my tuned GTI suffered a catastrophic engine failure...

[Gray_Panther]

Boom

https://buyusedengine.com/used_engine.php?make=Volkswagen&model=GTI&year=2018

This.
Get the car fixed and sell it. Or sell the A4 to fix the gti.
Stay away from debt and treat it like the plague! You will have less headaches in your life and you won’t have an eyesore of an undriveable GTI sitting on your property for 3+ years.

 

[CarlosCanizares]

Stay away from debt and treat it like the plague!

THIS!!! And don't spend beyond your means.

I'm 38 and on track to be mortgage-free in 5-7ish years which will open up a ton of car opportunities for myself (and designer stuff for my wife) haha.

 

[morgan]

Got full notes from service department. Cringed reading it. Had a brief call to VW but they support the decisions of the dealership and asked I take any exceptions with the service manager.

 

[GTIfan99]

Boom

https://buyusedengine.com/used_engine.php?make=Volkswagen&model=GTI&year=2018

I did a search for 2017, 2018 and 2019. All the engines, whether they have 5k miles or 96k miles are selling for 3200 to 3900. That's insane and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for their pricing.

I'd compile a list of cars that have the same engine and search locally near the largest major city in your area. I paid $750 for a Miata engine with 34k miles on it after losing a rod bearing to oil starvation on track. No worse feeling than driving home and hearing rod knock.

 

[GTIfan99]

Got full notes from service department. Cringed reading it. Had a brief call to VW but they support the decisions of the dealership and asked I take any exceptions with the service manager.
View attachment 190007View attachment 190008

It sounds like cylinder wall might be in good shape. I'd hone, replace piston, drive it until it dies. And this type of failure is commonly caused by detonation. 04 and 08 STI's had similar failures stock. On the 08, went through 3 engines before the service writer ratted me out for tracking the car. Subaru refused a 4th engine, I honed cylinder, replaced all 4 pistons with Mahle forged pistons and lived happily ever after. The car is still running around Jacksonville 10 years later and still running. I talk to the new owner all the time.

That whole episode is why I run a 91 oct tune with 93 oct from a reputable tuner. Cobbs OTS maps are notorious in the Subaru community, no way I was going to run them.

 

[swcrow]

It sounds like cylinder wall might be in good shape. I'd hone, replace piston, drive it until it dies. And this type of failure is commonly caused by detonation. 04 and 08 STI's had similar failures stock. On the 08, went through 3 engines before the service writer ratted me out for tracking the car. Subaru refused a 4th engine, I honed cylinder, replaced all 4 pistons with Mahle forged pistons and lived happily ever after. The car is still running around Jacksonville 10 years later and still running

Good advice right there....

 

[sheeno]

The dealer quoted me $11K to replace my golf R motor and is38, which included parts and labor. I ended up putting in a built block and full APR stage 3+ with supporting mods for what your dealer is quoting you. I hope you're able to find a used motor and get your car up and running soon!

 

[ITGUY]

Did you tell them you had a tune?

 

[GTIfan99]

Did you tell them you had a tune?

No, they scanned the ECU and it flagged TD1, says so on the documents he posted. No way they were going to cover ringland failure with a tune. Primary cause of ringland failure is knock.

 

[ITGUY]

Well mine was covered and 2 other GTI's were in the shop at the time for the same failure.

 

[cb1111]

Got full notes from service department. Cringed reading it. Had a brief call to VW but they support the decisions of the dealership and asked I take any exceptions with the service manager.
View attachment 190007View attachment 190008

So they quoted you a long block plus turbo. If you look at each item separately at retail, it could easily be $20k - an insane amount, but normal for new parts at the dealer.

But there is one question that you've left unanswered - how did the coil issues happen? What other mods (other than the "tune" ) did you do?

Had you taken our advice and clearly outlined the issues and why the failure wasn't related to the tune, then you would have had a long call, escalated it to a supervisor and the result would have been that the regional manager would have come out to look at your car.

 

[GTIfan99]

Well mine was covered and 2 other GTI's were in the shop at the time for the same failure.

We're you tuned?

 

[Acadia18]

No, they scanned the ECU and it flagged TD1, says so on the documents he posted. No way they were going to cover ringland failure with a tune. Primary cause of ringland failure is knock.

Really curious about the answer to my previous question knowing all this.

Did you leave the Accessport plugged in consistently to monitor knock retard? My own experience with the MAP tune was very high amounts of knock trying both the 93 and 91 tunes with 93 gas. I've heard others with similar stories, and still others who say they've run them without issue.

 

[morgan]

Really curious about the answer to my previous question knowing all this.

Accessport was never plugged in for any monitoring. Knock would be something I can detect? Never felt anything...

 

[morgan]

So they quoted you a long block plus turbo. If you look at each item separately at retail, it could easily be $20k - an insane amount, but normal for new parts at the dealer.

But there is one question that you've left unanswered - how did the coil issues happen? What other mods (other than the "tune" ) did you do?

Had you taken our advice and clearly outlined the issues and why the failure wasn't related to the tune, then you would have had a long call, escalated it to a supervisor and the result would have been that the regional manager would have come out to look at your car.

The client rep reviewed the notes from the dealer. I told him a stage 1 software tune with NO OTHER modification cannot cause this. But he wanted me to talk to the dealer service manager to sort it out.

I have no other mods besides the tune. No idea how the coil damage happened. The car showed zero sign of trouble prior to the CEL which showed cyl 3 misfire. Nothing at all.