Fabia vRS Engine Failed - Loss Of Compression Cyl 2

[Rab.S]

2013 Skoda Fabia vRS - 10,500 miles on the clock.

 

A week ago whilst driving at motorway speeds in my 2013 (MY2014) Fabia vRS, I accelerated to get past a waggon.  As I Put the foot down, the car dropped a couple of gears as expected followed by a cough and loss of power.  EPC and emission lights came on.  Car then cleared itself and drove fine, albeit with the lights on the dash.  At the first opportunity I pulled off the road to check the car over.  As I slowed down it became obvious that the car was not running as it should.  Skoda assist were called and after trying the obvious - Coil packs etc, the car was transported to the Skoda garage, and a hire car arranged for delivery the following day.

 

Over the past week the garage have -

 

Pulled the spark plugs - All reported to have shown signs of coking.

Updated ECU map with latest revision - Still running rough

Compression Test - All OK except Cyl 2 which had 0 compression.

Cylinder Head Removed - Cylinder 2 exhaust valves reported to be showing signs of being burned and holed? / not seating.   Also reported scoring on the walls of some cylinders.

 

Skoda have agreed to replace the engine, which is on order and will be fitted when it arrives.

 

What I would like to know is what the hell caused this?  Car used oil - though not excessively, 600ml per 1000 miles over the last 10,500 miles and showed no other signs of ill health up to that point.

[Ootohere]

Simple really,

Volkswagen Design, Manufacturing and lack of Quality Control, Engine Management errors etc, 2009-2012 with 1.4 TSI 132-136kw Minimum CAVE & CAD Engines.

http://revotechnik.com/support/technical/14tsi-twincharger-engine-issues

 

? But yours is a CTHE is it not,

built after September 2012?

 

Good you are getting it replaced.

Be sure they extend the Warranty on Parts & Labour.

 

Do not accept a Refurbished Factory engine for a CTHE Car.

Insist it is Brand New & have them confirm in writing.

Edited 16 January, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[Rab.S]

It is a CTHE - Model Year 2014.  

 

I bought the 5 year warranty with it when new.  

Should I be asking them to look at the Turbo if there was a loss of material from the exhaust valves - obvious place for any material to be lost would be through the turbine or waste gate / bypass.  Are there any other items that should be under scrutiny? Catalytic converter?

[Ootohere]

5 Year Warranty is great.

 

So you want everything checked, Turbo , Cat.

Have Skoda UK get in a Master Tech, or the Engine and components off for a Factory check,

because if CTHE engines are now failing they are up **** creak.

They might as well fit new parts for you, the cars are discontinued and they will have parts available,

and after all it is Volkswagen Groups major failures.

 

Some early CTHE were replaced and some later build ones,

they are not going to be able to just brush off failing CTHE.

 

Be sure you have the Spark Plugs kept,

4 showing sign of Coking is unusual.

 

What petrol were you running it on, 

Super Unleaded 97

or Tesco Momentum 99 / Shell V-Power Nitro 99 ron?

Edited 16 January, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[tattyjay]

Sorry to hear it, glad you're getting it sorted.

[Rab.S]

Always ran on either Tesco Momentum or V-Power.

[sharkrider]

damn. still shows VAG quality issues are not right :(

[Furbytom]

Not great hearing this tbh!

[thomasaspin]

wow sad to hear of a CTHE to bite the dust although there's proof CTHE have needed changing before maybe its just a faulty engine can happen in any fleet of car atleast you'll get a brand spanking new engine basically making your car new again 

[Ootohere]

1,800 CAVE Engine Skoda vRS sold in the UK 2010-2012.  

and we can not be certain on how many replacement engines,

but it is around 25%,   Skoda need to confirm when the make an apology really to the Owners.

 

Less than 1,200 CTHE in Skodas  in the UK Late 2012-2015.

I now have heard of on here, or know owners with Failed CTHE which brings it to 9 Engines at least that went badly.

