One of the most important characteristics of any engine is its displacement. Since the first ones appeared, this characteristic of the motor has been the primary indicator by which one or another power unit is distinguished. For this reason, the concept of “engine displacement” is constantly used in relation to various power plants. On many cars, the engine size is indicated in the form of a special nameplate next to the designation of the model itself. For example, BMW 740 means that it is the seventh series in the model range with an engine capacity of 4.0 liters.
When it comes to comparing powerful naturally aspirated and turbo engines, a simple atmospheric engine is generally considered more reliable. On average, a gasoline turbo engine with a power of about 200 horsepower and a displacement of 1.8 or 2.0 liters, even with high-quality maintenance, may require attention at a mileage of about 180-250 thousand km. At the same time, a 3.5-liter naturally aspirated engine with similar power will cover about 350 thousand km without repair. It should also be noted that it is not correct to compare gasoline and diesel engines only by volume, since diesel initially has higher efficiency and a number of other distinctive features.
Read also
List of the most reliable gasoline and diesel engines: 4-cylinder power units, in-line 6-cylinder internal combustion engines and V-shaped power units. Rating.
All information and reviews about engines
1.6MPI, EA211 family
Reviews, description, modifications, characteristics, problems, resource, tuning
Engine 1.6 MPI (CWVA) appeared in 2014, it is a new unit of the family EA211(you can read more about this family in the factory), which differs from its predecessors in the family EA111 (CFNA, CFNB) a cylinder head rotated 180° (intake in front) with a built-in exhaust manifold at the rear, a phase shifter on the intake shaft, a modified cooling system and compliance with Euro-5 environmental standards. This engine received the designation CWVA, and its power increased to 110 hp. at 5800 rpm. Junior version CWVB, similar to the previous generation CFNB, a software-strangled modification, otherwise there is no difference between CWVA and CWVB.
This unit replaced atmospheric units on the Russian market , , as well as a turbocharged engine, which was very demanding on fuel quality and had problems with a catastrophically stretching timing chain.
1.6 MPI (CWVA, CWVB) is a four-cylinder 16-valve engine with a timing belt drive. By the way, the EA111 family, including the 1.2 TSI, had a timing chain. Here the engineers not only replaced the chain with a belt, but also connected the exhaust manifold to the cylinder head - it turned out to be a single whole. According to the regulations, the timing belt on this engine runs 120,000 km (the same as on the BSE (1.6 102 hp)), but its condition should be checked every 60,000 km or more often (once every 30,000 km) to avoid misunderstandings .
Engines 1.6 MPI (CWVA, CWVB) are not supplied to the European market and were developed specifically for the CIS market, where car enthusiasts prefer the simplicity and reliability of the unit, its power and efficiency. Initially, these engines were assembled on the same line with other units of the EA211 family (1.4 TSI, 1.2 TSI, 1.0 TSI) at the VW engine plant in Chemnitz (Germany), which is located very close to the border with the Czech Republic (you get the idea =)).
To develop production in Russia and reduce logistics costs, from September 4, 2015, 1.6 MPI engines (CWVA, CWVB) are produced and assembled at the plant in Kaluga, where the assembly shop can produce up to 150,000 such units per year. For engine assembly, local suppliers of parts are also involved, including the Ulyanovsk plant of the Nemak group (cylinder block and cylinder head blanks). The assembly and production cycle completely replicates the company’s European factories, and the equipment of the engine plant consists, among other things, of 13 robots from European companies, which allows processing parts with an accuracy of up to 1 micron, and cylinders with an accuracy of up to 6 microns. In addition to assembly, the plant in Kaluga also performs machining of the cylinder block, cylinder head, crankshaft, and also carries out complete assembly of the power unit.
Despite the fact that dealers sometimes get confused and offer to fill completely different oils into 1.6 MPI engines of the EA211 family: 0W-30, 5W-30, 0W-40 and 5W-40, in Russian conditions, 5W-40 engine oil with VW approvals 502.00/505.00 should be used. This solution was demonstrated both by operating practice and recommendations of VW Group RUS. Since oils with VW 504.00/507.00 approval are not friendly with low-quality fuel, which we can easily run into even at good gas stations, and fluid “zeros” (0W-30 / 0W-40), due to the design features of the unit, burn badly.
ATTENTION! To discuss motor oils and their choice, there is a special topic dedicated to. We discuss all questions about oil there, there is no need to flood on this topic here. This topic is intended to discuss the design and problems of the engine, and not its technical fluids.
ATTENTION!!! On 1.6 MPI EA211 (CWVA, CWVB) engines there is no oil level sensor. If the oil goes below the minimum, the light on the dash will not light up! You need to monitor the oil level exclusively using the dipstick and check it at least once every 500 km, especially if you have 0W-30 or 0W-40 oil. Yes, on the previous 1.6 MPI EA111 (BTS, CFNA, CFNB) and 1.6 MPI EA113 (BSE) engines there was an engine oil level sensor, but here it is not. This is important to remember.
