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SEAT Altea 1.6 Sport-up common faults.

2004–2009, MPV, petrol, 102 HP.

The fault list covers: BGU, BSE, BSF, CCSA, CMXA engine, MQ200, MQ250, MQ350 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

5 fault write-ups. 3 important. 2 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

3 important faults

critical1

1.4 and 1.6 petrol: the plastic belt tensioner breaks

critical

In the 1.4 and 1.6 litre petrol engines the timing belt tensioner is plastic. If it breaks, the belt jumps and the engine is badly damaged inside.

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The tensioner and the rollers have to be replaced along with the belt. But many cheap belt changes replace only the belt, and the next owner knows nothing about it for years.

Saying "the belt change was done" is not enough. The tensioner has to be on the invoice too.

What to check

  • Ask when the belt was changed: ask for the date and the mileage
  • Ask for the invoice, and check whether the tensioner and the rollers are on it
  • On a cold start listen to the belt side of the engine: rattling and squealing are suspect
1 more steps in the write-up

expensive2

MQ200 / MQ250 manual gearbox: differential bearing and synchros

expensive

The light, magnesium cased MQ200 and the MQ250, sized for higher torque, are the most widespread manual gearboxes in the transverse engine VAG models. Both have the same two weak points, and both depend on use.

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The first is the differential bearing: as it wears you first get a droning, then a whine from the thrust bearings of the output shaft. Left alone, the planetary shaft can fail and in extreme cases punch through the gearbox casing: from then on it is not a repair but a replacement.

The second is the synchros: they can start crunching at around 50,000 km with aggressive driving. This type does not like dumping the clutch or slipping it, and on a used car that is exactly what you have to listen for.

above 50,000 km

What to check

  • On the test drive with the window down, listen to the gearbox both off and on the throttle: droning or whining is suspect
  • Shift up and down quickly, especially into 2nd and 3rd: crunching means synchro wear
  • Try engaging 1st and reverse when cold: resistance here means wear
2 more steps in the write-up

Water in the footwell: through the bulkhead

expensive

A recurring complaint is that water gets into the cabin through the engine bay bulkhead, and collects in the footwell. Under the wet carpet the floorpan corrodes, and the cables of the control units run there too.

What to check

  • Lift the carpet in all four footwells and feel the underlay
  • Smell the cabin: a musty smell indicates water ingress
  • Look at the water drains under the windscreen: blockage, leaves
1 more steps in the write-up

comfort2

Coolant temperature sensor (G62) failure

comfort

The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is. If it is faulty, the control unit thinks a warm engine is cold, and runs it rich: hard warm or cold starting, a rough idle, markedly increased fuel consumption, and a dash temperature gauge that jumps around or never reaches its usual reading. The part is cheap and can be replaced in half an hour: the trouble is that many people do not recognise it and replace an injector or a lambda sensor instead. If the fault persists, the rich mixture can destroy the catalytic converter too.

What to check

  • Warm it up and watch the dash temperature gauge: the needle should sit steadily at the middle reading, not jump around
  • Watch a cold start, then a warm start after twenty minutes standing
  • With a code reader look for the 17664 / P1256 code in the engine control unit
2 more steps in the write-up

Secondary air system: pump and combination valve (P0411)

comfort

From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster. The impeller of the pump rusts or its bearing seizes, soot clogs the combination valve (N112), and the rubber hoses crack. The control unit then stores the `P0411` code. It barely affects driving, but the engine warning light is on, and the emissions test can fail because of it, and the roadworthiness test with it.

What to check

  • After a cold start watch for 30 to 60 seconds: can you hear the pump droning from the engine bay
  • Check whether the engine warning light is on, and have it read out: P0411 (VAG code 16795) points to this system
  • Ask when the last emissions test was, and whether it passed first time
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Altea 1.6 Sport-up

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall2 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 10 July 2017

A12/1053/17Safety recallInjuries10 July 2017 · EU Safety Gate

The earth connection for the control unit for the ABS/ESP system may be interrupted due to a thermo-mechanical overload. If this happens, the ABS/ESP system will fail leading to the risk of an accident.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: 10/07/2017

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

A12/01630/24Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time. If the airbags deploy, it could result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

We could not check this: model year. The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

5 engines · 3 transmissions

BGU · 1.6

75 kW (102 HP) · petrol

MQ200 · 5- or 6-speed manual

manual · 5–6 speed

Torque limit200 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one engine code is possible. The fault list shows the faults of each. More than one transmission is possible. The gear count does not tell them apart. The code is on the side of the transmission.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Sport-up
Body
MPV
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1595 cc
Power
75 kW (102 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2004–2009

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All I versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms