Used 1.2 TSI - Anything to worry about?

[penguin17]

I've been looking for a while and have finally shortlisted  2 used 2015 1.2TSI SEL's with <20K miles on the clock which seem to fit our requirements and the respective (franchised Skoda) dealers have put some quite good deals together for us.  I wasn't going to use a finance product but we get 2 years extended warranty, a free MOT and 2 services for £159 if we do, so I'm going down that route and then paying it off ASAP. 

 

Before I hand over a deposit; is there anything I should really be concerned about with the 1.2TSI units?  I doubt there's any mechanical difference in the engines but we're looking at the 90PS outputs (should that make a difference).  Both cars are manual.  

 

The car will be used by my wife and cover 5-6K miles per year meaning it won't cover many miles between annual services so oil/filter quality should be as good as it can be.  

 

Also are there any recalls or service campaigns that I should be ensuring have been completed? 

 

 

Edited 7 August, 2019 by penguin17

[Guest]

Hi penguin, the 1.2TSI from 2015 is  basically a good engine but it is very mechanically noisy on start up whether cold, or after standing on a slight incline, even when hot. These engines suffer from oil drain back from the valve gear variable valve mechanism and other parts of the cylinder head. This produces a knocking noise on some engines. It can be so loud that folks around you will look at you and wonder what the hell is going on with your engine. I've had two and both of them did it, the first one very badly and it turned out to be so bad that the car was taken back by Skoda after I rejected it. My dealer tried and tried to fix it but was unable to. There are some gearbox problems on some of these cars too. Difficulty selecting reverse gear and then this often becomes a problem for 1st gear as well. There is a TPI out at dealers about this so you can ask if the car you are about to buy is affected. It affects the 6 speed box also (in fact more of the 6 speeder are affected). Apart from that they are nice motors. My experience with to new Fabia's with this engine in put me off the brand. I now have a Citroen instead. Good luck with your purchase and let us all know what you decide to get.

[penguin17]

18 minutes ago, GeneralPurpose said:

Hi penguin, the 1.2TSI from 2015 is  basically a good engine but it is very mechanically noisy on start up whether cold, or after standing on a slight incline, even when hot. These engines suffer from oil drain back from the valve gear variable valve mechanism and other parts of the cylinder head. This produces a knocking noise on some engines. It can be so loud that folks around you will look at you and wonder what the hell is going on with your engine. I've had two and both of them did it, the first one very badly and it turned out to be so bad that the car was taken back by Skoda after I rejected it. My dealer tried and tried to fix it but was unable to. There are some gearbox problems on some of these cars too. Difficulty selecting reverse gear and then this often becomes a problem for 1st gear as well. There is a TPI out at dealers about this so you can ask if the car you are about to buy is affected. It affects the 6 speed box also (in fact more of the 6 speeder are affected). Apart from that they are nice motors. My experience with to new Fabia's with this engine in put me off the brand. I now have a Citroen instead. Good luck with your purchase and let us all know what you decide to get.

Thanks @GeneralPurpose that's a really informative response. 

 

With the Fabia engine range I'm caught between a rock and a hard place; It's defo the car my wife wants and it has to be a petrol so it's (within our budget) the older MPI's which are just too gutless or the TSI's.  I'm aware of the issues with the 1.4 TSI's but just don't really know much about the 1.2's in terms of major mechanical issues.  In a recent test drive it seemed a nice engine, performing better than it's output would suggest. It felt quite similar to the Ford 1.0 Ecoboost unit (another low CC with turbo unit that's not without it's faults). 

 

I think I'll take a punt on this car.  One of the dealers has extended the warranty to 3 years to try and win our business it's Skoda backed so I think that should cover us for any major mechanical troubles.  Next I just need to decide if this deal is too good....I'm not buying your rejected car am I ??!!??

[rum4mo]

I bought my wife a Polo 1.2TSI 110PS SEL 6 speed manual gearbox back in August 2015 and to date it has performed well with none of the engine noises or gearbox issues, it is now at 28K miles and we'll be keeping it for many more years.

 

Okay a couple of grumps within warranty concerning a stupid design of EVAP hard plastic pipe which was replaced with the later preformed rubber pipe, and the gearbox mounting being substandard in respect of doing its job, that was swopped for the TDI equivalent again near the end of the warranty, the car with the 110PS engine certainly moves well enough at all times. 