Engine versions 1.6 MPI (EA211) - CWVA, CWVB
Engines CWVA, CWVB were installed on the following models of the concern:
- Volkswagen Polo Sedan (6R) restyling (2015 - present)
- Volkswagen Jetta 6 (NF) restyling (2014 - present)
- Volkswagen Golf 7 (2014 - 2017)
- Volkswagen Caddy 4 (2K) (2015 - present)
- Skoda Octavia A7 (5E) (2014 - 2017)
- Skoda Octavia A7 (5E) restyling (2016 - present)
- Skoda Rapid (NH) (2014 - 2017)
- Skoda Rapid (NH) restyling (2017 - present)
- Skoda Yeti (5L) restyling (10.2014 - 02.2018)
- Skoda Karoq (NU) (09.2019 - present)
Engine characteristics 1.6 MPI EA211 (90/110 hp)
Engines CWVA, CWVB
Aspiration | atmospheric |
Phase shifter | on the intake shaft |
Engine weight | ? |
Engine power C.W.V.A. | 110 hp(81 kW) at 5,800 rpm, 155 Nm at 3800-4000 rpm. |
Engine power CWVB | 90 hp(66 kW) at 5,200 rpm, 155 Nm at 3800-4000 rpm. |
Fuel | Unleaded gasoline RON-95(for Europe) In Russia it is allowed to use AI-92, but it is recommended to use AI-95/98 |
Environmental standards | Euro 5 |
Fuel consumption | city - 8.2 l/100 km route - 5.1 l/100 km mixed - 5.9 l/100 km |
Engine oil | VAG LongLife III 5W-30 (G 052 195 M2 (1L) / G 052 195 M4 (5L)) (Approvals and specifications: VW 504 00 / 507 00) VAG LongLife III 0W-30- for Europe with flexible replacement interval VAG Special Plus 5W-40- for Russia with a fixed replacement interval (until 11.2018) VAG Special G 5W-40- for Russia with a fixed replacement interval (from 11.2018) |
Engine oil volume | 3.6 l |
Oil consumption (permissible) | up to 0.5 l per 1000 km (factory), but a really serviceable engine should not consume more than 0.1 liters per 1000 km in standard mode |
Oil change is carried out | according to factory regulations with a flexible replacement interval - once every 30,000 km/ 24 months (Europe) According to the factory regulations with a fixed replacement interval - once every 15,000 km/ 12 months (Russia) |
The main problems and disadvantages of the 1.6 MPI EA211 engine (90/110 hp):
1) High engine oil consumption
Zhor oil on 1.6 MPI (CWVA) occurs very often. Moreover, the dealers themselves say that before the break-in, this is a completely normal story. For example, 1000 km may require 0.2-0.4 liters of oil, which is actually a lot. It is recommended to check the engine oil level at least once a week, otherwise you can miss the minimum mark, and then - oil starvation and all the accompanying results.
The problem may primarily be related to the quality of the oil itself (there are a lot of reviews that oil burn is typical when using Castrol 5w-30 oil, which is offered by the dealer). Then, as a result, you can get coked oil scraper rings, and even when replacing the oil with another, the oil seal may remain.
In no case should you turn a blind eye to this by simply adding oil, as the problem will only get worse and the rings will eventually clog completely and completely.
Therefore, the oil scraper rings must not be allowed to become coked. This can only be achieved by using good oil and changing it frequently (change interval 7,500 km - 10,000 km). Essentially, the rings become clogged because they have too narrow oil drainage channels (a result of production savings). The use of oils based on PAO synthetics can also help in preventing this problem, which is more stable to heat and will be quickly removed by the oil scraper ring (will not coke in the process), which in turn will prevent the unfortunate coking.
It is worth choosing a good oil from analogues (you should not buy the original, which is actually Castrol) with tolerances 502/505. Even Volkswagen prescribes in Russia to use only VW 502.00 oil in these engines, since there are more working additives to reduce friction, which are more difficult to “wash out” with low-quality fuel, which means the oil retains its lubricating properties longer. And do not forget that the engine must operate over the entire range of loads and speeds, since slow and quiet driving up to 2000-3000 rpm also contributes to coking of the rings.
2) Very high consumption of engine oil and black carbon deposits in some cylinders
It even happens that the engine from birth consumes almost 0.5 liters per 1000 km (and sometimes more), and the situation is stable regardless of mileage. This, to put it mildly, saddens the owners. In this case, the first thing we do is check the compression in the cylinders - it is most likely normal. But pay attention to the spark plugs and the condition of the chamber: one or two combustion chambers should be blacker from oil soot than the others - this is clearly visible from the spark plugs (they will be black from soot in the corresponding cylinders).
