[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by srini1785

Isn't it a bit surprising that they did not put an electronic sensor to warn you of loose chain?.

Just wanted to highlight that while engines get so complex with sensors for starting your wipers in case of rain , they overlooked a critical part.

It’s a critical part, but I don’t see the purpose of a sensor warning of loose chain. When you follow the normal maintenance routine and recommended replacement intervals your belt or chain will never snap.

If it does, and on some engines they do, it is always down to a design fault. Don’t add sensors, but fix the design. Which usually means new and different tensioners. Which has happened to quite a number of engines over the last 4-5 decades.

I also don’t think a loose chain sensor is going to prevent any broken belts/chains as such.

Because the tensioner is actually designed to take up the slack due to wear when the engine is running. So a worn belt/chain is never loose as such, its always tight!

Jumping a tooth is a different phenomena. Often, people think it happens when you rev the engine hard, during acceleration. But usually it happens when you come off the accelerator, low RPMs and the car momentum actually turning the engine (effectively engine braking). What happens is that due to to the low RPM there is low oil pressure on the tensioners. Due to the engine braking the forces on the chain and sprocket are exactly opposite from when the engine is running normal. So the tensioners needs to work even harder to keep the chain fully engaged on the sprockets. Under such conditions, with a worn chain/belt, low oil pressure on the tensioner and opposite forces, on the chain, the tensioner might not be fast and or strong enough to keep the chain/belt in its respective sprocket/groove. It jumps a tooth.

For those interested in some of the details; there are a billion Youtube video’s there on chain/belt replacement on just about any engine. I came across this one. Which I think is a very good one, because it shows very clearly all the components on a modern engine that are part of the distributions chain/belt mechanism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi667H7M2Y

Notice how he turns the engine twice, several times? These are four stroke interference engines. If you have replaced the belt in order to ensure the valves don’t hit the valves you need to rotate the crankshaft twice (2x360o).



Jeroen

[Rahul Bhalgat]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

That looks like a very sturdy chain indeed. Even the chain om Jaguar V8 is just a simple duplex.
Looks like they are doing some work on this one though? Is it your car? Interesting to see how you can get access with the engine in the car.

You can clearly see the tensioners, although the chain is just hanging at this point, to the left of it

Jeroen

The picture I posted is a screenshot from a youtube video about how to set the timing while fitting the timing chain in Maruti Suzuki SX4.

http://youtu.be/dEPG1ncA23E

I would like to do such stuff myself after adequate homework. I already have the tools & the space. I do carry out routine tasks like air filter change, cowl cleaning (underside), wiper blade change, cleaning the engine bay, headlight bulb change, headlight alignment etc. I would also like to do the oil change myself but I have been getting it done from a trusted and competent mechanic in the neighborhood, who does this in my presence. When he was busy, I have done a few underbody jobs like changing the fuel filter, bleeding the clutch and brakes to take out all the old oil in the system.

After watching this video, I am very much tempted to do this job when needed, but I will entrust this to my mechanic. From the video, it appears that MSIL has made it simple (and less prone to mistakes) to set the timing with a new chain. There are alignment marks on the pulley & the cylinder block casting. We need to align the two links on the chain (having different color) with these marks.

As seen in the photographs below and in the screenshot in my earlier post, one engine mount needs to be taken out to remove the timing cover. On the flywheel side, there is ample space for hands and the tools.

The photographs below are from my car.

[Macfreak7]

I totally agree with this.
My 1.8 TSI has done 95k and does have the occasional issue. And my solution is to work with an independent, albeit tried and tested garage. Fortunately I came across one that specializes in VAG cars. If I had to rely on a Skoda service center I would’ve probably replaced the car by now.

From your original post it isn’t clear if you are sure it wasn’t just a battery issue? Next I would check the spark plugs or maybe coils.
Also in my engine it was found that the engine oil was leaking into the turbo which caused it to burn excess oil. Planning to replace the turbo soon to hopefully fix this issue.

Finally, I’d suggest buying one of those ELM OBD II readers online just to self diagnose your car. It helps a heck lot to be able to decide what action to take further.

Don’t give up on the car. It’s still an absolute gem, but please find an independent professional garage that knows VAG cars. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Pashin

My 2 cents:

Get the vehicle out of the service center. Any chance of getting this issue sorted while retaining the current engine lies outside the purview of Skoda and the authorized service center. It may sound like a paradox but thats how things work in our beloved country. Find a knowledgeable FNG and see if the car can be brought back to life.

[dhawalmakwana99]

Originally Posted by maverick_driver

I have a 2010 model Skoda Superb. The vehicle has had a mechatronics failure at 15000 Kms in Aug 2011 and a second mechatronics failure in 2016 at around 54,000 Kms.

....

99k kms over 10 years. Which means that th vehicle has run approximately 10k kms every year.

Depending on the driving profile/ usage plus our driving conditions not being ideal, it is possible for the internals of an engine to wear out faster than average.

For eg: The bearings, pistons, the short engine, connecting rods, the oil pump itself take a lot of beating over time. And just like the Big 3 from Germany, the VW group engines also have similar traits. Once the vehicle crosses a certain age/ mileage, they have to be cared for twice as cautiously.

The EA888's are notorious for being oil burners. Did you regularly keep topping up the engine oil after a long drive? I am 100% sure 4.6litres of fuel will never last the full 15k service period that Skoda gives.

You mentioned that there was an oil leakage which you resolved at the dealership. How serious was it? Was it just a leaky gasket or something else?

Oil starvation is a major reason for engines to fail. Running low on oil means that all the parts of the engine do not get enough lubrication causing metal on metal friction eventually lesvin scoring marks and in worst cases, cracks on pistons and a lot worse.
Timing Chain is a known to fail after a point. It's better to have it replaced.

All I am saying is that for a dealership, it will never be possible to tell anything about the condition of an engine when the vehicle has been sent for an engine oil service. The real damage can only be identified after dismantling the engine.

For Skod to give you a 20% support on cost of the engine is great and I don't think they will give more than 25-30% if you push them.

All of this will take more time and your vehicle will be at the dealership for whateve time you take to pursue this.

Whatever your decision (repair or scrap), take it depending on how long you intend to keep the car.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by maverick_driver

That’s what I am intending. Woudnt Make any sense spending 6 lacs on a car that probably has a 4-5 lac resale value. Also spending 6 lacs and have to depend and implicitly trust the shoddy Skoda service reps .. that would t give any peace of mind for 6 lac spend !!!

What did you do eventually. Repair, Replace, Sell as Scrap?