Edited 7 August, 2019 by rum4mo

[GMihai89]

I have Fabia 3 from august 2016 with 1.2 tsi 90 HP. 

The car has 60k kilometers now and i had no problems. 

I don't have any loud noises when engine starts, never. No problems with gearbox. 90hp version has 5 speed gearbox and 110hp has 6 speed.

But once in a while, when i start engine the rpm stays at about 1300-1500 rpm for 30 seconds and instant fuel consumption rises at about 3 liters/hour. But after those 30 seconds everything is back to normal, the rpm drops at 750 rpm and 0,6 liters/hour, depending on outside temperature. I heard that this is to burn residues in exhaust sistem or something.

I had long life revisions at 30k km for oil and filters and the car works perfect, just did the second revisions at 60k km.

I am very happy with the car and recommend it.

If you want other details you can ask.

[teraja]

The new version of 1.2 TSI (one with belt instead of chain) is as far as I know one the best modern VAG turbo engines when it comes to reliability and overall quality. I wouldn't be worried at all. Even though GeneralPurpose has had 2 of them and eventually went for another car brand not especially known for it's good quality, the noise problems his Fabias had are not that big of a deal and for sure not a common problem causing engines to break down prematurely.

 

I have a 110hp DSG version with about 40k km on the clock with no engine problems or strange sounds. I've on the other hand had more than enough problems with a failing gear shift mechanism sensor (same part replaced 4 times in the first 2 years) and as a result I'm now leaving VAG cars just as GeneralPurpose did. I guess no car brand is nowadays any better in quality than the others, it's just a matter of luck. The big difference is in customer care - some car makers treat their customers with high respect and deal with problems easy while others just ignore and do things the hard way.

[penguin17]

Thanks all for the replies and reassurances. 

 

I’ve paid a deposit on the car before close of business today. It was a good deal and the last couple I’ve seen with low mileage and in SE L spec haven’t hung around for long.  

 

My wife had her heart set on the Fabia and I suppose it’s a lotto as to if the one we’ve gone for will be a lemon or not, standard car buying paranoia. 

 

Hopefully picking it up in two weeks: 

 

 

 

Edited 7 August, 2019 by penguin17

[Guest]

Good luck penguin...hope you and your wife have lots of fun in the car. They certainly drive well and I doubt you'll get the issues I did.

 

If you get issues with it, go to Citroen. Totally different cars & build quality to what they were 8-10 years ago. I've covered over 27,000 miles completely trouble free in 11 months. Not a single issue, and I mean not one! Totally different to my  experience with my last two brand new Skoda's that both spent weeks and weeks in the garage attempting to be fixed. Neither could be. New parts fitted, same problem returns over and over etc etc. Gutted! Never mind.

[penguin17]

38 minutes ago, GeneralPurpose said:

Good luck penguin...hope you and your wife have lots of fun in the car. They certainly drive well and I doubt you'll get the issues I did.

 

If you get issues with it, go to Citroen. Totally different cars & build quality to what they were 8-10 years ago. I've covered over 27,000 miles completely trouble free in 11 months. Not a single issue, and I mean not one! Totally different to my  experience with my last two brand new Skoda's that both spent weeks and weeks in the garage attempting to be fixed. Neither could be. New parts fitted, same problem returns over and over etc etc. Gutted! Never mind.

Funnily enough we toyed with a DS3 but the boot wasn’t practical enough for our dog. 

 

My my parents have a ‘12 1.6 THP Sport (since new) and they’ve never had a single issue with it. My dad has had Volvo’s, BMW’s and Merc’s but he said the Citroen has trumped them all in terms of reliability/ease of ownership.  Nice car and lovely to drive. 

 

 

[Guest]

Yes, one of my sisters has had an older version of the C3 for 12 years without a single issue either. Very reliable car although not my cup of tea from the looks department. In fact she has only just now changed the car for a brand new Hyundia i10 which remarkably is the same size as the older C3. How times change. My new C3 is the largest 'B' segment car on the market, and bigger than the current Skoda Fabia, yet the earlier C3 is the size of the current 'A' segment cars. Apparently according to the manufacturers this is because we are all getting bigger and of course, we want more affordable space.

