Polo GTI High Oil Usage - Discussion Thread

[Pere]

Fontana,
Which Brisbane dealer agreed to rebuild your engine ?

[dening]

I'm in for first service and the beginning of sorting the oil use tomorrow.

Solitaire had been fairly open in talking about the oil use since purchasing and the fixes since it hasn't gone away, so fingers crossed they are happy to do the work and bill VW Australia.

Mine started off getting 2,500-3,000 between top ups, but it just came on after 1200 this time, so probably not going away.

[fontana302]

They didn't attempt a rebuild, I got a complete new motor.

[RossP]

Heads up on McGrath Volkswagen at Liverpool, Sydney. They have acquired a 2011 Polo GTI 4-door in candy white by way of a CTTT order last Friday. Only 22,000+ kms & well cared for, but has had 30 litres of oil put through it for the distance travelled. Not a car I would want to own (any longer) due to the oil consumption. VIN is on record with the NRMA as having used 1 litre of oil for 1,000kms following the breather hose "repairs". Last seen wearing the number plates BWI-29C.
When we left the hearing I asked the dealer principal if he intended to fix the oil consumption problem. He told me "unfortunately if we do an ECU diagnostic and it doesn't report any errors, then there's nothing wrong with the car". So, although nearly all their staff have been changed and the last service manager has now been sacked, one has to wonder if anything much has actually changed at McGraths?

[dening]

Heads up on McGrath Volkswagen at Liverpool, Sydney. They have acquired a 2011 Polo GTI 4-door in candy white by way of a CTTT order last Friday. Only 22,000+ kms & well cared for, but has had 30 litres of oil put through it for the distance travelled. Not a car I would want to own (any longer) due to the oil consumption. VIN is on record with the NRMA as having used 1 litre of oil for 1,000kms following the breather hose "repairs". Last seen wearing the number plates BWI-29C.
When we left the hearing I asked the dealer principal if he intended to fix the oil consumption problem. He told me "unfortunately if we do an ECU diagnostic and it doesn't report any errors, then there's nothing wrong with the car". So, although nearly all their staff have been changed and the last service manager has now been sacked, one has to wonder if anything much has actually changed at McGraths?

So were they made to refund or just buy it from you at current trade in value?

[skoobysGTI]

Ok thanks for the replies!

Sorry, I meant to say the CAVE was the old engine.

So are you telling me that this engine rebuild MAY NOT fix the issue?? Bloody hell man..I'm so sick of this..hope that it has fixed it..I'm not sure they will go down the path of exchanging the entire engine for me.

[RossP]

So were they made to refund or just buy it from you at current trade in value?

The CTTT were determined to tell me that the new dealer principal was a reasonable guy & they knew him well & that I would have to make allowances for the fact the car was 2 & half years old. So I got better than the lousy trade in prices, more like a market value. $21,000 and I don't have to live with the fact that I have privately sold this piece of crap to somebody else. At the end of the day it was expensive and involved a lot of time preparing submissions for the CTTT. Also not without the dealer playing some stupid stunt and throwing me out of the dealership when I tried to return the car on the date ordered. They ended up having to transfer the money to my account before picking up the car, or I would have just got a court order for the sherriff to take action. And that would have looked BAD in any future action against them.
There are other dealerships out there that do care about these cars and the trouble people have experienced with them. However, this is not one of them from my experience.

VW's form was interesting as usual.....their take was "the CTTT haven't made any orders against us", so they basically left their dealer hanging. They don't seem to care much more about their dealers than they do about their customers it would seem.

[Zakarados]

So are you telling me that this engine rebuild MAY NOT fix the issue?? Bloody hell man..I'm so sick of this..hope that it has fixed it..I'm not sure they will go down the path of exchanging the entire engine for me.

After my engine rebuild, everything seems fine. I just had my first service done, and the oil hasn't dropped since (only driven 1000km). I was burning 1L/1000km before the rebuild. Not sure if people have has rebuilds and still have heavy oil usage.

[dening]

So I just got my car back from 1st service and the breather hose mod, which the foreman said is updated to a few pipes and hoses and an ecu update, he was laughing at how many times VW had revised this TPI now. As I was paying I asked another guy "so am I on a consumption test now?" and he said "no, this will work 9 times out of 10 and but if the light comes back on, only then I should come in and do a test, that's what VW say". Clearly this guy was thinking they needed to protect VW. The service manager and workshop foreman said much different when I queried them and were very insistent that I am on a consumption test now and to come back in 1000km.

