06 BRM help needed: no power, rough running, engine sounds.

[Abacus]

I was asked by a friend to look at a 2006 BRM Jetta TDI. I am very familiar with the 1Z/AHU platform but not with this one so I am here asking for some help.

The car has 239K on it and has a standard transmission. It is in nice shape with no rust on it. The previous history is unknown and the current owner is trying to get it reliable. He ran the car for a few hundred miles and it has gotten worse in that time, but it never ran well or normal.

To date the car has had the following done:

• New fuel filter, when changing it the lift pump worked fine and I can still hear it.
• New Gates timing belt kit (with water pump) from IDParts installed by a local independent garage familiar with diesels (they even swapped a mTDI 1Z into an early Willy's Jeep).
• Intake manifold, EGR, and ASV cleaned by the garage.
• Exhaust manifold removed and turbo ring confirmed moving by the garage.
• Turbo actuator holds vacuum confirmed by the garage.
• Timing set to 1.0KW torsion by me, not a lot of difference in idling with 0.0KW, 2.0KW, or 3.9KW torsion and the car even started fine with -3.0KW.
• Cam confirmed OK by the local garage and by myself (not at the same time). Lobes look fine, no chamfering and no apparent wear. I suspect it's not original at 239K.
• Lifters look fine with no cracks or indication of problems.
• Group 013 Smooth Idle Balance (injectors) look fine, with a range from -0.55 to +0.50 and very little movement at idle.
• No other apparent issues noticed and no fault codes thrown on the VCDS. The mechanic who worked on the car did not notice anything out of the ordinary with the turbo during the cleanings.

The idle is around 820-840 rpm, to me this seems low and it is slightly lumpy.

It starts right up and idles fine but has no power when you take off, necessitating slipping the clutch to avoid stalling. When underway there is no power and it sounds like there are rocks in the engine (but it's not the DMF). I have attached videos with sound so you can hear and see the problem. What you can't see well is the smoke behind the car, which is more than normal and dirty white to solid gray.

Video 1
Video 2
Video 3


And here are a few graphs from the Vag-Com. These are of the EGR (which initially threw a code before the cleaning).

And of the injection and torsion:

And here is the turbo. I did not get a return run because the intercooler hose popped off because the clamp wasn't fully seated. It did not seem to run any different.

So any ideas? It feels like a fuel problem to me but I am unsure.

As stated above, I am out of my element with the PD engine and have never heard the sounds coming out of it when under power.

Thanks.

 

[JETaah]

Might try the "basic setting" for charged air system to see what the ON-OFF readings are.
If the set screw adjustment is to the point where the vane setting is choking off the exhaust, it could be causing the no power take-offs.
Unplug the vacuum to the turbo actuator and see if the clutch engagement improves.

 

[WDNM]

Assuming this is a typo, but you mentioned "no chamfering" on the lobes of camshaft. This would indicate it is worn, not that it is good. A chamfered edge indicates it is not worn, no chamfer indicates wear.

 

[Abacus]

Assuming this is a typo, but you mentioned "no chamfering" on the lobes of camshaft. This would indicate it is worn, not that it is good. A chamfered edge indicates it is not worn, no chamfer indicates wear.

My mistake then, I meant the opposite. I meant to say there is no wear indicated.

 

[Abacus]

Anything else?

 

[bobthefarmer]

Idle at 800+ is about standard. I do not hear any turbo action. Hence, is the thing even spooling? Has the turbo intercooler loop been pressure tested for leakage? That stumbling upon initial acceleration indicates to me that you have no boost. What does the boost read on VCDS?

 

[MonsterTDI09]

I would do a compression test. That noise sounds like wrist pin rattle. Check the oil to make sure it's not over filled with fuel.

 

[arniewallace]

Actuator on turbo needs setup. Had a car do this on me, the manifold pressure is too high choking up the exhaust stroke on engine, lengthen rod.

 

[kfcoltn]

I had that same noise you describe and no power but started and idled smooth. In my case it was the crossed vacuum lines at the turbo actuator, sending full vacuum to the actuator all the time. Maybe yours is stuck or mis-adjusted actuator or bad control valve.

 

[04jettazoom]

Having the same issue. Tracked it down to broken red and black wire in the harness under the intake box