2015 Passat SE TDI 6M overheated

[superduty_59]

Long story but wife was driving this morning. Car going 70 mph at around 20F car overheated before she noticed. She pulled over on freeway. Coolant reservoir was full. Car quickly cooled down to 190*. She was only a few miles form the VW dealer. She got off freeway and took back roads with the heat on high and it stayed normal temp and she made it to the dealer. This was a one owner who took the buyback had 40K when I bought it Oct 2018. A month after I bought it the coolant level kept dropping. I discovered the water pump had a crack and was seeping coolant over time. Never overheated! Not a big leak but was fully covered under the powertrain warranty. $0 cost to me including the loaner car. Now 1.5 years later the new water pump sheared off the impeller and caused the car to overheat. Water pump only has a one year (parts and labor)or 12K miles!! loaner car is $20 a day got a quote of $1030 to replace 1.5 year old water pump. Dealer said timing belt will be an additional $640 for parts no labor since the have to remove timing belt to replace water pump anyways. Dealer said the timing belt is good for 130K and car only has 62K now. This blows! My MK4 TDI I can still work on but this one probably not plus it was far from home and close to the dealer. Advice?

 

[Lex Tdi]

Long story but wife was driving this morning. Car going 70 mph at around 20F car overheated before she noticed. She pulled over on freeway. Coolant reservoir was full. Car quickly cooled down to 190*. She was only a few miles form the VW dealer. She got off freeway and took back roads with the heat on high and it stayed normal temp and she made it to the dealer. This was a one owner who took the buyback had 40K when I bought it Oct 2018. A month after I bought it the coolant level kept dropping. I discovered the water pump had a crack and was seeping coolant over time. Never overheated! Not a big leak but was fully covered under the powertrain warranty. $0 cost to me including the loaner car. Now 1.5 years later the new water pump sheared off the impeller and caused the car to overheat. Water pump only has a one year (parts and labor)or 12K miles!! loaner car is $20 a day got a quote of $1030 to replace 1.5 year old water pump. Dealer said timing belt will be an additional $640 for parts no labor since the have to remove timing belt to replace water pump anyways. Dealer said the timing belt is good for 130K and car only has 62K now. This blows! My MK4 TDI I can still work on but this one probably not plus it was far from home and close to the dealer. Advice?

Find someone that has a clue on this site to just go ahead and do the full timing belt and water pump. Kit is $300 from idparts https://www.idparts.com/timing-belt-kit-nms-ckra-p-4349.html

Guessing someone on here could do it. I had mine done with a guru in Louisville for $600-$700. total over 100... Save you over $500 bucks? Youll be good to go for another 120k.

Or just buy an improved water pump, but like you said the labor is about the same... So i would spend it and just do the whole thing.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=130044
Call Jon Hamilton in Marysville, one of THE best mechanics on this site. I specifically was sent to him to change my clutch way back when.

 

[superduty_59]

Find someone that has a clue on this site to just go ahead and do the full timing belt and water pump. Kit is $300 from idparts https://www.idparts.com/timing-belt-kit-nms-ckra-p-4349.html
Guessing someone on here could do it. I had mine done with a guru in Louisville for $600-$700. total over 100... Save you over $500 bucks? Youll be good to go for another 120k.
Or just buy an improved water pump, but like you said the labor is about the same... So i would spend it and just do the whole thing.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=130044
Call Jon Hamilton in Marysville, one of THE best mechanics on this site. I specifically was sent to him to change my clutch way back when.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not far from John like 15 miles. For some reason I thought he only worked on older TDI's like my ALH but maybe I'm wrong. The car is already at the dealer!Are these known for eating water pumps? original one lasted 42K this one only lasted 20K. Next one 10K?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Some of these cars have had issues with water pumps. Replacement aftermarket pumps don't have the variable flow mechanism that seems to be problematic.

Give Jon a call. He does work on newer TDIs. He's one of the best. I wouldn't hesitate to retrive it from the dealer and have it flat bedded to Jon. He'll do the job right and save you more than enough to cover the tow, I bet. And if it were mine and I planned to keep it I'd do the timing belt service at the same time. It's early, but the labor isn't much different and it'll save you going back in there in a few years.

