MN Chat Thread

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
I have a couple 1/2 pistons in a shortblock coming out of a car now. Rods are pre-bent and the pistons all have melted combustion lips.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
I have a couple 1/2 pistons in a shortblock coming out of a car now. Rods are pre-bent and the pistons all have melted combustion lips.
Heh, I haven't run into one with actual melting going on, even with my tendency to totally dismiss the pyrometer reading.

Seems just about every ALH I take apart has the witness marks of bent rods on #2 and #3, both in the wear on the rod bearings and the coating on the piston skirts, even if they were seemingly running just peachy before tearing them down for parts.
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
Heh, I haven't run into one with actual melting going on, even with my tendency to totally dismiss the pyrometer reading.

Seems just about every ALH I take apart has the witness marks of bent rods on #2 and #3, both in the wear on the rod bearings and the coating on the piston skirts, even if they were seemingly running just peachy before tearing them down for parts.
Seems everyone finds bent #2 and #3 rods. Weather they are actually bent or not no clue, but also a range of reasoning. seems everyone has different ideas of why. More air flow because of intake design. People who load the cars with boost while the rpms are low (under 2k they say) aka wot under 2k. And a few more.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
Seems everyone finds bent #2 and #3 rods. Weather they are actually bent or not no clue, but also a range of reasoning. seems everyone has different ideas of why. More air flow because of intake design. People who load the cars with boost while the rpms are low (under 2k they say) aka wot under 2k. And a few more.
my idea has to do with the crankcase oil building up in the intercooler alongside the intake manifold coking

clean out the intake and suddenly you've got enough airflow to suck through the big slug of oil that'd been happily burbling along in the intercooler
little bit of "hydrolock at speed"
 

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
my idea has to do with the crankcase oil building up in the intercooler alongside the intake manifold coking due to low velocities through the intercooler

clean out the intake and suddenly you've got enough airflow to suck through the big slug of oil that'd been happily burbling along in the intercooler
little bit of "hydrolock at speed"
Fixed. Causes range from a clogged intake, to non-functioning boost control or just simply babying your otherwise perfectly functioning car 100% of the time.
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
Both my cars when I did the egr delete and cleaned the intake I drained the SMIC for this reason. Of course there was nothing in there due to my driving styles. I also drained them when I first got them because of not knowing how they were driven previously. I bought them from elderly gentlemen so assumedly they drove them nicely-ish.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
Fixed. Causes range from a clogged intake, to non-functioning boost control or just simply babying your otherwise perfectly functioning car 100% of the time.
heh
yeah I suppose that's a more appropriate diag, fits many more cases rather than just one...

had a saab in with the LPT 2.3 motor, you know the ones with the garrett gt1752s turbo on them, it's got the same neckdown turbine shaft as a lotta GT17 stuff did

well they must have never actually drove it at freeway speed because when I test drove the thing after fixing about a thousand dollars in stupid oil leaks, it snapped the turbine shaft
taking it apart to diag why it suddenly became a smoke machine and I noticed the wastegate actuator was rusted solid to the arm
it made "all the boost" for a second or two
 

maxmose

Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2022
Location
Minneapolis
TDI
2001 Jetta
Hey Maxmose,

Read up on the door micro switch. Known problem with these cars. Luckily mine failed in the door closed position. And has been that way for 300,000 miles. But it will relock the car if I don't put the key in the ignition in 20 seconds.

Spam
thanks! Turned out to be a bad starter. Really weird how the first time it failed coincided with me setting off the alarm like that 🤷🏻‍♂️ I guess that’s just how it goes sometimes. I swapped out the starter at home this weekend and it’s cranking up with ease!

While I was under there I noticed a fair amount of oil or something else leaking on the outside of the transmission, so I may be taking it into the shop after all. Any recommendations in the metro area would be great.
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
Thats odd, but im glad it worked out for you!

What side of the trans? Does it seem to be coming from the trans or leaking down from the oil filter/pump housing area? You will know if its motor oil if you touch it lol.
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
2013 jetta TDI 2500$

found this on facebook. manual, needs a little body work if you like that sort of thing. dpf is supposedly getting clogged. seemed decent so I thought Id throw it out here for people.
 

salad

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Location
Minnesota
TDI
2011 JSW, 2012 Q7
2013 jetta TDI 2500$

found this on facebook. manual, needs a little body work if you like that sort of thing. dpf is supposedly getting clogged. seemed decent so I thought Id throw it out here for people.
and...... it's gone.

Does anyone have a spare egr block off plate? The one that replaces the dpf to egr flexi pipe?
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
and...... it's gone.

Does anyone have a spare egr block off plate? The one that replaces the dpf to egr flexi pipe?
not the same engine (inferring from the 'dpf' there) but on the ALH, I've been running one with the tube just cut off, folded over and hammered flat for the last 100k or thereabouts
the nuts were rusted round so I couldn't unbolt it to bolt on a blockoff plate, figured I'd weld a plate over the hole if it ever failed but it never even leaked
 

SpamJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2001
Location
Cable, MN
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2002 Silver
Spam update, after 400 miles yesterday, engine stumbled today, 3k trip starts tomorrow. What could possibley go wrong?
 
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greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
Sputtered a bit in Dayton Ohio, then I had a brainwave. Turbo Actuator!
Spam - when you say hiccup I presume you mean some sort of misfire. Actuator (or boost controll) acting up will have completely different symptoms. More of a lull in power than anything.
 

SpamJ

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2001
Location
Cable, MN
TDI
Jetta Wagon 2002 Silver
GG,

Yes I guess I would call it more of a bog than anything.

