Well at long last I've convinced my wife to get a Skoda. We're picking up a one owner low miles 2011 Superb 1.8 FSI estate tomorrow and I want the car to be as good as it can be as it begins its second decade on the road.

 

The very mild scuff on the nearside front bumper isn't a concern, but the rear seat cup holder - the one in the armrest/central seat back - is. Basically, when you push the button for the cup holders to pop out the entire assembly does instead. Has anyone else had/cured this problem?

 

The other thing is that the exterior badges have seen better days. Both the bonnet and tailgate badges are faded and crazed, while the 'Skoda' and 'Superb' lettering have gone, leaving just the marks of the adhesive. Is there a preferred supplier for these and does anyone know the correct font as I've seen at least two different styles.

 

Many thanks indeed!

Oh, well this is going well!

 

Car arrived with proud wife at the wheel - stank of eggs and sulphur. My immediate thought was the catalyst but no lights and all was fine. Turned out it had no oil. Turned out this was because the piston rings were shot.

 

Fortunately the garage is replacing the piston rings.

 

And replacing the fuse that means its power sockets work again.

I'm afraid there have been a huge number of posts about the 1.8tsi engine of that era. Two major issues:-

• Oil control ring of poor design and gums up causing oil burning - modified rings/piston/rods available
• Timing chain/tensioner failure causing severe engine damage. 

 

 

Thank you so much for the link, Bigjohn. That's really valuable knowledge which has been poured in to one place.

 

The new rings are being sourced via a Skoda main dealer, so do you think that these will be the later and clearly better design? Can the garage do a like-for-like swap, so we can effectively just put the issue to bed and make sure that the timing bits are all regularly serviced?

 

The car basically did 7,000 miles per year up until 2019. Since its MOT in early 2019 it's only done 3,000 miles, obviously Covid has taken a bite out of that but my assumption is now that it was starting to drink oil like a football fan 20 minutes before kick-off and, having realised it was a big, expensive issue, the owner traded it in.

 

We negotiated a 12-month warranty instead of roadside assistance, but the piston rings are being replaced because the car as sold wasn't fir for purpose so it's on the dealer's insurance to sort out. I suppose my question is whether we would be wiser just to get our money back and find an alternative Superb or whether this fix should make our car the purchase that we hoped it was.

The Superb is a lovely car but I'm afraid this engine has form - you may have just bought someone else's problem. Myself I'd try and reject it and get my money back .

If sorted with the revised rings/pistons/rods + new timing chain / tensioner then that'd be ok but I doubt you'd manage that as part of the purchase.

 

https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/legal-rights

 

 

 

Edited 10 September, 20214 yr by bigjohn

Have to agree with bigjohn and go for a refund. Just replacing the piston rings doesn’t cure the whole issue.
 

We ended up with a complete replacement engine, thankfully covered by a skoda dealer warranty.

 

Skoda Superb is a great car ..... just not with the tsi engine. 
 

Edited 11 September, 20214 yr by Skoda789

Thank you, 789.

 

Just got off the phone with the dealer. He is having the rings replaced, the pistons, rods, gasket, chain and tensioner. All paperwork and warranties will be available. If we still want a refund he will honour it but it sounds as if the problem should be gone.

 

Trying to find any big estate within our budget is a minefield. If all the work is done, documented and warrantied I'm increasingly inclined to stick with the devil we know.

If all done then that should be ok. The 1.8tsi is a lovely engine to drive with when sorted - and it sounds like all the dodgy design "issues" have been addressed. To keep it that way  make sure you have regular servicing - if it's on long life servicing get it changed to fixed miles/interval.  When you get the car back keep an eye on oil consumption for a while It will take a little while to run the new rings in - don't thrash the living daylights out of it but vary your driving including a bit of giving it some jip. - Being tooooo gentle can be a mistake.

 

Even my poverty spec 1.4tsi is sublime on a run. It's extremely refined all round but fitting Michelin Cross Climates tyres made a difference to road noise - not that it was bad beforehand!

 

Edited 11 September, 20214 yr by bigjohn

15 minutes ago, bigjohn said:

 

 

 

For the original query re badges - ebay seems to have a few listed

 

Edited 11 September, 20214 yr by bigjohn

That’s more like it in terms of repair. Make sure it’s all documented and in the warranty and you’re back on track 🙂

Almost a year later...

 

A year of trouble-free motoring I might add! Not having covered major miles in that time, but with a fresh service and MOT, we then set off for two weeks in France, dodging the worst carnage at Dover on the first day of the school holidays and set off for the 570-mile run south.

