Miss fire, now it's eaten it's spark plugs :(

[Smudgerii]

First thing I've got to say is that the dealer has been great...

Skoda assist called out on 22nd August due to miss fire on Motorway with EPC and engine light on, by the time they arrive the lights are out but still a slight miss fire, so into the dealership. 1 week later I pick the car up still not authorised for repair by SUK as it's not showing a code. Not impressed so raised a case Monday the 1st with SUK, and was told run the car until it happens again and the call us out again but don't turn off to soon so it has a chance to register a fault.

Well it happened today 500 meters after exiting the motorway, so I ran it as instructed.... Well it ate it's plug on cylinder 2. Which at least confirmed the techs original believe of that coil being faulty as the original miss fire was on cyl 3 confirmed when he moved the coil to cylinder 2 before returning the car to me.

Cyl head coming off tomorrow and could be a replacement engine... Bet they wish they'd coughed up for a coil now.

Been offered £7500 for by the dealer as a trade in, not impressed for a 61plate with only 23.5k on the clock, especially as they have an 09 Octy with 65k on it for £9000.

[JVickery92]

Exactly the same happend to me a couple of weeks back! Said the spark plugs were screwed because it was using to much oil. Mine is a 13 plate with only 14k on the clock though. I think they just replaced the spark plugs on mine though, although now they're conducting the oil consumption test on it...

[Naths vRS]

As soon as my 2010 vrs misfired I phoned RAC, turned out it was a coilpack rather than the spark plugs. 

[Ootohere]

Naths vRS

?

Where your Spark Plugs taken out and inspected, before the coil was replaced,

and has your car had the Spark Plugs changed during any of its services?

[Smudgerii]

As soon as my 2010 vrs misfired I phoned RAC, turned out it was a coilpack rather than the spark plugs.

I phoned Skoda assist.... Coil knackered, plug knackered, but which was first to go? Immaterial really, as they refused to change them and know it's a 'top end' strip down to identify the damage caused by the complete failure.

Glad it's still in warranty

[Naths vRS]

Naths vRS

?

Where your Spark Plugs taken out and inspected, before the coil was replaced,

and has your car had the Spark Plugs changed during any of its services?

 

I'm unsure of that as I don't think it says on the job sheet, and I can't answer your second question either. Sorry.

 

Any easy way of removing spark plugs?

[Jabozuma]

Easy but painfull and you have to be careful not to damage anything, especially over Cyl1 where all the cabling goes over. There is a nice thread about plugs, here

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/245980-spark-plug-change/

You can buy a tool or use plastic zip ties.

[Evil Miyagi]

Welcome! sounds exactly like what happened to mine (with a couple of subtle differences)...

 

Hopefully you'll be sorted in no time...

 

EM

[Smudgerii]

Update - Engine stripped and cylinder 1 is full of oil, as is the cylinder head. No other damage found...

Dealer says they will have an answer from SUK about replacing the engine, my response was "it's under warranty, you serviced it and did the consumption test plus breather mod, they will have to replace it under the warranty"

Not happy.

[rum4mo]

Maybe have a look on www.seatcupra.net as there is a recent posting on what can happen to these engines, if nothing else, it might give you another insight into what might be going on, and if true in your case, make Skoda understand that VAG's dirty secrets are out there being disclosed.

[Ootohere]

It pretty well documented on this forum what can happen to these engines.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/294051-cave-cthe-14tsi-just-reply-please-if-you-have-had-an-engine-replaced

[rum4mo]

It pretty well documented on this forum what can happen to these engines.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/294051-cave-cthe-14tsi-just-reply-please-if-you-have-had-an-engine-replaced

 

Forqive me for daring to to offer some potential help to someone, but, to me, it looked like someone on the seatcupra site had looked deeply into what was going on and after drawing his own conclusions, which might be completely right - or completely wrong - or partially right, was giving pointers to what has been going wrong, not to prove himself a genius, but to give some unfortunate 1.4 twin charger owners a head start for when they needed to chat to VAG about getting redress.

 

Your thread was, correctly only intended to be a brief summary of owner's experiences when getting an engine change.

[Ootohere]

sorry, i have not found the Thread you are referring to on seatcupra.net.  

I will look again, or can you link it please?

 

EDIT,  got it.

http://seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=407682

http://revotechnik.com/support/technical/14tsi-twincharger-engine-issues

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/291585-warning-on-spark-plugs-14-tsi-cave-vrs-check-the-spark-plugs

Edited 6 September, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[rum4mo]

Good, that first one was indeed what I was referring to, it is good to share "our knowledge" even although some of the root causes might end up being disputed by VAG. My interest here was to quickly spread this information, but also, as my wife's current car, Polo 1.4 75PS 9N late 2002, should really get changed in the coming months, I need to have a special interest how these more modern 1.2TSI and 1.4TSI engines are behaving. Despite all their problems, I hope to stay with VAG maybe down to the fact that I have had VAG-COM then VCDS for over 11 years, and that does give the DIYer a good chance to check the car and its problems out without needing to trot to the dealer every few months!

