2016 Tdi 1.6

 

The missus's car so don't have personal experience of the problem, but she tells me it has overheated three times in the last few weeks. Apparently she gets a warning on the dash, the engine is shut down, she has to steeer to the side of the road (!) and she has to wait for it to cool down before the engine will start again (four minutes she said yesterday).

 

Sketchy details (I don't know what the exact message is, or if she gets a "it's okay to start now" message after it has cooled) but clearly a problem.

 

No, I haven't checked the coolant level (will do tonight) but I assume that would have thrown a warning if it was low.

 

Fans def working as they stay on after journey sometimes.

 

Any thoughts?

Edited 12 March, 20206 yr by reg091

Sounds like the very common water pump failing. Needs replacing ASAP.

@shyVRS245 Thanks. Oh dear, more £££.

 

 

To confirm with her (or get you closer to confirming) ask how long into the journey it happens.  When mine went it was usually 10-15 mins into a journey and often when a mile or 2 onto the motorway as that is when it is producing a big lump of heat.

Just now, MarkyG82 said:

To confirm with her (or get you closer to confirming) ask how long into the journey it happens.  When mine went it was usually 10-15 mins into a journey and often when a mile or 2 onto the motorway as that is when it is producing a big lump of heat.

Thanks, I will. She has a 30 minute commute, 20 minutes or so is motorway so chances are it is when she is hitting the motorway. 

As others have already said the most likely culprit is the pump.  Explained here:

 

 

Less likely by your description, but another possibility is the silica bag in the expansion tank having ruptured.  This can cause all sorts of shenanigans:

 

 

Gaz

Edited 12 March, 20206 yr by IamGaz
typo

Just spoken to the Skoda indie that I use and he expressed surprise at pump failure being an issue. He said it sounded more likely to be the electronic component that "tells" the system to open up a "sleeve" to let more water in (typically when you hit the motorway).

 

He said this model doesn't have a mechanical water pump.

 

Anyway, booked in for next week so will see.

8 minutes ago, reg091 said:

He said this model doesn't have a mechanical water pump

So how does he think it pumps water then? It may have an electrical rather than a mechanical drive, but I'll bet the impeller design is much the same!

Maybe that was what he meant. 

 

Although if the pump is electric then surely it can be mounted anywhere in the engine bay? The need to replace cam belt whilst replacing the water pump suggests to me that it is mechanically/belt driven off of the engine.

Edited 12 March, 20206 yr by reg091

@reg091 The sleeve is the issue regardless of how the pump is driven.  The issue is based around the sleeve jamming or the actuator failing.  On the 2.0 tdi's the sleeve and pump are so integrated that its not economical to repair the sleeve.  If you can get the parts and have access to a workshop then it may be easier but most don't and the extra time paying a shop to do the work it's a better job to get a whole new pump.  Many opt for a new cam belt too but not sure on the 1.6 design so cant comment on the need for that.

 

Edit:  Just seen your post above.  Sounds the same as the 2.0 so I'd go for the pump and belt kit depending on miles

Edited 12 March, 20206 yr by MarkyG82

@MarkyG82. Thanks, that makes sense. Car is 35k miles so cam isn't due until.... 80K I think?  So, not sure of the sense in getting the cam done now to save money on labour when it really needs doing, as that is about four years off on current annual mileage.

 

Was it bought from a main dealer? I bought my 2015 i.6 Tdi from a Skoda main dealer and returned it with the overheating problem when it happened within the first 6 months, it was in and around 38k miles on the clock 

Dealer replaced the Pump and Belt free of charge, i never asked about the belt but they told me they did it while they were at it as it was easy to do while replacing the pump.

There are three water pumps on a EA288 1.6 TDI engine.

 

The main coolant circuit is driven by a conventional engine-driven pump.  This (or the sleeve on it) is probably what has failed.

There's a separate electrically-driven pump to cool the turbocharger.

There's a separate electrically-driven pump for cabin heating.

