Octavia 1.4 TSI 150PS SE Sport - on order, expected 'approx. 12 weeks', i.e. Feb '17.

 

Newly joined. Trawled through pages of fascinating topics. Hear of trauma re some of the earlier 1.4 TSI engines. Concerned re my choice (above). CANNOT find any clear answer to the following:

 

Believe Skoda / VAG stopped using both Turbo and Supercharger in approx. '06(?). Why? Unreliable? Unnecessary? Expensive?

 

What is general opinion re this, 'my' 150PS version of the 1.4 TSI engine? So much power from such a small engine (in quite a big car), and really enjoyed the torque / flexibility during a test drive of a 10k mile, 140-engined SE. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Happily, I'm going for a 3-yr lease, hence warranted throughout, but still good to know.

 

Enjoyed the brilliant article re 'Running In' and subsequent thread to Rainmaker's Aug '16 article.

 

Michael

Edited 7 November, 20169 yr by MisterS

They stopped using twinchargers in Skodas in 2014.

The 1.4 TSI CTHE 132kw Fabia vRS.

Not that VW ever accepted that there were Fundamental Design, Manufacturing & Component choice from 2009-2012 

with  the CAVE engine of which 1,800 sold in the UK, and over 25% failed. including replacement engines that failed.

The figures including Rebuilds. Breather Pipe & ECU Updates, Replacements & New Oil Spray Jets fitted actually means more the 1 in 3 was a Lemon & used too much oil or failed completely.  & they are still failing now.

Then some of the CTHE from 2012-2014 failed and are failing. (some were first registered in 2015) Early 2013 have failed and more recent builds in small numbers of the 1,100 sold in the UK.

http://revotechnik.com/support/technical/14tsi-twincharger-engine-issues

The Sister cars, the 2010-2014 Polo GTI. 2009-2014, Seat Ibiza & 2011-2014 Audi A1 185ps twinchargers failed just the same in similar percentages.

Edited 7 November, 20169 yr by Offski

140/150 hp from a 1.4 is good but nothing special.

Renault 5 1.4 GT Turbo developed 160 hp and that was 26 years ago!

Your memory and mine are different, 120ps were they not?

 

EDIT.

Sorry, my bad. Renault 5 Turbo 2 160bhp.

Edited 8 November, 20169 yr by Offski

But I bet the Renault 5, while fun, was less 'user friendly' to drive in traffic, used far more fuel, and emissions would have been off the charts.

 

The twin charger from VW was a good drive also but a failed experiment as far as reliability and long term ownership was concerned.

 

The KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) is still pertinent in engine design but modern consumption, safety and emission requirements conflicting with the public's seemingly insatiable demand for performance are making it increasingly difficult to meet both without increasing complexity.

LOL.  They are loads of fun, and smiles for miles.

 

The thing is they failed short time ownership.  Like in the first 3,000 miles of some of the cars that arrived in the UK.

Engines were rebuilt with new rings as the first 'Fix', then Short Engines. then Base Engines, and all the Time the VW Group say the issue is overblown online.

& that was after the Engines were already failing in the SEAT's that were on sale from 2009.

& the previous Euro 4 engines in the Golfs had failed.

http://adamlewin.co.uk/vw-mk5-golf-tsi-engine-timing-chain-problem

Nein Vorsprung Durch Technik

Edited 8 November, 20169 yr by Offski

But I bet the Renault 5, while fun, was less 'user friendly' to drive in traffic, used far more fuel, and emissions would have been off the charts.

Having owned a Renault 5 GT Turbo that had been tuned to 180bhp I grew that all of the above is rue - but did it make me smile when driving it? Hell yes!!! I could safelyovertake just about anything anywhere as the performance was much more than most other vehicles on the road in the mid-1980s.

 

Forward 30 years and I now drive a 1.4TSI Octavia Combi and love the relaxed but easily usable character - plus the almost twice mpg figure and the £30 per year Road Tax.

 

The Twincharger has a terrible reliability reputation, so VAG IMHO did the right thing to quietly drop it - shame as it was a great idea.

At least the CEO of VW USA Stefan Jacoby left VW in 2010 & went to be the Head of Volvo who are doing reliable Twin Chargers.

The technology works, & works well with decent components,

it is just that VW go and poached others technology as usual in the first place and then do not get proven reliability before flogging them to the paying public.

They then move on to the next 'big thing' leaving people with lemons in the main.

My thanks to Offski, Sheldon.Cooper, Gerrycan and PetrolDave for all your responses. Am enjoying this site already.

 

The KISS Principle: yes, I like! Not a good record for the Twincharger, never knew they existed so recently. Glad I'm avoiding, but only by my good fortune / timing.

 

5 Turbo 2 at 160, hmm... 5 Turbo 2 at 180, and 30yrs ago at that. Wow! Yes, I'd like to see the emissions. Prob / poss the excess fuelling kept the tender bits cool?

 

I so like the piece '1.4TSI Octavia Combi and love the relaxed but easily usable character...' PD.

 

Methinks I might visit my local Skoda (Murrays, Plymouth) and try to get some feedback of their experiences. I wonder if they will share?

 

Michael