2002 Jetta TDI Losing Water.. Blowing White Smoke

miamidiesel

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
Miami, FL USA
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
Hi there, here is the car I have:

2002 VW Jetta TDI 64K Miles Automatic

Here is the problem:

The car in the morning blows white smoke from the tail pipe and that continues till the temp guage reaches half way. The Engine runs a little rough when cold but runs perfect when the temp is up. I live in Miami, FL so the weather here is not cold at all. (80 deg today). The car also smokes clouds of white smoke on full accelaration.

The car however does start rite up.. without any problems and never shuts off.

When i first recieved the car (it was shipped) the low coolant light was on. so I added water and filled the container to the top. The water level goes down a few inches in the container when the car stays running for long periods of time.

What should I check for?

I did check the sheredder valve and it seems to be ok.

Could it be timing? how much should i expect to pay for timing adjustment.
 

HeAvYfUeL

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Location
Gatineau,CAN
TDI
2009, Golf Variant, DSG
Hi and welcome to the club.

It seems like you have a leaking head gasket. Get it fixed before you get more damage. You should know you cannot compress water. When you compress water in a cylinder you will get a big problem.
 

miamidiesel

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
Miami, FL USA
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
would the car run as good as it does with a leaking head gasket... also i dont really see oil mixed with water? how else can i check for the head gasket problem...
 

HeAvYfUeL

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Location
Gatineau,CAN
TDI
2009, Golf Variant, DSG
miamidiesel said:
Hi there, here is the car I have:

2002 VW Jetta TDI 64K Miles Automatic

Here is the problem:

The car in the morning blows white smoke from the tail pipe and that continues till the temp guage reaches half way. The Engine runs a little rough when cold but runs perfect when the temp is up. I live in Miami, FL so the weather here is not cold at all. (80 deg today). The car also smokes clouds of white smoke on full accelaration.

The car however does start rite up.. without any problems and never shuts off.

When i first recieved the car (it was shipped) the low coolant light was on. so I added water and filled the container to the top. The water level goes down a few inches in the container when the car stays running for long periods of time.

What should I check for?

I did check the sheredder valve and it seems to be ok.

Could it be timing? how much should i expect to pay for timing adjustment.
Hi,

You are writing that the engine runs a little rough when cold. This could mean your headgasket is leaking when your engine is cold/stopped. When everything heats up (expansion) it doesn't leak anymore. Also the pressure in the cylinders is higher then in the cooling system, which stops the leaking. Check the colour of your coolant. Fix it before it is too late.
 

miamidiesel

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
Miami, FL USA
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
how much should i expect to pay for the head gasket replacement ?

Also, should I try to remove the radiator cap and start the car to see if water pops back out?
 

miamidiesel

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
Miami, FL USA
TDI
2002 Jetta TDI
just removed the radiator cap and had some one start the car and accelerate... and i saw watter bubbling in the container... with lots of bubbles....
 

HeAvYfUeL

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Location
Gatineau,CAN
TDI
2009, Golf Variant, DSG
miamidiesel said:
just removed the radiator cap and had some one start the car and accelerate... and i saw watter bubbling in the container... with lots of bubbles....
:eek:

Get it fixed before it is too late !
Get a quote at the dealer or find a local guru.
Don't know about the price.
 
Top