Bora Review

[studbuckle]

4 years, 4 months & 24 days.

147308 Miles

This is the VERY long term review of the VW Bora that has been my company car for almost the last 4 and half years. It's a Black VW Bora TDi Sport (110BHP). 1st registered in September 2000 it now goes back to the leasing company after 147,308 miles of happy motoring. During it's time with me it has been a van for moving house twice, been a support vehicle to tow the Westfield aruond the country along with all the tools and equipment. It's been a GT cruising across the continent at high speed and it's been a motorway cruiser and commuter car. The only thing it has ever been a struggle to do with this car is carry lots of 'stuff' and 2 adult rear passengers. Everything else it has taken in its stride. Up to the end it has been quick, reliable, frugal and a pleasure to run.

Faults and Failures:

0 Miles, Synchromesh failure on 5th gear, replaced with new gearbox

20,000 miles front brake discs warped

30,000 miles Carbon build up in turbo took a long time to diagnose, turbo replaced under warranty

45,000 miles New sump after impact with road surface

50,000 miles Carbon build up in turbo, replaced under warranty

60,000 miles New Cruise control switch

70,000 miles replacement fuse connector on ecu

90,000 miles Carbon build up in turbo, stripped and cleaned

95,000 miles small coolant leak, new radiator, hoses and header tank

70,000 - 140,000 miles. Clutch needed bleeding at every service

Warranty paint job on Rear quarter light panels

Warranty paint job on drivers door when hinge dropped and it rubbed

It used front tyres in approx 19,000 mile intervals and rears in 65,000 miles given a chance

In the whole time I have only ever put in 5 litres of oil between service intervals and most of that was after high speed runs in germany

It avaraged between 48 and 50 mpg over each tankfull up until the end where it was dropping off to 46mpg. The most I ever saw on a tank was 53mpg

While towing a car trailer and Westfield with a full boot of camping equipment it still managed 37mpg

It has had 5 windscreen replacements! had a nose respray twice to cover over stone chips and had one dent in the rear 3/4 panel removed.

Considering my long history of breaking previous company cars (this is the 1st one that i've had full term) this has been a fantastic car to run. It has only broken down once when the fuse went on the ecu and was still driveable then even with a trailer and car on the back (very slowly). It has never failed to start and has only recently started to look it's age.

So what now? Well it was almost another Bora i've been that pleased but the new Skoda Octavia is on the new golf platform and has the 2.0 TDi with 140BHP, so, that's what i've got. Let's see if the claims that Skoda's are as reliable as their German counterparts is true

[ChrisG]

My PD115 had just gone past 100k with similarly good reliability since I got it at 60k.

Its interesting what you say about the Turbo carbon buildup, whats the symptoms of that when you're driving?

Chris

[studbuckle]

When you accelerate in the higher gears 3rd to 6th you think it's going to go and then it just doesn't seem to pull like it should. Basically what's happend is a ridge of carbon has built up on the inner casing of the turbo and prevents the variable vane from passing a particular point, therefore restricting the amount of turbo available. If you catch it early enough, a swift knock on the turbo housing can clear it enough. If not, then VAG-COM will normally see it as a faulty pnematic valve (the one that controls the vane). In worst cases the engine ECU goes into limp home mode.

It's actually a common problem in germany with constant high speeds on the autobahn. Not so common over here but with me using cruise a lot of the time that's how it builds up.

[markh1970]

45,000 miles New sump after impact with road surface

WHat did the front wheels fall off? How does the sump 'catch' the road surface        

[studbuckle]

The 'yump' in question was known to me but the VAG PD engines have very fragile sumps and I grounded it

[ChrisG]

When you accelerate in the higher gears 3rd to 6th you think it's going to go and then it just doesn't seem to pull like it should. Basically what's happend is a ridge of carbon has built up on the inner casing of the turbo and prevents the variable vane from passing a particular point, therefore restricting the amount of turbo available. If you catch it early enough, a swift knock on the turbo housing can clear it enough. If not, then VAG-COM will normally see it as a faulty pnematic valve (the one that controls the vane). In worst cases the engine ECU goes into limp home mode.

It's actually a common problem in germany with constant high speeds on the autobahn. Not so common over here but with me using cruise a lot of the time that's how it builds up.

Very interesting, mine has a similar feel. It is chipped but it had similar characteristics even before it was chipped. You boot it and its great up to around 2700-3000, then feels like its dying. Comparing this to my missus's 110 TDi Leon, that although not as powerful in the midrange, I think is a lot more linear and produces useable power up to 4k or so.

Mine also goes into limp mode occasionally when Im towing up long drag hills when the turbo is spinning up hard but not necessarily full throttle. To get it out of limp mode you have to knock the ignition off and back on again which isnt fun doing at 60mph with the trailer on the back  

VAG-COM I borrowed off a mate showed an overboost error but even with the chip it should be a reasonable margin away from overboost.

Sounds like I might need to whip the turbo off and have a look then, is it something that really needs a turbo replacement in certain circumstances do you think, or can it be cleaned out like the last time you had it done?

[studbuckle]

Sounds like you've got exactly the same symptoms as me.

I was told by a helpful VW technician that there really isn't a need to replace the turbo but for a warranty job there's too much time taken removing it, stripping it and cleaning it. More cost effective to the warranty people to replace it. For your own car then a strip down and clean is all it needs I suspect

[ChrisG]

Excellent, another thing to try! I thought I had found the problem when I took the inlet side off, the inlet manifold and the EGR were absolutely caked in black oily crud that was probably reducing the inlet diameter by about 8mm. I washed all that out but it didnt make any difference, and have also tried the missus's Air Flow Meter as thats another common issue, but that made no difference either.

Looks like I have a contender for first job on my list after the R1 is installed in the BEC (read that as "I'll live with it for a few more months then"! )

[studbuckle]

I'd try the 'smacking it one' with a wrench on the top of the turbo housing first (and yes, that was a properly sanctioned VW fix after an afternoon of faffing about trying to sort the problem)

[potster]

You should be chuffed with the Skoda. I've had a Fabia Vrs for the last 10 months/14,000 miles. Bar a couple of small teething problems it hasn't missed a beat.

Now to chip it or not to chip it, that is the question

[ChrisG]

I'd try the 'smacking it one' with a wrench on the top of the turbo housing first (and yes, that was a properly sanctioned VW fix after an afternoon of faffing about trying to sort the problem)

Will give it a go  

[MARSDALEBEAR]

My Bora 150 pdi has just passed 126,000 miles and wont be 3 years old 'till November. Except for front disc replacement at 90k and a new aircon heat exchanger its been perfect.Its great for chasing Beemers and Mercs on the Autobahn,where it spends most of its life.I will be sad to see it go this year.