Practice has shown that on some engines the oil scraper piston rings are installed incorrectly. They have combined locks (on assembled oil scraper rings you can make such a mistake), which should not happen:
Do you see the gap through which the oil flows to the compression rings? Since compression rings do not remove oil from the wall, they easily allow oil into the combustion chamber. You can clearly see on the piston how carbon deposits become more characteristic closer to the top of the piston. Here is a corresponding example of a cylinder head in which the oil scraper rings were installed without offset on the third cylinder, and with offset on the others:
As a result, after assembling the oil scraper rings in the correct position, the engine began to consume the permissible 0.5 liters per 5000 km (this is with original oil, since the work was carried out under warranty). When replacing with higher quality PAO synthetics, oil consumption will most likely decrease even more. Yes, this case was recognized as a warranty case, so you need to fight to open the engine, and for the dealer to confirm that if the rings are installed incorrectly, all repair work will be paid for by the factory.
3) Oil leak in the timing belt housing
It's the camshaft seal seals that are leaking. Only replacing the seals themselves will help. This does not happen often, but dealers also fix this problem under warranty.
4) Uneven heating of the cylinders and piston group
Since naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines of the EA211 family have a single architecture, in both cases the exhaust manifold of the block head is made as a single unit with the block head itself. The casting of the part is the same, but is intended specifically for the TSI motor. On a turbo engine, to optimize its operation, it is necessary to technically increase the speed of gas flow, which is why the channels are specially made to be narrower. There will be a lot of resistance at the outlet, but there is nothing to worry about, since the turbine will spin up much faster and work more efficiently.
On atmospheric versions of CWVA/CWVB, this manifold can even be said to be contraindicated, since exhaust gases will break into adjacent cylinders, and this will affect uneven heating of the CPG, which entails a thermal imbalance, and in the future, uneven wear of the CPG.
5) Poor purging and filling of cylinders
Based on what is written above that the EA211 family is still initially turbocharged, then another problem arises on naturally aspirated engines:
At the place where the turbine should initially stand, a catalyst is installed, which creates a reverse wave for the gas flow. Because of this, it prevents good purging and normal filling of the cylinders. And if in 1.6 CFNA engines (pre-restyling Polo sedan, Skoda Fabia 5J/Roomster and others) the problem of purging and filling the cylinders could be solved by installing a spider (advanced exhaust system), then on the CWVA this cannot be done, since the exhaust and head made as a single unit.
This is bad because the engine does not run on a clean mixture, but also on exhaust gases. And this leads to an uneven combustion process, vibrations and wear.
6) The pump with two thermostats is complex in design and can be replaced as an assembly
This complex unit can make itself felt over long runs (more than 200 thousand km). Moreover, the system is almost entirely plastic, which does not mean it will last forever. Plus the second thermostat, which is not visible, is made on a bimetallic plate. This plate heats up, after which its deflection changes and the coolant flows along a large circuit. The number of these cycles for a plate is not infinite. As practice shows, its service life does not exceed 8-10 years. And this will be our mileage of 200-350 thousand km. in moderate operating conditions.
This pump, powered by a CWVA motor, is driven by its own belt, which operates without a tensioner or rollers. Accordingly, this element has less deformation under load, which is good news. But the only bad thing is that it is monoblock and you can’t replace anything in it separately.
7) Antifreeze leaking from under the pump
Since the design of the pump on all engines (turbo and atmospheric) of the EA211 family is the same, the problem with the leakage of the pump gasket can appear on any engine from this family. It is not difficult to check the condition of the pump gasket and identify an antifreeze leak: to do this, you need to remove the air filter and look for traces of red liquid on the right side of the cylinder head. It is easy to guess that the leak occurs precisely from the connection of that same “pump plus two thermostats” module.
VAG workers have long been using an interesting method to check the presence of gaskets - they make a small cutout on one of the mating parts. It turns out a window and a gasket made of bright material is visible, if it is there. Through this window in the interface between the pump module and thermostats, antifreeze begins to ooze. As our spectral analysis showed, the problem is in the gasket itself. One day, oil was accidentally dripped onto an old gasket. After some time, this place swelled. It is clear that in the mating of parts, if oil gets on the gasket, it has nowhere to go and sticks out through the window. This is where the leak comes from. They chose some wrong gasket material - it is resistant to antifreeze, but not to other liquids.
8) Knock of hydraulic compensators on a cold engine
Some owners of such engines have noticed that when the oil level drops along the dipstick from the MAX mark closer to the middle of the measuring segment of the dipstick, the hydraulic compensators begin to knock when starting a cold engine. Those who keep the oil level constantly at maximum note that hydraulic compensators always operate quietly.