[Eccles]

My neighbour has one of they C3 thingies but it can't outrun my Fabia 1.2 90, especially up hills. "Oh well, the more powerful C3's can do it" he says. Well yes but for a far more poweful price eh? Don't understand all this chat about "noise", never noticed much noise from mine, now 4 years old and actually getting better at going up hills - guess it must be almost completely run in - at 13k miles.

[RicardoM]

@penguin17

If your wife decided she likes the car (for whatever typical non-technical reason) you can try whatever you want to change her mind, including asking in every forum. Nothing will work. So unless you're prepared  to sleep on the couch for 2 years and never see her kitty, prepare to cough all the money. Now.

[penguin17]

1 hour ago, RicardoM said:

@penguin17

If your wife decided she likes the car (for whatever typical non-technical reason) you can try whatever you want to change her mind, including asking in every forum. Nothing will work. So unless you're prepared  to sleep on the couch for 2 years and never see her kitty, prepare to cough all the money. Now.

😂 oh don’t worry, I know how this works. Hence why I’ve bought the car and spent £110 on SuperSkoda. 

 

Kitty visitation rights are all intact for now. 

[shyVRS245]

Hope your dog doesn't attack the kitty or it may get a bit messy in there.Cats and Dogs always ends badly.

[mbc]

I am also looking to buy a 2016 Fabia Combi 1.2 TSI 90hp so this was really useful. Thank you!

[Ootohere]

Something for some with a 1.2TSI (CJZB) 2013-2015 to be aware of.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/472549-12-tsi-cjzb-2013-2015-service-campaign-15h4-might-interest-some

 

[mikkelvitus]

On 11/08/2019 at 08:32, Eccles said:

My neighbour has one of they C3 thingies but it can't outrun my Fabia 1.2 90, especially up hills. "Oh well, the more powerful C3's can do it" he says. Well yes but for a far more poweful price eh? Don't understand all this chat about "noise", never noticed much noise from mine, now 4 years old and actually getting better at going up hills - guess it must be almost completely run in - at 13k miles.

 

This "noise thing" that has been mentioned in this thread, is a misunderstanding. It is correct that the old 1.2 tsi with chaindrive could make noise when started, and actually was a very unreliable engine due to the chaindrive. The newer totally redesigned 1.2 tsi comes with cambelt, and does not make any noise. It is, as other has stated, a very reliable engine with a minimum of problems, and it has no noise issues at all.

[Ootohere]

^^^ Discontined though, so we will see in a few years if all is well with them, 

and how the posts on here go with,

'my car is low miles and 5 years old, what does it need doing'. etc.  'Skoda says 240,000 km and inspect' or 4 years'. 

^^^

These are fictional questions and answers, but as usually happen they will apear come time.

 

The people with a perfectly reliable 1.2 TSI (CZJB) 2013-2015 will be happy as long as they never have the failure that has prompted a Service Campaign, and one they might never hear about if they do not use Main Dealers for servicing.

 

[BlueTigger]

From these posts it seems my daughter's 2006 1.2 TSI 90 should be okay as she is not heavy footed.

[Ootohere]

@BlueTigger

I assume a typo as it will not be a 2006.    So 2016?

    Is it due a timing belt change at 5 years or older or is it just being left as is?

?

Has it had normal servicing like the spark plugs changed or checked, new air filter when the old one is dirty etc. 

Edited 22 February, 2023 by toot

[BlueTigger]

Thanks for the reply toot, and spotting my typo, yes 2016 is what I should have typed.  It has had services carried out on schedule as far as I can see from the paperwork supplied.  I will take on the scheduled maintenance such as oil and filters etc. 

Not sure what to do about the cam belt, I'll take advice on it as some say it's for life and others not.

I see from the table you posted that spark plugs are every 40000, a far cry from my old 1970s car of the past.  If long life VW507 oil is used, can the interval go to 20000 miles instead of 10000?

Thanks again

[nta16]

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

My wife's Mk3 Fabia is a 2015 1.2 TSI 90 (SE) hatch.

 

Having had "classic" (over-priced, over-valued) cars as daily use for the last 30+ years and a 1973 MG Midget for about 14 years until last summer the thing that surprised me was the air filter change interval although luckily on my wife's car it was also changed at spark plug change, two years seems long enough to me given how much muck and grit the outside of the car gets from use and being parked up.

