Scirocco Central

My 1.4TSI (160) has now done 23,000 miles and has always used some oil but I'm finding that it is now using about 1L of oil every 2000 miles, which to me seems very excessive. I've spoken to my local dealer who informs me that they use oil and can use upto 1L every 600 miles, wtf.
Any one else got this with the 1.4?

That usage is excessive, but unfortunately acceptable to VW.

Has it just started to get noticeably thirstier with the oil?

If it's recent, does it coincide with anything e.g. just started drinking oil following a service etc?

Oil consumption depends very much on how the car is run in. If you take it straight out on a long motorway journey from brand new, you'll probably find it'll drink oil - variety of engine speeds in the first few hundred miles is best.

Of my last 4 TDIs (ok different engine, but the same applies when it comes to oil consumption), 3 of them barely needed a 1/2 litre top up between long life services, the other one went straight on a 700 mile round trip the first few days I had it and that drank a litre of oil every 2000 miles thereafter.

Mine used 0.5 litre during running period in to 3,000 miles. Since then, none.

That useage is too high. Given the 1.4TSi 160PS piston ring/misfire problems, it may be more than just "using" oil. At that rate, there could be damage to the piston/rings/cylinder bore in a cylinder but its not yet registering as a misfire, so no dash warning for the engine emissions.

Given you got the Scirocco back in September 2009, it had initially one of the older engine ECU maps where the knock sensor ignition timing was incorrectly coded. This has in some engines caused the above problem with damaged pistons and cylinder bores. Despite having revised Engine ECU software updates since to your Scirocco (I presume its has the 24S4 workshop Campaign done at a recent service), the damage if already started, can continue at a slower rate until a piston fails. High oil useage is a characteristic leading upto the 1.4TSi 160PS piston failure.

Take it to another dealer. It would be advisable to look in the cylinders with a boroscope for damage/scoring of piston crowns and bores.

C.

My Scirocco, is Sept 09 and yes it did have the 24S4. The engine has always run very smoothly and has never misfired. I am not starting to keep a very, very careful watch on the oil and have started to log the usage. I will see what it is like over the next few thousand miles and get it to the dealers.

I've read a couple of threads on Pistonheads from Polo GTI owners reporting excessive oil consumption and in fact one owner is having the engine replaced due to this. Worth popping over for a look

There are quite a few of the Polo GTIs having engine replacements. I haven't seen my Polo GTI for a month now because of a DSG fault and it's unlikely I'll see it again, but I know that I was meant to be having a replacement engine too.

I've spoken to another couple of dealers and they are telling me that my oil usage is not unusual. will keep a very close eye on it.

The dealers will only do for you what they can charge VW for - if VW say it's acceptable to be using that much oil then the dealers hands are tied.

Would the usage of 1/2 a litre of oil per 2000 miles be high enough to show up combusted oil components in the exhaust gas if tested?

Cuprabob wrote:I've read a couple of threads on Pistonheads from Polo GTI owners reporting excessive oil consumption and in fact one owner is having the engine replaced due to this. Worth popping over for a look

Yes - we also own a Polo GTI and are having oil consumption issues. It has used 2.5 litres in 2,500 miles and occasionally get blue smoke emitting from the exhaust on acceleration.

VW are investigating issue for us and it will probably need upgraded piston rings fitted, but first of all we have to do a '1000km test', to find out how much oil is being consumed.

Can any 1.4TSI Scirocco owners tell me what their oil usage is?

I've put a tiny amount of a top up bottle in in the nearly 3 years and 17000 miles I've had mine.

you should need to top up between service intervals unless you driving the crap out of it.

I have also had the high oil usage, discovered a broken piston (between the compression rings) - engine was replaced. No questions asked at 45 000km

ktmdave wrote:you should need to top up between service intervals unless you driving the crap out of it.

I have also had the high oil usage, discovered a broken piston (between the compression rings) - engine was replaced. No questions asked at 45 000km

Ktmdave - I assume you meant you should NOT need to top up between service intervals?

UM YES

Thanks

Done just over 4000 miles now. Run in gently - no hard acceleration or high revs - for the first 2500 miles but having fun now!! and not used any oil to date.

i have not noticed high consumption. I don't drive it hard and has about 18k miles now.

I do top it up every now and again, even i am with the long term programm.

Back after a holiday driving trip and the car has used over 3/4L in 1400 miles, this is still within VW limits, but surely this can't be right. The car has always used oil from new, about 1L every 6000 until it had the 18,000 service last December, where the dealer also did the software update, since then its using oil as above.

On the 1400 mile trip I never went over 4500 revs and the car spent most of its time between 2000-3000 revs cruising on mways/dual carriageways, most journeys were 50 miles plus, so the car didn't have many cold starts and was never stretched. I have one year remaining on the warranty but the car will do very few miles over the next year due to a change in job, probable only 5000 miles over the next 12 months.

Not sure what to do as the car runs spot on but I'm convinced that the oil consumption is a problem and VW aren't bothered because its within their stated allowable limits. I don't want to be forced into selling the car as it was bought with the intention of keeping it for 4/5 years and I don't want a huge bill for an engine when the car is out of warranty or have to pay hundreds for a warranty extension.

Any ideas of how to force this issue with VW?