Engine life 1.6 MPI EA211 (90/110 hp)
The third generation of the Skoda Octavia model (A7 body) entered the Russian market in June 2013 with a completely new line of power units of the EA211 series, which replaced the old EA111 engines. The range of engines then included petrol turbo-fours 1.2 TSI, 1.4 TSI and 1.8 TSI, as well as the 2.0 TDI diesel engine that joined them. However, just a few months later, in the spring of 2014, the manufacturer decided to replace the initial 1.2 TSI turbocharged unit with a naturally aspirated 1.6 MPI. This reshuffle, apparently, was caused by the desire to expand the circle of potential buyers at the expense of those car owners who are distrustful of supercharged engines and the DSG “robots” that are paired with them, which have not yet completely gotten rid of the status of a problematic gearbox. To such buyers, a modification with a naturally aspirated engine complemented by a classic Aisin automatic transmission with 6 speeds probably seemed like a real apologist for reliability. The rather low price tag also spoke in favor of the new version. What should we expect from a Skoda Octavia with a 1.6 MPI engine, and what weaknesses/strengths can be noted in the engine without turbocharging?
What kind of engine is 1.6 MPI?
To begin with, it wouldn’t hurt to talk about the design features of the atmospheric “four”. The unit, which received the CWVA index, is a new development based on turbo engines included in the EA211 family. The “aspirated” engine borrowed almost all the basic parts from its brothers: a lightweight aluminum cylinder block with cast iron liners, a cylinder head with a built-in exhaust manifold, a 16-valve timing belt, a dual-circuit cooling system, and a unified fastening scheme for the MQB platform. At the same time, all “supercharged” components were excluded from the architecture - compressor, intercooler, fuel injection pump.
The increase in volume was achieved by installing pistons of larger diameter and increasing their stroke (the radius of the crankshaft was made larger). The cylinder head has been upgraded to accommodate a distributed injection system. From the resulting power unit with a volume of 1598 cc. see managed to “remove” 110 hp. power and 155 Nm of torque. The timing drive of the 1.6 MPI engine (as well as other engines of the EA211 series) uses a toothed belt capable of “running” 120,000 km. It is at this mileage that it is recommended to change it.
Technical characteristics of the engine 1.6 MPI 110 hp:
| Engine | 1.6 MPI 110 hp |
|---|---|
| Engine code | C.W.V.A. |
| engine's type | petrol |
| Injection type | distributed |
| Supercharging | No |
| Engine location | front, transverse |
| Cylinder arrangement | in-line |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Number of valves | 16 |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm. | 1598 |
| Compression ratio | 10.5:1 |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 76.5 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 86.9 |
| The order of operation of the cylinders | 1-3-4-2 |
| Power (at rpm), hp | 110 (5500-5800) |
| Maximum torque (at rpm), N*m | 155 (3800) |
| Environmental class | Euro 5 |
| Fuel | Gasoline with an octane rating of at least 91 |
| Automatic valve clearance adjustment | Yes |
| Catalyst | Yes |
| Lambda probe | Yes |
Characteristics of Skoda Octavia A7 with 1.6 MPI engine
In terms of technical characteristics, the Skoda Octavia with a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated MPI is inferior to the modification with a 1.2 TSI turbo engine in a number of indicators. For example, it accelerates more slowly (12 versus 10.5 seconds) and consumes more fuel (6.7 versus 5 liters). But, as practice shows, many motorists, when choosing a car, are guided primarily by the criterion of reliability. And here the Octavia 1.6 has an advantage - whatever one may say, the naturally aspirated unit is less prone to breakdowns due to the absence of a capricious turbocharging system, and distributed injection, unlike direct injection, places lower demands on fuel quality. Plus, paired with the MPI engine is a traditional hydromechanical “automatic”, which is highly trusted.