 

There are going to be Owners / Drivers with faulty cars that might never come to Briskoda,

or even Online.

 

So the Warning need paying attention to on being sure the Spark Plugs are UK, & as before do not overfill with oil,

check after the car is serviced that it is not overfilled,

& if you go by Oil Warning Lights before you top up, you maybe best have more than 1 litre with you,

because 1 litre low tends not to give a Warning Light or Message.

Edited 17 January, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[Jabozuma]

You are getting a new engine with all the ancillaries then happy days.

If just "short engine" then tell them to start being serious.

Cylinder scoring is a sure sign of debris in the combustion chamber(s). Turbo and cat must be changed as well then i.e. brand new whole engine.

I am surprised you got an ECU update for your 2014 CTHE motor. My one is Nov2012 CTHE and on many ocassions I asked if any updates are available and were told that no...

[Ootohere]

RabS.  

Any update on this, is there a new engine fitted now?

[Ootohere]

An update would good on how you got on.

Unless Skoda UK CS asked you to sign a Confidentiality Agreement.

[Naths vRS]

Fantastic....someone else with this problem.  Mine has gone on Cylinder 3 though and is an early 2010.  Going into Skoda this Saturday.

[Ootohere]

How has it gone,

what is the diagnosis other than loss of compression, is it the valves?

Do you have the car and are you driving it?

Edited 8 April, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[Jabozuma]

Another one with a gagging order?

[Naths vRS]

How has it gone,

what is the diagnosis other than loss of compression, is it the valves?

Do you have the car and are you driving it?

Just came back as burning oil :/ which I knew anyway. Been told by one person that they will try get a new engine by good will but still awaiting phone call from them.

[RioVrS]

Hello to all

I have a Fabia vrs 2013 petrol twin-charged. Always ran on Tesco momentum and when we first had the car she was oil thirsty. The engines thirst seemed to subside and oil levels plateau. 
But then one day the engine management light and EPC came on whilst overtaking on M4. Spluttered and into limp mode. AA came out changed a coil pack and we were back on the road. About a week or so later the same scenario but this time melting the tip off a spark plug.
Where did it go?

I changed for a full set of iridium tipped ones. 
burnt tip off another one. Cylinder 4.  
So I changed coil packs and plugs, original parts and the same full set of the iridium tipped plugs. 
Actually worked and running better than ever. Fuel economy was up, no excess oil thirst, all in all Brilliant..
And so a year later and guess what?

Mrs was driving, at very most 10mph along her farm road (tarmac) we understeered through a R-hand 90 bend on wet leaves. Literally off the tarmac and onto a gentle slope grass verge.
Listening to the wifey “we could’ve died and nearly went flying off a cliff” pmsl. 
Well the car had very very superficial body damage. More scrapes and little scuffs of the thorny bushes we stopped up against. There were No loud crash or bangs because we didn’t hit anything.
but as we left the tarmac and onto grass, roughly a drop of 6 inches, there was a thud/thump where I now know to be the sills and or very slightly the underside of the engine. But no cracked sump, no gouges or scratches visible so all seemed good to go. 
the engine had stalled, dsg, so turned engine over to drive out. We had a bit of a tow from our quad (as a perspective as to how far “over the cliff” we were lol) but I knew instantly that something was not right. Engine management light and EPC on again. Nooooooooooooo

Ok so called insurance, Aviva who accepted the claim and RGM Swansea collected it. Few weeks later a call to come collect and pay £500 excess and drive away. We are still missing a side badge but was on backorder and will not impede the driving of the car. No problem. 
Mrs and 2 year old daughter went to collect the car, paid the excess but when the car we brought around it was still spluttering and she was told that the engine wasn’t repaired as it was down to wear and tear. W.T.F. 
I asked for a second opinion because the report just said wear and tear. No explanation of what parts. Just misfire and down to plugs etc. absolute crap. The car has been amazing for well over a year yet we have an unbelievably tiny bump and they put it down to this?

