1.0 TSI Battery/Turbo Wastegate stuck shut
Discussion
Car hasn’t been driven for a few weeks, but was totally fine in June and before.
Started it up this week and it had the engine management light on and after a short drive the EPC light came on solid and performance was restricted. Called local VW dealer to ask if there was anything simple it might be after lying dormant. They suggested getting breakdown out if I had any first. So I did. Breakdown assistance discovers battery is gubbed (plenty charge but the resistance in the battery) and there’s a fault code for electronic turbo wastegate stuck shut.
Car is in limp mode as soon as you put more than a throttle on so it’s useless just now (presumably this is once it notices the turbo valve issue)
No room at garages nearby for weeks.
Is it maybe the battery causing all the faults?
Wouldn’t want to change the battery and then VW won’t sort the turbo because I’ve changed the battery and driven it about more to bork it, similarly I wouldn’t want to be without the car for a month then find out it just needed a battery
Started it up this week and it had the engine management light on and after a short drive the EPC light came on solid and performance was restricted. Called local VW dealer to ask if there was anything simple it might be after lying dormant. They suggested getting breakdown out if I had any first. So I did. Breakdown assistance discovers battery is gubbed (plenty charge but the resistance in the battery) and there’s a fault code for electronic turbo wastegate stuck shut.
Car is in limp mode as soon as you put more than a throttle on so it’s useless just now (presumably this is once it notices the turbo valve issue)
No room at garages nearby for weeks.
Is it maybe the battery causing all the faults?
Wouldn’t want to change the battery and then VW won’t sort the turbo because I’ve changed the battery and driven it about more to bork it, similarly I wouldn’t want to be without the car for a month then find out it just needed a battery

Coincidentally this exact issue has just arisen on my partners 1.0tsi Polo - Undriven for a week or so and now throws EPC Light, Limp Mode & Engine light. Error code seems to relate to the Turbo Actuator 'Position A Overboost Limit Exceeded'. Seems to be a common issue on these engines - car has only done 29K Miles.
It's booked in next week but I may try a new battery first, will keep you posted if I have any luck.
It's booked in next week but I may try a new battery first, will keep you posted if I have any luck.
stevemcs said:
Its usually the actuator, no doubt revised again - knowing VW. Normally 1 hours work to swap, reset and clear any codes with a roadtest and £300 for the part.
Got this on our 89000 mile 1.0 3cyl Ateca. It's in the dealer as it's (just) still under All In cover. Does just changing the actuator usually work OK?
Join the club 
Up! GTi did this. Low miles, lives sea-lochside often.
I'll sing the praises of Straightline Performance (Malvern) who fixed it. They gave me a range of prices dependent on where/how badly the mechanism was seized. And very fortunately a strip and lubricate came in below the lowest range. IIRC at the other end of the scale if it's the turbo end then that was £££.
I asked if their was any mitigating maintenance I could do. Boot it at least once per journey so the actuator actuates! I drive too mildly it seems

Up! GTi did this. Low miles, lives sea-lochside often.
I'll sing the praises of Straightline Performance (Malvern) who fixed it. They gave me a range of prices dependent on where/how badly the mechanism was seized. And very fortunately a strip and lubricate came in below the lowest range. IIRC at the other end of the scale if it's the turbo end then that was £££.
I asked if their was any mitigating maintenance I could do. Boot it at least once per journey so the actuator actuates! I drive too mildly it seems

Thanks both.
I did read some comments that the actuator isn't available so was hopeful I'd get a new turbo but the SEAT Assist guy (an ex-Audi tech) said they are, but he reckoned the failure was usually caused by whatever it operates inside the turbo become stiff or jammed. The dealer quoted for the actuator at £327 fitted. Was covered by the VW Group All In warranty which finishes early Nov.
I was hoping they'd get the actuator off and find the turbo siezed but apparently it was "fine". To be fair the car did drive OK - I did about 40 miles of spirited driving on fast A roads with the EPC and EML on and the car drove perfectly normally.
I do wonder if the car's recent change of use might have shown this up - until recently it was used for daily fast 70 mile round trip commute, but it's been replaced by an EV. I kept the Ateca really as a spare as it's got little value but it's hardly being used and even then only for very local trips. I had a Merc that fell apart when Covid stopped it being used much.
As for exercising the actuator I don't know whether it operates more at low speed or high speed (I think it's VGT - variable geometry) and how that affects performance. Does it drive the vanes open or closed? I read one comment that said in testing to focus on high engine braking. I had a car in the past with turbo failure and the car was just dead to drive so I think the turbo in these little 1 litre engines is working quite hard even in normal use.
I did read some comments that the actuator isn't available so was hopeful I'd get a new turbo but the SEAT Assist guy (an ex-Audi tech) said they are, but he reckoned the failure was usually caused by whatever it operates inside the turbo become stiff or jammed. The dealer quoted for the actuator at £327 fitted. Was covered by the VW Group All In warranty which finishes early Nov.
I was hoping they'd get the actuator off and find the turbo siezed but apparently it was "fine". To be fair the car did drive OK - I did about 40 miles of spirited driving on fast A roads with the EPC and EML on and the car drove perfectly normally.
I do wonder if the car's recent change of use might have shown this up - until recently it was used for daily fast 70 mile round trip commute, but it's been replaced by an EV. I kept the Ateca really as a spare as it's got little value but it's hardly being used and even then only for very local trips. I had a Merc that fell apart when Covid stopped it being used much.
As for exercising the actuator I don't know whether it operates more at low speed or high speed (I think it's VGT - variable geometry) and how that affects performance. Does it drive the vanes open or closed? I read one comment that said in testing to focus on high engine braking. I had a car in the past with turbo failure and the car was just dead to drive so I think the turbo in these little 1 litre engines is working quite hard even in normal use.
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