rdunc
Member
Sorry this is so long, but I thought I'd get it all out there. Some of these problems may or may not be related, but since its been one continuous battle with this particular TDI, I wanted to describe the whole story.
I bought a 2006 Jetta 1.9L in August 2013. My wife and I love the car - we put over 20k miles on it in the first 10 months travelling all over the country. I have pampered it as best I know how for a rookie TDI owner - regular oil changes, filters, etc. When I bought it, the seller said in passing that the turbo actuator needed to be replaced within the year (it has a zip-tie mod). I made a mental note, but have put it off for now.
A few months after I bought it, I noticed the engine would occasionally jerk at high speeds (65-80 mph while between 2200-2800 rpm). Over a few more months it gradually grew worse - more frequent and more severe. The tachometer will bounce up and down by about 100 rpm for a second or two and the car shutters a little. This happens with or without cruise on. Then, for a while, it didn't get worse, but didn't go away either.
I changed the DSG fluid in May 2014. That's when I discovered why it had no belly pan - the owner before had hit something and ripped off the lower radiator support and the belly pan must have come with it, and could not be put back on. I should have got a new belly pan at that point, but I put it off a little longer (again, not sure if that's related).
Soon after that in June 2014, I drove it to Wisconsin from Utah. On the way back, we hit a huge rain storm in Iowa. 10 minutes into it, the check engine light and glow plug light came on, and the tach went to 0 - no power. My best guess was that water got in somewhere it shouldn't. Maybe some exposed wiring? A nearby mechanic looked at it and couldn't find anything wrong - no water anywhere, but it wouldn't start. There were no error codes either (weird). We towed it to the dealer in Cedar Rapids (against my better judgement, but we had no choice) and they looked at it. They replaced the engine speed sensor and it started running, but only after 2 mins of it turning over, and the tach was still at 0. They said I needed a new engine because the crank was probably walking but they couldn't tell for sure. They said various things could cause crank walk - low oil, bad bearings, no belly pan, or it could also be the EGR delete (modified by the previous owner). They said I could drive it home, but it would die again after an hour of driving. Well, I wanted a second opinion.
I managed to get it home to Utah and took it to a trusted local VW/Audi mechanic. They couldn't find anything wrong with it! They drove it almost 100 miles and it ran great. So, I took it home. It has ran as usual ever since. Maybe it was caused by the water, and it eventually dried out? But, the shuttering still happens at high speeds (maybe not related to the water because it happened before). Also, around the same time a new noise appeared. Often, while accelerating quickly between 2nd to 3rd or even 3rd to 4th, it would make a scratching, barking sound (almost like a maraca or a cup of ice water shaking) and I'd get more boost at about 1800 or 2100 rpm.
From what I could tell online, I figured the clutch was slipping, or something was up with the turbo actuator (or both).
I ended up moving across the state to go to school in August 2014, so I found another VW/Audi mechanic. I asked him to take a look at the clutch. He came back and said I need a new transmission! They had drained the fluid and it was jet black (remember, I just changed the DSG fluid about 3 months and 5k miles earlier). The clutch and flywheel also looked pretty bad. So, for a hefty sum I got a new DSG tranny, clutch, and flywheel.
It definitely rides like a dream. Its smoother and quieter. But, the same symptoms appear: at high speeds it shutters and at low speeds it barks when accelerating. I took it back to the mechanic and we test drove it together for about an hour. We couldn't get the shuttering to happen again (go figure) but they'd look at the barking noise.
The mechanic still could not find any major problems with it. Everything read right, looked right. There was a little carbon build-up but not enough to be of concern. They figured something is starting to get clogged or blocked, but they can't tell what. He said it might be the EGR cooler, but its hard to tell and they didn't want to replace anything unless they knew it was the culprit. He told me to keep driving it and pay attention if it gets worse.
Before winter hit, I put on my winter tires, which are almost new with lots of tread. Suddenly, the scratching sound at low speeds was almost gone. Could it just have been the tires barking? The old ones were getting pretty bald. But, once in a while I'll still hear the sound at low speeds, and it seems to get a lot more boost at 1800 or 2100 rpm.
In February 2015, I found several possible oil leaks. The lower half of the engine is splashed with oil. I replaced the vacuum pump as it was the most obvious. Can't tell where the rest of the oil is coming from, possibly the EGR cooler. I will return it to my trusted VW shop for them to do an ultraviolet test to pinpoint the oil leak. I'm worried its something really serious. Again, not sure if this is related to all the other problems.
So, I came to the experts. Which, if any of these problems are related? Any ideas what it might be? EGR cooler? Turbo actuator? Maybe some water or sand is still left somewhere? I doubt the crank is walking like the dealer said (or if it is, its not causing these problems) and its not the clutch or tranny because they are brand new. I'm thinking that what happened in Iowa was just a coincidence - not related to the symptoms I am investigating. I'd appreciate any help anyone has to offer.
