Oh dear, the twincharger curse is back...

20,880 miles into what seemed a nice relationship with a CAVE engine and whilst (gently) accelerating up a gradient on a Belgian motorway at a mere 120kph (whatever that is in metric - 75mph?) near Spa-Francorchamps and firstly the orange engine (emissions) light...followed rapidly by some not-too-nice juddering and the old friend, the EPC light.

Diagnosis from breakdown guy with a Bosch box-o-tricks was it needed 4 plugs and two coils (multiple misfires)...Diagnosis from a Belgian dealer today is zero compression on cylinder 2. Sound familiar, anyone?

The word begins with a "B" and ends in "ugger"....

That this was about lulus Eurovision song lol, bad news though hope you get it sorted

Edited 26 February, 201313 yr by seboni121

damn... another new engine :(

damn... another new engine :(

! So sorry phil hopefully it will all be ok , cross finger for you

Edited 26 February, 201313 yr by seboni121

Well, it depends what they say - fix it (depending on damage) or replace the lump. Hopefully being within shouting distance from the engine factory, it might get a fresh one... They repaired the lump in the Scirocco (liner, piston and major head rebuild - might have been a new casting as well) when that also lost No.2 compression but that had 40k on the clock.

Just been serviced as well (19k first service)...sods law!

Sorry about the title, but whilst station flicking in the hire car (when I finally got it...) it came on briefly. Odd radio stations in Belgium/Germany..but rather apt!

Sadly Skoda Assistance didn't get 5 stars yesterday. Got the car to the Skoda dealer 20 minutes after the mechanics had gone home. Only started looking for a hire car after all the local ones had shut. 2 hour wait in the snow for a taxi (which they sent to the recovery garage first, not the Skoda garage...) to take me 120km BACKWARDS to Brussels airport. Instead of getting to my hotel at 4pm, it was almost 2am and lo behold, it was shut. Not the best of days...

Oh dear... not good.

Slightly annoying that it's happened over there too.

Guessing you have a LHD hire car too!?

I was really pleased to know that Skoda Assist is included with our approved used warranty which means we have european breakdown which we have never had even doing 1200 miles+ in a Felicia 1.3 over in Germany one year and also taking the 1998 Pug 306 over a couple of times too.

Phil

Euro Assistance works - not necessarily as efficient as you'd hope (especially when 3 countries come into play), thats all.

Yep - piloting a Merc B180 at the moment. A vRS it isn't, but glad it wasn't a 1.2 Polo - which is what VW kept giving me when the Scirocco engine went!

Phil

Sorry to hear this and I sympathise with your situation.

I predict that you probably have a valve burnt out (certainly was in my case). Alledgedly, the Skoda authorising engineer took one look at mine last year and just said new engine, don't even bother trying to fix it.

Hope it gets sorted out for you quickly and does not interupt your travel plans anymore than it already has.

All the best

Thanks guys - I've asked for pics of the offending dead parts but whether or not they will/can send me some pics (my idle curiosity more than anything) remains to be seen.

Bad that it has happened but at least you are still in warranty and it is getting dealt with. Best of luck.

The fact it happened isn't so much of an issue - it's the "why" I want to know. Random part failure/design issue/whatever.. "We don't know so fitted a new engine" doesn't sit well with me, I'm afraid..

At least with the Scirocco it was found to be the wrong plugs fitted; 100 miles could make them overheat to the point of failure (almost). Cause identified.

With this one? No idea...if a valve HAS burnt out, why? Plug/injector/coil pack/mapping/fuel...101 causes but I'd expect it to take a lot to burn one out these days?

Just had a call from Skoda UK - Ian Watson, Customer Relations Manager. Having a brand new lump fitted...no feedback on the damage (or whether its a CAVE or a CTHE), but can only assume its pretty serious!

Phil

Sorry to hear this and I sympathise with your situation.

I predict that you probably have a valve burnt out (certainly was in my case). Alledgedly, the Skoda authorising engineer took one look at mine last year and just said new engine, don't even bother trying to fix it.

Hope it gets sorted out for you quickly and does not interupt your travel plans anymore than it already has.

All the best

It's a valve...not had a picture, but they'll keep the valve for me to look at when I collect - hopefully end of this week.

It's a valve...not had a picture, but they'll keep the valve for me to look at when I collect - hopefully end of this week.

A success phil well done hope your new engine lasts a little longer

Hope the new one lasts longer than this one!

Never driven a LHD car in the UK - was interesting over the weekend!

Hope the new one lasts longer than this one!

Never driven a LHD car in the UK - was interesting over the weekend!

Never driven a LHD car in the UK - was interesting over the weekend!

Downside you have to make sure there is room before an overtake, car park barriers issues tickets on the passenger side, drive through restaurants cannot be used, your passenger gets freaked out by being in the middle of the road with no controls in front of them.

Upside, you get out of the car onto the pavement, you double check to make sure there is room before an overtake.

Edited 5 March, 201313 yr by hertsnminds

Yep - wife wasn't too impressed being in the "passenger" seat... Luckily virtually all my driving was on motorways and dual carriageways (apart from the last 200 yards to my home), so wasn't too bad. M6 Toll booth involved quite a stretch..

Its done, so I'm told through a quick phone call this afternoon. Downside is its 200km away...

New engine AND new turbo, apparently. I wonder what happened to the bit of a valve then...

Edited 6 March, 201313 yr by philhoward

Well...

1100 miles on the new engine so far. It's new, so tight; mpg down to 35-36mpg and oil temp was running 94-95, but has settled to 91-92 now.

Job list was an engine, turbo and cat (that'll please George).

It was indeed a valve, pic of a photo on a monitor so not wonderful, but best I could get as the engine was quickly reassembled and sent back to VAG.

Good news, and i am pleased for you.

I do think all cars getting new engines should get new Cats automatically.

Interested to hear how the new member from Blairgowrie just a few weeks ago,

just to hear how he got on with the new engine..

Have fun.

george

And all of this was done in just 2 weeks time? Impressive to say the least...

Edited 11 March, 201313 yr by newbie69

It was started on the Tuesday - when they found no compression and the burnt valve. New engine/turbo/cat ordered, delivered, and fitted - ready for me to collect 8 days later. Work commitments prevented me doing so earlier.

Quick tip - if you're going to blow up an engine, do it in Belgium. Top marks to Ebac Verviers Skoda/VW and especially Laurent who speaks very good English. About 15 minutes along the E42 from Spa..

I was looking at the picture (and the others he could only show me from the VW system) and couldn't really tell if the innards are good or bad for a 20k engine or not these days. Note to add - heavy scuffing on the bore of cylinder 2 and No.3 didn't look too good either. That suggests to me that the cooling system isn't quite right and the middle pots are getting a bit hot. Haven't problems been centred on either No. 2 or 3 cylinder?

?? Have they written/stamped up your Service Book,

New engine at such and such miles on the car,

. what have they done,

variable servicing now showing or 10,000 miles/12 months?

Might not matter to many,

but for future resale or Private Sale an Invoice showing the expenditure would be useful.

New Engine, Turbo, Cat. all good to add some cash money to its worth possibly.

george

Nothing in the service book. Service interval still on same as it was; variable. Showing about 16k to next service. Company car, so resale value not my concern, but if anyone does a google on KS12PUK, its had a new engine, turbo and Cat at just under 21k...