Greybeard
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Posts posted by Greybeard
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Where's this date come from? The TPI I've seen shows week 20 as when the first revision went in to use, which would be May. If the date above is right then my engine probably has the first revision tensioner rather than the initial design.
Post #393 this thread
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How will i know when my car was made? Mine was first registered in June 2010 and hoping it would have the updated tensioner because if it's on the first and original i'll be worrying even more as like others it's always at the back of my mind.
Could be some months difference in the dates, mine was registered end of May 2012 but the engine build date sticker is January 2012 so I missed the latest variant tensioner (used starting from 05.03.2012 engine build dates) by a month or so even though the car was registered well after that latest variant was 'released'.
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Looking somewhat unscientifically at post #1 and browsing other forum chain tensioner threads the most common occurrences still seem to be with MY2009/2010 engine builds although actual build dates off engine sticker are not often quoted. Although there are a couple of MY2012's in post #1, there are not many MY2011's either.
Post #393 shows the first tensioner revision in April 2010 which stayed current through to late summer 2011. With fewer MY2011/2012 reports so far, perhaps the two interim changes are failing less readily even if the K revision is considered the definitive solution by VAG.
06H 109 467N >> 26.04.2010
06H 109 467T 27.04.2010 >> 29.08.2011
06H 109 467AB 30.08.2011 >> 04.03.2012
06K 109 467K 05.03.2012 >>In any case the replacement engines supplied since late 2012 have most likely not yet seen as much use as the failed units they replaced.
If any crumb of comfort can be taken its that the volume of 2009/2010 failures being reported in 2012/2013 doesn’t yet seem to be continuing on at the same pace with similar numbers of 2010/2011 model failures that could have been expected in the first half of 2014.
Most 2012 models are I’d suggest still on comparatively low mileages / number of start cycles.
Would be an interesting analysis though if all the failed engine build dates were known but with the variations in circumstances, driving style, quality of maintenance and a clear consensus on what caused the poorly designed tensioner to fail in each specific instance it’d probably be difficult to come up with anything revealing.
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My son's girlfriend had exactly this happen recently on her Polo, all warning lights on dash lit up but it kept running, self cleared on restart, then died in middle of nowhere en route to West Country late at night the next day. RAC guy diagnosed alternator failure, battery doing its best to keep things running but the system gradually shutting down stuff to keep going until not enough left to run ignition.
Son fitted new alternator, been fine ever since. Only the airbag code left to clear.
May be worth checking that alternator is putting out enough excess voltage if battery dies again.
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I bought an '11 .4TSI Elegance a couple of months ago and I love it. The small petrols are undoubtedly not as popular as the diesels due to the perception about better economy, but if like me you do <10k a year then those arguments dont really stack up. Its a fun drive and the turbo gives it a performance you wouldn't normally expect from a 1.4.
We have exactly one of these on the company fleet, faultless performer and just as well if not better kitted out than my vRS. Obviously less horses & lbft but does 40+mpg without much effort so the guy who uses it most tells us, and it certainly performs better than anyone could expect from your average 1.4 especially given that its pulling an Octavia estate body around.
Great value for money I'd say.
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We need floats & propellers down here plus Lara Croft style roof level intakes, I think we've only seen three or four frosts since October - hardly ever been below 7c this 'winter'. They reckon the water will be gone by July though, if only to make sure we can fit a hosepipe ban in, can't be summer otherwise. :sun:
Our Punto has the Alpin A4's on all year anyway, did really well in the cold last year but to be honest this far south any amount of snow & ice is unusual. I think we'll have to make do with the traditional south coast thick frost this year, sun's too high in the sky now for any persistent cover (thank you Gulf stream).
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I do 11 miles each way, 8 of those are straight dual carriageway A roads then a bit of town avenues & back streets. Can get 36/37mpg without too much trouble but try harder and it'll do 40mpg. Better in the summer though. Even on a run of 200 plus motorway miles can see 42-45 if not too enthusiastic.
Critical from the consumption standpoint though are numbers of roundabouts and traffic lights plus stop start traffic. Smooth flowing drive with minimum stops or hold ups bodes well for economy, that quickly changes if any hold ups or standing trafffic.
Via a different route with several sets of each on a cold morning it can be as low as 26-27. I do less than 10k a year these days and am very happy I made the change back to petrol after a couple of decades on derv.
