BiTDi failure [Resolved]

[Dev]

Hi all, my 2018 DSG bi turbos low boost turbo has failed at just 31,000 miles!
The van has been well serviced with regular oil changes.
The engine management light came on and my local garage said it was probably just a sensor that was faulty so I carried on driving the van for a week while I was waiting for it to go in for inspection.
Driving on the motorway the van went into limp mode.
My garage said the DPF was blocked and they wouldn’t do any more work on it until I had the DPF cleaned so I took it to a DPF cleaning specialist garage and had it cleaned.
The van was still in limp mode after the DPF clean.
I took the van back to my local garage and they inspected it further and have said the low turbo isn’t producing boost but the main turbo is ok.
Is it possible to replace just the low turbo or do I have to replace the entire turbo?
Should I buy a new one or is it safe to buy a reconditioned one as I don’t have £3,000 for a new one!!
Even though most of my driving is around town surely a turbo shouldn’t fail at such low mileage?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Dev

 

[Bigsidavies]

Correct. It most definitely shouldn’t fail at 30k, but sadly there’s anecdotal evidence that yours is not unique.
Have a search on here, there’s quite a bit about turbo failure on the 204 and also a good post from tourershine where he had a reconditioned one and it was on and off several times as it wasn’t a good refurb.

2017 204PS BiTDi - Seized turbo!

I guess it's my turn? Driving up to Caravan and Camping Show, coil light starts flashing, ad blue suddenly low (topped up fully one week prior), no power. Engine temp fine, oil fine, engine sounds fine. Turned around and went home. Brought to a VAG specialist garage, they say: - split vacuum...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Bigsidavies]

New potential common issue? [Manifold crack]

It's no secret that my T6 is used every day, up and down the UK racking up the miles. I was also one of the first to find the EGR Flexi-pipe split issue because of this. So am I looking at the next fault with the T6? Maybe I'm just unlucky, but I feel as it's not something I've read about on...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Dav-Tec]

If the DPF blocks this can kill the turbo.

Send it to midland turbos excellent guys reasonable prices and if you wish they can upgrade the bearing and inlet housing and it'll still cost has as much as a new turbo

 

[Dev]

Correct. It most definitely shouldn’t fail at 30k, but sadly there’s anecdotal evidence that you’re is not unique.
Have a search on here, there’s quite a bit about turbo failure on the 204 and also a good post from tourershine where he had a reconditioned one and it was on and off several times as it wasn’t a good refurb.

2017 204PS BiTDi - Seized turbo!

I guess it's my turn? Driving up to Caravan and Camping Show, coil light starts flashing, ad blue suddenly low (topped up fully one week prior), no power. Engine temp fine, oil fine, engine sounds fine. Turned around and went home. Brought to a VAG specialist garage, they say: - split vacuum...

www.t6forum.com

Unfortunately the van will have to sit in the road for a very long time until I have that kind of money.
Thanks for the links

 

[Crazymind]

@Dev I feel for you mate. It’s the kind of failure you can’t forgive to the Van. I keep changing oil every 5/6k miles but as said if the dPF fails nothing you can do about the turbo failure consequence.

 

[Bigsidavies]

Unfortunately the van will have to sit in the road for a very long time until I have that kind of money.
Thanks for the links

Might be worth speaking to Midland Turbos and finding a price to refurb yours. Maybe they can just do the small turbine. Who knows? Worth a phone call.
Mine has just gone past 130k and it’s one of my fears tbh.

 

[Dev]

@Dev I feel for you mate. It’s the kind of failure you can’t forgive to the Van. I keep changing oil every 5/6k miles but as said if the dPF fails nothing you can do about the turbo failure consequence.

@Dev I feel for you mate. It’s the kind of failure you can’t forgive to the Van. I keep changing oil every 5/6k miles but as said if the dPF fails nothing you can do about the turbo failure consequence.

The van has had an oil change every year since new. DPF light came on but went off again. DPF wasn’t particularly dirty but could be the cause.
What idiot invented the DPF it seems to cause so many issues.

 

[Bigsidavies]

The van has had an oil change every year since new. DPF light came on but went off again. DPF wasn’t particularly dirty but could be the cause.
What idiot invented the DPF it seems to cause so many issues.

And when combined with the egr it’s a recipe for engine destruction.

 

[Westy78]

Personally I’d go genuine replacement parts. The turbo part numbers have been superseded so VW must know about the issue. Mine was exactly the same with small turbo failure at 45k miles. I know it’s a massive expensive but you get 2yrs warranty cover and aren’t replacing a known problem with the same again. I’m still reeling at the cost of changing the turbos, exh manifold, egr, charge cooler and associated pipes and sensors.

 

[Dev]

The van has had an oil change every year since new. DPF light came on but went off again. DPF wasn’t particularly dirty but could be the cause.
What idiot invented the DPF it seems to cause so many issues.

I spoke to Midland Turbos and they were very helpful. They said to steer away from reconditioned turbos as there is no guarantee they will work.
They can repair my turbo for under £400 which is a huge saving on buying a new one from VW for almost £3,000 as I'm sure taking it to a main dealer this is what they would do.
They also suggested finding an independent VAG garage in my area which i have done.
I spoke to Surge at VAG Technical in Ashstead and he was very helpful too. He said for the turbo to fail at 31,000 miles was very low and that he wants to check the van over to see if it’s something else before removing the turbo so fingers crossed.
I’ll keep this post updated once I know more, the van is booked in end of March.
Thanks for everyone’s advice.

 

[Burner]

And when combined with the egr it’s a recipe for engine destruction.

So am I right in saying if you get the egr, dpf, adblue things mapped out of the engine, then they are quite reliable then?
Has anyone done this and can confirm??

 

[temporarysecretary]

So am I right in saying if you get the egr, dpf, adblue things mapped out of the engine, then they are quite reliable then?
Has anyone done this and can confirm??

Diesels before these were common place were super reliable so I'd assume so.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

So am I right in saying if you get the egr, dpf, adblue things mapped out of the engine, then they are quite reliable then?
Has anyone done this and can confirm??

Approaching 10,000 miles and no problems so far

 

[Burner]

Well it seams a no brainier then,

 

[Bigsidavies]

Approaching 10,000 miles and no problems so far

I guess there’s a zero missing?

 

[Bigsidavies]

Well it seams a no brainier then,

Except removing any/all of those things is illegal.
Egr and ad blue are just software solutions.
Dpf involves physical work in altering the dpf internals. If it gets discovered and fails it’s mot you’ll have to shell out a couple of grand for a new one. I’d leave the dpf alone.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

I guess there’s a zero missing?

Total miles 125000, miles as per changes 10000

 

[Burner]

Except removing any/all of those things is illegal.
Egr and ad blue are just software solutions.
Dpf involves physical work in altering the dpf internals. If it gets discovered and fails it’s mot you’ll have to shell out a couple of grand for a new one. I’d leave the dpf alone.

Yeh already spoken to davtec about this, it’s the next job to be done after the suspension.

It does look like apart from these faults the the vans are quite reliable. If you read these threads you’d never get a new van.!

 

[FerrisBFW]

Gives me the creeps. I have opted for a new engine in my bus and then keep it forever, better the devil you know. If you are down south and looking for an amazing garage, Retro Resus in Taunton are amazing and do a bitdi engine a week (which is scary in itself).