VW 1.4 TSI Oil Consumption
Discussion
Mine's a Golf, with the 122bhp TSI engine. Having had previous company cars from Vauxhall & Ford, I had got used to new petrol-engined cars not needing a top-up between services. However, I have found that you do need to keep an eye on the VW, as it does tend to use a bit - not excessive (compared to some of the stories above), but more than I'd expect.
As an aside, the car is currently spending Xmas at my local dealership, awaiting the parts to fix the engine (which sounds like a box of spanners on start-up, apparently needing new cam sprockets & tensioner), and the DSG gearbox (which has been misbehaving, and needs a new dry clutch). Not bad for an 18 month old car with 37,000 miles on the clock!
Hey, I've just had an idea for an advert: "Why buy a car that rattles like a Golf, and drinks oil like a Golf, when you can buy a Golf". That'll get them flying out of the showrooms.
As an aside, the car is currently spending Xmas at my local dealership, awaiting the parts to fix the engine (which sounds like a box of spanners on start-up, apparently needing new cam sprockets & tensioner), and the DSG gearbox (which has been misbehaving, and needs a new dry clutch). Not bad for an 18 month old car with 37,000 miles on the clock!
Hey, I've just had an idea for an advert: "Why buy a car that rattles like a Golf, and drinks oil like a Golf, when you can buy a Golf". That'll get them flying out of the showrooms.
Chicharito said:
My 160 TSI is similarly f
ked at just 16k miles...
Ive come to the conclusion the VW and audi arent what they used to be and very much living on past reputation. I was very disapointed with my last caddy and the cost new just isnt worth the extra imho, I see fords as a good bet for value and quality ...ked at just 16k miles...Edited by powerstroke on Wednesday 28th December 08:39
powerstroke said:
Ive come to the conclusion the VW and audi arent what they used to be an very much living on past reputation I was very disapointed with my last caddy and the cost new just isnt worth the extra, I see fords as a good bet for value and quality ...
Fords don't offer value or quality.They're usually more expensive than a VW and feel cheap inside.
(The current Mondeo is the exception - it's still far too pricey for what you get, but the quality is much improved, but still not quite up to Passat standards)
I just wish I had a TDI not a TSI.
Chicharito said:
powerstroke said:
Ive come to the conclusion the VW and audi arent what they used to be an very much living on past reputation I was very disapointed with my last caddy and the cost new just isnt worth the extra, I see fords as a good bet for value and quality ...
Fords don't offer value or quality.They're usually more expensive than a VW and feel cheap inside.
(The current Mondeo is the exception - it's still far too pricey for what you get, but the quality is much improved, but still not quite up to Passat standards)
I just wish I had a TDI not a TSI.
Hi guys!
Here in Italy the situation of the 1.4TSI twin charger is not better...
I drive a Polo GTI that until now seems to be ok, only 0.3l added in about 4.000Km done, but in a couple of local forums polovw and ITC you can read a lot of bad cases of excessive oil consumption...
We have case of pistons and piston's rings replaced or whole engine replaced, sometimes with good results, sometimes without any improvement...
In other cases the oil consumption was good at the beginnig, then after about 10.000/15.000Kms became bad...
A couple of forum's members sue VW and obtained their money back, without a pound less: the problem was not solved, the money were given back!
I want also to submit you a pic of an engine replaced lately: with the first the consumption was 1liter every 1000Km, with the second (the one of th pic) was the same, so now the car is standing in the work shop with the engine opened, waiting for decision from VW...
Is't unbelivable that a brand like VW continue on trying to patch a problem without conceding that is a project mistake, without founding a solution and overall without refound who spent money for a flawed car...
Notice that this pic is about a new replaced engine with only 3500Km done: cylinder N.4 is completely encrusted, but the others are not better...
Here in Italy the situation of the 1.4TSI twin charger is not better...
I drive a Polo GTI that until now seems to be ok, only 0.3l added in about 4.000Km done, but in a couple of local forums polovw and ITC you can read a lot of bad cases of excessive oil consumption...
We have case of pistons and piston's rings replaced or whole engine replaced, sometimes with good results, sometimes without any improvement...
In other cases the oil consumption was good at the beginnig, then after about 10.000/15.000Kms became bad...
A couple of forum's members sue VW and obtained their money back, without a pound less: the problem was not solved, the money were given back!
I want also to submit you a pic of an engine replaced lately: with the first the consumption was 1liter every 1000Km, with the second (the one of th pic) was the same, so now the car is standing in the work shop with the engine opened, waiting for decision from VW...
Is't unbelivable that a brand like VW continue on trying to patch a problem without conceding that is a project mistake, without founding a solution and overall without refound who spent money for a flawed car...
Notice that this pic is about a new replaced engine with only 3500Km done: cylinder N.4 is completely encrusted, but the others are not better...
You are welcome...! 
Too many cases of anomalous oil consumptions on this engine, we are trying to combine the voices and let us be heard from VW and main Italian automotive magazines...
We hope to obtain something like an extended not-expiring warranty on this engine problem or a global "recall" to fix definetively the problem...
There is another new came out today: looking at ETKA codes it seems that from may 2012 the Polo GTI's engine will change specification. From the current CAVE it will be called CTHE...
Anybody knows what will change...?
