Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
The saga continues... See my earlier problems!

After my new cylinder head (approx 25k) the car ran fine (zero oil consumption) until 60k miles, then it all started again - Oil consumption shot too 1ltr/600miles. Engine mis-fire, sluggish response etc etc

Audi reported that they could not find any problems (They had the vehicle every week for 5 weeks, each time I had it back it would mis-fire within a day!!)

On my last collection the vehicle lasted sub 100 miles when it developed a massive mis-fire and would not re-start. The Audi dealership that recovered my vehicle has now admitted a Valve Stem Seal issue with this type of engine AND the first cylinder head replacement was TOO EARLY to have the fix. My second head in going this week!!! Also - Audi have stopped production with this type of engine BUT have kept the brand name due to image (So new vehicles maybe ok)!!

IF you have one of these DO NOT ACCEPT high oil consumption as normal!!! It will lead to an overheat of the ignition coils, spark plugs, EGR valve and ultimately the exhaust valves!!!

Second hand - avoid them totally as the cost for all the above AND a contaminated CAT would not be worth the hassle!!!

Good luck - My next car will be a Diesel and NOT an Audi one at that!!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - smokie
...and Audi are entering a diesel in Le Mans 24h this year...they can't all be bad!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Aprilia
As a general rule, if you want a reliable motor, then avoid any 'new' technology. Wait until a particular engine/transmission has been in production for a few years before buying. Everyone who has tried direct injection of petrol has had problems - the technology has yet to be 'cracked' IMHO.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - codefarm
Wouldn't it be great if there was a simple, plain text web site which showed for each model of car

- Where it is manufactured
- What cars it is based on or shares a platform with
- Whether it's got "new" technology or is basically a reskinned version of an existing, proven, model

Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Bill Payer
...and Audi are entering a diesel in Le Mans 24h this
year...they can't all be bad!

FSI is petrol.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - smokie
...and the original post ended with "My next car will be a Diesel and NOT an Audi one at that"
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Xileno {P}
Nothing wrong with VAG diesels, some of the best around. Sounds like you just got a duff FSI.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
Audi Diesels are some of the best on the market (I've driven most of them as replacement cars while mine has been off the road!) BUT my experience with the FSI and more importantly the dealers approach and attitude has left me with no faith in their ability to be responsive to the needs and expectations of their customer - they've lost me and I'm sure they will not lose any sleep! Hopefully my new car will not cause me any more sleepless nights also!!!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Bill Payer
...my experience with the FSI and more
importantly the dealers approach and attitude has left me with no
faith in their ability to be responsive to the needs and
expectations of their customer - they've lost me and I'm sure
they will not lose any sleep! Hopefully my new car
will not cause me any more sleepless nights also!!!

If you search through these forums then there's a similar story for *every* manufacturer. If you're unlucky enough to get a bad car then it doesn't seem to matter who makes it, you'll get terrible service.

I was seriously considering an A4 early in 2004 but was put off by comments in the Top Gear forum. So I wrote to Audi and received the following response (bear in mind this was May 2004:

> Thank you for your recent email regarding the Top Gear website and the
> comments made about the Audi A4. I can assure you that these scenarios
> are very isolated and go completely against Audi UK's quality standards.
> Had the customers concerned contacted us at Customer Services we would
> have done all in our power to resolve these issues quickly.
>
> Audi UK views customer service with the very highest priority and we
> strive to exceed our customers' expectations in all that we and our Audi
> Centre network do. It must also be borne in mind that some of these
> comments on the website are only illustrating the customer's side of the
> issue, and that stories of this nature make for more interesting reading
> than stories where everything goes well throughout.
>
> No manufacturer can claim to get everything right every time, but Audi are
> determined to make the ownership experience a thoroughly pleasurable one.
>
>
> I hope this puts your mind at rest and that if you choose to purchase an
> Audi vehicle you will be happy that you have made the right decision.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Graham Jordan
> Customer Service Manager
> 0800 699888
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
Thanks for the comments, I will call Mr Jordan and ask him to review my case in detail, maybe he can restore my faith!!

Bet you didn't buy the Audi?!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Bill Payer
Thanks for the comments, I will call Mr Jordan and ask
him to review my case in detail, maybe he can restore
my faith!!


Do let us know how you get on. I'm happy for you to refer to that email as if it was written to you.
Bet you didn't buy the Audi?!


I went completely bonkers and bought a Merc :-) That's a marque that you hear some *real* horror stories about!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Avant
"Audi Diesels are some of the best on the market"

Agreed - and if you look at the list price (according to What Car) there's no point in having the FSI as the equivalent 2.0 TDI is cheaper.

Maybe Upset Audi owner should go for an Octavia and get a good engine and a better chance of a good dealer. The family-owned ones are the best, and there are more Skoda dealers like that than there are for Audi.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - cheddar
"Audi Diesels are some of the best on the market"


There is not much wrong with Audi diesel cars though I think VAG have long since lost the mantle of being the producer of the best diesel engines, the PD system is really an illogical design, the 1.9 PD is rather unrefined and even the 2.0TDi cannot match the refinment of other contemporary 4 cyl diesels. Re 2.0 ltr engines I would go as far as to say that the A4, Golf et al would be better cars if fitted with either a BMW or a Ford PSA (407, Focus etc) or a Ford (Mondeo, X-Type) or a Toyota or a Renault 1.9 engine.

