Golf 118 TSI Engine Failures and Service Campaign 24S4

[drbono]

Update

I previously detailed my experiences from Xmas eve 2009 when my engine blew up. I am pleased to say that the engine was completely replaced and the car was returned to me after about 6 weeks.

Amusingly, just like golfyvic, my coolant light came on within a few days, I opened the bonnet to find the coolant lid OFF! NO coolant fluid in the reservoir. Unbelievable! Another trip back to the same dealership and some small apologies.

Since (now 3 months) I have had no problems.

Also, in Melbourne's Herald-Sun today... Very interesting reading...

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-news/volkswagen_golf_118tsi_warning

[Spook]

Like this quote here from the Carsguide article:

"We have just notified our dealers and are sending out letters to customers to bring in their cars to have an upgrade of their engine software," Volkswagen Australia spokesman, Karl Gehling, says. Gehling says apart from one owner's engine blowing up, there have only been a few reports of problems.

This from Carsales:

The problem appears to be unique to Volkswagens in Australia. The company says there have been no other similar reports overseas and the computer fix was devised by Germany specifically for Australia.

[mr gee]

Like this quote here from the Carsguide article:



This from Carsales:

I heard of similar problems reported in Singapore.

[nicandlance]

I previously detailed my experiences from Xmas eve 2009 when my engine blew up. I am pleased to say that the engine was completely replaced and the car was returned to me after about 6 weeks.

Amusingly, just like golfyvic, my coolant light came on within a few days, I opened the bonnet to find the coolant lid OFF! NO coolant fluid in the reservoir. Unbelievable! Another trip back to the same dealership and some small apologies.

Since (now 3 months) I have had no problems.

Also, in Melbourne's Herald-Sun today... Very interesting reading...

Volkswagen Golf 118TSI warning | Review | carsguide.com.au

My husband actually knows the woman involved in this article. Kaye is a policewoman who works with my husband - she warned us about the problem a week after we took delivery of our car.
Emailed my dealer already - going to get my baby checked!

[Golf Mark 6]

Golf 118 TSI Engine Failures: Resolved via Service Campaign 24S4

Thought I'd share my sad story with you...

Last Monday I noticed the engine on my Golf started running roughly on the way to my weekly squash session. When I turned on the engine for my return home I noticed the yellow engine light had turned on and then started blinking...

I nursed the car home and called VW roadside assistance. The very efficient and pleasant guys on the other end of the line organised the tow to the local dealership and a taxi for work the next day.

After many calls to and from the dealership, I went in to pick up my courtesy car and had a look at my pride and joy sitting there with it's engine open.

Piston head had a crack leading to a compression loss in cylinder 2. At 12,000 km...

Today I found out that VW had a recall (or whatever they choose to call it) on my engine. I understand that the engines involved will get a re-flash (which mine will get after all four cylinders are replaced). I'm pretty sure my engine issue is related to the recall.

My concern right now is that the cracked piston will have caused damage to the inside of the cylinder, and possibly elsewhere, and I will be taking this up with the dealer when I speak to them next. I really don't want to spend the remainder of my car's life visiting the service centre every month to solve serious engine issues.

How the incorrect engine mapping could lead to cracking in a piston at such low km is beyond me. I'm also hope that the re-flash won't significantly reduce the power of the engine (maybe just alter the power band).

[Corey_R]

From what I can tell, the poor Australian fuel is probably to blame here. It's really starting to impact the European manufacturers heavily. These engines are being designed for 'Euro 5' regulations in relation to fuel consumption and emissions, yet our fuel is far below the quality level which Euro 5 requires. One of the big things it the sulphur level in Australian fuels is several times what it needs to be, but it may be more complex than that.

In relation to your engine, there are other members who have had the entire engine replaced. If I were in your position, I would push the issue and ask that this happens to your car as well. I'm not mechnical (well not to the extent of understanding this procedure), but I don't undestand how they can "replace a cylinder" in an engine. Pistions, cylinder heads, sure, but not a cylinder itself. I would feel much better if the entire engine were replaced if it were my car.

[POLARBEAR666]

Isn't BP Ultimate very low sulphur or is it just lower than the rest of the aussie junk but not lower than europe?

[logger]

Thought I'd share my sad story with you...
.

That is indeed rotten luck for you. As I have the same car I am mildly concerned. Out of interest have you been using a particular bread of fuel and was it it alway 98RON or were you using 95RON as well a bit? I am open minded to as to the cause by the way. I have a hunch related to emission controls, not fuel, but will not be able to check until I see how my car compares after any ECU "fix" via VCDS. Anyone know at what part of operating regime this engine is exposed to the greatest heat stress?

[nicandlance]

Does anyone suggest a certain brand of fuel?

[team_v]

Does anyone suggest a certain brand of fuel?

BP Ultimate > *
See here: http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f77/...mium-9335.html

To everyone:
If you are spending over 30k on a car, why would you cheap out a dollar or 2 every fortnight and run your car on poorer quality fuel.
If it's that much of a pricing issue, just don't have one coffee in that fortnight and you will be ahead.

[BBP]

95RON is recommended isn't it?

Why should we have to pay for 98RON?

[logger]

BP Ultimate > *
See here: http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f77/...mium-9335.html

Would like be interested in the results in that thread, if blind testing had been done. Where the users did not know which brand was in their car at any given time. Also would be interesting to see what difference between the commonly available 98 ron fuels are based on scientific testing. In the mean time I am happy to use any 98 RON from a mainstream brand without feeling cheap. I sure cant tell the difference.

[Corey_R]

Isn't BP Ultimate very low sulphur or is it just lower than the rest of the aussie junk but not lower than europe?

BP Ultimate 98 Unleaded contains less than "50 parts per million of sulphur". This is less than 2/3 the amount of sulphur in regular unleaded fuels (including 95 octane premiums), which are up to 150 ppm.

Euro 5 compliant fuels, which are (not quite so obviously) required for Euro 5 compliant engines contain up to 10 ppm maximum.

This means that even BP Ultimate is 5 times higher than the engines are designed for!!!
But regular 91 and 95 unleadeds are 15 times higher than the engines are designed for!!!

This is particularly troublesome during "lean burns". If anyone remembers the comments and pictures posted by someone here a while back in relation to the 118TSI engine failures, fuel leanness (is that a word?) was bought up as a likely problem. The sulphur content in Australian fuels is also causing issues with BMW and Mercedes. They both have new motors that they simply cannot bring to Australia because of how bad our fuel is. Despite these engines being far cleaner and far more fuel efficient than the current generation of engines available.

[Corey_R]

95RON is recommended isn't it?

Why should we have to pay for 98RON?

See my post above...

[BBP]

See my post above...

Thanks for the above and I understand your explanation.

However, if the brochure says 95RON, then that's what I'll be using. If VW have released an engine that can't cope with 95RON then that is a Fair Trading Act issue for them - misleading and deceptive, not fit for purpose etc.

Let the warranty claims roll on !