 

[turbobrick240]

I'd spend the minimum necessary and sell the car. They are never the same after being seriously overheated. Assuming it was seriously overheated.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Long story but wife was driving this morning. Car going 70 mph at around 20F car overheated before she noticed. She pulled over on freeway. Coolant reservoir was full. Car quickly cooled down to 190*. She was only a few miles form the VW dealer. She got off freeway and took back roads with the heat on high and it stayed normal temp and she made it to the dealer. This was a one owner who took the buyback had 40K when I bought it Oct 2018. A month after I bought it the coolant level kept dropping. I discovered the water pump had a crack and was seeping coolant over time. Never overheated! Not a big leak but was fully covered under the powertrain warranty. $0 cost to me including the loaner car. Now 1.5 years later the new water pump sheared off the impeller and caused the car to overheat. Water pump only has a one year (parts and labor)or 12K miles!! loaner car is $20 a day got a quote of $1030 to replace 1.5 year old water pump. Dealer said timing belt will be an additional $640 for parts no labor since the have to remove timing belt to replace water pump anyways. Dealer said the timing belt is good for 130K and car only has 62K now. This blows! My MK4 TDI I can still work on but this one probably not plus it was far from home and close to the dealer. Advice?

Did you buy this car from a VW dealer with the CPO warranty? If so it should still be under the 2 year unlimited mileage bumper to bumper warranty until October 2020.

Did the overheat and other issues cause a check engine light? If yes, why isn’t this covered under the dieselgate warranty. If not dieselgate you should ask the service manager for some goodwill help since the previous repair only made it 1.5 years. VW gives them money for stuff like this for good customers.

Here is the dieselgate warranty text:

https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/w...ssions_Modification_Disclosure_Volkswagen.pdf

The emissions system warranty shall cover the following parts or systems:
The entire exhaust after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter, the Selective Catalytic Reduction converter, the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid system components, the exhaust flap, and all sensors and actuators
The entire fuel system, including fuel pumps, high pressure fuel rail, fuel injectors, vibration damper, pressure control valve and all sensors and actuators
The EGR system, including EGR valves, EGR cooler, EGR filter, EGR
temperature sensor, all related hoses and pipes, and all sensors
and actuators
The turbocharger, including the turbocharger damper
The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, including SCR DEF quality sensor, and any malfunctions detected by the OBD systems other than those related to the transmission.
Additionally, the engine long block warranty shall cover the engine sub-assembly that consists of the assembled block, crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft, and valve train.

The extended emissions warranty includes parts, labor, and applicable taxes. The extended emissions warranty shall not void or supersede any existing warranty. Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer.

Drive that ***** until the head cracks and let them replace the engine.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Others have posted here that they've failed at warranty coverage for any part of the timing belt assembly, including the water pump.

If the car didn't actually overheat I would fix it and drive on.

 

[740GLE]

Also I can't foresee and overheat causing a CEL especially if it was caught quickly and mitigated by runnning the heat.

It can't hurt but don't be surprised if told to pound sand.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Drive it overheating until the head cracks and make them replace the engine then.

What about CPO in this case?

 

[turbobrick240]

Good luck with that. The emissions warranty is good, but it isn't the golden ticket that some think it is.

 

[USMCFieldMP]

Drive it overheating until the head cracks and make them replace the engine then.

And they'll say that you drove it while an out of warranty part was failing... so the engine isn't covered under the warranty.

 

[BroncoAZ]

And they'll say that you drove it while an out of warranty part was failing... so the engine isn't covered under the warranty.

From the OP’s post, it sounds like it happened all the sudden. The warranty does say “Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer.”

 

[superduty_59]

Did you buy this car from a VW dealer with the CPO warranty? If so it should still be under the 2 year unlimited mileage bumper to bumper warranty until October 2020.

Did the overheat and other issues cause a check engine light? If yes, why isn’t this covered under the dieselgate warranty. If not dieselgate you should ask the service manager for some goodwill help since the previous repair only made it 1.5 years. VW gives them money for stuff like this for good customers.