@reg091 in the UK there is a time limit placed on cambelts too.  5 years I think on current diesels.  No point paying 150-200 in labour in 6 months to a year when you can get it done now.

11 minutes ago, iriches said:

The main coolant circuit is driven by a conventional engine-driven pump. 

So the main failure modes on this are still broken impeller, casing leak or slipping drive belt?

10 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

So the main failure modes on this are still broken impeller, casing leak or slipping drive belt?

 

AFAIK, there's a solenoid-driven slide valve/sleeve in the pump which can stop the coolant being pumped through the main circuit.  This is to help with an even faster warm-up.  This seems to stick, and is seeingly the main cause of the overheating issues.

Edited 12 March, 20206 yr by iriches

2 minutes ago, iriches said:

 

AFAIK, there's a solenoid-driven slide valve/sleeve in the pump which cam stop the coolant being pumped through the main circuit.  This is to help with an even faster warm-up.  This seems to stick, and is seeingly the main cause of the overheating issues.

This seems likely what my guy was talking about. So, I would guess the diagnostic process should be to check the solenoid first and if that is faulty then replace, it job done.

 

If solenoid tests tests out okay then sticking sleeve is the likely culprit and that can't be replaced on its own, so pump is replaced.

 From most reports on the main thread on this issue the pump is replaced but I wonder if the solenoid is ever checked? Just a thought.

 

@lway Bought second hand 18 months or so ago so no warranty etc.

Thanks to @iriches for the explanation of the different pumps.

 

I will go for the belt replacement as well as little difference to cost at this point (non-binding, rough estimate from my guy for whole job is £495).

 

 

1 hour ago, iriches said:

 

AFAIK, there's a solenoid-driven slide valve/sleeve in the pump which can stop the coolant being pumped through the main circuit.  This is to help with an even faster warm-up.  This seems to stick, and is seeingly the main cause of the overheating issues.

Ah cheers; the more they try to save 2 carbons per mile, the more over-complicated things get!

OP here. In at indie today, diagnosis failing water pump. Replacing and cam belt £485.

 

Thanks all for the input. I will link this thread in the main overheating thread as there is some useful technical info here.

UPDATE: the missus tells me that since this work was done she has noticed her MPG drastically reduced. She only does a 20 mile round trip daily commute so is used to rarely seeing the fuel gauge move. Now, she says, she can almost see the needle moving and reckons nearly a 1/4 tank on each trip.

Obviously I need to reset the trip and see for myself what is going on, and I can't in these current times.

 

Any idea if there could be some link to having pump and cam belt replaced and MPG being lowered? Sounds insane to me.

1 hour ago, reg091 said:

UPDATE: the missus tells me that since this work was done she has noticed her MPG drastically reduced. She only does a 20 mile round trip daily commute so is used to rarely seeing the fuel gauge move. Now, she says, she can almost see the needle moving and reckons nearly a 1/4 tank on each trip.

Obviously I need to reset the trip and see for myself what is going on, and I can't in these current times.

 

Any idea if there could be some link to having pump and cam belt replaced and MPG being lowered? Sounds insane to me.

They might have got the timing slightly out or tightened the belt too tight. My bet is the belt is on too tight and needs adjusting.

Cool, thank you. I will give them a call (not sure if they are open at the moment of course).

Could the fuel pump timing have potentially been moved out of kilter?

 

I had it on a Passat after a timing belt change, which ran, but was flat as a pancake.

 

Gaz

Modern CR diesels don't need fuel pump timing any more.

 

But the garage certainly could have made a mistake setting the cam timing incorrectly with similar effect.

Booked in for tomorrow so we shall see. Guy was a bit defensive on the phone when I suggested the timing may be out so hopefully this won't become an argument.

 

Can they tell from hooking up diagnostic equipment?

 

Booked in for tomorrow so we shall see. Guy was a bit defensive on the phone when I suggested the timing may be out so hopefully this won't become an argument.

 

Can they tell from hooking up diagnostic equipment?