Big Sheep

You may have hit the nail on the head. This engine appears to have a duty cycle problem. Drive long distance, drive the nuts off it or drive it on a race track and no problem. Subject it to daily commuting and stop/start driving in heavy traffic, then it has a tendency to use oil. I'm also convinced that gentle running in does this engine no favours.

Sept 2011 CAVE. Engine replaced at 14,000 miles with another CAVE unit following high oil consumption (500km per 0.5 litre). Very moderate oil usage so far on replacement engine but well within handbook limit. Car now on 22,000 miles.

Interesting choice. Drive the Deal are showing this at £15,200 (without options). That's a £5k saving. Certainly one to consider at that price and the mpg isn't too bad.

I would grade the dipped beam of my black pack lights as originally supplied 'F'. That is a fail. Only with the upgraded bulbs and necessary adjustment would I rate it a 'C'. I agree that the level of dissatisfaction with this needs to be got back to Skoda.

It is standard practice for SUK not to extend your warranty when a replacement engine is fitted. However, this is not to say that they won't if you press hard enough. Make sure that you discuss your case with SUK customer services. Tell them that you have lost faith in the car and the Skoda brand. I got an extra one year non transferable warranty and will now probably keep the car until that expires.

Not the best outcome, particularly when the new engine is sat there with the dealer. I feel sorry for you. Skoda UK would appear to be paying more attention at reducing their losses rather than customer satisfaction. The only goodwill gesture I would accept is an extended warranty on the car.

OK, I understand. Your complaint is with Skoda UK rather than the dealer. Depending who is on your case they can be difficult to deal with. It's odd that the new engine got as far as the dealer. Someone at SUK must have changed their mind. You will have to fight your case and may have to speak to someone higher up the ladder. Good luck!

James is the only one who has reported that the breather fix worked as far as I'm aware!!! There are 20 reports on here that says it doesn't.

Hi Andy, Your story seems also identical to the post entitled "Fabia vrs mk2 oil consumption software upgrade" currently on page 6. This was my reply to that post: - I'm sorry to hear that you are being messed about by Skoda. In my case I went from breather modification to engine replacement without any fuss. The ECU update should have been done at the same time as the oil breather. I noticed some very subtle differences in how the car ran after the ECU update. However the major point here is that the breather modification has not worked in the majority of cases. It made my oil consumption worse. There have been at least 20 reported cases (UK only) on this forum of the oil breather modification not resolving the problem. I've only seen one positive report. It's a similar case with VW Polo GTI's. I'm surprised the oil breather is still being offered as a fix. Skoda want happy customers. We are not happy when we have to keep taking our car back to the dealer. Talk directly to Skoda customer services and insist that you are taken to the next stage rather than being messed about. Usually a further oil consumption test is required following the breather mod before the engine is replaced. Fortunately I got away with just one oil consumption test throughout the whole process. The handbook limit for oil consumption is 0.5 L per 1000 km. For the oil consumption test it is done on the basis of measured weight loss. I think that it is essential that you lodge your case with Skoda UK customer services and use them to steer the dealer. Tell them that you are very unhappy with how you are being treated. It appears that you do need a replacement engine and you shouldn't put up with delaying tactics. I've been very happy with my car following its engine replacement and I had good support from my dealer.

Strange how so many of us have found the beam set too low on the car as delivered. It would be very interesting to hear Skoda UK's response. The problem is made worse with the single bulb projector design with the shutter for dip. This gives a very defined cut off to the dipped beam pattern, beyond which there is only darkness. Given the choice I would go back to a good old fashioned head light design. I have not been so disillusioned (or should that be unilluminated) with lights on a car since I drove a 1959 VW Beetle with a 6 volt system. Luckily that car couldn't do 0 to 60 in 7 seconds!

