Polo GTI High Oil Usage - Discussion Thread

[Dazza]

In my head, I'm seeing a gti parked on the side of a lonely country road with the driver's door open. In the distance, a banjo starts playing....

[kaanage]

in the middle of buttfk out the back of Ulverstone, in Deliverance territory

Harsh, dude - it's halfway between Devonport and the raging metropolis of Penguin.

Now once you get to Paradise...

[kawabanga]

Hi guys!

Here in Italy we have the same problems: more than 50% of the Polo GTI (present on the various web's forums, we don't have a global statistic) have an high oil consumption...
The problem is not only just for Polo GTI, but all the VW group cars that mount this engine: A1 TFSI, Scirocco, Ibiza FR, Fabia RS and so on, also some Golf... (may be some of the mentioned cars are not imported in AUS?)

Anyway, it seems that VW doens't have a definitive solution till now...
The actions are usually the replacing of the whole engine or simply the replacing of pistons and pistons's rings. This last solution rarely is resolutive, the whole new engine sometimes works, sometimes not...

By my side I'm lucky (for now) that my GTI doen't eat oil (less that 0.5l on 5000Kms), but my concernings are after the warranty expiring: what will happen?
Yes, because some forum users found an high oil consumption only after a certain milleage (10.000 or more)...

I'd like to share info with you and if possible solutions. The best should be to "force" VW to a global recall (when they finally find a definitive solution!)

On Jenuary 10th 2012 compared on ETKA (VW spare parts database) a new code for piston rings, this could be the solution, but we don't have a good feedback till now...
From May 2012 the whole code of the engine mounted on the Polo and Ibiza is going to change: now its' identified as CAVE, will change in CTHE, but we don't know exactly what this mean or what will reallt change...

For you information I'll post a picture "stolen" from a workshop: this is a head of a replaced engine that travelled only 3500Km.
This guys had a high oil consumption on his Ibiza FR (1liter every 1000Km), they replaced him the engine in December 2011 and this is the result: same oil consumption and head encrusted after few kms....

They must find a solution and recall all of our cars to fix the problem!!!

[Hooti3]

Driving on the weekend during my oil consumption test the check oil light came on.

Looks like it's an engine replacement for me.

I had to top it up myself as I had more driving to do over the weekend. Put in 750ml of oil and it only came half way up the dip stick.

For shame VW. FOR SHAME!

[pologti18t]

Hi guys!

They must find a solution and recall all of our cars to fix the problem!!!

What makes you think they aren't doing this?

[Hooti3]

I had a 250km drive to do over the weekend and the oil light came on. Mind you I'm over 250kms from home. I top the engine up with what I had in the car (about 750mls). I checked the dipstick before I put the oil in (mind you the car by this stage was properly warm (Oil temp at 90). There was not 1 drop of oil on the dipstick.

I called my service center to let them know and apparently I did the wrong thing and I should have just driven with no oil in the car and got I back to the service center. They needed the results to send back to VW for the oil consumption test.

I will be in touch with my solicitor this week.

I got a lemon and I am not standing for this crap anymore. The oil consumption should be going down after the piston ring replacement, not get drastically worse!

They can't guarantee any of the fixes will actually fix the issue, that as far as I am concerned is not good enough.

[kawabanga]

What makes you think they aren't doing this?

They didn't find the solution yet: the pic is a clear example, because is a replaced engine and hs the same problems...
They are trying also by only replacing pistons and piston rings, without good results...

My concernings are that some guys found high oil consumption only after a certain milleage, so what happen if the warranty has already expired?? I don't want to use my money!!
VW's oil consumption limit reported on the user manual is 1liter every 2000Kms, crazy! I don't want to have a car that in the future could have this oil consumption and no warranty to cover the expenses: if VW is a serious brand should recall ALL the GTI produced and replace the engine with the new one, once they found a definitive solution...

[Hail22]

Recalling all the Polo GTIs on the market now would destroy the production line, they would need to stop production for re-designing of the vehicles engine bore, powertrain, turbo (whether it would be single or twin to replace the charger) even then the engine is built around having a charger on it.

Idk but rumour has it that in Australia there has already been 8 new units installed into faulty GTIs.....I'm guessing more to come?

[pologti18t]

VW's oil consumption limit reported on the user manual is 1liter every 2000Kms, crazy! I don't want to have a car that in the future could have this oil consumption and no warranty to cover the expenses: if VW is a serious brand should recall ALL the GTI produced and replace the engine with the new one, once they found a definitive solution...

And all the Fabis RS, Cupra R, A1, VWs/Skoda/Audi etc with the 118TSI engine.
It's not going to happen.

There are other makes that think 1L/2000km is quite normal as well.

[Diesel_vert]

They didn't find the solution yet: the pic is a clear example, because is a replaced engine and hs the same problems...
They are trying also by only replacing pistons and piston rings, without good results...

My concernings are that some guys found high oil consumption only after a certain milleage, so what happen if the warranty has already expired?? I don't want to use my money!!
VW's oil consumption limit reported on the user manual is 1liter every 2000Kms, crazy! I don't want to have a car that in the future could have this oil consumption and no warranty to cover the expenses: if VW is a serious brand should recall ALL the GTI produced and replace the engine with the new one, once they found a definitive solution...

Sorry to say, but simply put, it makes more financial sense not to announce a recall and only fix the issue as they appear on a case-by-case basis.

Unless it's related to safety, and any potential fine issued by the government regulator exceeds internal warranty costs.

Not defending VW, but that's the way the system works.