Catastrophic Engine Failure!

[JohnL]

Sorry for not searching for answers on this, I’m sure you can appreciate, I’m not in the mood!

Bit of background: My car is a 210 LCR, 03 plate with 40k miles. It has a full main dealer service history. Services always carried out 1k or so before required, last service (40k) was at 38k. I have owned it for the last 18 months or so, when I bought it, it had 12k on the clock. The only problem I have ever had with it was the common fan resistor failure problem which was fixed about a year ago. The car is warmed up properly before being given the boot and I do mainly dual carrageway driving.

So, we were happily cruising along at 70-80 on the M25 when it felt like we hit a puddle, ie felt some resistance. Looked back in the mirror to see white smoke coming out and heard the wonderful sound of rocks in a box and got the engine pollution warning light.

Anyway, when we stopped and managed to have a look at the damage there was a lot of oil everywhere and a piece of metal casting about 1cm square laying in the plastic sump under tray. You can guess some of the words that I thought then.

The cars been into my local Seat dealer today, and as I thought, it looks like the bottom end of the engine has decided to eat itself and climb out of the block. The initial estimate is around £6.5k for a new engine, assuming they can use the existing clutch and turbo etc.

The dealer is going to fax through a full itemised quote tomorrow, and I have asked them to call Seat UK and ask about the possibility of some sort of good will gesture to at least cover some of the cost. I am also going to write to Seat and ask the same.

The Seat dealer asked if I had been changing down the gears when it happened.

I have 3 questions:

1. Has anyone ever heard of this happening before to the 1.8t engine? Is this a reoccurring problem? Why did (does) it happen?
2. I assume the Seat dealer recons I’ve changed down one to many gears and over-revved the engine. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that this would send the engine into limp home mode and should show a fault code. Can anyone confirm this? This would prove that it wasn’t driver error.
3. Does anyone have any experience of getting a good will gesture from Seat? Any advice on how to go about it or what to write to them would be much appreciated.

 

[Fl@pper]

1. not heard of it as a common thing more heads/valves on audi versions

2. sounds like the possible angle being used and from memory there was a code log for consistent overevving may have been on vag com but ill check it out

3. calm polite correspondence in my view gets further than a rant 'n' rave and utilise the vehicles age/mileage/history and the fact that its not long out of warranty etc also if it will help life of vehicle aspect are usually quoted as major components supposed to last 100k miles

 

[WeeJase]

^^^^^^^^that's the only one i have heard of.
IIRC something to do with an oil jet blocking up in the bottom end and starving the crank of oil.

 

[Feel]

1. I wouldn't really know how many failures it would take for it be classed as common, but I wouldn't say it was common. There have been one or two engines go, there was one guy who famously had two engines, but he was less that sympathetic to them. There was a thread once where everyone counted up how many there were in total. AFAIK, these all sounded similar to yours - rod went and punched a hole in the block, IIRC. Although most/all where at much lower mileage than yours.

2. Changing down - guess what one of the things "Mr Two Engines" was famous for? I also understand it logs a code, but whether you have to only do it once, or persistantly I don't know. Did you get towed off the M25? If you have some paperwork, it might be suitable evidence that you weren't changing down when it happened.

3. Sorry, can't help you there, although like Fl@pper says, I would guess that calm, collected and reasoned would work best.

 

[Feel]

that's the only one i have heard of.
IIRC something to do with an oil jet blocking up in the bottom end and starving the crank of oil.

You mean NOT the only one?

I was thinking I'd heard the same, about the oil jet.

 

[WeeJase]

well now i have heard of two.

vennuths was because he drove like a twat,and was forever over revving the engine on purpose,by whacking it into the wrong gear at about 130 mph.

 

[JohnL]

Thanks for the responces so far.

Feel, yes we were trailered off the M25, I'll mention it when I write to Seat, although I haven't go any paperwork that prooves it I'm sure the RAC could produce something if needs be.

Last service the dealership mentioned that there was a slight oil leak from the main engine oil seal (between the gearbox and engine?), but said it wasn't worth fixing because of the cost of removing the gearbox. It was a very slight leak though as I never noticed any oil on the drive etc.

I did top up the oil a week or so before it happened, so know it wasn't running low. I guess without taking it to pieces it'll be very difficult to tell what exactly caused it.

 

[JohnL]

Does anyone know of a contact name of someone fairly high up at Seat UK? Or even better, an email address?

 

[Saul]

there is a code for engine rev exceeded, and afaik it is unremovable via vag com

wouldnt say it was common, but not unheard of, blocked oil jet i have heard of before

 

[DPJ]

there is a code for engine rev exceeded, and afaik it is unremovable via vag com

I've had it once and cleared it. The bit about Warranty Invalidated after the code was Uwe's little joke.

 

[andycupra]

Thanks for the responces so far.

Feel, yes we were trailered off the M25, I'll mention it when I write to Seat, although I haven't go any paperwork that prooves it I'm sure the RAC could produce something if needs be.

Last service the dealership mentioned that there was a slight oil leak from the main engine oil seal (between the gearbox and engine?), but said it wasn't worth fixing because of the cost of removing the gearbox. It was a very slight leak though as I never noticed any oil on the drive etc.

I did top up the oil a week or so before it happened, so know it wasn't running low. I guess without taking it to pieces it'll be very difficult to tell what exactly caused it.

this is interesting. and first thing id get checked.