1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

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Der Finne.
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1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Der Finne. »

Last week my year-old 2011 1.2 TSI with 22,000 miles lit up the EPC warning light on the instrument panel, and the engine ECU went into limp-mode meaning the engine wouldn't take revs. I managed to limp to a parking place, switched off the engine, then restarted. Warning light went off and the car behaved normally again.

The next day the same happened again.

I read the fault codes using VCDS, and it threw this at me:

Code: Select all

11825 - Charge Pressure Control Actuator: Mechanical Malfunction
P334B 00 [096] - Upper Limit Exceeded
Mileage: 34595 km
I spoke about this to a mate who works as a mechanic at a VW dealership, and he said I'll be needing a new turbo then! :shock:

So yesterday I went to my local VW dealer to have the fault codes read under warranty, and the outcome was: the turbocharger will be replaced next Monday!

Anyone else here had the turbo on their TSI replaced yet?
From what I've understood mine is no single case, it's not exactly epidemic but VW supposedly are well aware of the problem with the wastegate acting up. Have to give credit to VW and my local dealer though, the decision to replace the turbo under warranty was absolutely no hassle, they didn't try to pull wool over my eyes or hush the problem in any way. Let's just hope all goes well with the replacement...
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Deako
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Deako »

Polos arent proving to be too reliable are they. :shock: The TSI oil issues are making me doubt that i have made the right choice going for a GTI.

Anything has to be better than the Scirocco 2.0 GT i just managed to get rid of though. :oops: Brake servo, injectors, DSG faults, perished rubber on seals + loads more wrong with it. Dealer took it back form me luckily.
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whitegtipolo
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by whitegtipolo »

I sold my 6r and went back to 9n3 gti :roll:
AJ_7
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by AJ_7 »

This is the first time I've ever heard of this issue, in any of the 1.2 variants and it'd be safe to say I've trawled through some forums in the last 6 months. What's your driving style like?
gavs
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by gavs »

Hmmm, sounds like the wastegate actuator sensor. Just think how many turbos are out there on these cars though and so far, that's one, Uk based issue on a 1.2 from this community. Only panic when, like the GTI oil consumption issues, there is a widespread issue.

Anyone who believes VWs have ever really been reliable is kidding themselves, even the old ones with idiotic push-on fuel lines that blew off here in Oz due to summer heat and the vapours in the petrol tank expanding. That was fun having them blow off and spray nice, combustible petrol through the stinking hot engine bay. A good result was if you got out with minor burns!
Der Finne.
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Der Finne. »

AJ_7 wrote:What's your driving style like?
Like an 80-year old who let's the turbo get its oil flowing before taking off, and spin down before shutting down the engine. Definitely no pizza delivery driving style... :lol:

TBH, I can't see how driving style could affect the lifespan of a wastegate. The turbocharger itself and its bearings are another matter, but those should be fine on mine. It's just that the wastegate actuator is acting up.

I've read quite a lot about the wastegate problem e.g. on www.motor-talk.de forums. They say that another symptom of a defective wastegate is a slight rattling (or "brrrr") noise when taking off at low revs. Not to be confused with the rattling air conditioning pipes, though.
gavs
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by gavs »

It's still under warranty yeah? If so, don't worry about it. If you think of how many of those turbos are pumped down a production line, you are always going to get production faults, it's a fact of life. Good thing it went into limp mode so it protected the engine, so now, you just get teh replacement fitted and off you go again:)
Der Finne.
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Der Finne. »

gavs wrote:It's still under warranty yeah? If so, don't worry about it. If you think of how many of those turbos are pumped down a production line, you are always going to get production faults, it's a fact of life. Good thing it went into limp mode so it protected the engine, so now, you just get teh replacement fitted and off you go again:)
Words of wisdom there. :) And exactly what the service advisor (or whatever they're called) behind the desk told me. :wink:

So. The turbo was changed today under warranty. First thing I noticed after firing her up on the dealership courtyard, was that the engine sounded like a cement mixer full of small rocks! Or a very old and loud diesel engine with a sharp rattle! :shock:

Immediately went back inside to talk to the service advisor, and he came out to listen to the engine. The longer it idled the quieter the noise became, but it was still there when I gently pumped the throttle, keeping the revs very low. The service advisor pinpointed the noise to the wastegate actuator rod. When he slightly pressed it the noise went away.

Back inside he showed me a service note from VW concerning the noise. Evidently it's the electric pressure regulator causing the actuator rod to vibrate at idle or low revs (under 1300 rpm). Although the turbo is new, manufacturing tolerances mean that some units may suffer from this noise while others are perfectly (relatively) silent. My new one just happened to have bigger tolerances.... :(

There's an engine ECU update that should solve this, my car was booked in for the update next Thursday. He couldn't say for sure what the update does, but he thought it probably switches off the electrical pressure regulator at idle and very low revs, so the actuator rod won't vibrate. After all, the pressure doesn't need to be regulated at idle since the turbo isn't spinning up yet. Kinda makes sense I suppose.