I bought a 2006 Jetta 1.9L in August 2013. My wife and I love the car - we put over 20k miles on it in the first 10 months travelling all over the country. I have pampered it as best I know how for a rookie TDI owner - regular oil changes, filters, etc. When I bought it, the seller said in passing that the turbo actuator needed to be replaced within the year (it has a zip-tie mod). I made a mental note, but have put it off for now.
A few months after I bought it, I noticed the engine would occasionally jerk at high speeds (65-80 mph while between 2200-2800 rpm). Over a few more months it gradually grew worse - more frequent and more severe. The tachometer will bounce up and down by about 100 rpm for a second or two and the car shutters a little. This happens with or without cruise on. Then, for a while, it didn't get worse, but didn't go away either.
I changed the DSG fluid in May 2014. That's when I discovered why it had no belly pan - the owner before had hit something and ripped off the lower radiator support and the belly pan must have come with it, and could not be put back on. I should have got a new belly pan at that point, but I put it off a little longer (again, not sure if that's related).
Soon after that in June 2014, I drove it to Wisconsin from Utah. On the way back, we hit a huge rain storm in Iowa. 10 minutes into it, the check engine light and glow plug light came on, and the tach went to 0 - no power. My best guess was that water got in somewhere it shouldn't. Maybe some exposed wiring? A nearby mechanic looked at it and couldn't find anything wrong - no water anywhere, but it wouldn't start. There were no error codes either (weird). We towed it to the dealer in Cedar Rapids (against my better judgement, but we had no choice) and they looked at it. They replaced the engine speed sensor and it started running, but only after 2 mins of it turning over, and the tach was still at 0. They said I needed a new engine because the crank was probably walking but they couldn't tell for sure. They said various things could cause crank walk - low oil, bad bearings, no belly pan, or it could also be the EGR delete (modified by the previous owner). They said I could drive it home, but it would die again after an hour of driving. Well, I wanted a second opinion.
I managed to get it home to Utah and took it to a trusted local VW/Audi mechanic. They couldn't find anything wrong with it! They drove it almost 100 miles and it ran great. So, I took it home. It has ran as usual ever since. Maybe it was caused by the water, and it eventually dried out? But, the shuttering still happens at high speeds (maybe not related to the water because it happened before). Also, around the same time a new noise appeared. Often, while accelerating quickly between 2nd to 3rd or even 3rd to 4th, it would make a scratching, barking sound (almost like a maraca or a cup of ice water shaking) and I'd get more boost at about 1800 or 2100 rpm.
From what I could tell online, I figured the clutch was slipping, or something was up with the turbo actuator (or both).
I ended up moving across the state to go to school in August 2014, so I found another VW/Audi mechanic. I asked him to take a look at the clutch. He came back and said I need a new transmission! They had drained the fluid and it was jet black (remember, I just changed the DSG fluid about 3 months and 5k miles earlier). The clutch and flywheel also looked pretty bad. So, for a hefty sum I got a new DSG tranny, clutch, and flywheel.
It definitely rides like a dream. Its smoother and quieter. But, the same symptoms appear: at high speeds it shutters and at low speeds it barks when accelerating. I took it back to the mechanic and we test drove it together for about an hour. We couldn't get the shuttering to happen again (go figure) but they'd look at the barking noise.
The mechanic still could not find any major problems with it. Everything read right, looked right. There was a little carbon build-up but not enough to be of concern. They figured something is starting to get clogged or blocked, but they can't tell what. He said it might be the EGR cooler, but its hard to tell and they didn't want to replace anything unless they knew it was the culprit. He told me to keep driving it and pay attention if it gets worse.
Before winter hit, I put on my winter tires, which are almost new with lots of tread. Suddenly, the scratching sound at low speeds was almost gone. Could it just have been the tires barking? The old ones were getting pretty bald. But, once in a while I'll still hear the sound at low speeds, and it seems to get a lot more boost at 1800 or 2100 rpm.
In February 2015, I found several possible oil leaks. The lower half of the engine is splashed with oil. I replaced the vacuum pump as it was the most obvious. Can't tell where the rest of the oil is coming from, possibly the EGR cooler. I will return it to my trusted VW shop for them to do an ultraviolet test to pinpoint the oil leak. I'm worried its something really serious. Again, not sure if this is related to all the other problems.
So, I came to the experts. Which, if any of these problems are related? Any ideas what it might be? EGR cooler? Turbo actuator? Maybe some water or sand is still left somewhere? I doubt the crank is walking like the dealer said (or if it is, its not causing these problems) and its not the clutch or tranny because they are brand new. I'm thinking that what happened in Iowa was just a coincidence - not related to the symptoms I am investigating. I'd appreciate any help anyone has to offer.
