EGR valve fault / engine damage on 66 plate T6

[Collfryn]

Hmm - all sounds a bit familiar. Bit of a trend here? We have a 16 plate 204. Here's our experience

FIrst trip to France July 2016. Its a new car, what could go wrong. Just north of Tour we get a yellow engine warning light. Pull off motorway. Many expletives from driver. Phone Vw assist expecting worst but get great service. "You can drive to nearest VW commercial garage" which turns out to be 5 min down the road. After much jesticulation and school boy French, the mechanic goes for a test drive, and on return tinkers under bonnet for 5 mins. We are told via VW assist that the problem was a "loose turbo" thats been tightened and we can go on our way. All's well until we roll off the ferry at Portsmouth 3 weeks later. One mile from the ferry we get a coolant warning light. Pull over. More expletives. I look at coolant reservoir and find it half empty. Weird. Top up it up, light goes out, off go. Don't think anymore about it.

Trip to Sweden, July 2017. Literally one minute from disembarking at Hook of Holland we get red engine management light. Really pissed now. Can't get through to Vw assist. try the old switch on switch off routine. Light goes out and stays out so off we go - looking out for Vw garage but it's a Sunday. Engine still ok when we get to Denmark. A few days later in Central Sweden at 11000 k we get the service warning light telling us we have until 1250 miles till next oil service. Surprised, and knowing we will exceed this before get back to the the Uk I phone Uk dealer for advice. Told the service interval must have been set wrong and all can wait until we get back. Top up oil which is on lowest mark and also need to top up coolant. I've had new cars for the last 20 years and can't remember doing this ever.

Back in the Uk. Drop Van off for inspection having been told it will only take an hour or so because no service should be necessary. Get a call an hour later to say they will need van for 48 hours to replace the ERG valve.

Now I'm wondering if all these issues are connected and what if any damage has been done to the engine. I'm certainly very sceptical about the phrase "oh the oil service interval must have been set incorrectly" Bought the 5 year warrant (no brainer) so not concerned on financial basis. But the real damage is to our confidence, especially on long trips abroad. We both dread the first few miles off the ferry now

 

[Digger]

I don't think the Tsi is any less complicated. Still has an EGR valve as far as I am aware.

My Audi with the tfsi engine is just as complicated and has more electronics than a space shuttle or so it seems.
Most of the problems with the diesels seems to be when used for short journeys as the vast majority have no problems. The transporter is one of best selling vans around probably only beaten by the Transit and their problems are known.

 

[G&Ts]

Make sure that they fit a new turbo/s as well as the engine itself.
If water and other contaminents have got into the oil then it will have circulated round the turbo bearings as well with possible bad results.

I spoke to the garage today and can confirm they are changing the turbos along with the engine.

 

[G&Ts]

The garage are going to email me a report about the cause of the problem, the effected parts and which parts are being replaced. I was told that someone from VW has been to the garage, and the damaged parts will be checked to see why they failed.
As for the exhaust system, it has/will be fully tested once the new parts (which have now been received) are fitted.

I would argue with VW if appart failed again but was told if part fully paid for under warranty by VW you only get the remaining warranty left on the van from VW if you pay for a % 2 years cover on part and 1 year if fails due to workmanship of fitting.

The garage said the warranty of the new parts (i.e. engine, turbos, EGR etc...) will follow in line with the warranty on the van. I expressed my feelings that having such major works done in the first year of ownership should ideally extend the warranty.

The "Oil service in x miles" was a result of the service interval specified, apposed to sensors detecting oil problems - apparently when the sensors detect a problem with the oil the oil warning light will come on. Unfortunately the handbook is in Ivan, and Ivan is sitting in the garage

@Collfryn - I hope you have more fortune than we have had!

 

[Teejay]

Longlife Service is 20,000 miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. But oil quality is monitered and oil change can be earlier depending on driving type.

I was told admittedly by the service reception is that all vans were set to Longlife Service. Now that could mean all vans from VW or all the vans that they sell. Anyway mine came on with the Oil service light at around 12500m. I was told that mine was Longlife does the MFD suggest what type I have so as to confirm?

..me..

 

[WelshGas]

I was told admittedly by the service reception is that all vans were set to Longlife Service. Now that could mean all vans from VW or all the vans that they sell. Anyway mine came on with the Oil service light at around 12500m. I was told that mine was Longlife does the MFD suggest what type I have so as to confirm?

..me..

The MFD should show two Service items.
Miles to Oil Change and Time to Service.
Following a service - The Oil Change should show a milage - but not until you have covered about 500 miles following change. On mine it showed 20,000 miles.
The Service interval should start of at 730 days and count down ie: 2 yrs for service items check.

