils and timing belt/pulley on any Vrs or Tpi that i get , but is there anything else that one should pay critical attention to when buying a used Vrs ?
Will also make it a point get fuse box checked as well as the fan control unit . Anything else that i should be careful about sirs ?
Thank you very much for all the help and for starting this thread.. totally invaluable !!
Boom

ajmat · 15th February 2009, 11:00

Quote:

I will definately change the water pump and coils and timing belt/pulley on any Vrs or Tpi that i get , but is there anything else that one should pay critical attention to when buying a used Vrs ?

If the car has done 45-50 K , yes, otherwise watch and wait.

Quote:

Will also make it a point get fuse box checked as well as the fan control unit

Lift the battery cover off and you will see it.

Ravveendrra · 15th February 2009, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2

I am horribly shocked. Shoddy dealers, high maintenance costs, horrendously expensive spares and low reliability .

And people still find a reason to buy a Skoda? No wonder Europeans treat Skoda like you know what. We should learn from them. German QUALITY my foot.

Rgds,

It is true that Europeans treat Skoda like we know what, but that is only half the story.

The Europeans don't even look at the Asian imports (yes, they exist but are almost invisible - exceptions being Greece and other 'poorer' nations). Taxis are mostly Mercs (even in Greece). Their week-end drives are the likes of Ferrari and Porsche, their exec commutes are Jaguars, BMWs, etc. Even their small cars are mostly European. Skoda in Europe is treated slightly better than the Japanese and Korean vehicles. Most Asian cars there are the very small ones and Asians are almost totally absent in the mid size segment upwards. There are however a few Superbs to be seen (mostly fleet cars, I presume).

Cheers,

14th February 2009, 01:50	#16
Tool BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 351 Thanked: 4 Times View My Garage	WOW !!! Thank you soo much sir ajmat !! . Talk about knowing a Vrs inside out. This thread has put my fears to rest actually. !! Im hoping to get one very very soon myself and this thread is invaluable !! If one does preventive maintenance ever 40 K km then one should be more than ok . no problems with that . i really dont mind the timing belt/coils/water pump problems. Have no issues whatsoever in spending 30-35K ever 40,000 Km that i driver her. Its the least i can do for a engine that puts out that kind of power it does and has to deal with crappy indian roads and crappy fuel . Heck every service of my esteem cost me atleast 12-15 K anyways . so i dont find this bad at all. I know 12-15K service sounds a lot for a maruti. but thats the only way i ever felt satisfied with my car !! Synthetic oil , K&N oil filter , injector cleaning , TB clean , Carbon clean Wheel Alignment Brakes Reset . New pads and Discs and brake flluid etc are all done every 10,000 Km maximum on my esteem and new iridium plugs every 20,000 km . Heck i change my Gear oil ever 3000-5000 Km just cause i can feel a difference . Some people call me stupid.. some call me anal.. but thats me Cheers sir and Thank you very very Much. Now more than ever im determined to go get me a VRS.. PLEASE HELP Its good to be back ! Last edited by Tool : 14th February 2009 at 01:56.
	() Thanks

14th February 2009, 02:19	#17
JayD Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Cochin! At last Posts: 3,236 Thanked: 2,568 Times View My Garage	Gawd that's a lotta work for a new-ish car. I guess this is why one ca find that most used RS's in the market have done around 50K. I guess the original owners sell them before the trouble starts!
	(1) Thanks

14th February 2009, 06:19	#18
muneemmk BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Cochin Posts: 832 Thanked: 99 Times View My Garage	Ajamt's been through hell and back, is this a problem commonly associated with the VRs or did Ajmat's S(K)oda come with Lemon ? The cost of the parts are unbelievable at usual Skoda A S S. Last day a person I know changed his Drive shaft in his Laura for 16K,he imported this part from dubai, the A S S's part price for the same was around 30K , after this his A/C compressor conked off Cost 1.25 Lakh ,he's gonna import that too, The Sanden 507 compressor usually fitted on Ambys cost around 9K I wonder weather this could be fitted on the Laura . Now how are people driving around in Skodas with Power upgrades of 200+BHP doing ? The more heat the more power, more electronics, More problems ? Last edited by muneemmk : 14th February 2009 at 06:23. Reason: spellin mistook
	(1) Thanks

14th February 2009, 08:15	#19
aaggoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Vadodara Posts: 4,982 Thanked: 2,931 Times	Very well structured posts. The costs are mind numbing, may be mind numbing is too mild a word. These failures in car that costs above Rs. 10-12 lakh happen only in India and Skoda can get away with impunity. Write this to Skoda and give link of this thread. What surprised me is that the 1.8T is also an interference engine. I now want to list down the cars with interference engines. I knew about Skoda Octavia diesel and Ford Feista, diesel or petrol I dont remember. Skoda should have offered chain instead of belt and that too enclosed. This is I think second incidence of timing belt failure after Jalsa777's Skoda Octavia diesel that took hit from another vehicle and the belt snapped. More and more threads are coming up for bad skoda quality. Had skoda being into below Rs. 10 lakh segment from the begenning, they would have packed up. The only reason they are surviving in India is beacuse of their pseudo " premium " image.
	(1) Thanks

14th February 2009, 13:46	#21
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,507 Thanked: 300,643 Times View My Garage	Invaluable information for RS owners (current & potential). Ajmat, miss the Japs?
	(1) Thanks

14th February 2009, 15:56	#22
siddartha BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 671 Thanked: 24 Times	VW and Audi 1.8T Engine Coil Problems details regarding coil packs, 2003 onwards may not have this problem
	() Thanks

14th February 2009, 16:37	#23
mura BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 216 Thanked: 90 Times	IIRC Toyotas and most Japanese cars with timing belts only need replacement of the same every 1lac kms, and mostly are non interference engines. I had a 1998 Subaru Legacy in which the Tbelt failed after 270000km. I bought the car assuming it had clocked only 70000km as the ODO was clocked back but the guy left the log book indicating the true milage in the car. Thank god it was a non interference engine. Rs.1500 later it was running again. You certainly can't beat the japs for reliablity.
	(1) Thanks

14th February 2009, 22:43	#26
Gasolinejunkie BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne Posts: 80 Thanked: 14 Times	Yup, you couldn’t be more on the money. Vdubs, Audis and Skodas are great cars when everything is working well but can be real lemons when they start playing up. And with the electricals you sometimes get intermittent issues that are really hard to diagnose. I’ve seen issues with the coil pack on the Passat, and when they were replaced it still didn’t purr because the valves were leaky. And that was on a 100,000 (give & take) engine. But what shocks me is water pump and timing belt issues at 40,000km. On a car that new I won’t even bother changing the transmission fluid. With the stabilizer bar link-pin bushes, replace them with urethane bushes. They last a lot longer.
	() Thanks

14th February 2009, 22:54	#27
flipsyde BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 644 Thanked: 84 Times	I think the biggest Achilles Heels for the vRS is the fact that its a SKODA!! Skoda has been getting undeserved attention and credit it never deserved. Neither did they make properly built cars nor did they help their customers take care of it. All they did was help themselves to the customers wallet. That said, I would love to drive a vRS but to live with everyday I'd be happier with an Accord!! @Tool : Hats off to you!! I would re-think my decision to buy a vRS after so many major issues discussed here. Shows your really smitten. Good luck with your find!!
	() Thanks