Will I get home?

[Leeboy]

Ok,
So I’ve owned my 2011 180 for 7 years now, been all over Europe.. France, Spain, Italy.
Lived with the oil problem for 5 years now,.. did 6 litres going to Marseille and back during the Euro’s in 2016.
Changer the cooler this year for the “D” suffix after egr failure, limp mode etc.
Currently in Porto having driven 900miles through France and Spain for the 2 England games.
Had Dpf light come and go 3 times on the way down, 4 litres of oil later, then it over heated just outside braga,
Topped up and carried on.
I have no faith whatsoever ever in the 180 lump and my attitude is to keep driving it, and enjoying it until it goes bang.
Got a 7 hour drive back to Bilboa Tuesday to catch the ferry back to Portsmouth.
Problem first started in 2014 when just out of warranty at about 30k, now on 75k and I fear the end is nie.
Looks like a slow drive sack to Bilboa

Lee

 

[jts46]

Hoe you get to ferry port ok, pity about england.

 

[Leeboy]

Cheers,
Wouldn’t normally bother me, but took the kids this time,
Love the van but just about had enough of the constant problems considering it cost me £40k,
VW no help,
I’ll let know I make it back
Lee

 

[Alan]

Good luck Lee

Alan

 

[motacyclist]

Good luck

 

[westfalia]

If i was in your situation i would take to my friendly VW dealer
and get a service done, then i would chat to the slick salesman
hinting that i would like to trade in, of course, the van has
just been serviced by them and its tip top.
It might cost you a couple of grand more but its better than waiting
till yours puts a leg out of bed.

 

[AlanC]

I sympathise with you Lee and am also surprised you have managed to keep your thirsty 180 going for 5 years. I managed a year before the engine went into permanent limp mode. VWCV was not interested despite support from the Breeze warranty manager.

The only solution is a new base engine fitted by VW (then guaranteed for 2 years) or a complete rebuild.
Around £7.5k or so. I went for the new engine and have to say after 2 years it isn't using any oil. I asked for the service reminders to be changed to 10k miles though. Have never liked the 20k miles service period.

Alan

 

[flying banana]

To say that an egr is supposed to be environmentally friendly eh. Wrecked engines and burning oil. What happened to the days of diesels doi g 300000 miles and not missing a beat? Surely they were better for the environment by not being thrown away after 50k. I would do some more moaning at vw.

 

[TripleBee]

You should have got to the VWCS and had it repaired for free, as it is a hidden failure, proved by the dozens of 180's having the same problem.

 

[AlanC]

You should have got to the VWCS and had it repaired for free, as it is a hidden failure, proved by the dozens of 180's having the same problem.

Unfortunately, after around early 2016, VWUK stopped covering this fault and has since flatly refused any fiscal support.

I am guessing that their view is most, if not all 180bhp engines will now have shown the fault and been repaired. As it kicks in at about 40-80k miles, this is a fair assumption to make for a commercial vehicle fleet. That does not cover the leisure fleet though, whose annual mileage is very much lower than a commercial vehicle.

Alan

 

[TripleBee]

But still it is a fault in the design of the engine, and thus it is a hidden fault that needs compensation in some sort.
Then you must take it to a federal instance for consumer protection. But most likely this will turn into court.

I had this once with mileage fraude on my Golf 4.

 

[AlanC]

Lee's van is only the third with this issue on this forum I have heard about. I suspect there are more around but the owners are unaware of the problem.

Taking VWUK to court would be expensive. Out of the realm of one person against a large corporate entity and difficult to get enough folk willing to do it collectively.

So we plod on and moan and in the end either sell our vehicles or put up the money for a new engine.
I was never told why VWUK would not offer any help but suspected it was an age issue and that one of the services was done by an independent VW specialist and not a main dealer.
Alan

 

[TripleBee]

I think it is just because the van was over 2 years. And the warranty period is 2 years, no matter how many miles (maybe commercial vehicles has a mileage restriction in warranty).
And now they just tell you: bad luck, there is no more warranty! (And we won't confess that there is a worldwide problem with those engines from that timespan.)

 

[jts46]

@Leeboy Did you arrive home with Cali??

 

[Leeboy]

So decieded to take it easy on the way back to Bilbao, and eventually 11 hours later made it back with a couple of hours to spare.
Kept to 50mph, and tried to keep the revs below 2k,
My main concern was the oil temperature which was rising to over 120 degrees up hills, and I would drop the van into neutral down the hills so the engine would just tick over and the oil temp would return to around 100.
During the trip down I only averaged 25mpg over 900 miles, averaging around 70mph and due to it trying to regen the DPF 3 times I believe the oil got so hot it boiled the coolant causing it to spray out of the header lid, putting the van into limp mode.
For the 600 mile trip back it averaged 35mpg and only drank about 1/4 litre oil compared with the 4 litres on the way down although the DPF light came on again twice.
This proves that The harder you drive the more oil it will burn.
I fear the head gasket may have gone as the coolent level dropped slightly and also the engine smells really hot even on short trips now
But it’s still rolling....no warning lights....
I will get the DPF either cleaned or forced regened, and continue to use the van until it goes no more,
To replace it with a T6 equivalent would cost me £60k... £30k more than mines worth, so I’ll rather stick a new bottom end in mine when it needs it.
When I get time I’ll cut open my non suffex original oil cooler, and post up some pictures,
My vans a great spec,
5 seats, leather/alacantra, electric door, dealer sportline kit, kenwood, dynaudio, tyre sensors etc etc,
I plan to keep it forever.
Lee

 

[2into1]

@Leeboy - I trust you are following the cfca engine Facebook group. If you end up having a new short engine there is some good info in there about pricing, which seem quite competitive....almost suggesting vw are a bit embarrassed and keeping the costs down. (I use “quite competitive” only in comparison to vw wanting £160 just to read an error code from an engine).

 

[jts46]

Glad your home .

 

[Leeboy]

Glad your home .

Cheers,
It’s quite nerve racking driving 600miles across Europe, starring at the dash hoping no more warning lights come on, not knowing if you’ll make the ferry,
I’ve research this issue now for 4 years so know all about it, probably the last euro trip I’ll do on this engine, dont mind breaking down anywhere in the UK, but having to recover the van from Portugal would be another another story.
Thanks
Lee

 

[jts46]

Got a long trip tomorrow with van full of furniture from house in sw France to DERBYSHIRE