Often, car enthusiasts, before purchasing a new car from the Volkswagen brand or its subsidiary Skoda, are in some kind of misunderstanding when they see the unusual engine abbreviation TSI. There is a misconception among car enthusiasts that this designation determines the presence of a diesel engine, but this is absolutely not true.

TSI engine definition

The TSI engine is a device that runs on gasoline and is equipped with a double turbocharger with mechanical compressors, with a direct “multi-directional” fuel injection system. The design of this type of unit has a more complex technical structure, but its reliability, durability, and power indicators are also at a high level. Very economical fuel consumption under load is also considered important.


The TSI type unit has a slightly modified form of the device, which consists of the following parts and assemblies:

1. Mechanical type turbocharger and compressor. In TSI they are located on different sides of the block. The presence of a mechanical compressor avoids a common problem with turbocharged engines, which is called “turbo pit”. It implies a drop in engine speed and power at rpm below 3000. To avoid this effect, the driver must be sure to maintain this level by constantly applying gas. The additional installation of a compressor provides stable power at low engine speeds.
2. Cooling system. In the classical sense of a turbocharged engine, cooling occurs purely due to air flow. The TSI has a pipe system that works with the intercooler. This improvement makes it possible to pump air into the cylinders, and thereby increase the pressure force. This makes it possible to obtain the declared torque value at low engine speeds.
3. Fuel mixture injection system. Gasoline is supplied directly to the cylinders, plus the mixture is mixed layer by layer with air, which increases combustion efficiency.
4. Reduced block weight. To improve quality indicators and increase power, it was decided to structurally reduce the weight of the unit, which was ultimately achieved. Replacing individual components made it possible to reduce weight by 14 kg.
5. Price. The cost of the TSI engine does not add much to the price of the car. On average, such an engine will cost the owner $1,000 more than the classic version.

Positive qualities of the TSI engine

This type of engine has already won a lot of engineering awards and become a breakthrough in automobile construction. Many car owners have already appreciated the operating principle and quality indicators of such a unit, which made it possible to determine the following advantages of the design:

1. A hybrid that uses fuel economically and achieves high power levels.
2. Protecting the environment from large amounts of CO2 emissions.
3. An increased rpm interval makes it possible to reduce the amount of fuel required. The bottom line is that the crankshaft on a car rotates at 1500-1750 revolutions per minute and this directly affects consumption.
4. Modified injectors that have high pressure supply and 6 injection points. The system automatically controls the pressure and frequency of injection, which also saves fuel volumes.
5. No turbo lag.
6. Improved cooling system optimizes combustion power.

Negative qualities of TSI

In addition to the huge number of advantages of TSI engines, there are several differences that can negatively affect the overall rating:

• The high price of a car with such an engine (1-3 thousand dollars higher than a car with a classic gasoline unit).
• Expensive maintenance and repairs.
• Replacement of the turbine after 150 thousand km.
• Frequent engine oil changes.

Thus, the TSI engine is a very successful development, which is characterized by high power, environmental friendliness and economical fuel consumption. Timely maintenance will make it possible to operate the car without troubles in the form of breakdowns.

Downsizing (from English downsizing - “reducing size”) began back in the twentieth century, and this term was introduced by Volkswagen. Moreover, then we were talking about a line of 1.8-liter supercharged engines with 20-valve cylinder heads.

It was assumed that the relatively compact 1.8T block would replace a line of engines up to three liters in volume, which is essentially what happened. Now a volume of 1.8 liters is no longer considered small. This is largely due to the EA113 engine family and this particular 1.8T engine.

Moreover, the later versions of engines with this cylinder block and cylinder head had a volume of two liters, which cannot be called a downsize, but this concept is connected not only with the working volume, but also with the dimensions. Here, due to the thinnest cylinder walls and long-stroke design, it was possible to fit a similar volume into the dimensions of 1.6-liter engines from the mid-2000s. Don’t be surprised when comparing AWT blocks from a VW Passat and some X 16XEL from Opel: in terms of dimensions there will be almost complete coincidence. Of course, the mass is not much different.