 

We got to 550 miles when suddenly there was a big, horrible rattle from the engine. It was turning over but there was little power and a rather ominous knocking sound that increased and decreased in line with rpm. Pulled straight off the motorway and then waited six hours to be recovered, during which time I had a good look round, discovered no hole in the block and all fluid levels as they were when we left: full.

 

Called the AA warranty provider who said that they would need a full diagnosis before verifying the claim. We were eventually trailered to a Renault/Dacia dealership who had very little interest in the car and said it would take 10 days to diagnose the fault. In the end it took 12, and their verdict (without opening it up) was that the timing belt had gone, causing the pistons and conrod to fail. New engine required: yours for €12,860 fitted.

 

The warranty company said that they would only pay for the recovery to a garage and the first component to fail. Any subsequent damage from the initial component failure is not covered. They will pay £50 per day for the hire car - although in the first week of the French holiday season and dropping off at the ferry terminal it cost more like £200 per day - and nothing towards us having to rebook our return journey or any subsequent journey back to France to recover the car.

 

So with the AA, the warranty and insurance all proving to be useless (the insurers said that we should have hit something when we pulled off the road, as they could have helped us then!) the car is still sitting in a yard in the middle of France. I am looking at paying for it to be recovered.

 

Big question - have the French magicians correctly diagnosed the problem, do we think? I am pretty sure that the knocking is a loose/bent conrod, but whether or not that means a complete engine replacement is necessary is another matter. When it first stopped, it was also making a smell like a kettle that's boiled dry. As I said, it starts and turns over, there's no hole in the block and all its fluids are inside - but it knocks in line with the rpm. It's clearly been moved under its own steam at least twice while in the garage yard. But can the engine be saved?

 

My feeling is that the original fix has let go in some way. But any ideas gratefully considered!

Edited 8 August, 20223 yr by Pacific_Blue

Honestly I have no idea but I would think that you would have to let it go, recovery costs alone and then the repair are likely to be more than the car is ever going to be worth IMHO

On 08/08/2022 at 23:58, Pacific_Blue said:

their verdict (without opening it up) was that the timing belt had gone, causing the pistons and conrod to fail. New engine required: yours for €12,860 fitted

 

My feeling is that the original fix has let go in some way. But any ideas gratefully considered!

 

 

The 1.8tsi doesn't have a timing belt!   Sounds like you've had a failure of the cam chain/tensioner in some way. Ignoring the tapping - is it running on 4 cylinders? 

 

Do you have breakdown insurance that'll recover the car home? If you have to pay for re-patriation and the pay for a new engine (likely) then you need to consider if it's worth it's worth the effort / expense.

Edited 10 August, 20223 yr by bigjohn

I thought that was the case on chain vs belt! Yes, it's firing on all four, but lacking power and now features this rather unnerving knock/rattle.

 

It is being recovered and should be back on Friday. It's the most expensive thing I've ever bought in one hit, my wife loves it and whether or not we could find anything comparable to replace it is a big question mark. The money that it's cost us to get this far means that all we've got is whatever value is in the car.

 

Looking on eBay, there are companies selling 1.8 TSIs with lower miles than ours for £1500-£2000 and will fit them. I'd rather go out on a limb and spend £3000 on the engine than spend that money plus whatever the spares/scrap value of the Superb is on a Ford Mondeo!

1 hour ago, Pacific_Blue said:

I thought that was the case on chain vs belt! Yes, it's firing on all four, but lacking power and now features this rather unnerving knock/rattle.

 

It is being recovered and should be back on Friday. It's the most expensive thing I've ever bought in one hit, my wife loves it and whether or not we could find anything comparable to replace it is a big question mark. The money that it's cost us to get this far means that all we've got is whatever value is in the car.

 

Looking on eBay, there are companies selling 1.8 TSIs with lower miles than ours for £1500-£2000 and will fit them. I'd rather go out on a limb and spend £3000 on the engine than spend that money plus whatever the spares/scrap value of the Superb is on a Ford Mondeo!

Possibly worth it if it can be proved that the replacement engine has had ALL the updated components fitted, and is in good condition - otherwise quite possibly a case of rinse & repeat.

When you see the crap engines on Scrapyard Dynasty going off abroad you might think WTF.

 

See the Yard here, but no way do you want a 1.8 / 2.0 TSI Euro 5 engine from any of these.

 

@ 8 minutes.