VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Bought this car on wednesday 2nd. 81,000 miles, 1 owner. Had been serviced by dealer prior to sale. 1 month warranty.

Seemed to be running lovely and I clocked up about 200 miles or so till friday night when the oil light came on. Luckily I was close (300yrd) from my destination so I didnt drive it for long after this.

Checked the oil on Saturday and the was nothing there. Put about 1L in and left it overnight to see if there was a leak. Nothing could be seen on Sunday morning the oil was about half way up on the dipstick. Took it for a short drive on sunday and then checked it again this morning and it looked marginally less maybe more like 45%but this could be my mind playing tricks on me.

Pretty sure its not burning oil as the is no smell and not strange coloured fumes.

Anyway I rang the dealer as the car has 1 month warranty, and he said top it up to full and drive it back to dealship 50 odd miles. Oil was still full when I got there so he said keep driving it and keeping an eye on it.

Im probably jumping the gun with this post and need to wait out the next week or so as I clock up the milage & keep checking the oil. But is there anything I need else I need to look out for or be aware of?

Edited by bassplayer88 on 07/12/2015 at 17:11

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - gordonbennet

Too early to say if its burning oil, it might have been just above min when you got the car unless you checked it yourself when you bought it.

The time to look for oil smoke is after an extended period of overrun, slowing down on engine alone from a resonable speed for up to 20 seconds then go under power again, if you have valve guide wear that usually shows it, you've sucked oil down the valve guides and when you resume power you burn it off.

Easier to see oil smoke in the headlights of following cars too, not to be confused with condensation, of which there will be lots now,

Edited by gordonbennet on 07/12/2015 at 17:33

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Thanks gordon,

It has occured to me that the oil was at min when I bought it but seems highly unlikely as it had just been serviced. Surely any mechanic is not gonna forget to refill after an oil change? I guess human error is always porrible tho.

Apologies for my lack of knowledge but what exactly is an extended peiod of over run?

Think I understand the rest of you advice; slow breaking using engine for 20secs then get back on the power? Lookm for oil smoke in rear view mirror.

Thanks agian

H

Edited by bassplayer88 on 07/12/2015 at 17:42

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - elekie&a/c doctor

I would monitor the oil level on a daily basis.Engine cold and on level ground.This 3 cylinder engine is not one of VWs finest and there are known issues with oil consumption.If the engine is burning oil,they usually do it engine hot,you may not see any excess smoke from initial start up cold.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Will do. Much appreicated

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - elekie&a/c doctor

Btw,if you bought the car from a dealer ,you have a minimum 6 months warranty on anything that would make the car not of merchantable quality.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Thank you eleckie.

There is definately an oil leak. Seems to only occur when the car is going fast / doing high revs.

Stopped on my way home tonight at a services and the engine had clearly leaked some oil onto the wet ground. Noticed it as soon as I got out of the car. Let the car cool down when I reached my destination have now checked the dipstick and The has used about a quarter of its oil doing 50 miles on the motorway.

Looking at the engine bay there is clearly oil on the drivers side of the engine towards the bottom. Possibly from the seal round the sump and/or possibly higher.

What's my next course of action?

Back to dealer or to a local independent mechanic?

Any advice appreciated.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

BTW been taking Gordons advice to look for oil burn and it's not happened.

No black smoke following the overrun!

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - elekie&a/c doctor

Back to the dealer.You must give him an opportunity to fix it under any warranty.Taking the car to another garage may jeopodise and financial help to get it fixed.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Thanks Eleckie. I meant more for advice rarther than to actually do any work.

Obviously very important I dont invalidate warranty!

Update: Engine Immisions Light came on on my way to work to day!

Taking to dealer straight afterwork

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - slkfanboy

Synthetic oil gives no smoke, engine is most like damaged already if the oil preasure light came on?

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - elekie&a/c doctor

I think you have good enough reason to reject the car as unfit for purpose.Return the car for a refund and buy something that works,preferably not with the 3 cylinder Vw engine.Do not allow any repairs to be carried out by the dealer.This may affect any future rejection possibilty if you agree for it to be fixed now.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - skidpan

Synthetic oil gives no smoke

Yes it does.

