Calling all 130 diesel owners

[bryanp]

Hi, all i currently drive a Superb1.8t and i am looking to change it for a 130 diesel Passat for towing, I have seen a 2004 54 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.9 Highline TDI 130 at a local dealer which has 76k on it, how good an engine is the 130 diesel, I know the Skoda boys claim it to the best in the Superb and better then the 2.0 diesel is this correct? is the milage something to worry about? what milage are they good for? anything else to look out for when going to see it, Ive had the water ingression on the Superb so know that to be a problem, I have also noticed that there are no Passat or TDi badges on the boot, did some cars come like this or is this pointing to something to worry about like it may have been rear ended? Cheers all

[angus]

I`ve got a B5.5 130TDI Sport and a 140TDI Sport estate, and the 130 is a much, much better engine if you`re towing, being a lot easier to get off the line and its lower overall gearing means it feels livelier at all times as well as being a good 5mpg better when towing (1375kgs in my case).
If you can find one, I`d definately go for a Sport as the lowered stiffer suspension gives better body control which translates into a more stable tow, also the six-speed box is much nicer, faster and gives a good account of itself when towing (I had a 5 speed before, so I could make a direct comparison).

Mileage shouldn`t be a problem if its been seviced (ours has done the far side of 130k) and we have spent little in the way of repairs on it. Its far more reliable than the new B6.

If you`re not towing anything too heavy, the spec shouldn`t matter, and the lack of badges shouldn`t present too much of aworry as long as you do the usual checks. Nobody paints out red `I`s on VW`s, or removes M3 badges from BMW`s, its only the 316`s that seem to lose their badges!

[on board traini]

Hi,

As above I had a Feb 2005 1.9 TDi Highline 130 and ran it for 17 months and then my brother-in-law has been running it last 20 months and it really is a nice car with plenty of pulling power and excellent fuel consumption. When I got mine new from VW Dealer it didn't have a red 'i' badge on boot but my brother's friends did and his was a late 2004 model. Turns out they dropped the red 'i' for some later models.

[minty0_10]

from 04 on the 130bhp had only a red i dont know why they droped the red d :confused: the 100bhp model are just a silver tdi

[B0ff]

I bought a 54 130 Highline estate a week ago, it is both my first VW and my first diesel, have to say I'm seriously impressed with both the grunt and the economy. 48-50 mpg without really trying and effortless overtaking, I think as long as you get one that's been well maintained (mine's ex fleet with 91k) and not hammered it should be reliable as well. Fingers crossed..

:biggthump

[jamoca]

It's absolutely fabulous. Do it, you won't regret it.

[bryanp]

Hi, thanks all, just a couple more questions,

What is a 4motion passat, Ive seen a TDi Sport but when i put it reg number in insurance websites they say its a 4motion 130 TDi, whats the difference?

Also according to Parkers and Auto Trader the boot on a Passat is 400litres compared to a Superb at 462litres! as there basically the same car except the Superb having 100mm more rear legroom how is this possible and is it correct?

Cheers again

[jamoca]

The 4Motion is four wheel drive, where is a non-4Motion is front wheel drive.

The Superb is aimed at the executive market, I wouldn't be surprised if it had 62l more boot space. The overall shell is different, so there's a big possibility the Superb is slightly larger.

[fraser33]

... i am looking to change it for a 130 diesel Passat ....how good an engine is the 130 diesel ?

I bought an '02 130 TDi Sport a few weeks ago now and have no complaints whatsoever to date. I had looked at a number of them before deciding on this particular car. From all accounts, the 1.9TDi is very reliable and built like a tank. I hope so - that's the main reason i got one!:D The torque low down is really impressive. It pulls well from 6th even at lowish revs and is very comfortable to drive. Despite this, it's also a very economical engine.


...... is the mileage something to worry about? what mileage are they good for?

Make sure you get one with full history. Phone the servicing garage and check it's legit. The mileages can go very high if well looked after and properly maintained. Look on the Autotrader website via a national search and any mileage to see what they are capable of. Mine has 115k with FVWSH , but I checked with the garage that serviced it so I was relatively comfortable with that.


... anything else to look out for when going to see it

Because of the aforementioned reliability and great economy, they're pretty popular for private hire taxis. Check for tell-tale signs: seriously worn trim, esp. in drivers area; scuffs on top face of rear sills (esp. n/s); bumper holes / touch-ups / resprays where the licence plate has been; suction marks on boot or roof where aerial has been and any very minor signs of localised wear marks on edge of boot or roof, where aerial cable enters the boot or cabin. If the whole car feels very loose to drive, it could have been a taxi, clocked and punted on. Hence importance of checking full history and check it thoroughly.

When test-driving, make sure you get it on the open road - if the seller is reluctant to let you do so, ask yourself why. Test everything you can - all the electrics, [lights, wipers(all modes!), climate control, e/windows/mirrors s/roof], trim, seat adjustment; also test the feel of g'box' & steering, brakes: does it pull up in line with hands off the wheel when braking hard? Listen for any rattles - take it to a car park and check on full lock each direction with head out the window.

As someone posted on her previously: "if there's any doubt, then there is none". Walk away from it and wait - keep looking. There's always another car round the corner. :beerchug:Good luck.

[jgwhittles]

I have a 100bhp 2004 tdi and mine has a red I.

