2002 mk4 jetta tdi tons of oil smoke and no power

biglsells · Nov 16, 2017

I was driving home after being on the road about an hour. Almost home and all the sudden power disappeared and tons of lighter colored smoke. I happened to be passing my brothers so I pulled in. The smoke is burning oil. When I mash the accelerator pedal in neutral to bring up the rpms smoke starts to billow out.

I live 2 miles away so I limped it home. It would get up to speed, 55mph, just took awhile and of course left a cloud behind me.

Some things I noticed, 1 no power AT ALL. 2, my turbo was always very whistley, you could hear it all the time as you accelerate. Now, nothing, not a sound coming from it.

Any ideas? Could the turbo have failed and if so, does that somehow dump tons of oil into the engine?

Car has 250k miles on it and otherwise has been perfect.

KLXD · Nov 16, 2017

It can. If that oil goes into the intake the engine can run on it to the point of failure. Search for runaway. Lotsa videos on Youtube

If it goes into the exhaust you just get smoke.

Pull off the inlet to the TC and check the shaft for play.

biglsells · Nov 16, 2017

OK will do shortly. Definitely was not feeding the engine, it ran fine just no power and tons of smoke so sounds like its leaking into the exhaust. Whats the going rate for a used replacement turbo for these things?

Mongler98 · Nov 16, 2017

Dont drive it not even starting it up until you replace the turbo. its blown up and is soon to grenade or cause a runaway.

Nevada_TDI · Nov 16, 2017

I agree, it sounds as though your turbo died. There are used turbos for sale sometimes in the "for sale" section. Dutch Auto Parts is an approved vendor here, look at post #3:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=434593
He has used and tested turbos available for a very reasonable price.

Mongler98 · Nov 16, 2017

ime for an upgrade turbo if you ask me. k03/h04 hybrid is nice for someone looking to just do better than stock but not gain mad power. and there cheep and fit directly

BobnOH · Nov 16, 2017

Does sound like a turbo gone south.
But please first check none of the tubing came apart, the big ones.

biglsells · Nov 16, 2017

Well it is the turbo, pulled off the intake tube and the shaft wobbles all over the place. In the process of taking the turbo/manifold off now. Found a guy locally with one from a tdi he is parting out, claims the turbo is good and working and wants $150.

BobnOH · Nov 16, 2017

Do it

KLXD · Nov 16, 2017

If it's that bad you dodged a bullet. Oil was probably going into the intake. Lucky it didn't take off.

You should drain the intercooler.

When you turn the TC shaft can you feel it rubbing? Pull on the shaft and turn it while moving around. Try to make it rub. If you feel any rubbing the whole intake system needs to be inspected for metallic debris that you don't want running through the engine.

UhOh · Nov 16, 2017

Be sure to get a new oil feed line (although they're not classified as single-use they tend to behave that way).

biglsells · Nov 16, 2017

Planning on replacing the oil feel line and gaskets. Still trying to get this thing out, what a pain, I can hardly reach some of these bolts back there. Would it make sense to remove the passenger side wheel and drive shaft for better access?

UhOh · Nov 16, 2017

Gotta kind of do whatever works for you. Some stuff is easier to deal with from below (I've not yanked an exhaust+turbo, so no direct experience there). But, for sure, sometimes it's just easier in the long-run to get stuff out of your way: I tend to fight things and THEN remove stuff that I should have at the get-go!

BobnOH · Nov 16, 2017

I've never done one either, I'd buy both oil lines on a car that old, especially if it's spent much time running with no lower cover.
They're pricey, so look hard for a good price, beat up your dealer if you have to.
But avoid ebay and Amazon, you may not be happy. Some folks have replaced these with a metal braided line, less expensive. It's not a good part(s) to go cheap.

biglsells · Nov 17, 2017

Well I got it off and it is toast. Lots of above and below the car fiddling. The advice to just remove stuff to make room was a good one, definitely helped. Thanks again everyone.

UhOh · Nov 17, 2017

You're ahead of others (such as myself) here, so good on you for trudging forward.

For a oil return line I am considering this one should/when I encounter a need:

http://www.kermatdi.com/oil-feed-and-return-line-set-mk3-b4-mk4/

There are other braided lines, but there's always been this big question mark with them that they may be restrictive: I suspect that if it's the case it's negligible, but there it is.

BobnOH · Nov 17, 2017

I'll bet those are sweet, but aren't they more than the factory lines?
Kerma and ECS don't sell no junk.

UhOh · Nov 17, 2017

BobnOH said:
I'll bet those are sweet, but aren't they more than the factory lines?
Kerma and ECS don't sell no junk.

I'd followed discussions on these lines and the Kerma one seemed to be the best "solution" out there. That is, they're easier to deal with, would likely hold up to several turbo changes (though one has to wonder how many one wants to go through

). Good fittings and less restrictive: again, it's kind of for those folks wanting to get away from stock rigid lines but are worried about the smaller orifices with most braided lines (whether it's really a problem or not I cannot say- I just know that there are people on either side of this fence).

