One thing is certain: you cannot avoid every engine failure. Where there is a material defect, even the best care will not help. But as a rule, the better you look after your engine, the longer you will enjoy it. We have gathered advice here that helps to avoid engine damage – or at least to delay it considerably.

The Right Spark Plug Makes the Difference

Is your engine slow to respond, down on power, misfiring, juddering or knocking? Worn spark plugs may be the cause. You will find the replacement interval in your handbook or service booklet – typically 30,000 and 60,000 kilometres.

• Standard spark plugs: approx. 30,000 km
• Platinum spark plugs (precious metal): approx. 60,000 km – twice the service life
• Iridium spark plugs: approx. 100,000 km – the latest technology, best able to withstand high ignition loads

Important: you cannot fit any spark plug you like. The new plugs must be of the same type as the old ones. If you use plugs that do not meet the manufacturer's specification, the engine will no longer run smoothly and engine damage can occur.

Coolant Level and Antifreeze – What to Watch For

The cold season brings risks for your engine. Sub-zero temperatures with ice and snow can cause coolant to freeze. If the coolant freezes, the engine can no longer be cooled adequately.

• Make sure there is always sufficient coolant in the radiator – too little leads to overheating
• You can top up with tap water, or better still distilled water, to prevent limescale
• Take care with concentrated antifreeze: too much can be harmful
• Ready-mixed coolant from a specialist is the safer option

On this subject we recommend seeking the advice of a specialist workshop.

Oil Change Intervals and Checking the Oil Level

To enjoy your engine for a long time, oil care is extremely important. You will find the intervals in your handbook. As a rule, manufacturers specify a change every 20,000 to 30,000 km, or after 24 months at the latest. Whichever limit is reached first determines the interval.

What Happens Inside the Oil?

It is often overlooked that manufacturers assume normal operation – a mixture of short and long journeys as well as motorway driving. If your driving differs from this and you only make short journeys, far more condensation forms and is not boiled off. Wear is also higher with frequent cold starts, and more debris forms in the oil and filter. Lubrication performance drops considerably. In such cases you should change the oil more frequently than the manufacturer specifies.

Changing the Oil Filter

The oil filter must be replaced at every oil change, since solids accumulate in it. In an engine with a saturated filter, the oil pump has to work harder, which increases fuel consumption. The oil is also no longer filtered properly and is routed unfiltered past the filter through a bypass channel. Suspended particles and debris then act like an abrasive – causing very high wear and ultimately catastrophic engine damage.

Checking the Oil Level

Check the oil level regularly, since even the most modern engines consume a little oil. Driving with too little oil risks catastrophic engine damage. A running engine must always maintain constant oil pressure for lubrication. Even the red oil pressure warning light coming on briefly because of low oil can damage the engine and cause consequential damage.

Timing Belt Replacement

Your engine contains high-performance components such as the crankshaft, camshaft and pistons. The timing belt connects them so that they work in perfect harmony. It drives essential components such as the camshaft, water pump and injection pump.

Like any mechanical component, the timing belt wears. Always observe the specified replacement interval from your service booklet or handbook – as a rule between 100,000 and 200,000 kilometres.

Once a timing belt has snapped, catastrophic engine damage results. The components no longer work together and the pistons strike the open valves, which bend or, in the worst case, break off.

Care and Replacement of the Timing Chain

The timing chain was long regarded as virtually maintenance-free. Our customers experience daily that this is no longer the case. However, engine damage caused by a jumped timing chain can under certain circumstances be avoided.

What the Timing Chain Does

In a combustion engine all components must run in time with one another. The timing chain ensures that the camshaft, with the inlet and exhaust valves, works in perfect time with the crankshaft and pistons. It consists of many small links that match the sprockets of the components. Unlike a timing belt it is made of metal and can transmit more force in a more compact design.

An important difference: timing belts have prescribed replacement intervals – for timing chains, manufacturers still do not specify any.

When the Timing Chain Jumps

Because of the enormous forces involved, the timing chain stretches over time. Deceptively, this is not immediately noticeable. At a certain point the stretch has progressed so far that the chain jumps – individual teeth skip on the sprockets. The valve timing no longer matches, the open valves strike the pistons and in extreme cases break off, destroying the entire combustion chamber. The damage can be so severe that the engine is no longer suitable for reconditioning.

The Components Around the Timing Chain

The timing chain assembly includes further wearing parts that are not maintenance-free and which we replace regularly: guide and tensioning rails, chain tensioners and sprockets or idler pulleys. These parts are usually made of plastic and are therefore more vulnerable and shorter lived than the chain itself. Ageing, abrasion and material fatigue all play a role – as do neglected servicing and frequent short journeys.

Recognising Stretch and Defects

Unfortunately not every defect makes itself known. A timing chain problem usually announces itself through rattling engine noises, particularly on a cold start. This noise lasts only a few seconds and is difficult for the average user to identify. Further noises such as rattling or clattering are noticeable above idle speed.

Diagnostic equipment can in some cases detect chain stretch by comparing the crankshaft and camshaft sensors. As this is not part of a routine service, it has to be requested specifically – be sure to ask your workshop for it.

Avoiding Timing Chain Damage – Our Recommendations

• If there are clear noises or a diagnostic finding: replace the timing chain – considerably cheaper than fitting a complete engine
• For the simple simplex timing chain, a service life of around 100,000 kilometres is quoted before replacement should be considered
• Vehicles used for frequent short journeys come to us with timing chain damage far earlier, since the greatest load occurs during starting – here a check is advisable well below 100,000 km
• A diagnostic check offers no absolute certainty; replacement at around 100,000 km is the safest option
• Be meticulous about punctual oil changes and check the oil level regularly
• The engines most affected are the 1.2 TSI, the 1.2 three-cylinder and the MINI timing chain

Does your engine rattle on a cold start? Talk to us before a stretched chain becomes catastrophic engine damage.