Technical data Skoda Octavia 1.6 MPI:
| Modification | Skoda Octavia 1.6 MPI | Skoda Octavia Combi 1.6 MPI |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | ||
| engine's type | petrol | |
| Engine location | front, transverse | |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm. | 1598 | |
| Compression ratio | 10.5 | |
| Number of cylinders | 4 | |
| Cylinder arrangement | in-line | |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 76.5 | |
| Piston stroke, mm | 86.9 | |
| Number of valves | 16 | |
| Power, hp (at rpm) | 110 (5500-5800) | |
| Maximum torque, N*m (at rpm) | 155 (3800) | |
| Transmission | ||
| Manual Transmission | 5-speed manual transmission | |
| Automatic transmission | 6-speed automatic transmission | |
| Drive unit | front | |
| Suspension | ||
| Front suspension | independent, MacPherson type with anti-roll bar | |
| Rear suspension | semi-independent, spring | |
| Brakes | ||
| Front brakes | ventilated disc | |
| Rear brakes | disk | |
| Body dimensions | ||
| Length, mm | 4659 | |
| Width, mm | 1814 | |
| Height, mm | 1461 | 1480 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2680 | |
| Trunk volume, l (min/max) | 568/1558 | 588/1718 |
| Weight | ||
| Curb weight, kg | 1210 (1250) | 1232 (1272) |
| Gross permissible weight, kg | 1780 (1820) | 1802 (1842) |
| Fuel figures | ||
| Fuel consumption in the urban cycle, l/100 km | 8.5 (9.0) | 8.5 (9.0) |
| Fuel consumption in the extra-urban cycle, l/100 km | 5.2 (5.3) | 5.2 (5.3) |
| Fuel consumption in the combined cycle, l/100 km | 6.4 (6.7) | 6.4 (6.7) |
| Fuel | AI-95 | |
| Tank volume, l | 50 | |
| Speed indicators | ||
| Maximum speed, km/h | 192 (190) | 191 (188) |
| Acceleration time to 100 km/h, s | 10.6 (12.0) | 10.8 (12.2) |
What problems can arise with the 1.6 MPI 110 hp engine?
One of the key features of the 1.6-liter MPI engine is high oil consumption, and an increased “appetite” is observed even in new engines. There is nothing wrong with this as long as oil loss due to waste does not begin to exceed acceptable standards. An alarming signal hinting at possible problems is an increase in consumption to 500 grams per thousand kilometers or more. Here you should contact a specialist to find out the causes of oil burn.
The predisposition to increased oil consumption of the 1.6 MPI engine is primarily due to its design features - the small thickness of the piston rings, the low weight and height of the pistons. Reducing the size and lightening of these parts helps reduce friction losses, which allows for better fuel economy and minimizing the content of harmful substances in exhaust gases. At the same time, such a CPG “digests” heavy loads worse, becoming more sensitive to engine operating conditions and the quality of the oil used. In a certain situation, the piston group may overheat, which inevitably affects the operation of the compression and oil scraper rings, which can no longer fully perform their functions. As a result, more oil enters the combustion chamber than it should, and its combustion leads to the formation of deposits on the cylinder walls and piston skirts.
Possible reasons for the high oil waste in the CWVA 1.6 MPI engine also include the special structure of the surface of the cylinder walls obtained after honing, insufficient pretension of the oil scraper rings, and design flaws associated with converting a turbocharged engine into an atmospheric one.
In any case, in order to protect yourself from premature problems, when operating your Skoda Octavia 1.6 you must follow a few simple rules:
- Use only motor oil recommended by the manufacturer, avoid counterfeits, give preference to oils with better cleaning properties and a low tendency to form deposits.
- Change the engine oil in a timely manner. On time does not mean in terms of mileage, but in terms of actual engine hours worked and actual condition.
- Check the oil level regularly and if it drops quickly, be sure to contact a service center.
- Avoid overheating the engine and, if possible, avoid unfavorable driving conditions (long periods of standing in traffic jams in hot weather).
In principle, this entire set of measures should be carried out by the owner of any modern car, except that in this particular case the owner of the car is required to pay more attention to the regulations for maintenance work.
Some conclusions
The appearance of the 1.6 MPI 110 hp engine in the range of Skoda Octavia A7 engines. can definitely be regarded as a positive thing. Car enthusiasts have more freedom in choosing power plants and gearboxes. The new unit was developed in accordance with the latest trends in engine construction, complies with Euro-5 environmental standards, and has good consumer properties. In addition, the power unit is assigned the role of a base unit, that is, the modifications it comes with are the cheapest. As of October 2016, the price for the Skoda Octavia 1.6 MPI starts at 899 thousand rubles (version with 5-speed manual transmission).
At first, Octavias for the Russian market were equipped with 110-horsepower foreign-assembled engines. In September 2015, engine production was launched at the plant in Kaluga. Currently, naturally aspirated fours of the 1.6 EA211 series are installed on several Volkswagen/Skoda models at once. In addition to the Octavia, this number includes Yeti, Rapid, Polo and Jetta.
Everything would be fine, the engine is just like an engine, if not for the knocking of the engine when cold. Very many CFNA engines begin to knock before they even reach one hundred thousand kilometers, and in some cases the defect occurs already in the first 30 thousand.
Be careful when purchasing. A common problem is a progressive knocking noise after a cold start.
Polo Sedan Engine - CFNA
At one time, the Polo Sedan model, priced from 399 rubles, entered the Russian market. (!) became a sensation and was considered an achievement of the Volkswagen concern. Still would! Getting Volkswagen quality for that kind of money is a dream for many. But, as often happens, the low price had a bad effect on the quality of the product - the Polo Sedan engineCFNA 1.6 l 105 hpturned out to be not as reliable as expected.