I asked for they’re report and the guy stated his inspection was of a “visual” nature only. So no testing of any parts at all!!!

Took to our local garage and we now have lost compression in cylinder 3 was on zero with other 3 cylinders up at the 89 - 93 mark. 

So? Can anyone give some well needed advice. I’m told at garage it’s a engine strip down, thousands £s and Aviva telling us they’re report is final until we show evidence it happened in accident and simply not wear and tear. But my argument to that was 
Yes ok the parts are wearing and tearing all the time but it was the accident wore and tore? Surely they can understand that! Right?

Please can someone give me some well needed advice.
What can or what do I do now?

Skoda?

Do the work myself? We have ramps in the tractor shed up the farm plus a full set of tools. So could I even do it myself?

please guys please give me something. Anything. 
thank y’all so much. 
Rio 😢
 

[RioVrS]

1 minute ago, RioVrS said:

Hello to all

I have a Fabia vrs 2013 petrol twin-charged. Always ran on Tesco momentum and when we first had the car she was oil thirsty. The engines thirst seemed to subside and oil levels plateau. 
But then one day the engine management light and EPC came on whilst overtaking on M4. Spluttered and into limp mode. AA came out changed a coil pack and we were back on the road. About a week or so later the same scenario but this time melting the tip off a spark plug.
Where did it go?

I changed for a full set of iridium tipped ones. 
burnt tip off another one. Cylinder 4.  
So I changed coil packs and plugs, original parts and the same full set of the iridium tipped plugs. 
Actually worked and running better than ever. Fuel economy was up, no excess oil thirst, all in all Brilliant..
And so a year later and guess what?

Mrs was driving, at very most 10mph along her farm road (tarmac) we understeered through a R-hand 90 bend on wet leaves. Literally off the tarmac and onto a gentle slope grass verge.
Listening to the wifey “we could’ve died and nearly went flying off a cliff” pmsl. 
Well the car had very very superficial body damage. More scrapes and little scuffs of the thorny bushes we stopped up against. There were No loud crash or bangs because we didn’t hit anything.
but as we left the tarmac and onto grass, roughly a drop of 6 inches, there was a thud/thump where I now know to be the sills and or very slightly the underside of the engine. But no cracked sump, no gouges or scratches visible so all seemed good to go. 
the engine had stalled, dsg, so turned engine over to drive out. We had a bit of a tow from our quad (as a perspective as to how far “over the cliff” we were lol) but I knew instantly that something was not right. Engine management light and EPC on again. Nooooooooooooo

Ok so called insurance, Aviva who accepted the claim and RGM Swansea collected it. Few weeks later a call to come collect and pay £500 excess and drive away. We are still missing a side badge but was on backorder and will not impede the driving of the car. No problem. 
Mrs and 2 year old daughter went to collect the car, paid the excess but when the car we brought around it was still spluttering and she was told that the engine wasn’t repaired as it was down to wear and tear. W.T.F. 
I asked for a second opinion because the report just said wear and tear. No explanation of what parts. Just misfire and down to plugs etc. absolute crap. The car has been amazing for well over a year yet we have an unbelievably tiny bump and they put it down to this?

I asked for they’re report and the guy stated his inspection was of a “visual” nature only. So no testing of any parts at all!!!

Took to our local garage and we now have lost compression in cylinder 3 was on zero with other 3 cylinders up at the 89 - 93 mark. 

So? Can anyone give some well needed advice. I’m told at garage it’s a engine strip down, thousands £s and Aviva telling us they’re report is final until we show evidence it happened in accident and simply not wear and tear. But my argument to that was 
Yes ok the parts are wearing and tearing all the time but it was the accident wore and tore? Surely they can understand that! Right?

Please can someone give me some well needed advice.
What can or what do I do now?

Skoda?

