Skoda Rapid Diesel VANOS Issue

My 2005 Skoda Rapid with a diesel engine is presenting a perplexing issue. The check engine light illuminates intermittently, and fuel consumption has noticeably increased. Diagnostics suggest a fault within the inlet VANOS mechanics, potentially stemming from a defective camshaft solenoid valve or a power supply issue. Given the relatively low mileage, I find this somewhat premature. Has anyone encountered similar problems with their VANOS system? Specifically, is this a known weakness, or am I facing an isolated incident? I'm aware the BMW VANOS system is different, but could there be any similarities in failure modes to consider?

4 comment(s)

Check engine light and higher fuel consumption? Sounds familiar. I had similar symptoms on my Rapid. Have you checked for oil sludge? Could be affecting the inlet camshaft.

Oil sludge, you say? Interesting. Did you also experience issues specifically related to the inlet camshaft timing? Was your timing chain affected, or did you focus solely on the VANOS system itself?

Inlet camshaft timing was definitely off. I didn't delve into the timing chain specifically. The mechanic suspected the VANOS solenoid first, and replacing that seemed to do the trick. Honestly, I'd suggest getting it checked by someone who knows their stuff. It's a pain.

Appreciate the confirmation. It ended up being a faulty VANOS solenoid as suspected. Replacement cost me 250€. Hopefully, this resolves the issue permanently.

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