1.8TSI and 2.0TSI engine failures

[monkeyalan]

Thanks for the advice. What oil would you suggest? I'll go get some this weekend.

[DGW]

The specified oils are VW 504 00 for variable service intervals and VW 502 00 for fixed service intervals.  My choice would be to use a 504 00 oil for both service regimes.  A list of 504 00 oils is in the thread below:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/51141-what-oils-meets-specs-vw-504-00-507-00/?p=610604

 

I currently use Quantum Longlife III 5W-30 bought from TPS.

[monkeyalan]

Thanks! I must admit I don't check the oil in my car much as it's rarely on anything resembling a level surface. Outside my house it's on a particularly steep gradient. Can never get a good reading! But I will put more effort in after reading this lot. I'm on variable servicing. Would it make more sense to go fixed?

[blackspaven]

I think the general consensus from Skoda is it depends how many miles you do. I do about 10k a year so after the first variable which ALL octys are/were set up for from the factory I switched to fixed (would have done anyway, but dealer said that's what they'd recommend for me anyway). Got the impression they advise it to be a once a year sort of thing really, but might have been mistaken.

[Metblackrat]

Thanks! I must admit I don't check the oil in my car much as it's rarely on anything resembling a level surface. Outside my house it's on a particularly steep gradient. Can never get a good reading! But I will put more effort in after reading this lot. I'm on variable servicing. Would it make more sense to go fixed?

Petrol station forecourts are flat and the time it takes you to fill up, pay and return to the car is long enough for the oil to drain to the sump.

[monkeyalan]

Petrol station forecourts are flat and the time it takes you to fill up, pay and return to the car is long enough for the oil to drain to the sump.

Legend. New routine initiated.

[JB-)]

Petrol station forecourts are flat and the time it takes you to fill up, pay and return to the car is long enough for the oil to drain to the sump.

 

 

Legend. New routine initiated.

 

So you're the ones d1ck1ng around at the pump while I'm queuing to get petrol. I bet you spend ages looking around the shop too, and get cash from the ATM just for good measure  

 

[monkeyalan]

Doing the pre-flight check. Tyres, oil, water, coolent, blanket, water, safety chocolate, lights.

Actually, no.

But I am definitely keen to save myself £6k if I can! I can just park up on the forecourt, in a parking bay and go and grab a flavia and an apple pie and have a chat with my favourite cashier, Mike, whilst the engine cools.

[blackspaven]

Lexai

[m0bov]

Hi guys, I have had a chat with Skoda Customers Services about this issue. They tell me the following:-

 

 

Its a known issue

 

They have only had TWO reports of failures, one was high mileage with a contribution, one was covered in full. They say there is no issue with Skoda covering the cost of repairs.

 

If they get more than 5 reports a recall is then triggered.

 

 

Hope that helps.

[blackspaven]

If you have the name of the person you spoke to it might add some weight to avoid them backtracking?

[JB-)]

Hi guys, I have had a chat with Skoda Customers Services about this issue. They tell me the following:-

 

 

Its a known issue

 

They have only had TWO reports of failures, one was high mileage with a contribution, one was covered in full. They say there is no issue with Skoda covering the cost of repairs.

 

If they get more than 5 reports a recall is then triggered.

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

I don't believe that for a second. They must be aware of more than two cases, and I don't believe they would trigger a recall for only 5 reports.

[DGW]

Me neither.

[m0bov]

I did'nt recall the girl I spoke to but she said they are only a small team and if they start to get reports of the same issues, it gets referred back to the factory. So if any of you guys have not spoken to Skoda yet, call them up and ask them how many reports they have had!

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Bet you couldn't get them to put that statement in writing 

[monkeyalan]

Are their calls recorded 'for training purposes'?

[B B Burrows esq]

Hi all. Just to add to this list here is my tale relating to an engine failure on my 59 plate TSI vRS. Stick with it its a bit of a drawn out yarn....

 

1. Sept 3rd ordered new vRS TSI hatch with Griffin Mill Pontypridd after receiving a great deal that no one in South Wales could come anywhere close to matching.

2. Sept 15th I started my 59 plate vRS that I had just put in as part exchange, and it showed signs of a coil failure (I had experience 3 coil failures on my Mk1 vRS). Not wanting the engine management light to come on I switched off and ordered a new coil. No problem to change 5 minute job?

3. Coil arrives and after the usual chase the faulty coil game, the engine was still misfiring.

4. Thinking it could be something other than a coil, I called out a Cardiff based mobile diagnostic mechanic 'mobi tech' that I found on google. Who turned up and after clearing the fault codes on the car started the engine and checked the codes again.

5. THIS IS WHERE THE STORY STARTS.....

6. This mechanic (I use the term loosely) declared that there where no 'electrical faults' being indicated. He confidently announced that he had come across similar problem and that I had a blocked catalytic converter.

7. Thinking he knew what he was talking about I asked him to price up a new cat. This he did after much prompting over several days and informed me it was a dealer only part which would cost £690 plus vat.

8. Bearing in mind the car was 10 months out of warranty but only had 52000 miles on the clock I decided to call Skoda UK customer services to enquire if they thought it was reasonable for the cat to fail at such a low mileage. To be honest they were very receptive to my call and  opened a case. However they said that before they could assist it would have to be assessed by Skoda mechanics, which is fair enough.