Agree with earlier posts the petrol vRS is a smooth & silky drive train, just like the proverbial GWS of old.
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The VRS goes tomorrow after 7 years and 60k miles. I'll be sad to see it go but it is time to move on, it was my first ever brand new car and have loved every moment with it, have been all around the UK, Ireland, France (Col de Turini was fun), Belgium, Holland and Italy over the years and the only thing that ever went wrong was the fuel filler lid release cable came unclipped the first time I filled it up, and it has a bit of an appetite for rear discs and pads, currently on the third set.
I didn't fancy a mk2 VRS, never really liked the look of them compared to the mk1 and the design is now getting on for 7 years old and have heard a few stories about oil thirst with those, didn't really fancy a modern diesel with all the associated DPF issues and can't afford a GT3 so tomorrow I'm picking up a fiesta ST with all the toys fitted and mountune 215 kit. Hopefully it will be as reliable as the VRS has been.
Snap, 7 years & 63k in Nov 2012 came to the same conclusion, really sad to see my Red one go. Memories of wonderful 4 hour summer blasts up and down the heart of England with the sun setting and a pile of tunes on the ICE. Likewise the mk2 Fabia vRS never really appealed and the widespread bad press about 1.4 twin chargers and DSG's didn't help.
I'd had diesels for 18 years but decided as you did re the modern emissions tech, so made the jump to the Octy (you can't take the cash with you as they say).
So far so good, smooth as silk, great to drive and plenty of grunt. Yes the timing chain tensioner comes to mind occasionally but there's usually something of concern about any car even if its only how dull it is, that's certainly not the case with the 2.0 TSI.
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Mine are sensitive to very heavy rain when parked into the driving wind. During January there were a few days when they'd bleep continuously as soon as reverse engaged if it had rained heavily all night. Soon dried though with a bit of sun on the bumper, just the incessant wet over the past couple of months really.
Did it earlier last year once or twice, but only after the most extreme storms.
Otherwise they've worked just fine to date and fingers crossed it stays that way.
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I'm just coming up to 10k and have nearly finished the 1 litre bottle of top up I bought when the car was new 15 months ago.
Check mine most weeks to keep it near the max, but doesn't always warrant a splash.
Think that's pretty good.
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Pothole has left me with x1 good Conti SC2 (5mm tread left) after I replaced both fronts with PS3, other has a sidewall bulge so is u/s.
I'll try the for sale section and see if anyone within striking distance wants an odd to make up a x5 set. I already have a good spare.
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Michelin PS3 +1 as above.
Just bought 2 new fronts as well (3rd set over 2 cars)
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£60 two days ago, well worth every penny. Made three adjustments, took about 90mins including also fit & balance two new front tyres (Michelin PS3 @ £125 each).
Before and after results attached.
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New Michelin PS3 x2 fronts fitted today, and 4 wheel alignment wasn't at all bad. Wheel undamaged, ran true & balanced fine, no evident damage to suspension components. Final result on tracking adjustment gave pretty good result, thanks to the guys at Protyre Creekmoor in Poole. Drives superbly, well worth the £60 cost.
Once the tyres are scrubbed in should be even better.
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An argument with a pothole last night meant a new tyre today - but fortunately it seems nothing more.
A new tyre also means the almost obligatory free tracking check...
Me too last Saturday afternoon, I don't know about pothole though, its almost the size of a small garden pond ! Off to get two new Michelin PS3's tomorrow and a 3D tracking check. Last hi tech tracking I had done was on the much missed Fabia vRS 6 years ago. Well worth it though, ran a set of PS2's on that for well over 20k miles IIRC, hope it turns out as well this time.
Oncoming & following traffic made it hard to avoid a pinch rupture on the side wall. Fortunately we weren't far from destination and able to fit spare (another worthwhile purchase).
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Pothole damage has got me looking for new tyres much earlier than expected. The premium brands (had and liked PS3's before on Fabia vRS) in 225/40/18/92/Y most on internet sale seem to be XL rated.
The factory fit Conti 2's are 92 rating but not XL.
If XL's are all there is then so be it, but I recall the ride firmed up a good bit on the Fabia vRS and that wasn't a particularly lightweight small car.
Does the 92 load rating mean they're all XL rated in a 40 aspect ratio because of the low profile?
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Would cost me £63/year more than standard diesel fuel!
