New to TDI's, engine dead from brief runaway?
EDIT 2: Latest status on runaway engine:
Cranks just fine.
Turbo still leaking oil into intake.
Engine is timed near-perfectly. (Pics on my latest post with pictures)
(Cold) Compression test shows lower compression in cylinder 2, though barely within spec. Numbers are all ~400+psi
Cam and lifters do not have any obvious damage, and look fine to me.
I'm trying to decide if there is anything left to check before I bolt on a new/rebuilt turbo with a cleaned out intake.
EDIT: Go to latest post for current status, tl;dr is my engine ranaway briefly, presumably because the turbo was leaking large quantities of oil. Now trying to determine if the engine was killed in the process.
Hi everyone,
This is my first TDI and first VW. I have a little bit of mechanical experience but nothing specifically related to diesels and turbos, so go ahead and assume I'm a dummy.
I have a 2003 TDI with 175k miles that I bought recently. So far I've fixed or replaced:
I'm losing oil quickly enough that it's a little concerning. For a loose estimate, I'd say I'll probably go through nearly a quart of oil for top-ups until my next change. If we assume the intercooler's never been drained I don't think what came out is enough to account for what's missing, but I can check on it later for more leakage.
I've been looking around for leak spots but I haven't seen much. I do keep seeing oil on top of the valve cover after I clean it off and drive:
The area under the vacuum pump looks a little dirty too:
I also noticed that the dust cover for the belt tensioner shock has dissolved off and is loose, and there's some oil there too (from the tensioner? new one is incoming either way):
It's also dirty behind the EGR, forgot to snap a pic.
I'm making this post since I'm new to this engine and don't know where to start looking for leaks. I'm hoping the turbo's not bad but this engine is pretty old. I can't say for sure if I'm missing out on power because I have no frame of reference for this powerplant... It's by no means fast, but then it's not really supposed to be. I currently get 30mpg if I drive in the city only (hilly Seattle...) and about 40mpg highway.
I'd appreciate any advice you all can give, thanks!
EDIT 2: Latest status on runaway engine:
Cranks just fine.
Turbo still leaking oil into intake.
Engine is timed near-perfectly. (Pics on my latest post with pictures)
(Cold) Compression test shows lower compression in cylinder 2, though barely within spec. Numbers are all ~400+psi
Cam and lifters do not have any obvious damage, and look fine to me.
I'm trying to decide if there is anything left to check before I bolt on a new/rebuilt turbo with a cleaned out intake.
EDIT: Go to latest post for current status, tl;dr is my engine ranaway briefly, presumably because the turbo was leaking large quantities of oil. Now trying to determine if the engine was killed in the process.
Hi everyone,
This is my first TDI and first VW. I have a little bit of mechanical experience but nothing specifically related to diesels and turbos, so go ahead and assume I'm a dummy.
I have a 2003 TDI with 175k miles that I bought recently. So far I've fixed or replaced:
- starter motor (good solenoid, bad motor)
- thermostat that was stuck open
- start of injection timing that was throwing a code (dead on now, no more engine codes)
- drained intercooler (never been done I'm assuming, drained 1/2 quart)
- new oil, filter etc
I'm losing oil quickly enough that it's a little concerning. For a loose estimate, I'd say I'll probably go through nearly a quart of oil for top-ups until my next change. If we assume the intercooler's never been drained I don't think what came out is enough to account for what's missing, but I can check on it later for more leakage.
I've been looking around for leak spots but I haven't seen much. I do keep seeing oil on top of the valve cover after I clean it off and drive:
The area under the vacuum pump looks a little dirty too:
I also noticed that the dust cover for the belt tensioner shock has dissolved off and is loose, and there's some oil there too (from the tensioner? new one is incoming either way):
It's also dirty behind the EGR, forgot to snap a pic.
I'm making this post since I'm new to this engine and don't know where to start looking for leaks. I'm hoping the turbo's not bad but this engine is pretty old. I can't say for sure if I'm missing out on power because I have no frame of reference for this powerplant... It's by no means fast, but then it's not really supposed to be. I currently get 30mpg if I drive in the city only (hilly Seattle...) and about 40mpg highway.
I'd appreciate any advice you all can give, thanks!
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