PD cam fail/dealer install fail.... pics inside..

TDIJetta99 · Sep 19, 2009

ok 18k ago a dealer replaced the cam, lifters, and all 4 unit injectors under warranty to remedy a misfire/hesitation.. Long story short, they replaced the cam and ONE lifter...
Oh, I found a broken glowplug, and some valve/piston contact in the cylinder with the broken glowplug.. This thing came in running.. He towed it up from Delaware, but it ran..

Notice the ONE SINGLE black lifter... It was the only good lifter on the only good cam lobe.. I still have to take some pictures of the cam itself..

The number 2 piston before cleaning..

After some cleaning.. Oh look... a valve hit it.. hmmm...

TDIJetta99 · Sep 19, 2009

reserved post for more pictures..

Dimitri16V · Sep 19, 2009

don't be shy ... name the dealer

ChippedNotBroken · Sep 19, 2009

The pictures turned out great.

TDIJetta99 · Sep 19, 2009

I don't know what dealer it was. It was in the state of Delaware, where the car/owner is from. I e-mailed the owner of the car and directed him towards this thread, maybe he'll let us know. I seen the paperwork when he brought the car up here but I forgot the name of the dealer..

Ron, yeah the pictures did come out pretty good.. the ones posted here are cut down to 1MB each, you should see the full 6MB files..

Sip'n Diesel · Sep 19, 2009

perhaps it's time we start the "black book of dealer fail?"

anyone else tired of this?

TonyJetta · Sep 20, 2009

There is just NO excuse for that kind of work! It's common automotive practice to replace ALL the lifters when replacing the cam. What were they thinking?

Tony

Windex · Sep 20, 2009

Stupid question and smart question all in one:

Why is this not going back to the offending dealer?

I know they are incompetent by the single lifter, but they should come clean on shoddy workmanship and assist or even pay for the repairs.

At the end of the day, as long as the tech knows the timing procedure and uses the appropriate cam prelube, there's not much that should go wrong.

Assuming they replace all the lifters, Cam, injectors, Turbo, oil pump, and all the bottom end bearings.

LiLredTDI · Sep 20, 2009

OMG

!!!!.................DEALER FAIL!!

How many miles on the engine at time of cam replacement? Those lifters are toast, cannot believe they were not all changed, with only 18K since change lifters HAD to look bad at time of cam replace.

TDIJetta99 · Sep 20, 2009

Windex said:
Stupid question and smart question all in one:

Why is this not going back to the offending dealer?

I know they are incompetent by the single lifter, but they should come clean on shoddy workmanship and assist or even pay for the repairs.

At the end of the day, as long as the tech knows the timing procedure and uses the appropriate cam prelube, there's not much that should go wrong.

Assuming they replace all the lifters, Cam, injectors, Turbo, oil pump, and all the bottom end bearings.

it's not going back to the offending dealer because it's over their 12k warranty on the work they did.. They screwed it up once, they'll do it again.. the replacement of the single lifter with the new cam is what trashed the rest of the lifters. you cannot reuse lifters with a new flat tappet cam in most any application.. roller followers/lifters can be reused over and over again, but roller cams don't ever round off unless the lifter roller seizes..

there's nothing wrong with the turbo or oil pump, and I'll inspect the lower end bearings when I have the oil pan off.. I'm sure they will be fine though..

TDIJetta99 · Sep 20, 2009

LiLredTDI said:
OMG !!!!.................DEALER FAIL!!

How many miles on the engine at time of cam replacement? Those lifters are toast, cannot believe they were not all changed, with only 18K since change lifters HAD to look bad at time of cam replace.

I'm sure the rest of the lifters looked fine at the time of cam replacement.. that kind of wear will happen in very short order when the lifters are reused..

PDJetta · Sep 20, 2009

Man, big dealer FAIL!

I see the valve hit on the cleaned #2 piston. This must have been caused by an incorrect timing procedure when the timing belt was put back on after the first camshaft AND SINGLE lifter was replaced. I would imagine this valve and its guide should be replaced. You hear of valves breaking off after X thousands of miles after this occurrs. I wonder if any others took a hit. That won't bend a connecting rod, will it?

--Nate

TDIJetta99 · Sep 20, 2009

the others looked clean.. I didn't see any other evidence of contact.. I checked the piston height and the rod isn't bent at all.. both valves in that cylinder are getting replaced. both guides measured fine.. From what I can see it wasn't a major enough impact to do anything other than crack the lifter, which I believe started this whole mess in the first place.. the first cam replacement was I believe at 95k, which would put it at 15k past an 80k timing belt change... The owner of the car bought it from the dealer and the first cam was done under warranty a short time after purchase..

