My 270K+ Leon, how many miles have you done?

Autotroop

Active Member
Oct 22, 2015
1
4
Hello all,

oh and its my first post :)

No. I've not spent £270K on a mk1 leon lol........

Thought i would share that my MK1 FR PD150 that's done a few miles:happy: 272038 and counting. since 2009 just popped over to the moon and on the way home now;)

Pic 4.jpg

as per forum rules this is not an advert just a reminder and how good these cars are and what you may go through if owning one and some guidance if it helps but a few then great. Otherwise maybe search the forums :)


just done a lot of mileage touring the country this is what driving does from a maintenance perspective :-D

if you need tips on any maintenance pieces their is some great info across the forums.

What I've been through in this time:

Got it in 2009 a late registered MK1 FR TDI 150's ( Nov 2005)
Personally serviced every 10K for the last 10 years not skipped a beat really...
Dont forget Thats oil & oil filter, every 10K
Air filter , every 20K ( but do so at 10K anyway)
Pollen filter every 20K
Fuel filter every 30K
Brake fluid change every 2 years
if you stay stock with EGR then run a fuel cleaner every 50K ( will help keep black mist at bay) on boost as walls of intake get coked up. as MOT is getting more stringent these days.

come across :

All door handles failed and replaced every 50K
*overhead Chocolate Camshaft and lobes replaced at the 150K and still going - if you are down on power and hear lots of rattling from the engine and have flat spots in the rev range. get a pro to take the rocker cover off and check the lobes on the overhead cam, if they are sharp at the edges or showing flatspot on the top of the egg section then may need replacing, Moral of the story - use the correct oil . PD engines VW505.01 5W40 , use of 507 or newer ( even though it supersedes) at 5W30 is not thick enough to really give it the right lubricity:cheeky:.
*timing belt and water pump changed every 50K ( yes overkill)
*gone through 3 sets of wheel bearings
*2 sets of shocks and springs and bushes replaced over time
*replaced lower sub-frame and bushes and rear sub-frame bolts as this can cause tracking issues so something to watch out for if you can never get it correctly wheel aligned
*uprated front ARB to whiteline 22" ( really makes the car more planted night and day best mod so far)
*changed the clutch and flywheel ( keep dual mass flywheel) my suggestion
*Leeky front door sills, you can tell if you have water in the foot well or if you get a code that the under chair collision sensor has failed and you lift the carpet to 5 liters of water under the carpet!
*changed the gearbox oil every 80K also ... just in case
oh and swapped out to all braided HELL brake lines adds a nice touch although make sure you tie back onto the strut gromet (or cable tie) or MOT will get grumpy.
be sure to run a fuel cleaner
list goes on had forgotten half of what Ive done mind with the car mind.o_O
all in all not too shabby although nothing special mind

oh i have a towbar which comes in handy

Pic 3.jpg

my suggestions for longevity

*underseal the car especially at the jacking points where they are prone to rust for jacking up.
*remove the sponge from inside the front wheel arches at the top and this will stop water sitting there and then blistering/rusting the wheel arches.
*get change the oil and oil filter changed every 10k or as per manual really don't be lazy and the car will look after you
get the rear axle bushes changed and the front sub frame bushes changed if you want a car that does not track left or right
your mileage may vary...


watch out for potential corrosion of the ground cable under the battery this can cause the car to not start

if you get smells coming into the cabin check the pollen filter just below the windshield on the passenger side.

If you ever have to take off the rocker cover be sure to clean the contact surfaces of the rocker cover to the head and apply some heat approved silicone so then torque down the bolts in oppo sequence. will just save you from leaks in future. ( a tiny bead like 1mm is all it needs to stop any oil weeping out and running down the back of your engine.

oh and don't do any jacking or maintenance if you don't know what you are doing! take it to a pro

Ill look to post some pictures maybe of all the maintenance bits Ive done at some point and part numbers etc

so any more tips on how to prolong car life? how many miles have you done?
 

Nathan penney

Active member
Jul 8, 2017
686
789
Liverpool
Mines a 55 plate, registered in 2006.
Just done 90,500 miles.
Had it nearly 3 years and (touch wood) it’s been great.
It’s only used as a hobby car now, used daily for the first 6 months but it’s too good for that.
Professionally undersealed and cavity wax done a few weeks ago to hopefully protect the old girl for years to come.
 

Fozzy84

Active Member
Apr 23, 2012
252
137
Mines a December 54 reg; done 78k.
 

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iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
January 2005 54 reg FR 150 TDi

Done a little over 160k - owned since 2008 and around 85k.

What fuel cleaner are you using? Mine failed on emissions last year and I paid a garage to do it for me and the emissions ended up being half as much as the MoT limit, but if I can get a good one and do it myself, I'd much rather do that.
 

Sparkie

Angling Adict.
Sep 25, 2009
2,541
779
Middlesex
05 coming up to 66k, anything to look out for? petrol 1.8T

Really it depends on how much you have or haven’t modded.
For instance when I bought mine at 49k had
TIP with massive tear at bottom.
Heat shield on exhaust was a state.
Seized hub.
Main dogbone mount bolt had been bodged.
Turbo was out of true and damage to blades.
( my legs were getting hot through fire wall from the heat it was producing!)
Something had been sucked in through the tear in the TIP and hit the blades of turbo.



Badger5 Custom Map + TIP,
3”Custom exhaust, FMIC, Bosh 550’s, BC Coilovers, ARB’s +loads more.
 
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