On Long Life The Oil change milage can vary depending on driving style and milage type.
I'm about to have a service. Milage since oil change is 19,983 miles. The MFD shows 5,400 miles to Oil Change required but then I do long trips my minimum being 25 miles once a week when not away.

 

[G&Ts]

Ivan has finally been returned to us this afternoon, the garage explained it was a fault in the EGR cooler that put coolant into the engine, turning over the engine resulted in excessive coolant coming out of the bores. I'm looking forward to taking it for a good run tomorrow. And Ivan definitely needs a good clean out now!

The garage did confirm that the oil service warning will inform you of degraded oil quality, and the variable service is 2 years. Although i'm slightly confused as to when Ivan will have a full service as he is nearly 1 year old, whereas his engine is new...

 

[flying banana]

funny how egr valves,dpf sensors and the like are designed to help the environment, but really they are wrecking engines and encouraging people to drive long journey's, hard driving and high revs . new engine at 20k ? how environmentally friendly all this shite is eh

 

[Erem]

I replaced the EGR on my 11 plate transporter (not Cali) recently. Easy-ish job and saved me a fortune doing it myself. The EGR has a cooler part that has a matrix which the engine coolant flows through to cool the exhaust gases that are being recircled back into the engine (to improve emissions). This is where you could have your failure. When the EGR valve opens to recirculate some exhaust gas it could suck the engine coolant into the cylinders. As water isn't great at compressing, things would go bang. Please note I am not a trained mechanic, just an enthusiastic DIY'er and these are only my thoughts. I agree with 'flying banana'.

 

[Rodney]

My 204ps cali has had the same problem, it started with a coolant level light coming on, I filled it up, it took about 200mm to get back over the line, it then did the same again so booked it in, The garage said nothing was wrong with it, I told them you need to leave it a few day then try to start it. Then engine will then struggle to turn over, they agreed that there was a problem, then changed the EGR valve, we drove from England to Germany to visit family (back in the days when you could) with no problems. The van was parked for about two weeks after our return, then same thing again, coolant light and trouble turning over, due to coolant in the cylinders expect. Booked it back in, had to wait three weeks, then they had it for two weeks while they repaired it.New cylinder head. Got it back then lockdown started, we took it to the shops for food supplies, on our return a strong smell of diesel, then a huge dark patch appeared on our nice clean drive way.
Garage closed but AA came out and fitted a hose clamp on a full supply pipe that had been left off by the garage.
I have had a terrible experience with the heritage VW garage in Bristol, last year we had a problem with the waste water tank level sensor, which took them 3 attempts to fix, amounts other problems like changing the water pump when I told them it was the tap switch that was at fault when we had no water from the tap, we knew this because the shower worked and driven from same pump.
when cleaning out the van to try to occupy myself I have noticed the wast pipe to the tank has been cut short, so now has no U bend to stop the smell getting out of the tank.
Are all VW garages untrained on California's or just the one in Bristol ?
Our warranty has run out but we took the extended option, so glad we did, never would have of expected to replace a cylinder head on an engine with 30k on it. Not from a German car maker, how wrong you can be.

 

[Loz]

Just a couple of thoughts after reading that last post and to add some clarity to other readers.
-Water in the cylinder head after overnight rest will most likely be cylinder head or head gasket.
-Water loss from running the engine can be any of the coolers (EGR Cooler, Gearbox cooler, Charge air cooler)
-EGR faults logged are normally the valve actuator false reading and nothing to do the EGR cooler and water leaks due to the EGR cooler are nothing to do with the EGR valve,
-EGR flow fault is normally a blocked EGR cooler.

 

[LRGS253]

What is the standard warranty period and then how do I tell if it has been extended on a private sale?

 

[SusiBus]

What is the standard warranty period and then how do I tell if it has been extended on a private sale?

Three years standard warranty.
Extended warranty will appear on the original sales invoice if the vendor is willing to show you it. Some purchasers got a certificate, we just got an email from the dealer as proofj. If you ask a VW Dealer they could check on their system.

 

[LRGS253]

Does anyone know how much it is to extend the warranty by a further 2 years?

 

[Perfectos]

Does anyone know how much it is to extend the warranty by a further 2 years?

Hi LRG
Use the search facility in the top right and get yourself comfortable for some reading

 

[Rodney]

We took the V W extended warranty, pay monthly , about £65 a month, but I’m not sure if that’s correct amount but very close to, It will not cover any camper related problems though, recovery is not included either. What’s more my local VW garage never get diagnoses correct first time ever! This is in 4 years of faults