Dimitri16V · Sep 20, 2009

well, there are only 2 dealers in DE , Smith in Wilmington and Dover VW . My experience with Smith is substandard at best.Their mentality is "get car out of shop as soon as possible"

weirdajs · Sep 20, 2009

Sounds when you need to replace your font/back brake pads. You should usually replace driver's and passenger's side pads at the same time. Same applies to the lifter's in this case. Replace one and replace all of them.

May I ask what year is the vehicle? 18k on miles already and this happen

I guess the owner is learning a valuable lesson. Stay away from the dealerships if you can.

TDIJetta99 · Sep 20, 2009

the vehicle has over 100k and is a 2004 BEW engine.. The car was under warranty the first time since it was only a short time after he purchased the car..

weirdajs · Sep 20, 2009

Alright all I saw was 18k Sorry. I bet the owner won't go back to the dealer now.

Havokk · Sep 20, 2009

Epic Failure! Its amazing the level of stupidity that went in to this job to have this sort of outcome. How on earth does anyone, pro mech or weekend warrior, ever think it would be alright to replace only one lifter? They are cheap enough so saving money was hopefully not the reason. Laziness or just complete lack of consideration or care for anyone's car they work on? Crap like that aggrevates me

! Although dealers are indpendently owned, one would think vw would have some sort of quality control test or inspection of dealer shops. I wouldnt want guys like this killing the VW name.

jasonTDI · Sep 20, 2009

Sip'n Diesel said:
perhaps it's time we start the "black book of dealer fail?"

anyone else tired of this?

You just mean post the entire dealer network book right?

Marv H · Sep 21, 2009

Dimitri16V said:
don't be shy ... name the dealer

The dealer was Smith Volkswagen in Wilmington DE

Dimitri16V · Sep 21, 2009

Marv H said:
The dealer was Smith Volkswagen in Wilmington DE

that's what I suspected

hid3 · Sep 21, 2009

TDIJetta, please post pics of CAM and lower bearings. Thanks.

TDIJetta99 · Sep 21, 2009

I will get the cam pics up asap.. I was a little too busy today to get them up online..

These are in order from the cam sprocket side outward.. It looks to me like they were installed dry because the farther away
from the belt you get, the better shape the bearings are in.. One of the bearing pictures is MIA... no idea how that happened..
I'll snap some more tomorrow

jasonTDI · Sep 21, 2009

That's how a lot of them look. See it every week.

TDIJetta99 · Sep 21, 2009

jasonTDI said:
That's how a lot of them look. See it every week.

I see them like that too but usually not after only 18k... Unless they didn't change the bearings..
That would not surprise me if that were the case..

Marv H · Sep 22, 2009

Less than one year after having a new cam, lifters,all fuel injector, MAF and fuel pump replaced by the dealership in my vehicle it began showing signs of the same problem. I revisited the dealership where I purchased the car and have had all the work done only to be told not only do I need the cam replaced but the parts and labor would not be covered under the warranty. I then contacted VWoA as to see why the cam needs replacement again within 12 months, I was informed by a regional representative that they have not been informed of their PD motor having cam issues and the financial responsibility is mine. Later I did discover when pointed out by the TDI specialists that the lifters where not replaced as I was lead to believe by the service manager at Smith VW.

adamant628 · Sep 22, 2009

I have a very newbie question. Are the lifters the cylinders that are paired in the picture? And why is the second pair from the left different from the others?

TDIJetta99 · Sep 22, 2009

adamant628 said:
I have a very newbie question. Are the lifters the cylinders that are paired in the picture? And why is the second pair from the left different from the others?

Yes.. the second pair are different because they are worn all the way through and broken.. they are supposed to have a mirror like finish.. there was only one like that and it was the one that was replaced.. If you look in the second picture in the first post the good lifter can be seen on the right.. it's darker than the rest of them..

ofhs93 · Sep 22, 2009

Have I ever posted how lucky I feel to work within 10 minutes of Jason?

This thread is exibit A for the case that NO VW dealership has EVER (nor WILL they ever) do/done work on any of my cars.

Dimitri16V · Sep 22, 2009

Smith techs are morons and the "service" managers are crooks

PD cam fail/dealer install fail.... pics inside..

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Newbie

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number

New member

Top Post Dawg

Banned

Top Post Dawg

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number

Top Post Dawg

New member

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg