Eh! Hang on a sec!

The engine is in need of replacement.

The car is at a Skoda dealer and they have spent an hour looking over the car in an effort to diagnose the fault.

So, what is their diagnosis? What is the fault? What part has failed? What caused it to fail?

To say "everything looks OK to us" isn't good enough.

Something has gone spectacularly wrong and this Skoda dealer, with the support of Skoda UK, using Skoda trained technicians with Skoda diagnostics systems can't actually tell you what went wrong?

I would be going absolutely mental.

This is a natural response from a manufacturer - test the water. See if the customer will roll over without a fight and pay up themselves. This could save them £4,000. Their efforts so far are working. I wish I had £4K to hand over so easily.

+1.

Totally agree. £4k is £4k, and you shouldn't be paying. Skoda should. Take the advice on here. Hire a car for a few days.

Skoda must be able to tell you why the engine destroyed itself!! Surely!

Good luck. I wish you all the best getting it sorted. But, please, stick up for yourself!!

Edited 23 November, 201213 yr by dunc69

+1.

Totally agree. £4k is £4k, and you shouldn't be paying. Skoda should. Take the advice on here. Hire a car for a few days.

Skoda must be able to tell you why the engine destroyed itself!! Surely!

Good luck. I wish you all the best getting it sorted. But, please, stick up for yourself!!

+2

This is pants. I'm sure that if you can prove there was a know history of this before the dealer sold it to you you will have a case because they have to prove there was nothing wrong with it when they sold it to you. Ask them for the parts in writing via registered post before you pick the car up and if they don't provide them they then can't prove there was no fault

Although it doesn't help you I hope all other vRS petrol heads with the same engine are seriously considering getting theirs changed if they haven't done so already no matter what the milage. I got one fitted to our Altea even though it's done less then 40k, a few hundred up front is a much cheaper option though it doesn't help you, for which I'm genuinely feeling :(

Afaik, the updated tensioner isn't a guaranteed fix either

Please don't pay 4k on Skodas say so without a fight.

It will be much harder to fight this once the work is carried out/paid for.

If the car has full service history with Skoda, the least they should be doing is making an offer of "goodwill" towards the cost of repair!

+2

This is pants. I'm sure that if you can prove there was a know history of this before the dealer sold it to you you will have a case because they have to prove there was nothing wrong with it when they sold it to you. Ask them for the parts in writing via registered post before you pick the car up and if they don't provide them they then can't prove there was no fault

Although it doesn't help you I hope all other vRS petrol heads with the same engine are seriously considering getting theirs changed if they haven't done so already no matter what the milage. I got one fitted to our Altea even though it's done less then 40k, a few hundred up front is a much cheaper option though it doesn't help you, for which I'm genuinely feeling :(

Agree that Soda should be picking up the bill or at least contributing to it.

Would like to know how many people on here with tsi engines have had this failure before stating that if you dont change the tensioner it will happen? I know there are various cases if you search on the internet (worst ones seem to be the VW Tiguian ). Thing is vag must have sold millions of these engines and yes there has been some issues but don't think it can be said the tsi engine will fail at some point with this. People only really post on a forum when they have a problem which then makes it sound as if the product is unreliable ....in fact this usually a tiny percentage of users.

Agree that Soda should be picking up the bill or at least contributing to it.

Would like to know how many people on here with tsi engines have had this failure before stating that if you dont change the tensioner it will happen? I know there are various cases if you search on the internet (worst ones seem to be the VW Tiguian ). Thing is vag must have sold millions of these engines and yes there has been some issues but don't think it can be said the tsi engine will fail at some point with this. People only really post on a forum when they have a problem which then makes it sound as if the product is unreliable ....in fact this usually a tiny percentage of users.

I think to say they will have sold millions is massively overstating it but I agree with point you make. In my case I needed to tell the wife some excuse for changing my car again so soon ha ha.

Yeah normally you would go for the chain option so there is no risk of a belt snapping ... Vw in there wisdom have decided to make a timing chain that can allow the engine to eat itself and then hide all of the evidence, bmw's mini does the same thing.

Yeah normally you would go for the chain option so there is no risk of a belt snapping ... Vw in there wisdom have decided to make a timing chain that can allow the engine to eat itself and then hide all of the evidence, bmw's mini does the same thing.

Obviously as I have a chain cam I`m following the post with interest..... wheres this evidence of the epidemic of timing chain failures???

There are a hell od a lot of engines with cam chains..... 1.2 TSi 1.4 Tsi, 1.8Tsi and the 2.0 in VW Audi, and Seat cars

Having had a timing belt fail 3 months after being replaced I feel the chain is a far better solution, but obviously nothing is bomb proof?

I hope the OP get somewhere with Skoda... if not then a breakers will be the best option

If mine fails under warranty, Skoda WILL be replacing it!

ThinkingMaybe I should've got a Blackline and not a TSi now.

Agree that Soda should be picking up the bill or at least contributing to it.