 

Actually stuffing these links together can only help someone hopefully.

Edited 6 September, 2014 by rum4mo

[sharkrider]

wow. that seat thread makes slightly frightening reading..... especially seeing as my recently failed spark plugs look like oil contamination, it makes me think I may have a faulty engine :(

 

[Ootohere]

If the VWG, *Seat - Skoda- VW-Audi* want to dispute anything,

they had since 2009 with the Seat, 2010 with the Fabia, Polo and 2011 with the A1, they have not even commented on the Issues and problems, they just redesigned some Components, re did the Engine Management & released the engine as a CTHE.

 

No changes to Service Guidelines / Schedules.

 

VCDS is not much use when no Fault Codes log if failing Spark Plugs do not register enough misfires in a Cycle.

& to compound things when there are Misfires, EPC or Exhaust Control System Warning Lights and a Misfire Registers,

the Skoda Assist, or Technicians just accept it is a Coil, and do not check all 4 spark plugs.

 

VORSPUNG DURCH TECHNIK

Edited 6 September, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[Ally_bassman]

wow. that seat thread makes slightly frightening reading..... especially seeing as my recently failed spark plugs look like oil contamination, it makes me think I may have a faulty engine

Made me a little nervous too! But then I had another coffee and now I'm fine :-)

Dave, you have the power of warranty on your side, I wouldn't worry! You don't use that much oil and the plugs are just crappy full stop. Get a plug tool and maybe just look to replace them yourself at regular intervals for peace of mind.

[sharkrider]

Made me a little nervous too! But then I had another coffee and now I'm fine :-)

Dave, you have the power of warranty on your side, I wouldn't worry! You don't use that much oil and the plugs are just crappy full stop. Get a plug tool and maybe just look to replace them yourself at regular intervals for peace of mind.

I will give them brk7s at the next service to fit... its only 4,000 miles away... I will have a chat to them though... about the fact that my plugs look like they are covered in ash, which is by definition too much oil in the cylinders... and see if they have had any feedback from skoda, as the plugs were returned as part of the warrenty work....

car is still running as it always has, so i figure it should be ok, BUT after warrenty I was going to start modding the engine looking for more power.... I want a perfect specimin if thats the case!

maybe next year , I will keep bugging the garage to check out every little thing.... keep a close eye on it.

 

edit: going out in the old MX5 today..... 23y/o and still running perfectly..... hhhmmmm

[mrburdon123]

Here's one of my brk7s After 10000 miles. The gap had opened up by 0.1 over a set of new ones. Which btw were at 0.7mm

[PaddyVRS]

Here's one of my brk7s After 10000 miles. The gap had opened up by 0.1 over a set of new ones. Which btw were at 0.7mm

 

Looks pretty much the same as the Original ones I changed, except a couple had a bit more deposits on them. Not sure how long they had been in but probably around the same or more miles. 

[sharkrider]

Here's one of my brk7s After 10000 miles. The gap had opened up by 0.1 over a set of new ones. Which btw were at 0.7mm

that looks pretty good, thats what they are supposed to look like

[Ally_bassman]

Here are my older spec plugs after 29000 miles

[Jabozuma]

Lucifer666 has a good rep in tuning circles and his article is excellent, very good read, thanks for linking!

 

@mrburdon123 - your plugs tell the following story according to me

ash deposit indicating oil being burnt further corroborated by glistening oil deposit on top of the thread near the stem of the ground electrode.

plug is the right temp and no evidence of detonation; engine is running rich as dry black soot evident where oil was burned off

 

@ally-the third picture down from the top shows the a healthy plug with indication of running rich.Second from the top is as mrburdon123's one.

 

That's just my reading and if somebody has a different opinion glad to discuss

 

On that note I am looking forward to HowFast? @ Bedford on 11th October - as interested as I am in all the technical issues etc f00ck it, I am going to enjoy my car . Very nice of twisty B-road with two good straight, lots of elevation changes and mahoosive amount of  driving fun in the meantime :p

[mrburdon123]

Funny, two differing opinions on my plugs. I reckon there ok but as sharkrider says a little rich-hence the black deposits on the rim and no white specs on the ceramic below the tip. Iv not looked that far into it as I rarely top up the oil - twice in 10k, so I don't mean to dismiss your comments Jabozuma but I'm just going on my research. Bearing in mind my car is fitted with a tuning box.

May I assume richness means lower egts than if running lean?

Ally, from the top pic of all 4 shows there lookin all good just ready for a change.

[the mad monk]

well i got my car back after they had it for 2 weeks while i was away, they experienced the juddering but can find no fault

considering im using oil too i really hope im not about to experience what you guys are as im almost out of my 3 years warranty

i find it bewildering that they can experience a judder but find no fault, if they say its a quirk i will t**t them

Edited 6 September, 2014 by the mad monk