VW 1.4 TSI Oil Consumption

I agree it is a lot.

Possible causes? Would the main culprit be piston rings or might there be other causes (blocked oil breather?)? The car is not dropping oil.

I'm toping-up with the same synthetic oil that the car came with.

I have written to the Dealer Principal locally where the car gets serviced expressing my refusal to be fobbed-off. I have also copied-in the dealer who sold the car having bought through an internet based broker.

I may ring the service manager of the original dealer to see if he things the local dealer is pulling my chain.

Apologies for only now coming back to this thread.

Ultimately my engine was replaced at about 5,000 miles.

I did have the devil's own job with VW over it.

The oil light first came on at 1,700 miles and from then the consumption just kept getting worse.

VW's initial response was one of indifference, almost as if they disbelieved how much oil I was putting in.

Then they made me do a test over 1,000 miles starting with the oil at the max level on the dipstick. At the end of the test they only topped it up to the 3/4 point (top of the shaded/hatched part) of the dipstick. As a result it was just in tollerance to them. I then demanded a re-test. This was done on the basis of the weight of oil used over 60 miles and a conversion done to measure usage by fluid volume.

That showed the consumption at a little over a litre per 600 miles. VW finally accepted a fault.

Then we had a battle over what constituted a proper "fix". VW wanted to strip the engine. The local dealership service manager however was telling me that the only reasonable solution was to replace the engine. Clearly I wanted the latter. Many weeks went by until I threatened proceedings and that I would subpoena the local service manager to give evidence on my behalf.

Finally, VW caved in and the engine was replaced.

I have negotiated a years extention to the warranty as goodwill on VW's part.

I don't want to wash too much more dirty laundry in public so if anyone wants any further info you will need to email me.

It does seem though that some sort of campaign should be started, perhaps with peoples local Trading Standards officers in the first instance as I suspect I will be far from the last person to have the problem get this bad.

It also doesn't fill me with confidence about keeping the car beyond the (albeit extended) warranty.

Have you had the car from new i.e. Is that 1 ltr in the whole of the first 5,500 miles then 1 ltr in the last 1000 miles? If so I would be monitoring the car very carefully and probably making sure that the dealership log it on their system as a likely fault. If you have a helpful dealer they might do a consumption test now. At least the problem is so well documented now that VW can't deny the problem with these engines as they tried doing with mine a year ago.

If you want to discuss how I dealt with VW then feel free to email me.


Huw

That's about as bad as mine was. The dealer was quick to acknowledge that such a level of consumption was unacceptable.

I finally got satisfaction by threatening that I would get an independent report and then sue (my profession helps) and seek disclosure of all complaints made to VW throughout the domestic and european market. VW know that this would reveal a significant issue with the engine.

I also told them that I would subpoena the local service manager to give evidence against VW UK. He was of the view that the only reasonable fix was a new engine on what was effectively a new car with a defect from time of sale.

VW will fob you off for as long as they think they can get away with it (see it from their standpoint - why wouldn't you) but will capitulate in the end.

They must be concerned about a judgement against them. That can then be reported in the press, both general and motoring, and may trigger a very very expensive recall.

Get tough with VW UK then you'll get a reasonable outcome.