In the photo: Volkswagen Passat 2.0 FSI Sedan (B6) "2005–10

But it was by the beginning of the new century that compact design became a much more important characteristic than before. Why? Only because the growing requirements for the volume of car interiors while maintaining external dimensions and the increase in average power in compact passenger cars required the use of increasingly smaller but powerful engines.

The experience of the EA113 line turned out to be successful: despite the complex design of the cylinder head, the presence of turbocharging and the boost of 200 horsepower, the 1.8T engines calmly nursed their 300 thousand or more. Inspired by the success, Volkswagen moved on.

Continued success

Based on the block of a family of engines with a volume of up to 1.4 liters, new series with a volume of 1.2 and 1.4 liters of the EA111 series were introduced (do not look for simple logic in the numbering). The engine power was 105-180 hp. The basis for the new engines was the naturally-aspirated 1.4-liter AUA/AUB models, made using a new modular arrangement of mounted units and with a timing chain drive. The engines were designated TFSI/TSI, as they were equipped with direct fuel injection and supercharging. We especially note that there is no difference between the TFSI and TSI fuel systems; these are just two marketing names for the same thing for Audi and Volkswagen models.

In the photo: Volkswagen Golf 5-door "2008–12

The result is a large family of engines, of which the most famous are 1.4 liter CAXA (122 hp), 1.2 liter CBZB (105 hp), slightly weaker CBZA with 85 hp, 130 hp 1.4 CFBA, twin-charged 140/150 hp BMY/CAVF, the infamous 160 hp CAVD versions and the most powerful CAVE/CTHE from hot hatches with 180 hp.

The 1.2 liter engines of this line are very different from the 1.4 liter engines. They have a different eight-valve cylinder head and a slightly different block, a different piston group, and there are no highly-powered options.

This material will mainly focus on 1.4 liter engines. They have a unified design and similar disadvantages.

Design Features

The design of the engines at first glance is as simple as possible, but there are a number of interesting solutions. Cast iron block, aluminum 16-valve cylinder head - like dozens of other designs. But the timing chain drive is made with a separate chain casing, which is more typical for belt motors and significantly facilitates its maintenance.

Thermostat full opening temperature

cylinder block

105 degrees

The timing drive has roller rocker pushers and hydraulic compensators. The crankshaft position sensor is integrated into the rear flange of the engine. The supercharging system is made with a liquid intercooler, which is atypical for most supercharged engines, and the cooling system has two main circuits, a charge air cooling circuit and an electric pump for additional cooling of the turbine.

The thermostat is two-section and two-stage, providing different temperatures of the cylinder block and cylinder head and smoother temperature control. The cylinder block thermostat has a full opening temperature of 105 degrees, and the cylinder head thermostat has a temperature of 87.

The control system is usually used by Bosch, the injection pump is the same, but in some versions a Hitachi high-pressure pump is installed. The twin-charged version with the Roots compressor is a true marvel of technology, and in the end the small engine ended up with so much extra equipment and such a complex intake that it ended up being heavier than the two-liter TSI engines.

For such a small engine, it’s unusual to see oil jets for cooling the pistons and a floating piston pin, but here everything is serious and designed for high power.

The crankcase ventilation is elegant and simple: there is an oil separator built into the front cover of the engine and the most simple system with a constant pressure valve, which is a rare phenomenon for a turbo engine.

A clean air supply system is also provided for crankcase ventilation, which theoretically allows the oil to retain its properties for a long time and ensures long service intervals. The oil pump is located in the crankcase and is driven by a separate circuit; this design allows you to reduce the time of oil starvation during the first and cold start, loss of tightness of the oil line check valve or a decrease in the oil level.

The pressure-regulated pump of the DuoCentric system allows you to reduce power losses due to lubrication and use low-viscosity oils all year round. It provides 3.5 bar pressure under a wide range of operating conditions. The oil pressure sensor is located at the farthest part of the oil line after the hydraulic compensators and responds well to any pressure drop. Of course, there are also phase shifters. At least on the intake shaft.

In the photo: Volkswagen Tiguan "2008–11

An elegant design, even with superficial disassembly, has many vulnerable points and must work “on the edge.” And even without taking into account the operating features of the direct fuel injection system with its pulsations, sensors and ground drive eccentrics. But the bulk of the complaints, oddly enough, relate to the basic elements of the design, from which you would not expect a catch.

