Blowed up good. Blowed up real good!

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Motley

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Location
Bright, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
My Passat has been sitting for about 5 weeks now, as I've already replaced it, in anticipation of getting rid of it sometime soon. I started the car yesterday in order to do some snow clearing. It started up just fine but died after about thirty seconds or so. I let it sit for a moment and started it again. When it fired up there was a gawdalmighty bang! It shuddered for a moment then settled into a nice idle. After moving the car, I noticed exhaust gasses coming from under the body of the car and not from the tailpipe. I had a look underneath and found the muffler completely torn open along what used to be a seam, from one end to the other, wide open. Crazy?

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I

IXLR8

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2003
Location
Cushing, ME
TDI
12 Passat Platinum Gray, 02 Golf Black, 01 Jetta Black
I wonder if the exhaust valve got stuck shut and or an animal plugged up the exhaust with a nest. Was it the muffler or the resonator torn open? Either way, if you are going for the buyback... leave it and return it the way it is.
 
M

Motley

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Location
Bright, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
I'm going for the buyback, if we ever get it here in Canada.

I think it's the muffler (diesel cars are a complete mystery to me), but it isn't running any louder with this gash in it.
 
TDIGAZ

TDIGAZ

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Jan 15, 2008
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Eastern Ontario, Canada
TDI
Current: 2003 Jetta GLS Grey 5 spd. Previous: 2003 Jetta GLS Silver 5 spd (lost in a collision)
Motley said:
My Passat has been sitting... I started the car yesterday in order to do some snow clearing...
Click to expand...
Could the snow have accumulated enough to fill and plug the exhaust pipe??
That could have caused enough back pressure to create exactly what you experienced.
 
M

Motley

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Location
Bright, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
TDIGAZ said:
Could the snow have accumulated enough to fill and plug the exhaust pipe??
That could have caused enough back pressure to create exactly what you experienced.
Click to expand...

Possibly, but that'll be a new one on me. I wouldn't think snow could blow into and pack such a small opening. I'd hardly think it could be stronger than that seam. Similarly with a rodent nest. The muffler burst at the weakest point.
 
3

325_Guy

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2011
Location
West Central Texas
TDI
MkV Jetta
Any punk kids in the neighborhood? Maybe you got a potato stuffed up the tail pipe. Could run a plumbing snake or even wire coat hanger up there and see how far you get.
 
2

251

TDI Owner/Operator
Joined
May 11, 2002
Location
NW IN
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Motley said:
My Passat has been sitting for about 5 weeks now
Click to expand...
Well, it could be your Passat is expressing it's displeasure at your decision to not keep it. :p It's also not good for a vehicle to sit around unused which may be a factor here. Like others have said, if you're doing the buyback why even worry about it? Vehicle only needs to run under it's own power onto the dealer's lot for buyback process - an intact muffler is not required to do so! ;)
 
7

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
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Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
my guess is animal homes, talk about a rude awakening.
 
C

c-wagen

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2012
Location
Houston TX
TDI
North American Passat 2012 TDI SEL (bought back march 2018)
Beware of critters...

And this makes me think about other posts about turbo hoses and electric cables eaten by mice and others... If anybody is storing their Passats before buyback, take care of critters. Yours will move, but eaten bits might stop others Passat from moving. I'm planning using mine till the buyback day... Happy Holidays!

PD: was your car getting ready for New Year's firework noise?. Good luck!
 
M

Motley

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Location
Bright, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
Well, I checked up the tailpipe with a stiff wire. Pulled some snow out of there, but no nesting materials.

I suppose it could have been snow packed in there, as the back of the car had been facing into the prevailing weather and we did have a couple of good storms this past week. I've never heard of such a thing though.
 
R

Radman

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Joined
May 13, 2001
Location
Montreal
TDI
2014 Audi A6 TDI, 2014 Touareg TDI
Could have been a wet slushy buildup that froze solid. I was wondering what the Passat would sound like with a Mufflerectomy? I guess not much louder similar to what the older ALH's sounded like without mufflers? More of a swooshing sound from the turbo could be heard.
 
M

Motley

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Location
Bright, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2013 Passat TDI
Radman said:
Could have been a wet slushy buildup that froze solid. I was wondering what the Passat would sound like with a Mufflerectomy? I guess not much louder similar to what the older ALH's sounded like without mufflers? More of a swooshing sound from the turbo could be heard.
Click to expand...
It really doesn't seem to be any louder than before.
 
R

Radman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 13, 2001
Location
Montreal
TDI
2014 Audi A6 TDI, 2014 Touareg TDI
Between the Turbo, the DPF and the Cat most of the sound is already muffled.
 
L

Lucsar

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Apr 22, 2015
Location
Ontario
TDI
Returned to VW: 2015 Passat Highline DSG EarlyLease Termination
Sorry to hear about your muffler Motley: any chance it would be covered under warranty ?
 
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