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Ok so took into dealer's mechanic on wednesday evening and collected it on Thursday evening.

He said he had cleaned the engine put it on the jack/ramp and had it idling all day and hadnt found any leak. He pointed out that the oil I had seen could well of been from where i had topped it up without a funnel, which is a fair point. Me and my friend had spilled some when topping up.

He did say he had cleaned the engine breather valve and that it was dirty and that could cause excessive oil use.

Anyway he had topped up the oil and looked at the cause of the emission light which was 'mixture too rich' or something to that effect.

Emissions light was off.

I then drove it about 150 miles in total before friday night and then the emmsion light came back on. :(

I checked the oil yesterday (sunday) after it had had a good 24hrs sat parked and there is less than half the oil indicated on the dipstick. :(

Not sure what to do now.

Thinking of contacting trading standards to check my rights and possibly ask for a refund.

Was also thinking of taking it to a local mechanic I trust to see if he could diagnose the fault without actually doing anything.

Help appreicated!

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - bassplayer88

Interestingly I topped up 500ml of oil this morning (dipstick was between 1/3 and 1/2 before hand)

dipstick then idicated it was about 2/3 full after top up before drive.

Drove it 50miles home and now the dipstick says it full?!

Totally confused?!?!?!

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - Jim Elliott
My brothers Seat Ibiza was suffering this same phenomenon, unfortunately the problem is down to the vw engineers when the 3 cylinder 1.2 engine was designed, most cars nearly all have both a cam breather as well as a crankcase breather, all routed through a PCV system (positive crankcase ventilation) this is positive crankcase and cam cover mechanical pressure caused by build up and blow by, this vents and is drawn into the air intake recycling it via a valve, the 1.2 has a cam cover breather but does not have a crank breather, I’ve looked extensively.. this causes a major problem, at low speed the problem is not so severe but at higher revs the pressure cannot vent, the pressure will then escape one of a few ways, out of leaks in the sump gasket or seals or pushed up past the pistons taking oil with it burning it in the combustion chamber, fully synthetic oil doesn’t visually smoke very much so goes largely unnoticed, these engines all suffer with oil loss symtoms but VW won’t ever admit why, this is why..

To solve the issue I have removed the dipstick and fitted a pipe onto it teed into the cam cover ventilation system, to test pull the dip stick out and start the car, when you turn off the engine you will hear the gurgle of pressure equalising.

Not one of VW’s most amazing technically designed marvels this engine.

Jim

Edited by Jim Elliott on 25/12/2017 at 17:09

VW Polo 1.2 E 2003 - 1.2 Polo Disapeering oil - galileo
My brothers Seat Ibiza was suffering this same phenomenon, unfortunately the problem is down to the vw engineers when the 3 cylinder 1.2 engine was designed, most cars nearly all have both a cam breather as well as a crankcase breather, all routed through a PCV system (positive crankcase ventilation) this is positive crankcase and cam cover mechanical pressure caused by build up and blow by, this vents and is drawn into the air intake recycling it via a valve, the 1.2 has a cam cover breather but does not have a crank breather, I’ve looked extensively.. this causes a major problem, at low speed the problem is not so severe but at higher revs the pressure cannot vent, the pressure will then escape one of a few ways, out of leaks in the sump gasket or seals or pushed up past the pistons taking oil with it burning it in the combustion chamber, fully synthetic oil doesn’t visually smoke very much so goes largely unnoticed, these engines all suffer with oil loss symtoms but VW won’t ever admit why, this is why.. To solve the issue I have removed the dipstick and fitted a pipe onto it teed into the cam cover ventilation system, to test pull the dip stick out and start the car, when you turn off the engine you will hear the gurgle of pressure equalising. Not one of VW’s most amazing technically designed marvels this engine. Jim

So the return oilways from the cam cover to the sump don't let crankcase blowby up into the cam cover to be vented? Or does the blowby force oil from the camshaft out of the cam vent instead of letting it drain to the sump?