Something went wrong?

If you think that a turbocharged engine like the 1.4 EA111 with high power has a very short piston group life and a consumable turbine, then you are only partly right. In fact, the natural wear of the piston group is small, and the turbines, after eliminating the problems with the electronic bypass and the jamming wastegate drive, are able to cover their 120-200 thousand kilometers. Fortunately, her working conditions are quite “resort” ones.

In the photo: Under the hood of the Volkswagen Golf GTI "2011

The main reason for the dissatisfaction of owners throughout the entire period of use of these motors turned out to be predictable and simple. The timing chain drive could not provide a stable resource, and the design features allowed the chain to jump on the lower crankshaft sprocket with slight wear. In addition to this, in general, banal reason, there was another one: the chain drive of the oil pump also could not stand it, the chain broke, or it jumped off.

In an attempt to eliminate the annoying nuisance, the company changed the tensioner three times, replaced the chain and sprockets with smaller ones, changed the design of the front engine cover, and finally replaced the oil pump roller chain with a plate one, at the same time changing the drive gear ratio to increase the operating pressure. The latest version of the tensioner is 03C 109 507 BA, it is recommended to change it in any case. The wear on dampers is usually insignificant, but they are inexpensive.

There are two types of timing kits: 03C 198 229 B and 03C 198 229 C. The first kit is used for engines with an oil pump roller chain, engines with numbers CAX 001000 to CAX 011199, the second option is for modernized ones, from CAX 011200. If you want at the same time If you improve the oil pump drive and use a newer version of the kit, then you also need to replace the oil pump star, its drive chain and tensioner. Part codes are 03C 115 121 J, 03C 115 225 A and 03C 109 507 AD respectively. When ordering parts separately, you need to be very careful; some of the parts in the kit may be incompatible with each other.

The service life of the first versions of the chain before replacement was sometimes less than 60 thousand kilometers. After replacing the tensioner with a more durable one and installing less stretchable chains, the average service life was about 120-150 thousand before unpleasant knocking of the chain on the cover appeared.

The life of the chains was also added to by the identified problem with the check valve 03F103 156A, which too quickly drained oil from the pressure line back into the crankcase, which led to long-term operation of the timing belt without pressure. Residents of warm regions who ignore dangerous knocking have successfully maintained chains for more than 250 thousand, but there is a nuance: after the first knocking appears during a cold start, a sign of a weakened tensioner, the likelihood of chain slippage begins to increase. And the lower the temperature, and the longer the engine takes to reach operating speed, the higher the probability. At the same time, when the phases go out, traction deteriorates and fuel consumption increases, so it’s not so cheap to take risks. In addition, 100-120 thousand mileage is the approximate life of the phase shifter of the latest modifications in urban conditions and with original oil. Earlier versions began to knock after 60-70 thousand mileage. So the motor still needs to be opened, and surprisingly, the life of the chain drive components is related to the life of the phase shifter, which is not officially a consumable.

The 93rd group error does not always appear, so fans of electronic “diagnostics” still need to be on their guard. But for services, this nuance turned out to be just a bonanza, because in this case it is possible to eliminate unnecessary sounds...

Timing chain and noise, as the most common problems, top the list of troubles for 1.4 TSI engines. Every owner of such a car encounters them. As with the “oil glutton”, which inevitably appears over time. But the oil appetite also has a downside.

The system is designed in such a way that oil appetite and all related problems are not only inevitable, but also in the absence of any action on the part of the car owner, they mutually reinforce each other. And this leads to a rapid increase in negative factors. The final chord is usually either cracks in the piston due to detonation, especially on all engine variants more powerful than 122 horsepower, or piston burnout due to excess oil and stuck piston rings.

What to do?

Most of those who read the material up to this point logically came to the conclusion “don’t take it.” Which, in general, is not without meaning. But if you have already come into contact with such a motor in a used car, do not rush to get rid of it immediately. You can live with the EA111, it’s just that this aged engine only needs an integrated approach to diagnosis and restoration. You won't get away with just timing belt alone. For the “driver”, which includes the majority of owners of modern cars, the engine will probably fail completely and irrevocably due to the death of the cylinder-piston group. At best, hanging valves, detonation and errors will bring the car into good service. And now, after a thorough repair, the engine will again delight with traction and efficiency. Unless, of course, the power system fails.

