TSI engine - what is it?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Volkswagen-Audi cars are quite common in Russia. One of the features of these machines is turbocharged engines. And if earlier the turbine could only be found on diesel engines, then VAG uses it everywhere on gasoline engines.

The purpose of modernization is to maximize the technical characteristics of the unit while maintaining its working volume. Since fuel efficiency is important today, it is impossible to increase the volume of the combustion chamber indefinitely. Therefore, automakers go to different tricks. A striking example of such work is the TSI engine. What is it and what are the features of this power plant? Consider in our today's article.

Characteristic

The TSI engine is a gasoline powertrain used in Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi vehicles. A characteristic difference between the TSI engine is the presence of a double turbocharger and a direct fuel injection system (not to be confused with the Common Rail). Having developed a special design, German engineers achieved high fuel efficiency of the unit with good technical characteristics.

First sampleTSI appeared in 2000. This abbreviation literally translates as "twin supercharged stratified injection".

Line of units

Quite extensive, and motors with the same displacement can produce different power. A striking example of this is the 1.4-liter TSI engine. 122 horsepower is far from the boundary threshold. The concern also produces 1, 4 TSI engines for 140 and 170 horsepower. How is this possible? It's simple: the difference lies in the boost technology:

• when using one turbocharger, the power of the TSI 1, 4 engine varies from 122 to 140 horsepower;
• with the use of two turbines, the power increases to 150-170 forces. This changes the software of the electronic engine control unit.

And all this on a motor with a displacement of 1.4 liters! But this is far from the only motor in the lineup. There are different variations of TSI engines:

• 1.0 TSI. This is the smallest motor. It is equipped with one turbine and develops a power of 115 horsepower. The liter TSI engine has only three cylinders.
• 1.4. We have already talked about these motors above. The line has five variations of engines with power from 122 to 170 horsepower. All cylinders are arranged in one row.
• 1.8. Such motors have three modifications. The power of this power plant can range from 152 to 180 horsepower.
• 2.0. These units develop power from 170 to 220 forces. The engine block is in-line, four-cylinder (as onprevious two units).
• 3.0. This is the flagship engine used on the Volkswagen Tuareg. This is a six-cylinder V-type engine. Depending on the degree of boost, its power can range from ZZZ to 379 horsepower.

As you can see, the range of power units is quite extensive.

Device

It is worth noting that the TSI engines have been significantly redesigned. So, an aluminum cylinder block, a modified intake and exhaust system, as well as an upgraded fuel injection system are installed here. However, first things first.

Superchargers

Turbine is the main element that achieves such high performance. Superchargers on TSI motors are located on different sides of the block. The mechanism is powered by the energy of exhaust gases. The latter set the impeller in motion, which, through special drives, pumps air into the intake manifold. Note that conventional turbocharged engines have a lot of disadvantages. In particular, this is the effect of a turbo lag - the loss of torque of the internal combustion engine at its certain speeds. TSI motors are free from this disadvantage thanks to several superchargers. One works at low speeds, and the second is connected at high. This is how the maximum torque is realized in a fairly wide range.

How does boost work?

Depending on the number of revolutions of the crankshaft, there are the following modes of operation of this system:

• Non-aspirated. In this case, the turbine is not involved in the work. Turnoversengines do not exceed one thousand per minute. Throttle control valve is closed.
• The operation of the mechanical supercharger. This mechanism is activated when the revolutions are from one to two and a half thousand per minute. The mechanical supercharger helps provide good torque when starting the car from a standstill.
• Combination of turbine and supercharger. This occurs at speeds from two and a half to three and a half thousand.
• Turbocharger operation. The blower no longer starts up. Supercharging is provided only by the turbine impeller in the speed mode of three and a half thousand and above.

As the RPM increases, so does the air pressure. So, in the second mode, this parameter is about 0.17 MPa. In the third, the boost pressure reaches 0.26 MPa. At high speeds, the pressure level decreases slightly. This is done in order to prevent the effect of detonation (spontaneous ignition of the gasoline mixture, which is accompanied by a characteristic blow to the piston crown). When the turbocharger is operating, the pressure level is 0.18 MPa. But this is enough to provide high torque and power when moving at speed.

Cooling system

Because the engine is under constant load, it needs good cooling.

So, the system has pipes that pass through the intercooler. Thanks to this in cylinderscold air enters. This ensures a more complete combustion of the mixture and contributes to an increase in engine dynamics.

Injection system

The TSI engine has a modernized injection system. It belongs to the immediate type. So, fuel enters the chamber immediately, bypassing the classic fuel rail. As noted by the reviews, the work of direct injection is felt when accelerating. The car literally undermines from the bottom. But the use of such an injection system is aimed not only at increasing the efficiency and power of the engine, it helps to reduce engine fuel consumption.

Cylinder block

The TSI engine features a lightweight aluminum cylinder block. The use of such an alloy significantly reduced the mass of the motor. On average, such a block weighs 14 kg less than cast iron. Also, the design uses other camshafts hidden behind a plastic cover. Thus, high operational performance of this internal combustion engine is achieved.

Problems

What problems do TSI engines have? One of the common diseases of these power plants is increased oil consumption. Moreover, the maslozhor is not uncommon even on new engines. What do reviews say about 1.4 TSI engines? These units consume up to 500 grams of oil per 1000 kilometers. That's quite a lot. Owners often have to control the level with a dipstick. If you miscalculate the moment, you can catch oil starvation, which is fraught with a decrease in the resource of the TSI engine, namely its piston group. Can this problem be solved? Unfortunately, this"an incurable disease" of all TSI motors, so the owner can only regularly monitor the dipstick and carry a bottle of oil with him to top up.

Another problem that put an end to the reliability of the 1.4 TSI engine is the failure of the turbine. It is often "thrown" with oil, and by 80 thousand bearing play appears. The turbine is not able to pump air under the required pressure, which worsens the consumption dynamics and changes the behavior of the car. The cost of repairing a supercharger is about 60 thousand rubles, and there are several such turbines in the engine.

The next pitfall that calls into question the reliability of TSI engines is the gas distribution mechanism. They work from a chain that often stretches. The reason for this was excessively high loads. In recent years, the German manufacturer has begun to install a belt drive. According to the manufacturer, its strength has doubled. This improved the situation somewhat, however, there are still many cars on the market with the old timing chain.

How long does a TSI engine last? According to the manufacturer, its resource is about three hundred thousand kilometers. However, in practice, these motors run 150-200 kilometers. What significantly aggravates the situation is the aluminum block. It is practically beyond repair. There are no usual wet sleeves that could be replaced, so in case of failure, the TSI motor is easier to replace with a new one, which, by the way, is quite expensive.

Conclusion

So, we found out what the TSI engine is. The idea behind this motor is a good one. The Germans sought to make a powerful and productive engine, to get maximum efficiency from it. However, in pursuit of ideal performance, engineers did not take into account a lot of nuances that had already been corrected in the process of mass production of engines. Is it worth it to buy a car with such an engine? Experts give a negative answer, since the resource of these motors is really small. Also often there are problems with the chain drive. Despite the high performance and low fuel consumption, you should refrain from buying such a car. The owner may face unexpected repairs and quite a heavy investment.