Engine CFNA 1.6 was installed not only on the Polo Sedan, but also on other models of the Volkswagen concern, including those assembled abroad. From 2010 to 2015, this engine was installed on the following models:
- Volkswagen
- Polo Sedan
- Jetta
- Vento
- Lavida
- Skoda
- Rapid
- Fabia
- Roomster
If you don’t know what engine is installed in a given car, you can find out by looking at its VIN code.
CFNA motor problems
The main problem of the engineCFNA 1.6 is knocking when cold. At first, the knock of the pistons on the cylinder walls manifests itself as a slight tinkling sound in the first minutes after a cold start. As it warms up, the piston expands, pressing against the cylinder walls, so the knocking noise disappears until the next cold start.
At first, the owner may not attach any importance to this, but the knocking progresses and soon even the inattentive car owner realizes that there is something wrong with the engine. The very appearance of a knock (impact of the piston on the cylinder wall) indicates the beginning of the active phase of engine destruction. With the arrival of summer, the knocking may subside, but with the first frost, CFNA will begin to knock again.
Gradually, the CFNA engine knocking “when cold” increases its duration, and one day, it remains even after the engine has warmed up.
Engine knock
The knock of the engine piston on the cylinder wall occurs when the pistons are repositioned at top dead center. This becomes possible as a result of wear of the pistons and cylinder walls. The graphite coating of the skirts quickly wears down to the piston metal
Significant wear occurs in places where the piston rubs against the cylinder walls.
Then the metal of the piston begins to hit the cylinder wall and then scuffing occurs on the piston skirt
And on the cylinder wall
Despite the large number of complaints, the Volkswagen concern over the years of production CFNA engine(2010-2015) never declared a recall. Instead of replacing the entire unit, the manufacturer performs piston group repair, and even then only if you apply under warranty.
The Volkswagen group does not disclose the results of its research, but from the scant explanations it follows that cause of defect supposedly consists in poor piston design. In case of a warranty claim, service centers replace standard EM pistons with modified ET ones, which supposedly should completely solve problem of piston knocking in cylinders.
But as practice shows, CFNA engine overhaul is not the final solution to the problem and half of the owners again complain about the appearance of engine knocking, after several thousand km. mileage The other half of those who have encountered knocking from this engine try to sell the car as soon as possible after major repairs.
There is a version that the real reason for the rapid wear of the CFNA engine may be chronic oil starvation caused by low oil pressure. The oil pump does not provide sufficient pressure when the engine is running at idle speed, so the engine is regularly in oil starvation mode, which leads to accelerated wear.
Resource
Declared by the manufacturer Polo Sedan engine life is 200 thousand km, but traditionally naturally aspirated 1.6 liter engines produced by Volkswagen should run at least 300-400 thousand km.
A defect such as piston knocking when cold makes these figures irrelevant. The Volkswagen group does not disclose official statistics, but judging by the activity on the forums, 5 out of 10 CFNA engines begin to knock at mileage from 30 to 100 thousand km. There are also known cases of defect manifestation on runs of less than 10 thousand km.
However, it should be noted that there have been no cases of a jammed CFNA motor. This is probably due to the fact that the knocking progresses gradually and gives time to make a decision about repairing the engine or selling the car.
Among the large number of complaints about knocking, there are isolated reports of successful long-term operation of an engine that has a knocking noise when cold, which supposedly does not progress and does not bother. Unfortunately, such reports are not confirmed by video recordings and, most likely, it is not the pistons that are knocking, but the hydraulic compensators. According to reviews from car owners whose engines began to knock for real, it soon becomes impossible to ignore this knocking. The ringing becomes so loud that “it’s embarrassing to stand next to the car” and “it can be heard from the 7th floor balcony.”
CFNA Engine Replacement
If the car is under warranty, the manufacturer performs free warranty repairs, replacing standard EM pistons with modified ET ones. The cylinder block and crankshaft can also be replaced, but these expensive parts are not always replaced under warranty.
Engine CFNA equipped timing chain drive, and the chain tensioner does not have a reverse stop. There are no recesses on the pistons here either, so chain break/jump leads to "Armageddon" - the motor bends the valve. The steel chain is designed to provide higher service life and reliability compared to a belt drive. In fact, the timing chain of this engine stretches quite quickly and requires replacement at 100 thousand kilometers.
The chain tensioner does not have a backstop and works only due to oil pressure, which is pumped by the oil pump and appears only after the engine is started. Thus, the chain tension occurs only when the engine is running, and while the engine is turned off, the stretched chain can move along with the tensioner.
Due to this It is not recommended to park the car with the gear engaged, But without parking brake. When starting the engine, the stretched chain on the camshaft gears may jump. In this case, the valves may encounter the piston, which leads to expensive engine repairs.