[dub_irl]

I would recommend one without hesistation - once you have driven one, you will see why ppl rate them so highly

I have a 03 Sport Tdi bought it @81 k on the clock (ex fleet) now @ 110K and so far only one full service and a CV boot !


brilliant car

[minty0_10]

how many miles are you getting out of say £20 worth of diesel in your 130 5 and 6 speed.

[angus]

Been driving the other halfs TDI130 Sport today, and its soooooooooooooo much nicer than my TDI 140 Sport Estate!!!!!

Progress?

[minty0_10]

how do you find the 130 on diesel? cant help thinking mines heavy its a 6 speed and its been remapped

[fraser33]

how many miles are you getting out of say £20 worth of diesel in your 130 5 and 6 speed.

Still too early for me to say - I filled it up the day I got mine and have only done apx. 250miles since; the gauge is currently showing about 2/3 full. Will check once the tank's done and I've refilled to get an accurate picture of consumption.

[B0ff]

I haven't used a tankful yet, I've done almost 500 miles and it's telling me I've got just over 100 miles left. Which means in theory I could drive from where I live right on the south coast to Inverness on a single tankful.. :D

[jamoca]

I hit 690 miles in mine the other day, the computer was showing 10 miles left, and mine's only a 5 speed.

Result!

[minty0_10]

whats the miles on your car is that mostly motorway driving or a mix who chiped it to.

[StuPDi]

i had the 130 tdi in an ibiza fr, it was red DI to show 130, the 150 leon had red TDI whereas the 100 only had red I

i now have the same 130 in an a4, with just a red I, strange, but there must be a reason somewhere??

i would recommend the 130 anyday, about to get mine remapped to replace the chip that was put on a year ago :)

Stu

[jamoca]

153,500 miles. Chipped by sirs Chip'n'spin and Chipped UK.

[yekini]

I Have A 130bhp Passat With Over 250k On The Clock, I Have Had It Since 100k No Engine Problems Whats So Ever :)

[chris494rep]

how do you find the 130 on diesel? cant help thinking mines heavy its a 6 speed and its been remapped

Hi Minty, ive got an 03 tdi sport and i want it re-mapped. Is there much power difference? How much did it cost? and where did you get it done? Cheers Chris.

[minty0_10]

there is more power but not where i wanted it.
i wanted more torque below say 2,000 revs i find there's a flat spot when pulling off and waiting for the turbo to kick in

when i had it remapped the flat spot was still there, but when the turbo came in it did pull a lot harder and longer than before.

supposed to have been 170 bhp! i think it was no where near this figure through,
anther thing to think about depending on your car and have you drive you could soon be looking for a new clutch

i had my car put back to standard after a few months because it drunk the diesel and was blowing out a lot of black smoke.

i had it done through a mate of a mate for £150.
i think it may have just been a bad case of a remap i had?

if your going to do i would advise paying the extra and having it done properly.

[chris494rep]

Ah, thanks. I think ive got the opposite problem as all my power is at the bottom end (turbo pulls aggressively but not for long) giving the impression of the car being very powerfull but not going anywhere quickly, if you know what i mean? It has very little turbo lag, but the power runs out quickly.

Im still not 100% on remapping yet as i want to look after it, and i know if theres more power i will use it!:o

[minty0_10]

just noticed your in south wales where abouts? maybe we could have a go at each others car and see what the difference is.

[chris494rep]

Im in Port talbot. Where abouts are you?

[minty0_10]

ebbw vale, im down neath way most weekends through

[chris494rep]

Im off to London this weekend, but next time your down Neath, let me know and i'll meet you there. It will be interesting to see the difference, is yours six speed?
I was thinking maybe this is why its so aggressive but runs out so quickly? When you say your car had poor fuel ecconomy and smoked with the re-map, sounds like it wasnt getting enough air to fuel, did you/can you increase your turbo boost (actuator arm spring) to compensate?

[minty0_10]

yes mines a 6 speed, when i had it mapped al that was done was through the ecu.
i think or thought that what all mapps were done threough as the ecu controls everything?

[chris494rep]

The smoke is down to overfueling (unburnt fuel), so if you can get more air in to ignite with the fuel you should get a greater power stroke. By adjusting the actuator arm (tightening the spring load) it allows a higher inlet air pressure to be achived (boost) therefore increasing how much air enters the cylinder when the inlet valve opens. Thats if they have an adjustable actuator arm? And like you said, i wouldnt have thought youd have to do this after a re-map, unless its part of the "setting the car up"

[minty0_10]

i know what you mean with the black smoke and the threaded arm on the turbo. i used to shorten the arm on petrol turbo cars i had few years ago it used give a big increase in power by shorting it making the turbo boost harder, i suppose its the same thing happened when i had it mapped but without shorting the arm.

there's a firm on here that will do a full rolling road remap and 4 hours on a rolling to road set up it was either £300 or £400 but up north in leeds

few owners on here had it done and have had good results

[frates]

hi people

i'm new to the forum, i don't want to hijack the post, but a wee bit of help required. i have a 2002 tdi 130 estate, no complaints with it apart from handling, yes! i know its an estate, but i feel the suspension is too soft, can i fit the sport model suspension? or can i get aftermarket kits to replace original? also my passenger door c/l has stopped working and i cant get door open, any ideas?

cheers

frates