Car trouble

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
I know we have some petrol heads here that know their stuff.

Had a brand new Skoda Octavia Estate delivered July 2019. February 2020 engine light comes on, peeing out oil, take it to the dealers and the turbo had ceased so a new turbo under warranty. Few days after a regular oil check and it’s down to half way. Call to dealers and closed due to lockdown, got it ourselves and they refunded it.

Then it’s first service July 2020, that was on around 4,500 miles on the clock.

Couple of weeks ago 2021, engine light comes on 7,200 miles on the clock. Back to dealers, and another turbo fail so replaced again under warranty. Same thing again after only being back five days oil half way on the dipstick, total miles 7390 !

Dealers are saying that they don’t change or top up oil on a turbo change ? Is that right ?

So we are now raising a complaint t again with Skoda U.K.
 

Blackland Razors

Forum GOD!
Artisan
I'm no Skoda expert, but I think we need to find out why you have low oil problems. It makes me wonder if the turbos failing is just a symptom rather than the cause. Turbochargers without oil quickly become blown turbos. So that's where I would be putting my efforts. Of course, Skoda should know this and they should be trying to track down that issue.
 

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
I'm no Skoda expert, but I think we need to find out why you have low oil problems. It makes me wonder if the turbos failing is just a symptom rather than the cause. Turbochargers without oil quickly become blown turbos. So that's where I would be putting my efforts. Of course, Skoda should know this and they should be trying to track down that issue.
Cheers for that. Think as well as oil runs around a turbo if they replace a turbo surely it’s wise to at least check oil levels ?
 

Blackland Razors

Forum GOD!
Artisan
Cheers for that. Think as well as oil runs around a turbo if they replace a turbo surely it’s wise to at least check oil levels ?
Definitely. They should be wondering why the turbo failed instead of just slapping a new one on and walking away. It's similar to when people have batteries that keep dying so they throw batteries at it instead of sorting out the drain.

You said it was leaking oil heavily. Where was that leak? And was the leak the first symptom you noticed? Any smoke out the exhaust? Did you drive the car to the dealership? Was there an oil leak preceding the recent turbo failures?

My thinking is that perhaps the oil leak came first, maybe it was driven without adequate oil pressure, and then the turbo blew because of that.
 

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Definitely. They should be wondering why the turbo failed instead of just slapping a new one on and walking away. It's similar to when people have batteries that keep dying so they throw batteries at it instead of sorting out the drain.

You said it was leaking oil heavily. Where was that leak? And was the leak the first symptom you noticed? Any smoke out the exhaust? Did you drive the car to the dealership? Was there an oil leak preceding the recent turbo failures?

My thinking is that perhaps the oil leak came first, maybe it was driven without adequate oil pressure, and then the turbo blew because of that.
Oil was coming from the engine area, running off the plastic underside covering. It is one of these 1.0 litre turbo units, I think it was oil first then engine light. Mrs Saint drives it and for sure it has never been driven hard. I have read of fails in these engines, but the biggest issue is not seeming to fix it properly. I don’t feel on 7,000 miles we should be topping up oil levels on a new car. Similar VAG group engine in the Audi and Yeti we had and never touched the oil in them.
 

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
I had a Google when you mentioned the second turbo, and there doesn't appear to be a general/common problem as such with that engine... it does sound more like what Shane is alluding too, there is an oil pressure/supply fault and that is causing turbos to blow... A turbo will self destruct in a matter of minutes without oil...
 

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
I had a Google when you mentioned the second turbo, and there doesn't appear to be a general/common problem as such with that engine... it does sound more like what Shane is alluding too, there is an oil pressure/supply fault and that is causing turbos to blow... A turbo will self destruct in a matter of minutes without oil...
Apparently the second turbo was new and improved and the third is new and improved on the second one. I can stand an issue and a repair, but repeated repairs and this bit about the oil, not good enough. Reading online I get the impression there are issues but if Oil is a key thing to a part, if you replace that part surely you check the oil, or am I being a daft old git ?
 

Blackland Razors

Forum GOD!
Artisan
Oil was coming from the engine area, running off the plastic underside covering. It is one of these 1.0 litre turbo units, I think it was oil first then engine light. Mrs Saint drives it and for sure it has never been driven hard. I have read of fails in these engines, but the biggest issue is not seeming to fix it properly. I don’t feel on 7,000 miles we should be topping up oil levels on a new car. Similar VAG group engine in the Audi and Yeti we had and never touched the oil in them.
Yea I think you more likely have an engine problem and not a turbo problem. I don't know anything about lemon laws or an analog system in your country, but I'd be giving a lawyer a call for a consult on this.

Quick CMA if it's not already obvious: I'm a professional razor business owner, not a mechanic. So take what I say with a chunk of salt. Just my thoughts.
 

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
Yea I think you more likely have an engine problem and not a turbo problem. I don't know anything about lemon laws or an analog system in your country, but I'd be giving a lawyer a call for a consult on this.

Quick CMA if it's not already obvious: I'm a professional razor business owner, not a mechanic. So take what I say with a chunk of salt. Just my thoughts.
You seem to know your stuff, while you have that line of business in other areas you are of course a consumer, just like us.

I would think our consumer laws may well bring in that it’s unfit for the purpose it was built and purchased for.
 

Rowlers

Massive Member
Staff member
Apparently the second turbo was new and improved and the third is new and improved on the second one. I can stand an issue and a repair, but repeated repairs and this bit about the oil, not good enough. Reading online I get the impression there are issues but if Oil is a key thing to a part, if you replace that part surely you check the oil, or am I being a daft old git ?
I don't think the garage is investigating the problem... A turbo problem, would lead any competent mechanic to check oil levels and pressure... I'd certainly be asking for a second opinion and taking it further with Skoda...
 

Northam Saint

Forum GOD!
I don't think the garage is investigating the problem... A turbo problem, would lead any competent mechanic to check oil levels and pressure... I'd certainly be asking for a second opinion and taking it further with Skoda...
They won’t let me raise a complaint so Mrs Saint will speak to them at Skoda tomorrow. Another issue I had last time was the service manager told me that while it was only half way up the dipstick on a warm engine it would be up the top end. LOL. Doubling on a warm engine. It’s just that that makes you loose confidence in them.
 

TobyC

Patriot
I don't think the garage is investigating the problem... A turbo problem, would lead any competent mechanic to check oil levels and pressure... I'd certainly be asking for a second opinion and taking it further with Skoda...
Modern "mechanics" have come to rely on the computer codes to tell them what the problem is. I'm not sure diagnostics using your knowledge, eyes, and ears happens a lot these days.
 
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