Funny though that the mechanic who changed the turbo hadn't noticed the noise when he started the car for the first time? Bit of a bummer having to take the car to the dealer again separately for the update. But I must still hand it to my dealership and the service advisors, they really seem to be genuinely interested in their products and know a lot about them. So all in all I'm very happy with how the VW service works in my hometown at least. The servce advisor told me that if the update won't help to solve the noise problem, then they'll change the turbo again!
Der Finne.
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Der Finne. »

OK, an update on the engine trouble:

Had the Polo in for service today for the above mentioned software update to get rid of the "diesel clatter". They phoned me in the afternoon and told they'd done the update, but it hadn't made the noise go away completely.

They had traced the remaining noise to the timing chain cover area. They'd opened the chain cover and discovered... a stretched timing chain! :shock:

Now the car is sitting partly dismantled at the dealer's while they're waiting for the repair parts to arrive. There's a technical note from VW that deals with this stretched chain problem, so this is another known teething problem that a 1.2 TSI can suffer from. Interesting that mine has them both.

Meanwhile I was given a rental Polo (1.2 three-cylinder, wea-hey!) to cruise around in. :wink: Really punchy at low revs I must admit, I was positively surprised!
wolfie
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by wolfie »

Beginning to thiink my shiny new 1.2Tsi, is a ticking time bomb of things waiting to go wrong... :(

Just from this little forum
Turbo woes
High oil consumption (think that's mainly 1.4)
Streched timing chain (FFS people have been making timing chains longer than cars!!!)

Anyone want to add anything else to the list?

Touchwood, car has been superb so far, but makes me wonder what lies ahead as car gets older.
AJ_7
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by AJ_7 »

You forgot to mention the rattling fuel lines as there is inadequate provision to keeping them tied down :p I read all these posts nowadays about all VW's being unreliable and full of faults but I'm on my second Polo now and I've not had any issues :)
wolfie
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by wolfie »

I'm a bit of a saddo and have had nowt but Vdubs for almost 20 years, only thing that's ever failed within the first 4-5 years has been a whell bearing, so can't complain. Maybe it's because you only read about the bad-uns, never the reliable ones. As I say mine is 6 months old and touchwood, running like a dream, very impressed with performance considering it's a weedy little 1.2

It's my first petrol in nearly 10 years, PD diesel in previous polo was great engine, hope this turns out the same. So far, so good.
tilzer
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by tilzer »

Had my 1.2TSi a couple of months now, love the look of the car and the way it drives. However not that happy with the build quality, been back and forth to the dealers with rattling fuel lines (now sorted), creaking doors, creaking tailgate, and now a returning clicking noise from the accelarator pedal. Had this looked at a couple of weeks ago technician said he had re-greased the pedal and noise gone. Well the noise is back again so going back to the dealers yet again tomorrow. Beginning to get a bit cheesed off now, not to say embarassed at turing up at the dealers yet again.

These cars are not cheap and you should expect better quality :x
wolfie
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by wolfie »

tilzer wrote:These cars are not cheap and you should expect better quality :x
I can't disagree with that, Vdubs sell at above the going rate because people perceive and expect "above the average" quality wise. While I do think they're well built and screwed together, there is evidence of the back-room bean counters sticking their ore in..

I also think it's "new model" gremlins. They can test em as much as they like but it's still not the same as being an everyday driver. Ratting fuel lines is a typical problem, probably only does it on certain models, in certain trim, even certain climates. As for trim rattles, I normally hunt em down and fix em myself so long as it doesn't mean ripping the dashboard out.. My 9n Polo had a rattle from day one, and in the 10years I ran it, came and went as it saw fit. ( sort of got used to it)

The high oil consumption is more worrying, (but it appears to be the 1.4TSI, in the GTi that suffer most) makes you think either the design isn't quite right or there are quality issues with components or suppliers. Possibly both.

As I say so far I'm impressed, that may change if and when things start to go wrong. I also think the dealers play a big part. If they are eager to fix stuff and do their best you tollerate the odd niggle. If they're ar seholes and can't be bothered it makes life and ownership pretty miserable.

Hope you get yours sorted, don't be embarassed about taking it back. If it's not right, it's not right..
Der Finne.
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Re: 1.2 TSI - turbo to be replaced at 22500 miles

Post by Der Finne. »

tilzer wrote:These cars are not cheap and you should expect better quality :x
That is true. But then I must say that the high price does reflect in how they deal with warranty claims: at least in my case I've nothing but positive to say about how the VW service has dealt with the issues. It's all been absolutely hassle-free to me, not like some makes whose service network do their best to ar se the customer...
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