Skoda Kodiaq 1.5 Oil Consumption

mr_edge_to_you

Good evening folks!

Just want to get your thoughts on something.

We have Kodiaq 1.5 TSI, which was bought new in March 2020. At the start of 2021, prior to hitting the mileage/time service interval, the oil warning light came on at about 13000km. Seems the oil was quite low so we topped it up. So I rang the main dealer and said that I was concerned about this. I was told that its common for new modern cars to consume oil. I've been driving for 20 years, serviced my car regularly at 10000m and barre one occasion when I was driving an 11 yr old diesel with 200000m on the clock never saw an oil warning light. I was told that its common in new modern engines - I wasn't and still am not convinced. We got it serviced anyway and thought no more about it.

Anyway, I had a call earlier this evening from my wife saying the oil light came on again on her way into work. There's 24000km on the clock - 11000km since the last service. In my mind, there's something amiss here. A brand new car, with 23000km, 1 main dealer service and the oil has come on twice. Am I right to be concerned?

Would appreciate your thoughts. I want to nip this in the bud and cut out the bull** quickly.

This forum is still the gem in the Boards crown. Thanks and fair play to all the contributors!

Cheers

Stallingrad

We have two 1.4tsi in the family and both will use 1l between services, that's every year. I would not be concerned but no harm to keep 1l of the correct grade oil in the boot.

Toyotafanboi

Most VAG TSI engines are partial to a drop of oil. The correct oil weight for the1.5 TSI is 0w20 which is a very light oil, so dependent on driving style it wouldn't be uncommon to need a top up between services, particularly if the car is doing a lot of short or stop/ start style journeys.

To be fair, it's using approx a litre of oil every 12k kms which isn't really a huge issue. It's still advised to check your engine oil level at regular intervals between services. A lot of cars go service to service without needing a top up and without the owner so much as lifting the bonnet but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with this car.

For example, you are servicing based on time (12 months) as you are not covering more than 15k kms p/a. If you checked your oil level just once a year, say 6 months in and topped up by 500ml you would go service to service with no low oil level warning which does seem too unreasonable.

If you were feeding the car multiples of litres between services or had other issues, poor running/ excessive smoke there may be more of an issue but it doesn't sound like that is the case. It sounds like you aren't checking your oil level enough.

mr_edge_to_you

Thanks both!

Buddy Bubs

My audi diesel and BMW petrol before it both use a bit of oil. Bmw probably more frequently.

Both had specific messages in infotainment system asking to please top up by 1 litre, it was preprogrammed to ask so I always thought it normal. I just do what it asks, my mechanic says it's grand. I think they take about 7 litres of oil to fill and if it drops below 6 it asks for top up. Something like that anyway

No leaks, just burning a bit of oil over time.

easygoing39

Its normal,and despite what service intervals Skoda suggests,I'd be changing the oil and filter every 10,000km if you're planning and keeping the Kodiaq for a lenght of time.

Toyotafanboi

15 k kms isnt a huge deal for them in terms of service intervals.

I recently bought a 1.0 TSI Octavia and i'll be running it on 30k intervals. They are well able for it.

IMO 10k kms is excessive, even 15 is conservative. what is the benefit of reducing the interval by 30%? This isn't a half century old iron block engine running on mineral oil that was designed without the use of the word tolerance anywhere in mind. It's a very efficient alloy engine, with a very modern fully synthetic oil.

Speedline

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056135#Comment_118056135

You will find that the intervals are based on perfect driving conditions. So 100 kmh every day on a motorway essentially. If you're doing stop start city driving, or anything irregular, the intervals are shortened.

mr_edge_to_you

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056135#Comment_118056135

We had the 1.0 TSI Octavia before. Never had an oil light come on that in the 3 years we had it, hence my concern.

It was a lovely car to drive. Brought it to France twice with kids and full boot, not a bother on it.

Edit: we were doing a lot more mileage in it too.

Stallingrad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056135#Comment_118056135

I don't know, it's a pretty highly stressed small capacity turbo, 30k seems pushing it. Just my opinion, not very scientific. Given how cheap oil changes are I'd be much happier firing in new oil every 15k, especially if you intend to hold onto the car, just to be safe.

Toyotafanboi

What's highly stressed about it?

Stallingrad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118057254#Comment_118057254

Don't want to derail the thread but 3 cylinder, 1.0, forced induction, not a small car, 1300kg plus before passengers? I know we have come along way from the 'there is no replacement for displacement' school of thought, but these small capacity engines are designed with emissions requirements in mind, not necessarily longevity. Don't get me wrong, I think they're great engines light years ahead of the lousy 1.4/1.6's that preceded them, and I rate the 1.4 TSI highly, if it was me though I'll be changing the oil more frequently.

Toyotafanboi

The 1.0 TSI is coming into it's 5th year on the market here and there is no huge issues to be seen with them thus far at least amd we are seeing plenty now reaching for 150/ 200k kms.

While there are a few production/ technical enhancements with those engines there isn't really a huge amount of complexity or "stress" in a 1.0 with a single turbo producing 115bhp. The car is a bit slow but i don't think it's going to do itself an injury due to lack of lubrication.

Toyotafanboi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056175#Comment_118056175

Yeah and 15k is the shortened interval. 30k is the default on any new VAG vehicle. Most dealers still opt for 15k at PDI though.

