118TSI Engine Failure - nothing more, nothing less, just numbers/details

[stickshift3000]

The simple answer is even if it was the worst engine in the world VW will never admit that it was a failure.

What I'm trying to say is that we may never really know all the reasons for dropping the engine

I totally agree, dropping it for reliability concerns was just my opinion.

Respect for the concept behind this engine aside, if I ran the company and was in charge of the bottom line I'd be dropping it quick smart from the line up too. VW won't make a cent out of many of these cars that have had major engine issues.

[gavs]

118TSI Engine Failure - nothing more, nothing less, just numbers/details

In all honesty the concept is good, it's just a couple of areas that it falls down, namely piston and ring tolerances to bores and fuel delivery, all in the name of economy. There are examples of the twin charged 1.4 putting out reliable figures of 250kw+ and 350+Nm of torque. I speak with a few guys in the uk that have examples of this engine in some pretty manic states of tune and after discovering upon a strip-down the poor manufacturing of the piston/bore tolerances, all their oil consumption and blow-by issues disappeared. I'd be more concerned about the dsg bolted to the bum of the engine frankly!

[cme2c]

2009 118 TSI 46000 kms 2.5yo no 4 cracked piston. Engine, injectors, intake flap under warranty. Now 56k fine, doesn't use oil, smooth as silk.

[pologti18t]

Do you really know this as fact? Or are you just assuming this the same way the previous poster assumed it was dropped for reliability concerns?
.

Go look through the articles on the new MQB chassis ... it tells you there what that did with the engines to make them fit and reduce weight. It's essentially a totally new engine.

The EA211 engines are a completely new four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injection TSI engines. Compared to its predecessor, the EA211 series is significantly more compact, with installation length 50 mm shorter, thus offering more interior space. The installation position of the engines has also been optimised. Just as in the diesels, the petrol engines are now mounted with the exhaust side facing backwards and tilted at an angle of 12 degrees. The weight of these petrol engines made of die-cast aluminium is only 97 kg for the 1.2 TSI and 106 kg for the 1.4 TSI. The crankshaft alone became lighter by 20 per cent; the connecting rods lost 30 per cent of their weight. In addition the connecting rod bearing journals are now hollow-drilled and pistons now come with flat bottoms, all of them optimized for lower weight. Regarding thermal management, the EA211 petrol engine is equipped with a modern dual-circuit cooling system. That means that a high temperature circuit with a mechanically driven cooling pump cools the basic engine, while a low temperature circuit flows through the intercooler and the turbo-charger casing. The cylinder-head circuit heats the cabin's interior. The exhaust manifold is integrated into the cylinder head, enabling the engine to warm up more quickly, in turn making heat available quickly for the passenger cabin. At high loads, the exhaust is cooled by the coolant, lowering fuel consumption.

[Feng]

Mine's a 2011 model 118TSI DSG. New clutch pack replaced at 15,000km service (campaign 37G7) after shuddering and hesitation. Pistons, timing chain and other parts replaced at 30,000km service after rough idle. Found to be low compression in cylinder 1 and excessive damage to piston.

Just a running count, I'm the 6th person in this thread reporting in with major engine work done.

adhock (engine)
Ryanr_r (dsg not counted)
Mountainman's brother (engine)
jayjay (engine)
Sentinel (engine)
cme2c (engine)

[Ryan_R]

Good news (at least for others) is I've driven the Mk7 103TSI DSG7 and I reckon they've cracked it, driving characteristics are much better now. That said my plan is to wait for the DSG6 GTI.

[adhock]

I've trawled the two top 'engine gone bad' threads, and will post the results shortly (checking I haven't duplicated etc). Somewhat more than 6, somewhat less than 500. Lots of duplicated posts over threads lessens the numbers.

[grtuned]

118TSI Engine Failure - nothing more, nothing less, just numbers/details

I've trawled the two top 'engine gone bad' threads, and will post the results shortly (checking I haven't duplicated etc). Somewhat more than 6, somewhat less than 500. Lots of duplicated posts over threads lessens the numbers.

You would only be counting forum members regarding engine failures. I'd like to see the amount anyway out of curiosity. I'd at least triple that amount not including members.

But not to be harsh i still give credit to Volkswagen AG for repairing these failures under wty even though the owner is greatly inconvenienced. But they will never admit poor build quality and vw technical always question owner of what fuel was used!!! As if to point the blame elsewhere.

[adhock]

And if I trawled the Whirlpool forums I'd get more as well. But I couldn't be sure they didn't overlap - same people, different login id in part.

[Ryan_R]

The idea is still great, the biggest problem was probably building it to a price. If they applied it to a more expensive car, say twin-charge a Golf R, they could perhaps afford to engineer it better.

But compared to something like a Honda VTEC engine where you never hear of one going bust, the 118 looks awful.

[fully]

Good news (at least for others) is I've driven the Mk7 103TSI DSG7 and I reckon they've cracked it, driving characteristics are much better now. That said my plan is to wait for the DSG6 GTI.

Lets give it a year or so before cylinder deactivation starts paying up causing new engine issues with the 103tsi

[adhock]

Stats on failures

Added up post of engine failure due to pistons vs any other cause, on VW Watercooled forums.

7 separate incidents on this thread, 11 if you count a comment of '4th this week' when mine went in, and a poor soul in there when I went back in for DSG failure.
33 in the ...resolved by service campaign thread, 36 if the 'I heard of 4 in the dealers at the time' is counted.
6 in the My engine failed... thread
1 in the 118 tsi appreciation thread

47 total minimum, 54 possible. Make what you will of it, but it does seem more than one should expect in the 2nd decade of the 21st century from a major automotive manufacturer, remembering that these are just the people who got stroppy and went to the internet and forums to find out why their car had carked it spectacularly.

It isn't any piston in particular, it's any mileage from 5k upwards to 50 or 60k. VW is honourng statutary warranty after 3 years in general.

And yes, I can give post numbers if needed.

[Brendan_A]

118TSI Engine Failure - nothing more, nothing less, just numbers/details

So not many considering how many Golf 118 sold in this country.

[adhock]

So not many considering how many Golf 118 sold in this country.

Maybe I should add up the contented owners posts on the 118tsi appreciation thread, then take the failures as a percentage of that... Maybe a more realistic comparison.

[Mountainman]

So not many considering how many Golf 118 sold in this country.

Maybe, but I bet there is no other car brand in the country with anything like this pathetic result. And where is there anyone who can confirm that twincharger has reached even 100k without a piston failure. Engines now are expected to reach 300k+ without opening them up. Have you checked how many twinchargers Wippels VW have had to repair?