Over time, during operation, the standard CFNA exhaust manifold cracks and the car begins to growl loudly. It is advisable to replace the exhaust manifold free of charge, before the end of the warranty, otherwise it will either have to be replaced (for 47 thousand rubles) or welded (as in the photo), which will be cheaper.
CFNA Motor Characteristics
Manufacturer: Volkswagen
Years of production: October 2010 – November 2015
Engine CFNA 1.6 l. 105 hp belongs to the series EA 111. It was produced for 5 years, from October 2010 to November 2015, and then was discontinued and replaced by an engine C.W.V.A. from the new generation EA211.
Engine Configuration
In-line, 4 cylinders
2 camshafts Without phase regulators
4 valves/cylinder, Hydraulic compensators
Timing drive: Chain
Cylinder block: Aluminum + Cast iron sleeves
Power: 105 hp(77 kW).
Torque 153 N*m
Compression ratio: 10.5
Bore/Stroke: 76.5/86.9
Aluminum pistons. Piston diameter, taking into account the thermal gap for expansion, is 76.460 mm
In addition, there is a CFNB version, which is completely identical, but is equipped with different firmware, thanks to which the engine power is reduced to 85 hp.
At the beginning of June 2015, the Czech automobile company Skoda began producing the Skoda Rapid in Russia with a new 1.6-liter gasoline engine. It is already familiar to many from the OCTAVIA and YETI models, but has significant differences. 1.6 liter naturally aspirated engines are a classic of the genre. And, it would seem, after the carburetor was replaced with injection, there was nothing more to invent. But SKODA proves that the pursuit of perfection is a never-ending process.
From the very beginning
Developing a new engine is a very expensive business: the bill runs into many millions of euros. For this reason, it is not uncommon for different car companies to team up to make one engine for shared use. At the same time, naturally-aspirated engines are not very interesting to European buyers now: in terms of fuel consumption, they cannot compete with modern turbo engines, and today this is almost a death sentence. For this reason, naturally aspirated engines for budget cars, popular in Russia and a number of other countries, are often modernized rather than radically changed.What led SKODA to create a new naturally aspirated engine when the old one was not bad? The answer sounds surprising: the introduction of a new MQB platform, which is primarily designed for the use of turbo engines. Completely confused? It's a matter of approach.
The MQB platform is a set of some universal solutions for creating cars of different brands that are part of the Volkswagen group. These solutions concern bodies and suspensions, transmission units and safety systems, radio navigation devices and, of course, engines. This approach is economically beneficial for both the concern and consumers: it is better to combine efforts and resources to develop one very good engine that will be used on ten different models than to make several average engines from an engineering point of view.
For cars on the MQB platform (which, in particular, includes the new Octavia), a line of new turbocharged engines, diesel and gasoline, has been developed. But the principle of “universal bricks” was applied here too. No matter which of the engines in this line you choose, they will definitely have common features. For example, there will be exactly four valves per cylinder. The cylinder block will be cast from aluminum alloy. The camshafts are rotated by a toothed belt. But the exhaust manifold is not visible from the outside at all: it is built into the cylinder head. So, without spending extra money, we managed to create a 1.6-liter naturally-aspirated engine that meets all modern requirements: it was not invented from scratch, but with an arsenal of ready-made solutions in stock.
To begin with, a new engine was offered in Russia for the new SKODA Octavia, then for the SKODA Yeti, and now it’s the turn of the SKODA Rapid. It is worth noting: the engine in question, the 1.6 MPI EA211 series, was developed and brought to production by SKODA engineers in the Czech Republic, and is used on cars of different brands that are part of the concern.
Motor characteristics
The 1.6 MPI is an in-line four-cylinder, 16-valve engine with a displacement of 1,598 cc. cm, equipped with a distributed fuel injection system. It has little in common with previous engines with the same name (but the EA111 series), dating back to the 1990s. In fact, they are united by the displacement, the distance between the cylinder axes (82 mm) and distributed fuel injection into the intake manifold. The developers made a simple but elegant design. For example, a cylinder block. It is designed according to the Open Deck principle. That is, the cylinders are connected to the block itself only in its lower part, and from the sides they are freely washed with antifreeze. The absence of unnecessary jumpers has a beneficial effect on the cooling of the cylinders, eliminating the problem of cavitation, that is, the formation of harmful air bubbles that lead to the slow destruction of surfaces washed by the coolant (by the way, the phenomenon of cavitation explains the noise of the kettle when heated).
Uniform cooling of the cylinders also helps reduce oil consumption due to waste. When the cylinder walls are unevenly cooled, microdeformations occur, due to which the rings do not fit tightly to the walls along the entire circumference, and oil enters the combustion chamber. If there is no deformation, then the oil burns less.
