GOLFMK8
GOLFMK7
GOLFMK6
GOLFMKV

Piston gone bad

.:KindiGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Muscat,Oman
So last week I was pushing the car a little bit. During a 3rd gear pull and at about red-line i felt power loss and the car felt like it was revving in neutral for a second or two and as I looked through the rear view mirror I saw a tremendous amount of white smoke. I immediately stopped. The car was making misfiring behavior (sounding like an STI and feeling heavy) Luckily i was just a minute from home so I just drove there mega slowly.

The next day I flashed the car back to stock file and called the dealer to come tow it it from home.

2 days after inspection, i got this update from them:


My ECU was flagged as tuned, it shows that I reverted to stock at 52k kms mileage (I'm at 95+ kms now) so I presume this was when i went APR and back to stock. I'm not even sure how it shows this way


They sent an email to the warranty department to see if that affects the warranty job, since in their books i went back to stock 40k kms ago.


They didn't physically inspect​ the pistons. But from the pressure test one cylinder is completely not working and there's oil spill. They suspect it's most probably the piston. They are waiting for the warranty department confirmation before going ahead with the job


If I don't get the job done under warranty then IE Pistons/Rods is my only option i guess

What i don't get is why does this issue only occur in our region. I've known multiple cases in the Middle East with engine/piston problems but never came across something similar on the forums. My car was serviced before installing the IS38 (less than 10k kms ago) so new oil, inspected coil packs, spark plugs..etc.


I scanned the car before taking it to the dealer and had the following codes


4 Faults Found:

15074 - Cylinder Disabling
P130A 00 [096] - -
Intermittent - Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Mileage: 98066 km
Date: 2017.01.14
Time: 01:21:54


15206 - Oxygen (Lambda) Sensor B1 S2
P0136 00 [101] - Malfunction in Circuit
Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Mileage: 98057 km
Date: 2017.01.14
Time: 01:12:46

15134 - Cylinder 4
P0304 00 [101] - Misfire Detected
Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Mileage: 98066 km
Date: 2017.01.14
Time: 01:21:54


16510 - Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected
P33C2 00 [101] - During Combined Operation
Not Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 1
Mileage: 98067 km
Date: 2017.01.14
Time: 01:23:06
 
Location
St. Olaf
That engine isn't built to run with an IS38, it isn't even built to run with a tune.
The R engine comes with better pistons (and many more uprated components)
for good reason.
Why does it happen so often in your region? Hot climate and dust? Driving style?
I don't think they send you worse motors.
 

.:KindiGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Muscat,Oman
That engine isn't built to run with an IS38, it isn't even built to run with a tune.
The R engine comes with better pistons (and many more uprated components)
for good reason.
Why does it happen so often in your region? Hot climate and dust? Driving style?
I don't think they send you worse motors.

I agree, but I'm also sure it's not built to break with 350 horsepower

P.s I drive like a grandma most of the time



Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

Yousuf1

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
-
Hello.. We talked over Instagram a while ago if you remember..

What a coincidence! I had the same problem I just got my car fixed a week ago. And I'm going back to stock for now. Some people got their engine replaced twice!! under the warranty (stealth of a jb1). I can tell you for sure this is a major problem and they are aware of it, at least 15 cars had this problem with different tunes.

I'm tuned stage 2 Unitronic.. My car was flagged as well. Eventually I had to pay.

IE all the way. :)
 

greggles

Drag Race Newbie
Location
usa
Car(s)
GTI
Thanks for posting this. It is rare that we get actual confirmed situations of tunes being flagged after going back to stock, as well as detailed information about what happened. Many thanks. Sorry for your car. :(

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 

Yousuf1

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
-
That engine isn't built to run with an IS38, it isn't even built to run with a tune.
The R engine comes with better pistons (and many more uprated components)
for good reason.
Why does it happen so often in your region? Hot climate and dust? Driving style?
I don't think they send you worse motors.