The motor has been modernized several times, and there are quite a lot of design options. In general, until 2010, the design of the piston group was characterized by an unsuccessful oil scraper ring, and until 2012, the piston rings were also thin and wore out quickly. And only towards the end of the series, motors appeared that were practically not susceptible to ring sticking and a whole range of related problems. At the same time, they began installing crankcase ventilation kits at a slightly higher operating pressure. It turned out that the efficiency of the oil separator strongly depends on the vacuum, and that the vacuum in the supercharged engine was higher than planned. This in turn led to increased oil loss through the crankcase ventilation.

In the photo: Under the hood of the Volkswagen Golf R 3-door "2009–13

Direct injection fuel equipment introduces its own nuances into the engine aging process. Like any system with high operating pressure, it is quite capricious. And the price of components that are almost beyond repair is high. In addition to the expected replacements of injectors and injection pumps, you can also change the expensive fuel rail pressure sensors assembled with the rail, a bunch of pipes and gaskets. But for now, although this is a costly, but the most “understandable” part of the problems with the motor. In addition, it is relatively well diagnosed by experienced professionals.

To take or not to take a car with such an engine? If the car is in good condition and with guaranteed low mileage, then why not? Especially if you travel a lot, and low fuel consumption will be a pleasant incentive. And, of course, if you are not afraid of a one-time investment of 30-50 thousand rubles after the purchase. This is the price of a good diagnosis with replacing the timing belt with a new version, and at the same time you can identify all the accumulated problems and eliminate them.

Closer to 200 thousand mileage, money will be needed again. Most likely, repairs to the fuel equipment and pressurization system will be needed. As a result, there is a chance to reach 300 thousand mileage or more, although there will be much more difficulties along the way than in the case of some simple “aspirated” engines from the 90s with twice the fuel consumption. But unsuitability for repair is a clear exaggeration.

In the photo: Volkswagen Golf 5-door "2008–12

In general, the engine really turned out to be initially unsuccessful, demanding of service, and only in the latest iterations did it get rid of annoying childhood illnesses. But this is an inevitable consequence of the global trend towards testing technologies by buyers. In this regard, the experimental series EA111 is not the first and far from the last.

Your voice

Volkswagen-Audi cars are quite common in Russia. One of the features of these machines is turbocharged engines. And if previously 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 endlessly increase the volume of the combustion chamber. Therefore, automakers use various tricks. A striking example of such work is the TSI engine. What is it and what are the features of this power plant? Let's look at it in our article today.

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

The first TSI model appeared in 2000. This abbreviation literally translates as “double supercharging layer-by-layer injection.”

Range of units

It is quite extensive, and engines 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 limit. The concern also produces 1.4 TSI engines with 140 and 170 horsepower. How is this possible? It's simple: the differences lie in the supercharging 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. In this case, the software of the electronic engine control unit changes.

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

• 1.0 TSI. This is the youngest 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 lineup includes five engine variations with power ranging from 122 to 170 horsepower. All cylinders are located 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 horsepower. The engine block is in-line, four-cylinder (as on the previous two units).
• 3.0. This is the flagship engine used in the Volkswagen Touareg. This is a six-cylinder V-type engine. Depending on the degree of boost, its power can range from 33 to 379 horsepower.

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

Device

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

Superchargers

The turbine is the main element thanks to which such high technical characteristics are achieved. Superchargers on TSI engines are located on different sides of the block. The mechanism is powered by exhaust gas energy. The latter drive an impeller, which pumps air into the intake manifold through special drives. Note that conventional turbocharged engines have a lot of disadvantages. In particular, this is the effect of turbo lag - loss of torque of the internal combustion engine at certain speeds. TSI engines are free of this drawback thanks to several superchargers. One operates at low speeds, and the second is connected at high speeds. This ensures maximum torque over a fairly wide range.

How does boost work?