Too many cases of anomalous oil consumptions on this engine, we are trying to combine the voices and let us be heard from VW and main Italian automotive magazines...
We hope to obtain something like an extended not-expiring warranty on this engine problem or a global "recall" to fix definetively the problem...
There is another new came out today: looking at ETKA codes it seems that from may 2012 the Polo GTI's engine will change specification. From the current CAVE it will be called CTHE...
Anybody knows what will change...?
Edited by kawabanga on Thursday 12th January 20:33
Hey guys
I got my Polo GTI TSI brand new on the 29th of November last year.Yesterday my oil low warning come on,bought a litre of oil
from VW today,and topped her up, used up around 750ml.
The car has 2300 miles on the clock...I take it this should be worrying,but not according to what VW say?
I got my Polo GTI TSI brand new on the 29th of November last year.Yesterday my oil low warning come on,bought a litre of oil
from VW today,and topped her up, used up around 750ml.
The car has 2300 miles on the clock...I take it this should be worrying,but not according to what VW say?
CatScan said:
Has the OP got any updates from the last few months? I've just bought a Fabia VRs with 6500 on the clock and want to keep an eye on how people are getting on with this issue...
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.
I don't know what changed in this version of the 1.4TSI, but there are forums all around the world that reveal a lot of excessive oil consumption for the 180/185hp (Polo GTI, Ibiza FR, A1 TFSI and Skoda Fabia).
In the 160hp Scirocco version I found on the web some cases of binding of the fourth cylinder, due to a too slim carburetion.
On the 180hp version of the TSI they greased the carburetion for sure: could be seen in the black and dirty colour of the excape pipe.
Also, comparing the cases of who have excessive oil consumption, it seems that who drives in the city or for short rides has more oil consumption.
Those two factors seem to be linked in some way: fat carburetion is always present at cold start and city drive or short rides... The oil layer could be weakened too much on the cylinder walls, damaging piston rings...
It's a good puzzle game...
P.S.: sorry if I haven't used the appropriate terms, my English is not so good
In the 160hp Scirocco version I found on the web some cases of binding of the fourth cylinder, due to a too slim carburetion.
On the 180hp version of the TSI they greased the carburetion for sure: could be seen in the black and dirty colour of the excape pipe.
Also, comparing the cases of who have excessive oil consumption, it seems that who drives in the city or for short rides has more oil consumption.
Those two factors seem to be linked in some way: fat carburetion is always present at cold start and city drive or short rides... The oil layer could be weakened too much on the cylinder walls, damaging piston rings...
It's a good puzzle game...
P.S.: sorry if I haven't used the appropriate terms, my English is not so good
Edited by kawabanga on Monday 23 January 13:21
I should add that when the consumption on mine was at it's worse I noticed the following:
The engine oil went very black very quickly;
I was getting sooty deposits all over the back of the car. As it's white it was very apparent; and
When stationary and in neutral the car wouldn't rev beyond 3,000 revs. No idea why that would be?
My new engine has done about 8,000 miles. It did 5,000 miles to take it to it's first service and used very little to no oil. In the last 3,000 miles it has used about 200 ml.
The engine oil went very black very quickly;
I was getting sooty deposits all over the back of the car. As it's white it was very apparent; and
When stationary and in neutral the car wouldn't rev beyond 3,000 revs. No idea why that would be?
My new engine has done about 8,000 miles. It did 5,000 miles to take it to it's first service and used very little to no oil. In the last 3,000 miles it has used about 200 ml.
huwp said:
I should add that when the consumption on mine was at it's worse I noticed the following:
The engine oil went very black very quickly;
I was getting sooty deposits all over the back of the car. As it's white it was very apparent; and
When stationary and in neutral the car wouldn't rev beyond 3,000 revs. No idea why that would be?
My new engine has done about 8,000 miles. It did 5,000 miles to take it to it's first service and used very little to no oil. In the last 3,000 miles it has used about 200 ml.
Mine does the same in neutral, thought it was a built in safety system on the supercharger clutch or something, it switches out at 3600 rpm. Just checked my oil for the first time since buying 3 weeks ago; it's about 3/4s down between the high and low marks on the dipstick. It was at the top 600 miles ago...The engine oil went very black very quickly;
I was getting sooty deposits all over the back of the car. As it's white it was very apparent; and
When stationary and in neutral the car wouldn't rev beyond 3,000 revs. No idea why that would be?
My new engine has done about 8,000 miles. It did 5,000 miles to take it to it's first service and used very little to no oil. In the last 3,000 miles it has used about 200 ml.
Any new from you guys...?
I found this article on the web, they talk about a recall, but I don't think it's a real recall, because regards only the cars that have the problem and over all those cars must have a consumption that is higher the maximum declared by VW...
What I mean for recall is to fix the problem in all the car produced, even if the issue is not emerged yet, dont' you agree?
http://strikeengine.com/polo-gti-1-4-tsi-twincharg...
Let's comment on it!
I found this article on the web, they talk about a recall, but I don't think it's a real recall, because regards only the cars that have the problem and over all those cars must have a consumption that is higher the maximum declared by VW...
What I mean for recall is to fix the problem in all the car produced, even if the issue is not emerged yet, dont' you agree?
http://strikeengine.com/polo-gti-1-4-tsi-twincharg...
Let's comment on it!
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