Engine replacement Cali 2014 Se Tdi 4 motion BMTA 1968.

[Straad]

Hi. We set off in our 2014 87000 miles Cali to drive to Italy. After 30 miles the temperature shot up and the coolant level was very low. Topped that up and limped back home to out our local garage that had serviced the van just the week before.
Long story short, we decided to go to Italy in the car and left the Cali with the garage (who have always done the maintenance and have VW experience and seem trustworthy). I am currently in Utrecht on our way back home to Scotland.
I am now being told that there is a common fault in VW Transporters that causes damage to the engine at this age (something to do with a bit that is involved in reheating the exhaust gasses and over time that causes the engine to overheat that damages the cylinders and the turbos) and that original diagnosis of a cylinder head gasket or cracked cylinder head is wrong and that actually things are much worse and the van needs a replacement engine!!
I don’t have any knowledge in this area and I have to trust that the mechanic is being truthful with me but I am being quoted £16000 to get the engine replaced!
I love my Cali but it’s no use to me without an engine!
Does anyone have any experience of getting an engine replaced. This seems very expensive but what can I do? I can’t use it or sell it as it is and I do love my Cali!
Thanks,
Alan

 

[larrylamb]

It is a common fault with the 180hp engine, starts off with high oil usage. There are many threads and posts on this forum and other VW T5.1 sites. It can be fixed cheaper than 16K with some firms who do this work constantly. (Try RETRO RESUS)
Here is just one thread for you to view, although I can't believe in ten years of you being a member you haven't seen all the posts and issues of the 180 engine. Good luck getting sorted.

Oil Comsumption / Engine Problems with 2010/2011 Cali's

My 2010 180 DSG...51000 miles. Last few trips (it's hardly been used last few years) it's using oil...last couple of trips it's gone from full dipstick to nothing on dipstick and oil warning light in approx 350 miles....expensive but is this undue cause for concern ? Anybody else for similar...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[larrylamb]

Increased Oil Consumption Problem (2010 T5 Cali 180 bhp)

Hello All, I recently purchased a 2010 California from VW. It has covered 60,000 miles and is fitted with the 2.0 bi turbo 180 bhp engine. We have just returned from our first proper trip, we took in Italy and Germany on a 2,500 mile round trip. The van ran faultless apart from consuming...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[larrylamb]

180 bhp oil consumption issue

Out of interest what was/is the definitive problem/fix? T4WFA eluded to elliptical bore wear? Every internal combustion engine wears like this to some extent. Simply a case of the forces on a piston during combustion. The piston doesn't travel vertically but elliptically within the bore...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[larrylamb]

New engine needed - what should we think about?

Hi forum, I would have wished that my first post would have been on a different topic, but here we are. We have received the sad news that our 2015 180 Cali needs a new engine, since the current one has been considered defect (excessive oil use, EGR valve with C suffix etc. etc.). We have no...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[larrylamb]

2011 180 DSG Engine Destroyed - What Next Pls ?

My engine blew last night at below 90k miles on the motorway. Recovered by the AA. The van is otherwise in great shape, everything works - so scrapping it is tempting but probably not sensible. One owner. Proper maintenance. Oil always warmed up before significant revs. No error codes...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[gatvol]

I had my 2011 biturbo 180 engine replaced at 90k ish miles this year. It displayed the classic symptoms - no oil between services, then some, then catastrophic oil consumption. The design fault inside the engine will probably have circulated aluminium contaminated oil around and destroyed every metal surface that it touched, so in all likelihood every aspect of your engine will be compromised. For this reason it is pointless considering a used or recon engine.

Someone really clever might be able to put a used 140 engine in - but if not done with extreme knowledge and care, that could lead to random engine management/ limp mode type issues that I am not getting involved with

New crated engine 4k plus vat, 2 new turbos 2k plus vat, new dsg clutch and flywheel 1.3k plus vat. Plus a surprising amount of stuff you expect to be bolted to a new engine that wasn't. Oh, and then labour too

With the engine out you see all manner of worn/ corroded/ about to expire parts so it probably makes sense to attend to these also

I could have cut a variety of corners but being stranded in the early hours, limping off the M62, pets in the vehicle ..... I wanted a robust solution.

I have not had to mess about like this with serious engine trouble in any vehicle since the 1980s and it left an extremely bitter taste. The whole abomination cost 13k inc VAT. We very rarely sleep in the thing, but the Cali suits our way of life/ pets/ travel to holiday home/ OAPs in the back/ secondary use as a working van etc etc etc and I did not want to take on a newer California with its own unknown problems

I tried to keep things logistically simple - faced with longer journeys to Retro Resus down South and Darkside in Doncaster I took mine to a local mechanic who does superb work for me in Nottinghamshire and who I trust.

It really is a huge job so a huge bill is to be expected

You have my sympathies. VW utterly screwed us

 

[briwy]

First an oil test from Millers and a compression test. It's likely both will be bad news though.
We used Retro Resus who are one of the leading experts along with Darkside who were a lot more expensive. Although RR meant a 200mile drive each way we decided it was worth it rather than using a local mechanic baded on their reputation and expertise. Two years ago complete new VW engine with turbos, injectors etc, new clutch, new front suspension bushes and a Haldex service was £11k. EGR valve mapped out and blanked off to prevent the same wear happening again which your local guy probably wont do.This engine outperforms the old one in performance and mpg.
Incidently there is no such thing now as a "new" engine from VW as they are out of production so even a VW engine is a recon to OEM specs.