Golf 118 TSI Engine Failures and Service Campaign 24S4

[cktsi]

10 mins ago I was driving on my way home and I heard a rattle sound from behind the firewall (from the engine bay) and a plume of unburnt fuel spewed from my Golf's exhaust.

This has happened before only this time the engine warning light AND EPC light came on. 30 seconds after the rattle the engine's running became VERY rough and uneven. Lucky I was close to home.

I rang VW assist, but of course being 5:50pm the workshops are closed & nothing can be done about it until Monday.

So the car is at home, but parked on the street (for fear it will break down & be difficult to remove from the garage).

I've read about 118TSI engines "blowing up" in Golfs in Sydney... but fortunately for me this was a gradual meltdown. I unfortunately won't be able to drive this weekend and take chickie babes out for a ride

Thanks VW.

I had this rough idling before from my 2.0FSI and in that instance it was a defective magnetic coil used to trigger some kind of engine internals. This may account for the 118TSI rough running, but the rattle suggests a supercharger issue as well. Check (if you live in usa): Publix Weekly Ad, or Supercheap Auto Catalogue.

We'll see what VW have to say on Monday, but in the meantime I'm going to stew without the car & start thinking about whether I want to follow Tommy's path.

Sorry for the bad news folks

[dopey]

When was your car built? I was wondering to myself today whether all these faults coming up on the forum are just a case of early batch vehicle syndrome, or if the "MY10" latest batch are suffering problems too.

[Driven Threads]

That sounds serious. Bad luck mate. Hope it is repaired properly and quickly.

[mr gee]

Damn! you are making me apprehensive about my car.

[ox518]

Hey mate, so sorry to hear that, hope your car will be fine. Let us know.

[Greg Roles]

It's very odd that people are having problems with the new TSI, given the "old" TSI had very little problems that I'm aware of really, and was indeed a "first" time engine. I'd be spewing if a new car did the same to me, very disappointing!

[balkanac]

looks like MK6s are breaking down a lot. VW is starting to make unreliable cars. I was going to look for a Jetta or a Passat for my gf but im having second thoughts now...

[logger]

My 118TSI blew up

With any luck it hasn't really blown up. Probably a zillion things could bring on the EPC light and rough running. The fact that you were able to keep driving it sounds promising. Also the fact that "This has happened before.." and it apparently cleared itself sounds like it is not terminal. When I read blew up I was thinking of my old holden firing 2 conrods going through opposite sides of the block and expiring instantaneously. Doesn't sound like anything serious like that. Fingers crossed hey...

[x_rotary_rasp]

Rattle from behind the firewall might suggest a faulty catalytic converter.

Did you experience 1) Engine light flashing. 2) Power loss?


This could be caused by a couple of things but the main culprits would be ignition coils/ignition leads/spark plugs. If raw fuel is unburnt, it would lead to the catalytic converter to go superhot and will melt away and cause a blockage.

The funny thing when this happens is that people tend to keep driving the car. Flashing Engine Light means it should be parked and get a flatbed truck and get it looked at straight away.

On point 2 above with power loss, most people would depress the accelerator pedal to WOT. This should not be done as more unburnt fuel will enter through the cat converter and might cause the exhaust pipes to overheat as well. This might also cause some of the plastic parts around the exhaust outlet to melt away.

I don't think your engine has blown. Please let the community know what did go wrong with your car so that we could at least know what to expect.

I'm a track addict and catalytic converters are not made for constant track use. Looking back, I should've bought that No-cat midpipe.

On that note, my track car is running like new.

Ohhh... I bought a diesel, so no ignition coils/spark plugs to worry about.

[Schnapp]

Hmmm wow thats not good. Hope it gets sorted for you.

I am now worried about my car too...since i have engine noises which does not sound normal. I have described the noise symptoms in the other threads. Hopefully its not a poorly designed supercharger...

[pinzvidz]

Sounds like a coil pack to me. Same thing happened to the wife's GTI a few weeks back, started running (like a bag of crap) on 3 cylinders, EPC light on etc. etc. One new coil pack later and back to normal.

It's certainly an inconvenience, but luckily I was right near my work when the coil pack failed. Left it in the workshop, took home a car off the lot, had to wait a couple days for a new coil pack to be flown up from Sydney.

C'mon VW, get your act together! If you want to replace Toyota as the world's no.1 car manufacturer, you need to sort the reliability issues first.

[cktsi]

Rattle from behind the firewall might suggest a faulty catalytic converter.

Did you experience 1) Engine light flashing. 2) Power loss?


This could be caused by a couple of things but the main culprits would be ignition coils/ignition leads/spark plugs. If raw fuel is unburnt, it would lead to the catalytic converter to go superhot and will melt away and cause a blockage.

The funny thing when this happens is that people tend to keep driving the car. Flashing Engine Light means it should be parked and get a flatbed truck and get it looked at straight away.

On point 2 above with power loss, most people would depress the accelerator pedal to WOT. This should not be done as more unburnt fuel will enter through the cat converter and might cause the exhaust pipes to overheat as well. This might also cause some of the plastic parts around the exhaust outlet to melt away.

I don't think your engine has blown. Please let the community know what did go wrong with your car so that we could at least know what to expect.

I'm a track addict and catalytic converters are not made for constant track use. Looking back, I should've bought that No-cat midpipe.

On that note, my track car is running like new.

Ohhh... I bought a diesel, so no ignition coils/spark plugs to worry about.

The tow truck driver this morning is from a company that tows prestige cars. From his experience it seemed like a blown coil pack (one of the things I suspected).

It doesn't explain the rattling sound though... kinda like hearing shirt buttons tinkle inside a tumble dryer.


Yes, the lights did flash. I didn't have noticeable power loss... the engine was running so rough it was hard to tell, but the car wasn't struggling to move or anything.

So today we'll know what's happened.

i still love the car, but it is disappointing.

[cktsi]

With any luck it hasn't really blown up. Probably a zillion things could bring on the EPC light and rough running. The fact that you were able to keep driving it sounds promising. Also the fact that "This has happened before.." and it apparently cleared itself sounds like it is not terminal. When I read blew up I was thinking of my old holden firing 2 conrods going through opposite sides of the block and expiring instantaneously. Doesn't sound like anything serious like that. Fingers crossed hey...

Nah... it hasn't blown up. A little story telling is always entertaining . But I do think there are multiple problems going on and it's not just the coil pack.

The car was driveable and able to be driven onto the tow truck. The only thing was when it started an incredible amount of bluey grey smoke was expelled. Same thing happened on Saturday morning - so this points to a blown coil pack.

The tow truck driver has seen lots of VW's with blown coil packs. My mark V 2.0FSI had that around 2 years into my ownership - but I didn't have a problem since (well... i only owned it for 3 years!!)

[cktsi]

latest update

I won't get the car back today. They've only diagnosed the fact that there is "low compression in cylinder 3". They don't know why & will have to investigate further tomorrow.

I was hoping for a simple coil pack replacement

[eestison]

I won't get the car back today. They've only diagnosed the fact that there is "low compression in cylinder 3". They don't know why & will have to investigate further tomorrow.

I was hoping for a simple coil pack replacement

hi,

long time lurker - rare poster. heh.

the blue smoke that you describe is usually associated with burning oil.. if your mechanic is talking about low compression in cylinder 3 it could very well mean shot piston rings (compression rings)... this may also explain the "buttons bouncing around in the dryer" sound.

please keep us posted.

thanks.