In my world I justify spending a bit more for quality stuff because I do all the labor on my cars. And if there's a fair amount of labor involved then parts costs are seen as even less an issue.

need4speed · Nov 17, 2017

Ran a Kerma braided line for the last 100k or so. 15/17 turbo; after my original one blew in the same way. It's fine.

UhOh · Nov 18, 2017

need4speed said:
Ran a Kerma braided line for the last 100k or so. 15/17 turbo; after my original one blew in the same way. It's fine.

Yeah, if it's the one that I linked to then I see no reason why it wouldn't be good. Seems that the others one (they're all "braided," real issue is the connectors- the Kerma one [as linked to] is less restrictive, comparable to stock lines?).

Tdijarhead · Nov 18, 2017

I just put a cascade german braided line on mine. Very easy to route verses twisting and pulling and fiddling to get the oem in.

OP make sure you take ALL the pipes and intercooler off that car and clean them. You do not want to repeat what many have done. Put the new turbo on without cleaning the piping and intercooler leaving all that oil in there, starting the car and ruining the turbo and maybe the engine with a runaway.

In fact I would even pull the glow plugs and crank it a few times just before you’re ready to start it, to blow out any oil that leaked down from the egr while it’s been setting. You don’t want to hydrolock the engine either.

Don’t forget a new axle nut, removing that passanger axle is a must to get the turbo out once it’s loose. Of course it’s much easier to reach all those nuts holding the turbo on if you take the axle out first.

biglsells · Nov 21, 2017

I was able to get the turbo out without removing the passengers side axle but it was a pain, will see if I change my mind and remove it for re-installation, turbo will be here in a couple days.

I will remove the intercooler and clean everything out, there was a lot of oil in all the pipe. I've got the clean the EGR cooler and other assorted pipes today, they were completely plugged with carbon.

KLXD · Nov 21, 2017

Draining the IC is sufficient unless it got FOD in it.

ghohouston · Nov 28, 2017

Tdijarhead said:
I just put a cascade german braided line on mine. Very easy to route verses twisting and pulling and fiddling to get the oem in.

OP make sure you take ALL the pipes and intercooler off that car and clean them. You do not want to repeat what many have done. Put the new turbo on without cleaning the piping and intercooler leaving all that oil in there, starting the car and ruining the turbo and maybe the engine with a runaway.

In fact I would even pull the glow plugs and crank it a few times just before you’re ready to start it, to blow out any oil that leaked down from the egr while it’s been setting. You don’t want to hydrolock the engine either.

Don’t forget a new axle nut, removing that passanger axle is a must to get the turbo out once it’s loose. Of course it’s much easier to reach all those nuts holding the turbo on if you take the axle out first.

Are you serious? I have removed my stock turbo's several times on both cars. Unbolt downpipe, remove intake manifold, if egr cooler is still present, pull it over to the side, cac pipes, intake pipe, 8 nuts, the hold down bracket, and 2 fittings. That really doesn't take all that long to remove, and then the turbo comes right out of the top, between the firewall/ cowl and engine.

Tdijarhead · Nov 28, 2017

ghohouston said:
Are you serious? I have removed my stock turbo's several times on both cars. Unbolt downpipe, remove intake manifold, if egr cooler is still present, pull it over to the side, cac pipes, intake pipe, 8 nuts, the hold down bracket, and 2 fittings. That really doesn't take all that long to remove, and then the turbo comes right out of the top, between the firewall/ cowl and engine.

I took mine off out the bottom on my PD. The EGR is a little different than the ALH.

One thing I used to do was remove the bare minimum of whatever it took to do a job. The turbo in question for instance. If I thought I could get it out by leaving the axle in I would of done it, even if I had to spend an hour playing Chinese puzzle trying to remove it.

It took me less than 15 minutes to completely remove that axle. I probably would have spent at least that much time twisting and turning that turbo to get it around the axle. Access to the bolts that hold the turbo on is easier without that axle in your face and once it’s loose the turbo just comes right out. Not to mention lessening the chances of breaking the plastic auctator.

I’ve found the having a clear work area and removing what’s necessary is a huge time saver in the long run. Just my opinion.

ghohouston · Nov 28, 2017

So on an alh, you removed the axle, or a bew? I have never worked on a bew. Just assumed alh since thats what the thread was about.

indysoto · Dec 4, 2017

ghohouston said:
So on an alh, you removed the axle, or a bew? I have never worked on a bew. Just assumed alh since thats what the thread was about.

bew bottom alh top... OP what kind of oil were you running? any recent changes to car before turbo blew?

indysoto · Dec 4, 2017

Looks like OP had this problem:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=482065
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5cAsI06DMs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXLGP-s3Gt4
Sounds like turbine wheels / fried hitting housing in retrospect.

2002 mk4 jetta tdi tons of oil smoke and no power

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