'01 Jetta 2.0 oil question.....

Hi folks,new to the 2.0 motor-it's in my son's '01 Jetta 5 spd. w/just over 115k. I didn't do my research thoroughly before purchase,just had been reading that the 2.0 is a pretty durable and reliable motor. Well,I've been adding about a quart of oil every 900-1000 miles,using 5w-30(still on previous owners oil change). I've read that VW installed the rings upside down in the early motors,and the only "true" fix is to tear down engine and replace rings-that's not an option for my son due to budget. I've seen some various posts about using full synthetic,0w-30,5w-40,or a non-syn 10w-40. At my next oil change(soon),would it be better to run the same oil in the 2.0 as I do in my TDI?

You can try running the same oil as you run in your TDI (which by the book the previous owner should have been running anyways, VW 502.00/505.00 oil). Or try Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40, see if that mitigates it any.

You need rings. Common (and pretty easy) job on those. It would also help if it had the correct oil. A 502.00 spec 5w40 is what should be in that engine. Pretty much every 5w40 that meets your TDI's 505.00 spec will also meet the 502.00.

Also, when you get parts, you'll want to know which 2.0L engine it is. In 2001, there could have been three. The early AEG is the worst oil burner, and those are the last with a cable throttle. The AZG and AVH engines are drive-by-wire throttle, and are mostly the same as each other. They also have an aluminum valve cover whereas the AEG is black painted steel, and they have a single outlet downpipe/catalyst where the AEG is dual. Very few 2001 Jettas would be AEG. There are other differences, but those are the main ones.

Since you'll have the head off to do rings, you may want to just at least get the valve stem seals replaced and the valves/guides themselves checked. Running the wrong oil for 115k miles (and who knows how many times it has been run low) may have made valve guide wear worse than it would have been otherwise.

They are a simple, tough engine though. Not super powerful nor super frugal with fuel, but they are usually reliable.

Let's begin this discussion by saying that gasoline and diesel engines, though different, share much in common. Upper and lower ends operate on the same principle and do the same tasks.

Oil use is one of those things that must be analyzed before much else is done. Most times the culprit on the top end will be worn valve guides or failed seals. Evidence of such is usually a cloud of blue smoke after the engine has been allowed to sit for a time. Bottom end problems usually present themselves with excess blowby and low compression. Rarely a failed oil ring will allow for excess oil use yet the associated cylinder will retain good compression. Lower end problems using the amount of oil described quite often show little evidence at the tailpipe. Most often a puff of oil smoke after coasting when the throttle is opened.

Now to oil. At this point, irrespective of proper or improper oils and maintenance in the past, oil is not the solution to your problem. Unfortunately the only solution is to locate and correct whatever components that have failed. Using synthetic oil will do nothing save for costing more every time you add a quart.

At this point in time and miles I expect the car is well past due for a timing belt and associated components if only due to age. Budget is really not an excuse as the alternative can be much more costly than the required maintenance. This is the best time I can think of to pull the head and inspect the engine. Unfortunately for you I see little other choice if you wish to correct the drinking problem.

Sorry that I can't be more upbeat. Unfortunately it is what it is.

Huh? how does wear in the lower end equal excessive oil consumption?

Excessive oil consumption is usually attributed to leaks, ring or valve guide wear. If the rings are in fact upside down in the OP's engine, I would start there.

Pistons and rings ARE part of the lower end methinks.

Timing belt has already been done a couple years back. I need to organize the stack of receipts that I got with car. The person I bought it from depended on mechanics for everything,he dumped almost $4k into it within the last year. What is the price range for doing the rings in this engine? It was bought in California,then moved to Florida,and came to NY this past March-therefore,ZERO rust,just some clearcoat issues on roof and trunk lid. As I said,my son's car,so very little budget for major work until he pays it off.....

The labor time (Alldata) for rings on an AVH engine is 8.8 hours. That does NOT include any work to the cylinder head. Normally our machine shop would be in the $500-700 range to do a valve job on one of those. Since you have not suffered a timing belt neglect mishap, the head should be in decent shape. But it may need guides.

As for parts, you'll need rings, I would do rod bearings, depending on which engine you have you'll need rod cap studs/nuts or rod cap bolts, a head gasket, head bolts, valve cover gasket, intake/exhaust manifold gaskets, cam seal, coolant flange, coolant, oil/filter, sealant for oil pan.

If the timing belt was already done, don't assume it was done correctly as many places still won't replace the mount bolts. Then they mangle out the threads in the bracket and the engine falls out . The timing belt on these is pretty simple, just a belt and a tensioner. Water pump is similar to the TDIs of the same era.

The last one of these I did, which included some other PM items like filters, fluids, plugs, was about $2800 out the door through our shop. That includes $620 machine shop fees to go through the head. It, too, had 115k miles on it and was just burning oil badly. So bad, it had fouled a spark plug and started missing.

I'll add my 2 cents here...