Would like to know how many people on here with tsi engines have had this failure before stating that if you dont change the tensioner it will happen? I know there are various cases if you search on the internet (worst ones seem to be the VW Tiguian ). Thing is vag must have sold millions of these engines and yes there has been some issues but don't think it can be said the tsi engine will fail at some point with this. People only really post on a forum when they have a problem which then makes it sound as if the product is unreliable ....in fact this usually a tiny percentage of users.

IMT- isn't yours a spanker so would be a TSFI, i.e. cam belt?

chaps,

Strange thing is that cam chains SHOULD be more reliable than cam belts as belts break due to a combination of wear, possible oil contamination and the fact that the engine will always stop in a small number of places (usually 1 of the 4 the compression strokes) each time the car stops so the initial stress put on the belt overcoming the inertia is always in the same places each time on the belt. Cam chains are less liable to break which makes this more puzzling though the engine can't 'magically' mend itself. I'd use the RAC to provide independent expert opinion on this as as one of the major breakdown companies they will have records of such failures as they came out to help you. if the cam chan was still in it's original timing position according to Skoda then the only possible cause would be the tensioner as it allowed the valve timing to go out of sync with the pistons. any other reason would still be evident on inspection as the timing marks would not line up properly damage would be evident etc.

again as previos post to the OP best of luck and I feel for you.

Obviously as I have a chain cam I`m following the post with interest..... wheres this evidence of the epidemic of timing chain failures???

There are a hell od a lot of engines with cam chains..... 1.2 TSi 1.4 Tsi, 1.8Tsi and the 2.0 in VW Audi, and Seat cars

Having had a timing belt fail 3 months after being replaced I feel the chain is a far better solution, but obviously nothing is bomb proof?

I hope the OP get somewhere with Skoda... if not then a breakers will be the best option

I too bought the car thinking timing chain would be better. As mentioned again there are so many tsi engines out there through VW, seat, skoda and audi that I imagine this has only affected a very small percentage . In saying that I would also be mad if mine did go especially within warranty and skoda tried to deny it. Hope you get a satisfactory conclusion.

Well mines well out of warranty and if it goes then I would try to get something from SUK?

If not, the its ebay and/or the breakers??

I have been scouring the net the last few days and cannot find any issues about the TSI chain and tensioner

The only two that come up are two on Briskoda.

I suppose once out of warranty any engine is at risk of a whole host of failures?

On reason I don`t shell out too much I guess?

IMT- isn't yours a spanker so would be a TSFI, i.e. cam belt?

All petrol Vrs's from the last ltd edition are Tsi engines now

If the chain has slipped then the cam timing must be out.

Unless Skoda have dismantled it too far already then this would be easy to prove.

I thought the tensioner lost tension the chain slips then the tensioner fills with oil again and tension resumes with the timing out, so I would guess the timing should be out. Not sure if the chain would stretch in that short time.

THat's what I was thinking. The chain is supposed to be impervious to stretching, apparently.

I know from looking on the mini forum there was a procedure for checking the chain length. Some dealers were not setting the timing and then locking the engine off so the timing stayed fixed when the tensioner was replaced under warranty.

In saying that I would also be mad if mine did go especially within warranty and skoda tried to deny it.

doubt they would cover it under warranty as youve remapped it and they will find it mapped even if you took it off.

doubt they would cover it under warranty as youve remapped it and they will find it mapped even if you took it off.

Please explain how the physical timing would jump as a result of the car having been mapped ?

The issue relates to the tensioner allowing the tension to drop back too far on the chain, once the oil pressure is removed by switching off the engine.

It is on its third design change.

Paul

Trust me if the car goes bang and youve remapped it and they find out they dont even have to entertain you never mind fix it, any excuse to void the warranty and they wash there hands of it.

They have to prove the map caused the problem.

Quite how a map can stop a cam chain tensioner from doing it's job is beyond me but I'm willing to hear your theories.

They have to prove the map caused the problem.

Quite how a map can stop a cam chain tensioner from doing it's job is beyond me but I'm willing to hear your theories.

They dont have to prove the map caused the problem, if you modify any part of the car without an approved Volkswagen group/Skoda part then they will unlikely approve a warranty claim its quite simple really.

i've had experience, if they know or find out the cars mapped its working beyond its tolerances that they set out to design and manufacture wether you, me, tom, **** & harry know that it will easily cope it doesn't matter.

To be honest i dont have a TSI engine so i dont really care to much personally i think the TFSI engine is a better engine but thats just MY opinion.

Working beyond it's tolerances is probably the key phrase as far as they would be concerned.

So I have KW coilovers on my car does that mean the warranty is null and void? Don't think so.

I also have S3 hubs and wishbones and R32 brakes so that's fine then as they are VAG bits.

I've also fitted a Columbus and shark fin GPS aerial. Thank god they are VAG parts.

If my car was mapped and the turbo or ECU failed I wouldn't even bother arguing but if the cam chain tensioner allowed the chain to jump I would be arguing until I was blue in the face.

If the car wasn't mapped then what you are saying is my suspension and brake upgrades invalidate the warranty anyway. :S

Your just clutching at straws now Hedge owing to the fact i'm right.

We will just agree to disagree eh.