My vRS pulls perfectly straight, but I have had it pulling slightly to the left after swapping wheels around. I have now established on which corner each tyre needs to be to avoid a pull to the left. In my case this is explained by the coloured lines found on tyres as outlined here: - http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=165 Obviously, if your car pulls strongly to the left you are likely to have a tracking issue but it is always worth swapping your wheels around to see if you get an improvement. This issue has been previously discussed in length on this forum.

What I did was park a set distance away from my garage door and then marked the original position (top of pattern) with a bit of tape. This gives a reference starting point that you can always return to. You can then raise the beam by a few half turns using the adjusting screw on the light housing noting how far up the door it goes without over doing it. Take it out for a drive. If you have over done it you will soon get flashed, in which case use the headlight adjuster on the dash to bring it back down until you get home and can lower the beam setting a tad. I soon got a noticable improvement in dipped beam range without upsetting oncoming traffic.

Totally agree and well said. This is where I am at the moment and as such the lights are not so bad. However for some us it would be good to go from 'adequate' to better for more confidence inspiring night time driving. I'm currently weighing up the pros and cons of HID conversions.

This looks like a good choice but I may be tempted to go for 5000k for a whiter light and higher lumens. The other question is a 35W or 55W kit?

I notice that Euro Car Parts are currently running an offer on a Xenon conversion kit http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/car-accessories-products/lighting-accessories/xenon-conversion-kits/?971775285&0&1&cc5_774 Would the car get through an MOT with this and is 8000k a suitable colour temperature choice? Has anyone experienced error problems with a Xenon conversion? (CANBUS kits are available to address flickering issues or headlight errors).

The dipped beam on my vRS was terrible, in fact I would go as far to say dangerous as originally supplied. Fitting Phillips Extremes and raising the beam height sorted it out. The message needs to get back to Skoda that supplying cars like this simply won't do. The generic customer satisfaction surveys they send out with loads of irrelevant multi choice questions and answers are no good for getting the real issues across to them (oil consumption and interior rattles being the other big gripes!!).

Chris, I'm sorry to hear that you are being messed about by Skoda. In my case I went from breather modification to engine replacement without any fuss. The ECU update should have been done at the same time as the oil breather. I noticed some very subtle differences in how the car ran after the ECU update. However the major point here is that the breather modification has not worked in the majority of cases. It made my oil consumption worse. There have been at least 20 reported cases (UK only) on this forum of the oil breather modification not resolving the problem. I've only seen one positive report. It's a similar case with VW Polo GTI's. I'm surprised the oil breather is still being offered as a fix. Skoda want happy customers. We are not happy when we have to keep taking our car back to the dealer. Talk directly to Skoda customer services and insist that you are taken to the next stage rather than being messed about. Usually a further oil consumption test is required following the breather mod before the engine is replaced. Fortunately I got away with just one oil consumption test throughout the whole process. The handbook limit for oil consumption is 0.5 L per 1000 km. For the oil consumption test it is done on the basis of measured weight loss.

I can understand why Skoda has sold so few Mk2 Fabia vRS models. The first sticking point is the DSG box, which many motoring journo's tell us we don't need in a sporty hatch (there have been a few positive reviews such as by Richard Hammond writing in The Mirror and Giles Smith in The Times. It was even showcased in Octane magazine). I thought I didn't want an auto box until I test-drove the vRS. After a second test drive I was smitten with the engine/gearbox combination and decided to buy. The problem is getting people into the car in the first place. I originally was shopping for a Fabia 1.2 TSI for the missus and only test-drove the vRS out of curiosity. A secondary problem is that it is a Skoda and to the uninitiated that is not hot hatch territory or particularly cool. We expect a Skoda to be cheap and many of us would only buy the vRS on the 'VAT free' deal. For me the car was the best bang for buck considering the performance and technology you were buying. Good economy and cheap insurance have been a bonus. Skoda's early television ad's for the vRS were poor, then the marketing seemed to dry up, perhaps because they didn't want to push sales when engine related warranty claims were on the increase. They could have made much more of their IRC rally success. We may end up driving RS Fiestas or even Toyota GT86's because the journo's tell us that they are good drivers cars. I for one will be sad to see the vRS go.