Do the work myself? We have ramps in the tractor shed up the farm plus a full set of tools. So could I even do it myself?

please guys please give me something. Anything. 
thank y’all so much. 
Rio 😢
 

I didn’t write too much on previous issues as they are already on here and the advice received was bang on. Cheers all

[thomasaspin]

5 hours ago, RioVrS said:

I didn’t write too much on previous issues as they are already on here and the advice received was bang on. Cheers all

Hi mate sorry to hear about your problems , sounds like your piston rings might have give up the ghost or there is some scoring on the bore in cylinder 3 and or a burnt/broken  valve)  was the car towed with the Dsg in gear or was it allowed to roll back in gear (engine off) as this can make the chain skip a tooth and jump out of time

[RioVrS]

Hi pal and thank you for the reply. 
the car stalled on the grass as we came to a stop. The grass was very wet and slippery so I assume no chain jumping as the tyres would’ve just kinda slipped as the car stalled? If you get me?

I started the engine back up with the handbrake on and the gearstick in Park position. (Normal engine routine) then towed out with the quad with the car in Neutral. I knew instantly we were back to square 1 again by the way it was juddering with engine management and EPC lights on. 
do I bite the bullet and attempt the work myself. We have plenty of space, tools and time. The car is just wasting away and Skoda will be into the thousands I’m sure. (Well the girl on the phone couldn’t give a

price but said not to worry as they offer finance. And at 0%. Wow thanks)

im not too bad with being able to take things apart and repair them. And have done with the odd 205 GTi over the years. 
but with this engine? Am I over complicating it and just say Fk it and just crack on? 

one good thing is we haven’t jumped a cog with timing chain. Local garage have looked at that. Also the compression has now gone back up to 1%. I put in that GUNK oil additive stuff that supposed to iron out compression issues? Could that have worked. 
I have been told by a few people to just have a crack at it. Just be simple about it and catalogue every single thing I take apart and number or name all bolts etc?

whatcha think pal. Tell me yes and I’ll do it 😂 
thanks again. 

[sepulchrave]

Complete loss of compression on one cylinder suggests a bent valve, I would suggest you buy or borrow a borescope so you can inspect the cylinder through the spark plug hole.

 

Another possibility is that the injector or spark plug have come adrift somehow, check them too.

 

I can't come up with an explanation for the valve problem other than slipped timing, you need to check it yourself and possibly sack the garage.

[thomasaspin]

8 hours ago, RioVrS said:

Hi pal and thank you for the reply. 
the car stalled on the grass as we came to a stop. The grass was very wet and slippery so I assume no chain jumping as the tyres would’ve just kinda slipped as the car stalled? If you get me?

I started the engine back up with the handbrake on and the gearstick in Park position. (Normal engine routine) then towed out with the quad with the car in Neutral. I knew instantly we were back to square 1 again by the way it was juddering with engine management and EPC lights on. 
do I bite the bullet and attempt the work myself. We have plenty of space, tools and time. The car is just wasting away and Skoda will be into the thousands I’m sure. (Well the girl on the phone couldn’t give a

price but said not to worry as they offer finance. And at 0%. Wow thanks)

im not too bad with being able to take things apart and repair them. And have done with the odd 205 GTi over the years. 
but with this engine? Am I over complicating it and just say Fk it and just crack on? 

one good thing is we haven’t jumped a cog with timing chain. Local garage have looked at that. Also the compression has now gone back up to 1%. I put in that GUNK oil additive stuff that supposed to iron out compression issues? Could that have worked. 
I have been told by a few people to just have a crack at it. Just be simple about it and catalogue every single thing I take apart and number or name all bolts etc?

whatcha think pal. Tell me yes and I’ll do it 😂 
thanks again. 

Hi rio sorry to hear about that pal , I say work on it I have taken this engine apart and it’s quite easy to work on in honesty and I can help with any advice you need and help you get the thing reliable again with a few simple modifications,  if you are near to Manchester I’m quite happy to give you a hand diagnosing the cause of your low compression