The Most Common Problems with the 1.8T Engine

1.8 & 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen.3 & evo4 upgrade Aluminium oil filter housing BAR-TEK®

Immediate delivery!

Made from high-quality aluminium

better cooling from engine oil

significantly more stable compared to series

€89.95

1.8 & 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen.3 & evo4 Oil filter

Immediate delivery!

O-ring included

Always replace when changing the oil

for all 3rd generation engines

Made in Germany

€15.95

1.8T 20V Aluminium Oil Pan with Baffle BAR-TEK®

3 Years Warranty

(1)

1.8T 20V Alloy oil pan with baffle BAR-TEK®

Immediate delivery!

Aluminium oil pan

Integrated baffle plate

Constant Oil supply

Resistant rubber flaps

€329.98

Sensitive ignition coils

Another very common problem with 1.8T engines is misfires caused by defective ignition coils. Ignition coils make sure that the low voltage from the battery is converted into the high ignition voltage at the spark plugs. There is one ignition coil per cylinder. The stock 1.8T ignition coils are generally very sensitive, and due to wear or increased power from tuning, the coils can fail. If a coil fails, you’ll notice it, for example, through misfires. If several coils fail at the same time, the engine may no longer start.

These are the symptoms of faulty ignition coils on the 1.8T engine

Misfires
Rough idle/running
Backfiring/misfiring
Check engine light comes on
Loss of power
Problems starting the engine

Fixing ignition coil issues

Especially on tuned engines, we recommend not waiting for a failure before you replace the ignition coils. But if one has already failed, it’s important to replace all coils at the same time. That way you don’t end up with a mix of new and old coils that can negatively affect each other. If you want to nip the problem with the sensitive ignition coils in the bud, do an upgrade and install high performance ignition coils. These have more voltage than the stock parts and deliver a stable ignition spark.

2.0 TSI EA888 Gen. 3 and evo4 oil catchtank kit with TÜV BAR-TEK®

3 Years Warranty

(2)

1.8 & 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen.3 oil catchtank kit with TÜV BAR-TEK®

Immediate delivery!

From

€499.95

Defective water pump due to broken plastic impeller

One of the classic 1.8T issues is a bad water pump. The stock pumps use a plastic impeller that can break, come loose from the shaft, and cause massive damage. Once that happens, the water pump can’t move coolant through the engine anymore, so the engine overheats. If you’ve also increased power and the engine is exposed to extreme thermal stress, this can quickly lead to total engine failure. Of course, the pump can also just wear out normally. If you notice the following symptoms on your 1.8T, you should definitely take action.

Signs of a bad water pump

Engine overheating
Coolant loss
Loud noise with the engine running
Heater not working

Solution: Replace the water pump

If you’re still running the stock pump and it calls it quits, we recommend swapping straight to the 1.8T RACE water pump with metal wheel. The metal wheel is way less prone to failure than the original plastic one, so that solves the problem. When you change the pump, you should always replace the belt drive and all gaskets as well.

3 Years Warranty

(1)

1.8T 20V upgrade Water pump metal impeller BAR-TEK®

Delivery time 1 - 3 days

€92.55

Crumbling vacuum hoses: A classic 1.8T problem

The low-quality hoses in the vacuum system are also among the typical teething problems of the 1.8T engine. They become brittle and cause a whole series of issues. Then it’s time to start troubleshooting, because a single leak affects the entire system. The vacuum in the intake system helps turbo engines pull air into the motor. If something is leaking here, the vehicle may stop running altogether in the worst case.

This is how you notice if vacuum hoses are defective

Hissing noise from the engine bay
Loss of power
Check engine light comes on
Rough idle

Solution: Replace rubber hoses

With the 1.8T you can assume it’s only a matter of time until the stock hoses get brittle and start crumbling away. So it makes sense to replace them with high-quality vacuum silicone hoses. That way you’ll definitely be done with the issue.

universal

3 Years Warranty

(5)

Silicone vacuum hose BAR-TEK®

Delivery time 1 - 3 days

Guaranteed to fit in your car!