We had R's with the same problem.. :confused:
 

PouncingPanzer1

Go Kart Champion
That engine isn't built to run with an IS38, it isn't even built to run with a tune.
The R engine comes with better pistons (and many more uprated components)
for good reason.
Why does it happen so often in your region? Hot climate and dust? Driving style?
I don't think they send you worse motors.
Talking to technicians from other areas in the nation, you would be amazed at how many issues with VW products are region related. Or so it would appear. Hot and sand would definitely shorten the lifespan of an engine. No doubts about it. I feel bad for the guy still, I was looking forward to tuning my new GTI, but the more and more I read, the more and more I want to leave(at least the software) stock. GTIs have reached the point where completing the whole equation(i.e. stouter internals, clutch kits, etc.) have become more important, as the new TSI makes so much more power than the last. Gotta pay to play right?
 

2slowvw

Moderator
Location
VA
Car(s)
2022 Tesla Model 3
I'm guessing the heat combined with the added stress of the IS38 and tune is what did it. Pre detonation is a likely candidate because of the heat.
 

PouncingPanzer1

Go Kart Champion
It is possible you had a defective piton that just reared it's ugly face sooner due to the life of the car. Mass production, shit happens. I saw a 2014 GLI put a rod through the block at 800 miles because Pablo decided the rod caps on cylinder #4 didn't need to be as tight as the rest did. Shit happens.
 

riceburner

Autocross Champion
Location
nice try PPNT
Car(s)
MK5 Best GTI
IMO if your tune has the fail safes to pull timing when the intake temps are getting too high (ie too much boost, pushing it too hard) and if you keep up with regular spark plug changes and run the highest octane fuel we shouldn't have these problems. As long as the car is receiving enough fuel and dense enough air (this is where cooling mods start really coming into play) we should be fine.

Sorry about your car though OP, hopefully its warrantied; you're lucky their tune flagging system seems to be faulty LOL

Furthermore I don't see why an IS38 is more dangerous than an IS20. Sure it is providing more boost but it's cooler, denser boost at less stress of the engine.
 

Floader

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Vermont
Anybody ever looked into the fuel quality and consistency in a given region? These cookie cutter canned tunes would make me nervous once you get over the 300-325whp mark.
 

.:KindiGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Muscat,Oman
Thanks for all the replies guys. And i will sure keep you posted.

My car has an IC /water meth so my IAT is not the worst.

Although fuel quality is not the best here, i did not see any major timing retardation in my logs. I log the vehicle every 1-2 months.

Dust can be a factor. But I mean come on. We have all sorts of cars here running fine till 300k+ kms.


As for their flagging system. I think it detected the APR tune. I flashed eurodyne a million times after that but they couldn't tell.

Warranty with an IS38. YES! IS20 and 38 looks similar once installed. Unless the technitian compares it to something else lol.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

.:KindiGTI

Go Kart Champion
Location
Muscat,Oman
Hello.. We talked over Instagram a while ago if you remember..

What a coincidence! I had the same problem I just got my car fixed a week ago. And I'm going back to stock for now. Some people got their engine replaced twice!! under the warranty (stealth of a jb1). I can tell you for sure this is a major problem and they are aware of it, at least 15 cars had this problem with different tunes.

I'm tuned stage 2 Unitronic.. My car was flagged as well. Eventually I had to pay.

IE all the way. :)
I do remember indeed. What did they replace in your car?

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 

dlau9

Go Kart Champion
Location
Canada
Thanks for all the replies guys. And i will sure keep you posted.

My car has an IC /water meth so my IAT is not the worst.

Although fuel quality is not the best here, i did not see any major timing retardation in my logs. I log the vehicle every 1-2 months.

Dust can be a factor. But I mean come on. We have all sorts of cars here running fine till 300k+ kms.


As for their flagging system. I think it detected the APR tune. I flashed eurodyne a million times after that but they couldn't tell.

Warranty with an IS38. YES! IS20 and 38 looks similar once installed. Unless the technitian compares it to something else lol.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

interesting that they can't tell ED was on the car after APR.
 
Top