Stallingrad

These long intervals are driven more by the desire to appeal to fleet buyers and minimise servicing on service packages than anything else. N47 chain failures have been connected to overly long intervals where the oil is no longer working as intended. 10k intervals on those are commonly recommended now. Bottom line is if you intend to hold onto the car shorter intervals are better, if you're on a PCP or keep the car for only 3 years then it will be someone else's problem down the line.

shane b

My wife had a similiar issue with 3 year old Toyota Corolla diesel, the oil light was coming on after about 7-8000 km. Toyota's view was that all modern engines use some oil and anything up to 1 litre per 1000 KM was acceptable and normal. We complained and they monitored the oil consumption over a couple of months and the engine used about 200 ml per 1000 km which was well within their limits and we were told the car was fine.

I read somewhere that with the improvements needed to reduce fuel consumption & emissions targets in modern engines, this oil use is a side effect.

Toyotafanboi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118059365#Comment_118059365

Of course longer service intervals appeal to higher mileage users, sure that's hardly classified info. However the cost of additional oil services is a very very small factor in the overall cost of running a lease or fleet vehicle, particularly when everything else in the car is still wearing at the same rate. The tyres/ brakes/ everything else is wearing anyway, costs are mounting just the same. That and fleet companies pay SFA for entry services anyway, a longer oil service isn't going to be a huge deal to them.

The main reason for N47 chain failures is they were designed with a chain that would be considered unfit for purpose if you found it on a 4 year old's push bike, never mind a rattlebox 4 cylinder diesel. No amount of oil changes were ever going to save a chain that's too small.

I would disagree with your bottom line. Change you oil every other weekend if it helps you feel better but there are very few, if any examples of engines in any modern make or model where failures are specifically linked to excessive engine wear due to long life service intervals, you just do not see it, it's not a thing. A modern VAG petrol, while not a pillar of reliability in many senses will take to 30k intervals with no issue whatsoever.

What you do see is excessive engine wear or failure when people take the wee wee and do not service and exceed the interval by multiples of the service interval and do 70, 80, 90m kms without a service, that is territory where you may do harm. The other scenario you see is engines manufactured with junk like most modern Hyundai/ Kia petrol engines or as you say the older BMW N47 where no amount of oil changes can save an engine that is built using paper mache and milk chocolate.

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056270#Comment_118056270

What is the economy like on the 1.5 for you? Ive heard that they are as good if not better than the 1.0 TSI - obviously with the Kodiaq a bit bigger and heavier than the Octavia you'd expect it to consume maybe 10% more fuel but if its consuming say 20% or more fuel than the Octavia for similar driving, Id be concerned that something isn't right with that engine

Toyotafanboi

Be curious to see what you think of the economy too. The missus has a 1.5 T-Roc coming in January. The 1.5 is a nice engine but it's not great in terms of fuel economy IMO.

I was driving a Q3 1.5 for about a year which is a similar vehicle and found it to be an antichrist on fuel, you'd be very lucky to get it under 8 l/ 100kms with motorway driving.

I find the Octavia 1.0 very easy on fuel, usually returns about 4.5 l/ 100kms motorway or a little over 5 l around town.

Stallingrad

Superbs 1.4tsi both doing around 6.5l per 100km. Wouldn't 8l be about right for a the Kodiaq given its size and aerodynamics?

Tea drinker

Well in terms of economy my 1.4 Superb does up to 5.5 with easy driving in the suburbs, on level ground - long runs it gets a lot more. I got an indicated 3.8 l/100km on a run to Kildare village, 3 adults.

to the subject at hand, mine appears to burn no oil between services, the level hardly drops.. unless there's a little blow by and some petrol getting into the oil.

1 litre in 10000 k/m is no concern. It may improve over time as it beds in. The rings are very low drag in all new engines to keep the efficiency high, maybe they take a little longer to bed in.

Why not service it a few thou kilometers early, and I assume the 1.5 TSI still has a dipstick, in that case just check the oil every time you fill the windscreen washer or something. Cheers!

Casati

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118071345#Comment_118071345

I’ve have the use of a 1.0 Octavia and it’s never seen anything like that economy on the motorway. Its v good in N or R roads at 80/90kmph but at motorway speed (120kmph gps) it would be lucky to return 7 litres per 100km.

Toyotafanboi

Jaysis.

I'd be keeping to 120/ 130kmh really where possible. It will generally settle a little under 5l/100kms most days.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118056113#Comment_118056113

Changing oil every 6000 miles is madness. 10000 maybe.

mr_edge_to_you

We're hovering around 40-42 mpg on the Kodiaq.

On the Octavia, we were hitting 47/48 mpg.

The reason we went for petrol back in 2017 was the short nature of most of our journeys. We had a lovely 2l Mondeo but we started encountering dpf issues.

We live 5km from the kids school and the nearest village was 5km the other direction, so not suitable for a diesel at all.

Turbolounge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118073560#Comment_118073560

Oil is cheap, engines are not, plus it will be easier to sell/ part exchange in the future, especially if whatever car it is can have issues, e.g. n47 timing chain. Also gives op some peace of mind.

Toyotafanboi

What peace of mind does it offer?

The engine is either in working order, working within its service intervals or the engine has a fault and needs to be repaired.

What does shortening the interval do?