That being said this is more a reflection on the current high standards in the market than a severe critisism of VAG and I certainly would not rule out buying a car with the 2.0TDi engine if the overall package was right.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - MoneyMart
the PD system is really
an illogical design,


Really? In what way?

(not challenging you... just interested that's all!)
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - cheddar
>> the PD system is really
>> an illogical design,
Really? In what way?


PD has effectively a seperate pump for each injector, CR is much more logical. Also that fact that these pumps are driven off the camshafts therefore the cambelt takes extra load, not ideal when cambelts are one of the weakest links in a modern engine, much better to have a seperate drive.
(not challenging you... just interested that's all!)


Phew! ;-)
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Aprilia
Yes, cambelt takes a terrific cyclical load in PD design.

FSI is direct injection of petrol. Quite a few manfrs have come to grief on this one. Carbonisation seems to be a major problem (Mitsi had this problem on the GDi engine). Anyone got any walnut shells left over from the Christmas nuts? LOL!

VAG probably goofed a bit on this one and want to walk away and forget it - sadly its the customer who is left with a dud motor.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - teabelly
If carbonisation is a problem would only using high quality high detergent petrol or using higher revs regularly to burn it off (assuming either had an effect) cure it?
teabelly
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
I only ever used BP Premium Fuel.

In my case Audi have admitted a design fault with the Valve stem seals (I assume this is a generic issue with all 03 models). The seals would allow oil into the combustion chamber which would then burn off. As more oil got it, the higher the abnormal combustion (higher temp) the more damage was done to the valve stem seal and surrounding components (spark plugs, coils, EGR, Valves, Intake manifold!!)

Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Bill Payer
VAG probably goofed a bit on this one and want to
walk away and forget it - sadly its the customer who
is left with a dud motor.

Anything new like is surely to be avoided. I had a Peugeot 406 (company, thank God) car with theirs (and Citroen's) variable valve timing HPi 2L petrol engine, that they fitted for a year or so. Between 1, and 3 yrs old when the car went back, the emissions warning light was on and the car mis-fired for the whole time. We had 2 cars with this engine on our fleet and Peugeot took the other back early.
I wish there's was some way I could have warned future buyers (I did post on here) but I really feel for the person that bought that car (which otherwise looked a lovely car).
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
I agree, there should be a web site that you can post your vehicle details (inc no plate) so you can warn potential second hand buyers. Like your car, my car looks great but only after a 100 miles of driving after a service or "touch up" from Audi does it start to show it's true colours!!!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Roly93
PD has effectively a seperate pump for each injector, CR is
much more logical. Also that fact that these pumps are driven
off the camshafts therefore the cambelt takes extra load, not ideal
when cambelts are one of the weakest links in a modern
engine, much better to have a seperate drive.

This is true in principle, hiowever there have been tons of problems with CR systems on almost all manufacturers engines, even BMW. I'm a big fan of the VaG PD diesel engine and will agree that whilst by todays standards the PD unit is not as quiet as some of the latest CR engines, it still gives just about nay diesel of equivalent capacity a good run for its money in the efficiency stakes. A lot of the people I know who drive the latest CR engined cars still struggle to get the MPG I get from my VaG PD engined car.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Tornadorot
Also - Audi have
stopped production with this type of engine BUT have kept the
brand name due to image (So new vehicles maybe ok)!!


Are you saying Audi/VAG have stopped production of ALL FSI engines? This would be a bit of a disaster for them, as they now use them throughout their range (1.6, 2.0, 2.0T and 3.2 V6).
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
No, they have stopped using the original FSI technology BUT they have kept the brand / badge name FSI. Current FSI engines do not have the same set-up as the originals, compared they should be more robust, more powerful BUT fuel economy has dropped off - FSI was originally driven by the Fuel Economy it could deliver - not anymore!!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Rhubarb
No, they have stopped using the original FSI technology......


Hi

Can you or anyone provide any further info on this? In what way have they changed the setup?

Andy
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - UpsetAudiOwner
Hi,
No idea what set-up they changed but I have just got mine back (nearly 4 weeks off raod) with a new top end including fuel injection system and it is a totally different car!!!

On a sad note Audi are not willing to offer any reimbursement for my oil, time or inconvenience over the last 12 weeks!!

I expected no less from them but thought I'd share it with you!!

Good luck if you buy one!
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - Bill Payer
If you can really quantify how much it's cost you - ie you're self employed etc, then put an invoice together and send it to the supplying dealer.
If they won't pay, then take them to the small claims court - doesn't cost much and Audi will probably settle the day before.
Audi FSI - Thinking of a new one? - arnold2
2 Questions:

Was the car run on high-octane (97+) low sulphur petrol throughout its life - HJ reckons this can cause problems ...

and ...

Anyone realise that the old shape 2.0 Avensis was Direct Injection ! Anyone had any problems with that one ....