Spending £10k/£15k/£20k or so on a nicely specified car with potentially spirited performance and fuel costs of say £1500-£2500 per year, I'd not worry too much about an £80 fuel saving. £800 yes, but in the context of the overall outlay £80 is a tiny %.
If premium fuel clags up the fuel system less and is kinder to fuel pumps/injectors, that potentially saves thousands in parts & labour. Well worth the extra IMHO.
Bit like worrying about small savings on road tax really, saving £50/year say over a 5 year period of ownership is £250, when depreciation amounts to thousands. If you're paying £450 a year though for some gas guzzling bloated 4x4 barge, then sure a Citigo looks good at £30/year and you'd save over £2k, but how many BMW X6 owners would swap to a Citigo to pay less road tax..........
All things are relative, and context matters !
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As the OP's is an 09 TDI CR I'd say go with the independent at that age & mileage. If it had been a TSI then IMHO would be worth continuing with main dealer servicing given that many of the chain tensioner failures on this forum relate to 2009/2010 model TSI's. Then in the event that the worst happened, however remote anyone viewed the possibility, there would at least be some basis from which to argue a for a goodwill contribution even though well past warranty period.
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I think it may just be the normal ticking of the high pressure fuel pump operating. It's what differentiates the TSI and makes it a slightly more efficient engine than the earlier TFSI if I understand correctly.
Although not quite as loud as the video clip, first noticed mine when I test drove it with only 42 delivery miles. 12 months & 10k later no problems touch wood, still does it, most noticeable with engine idling.
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Estate, estate estate estate.........
My FL has 18's and is fine handling, as above though can be a bit noisy depending on road surface (its on factory fit Conti 2's) but not so that you can't live with it.
Much better than the old Peugeot 405 I had in the 90's, that was well 'floaty', a typical soft French car.
Personally I like the shape of the estate better now than the hatch, even though I didn't set out to buy an estate.
No regrets.
Get one!
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My PD130 diesel Fabia vRS was a hoot for 7 years, great thump of torque albeit in very narrow power band. Keep it on the band and great fun. The more modern CR's in whatever VAG body have a flatter delivery, not quite so much fun IMHO.
I went for a TSI Octavia vRS as I'm also doing less miles these days, <8k. Different delivery again but not as flat as the CR, the actual torque can't match the diesel but the extra BHP and wider power band makes it just as much smile inducing as the Fabia vRS for different reasons and in a bigger, better riding, better equipped package. Make sure your pockets are also 30% deeper and you'll never look back
!!After 18 years of diesels, no regrets about the return to petrol. Just have to ignore those flashing 'hope the timing chain tensioner holds' moments when cranking over some mornings
.Keep repeating 'chain cam IS better, chain cam IS better, chain cam IS better, chain cam IS better,.........................................!
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I have stuck mine om the left rear quarter as I didn't want the heating elements on the rear window to possibly unstick the sticker!
Snap, for the same reason but on right rear quarter.
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Car misting up, fuel consumption rising, leaves falling off the trees, banging & flashing from the sky, rain lashing the ground........end of days has arrived......
WHAT, the heating's come on too !!!
, house is all damp, next thing you know time will stand still (for an hour at least). Oh yeah... :think: ...late October, another year nearly gone
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..........................About your point on Syrians gassing Londoners. May I remind you their is no proof of evidence that the Syrian government is behind the attack. Do not let the fear based propaganda force you into such hasty conclusions.
Do not forget that the rebels fighting against the Syrian government are comprised of all kinds of extremists and members of groups such as al qaeda,
do not forget that these sorts of groups were born and funded from western interests. Look up a guy called Tim Osman, look at some of the links and videos I have posted.....................
And may I remind you that on both sides there are "Syrians" hence my use of the term, not Syrian government or Syrian rebels, even though both groups no doubt include all kinds of nutters and religious fanatics from anywhere in the world who see the opportunity for a bit of mayhem. Whatever their origins the end result would be the same.
The 18th century philosopher and writer Edmund Burke summed it up neatly .........." ....All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing..." history has also shown us that.
!!
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1.8TSI and 2.0TSI engine failures
in Skoda Octavia Mk II (2004 - 2013)
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Unfortunately if proven over time it still does nothing to mitigate the stress & inconvenience for those already affected, or yet to be so, but perhaps is reason to be hopeful that the actions taken may have reduced the risk from MY2011 onwards even if not completely eliminated it. Fingers crossed for all our sakes.