**URGENT** Needing 2011 Mk6 Golf 118 Tsi engine advice!!

[Benji2391]

Hello to everyone in the VW community.

I’ve got a few questions about the car/engine mentioned in the thread title, and am in need of answers before I continue to drive my car.

So I bought a 2nd hand 118 Tsi from a dealership, it’s done 85,000km and drives bloody great, but I’ve been reading around and what I’ve read so far is making me quite nervous about the near future of this car.

From what the internet has told me so far, this particular model and engine type (which is the CAVD) HAS and WILL experience problems. All the advice is pretty all over the place and I am really just trying to get a straight answer from people who have had to rectify any issues with this car/engine.

I would appreciate any advice on what to expect in the next 20,000km as I’ve read the car will start to fail me at around the 100,000km mark.

Bit of history regarding the car;

* It’s done 85,000km so far

* It’s been serviced every 8000km by a genuine Volkswagen dealership

*Only one owner before me and it was all city driving

* Car is running on 95 Octane as I’ve been told 98 Octane is too rich for the little engine (would love advice on whether it’s appropriate to run it on 98 Octane)

The real question is, what should I be replacing NOW to keep it in good shape, rather than wait till the 100,000km mark and have it start failing on me. And does anyone still have a factory stock 2011 Golf 118 Tsi that has passed the “danger zone” (100,000km mark) and has had no problems thus far?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and thanks once again to the VW community in taking the time to help me on this issue.

[h100vw]

Pay the extra for 98. The engine will thank you.

[The_Hawk]

Very sadly, there is no 100,000km mark (or any other mark). Engines have failed at low km's (mine did at ~31k) up to the over 100,000km range with little rhyme or reason why some last longer than others? Driven too hard? Too soft? Too short? Too long? Who knows.

It's an excellent engine when it's working right!.

What can you do?? Use good fuel, service it well and hope for the best. Save for the inevitable replacement car/engine/engine rebuild.

As for fuel, the car asks for 98 and 95 as a minimum (check the sticker on the fuel door). I only use 98 and don't recommend anything less.

[Benji2391]

So there’s no prior indication to when the motor will **** itself? Was yours gradual or was it just all of a sudden? And what’s the most K’s have you seen people get out of these cars before they truly start to fail? Thanks

[The_Hawk]

There really is no magic number on kms. Read here for more details, plenty of individual threads around too.
Golf 118 TSI Engine Failures and Service Campaign 24S4

Really, there is no way to know that it won't run perfectly for the next 80,000km or that it will die tomorrow.

Zero warning, they run perfectly until the pistons crack and you lose compression in that cylinder. At that point you may notice rough running (or not) depending on how it goes. Down on power for sure. Catching it straight away reduces the damage done to the cylinder walls so you might get away with just new pistons, otherwise you might need more work.

Various theories are around. Tune the DSG to make it use the engine better? Tune the car to fix the air/fuel ratios? Only use 98 fuel? Failure with all the above in any combination are documented.

Why did the Polo GTI with this engine not seem to have the same level of issues? The Golf Mk5 GT. The Beetle? Again, lots of theories about tuning for efficiency and being too lean, but even a retune doesn't seem to guarantee success.



Given mine is a Cabriolet, if it were to go again, I would probably try to save it with a 2.0T from a GTI or possibly even an electric conversion if such a thing were available at the time in a somewhat cost effective way compared to a replacement petrol motor.

For a standard Golf... well, it's the nice Mk6 with all the shiny bits, but it's getting older and cheaper making engine replacements less viable vs parting it out or scrapping it and starting again.

[mr gee]

I had the 118TSI when it was first introduced in the Mk6, loved the car. Had the various recalls and service campaigns to sort the DSG, lean fueling and waterpump/supercharger clutch. Luckily when we traded the car in for a GTI at 70,000 km and two and a half years, no piston problem. Perhaps a Bluefin stage one and 98 octane fuel to thank for?

I had enough faith in VW fixing the engine to owning a Beetle later on. VW had done much to fix the engine that it was re designated a CTHD. We had the Beetle for 7 plus years

We kept the Beetle for 7 years.

[Benji2391]

Engines have failed at low km's (mine did at ~31k)

And how did you usually drive yours until it karked it at 31k?

[Guest001]

The proper time to ask your questions was BEFORE you bought the car and then you wouldnt be in a panic.

So many do this and buy and come on here with "oh s**t " should I have bought this , when if they had asked earlier fears would have been allayed or confirmed.

[Lucas_R]

I would run 98 (best knock resistance) fuel, and if its a DSG I would drive it in manual mode as much as possible to allow the engine to rev higher to reduce the chance of pinging/knock, as the DSG mapping in D mode is to be in the highest gear possible which is not good for the engine and causes it to labour and increase chances of pinging/knock.

[The_Hawk]

And how did you usually drive yours until it karked it at 31k?

It was always looked after, 98 fuel, warmed up before giving it the beans. That said, it was also tuned and went down dragstrips and around race tracks a few times. Better brake fluid and pads were used and fluids changed after any of those sorts of events, so all reasonable things done but I always knew about the motor even before I bought it... just really wanted the Cab.

At that point in time, we knew the 118TSI was having issues, but hoped different revisions of parts or tunes would solve the problem... seems not. The DSG has potential issues too, although I avoided that one with a manual.

Maybe I should have bought a GTI instead, but I still love the Cabriolet and like I said, would try to keep it if things went crack again.

Equally, lots of stories of people using it just around town with the same issues.