The actuator got a great workout coming over the mountains on Highway 250 in West Virginia.

Today it's the North Carolina Outer Banks then Delmarva. We'll see what happens.

Spam
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
Well I come bearing good news. On a Mark 6 TDI. You can delete the whole emission system and it won't throw it in limp mode. They made the cars smart enough to realize it's no longer there so there's no need to throw it in limp mode.
It just throws the code for all of the sensors that are missing. But there's no check engine light. The tune box was not working to install the new firmware. So I had to drive it home the way it is. And there is no limp mode.
 

MidwestLoon

Member
Joined
May 6, 2022
Location
Lino Lakes, Minnesota
TDI
2013 Passat
Just did the 40k service today (78,000mi) what a to-do that was. I'm glad I got it done before the colder weather rolls in though. Anyway, the hardest part was getting the car on jack stands :rolleyes:
Few cool notes.
I only made one auto-part store run for 1 tool which was the 8mm allan key for the dsg plug
Gravity filling isn't as bad as people make it out to be. However, it is super messy.
 

greengeeker

Vendor
Joined
Feb 8, 2006
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
... the hardest part was getting the car on jack stands :rolleyes:
Along those lines...did you know VW removed all tow-eye features from your Passat? No idea what you're supposed to do if you ever go in the ditch. All I know is it isn't fun moving the newer Jetta/Passats around the yard here.
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
Just did the 40k service today (78,000mi) what a to-do that was. I'm glad I got it done before the colder weather rolls in though. Anyway, the hardest part was getting the car on jack stands :rolleyes:
Few cool notes.
I only made one auto-part store run for 1 tool which was the 8mm allan key for the dsg plug
Gravity filling isn't as bad as people make it out to be. However, it is super messy.
Car to low that the front lip hits the stands, or manual trans not wanting to go up slowly?
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
Along those lines...did you know VW removed all tow-eye features from your Passat? No idea what you're supposed to do if you ever go in the ditch. All I know is it isn't fun moving the newer Jetta/Passats around the yard here.
Ever try something like this through the control arm holes? Might want something a bit bulkier but general idea of what they look like.
 
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MidwestLoon

Member
Joined
May 6, 2022
Location
Lino Lakes, Minnesota
TDI
2013 Passat
Car to low that the front lip hits the stands, or manual trans not wanting to go up slowly?
I was told when level setting the trans you have to have the car level. So I ramped the front wheels, but I also needed to raise the backend. I know you can jack from the front to raise the rear but my ramps were in the way. It's just not the easiest to raise this car without a lift. The car is an automatic flavor unfortunately :p

Also, to the other reply, I didn't really notice no tow hook points, hopefully I won't need a tow haha. It'd be fun to dig through the snow to the control arms.

I'm still loving the car though beyond all the small annoyances. Great family hauler, roomy, torquey. And to think I used to be anti-euro cars haha. Now I keep eyeing up Golf Alltracks
 

GlowBugTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2018
Location
Cambridge, MN
TDI
2001 Beetle GLS TDI (BIODSL). 01 original Glow Bug TDI (sold)
I was told when level setting the trans you have to have the car level. So I ramped the front wheels, but I also needed to raise the backend. I know you can jack from the front to raise the rear but my ramps were in the way. It's just not the easiest to raise this car without a lift. The car is an automatic flavor unfortunately :p

Also, to the other reply, I didn't really notice no tow hook points, hopefully I won't need a tow haha. It'd be fun to dig through the snow to the control arms.

I'm still loving the car though beyond all the small annoyances. Great family hauler, roomy, torquey. And to think I used to be anti-euro cars haha. Now I keep eyeing up Golf Alltracks
I just drain it out, push it off the ramps (need someone to brake for you) then fill er up. Dunno if that works for you, but maybe helps...
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
Well, not only did I hit a small four-legged animal this morning. AKA someone's cat. Destroying all the plastics in the front of my car. Bumper cover the lower black plastic that connects to it. My underbody shield. And the under body on the passenger side.
But on Friday when I was helping build a custom exhaust for a family member's car. I accidentally let it down without moving a jack stand out all the way and bent up the rocker panel a little bit. They don't want me to pay their insurance deductible to get it fixed for a vandalism claim. They want me to pay them $2,500.

 

MidwestLoon

Member
Joined
May 6, 2022
Location
Lino Lakes, Minnesota
TDI
2013 Passat
I just drain it out, push it off the ramps (need someone to brake for you) then fill er up. Dunno if that works for you, but maybe helps...
So you fill from the filter housing? I went with filling from the drain hole. Maybe your VW is just a lot easier to work on or we go about it different ways. I followed AllData and ShopDAC’s video. This reminds me that the oil filter is in a tough location too. It’s like the ring of fire on Subaru, but on the top and zero wiggle room
 

DivineChaos

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 27, 2019
Location
Minnesota
TDI
mk6 jetta sportwagen tdi
Bro! What kind of cats do you grow up there? Thats a lot of damage for a cat.

Also really sorry to hear about the fam member, hopefully you can get it resolved without to much difficulty.
Very sturdy ones apparently. It made a hell of a racket. I am also lowered. Yeah I probably won't work out the best of that family member. Egotistical narcissist that's a compulsive liar. And loves to gaslight. Oh it was done at your friend's house and he's running a shop so he's liable for it. When I did it. If it happened at home it'd be a completely different story. And I was too worried about the tune not working then to tell them right away cuz it was just superficial damage
 
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