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

• Naturally aspirated. In this case, the turbine is not put into operation. Engine speed does not exceed one thousand per minute. The throttle control valve is closed.
• Operation of a 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 the car starts from a standstill.
• Combined operation of turbine and supercharger. This happens at speeds from two and a half to three and a half thousand.
• Turbocharger operation. The supercharger no longer starts working. Boost is provided only by the turbine impeller at speeds of three and a half thousand and above.

As the speed increases, the air pressure also increases. Thus, 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 bottom of the piston). When the turbocharger is operating, the pressure level is 0.18 MPa. But this is quite enough to provide high torque and power when driving at speed.

Cooling system

Since the engine is under constant load, it needs high-quality cooling.

So, the system has pipes that pass through the intercooler. Thanks to this, cold air enters the cylinders. This ensures more complete combustion of the mixture and contributes to increased engine dynamics.

Injection system

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

Cylinder block

The TSI engine features a lightweight cylinder block made of aluminum. The use of such an alloy significantly reduced the weight of the motor. On average, such a block weighs 14 kg less than a cast iron one. The design also uses different camshafts, hidden behind a plastic cover. In this way, high performance levels of this internal combustion engine are achieved.

Problems

What problems do TSI engines have? One of the common diseases of these power plants is increased oil consumption. Moreover, oil burn 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 timing, you can end up with oil starvation, which can reduce the service life of the TSI engine, namely its piston group. Is it possible to solve this problem? Unfortunately, this is an “incurable disease” of all TSI engines, so the owner can only regularly monitor the dipstick and carry a bottle of oil with him for topping 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 “flooded” with oil, and by 80 thousand, bearing play appears. The turbine is not able to pump air at the required pressure, which causes the flow dynamics to deteriorate and the behavior of the car to change. 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 operate on a chain that often stretches. The reason for this was excessively high loads. In recent years, the German manufacturer has begun to install belt drives. According to the manufacturer, its strength has doubled. This improved the situation somewhat, but 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 liners 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 a TSI engine is. The idea of ​​​​creating this motor is not bad. The Germans sought to make a powerful and productive engine and get maximum efficiency from it. However, in pursuit of ideal characteristics, engineers did not take into account a lot of nuances that had already been corrected during the mass production of engines. Is it worth buying a car with such an engine? Experts give a negative answer, since these motors have a really short resource. Chain drive problems are also common. Despite the high performance and low fuel consumption, you should refrain from buying such a car. The owner may be faced with unexpected repairs and quite serious capital investments.

Today we will tell you what these three letters TSI, which are a patented trademark of the Volkswagen group, mean.
The TSI engine stands for Turbo Stratified Injection - turbocharging and layer-by-layer injection.

TSI is a twin-turbocharged petrol engine which consists of a mechanical compressor and a turbocharger, as well as a direct fuel injection system. The mechanical compressor and turbocharger are located on opposite sides of the engine.
The combined use of these devices allows the rated torque to be realized over a wide range of engine speeds.

Twin turbo scheme.

1 - pressure sensor in the intake manifold with air temperature sensor
2 - compressor drive
3 - mechanical supercharger
4 - control valve
5 - air filter
6 - pressure sensor in the intake manifold with air temperature sensor
7 - intake manifold
8 - throttle valve
9 - magnetic coupling
10 - boost pressure sensor with air temperature sensor
11 - intercooler
12 - boost pressure control valve
13 - vacuum drive
14 - exhaust manifold
15 - catalytic converter
16 - turbocharger
17 - bypass valve
18 - turbocharger recirculation valve
A - air
B - exhaust gases

The only difference between a TSI engine is that the mechanical compressor operates at low speeds, while the turbocharger operates at high speeds. Thanks to this, less fuel is consumed, and with a small engine volume, high efficiency can be achieved.
A simple Volkswagen turbo engine with a volume of 1.2 liters has an output of 90 hp, and a TSI can produce about 102 hp with the same volume. And most importantly, TSI has no power failures and at any speed the engine pulls the car with high potential.

Now about the principles of operation of superchargers.

It all depends on the number of engine revolutions.

Up to 1000 rpm - naturally aspirated mode
from 1000 to 2400 rpm - the mechanical supercharger turns on
from 2400 to 3500 rpm - both mechanical compressor and turbocharging operate simultaneously
and over 3500 rpm - only the turbocharger works

This is what a mechanical supercharger looks like, like Roots.

