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Internal Oil Leak?

Jan 25, 2023
2
0
My car looses oil like crazy, I have to top up every few days. Took to Seat today, they reckon it’s an internal oil leak as it’s not showing any leaks externally. They said, whole engine needs to be replaced, is that necessary or can it be fixed depending on where it’s leaking into?
 

dm222

Active Member
Dec 7, 2013
1,481
49
Depends on the cause...

But I dont know of any cause that would require whole new engine.

Could be piston rings, in that case wouldnt need a whole new engine...


Probably SEAT doesnt fix engines, they just fit new ones...

Idk
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,964
1,058
South Scotland
Last edited:
Jan 25, 2023
2
0
It’s a CAVE engine, seat have said these engines are nightmares and do these types of things all the time. I did think it was a bit extreme to have to replace the whole engine for an oil leak when they had the car up on the ramps, looked under it and diagnosed it without looking deeper into it. They plugged in and it showed no faults, car still drives although a bit sluggish, but could be spark plugs or oil consumption, it rough idles when it first starts, but sear believe that may be the timing chain when cold. Really unsure what to do as it’s a lovely little car.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,964
1,058
South Scotland
I've got absolutely no experience of this engine, but I once tried to buy my wife a used Audi A1 that had this engine in it, on the face of it, that engine seems to have been a jewel of an engine and won lots of praise when it was first launched and maybe even won international awards - but it quickly turned out to be a properly flawed jewel. I think that VW Group did buy back cars that had issues under warranty, and then passed them out to auction houses, from where they were bought by adoring car nuts without any bad history attached, and that cost too many buyers a lot of money. So that was not a very honourable thing for VW Group to do was it!

Something in my brain made me give buying a used Audi A1 with that engine a body swerve, and so I bought my wife a new VW Polo 1.2TSI 110PS SEL, at that time I knew nothing about the possible bad issues with the twincharger, so I think that I dodged a bullet there!

I would have hoped that some VW Group motoring forums covering that engine or its almost as bad quick replacement model, would have amassed enough facts in the form of a "what to do" suggestions, maybe there are buried in the resource I pointed you to, hopefully, good luck!

Maybe you need to get to know a proper local VW Group Indie - they do exist, and they could try to guide you in the best direction, or maybe even rebuild that engine to a better standard.

You mentioned spark plugs, yes, the oil being taken into the combustion chambers with mess up the spark plug operation - but while these plugs should get replaced by the correct ones at the correct interval, the oil will do the same to the next set.

One "positive" thing, this was not the only engine that VW Group messed up on, the 2.0ltr and same age 1.8ltr engines, mainly it seems when fitted fore<>aft in cars, ie Audi A4, did end up needing a lot of rework, which VW Group did cover at the time and might still be covering, as long as the cars were serviced within the VW Group service loop - for these CAVE and its "sister", I don't think there is any way to get them sorted out at VW Group's expense even although it is design issues that have caused this.

Finally, I'm guessing that if/when you get this engine sorted out, it will be back to its brilliant best for a while, and you will love it again.
 
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