The block on the EA211 engines is cast from aluminum alloy, and the cylinders form liners made of durable gray cast iron. A motor with sleeves is not the cheapest, but it is a very good solution from an engineering point of view. Cast iron is a wear-resistant material that removes heat well. In addition, due to the highly rough outer surface (the one that is washed by antifreeze on all sides), heat transfer becomes even more efficient, since the contact area of the liner walls with the coolant increases.
If you twirl the aluminum piston of the new engine in your hands, you will notice how simple its shape is. Its bottom is flat, with only recesses for the valves. Previously, pistons had a much more complex shape. Step back? Not at all. A flat piston is lighter than a figured piston, which makes the engine more dynamic. Why couldn't they make such simple pistons before? Yes, because behind this simplicity there are years of research. Previously, we did not know how to achieve optimal distribution of the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber with a flat piston bottom.
The aluminum cylinder head, as mentioned above, on MQB engines has an integrated exhaust manifold. Typically the exhaust manifold is located on the outside and is known to get very hot within seconds of starting the engine. Touching it risks severe burns. This is understandable: hot gases enter the manifold directly from the combustion chamber. The concern's engineers decided to take advantage of this property of the manifold and hid it in the cylinder head. Now the hot gases warm up the engine, and it quickly reaches operating temperature. A warm engine has greater output than a cold one, consumes less fuel and, which is important in winter, provides heat to the interior faster. In addition, this design is lighter than the traditional one. Yes, only by two kilograms, but the combination of such measures has led to the fact that the new engine is one third lighter than the previous one.
Separate cooling
The camshaft housing is installed on top of the cylinder head. It is also made of aluminum. The shafts rotate on new ball bearings of a radial design: friction losses are reduced, and with them fuel consumption.The valves have also changed: they have become lighter, and in order to reduce friction losses, they are driven by roller rocker arms with hydraulic compensators, and not directly from the camshafts. Moreover, on all EA211 engines without exception, phase control is used on the intake side. Previously, such a solution was found only on expensive multi-cylinder engines. We will not dwell on this technology in detail, but let us remind you: it helps to increase engine output over a wide speed range. After all, in an amicable way, for each operating mode it is necessary to select a certain time for opening the intake valves. For example, at low speeds it is advisable to cover them earlier, at high speeds, on the contrary, later. This cannot be achieved without a phase change system.
Even such a seemingly simple part as the intake manifold has undergone modification. Engineers optimized the location and configuration of the channels so that the air flow encounters the least resistance. And special resonator chambers made it possible to reduce flow fluctuations and, as a result, reduce noise during engine operation.
The cooling system has also been optimized. In the new engine, antifreeze circulates in the engine through two independent circuits: the cylinder block and its head. Why such difficulties, you ask? Everything is explained very easily. The more advanced the motor, the less excess heat it produces. On the one hand, it's good. On the other hand, it takes longer to reach operating temperature and generates less heat for the stove. An exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head and a dual-circuit cooling system allow this feature of modern engines to be leveled out.
The scheme works like this: until the engine warms up to 80 degrees, the antifreeze does not leave the engine at all. Only after this milestone does the first thermostat open, connecting the circuit of the block head with the pump and expansion tank. As a result, the combustion chambers receive enhanced cooling, cylinder filling improves, and the likelihood of detonation decreases. At the same time, the cylinder block circuit still remains isolated from the general system - it needs to gain temperature in order to reduce friction in the crank mechanism. And only when the sensors register 105 degrees in this zone, the second thermostat will work, the cooling system will move into a large circle and connect to the radiator. In fact, everything happens very quickly: the temperature needle moves right before your eyes.
Perhaps some decisions will seem strange to “traditionalists”. For example, there is an opinion that the timing chain is more reliable than the belt. It used to be like that. The fiberglass-reinforced belt on the new 1.6 MPI engine is designed for the entire service life of the engine, but, unlike a chain, it does not stretch and is less noisy.
Of course, a skeptic will notice that if you compare the characteristics of the old and new engines, the difference seems to be negligible. The 1.6-liter “four” turns out to be five “horses” more powerful (110 forces versus 105 previously), having a slightly higher maximum torque of 155 Nm (previously - 153 Nm). Isn’t the “output” too small for such an extensive list of technical changes? To answer this question, it is best to look at the section that describes the efficiency of the car. And here we find that with the old Rapid engine with a 1.6 MPI engine and a manual transmission, it consumed 8.9 l/100 km in the urban cycle, and with the new one - 7.9 l/100 km. With the new automatic transmission, the difference in the city is even more noticeable: the savings are about two liters per hundred.
The 1.6 MPI engine of the EA211 series is also available in a derated version. Along with the 110-horsepower version, Rapid customers are offered a “lightweight” version - in terms of output, not design: its power is reduced to 90 horsepower, and the torque is the same as on the 110-horsepower engine, that is, 155 Nm . You can save on the price of the car, on insurance, and on paying the annual transport tax.