It provides traction to the car at low speeds, which is what turbo engines often lack.

1 - vacuum drive
2 - boost pressure limiting solenoid valve
3 - exhaust manifold
4 - charge air cooler
5 - intake manifold
6 - pressure sensor in the intake manifold with an air temperature sensor
7 - throttle module
8 - boost pressure sensor with air temperature sensor
9 - turbocharger recirculation valve
10 - air filter
11 - turbocharger
12 - bypass valve
A - air
B - exhaust gases

The design of the turbocharger ensures that the rated torque is achieved already at low engine speeds and maintained over a wide range (from 1500 to 4000 rpm). The outstanding characteristics of the turbocharger are achieved by maximizing the reduction in inertia of the rotating parts: the outer diameter of the turbine and compressor impeller is reduced.

Supercharger operating ranges.

The blue area is the area of ​​responsibility of the mechanical supercharger, the green area is the turbocharging area, and the blue area is the area of ​​​​their joint work.

It was also mentioned that the engine has a direct injection system.
Injection takes place through 6-jet nozzles, and the maximum injection pressure is up to 150 bar. And despite this, TSI engines are distinguished by high fuel efficiency.

With the help of such developments, it was possible to reduce fuel consumption and reduce emissions of harmful gases.
Engines with this technology became "Engine of the Year" in 2006, 2007 and 2008 in the most prestigious technical competition "Engine of the year".

Well, as always, we try to tell everything so clearly for you that all site users are technically savvy, so we present a detailed video about the TSI engine.

Do you often see cars on the road with the TSI nameplate and wonder what it means? Then this article is for you, let's look at the basics of the structure TSI engine, Advantages and disadvantages.

Explanation of these abbreviations:

Oddly enough, TSI originally stood for Twincharged Stratified Injection (double supercharging layer-by-layer injection). The following transcript looked a little different Turbo Stratified Injection, i.e. The reference to the number of compressors was removed from the name.

TSI engines - why they gained popularity

TSI engines gained their popularity for a number of undeniable advantages. Firstly, with a small volume, consumption decreased, while these cars did not lose power, because these engines are equipped with a mechanical compressor and turbocharging (turbine). The TSI engine used direct injection technology, which ensured the best combustion and increased compression, even at the moment when the mixture became hot. It is worth saying right away that this arrangement is successful in that the car produces maximum power and torque over a larger rev range, since “at the bottom” (revolutions up to ~3 thousand) the compressor works, but at the top the compressor is no longer so efficient and therefore the turbine continues to support the torque. This layout technology avoids the so-called turbo lag effect.

Secondly, the engine has become smaller, therefore its weight has decreased, and subsequently the weight of the car. Also, these engines have a lower percentage of exhaust CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Engines with a smaller displacement have less friction losses, which results in increased efficiency.

To sum it up, we can say that the TSI engine is all about reduced consumption while achieving maximum power.

The general structure has been described, now let's move on to specific modifications.

Engine 1.2 TSI

1.2 liter TSI engine

Despite the volume, the engine has enough torque; for comparison, if we consider the Golf series, the 1.2 with turbocharger reaches 1.6 atmospheres. In winter, it takes longer to warm up, of course, but when you start driving, it warms up very quickly to operating temperature. As for reliability and resource, there are different situations. For some, the engine runs 61,000 km. and all without any complaints, and for some at 30,000 km. the valves are already burning out, but rather the exception than the rule, since the turbines are installed at low pressure and do not have a big impact on the engine life.

Engine 1.4 TSI (1.8)

1.4 liter TSI engine

In general, these engines differ little in advantages and disadvantages from the 1.2 engine. The only thing we can add is that all these engines use a timing chain, which can slightly increase the cost of operation and repair. One of the disadvantages of engines with a timing chain is that it is not advisable to leave it in gear while on a slope, as this can cause the chain to jump off.

Engine 2.0 TSI

On two liter engines, a problem such as chain stretching occurs (typical for all TSIs, but more common for this modification). The chain is usually changed at 60-100 thousand mileage, but you need to keep an eye on it; critical stretching can happen even earlier.