flexible, elastic

resistant

pressure-resistant

made of high quality silicone

From

€4.60

Torn timing belt and broken tensioners on the 1.8T

What “actually” doesn’t happen that often happens all the more frequently on the 1.8T: the timing belt tending to snap is also a well‑known 1.8T problem. Since the belt connects the cylinder head, the camshaft, and the crankshaft, a snapped belt inevitably leads to serious issues. Of course, this part is under heavy load and therefore subject to normal wear, but the timing belts are about as vulnerable as the hoses. You should therefore replace it according to the schedule, i. e. every 60,000 kilometers. Just as prone to failure as the belts are the related tensioner rollers, which are made of low‑grade plastic. On tuned engines, go ahead and replace both a bit earlier!

How to spot a bad timing belt

Quick loss of power
Rough running
Engine won’t turn over
Unusual noises
Misfires

Solution: Change the timing belt

When the timing belt is done, it obviously has to be replaced. Ideally, you do this within the service interval and before any damage occurs. If your 1.8T is tuned, we strongly recommend converting to a mechanical tensioner that can maintain the exact tension.

sale

(2)

Gates

1.8T 20V Racing timing belt Gates

Immediate delivery!

300% stronger

Kevlar-reinforced fabric

Nylon fibres

Aramid teeth

% €119.95 €109.95

1.8T 20V RACE timing belt tensioner kit BAR-TEK®

3 Years Warranty

1.8T 20V RACE timing belt tensioner kit BAR-TEK®

Immediate delivery!

Tensioner arm made of 6061 T6 aircraft-grade aluminum

CNC machined

Stud bolts made of high-quality 4140 steel

Spacer stainless steel screw connection

€150.50

Coolant temperature sensor

A typical weak spot of the 1.8T 20V engine is also a faulty coolant temperature sensor due to wear. Since this sensor does exactly that – measure the temperature of the coolant – a defect causes serious issues. Based on the coolant temperature, among other things, the amount of fuel that is injected is determined. Many 1.8T drivers find the following message in the fault memory: “Coolant temperature sensor signal implausible”.

Symptoms of a faulty coolant temperature sensor

Car stalls while driving
Temperature is displayed incorrectly or not at all
Starts poorly or doesn’t start at all
Error message “Coolant temperature sensor signal implausible”
Fuel consumption increases when too much is injected
Engine overheats
Emission values go up (risk of failing inspection)

Solution: Replace the sensor

If the coolant temperature sensor is defective, it must be replaced to avoid serious engine damage. Repairing it makes no sense. It’s often also necessary to replace the thermostat at the same time. For reliable testing, we recommend the sensor adapter for our temperature gauge.

universal

Water temperature sensor adapter BAR-TEK®

3 Years Warranty

(0)

Water temperature sensor adapter BAR-TEK®

Delivery 5 to 8 days

Guaranteed to fit in your car!

Water temperature sensor

From

€29.50

universal

3 Years Warranty

(9)

Temperature display kit BAR-TEK®

Immediate delivery!

Guaranteed to fit in your car!

hochwertiges Digital-Display

56.4 x 27 x 11mm

inklusive Kabelbaum und Sensor

€39.95

Get our repair guide for your 1.8T

With our repair guides you get the ultimate step-by-step manual for fixing your engine, prepared with graphics, technical data, and detailed descriptions. This lets you tackle the typical issues of your engine safely and efficiently. In the guides you’ll also find the required tools, so you really have everything you need to get your engine back in shape.

sale

BAR-TEK® Audi A4 (B6) 1.8T Reparaturleitfaden

3 Years Warranty

Engine repair guide Audi A4 (B6) 1.8T

Immediate delivery!

From

% €52.05 €49.98

BAR-TEK® Audi TT (8N) 1.8T Reparaturleitfaden

3 Years Warranty

Engine repair guide Audi TT (8N) 1.8T

Immediate delivery!

From

€52.05

sale

3 Years Warranty

Engine repair guide VW Golf 4 1.8T

Immediate delivery!

From

% €52.05 €49.98

sale

BAR-TEK® Motor-Reparaturleitfaden VW Passat (3B) 1.8T

3 Years Warranty

Engine repair guide VW Passat (3B) 1.8T

Delivery time 1 - 3 days