2001 Custom Jetta - Yggdrasil, the Green Machine

[Woodrobin]

Y'know what? **** Crown Volkswagen in Lawrence, KS. That's what. That's the toof, the whole toof and nothing but the toof.

Meanwhile, all praise to CoolairVW for untoofing what others have toofed.

By way of explanation, here's what happens to your turbo if some dingaling runs Diesel Purge through the fuel filter, turbo, etc. for no reason when they're supposed to be replacing the ECU:

Edit: to clarify, they removed all the biodiesel fuel from the tank (without knowing what it was), 'cleaned' the engine, put in diesel fuel, and tried to start and run the engine. All before correcting the issue with the shorted out ECU. Out of all that process, what toofed the turbo may forever be a mystery. Sorry for the earlier oversimplification.

CoolairVW replaced the Garrett 17/22 turbo that Crown Volkswagen ruined with one that Bora Parts overnighted. Thanks to both for outstanding service.

Other work was done, but I will show those pictures in a separate, happier post.

 

[snadam]

That sucks! I don't even like looking at the pictures.
I hate to ask questions that make you dwell on the subject but I just can't help myself. In more detail, WHAT HAPPENED??? Did a tech actually or pour diesel purge into the intake with the turbo spooled up? How did you discover the damage? Did the dealership cover the damage?

 

[79TA7.6]

I am curious as to how running diesel purge did this? Did they open up the air filter and pour it in? Not sure how else it got to the turbo. Please explain this to me as I run a diesel purge once a year and do not wish to destroy my car by doing what ever they did.

 

[Woodrobin]

That sucks! I don't even like looking at the pictures.
I hate to ask questions that make you dwell on the subject but I just can't help myself. In more detail, WHAT HAPPENED??? Did a tech actually or pour diesel purge into the intake with the turbo spooled up? How did you discover the damage? Did the dealership cover the damage?

I honestly do not know what they did. I know what they told me they did, but they lied more than a little, so here it is for what it's worth:

1. Car dies with "STOP CAR" flashing on MFA display about 1 mile outside Lawrence during a heavy rain. No previous smoke, loss of power or other issues.

2. Car towed to Crown VW (closest people who could service it). I am told their diesel guy will be in the next Monday, so car sits over weekend.

3. Crown tells me they can't get car to start, oil is ~2 quarts low, they are pulling all fuel out, putting "engine cleaner" into engine (I could have sworn he said "brake cleaner," but that would have been completely insane) and putting in 5 gallons of diesel.

Later they tell me they also had to replace the fuel filter. They are unable to tell me what oil they put in, as apparently no one noted it at the time.

4. They finally get around to checking the ECU, per my repeated request. ECU has water pour out of it when they detach it. Problem found? Seems like it, doesn't it.

5. I tell them I have a spare ECU in the trunk, and ask them to use it as a replacement. They tell me, after a pause, that they have tried it and it doesn't work. Uh-huh. Sure. Ok.

6. They find out from their parts supplier that they can't order an ECU for my model/year. Suddenly, miraculously, my previously non-functional replacement ECU now works! Hallelujah!

7. They charge me for the diesel (B.S.), fuel filter, engine cleaning (double B.S.), installation of the ECU.

8. I show up to pick up the car. Car smokes like a factory chimney and is ridiculously loud. I foolishly assume this is due to HFLO-X nozzles and ECU with stock tune and drive the car away.

9. Smoke gets worse over time, although re-flashing the Malone tune seemed to help a bit at first, until I take the car to CoolairVW and discover the cause of the smoke is a damaged turbo.

I'm not sure exactly how they damaged my turbo, but I know it was 100% fine before I took it to them, and that they let me drive an obviously toofed car off the lot with nary a word said. They knew how bad it was smoking, knew far better than I what could cause it, and carefully kept their mouths shut as I drove away, leaving a fog bank in my wake.

 

[Woodrobin]

I am curious as to how running diesel purge did this? Did they open up the air filter and pour it in? Not sure how else it got to the turbo. Please explain this to me as I run a diesel purge once a year and do not wish to destroy my car by doing what ever they did.

I'm not sure what they did in the process of mucking around with pumping out all the biodiesel, using whatever "engine cleaner" the tech didn't seem to know the name of, then putting in diesel. Considering the fact that they did all that before checking the ECU like I asked, it could have been any number of things they did to try to make the engine run right with a shorted ECU that toofed it.

I didn't mean to imply Diesel Purge was at fault. In point of fact, I don't know what substance they used. I would swear the tech at one point said they used "brake cleaner."

 

[79TA7.6]

I'm not sure what they did in the process of mucking around with pumping out all the biodiesel, using whatever "engine cleaner" the tech didn't seem to know the name of, then putting in diesel. Considering the fact that they did all that before checking the ECU like I asked, it could have been any number of things they did to try to make the engine run right with a shorted ECU that toofed it.

I didn't mean to imply Diesel Purge was at fault. In point of fact, I don't know what substance they used. I would swear the tech at one point said they used "brake cleaner."

I am sorry to hear about this. I was not trying to imply the diesel purge was at fault, but trying to be more sarcastic, but being at work it was hard to type so it might not have come out right.

 

[Woodrobin]

On a happier note, here is the other work that CoolairVW did while I had the car at his shop:

1. Rerouted the oil return from catch can to intake.
2. Replace a torn CV boot (driver's side front).
3. Fixed a break in my exhaust. Smoky, loud and with a break in the exhaust pipe is not a good combo. Didn't get a picture, but I'm pretty sure we all know what a tube looks like.
4. Replaced glow plug harness and two bad glow plugs.


1. Removed the oil catch can setup. It was leaking oil, and I was happy to vent the oil back into the intake to be burned rather than continue to be chewed out for the oil stains.

Extra-roomy now. This ought to make the next oil change a little less challenging, too.

The new arrangement, more in line with the standard method.

The can in its new habitat. The hose was a bit done in.

Goodbye, old glow plugs. Hello, easier starts.

Wheeeeee! Also, that's the cleanest that CV boot's ever going to be, so at least that's recorded for posterity.

 

[Woodrobin]

Happy Milestone!

The Green Machine passed a milestone (which, now that I type it, sounds kind of painful ) yesterday. Please ignore the check engine light -- it's Glow Plug Circuit A, and I've yet to track down where the fault is. Thanks to the photography skills of my girlfriend (and her willingness to take pics in a moving car), here it is recorded for posterity:

300,000 miles and going strong! Much thanks to CoolairVW for helping make that happen, by the way.

Would have been hard-pressed to find a prettier piece of country to be passing through when it happened. Just an amazing sunset. And on my way out to Lawrence, KS to have dinner with my girlfriend and her sisters. Just an amazing way to pass the 300,000 mark, all around.

The Green Machine looks festive painted in sunset highlights, too.

The sun sets on the first 300,000 miles, but I'm looking forward to many more to come.

 

[3L3M3NT]

Congrats on getting it to 300,000+ It surely is amazing how well these cars hold up over time if they are properly maintained.

 

[CoolAirVw]

why haven't I seen this thread before today! Thanks Richard!

 

[NewTdi]

why haven't I seen this thread before today! Thanks Richard!

Maybe you have been busy maintaining other Tdi's ... and time just flies!

 

[CoolAirVw]

you got those cars listed for sale?