Losing coolant

[100andthirty]

My 220 TSI flagged 'low coolant on 31 Jan. When I got home I checked by the level was between min and max. That was lower than usual so a little had been used. I topped up to max and then drove my family and a roof box though France to the Alps and back with no trouble. This week the alarm has sounded again, each time when Ieft the drive. Inspected this morning and level is low - below minimum, and I topped up about 400-500ml. I can't see any signs of leaks. Any ideas folks? Dreaded water pump failure, perhaps? If so might it be covered by Skoda 'all parts' warranty? In any event, I'll book it in for attention after Easter. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[sherlocks VRS]

The petrol 2 ltrs can suffer from the thermistor unit leaking, easy to diagnose as you can see  coolant stains under the front of the engine sump, easy job once you have done a few or even better if you have warranty 

[numskull]

Interesting. Could that also be mistaken for a water pump failure, or should the staining be in a different position? 

[Redboy]

This seems to be a common issue on TSI engines. My old 272 started to lose water, dropping 2-3cm below the max line over 3000 miles. I pointed it out on two occasions  and mentioned the common issue, as it was on a fixed service / warranty plan. Expecting a fix I lost confidence in the dealership, who filled the expansion tank  to the full mark twice for 'observation' and patronisingly told me it's a TSI characteristic!!  I  often find the company responds slowly or negatively to common non-wear and tear problems, i.e. design or component faults, even when forums like this have multiple examples of similar failures. Good luck to @100andthirty getting it sorted. 

[100andthirty]

Thanks all for the feedback.

[numskull]

1 hour ago, Redboy said:

This seems to be a common issue on TSI engines.

Water pump failure certainly is a common and very expensive OOW issue too. But I’d never heard of a thermistor unit leaking, hence my question if that could be mistaken for a water pump failure, or vice-versa. 

[Winston_Woof]

the waterpump on my MY198 1.4 TSi was replaced (under warranty)  at a cost of £193 , think I've seen more recent figures quoted in threads of between £200-£230 for replacement

[numskull]

Unfortunately the water pump replacement on the EA888 2.0 engine is £800+…☹️

[Winston_Woof]

ooof

[numskull]

^^^^ Yep, it was Fcuuuukk when I was given the price!