Here is the dieselgate warranty text:

https://www.vwcourtsettlement.com/w...ssions_Modification_Disclosure_Volkswagen.pdf

The emissions system warranty shall cover the following parts or systems:
The entire exhaust after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter, the Selective Catalytic Reduction converter, the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid system components, the exhaust flap, and all sensors and actuators
The entire fuel system, including fuel pumps, high pressure fuel rail, fuel injectors, vibration damper, pressure control valve and all sensors and actuators
The EGR system, including EGR valves, EGR cooler, EGR filter, EGR
temperature sensor, all related hoses and pipes, and all sensors
and actuators
The turbocharger, including the turbocharger damper
The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, including SCR DEF quality sensor, and any malfunctions detected by the OBD systems other than those related to the transmission.
Additionally, the engine long block warranty shall cover the engine sub-assembly that consists of the assembled block, crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft, and valve train.

The extended emissions warranty includes parts, labor, and applicable taxes. The extended emissions warranty shall not void or supersede any existing warranty. Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer.

Drive that ***** until the head cracks and let them replace the engine.

No CPO. I bought it after looking for maybe 8 months from a smaller non-VW lot that had 17 TDI's to pick from.

 

[jetlagmech]

If you have done a TB on your MK4 this one will be easy. If it were mine I would do the whole timing belt job. would bet the dealer under warranty with the cracked and leaking water pump only did the pump . So wouldn't want to trust the coolant didn't effect the rollers or belt. Also if they used a cheap water pump that would shear off shaft they will use the same brand again.

The overheating is a concern but its worthless like it is not running condition. I would keep it and see.

 

[superduty_59]

If you have done a TB on your MK4 this one will be easy. If it were mine I would do the whole timing belt job. would bet the dealer under warranty with the cracked and leaking water pump only did the pump . So wouldn't want to trust the coolant didn't effect the rollers or belt. Also if they used a cheap water pump that would shear off shaft they will use the same brand again.

The overheating is a concern but its worthless like it is not running condition. I would keep it and see.

The first time under warranty they only replaced the water pump. They wouldn't cover a new timing belt. They claim coolant never contaminated it and would not change it unless I paid for it. The water pump they used was an OEM part but don't know the quality of it. I am a diesel generator mechanic and I would like to have fixed myself but we bought a house recently and I don't have my shop built yet. I'm not going to do it in my driveway at 25*F. Also I can't find any timing belt videos or procedures and info. I wonder if they now make an aftermarket improved design water pump? On my 2015 it has the electric clutch on the water pump for faster warm ups. IDparts lists the water pump for around $80 and the electric solenoid for around $115.

 

[superduty_59]

Just got some news from VWOA. They escalated the situation to the Regional Case Manager RCM and they want to help financially with the repairs. Don't know to what extent yet but looks good.

 

[USMCFieldMP]

Also I can't find any timing belt videos or procedures and info.

I'm not sure how much different the CKRA is from the CJAA/CBEA, but this is a pretty clear guide for those. I wouldn't think the CKRA would be very different, if at all... but I'm sure someone can chime in on that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAi667H7M2Y

And here's a "Tech Tips" guide to the change:

https://www.techtips.ie/Contitech/vw-20l-cbdb-common-rail-engines-timing-belt-guide-1.pdf

I haven't done a TB on mine yet, but I found these with a bit of sleuthing. I'd hope some others can comment on their dependability/applicability to your particular engine.

 

[740GLE]

Just got some news from VWOA. They escalated the situation to the Regional Case Manager RCM and they want to help financially with the repairs. Don't know to what extent yet but looks good.

Best of luck, in this type of situation they usually split the cost VWoA maybe eats labor, you buy the parts or vice versa, anything is better than nothing.

 

[superduty_59]

Best of luck, in this type of situation they usually split the cost VWoA maybe eats labor, you buy the parts or vice versa, anything is better than nothing.

Just got a call from the service dept. VWoA is going to pick up 50% of the cost. They pressure tested the cooling system and test drove it.

 

[BroncoAZ]

Just got a call from the service dept. VWoA is going to pick up 50% of the cost. They pressure tested the cooling system and test drove it.

That is about what I expected them to do. Working in the industry I’ve been in the office for those conversations numerous times.