[gavs]

The CTTT were determined to tell me that the new dealer principal was a reasonable guy & they knew him well & that I would have to make allowances for the fact the car was 2 & half years old. So I got better than the lousy trade in prices, more like a market value. $21,000 and I don't have to live with the fact that I have privately sold this piece of crap to somebody else. At the end of the day it was expensive and involved a lot of time preparing submissions for the CTTT. Also not without the dealer playing some stupid stunt and throwing me out of the dealership when I tried to return the car on the date ordered. They ended up having to transfer the money to my account before picking up the car, or I would have just got a court order for the sherriff to take action. And that would have looked BAD in any future action against them.
There are other dealerships out there that do care about these cars and the trouble people have experienced with them. However, this is not one of them from my experience.

VW's form was interesting as usual.....their take was "the CTTT haven't made any orders against us", so they basically left their dealer hanging. They don't seem to care much more about their dealers than they do about their customers it would seem.

Oh Ross man, I understand that you wanted this over with and without being there in court with you I can only imagine how it would have gone, but surely the right and proper thing to have done is to have refunded the value of the car when you first reported the problem because after all, they never actually fixed the initial problem which you reported to them which under Australian consumer law says that if they fail to do so then they have to refund the price of the goods. The only reason the car is 2.5 yrs old when you finally sorted this is because the dealership, VGA and the (seemingly dodgy/cor...) CTTT took this long to reach a decision! I'd be writing to your local member for state parliament issuing a formal complaint into the proceedings of the CTTT. At least VCAT down here has some balls.

[muli]

I be asking for a consumption test in writing.

Whats the magic number for rebuilds?

What if they decide not to rebuild and you drive on low oil levels towards the end of the 1000kms?
Few test and it cant be good for the engine surely?

[skoobysGTI]

After my engine rebuild, everything seems fine. I just had my first service done, and the oil hasn't dropped since (only driven 1000km). I was burning 1L/1000km before the rebuild. Not sure if people have has rebuilds and still have heavy oil usage.

Cheers mate! This is great to know.

[Brent23]

Well here goes...again....and its not pretty at Volkswagen Sutherland!
Heres my polo gti My13N history ......
4800km oil light comes on.checked oil very low..i should have checked earlier i know....
It was a sunday called Vw Sutherland told me to go buy oil and top up which i did,1L..forgot about problem...

Had oil and filter changed by liscenced mechanic at 5500km...

At 8500km oil light on again ...i know should have checked..went to Vw Sutherland,and all they could tell me was i shouldnt have changed the oil and have probaly voided my warranty..i told them they were crazy..oil consumption test starts..finished today..used 600ml in 1000km..out of vw spec ..but there telling me now that cause i had the oil changed is why it is using so much oil and that i need reciepts for my oil!?! i told them they were insane castrol edge 5w 30 BTW..

In short i need anwsers and help!! i am already in talks with Rockdale Vw who much more polite and willing to help me with the problem rather than dance around it like the fools at Sutherland Vw....Sorry for the long post ,but i just thought everone needs to know to stay clear of Vw sutherland as the after sales service is ridicluous!!!

[AndrewBurns]

They can't void your warranty if you have work done on the car by a licensed mechanic and they used the correct oil spec, that's probably why they're asking for receipts. See here: http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/...hts-79907.html

"The Trade Practices Act prevents the practice of exclusive dealing by attaching conditions to the sale of goods that restrict the buyers freedom of choice to deal with whom or in what they choose.
Essentially this means that a vehicle manufacturer cannot specify that you must have your car serviced by a particular dealer or group of dealers as part of the warranty conditions.
Nor can a manufacturer void a warranty simply because a vehicle owner has chosen to have a vehicle serviced outside the dealer network."

Basically unless they can prove that improper oil has caused the high consumption they can cram it and owe you a rebuild.

[Yaks1974]

The VW grade recommended long life oil is a 504/507 grade. Standard Castrol Edge is 502/505 I believe, and therefore not approved as a long life oil. However since you are not stretching your oil changes out to 15k yet I'm not sure there is a problem? I think I saw someone post that there are certain cleaners that are necessary for this type of engine in the 504/507 grade oil only.