New Member, no A2 yet! FSI??

I suggest you double check your reasons for buying an A2, if the 1,4L gasoline will do the trick, then proceed as you state above.

As a new member to the forum, I thought that I would share the following with you;
My first A2 was an 1.4L gasoline and it was a very good car, but as a former Golf GTI owner (1 Mk1 and 3 Mk2s, and currently have a 1970 Lotus +2S), I wanted some more performance, and bought my first FSI. The rest is history. A well running FSI with good tires and the sport suspension is a lovely driving experience, and it is close to a being a high quality, full featured and non-rusting Golf GTI. Point of clarification, it is not my primary means of transportation, but rather an investment in my youth and it has the potential to be come a collectors item.
The BAD 1.6L FSI engine is a complicated/sophisticated piece of machinery that requires qualified maintenance, but it also has received some bad press that is appropriately acknowledged here by: Darren C

 
Better still look for a tdi they are more reliable more economical faster and cheaper to road tax


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Better still look for a tdi they are more reliable more economical faster and cheaper to road tax


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Hmmmm ... not sure about the "faster" bit. Allegedly, the FSI has a top speed of 126 mph and 0 - 60 time of 9.5 secs, I've not tested those claims yet though.
However, my FSI is pretty nippy, and returns 44/45 mpg with mixed driving.
Mac.
 
Hmmmm ... not sure about the "faster" bit. Allegedly, the FSI has a top speed of 126 mph and 0 - 60 time of 9.5 secs, I've not tested those claims yet though.
However, my FSI is pretty nippy, and returns 44/45 mpg with mixed driving.
Mac.

Forget the top speed which is never usable in the uk
And also forget the 0 to 60 times which mean nothing in the real world
I have driven all engine variants of the A2 and without a doubt the tdi is the most useful and fastest in real world driving
It’s drivability around 30 to 70 mph is unequaled

This is not to say that a well sorted fsi is not fun to drive because it is,but the hustle of keeping it running correctly is Hughes

The tdi is just fast and reliable day in day out

But this is my opinion in my opinion alone - other will have different opinions

Paul



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Hello and welcome to A2OC. :)

What I've written below is a partial copy-and-paste job from numerous other similar threads. Whilst some forum member (FSI owners in particular) may be bored of it, I believe it's important that new club members make the right choice for them. Obviously we all love A2s and think you've already made the right choice there, but the decision about which engine to get is more nuanced. It's great that you've chosen to do your homework before buying.

I've been frequenting this site for over 10 years and would suggest that a large majority of threads started here about engine difficulties relate to the FSI. If you're set on having one, the first thing to accept is that the 1.6 FSI can be - and often is - a total money pit. The 1.6 FSI is by far the least reliable of all the engines available in the A2. Whilst some caring owners have been lucky, I think even the FSI's biggest fans have to concede this to be true. Along with the 1.4-litre FSI introduced in the Lupo, the 1.6 FSI was VAG's first attempt at a direct injection petrol engine and therefore features the inevitable teething troubles of a new system. They are relatively rare, don't feature widely in other cars and, due to their unusual and complex methods of operation, are very poorly understood by a vast majority of garages. People have spent huge amounts of money just trying to get the engine management light in the instrument cluster to switch off (now essential for the MOT). When you then take into account the troubles with fuel injectors, fuel pumps, sudden or gradual coolant loss, swirl flap actuators, coil packs, etc, you can understand why many FSI owners keep an emergency fund.

It's a great shame, because they're cracking engines when they're without faults, and there's no direct alternative; it's the only 'fast' petrol A2 available. I know of a handful of really well-kept FSIs, but a majority of FSIs out there on the open market will need a considerable investment to get them 'right'. Even running them on standard petrol rather than the high-octane stuff can (and frequently will) create lasting issues. I work with A2 electronics all the time and, of the last 15 FSI instrument clusters that've passed through my hands, 12 have had their engine management light taped over or removed altogether (almost certainly in an attempt to cheat the MOT inspector). Instrument clusters from other models of A2s that pass through my hands never have any signs of tampering. That is, I think, a real indication of the scale of the FSI's reliability problems.

If you're new to A2s and want to have an all-round positive experience of them, where they just work and don't threaten to raid your piggy bank all the time, you'd be wise to avoid the FSI. Even full service history means nothing. Admittedly, you stand a marginally better chance of getting an FSI that won't raid your piggybank if it has full service history simply because that demonstrates that it has been owned by someone who cared. However, all the engine's fundamental flaws, for which Audi rather than previous owners are responsible, remain. Proof that the cam belt, oil and filters have been changed at the required interval won't stop the brittle coolant lines from cracking or stop the swirl flap actuator from snapping. Full service history also doesn't mean it hasn't been fed 95RON fuel since it left the factory. There are plenty of caring FSI owners who still face a constant battle to keep the engine management light off.

The A2 is a pioneering piece of automotive engineering, but neither the 1.4 petrol nor the 1.4 TDI engines are at all ground-breaking or original. They featured in various VAG cars before and after the A2. The 1.6 FSI, on the other hand, was released in the A2. It is every bit as pioneering as the rest of the A2. Indeed, in today's modern Audis, all petrol models employ FSI technology, and in that respect the A2's legacy is alive. In many years to come, when the A2 is nothing but a classic car owned by enthusiasts, FSI models will occupy a special niche and have a unique purity. They are to be cherished, and anyone who is willing to do so should not feel as though they've made a daft decision or that their A2 is in some way inferior. If you've done all your homework and really want one, please go ahead; anyone willing to cherish an FSI into its senior years is encouraged to do so.

We're in a time when the A2 represents different things to different people. For some, they're already classic cars that must be kept immaculate. For others, they're utilitarian daily machines. Many people who buy A2s want one because, besides their engineering brilliance, they're cheap to buy, cheap to fuel, cheap to tax and cheap to insure. Unfortunately, at present, many FSIs on the open market can be picked up cheaply because previous owners haven't understood them and consequently got sick of them going wrong all the time and just want rid. The one you're looking at seems to have been passed from owner to owner a lot in recent years, which suggests to me that it falls into this category.

I'm a hardened TDI fan, for the reasons Depronman lists above: they're the most reliable, the most efficient, the most financially economical and the fastest. A remapped TDI90 will leave the FSI for dust. However, diesel isn't for everyone, especially not in the current political climate. An increasing number of low-emissions zones are going to make diesel vehicles impractical for many urban dwellers. If I was in that boat, I'd be getting a 1.4 petrol; they might not be the most exciting engines and they're certainly not quick, but, given what I need from my A2, I'd have their reliability over the FSI's pace every day of the week.

Once again, welcome to A2OC and (hopefully soon!) to A2 ownership.

Cheers,

Tom
 
Hi Tom, thanks for the input, I'm now getting a pretty good idea of how the land lies! Buyer beware! without in-depth knowledge it's a bit of a minefield! I'm really grateful for this forum and it's friendly and helpful members!
Thanks Robin_Cox for the heads up in PZ, heart says possible? head says probably not, but you never know! a lot of the dodgy bits appear to have been sorted! (at least for now!)
Myron Greybeard
 
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