Hi folks.

 

My 1.8 has been supping oil for a while (since the last service now that I think) though it seemed higher than I'm used to, it didn't seem THAT bad, and I'm not getting any bad performance or smoke out of the back. It needs about 500ml every 2 weeks or so, which is about 400 miles maybe? maybe 600? The manual says it could consume upto 500ml every 1000km which is 620 miles. I'll be keeping a closer eye on it now that I've read about people needing new piston rings too!

 

Anyway, after a recent bomb up to my soon to be new home of Worcestershire and back, my coolant alarm gave me a ping and I topped it up with some water that I had to hand. It had literally just slipped below the Min mark and as you know doesn't need much to go back up. Now, I'n the 18 months I've had the car, I've never had to put any coolant in. Now it seems capable of going from Max to Min in about 100 -150 miles.

 

Clearly there's a leak and I'm guessing the culprit is the water pump which I've read others having to replace.

 

The reason I ask is that I've also read of a few people having the timing chain slip thanks to the tensioner going at around the same kind of mileage that my car is at (42,000 miles) and having to say goodbye to some valves.

 

Doing both at the same time seems like the safest bet considering the work required to get the water pump out. Does that seem like a sound idea?

 

EDIT: Just spoke to a guy at SG Smith Skoda in Croydon and it'll be £499 for a new pump, chain and tensioner. The website says £459 but then it also says cambelt not chain.

Edited 20 February, 201511 yr by DBT85

Is there any gunk on the oil cap as this could indicate a head gasket issue?

Is it the guides which cost the money then, cost most places will quote you a grand just for the chain, tensioner and guides to be replaced, let alone the pump?!

I think the water pump alone on the TSI engine costs circa £650 to replace. And there is no menu price for changing the timing chain and tensioner on that engine. It is a big job - circa 5.5 hours - and I can't see a Skoda dealer charging less than £850 and probably considerably more. £499 would be about right for the TFSI engine.

You should be able to see evidence of the water pump leak from underneath - though the water pump is near impossible to see.

 

Water pumps are cheap (GBP50) but the mechanic will probably want to change the plastic housing as well - they are expensive.  Inlet manifold needs to come off to change the waterpump.

 

You may as well get them to do a proper carbon removal from the inlet valves while they are there

Is there any gunk on the oil cap as this could indicate a head gasket issue?

 

None that I would be concerned about. Just the usual dirt from under the bonnet.

 

I think the water pump alone on the TSI engine costs circa £650 to replace. And there is no menu price for changing the timing chain and tensioner on that engine. It is a big job - circa 5.5 hours - and I can't see a Skoda dealer charging less than £850 and probably considerably more. £499 would be about right for the TFSI engine.

 

I see. When I got through to the service desk I clearly said replace the timing chain, tensioner and water pump and he rattled off £499 without even needing the plate. Perhaps he was simply quoting the belted engines rather than the chained ones. I'll try a couple of others and see what I hear. Maybe I'm just being twitchy and its a small hose leak somewhere. Their fixed price thing on the website says £459 for a timing belt and waterpump.

 

You should be able to see evidence of the water pump leak from underneath - though the water pump is near impossible to see.

 

Water pumps are cheap (GBP50) but the mechanic will probably want to change the plastic housing as well - they are expensive.  Inlet manifold needs to come off to change the waterpump.

 

You may as well get them to do a proper carbon removal from the inlet valves while they are thereClear

 

I'll have a look when I can. Though it's not losing so much that it's likely to be that visible, even more if it's been raining.