One of the main reasons a number of us here avoid shops or choose trusted techs is that expensive work is not always good work. As Oilhammer has shared, there are many unseen details constituting the difference between a good job and a poor one. The problem being that you as an unsuspecting consumer won't know the difference until sometime down the road.

Right now the car is using oil. The rate of use, while too high, is still within acceptable limits. Not acceptable to me but if use is at a constant rate, then the car will offer no surprises. A quart of oil every 900 miles is cheaper than an overhaul.

As to what should be done, listen to Oilhammer. Unfortunately the only way to positively identify the extent of your problems is to pull the engine down. Then a decision must be made whether to go to the cheap side or do things correctly. Correctly is much more expensive up front but a lot less expensive later.

Additives or different oils will make little if any difference no matter what they claim. Your problem is wear and it simply can't be addressed short of a proper repair. The fact that you have a pile of receipts from the former owner is testimony to a consumer paying a high price for inferior work as your car should easily have passed the 100k mile mark with minimal expenses, except for normal maintenance.

Given the tight budget and assuming oil use stays constant, I'd suggest that your son monitor oil use closely and add as needed. If oil use increases to any great extent, or if engine operation or power becomes an issue, then the situation will not offer many options. You'll either have to dump the car or properly address whatever is ailing the engine.

I'm not terribly far away from you and would offer to look at the car if you wish. The thing is that we both already know the probable cause of your problem and very likely know that the engine must be pulled down for a proper diagnosis. Not much sense in making a trip merely for me to confirm what we already know.

I'm not sure I'd tear it down either at this point. I would switch to the proper oil (502.00 spec 5w40), and a good filter (Mann, Mahle, or Hengst), and the proper interval (10k miles), and check the level religiously in between, never allowing it to get more than a half quart or so low.

So long as it runs OK, doesn't foul out any plugs* and start misfiring, and doesn't kill the catalyst (it most likely has already had one replaced), then it can still run a lot longer for very little effort.

*there are several different 2.0L SOHC crossflow engines, and they do not all use the same ignition system, therefor do not all use the same spark plugs. You have to be certain that the CORRECT plugs are in use in the engine, and the only way to know that is to be sure you have the correct engine code, as I have noted above.

I'll have to check the plugs,as the PO replaced them not too long ago. We paid $2300 for car and there's no way in hell I'm going to put more than that into just the engine. It runs and drives good now,not going to mess with anything.Oil change will be done in a week or so.Thank you for the offer,nord!

Bob,

You're most welcome.

Changed the oil last night finally-was a quart low. I added Rotella T-6 for this change. Last oil filter was a Firestone,I couldn't budge it with one of those filter wrenches that go over the end and you put a 3/8 drive ratchet on-well,the wrench started to spin inside the square hole(plastic filter wrench),so I tried to remove it w/ some filter pliers. I've NEVER had a filter that was on so tight. I'm almost tempted to call the previous place that changed the oil and ask them if they're morons.......and my engine code is AEG,as I saw the build sticker inside the owners manual-yay......and I saw a cable on the rear of engine,I'll have to see if that is the throttle.

AEG is a cable throttle engine. Its also a known oil burner.

01's were split between AEG and AVH, the latter being DBW.

Yep, that sucks. You got the oil burner. Just keep a close watch on it, don't let it run low!

Considering how cheap those engines are in junkyards now, couldn't you just swap it out to a later one?

turbocharged798 said:

Considering how cheap those engines are in junkyards now, couldn't you just swap it out to a later one?

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Yep, you just have to swap all the manifolds and stuff over. The pistons, rods, and some other bits are different, but you can still swap them over. I've put a rebuilt AEG head on an AVH engine before.

A little update.... I changed the oil at 116k w/ Rotella T6.Checked at 116,500-was down a little,not enough to add. Next check was around 117,200-it was down to just above the low hash. So,for the hell of it, I added that Hyper-Lube additive($8.88/qt at Wally World). I added 3/4 of it to bring it to full mark. I just re-checked today(118,100),and the oil level has hardly dropped,compared to the first 1k miles-so take what you want from that-I'll update when the next 1k or so rolls around....

nord said:

At this point in time and miles I expect the car is well past due for a timing belt and associated components if only due to age. Budget is really not an excuse as the alternative can be much more costly than the required maintenance.

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Yep. On these engines, if you don't follow the recommended interval for timing belt change (and if you don't change the associated components, it WILL eat the new timing belt), the timing belt is good for roughly 1/10 of a second less than the life of the engine.

Soooo, checked the oil tonight @ 119,200. I added 3/4 quart of oil,which is pretty good for 2k miles,compared to what I was adding before oil change and Hyper-Lube.

Awesome! One of my customer's AVH cars just rolled past 300k last week, still running along like new. These are great engines (albeit thirsty) if they just get taken care of properly.