9 .I had the car recovered to Griffin Mill and they managed to slot it into their schedule as soon as they could. They gave me the good news that it wasn't a catalytic converter but was a timing issue, but needed to do some more strip of the engine to find exact fault.  Skoda UK were in regular touch as well as the garage telling me not to worry it would be sorted out. At this point I am thinking the worse and envisaging having to cancel my new car just to pay for repairs.

10. Griffin Mill service manager Paul rang me with the final verdict on the fault and informed me that the timing chain had slipped and taken out the crankshaft, valves and most of the engine would need replacing.

11. Asking how much it would cost to repair. He stated (and I was glad I was sitting down) it was £6000.. It was at this point that I had visions of having to cancel my brand new vRS beginning to  pass before my eyes.

12. However before I topped myself, Paul informed me not to worry and that he was going to approach Skoda to pay the whole cost. He was pretty confident as they could see I was a loyal customer, with two new vRS's bought and serviced by Skoda over the last 9 years and with another on order. I was amazed by this and to be honest I couldn't believe it. True to his word he submitted a warranty priced claim into the Skoda factory and to Skoda UK for £4300.

13. Skoda agreed to pay 90% of the cost leaving me just £430 to pay.

14. I also explained to Skoda UK and the dealer that I had lost faith in the car and did not want it back. They were very sympathetic to this and agreed that I could put it in as the part exchange early at the agreed price before it was repaired, which I have done.

15. But it doesn't stop there. Even though Skoda UK couldn't loan me a car, the service team at Griffin Mill once again pulled out all the stops had have given me a brand new Roomster scout to use until my new one arrives, which will probably be January (it has a build date of week 47).

16. So from going from a £700 catalytic converter to a £6000 engine change to only a £430 bill. I consider myself to have got off lightly with this catastrophic engine failure

 

 I hope you manage to stay with this story to the end. Let me leave you with a few thoughts.

 

1. It pays to ring Skoda UK even if the car is out of warranty, the chap handling the case (Ian) was very helpful and reassuring.

2. I cannot fault the service and sales team at Griffin Mill. I would recommend them to anyone.

3. I cant help thinking that the VW group know there is an issue with these timing chains, but rather than recall tens of thousands of cars, it is cheaper to pay once the chain fails and only if people claim. However I wonder how may people actually do claim against VW when this happens, I suspect they just pay the bill and never buy a VW car again.

 

Roll on January!!!

Edited 30 October, 2013 by B B Burrows esq

[piv34uk]

Nice update BB, I too have had mine resolved although mine is still under warranty, my symptoms were similar to yours and being a techie I splashed out on 4 new coils, unfortunately it was the timing that had slipped....Luckily according to the Skoda tech it had jumped 5 teeth but not enough to cause damage. New chain, tensioner and a oil valve have been fitted and all seems fine. I too have lost a little faith in the car especially as warranty runs out at the end of next month, like you I am on my 3rd Vrs (still have 03 one) my father and father in law are both on their second Octavias as well so yes we are loyal

 

Have to back the dealers up as well, I know what its like as I work for Toyota....guys in Aylesbury have been great

 

Phil

[NIGELD]

Hi BB,

 

Your outcome seems very similar to mine and hopefully our experiences will be useful to subsequent victims.

 

My car, with re-manufactured engine, should be ready very soon and will be part exchanged for a new vrs expected late January.

 

Like Phil, I think the dealers are generally doing their best (mine was at Hughes in Farnham Common) and with the increase in occurrences hopefully all dealers will be able to deal with SUK confidently.

[Gti Jazz Blue]

As the tensioner doesn't fail whilst the car is in use but only after it has been switched off, if they issued a statement to say that they would cover this design flaw, it would make a lot of us a lot happier. You shouldn't have to have a full service history or brand loyalty - they got the design wrong - why should we pickup the bill if it fails.

 

Now I am loyal to the group as a whole, this is my first Skoda, but I have also had 1 Audi and 2 VW cars (before that it was company cars and what-ever I was given).

[NIGELD]

I hope that the more information that is published on this and other sites the more likely it is that VAG/SUK will deal more honorably with victims.

 

Over the last decade it would appear that Skoda acquired customers from other brands and managed to retain them.  Most owners of vrs seem to be very loyal customers, I have recommended the car to many people over the last 12 years.  

 

It seems very shortsighted for Skoda not to 'fall over backwards' to ensure that victims of this fault continue to promote the vehicle.

 

Wouldn't this be sensible? ..........

 

Skoda - "it sounds like a known tensioner failure.  We will have your local dealer collect the vehicle and, if it is the tensioner that failed, we will offer a courtesy car and offer to fit a new engine at no cost to you and give you a £200 voucher valid for 5 years towards the purchase of a new model.  If you do not wish to take advantage of this we will buy the car off. you for market value plus £400"

 

Additional cost to SUK/VAG would probably be minimal, their reputation in the marketplace would increase and public relations effect would be enormous, turning a weakness into a strength.

 

But then..........what do I know?

 

 

 

 

[rogerzilla]

Id there any correlation between driving style and this failure?  For instance, do they skip at high revs or on start-up?  Anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of cambelt failures (I know it's not the same thing) are at start-up because the camshaft and belt have no momentum and the belt is under greatest strain.

[monkeyalan]

On startup after being left to cool. E.g overnight.

[rogerzilla]

Makes sense, thanks.

[CEPi]

Any one has a number of how many 2.0 and how many 1.8 have failed, at least among forum members?

 

Scary stuff.