VW/Audi 1.4 TDI EA288 Engine Specs, Problems, Reliability. The new three-cylinder 1.4 TDI engine belongs to the EA288 series. It moved out the 1.2-liter 3-cylinder EA189 engine. But it also able to replace some versions of the four-cylinder such as the 1.6 TDI. The 1.4 TDI uses four-cylinder engine components reconfigured for the three-cylinder layout. That is the example of the new VW development system – modular diesel engine or MDB.
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VW/Audi 1.4 TDI EA288 Engine Specs, Problems, Reliability
The crankcase or cylinder block is made of gravity-die-cast AlSiCu3 alloy for weight reduction. The new material allowed reducing the weight by 11 kg compared the previous 1.2 l TDI engine. It also almost 27 kg lighter than the 1.6 TDI. The engine has balancing shaft, which driven by a single speed 1:1 gear in the opposite direction to the crankshaft.
The increased displacement was achieved by increasing the stroke from 80.5 mm up to 95.5 mm (the same as the 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI engine). The cylinder head has the same design as 4-cylinder MDB engines: four valves per cylinder, double overhead camshafts (DOHC).
The engine also has the water-cooled intercooler, catalyst converter, DFP, dual-circuit exhaust gas recirculation (high-pressure and low-pressure EGR) and the injection system called DFS 1.20 produced by Delphi.
1.4 TDI EA288 Volkswagen Engine Problems and Reliability
The issues and problems are the same as four-cylinder EA288 engines have. This engine produces more vibrations due to the three-cylinder layout. The aluminum crankcase is not repairable as cast iron crankcases.
VW/Audi 1.4 TDI EA288 Engine Specs
| Manufacturer | VW/Audi |
| Production years | 2014-present day |
| Cylinder block material | Aluminum |
| Cylinder head material | Aluminum |
| Fuel type | Diesel |
| Fuel system | Common Rail |
| Configuration | Inline |
| Number of cylinders | 3 |
| Valves per cylinder | 4 |
| Valvetrain layout | DOHC |
| Bore, mm | 79.5 |
| Stroke, mm | 95.5 |
| Displacement, cc | 1422 |
| Type of internal combustion engine | Four-stroke, turbocharged |
| Compression Ratio | 16.1:1 |
| Power, hp | 75/3000-3750 – 50kW 90/2750-3250 – 66kW 104/3500-3750 – 77kW |
| Torque, lb ft | 155/1500-2000 170/1500-2500 184/1500-2500 |
| Engine weight | – |
| Firing order | 1-2-3 |
| Engine oil weight | VW 507.00, 5W-30 |
| Engine oil capacity, liter | 3.8 |
| Oil change interval, mile | 8,000 to 10,000 |
| Applications | Audi A1; Seat Ibiza, Toledo IV; Skoda Fabia III, Rapid (2012); Volkswagen Polo V |