Hi MilgeS. Interesting to read your latest posts. Hope the new engine behaves itself. I think that one week should probably be allowed for a dealer to complete an engine replacement, particularly if it is their first time with the vRS. Best that the job is entrusted to one Master Tech from start to finish. It is possible that Skoda will transfer the original engine number to the replacement engine. The process takes time since the replacement sticker with the engine’s identity won’t be issued until the original engine has gone back to the factory. Running-in should push the engine reasonably hard IMO (no need to worry about the rest of the car since everything thing else is already ‘run in’). The aim is to create sufficient pressure in the combustion chambers to properly bed in the piston rings and bores. Therefore use manual gear changing and aim to accelerate regularly in higher gears, with high throttle in the 2.5k to 3.5k rev range, just short of labouring the engine. Using engine braking back from around 3.5k to 4k also helps. Don’t be afraid to use high revs although I would avoid red lining too early in the running in process! If you are not happy with this sort of procedure (and many aren’t!) just drive normally but don’t baby it. Do not idle the engine too much and avoid constant cruising on the motorway for the first few hundred miles. I took time off work and completed the bulk of my running in within a day. Check for coolant leaks under the engine and keep an eye on coolant level. It is just possible that a loose hose joint or trapped seal could result in a slow leak.

That can't be guaranteed, but there have not been many reports from Briskoda owners who are on their second engine still having problems. Mine has required 1.5 litres of oil over the 5000 miles since replacement, which is acceptable but still not good. Ask Skoda UK to extent the warranty on your car by one year at their cost. Some of us have managed to get that as a goodwill gesture.

My oil consumption become unacceptably high after 9k miles when I was averaging 670 km per 0.5 litre of oil. Then I had the oil breather mod and consumption only got higher. I was then down to 480 km per 0.5 litre by 12.5k miles. Replacement engine followed.

Down here in Worcestershire, I haven't seen that many in the 2 years I've owned my vRS!!! Although there are plenty of Monte Carlos around. Every other car around here appears to be a Mini Cooper .

Volkswagen Beetle owners always used to wave to each other years ago, and probably still do. It was something to do with that smugness that comes with driving something a bit different, low cost and technically interesting that led to a shared camaraderie. It would therefore be appropriate to start it amongst Fabia vRS owners! The problem is that the vRS is as rare as hens teeth around were I live.

I forgot to add that in my count up of members reporting high oil usage I have only included UK cases (in the interest of statistics).

We don't really know the extent of the problem and certainly Skoda UK are not prepared to reveal any figures to the public. However, oil consumption issues have led to a huge number of posts on both this forum and the Polo GTI users forum. Here alone we have at least 76 Briskoda members reporting high oil usage with the vRS and reports of 37 engine replacements to date. I'm not sure how many Briskoda members own a Fabia vRS II. If someone can find out we can calculate the percentage reporting high oil consumption. People reporting low oil usage are certainly in a minority (I would have expected more people to have reacted with positive feedback if the percentage 'failure' rate was better than we suspect). Honest John knows about the history of my car. He won't know about other Briskoda cases unless members have individually contacted him (he goes by actual user reports he receives rather than forum say so). However as George reports, he has picked up on the extent of the problem from his many contacts and is a more reliable source of information than many other quarters in the motoring media. The encouraging news for us is that the replacement engines appear to be resolving the issue. Honest John's summary of the car on his website is as follows: - Good: Great performance from buzzy 1.4 TSI engine. Very precise in corners. Firm but forgiving ride. Nicely weighted steering. Impressively economical. Bad: Not available with a manual gearbox. Interior nothing special considering it's a vRS. Too many worrying reports of high oil consumption led to demotion to 3 stars.