 

I don't understand the VW way of specifying the oil and personally go for oil that covers all the various VW specs for the engine rather than picking one spec, VW seem to love over complicating things, makes me wonder what they're trying to hide. 😉

 

Personally even if your daughter uses the car for motorway miles I'd suggest you stick with 10-kmiles or annually for engine oil and  filter changes and if like my wife's and many others the journeys are frequently very short and the oil barely gets a chance at 90°C then it might even need changing more often, not that I've bothered so far.

 

One thing to be aware of is keeping the car battery at a reasonable level of charge otherwise the computers can get upset and throw up all sorts of issues before any warning lights or messages and with the engine still starting and the lights seeming bright enough.  Depending on vehicle use some find the use of an appropriate battery charger (and maintainer) is required, perhaps only occasionally.

 

There was also a battery recall so checked if your daughter's car was included and if so that it was done. - https://www.skoda-auto.com/services/recall-campaigns

 

Unlike my neighbour's 20 year old Toyota Yaris my wife's car has already had the front dampers replaced at about 6 years, 41k-miles, the new  (Dealer) replacement dampers where going to be an MoT failure at less than 12-months old for leaking but after this the Dealership that fitted them with supposedly (I wasn't there) the warranty (2-years) replacements ready to fit found the fitted dampers were "misting" and didn't even note it as an Advisory on the MoT they did on the car.

 

There's some sort of creak under the car, I've seen others have this and some have changed lots of parts and a noise remains, whether it's the same noise as on my wife's car obviously I can't know.

 

Just recently one of key remotes has failed (we rotate the use of the two remote keys) £143.40 for remote and £41.40 to program it, an unexpected delight especially as it was the one that appeared less worn, the car had a lot of use in the 10k-miles before my wife bought it.

 

I replaced the front discs and pads at 41k-miles, 6 years, again as my wife didn't have the car for the first 10k-miles I can't comment on the wear and I could have left replacing them to get more wear out of them but brakes are always number one priority (braking including tyres of course).

 

At start up particularly the engine bay has given different noises at various times I guess it's the computers doing as they require I try not to hear anything now and my wife takes no notice anyway.  The computers have told us there was a problem with a rear light when there didn't seem to be and not reported on a duff looking front bulb until a week after I first noticed it.  The tyre pressure monitoring is not to be relied on (use a reliable tyre pressure gauge) it told my wife there was a problem well after she realised there was a puncture - but then I hope you've taught your daughter not to wait and rely on "idiot" warning lights and messages.

 

As with the old cars if you and particularly your daughter read and when required refer to the 'Owner's Manual' you will know more about the car than many long term owners and some at garages. There should be a paper printed copy with the car and you can also get a free pdf copy download from the following VWSkoda link.  Even things like changing the remote battery owners have issues with because they've not referred to the 'Owner's Manual' (synchronising remote, very easy), alarm going off when using "emergency" keyblade and lock, and a few other things I can't think of now. - 'Owner's Manual' link. -  https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

 

Some (6 in total) simple videos that could help and remind you and your daughter (and me) of somethings about the car.  Good luck.

 

 

 

Edited 26 February, 2023 by nta16
spelling

[rum4mo]

6 hours ago, BlueTigger said:

Thanks for the reply toot, and spotting my typo, yes 2016 is what I should have typed.  It has had services carried out on schedule as far as I can see from the paperwork supplied.  I will take on the scheduled maintenance such as oil and filters etc. 

Not sure what to do about the cam belt, I'll take advice on it as some say it's for life and others not.

I see from the table you posted that spark plugs are every 40000, a far cry from my old 1970s car of the past.  If long life VW507 oil is used, can the interval go to 20000 miles instead of 10000?

Thanks again

If you are worried about the cam belt, just make sure that you get it replaced by a workshop that has invested in the correct new tool kit for accurate timing of the cam shafts - I'd doubt if a non VAG specific workshop would have bother to spend money on that, though I'd think that VAG Indies will have.

[BlueTigger]

Thanks Rum4mo, 

The garage I generally use tends to have a lot of VAG experience, they all drive VAGs as well.

[BlueTigger]

Thanks nat16,

Lots of info, thanks. My daughter relies on me for weekly checks, including tyre pressures,  as well as all maintenance!

She uses the motorway a couple of times a week, so the battery gets a good top up.

Thanks again.