Checked the oil a few days ago just past 120k mark-level still ok,but when I went to reinsert the dipstick,the loop handle broke off-so I just used a pair of pliers to seat the dipstick. Looked online,was going to go to pick-n-pull on Saturday,but checked the local stores for the heck of it. Looked at Autozone online,and Dorman makes one,#957-352, and it was only $5.99-and it was even in stock at my local store! I'm not sure if it's the same one a TDI uses,but good to know I don't need dealer for it.... I wonder if the dipsticks break alot,as I found it strange that it would be in stock at someplace besides a dealer....

Yes, both the dipstick and especially the tubes break a lot, and luckily they are cheap and easy to replace. However, they are not all the same for all the engines. The diesels are pretty much always different than the gas engines.

Well, my son got in accident last Friday morning on way to school-he was making left out of gas station near an intersection,pickup had it's right tturn signal on,thought he was going to turn in station-NOT-so the front tire of F-250 went across front of bumper. First estimate without taking the front end apart was $1400....then I took it to someone closer who has loaner cars(an '05 G6 for me)-they took front end apart-I stopped by today and damage is pretty much contained to front,but estimate is $2700-so they have to call Allstate and they have to come out and value car,as it may be totalled. It needs hood,everything to do with front bumper,marker lights,headlights(housings broken/cracked),the palstic radiator support is cracked,but said if I keep it,it's something that doesn't have to be replaced.The only part that they weren't sure of is end of passenger frame rail-the thin square piece got bent back some from bumper reinforcement. It was still drivable and headlights were still aimed ok before I took it there-they said they can put it back together so it's drivable,and I'll probably get parts from a pick-n-pull. The paint is slightly cracked on the pssenger fender,in front where hood is next to it-but it didn't flake off(w/clearcoat issues it has,not gonna worry about it)-also needs hood latch release cable.....

Well,this one is totalled also.....but it's driveable.I was happy with first offer, I'm getting check Fed-exed today. My son still wants to keep it(his first car),but I told him that being totalled,it no longer can have comp or collision on it,so if he hits a deer or anything else,it's done for..... so off to pick-n-pull today for some parts for it.....

Well,finally got around to putting the new(used)front end on last night/this morning. I did get a hood,but after closing the original,I'll stick with that one for now.The #432 Medium Green GM Dupli-Color is just a little darker than the VW paint,but doesn't look too bad. Noticed the rear control arm bushings are shot both sides,there's at least a 1/2" play when I pushed the control arm toward back of vehicle. A couple body plugs missing on pass. side floor. He had 6k on it since last oil change,so that got changed also. The only thing that puzzled me was when I took the oil cap off,there was a whitish/orange mayonnaise-like substance on bottom of cap and a little inside filler neck. In the 6k miles,I think I only added oil once,and when I drained it there was 3 quarts,so about 2 quarts during the OCI.I think that Hyper-Lube stuff worked,so I added another quart this oil change.

nord said:

Pistons and rings ARE part of the lower end methinks.

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Lower end would be the crankshaft and bearings. I think that the pistons and rings are upper end.

Wow-been awhile since an update. A couple weeks ago he started getting a misfire on cylinder 3 code.Cleared it,but came back. PO did replace the plugs and wires I think at around 104k,but I didn't see anything about replacing the ignition coilpack. So I ended up doing the plugs,coilpack,and wires. After doing 2 online orders to Advance using the 30% off code,able to get those parts for about $170 total-would've been quite a bit less using RockAuto,but I wanted to get it done that weekend. Not a bad job to get to coilpack. I believe it was the original-almost 136k on it,and it did have some cracks in the base. I also changed the oil-had about 6k or so on it,and I only added 1 quart between the changes,so I do believe the Hyper-Lube is working.I also noticed there is no longer the white slime on the oil fill cap-my son does have a longer drive to work,so moisture isn't collecting there like it was. No code has been retriggered, so it must've been the coilpack. Windshield now has a nice crack in it,thanks to a stone that was kicked up from a truck. I have till next June for him to replace it(inspection),so I told my son to start saving $$$$-I'm guessing around $300(no longer have glass coverage as it was totalled last Oct.).....

Well,the windshield wipers stopped working. I turned the switch-I could hear the motor working,but wipers not wiping. I was able to move the wipers by hand quite easily. So I assumed it was the transmission,so off to pick-n-pull.Luckily I found a motor assembly from a 99 Golf,the '02 Jetta they had,it was a different plug end.It worked fine when I installed it. Next up was oil change-almost 11k on the change,and I only added about 2 quarts total since the last oil change. So I believe that switching to the 5w-40 synthetic and adding that Hyper-Lube stuff has drastically helped the oil consumption issue we were having when we first bought the car. The only thing that worries me is that I am getting that white mayonnaise-like buildup in the oil fill cap area. I see drops of moisture on the inside of oil fill area,but the coolant level is keeping steady.Does anyone know what causes this buildup??

I was getting that moisture under my cap as well. I changed my thermostat and did a coolant flush. All is well now. My fuel economy is up. It was running too cold, and wasn't getting hot enough to evaporate the moisture. I run 180 miles a day in my commute, no short trips for me...

Debbie