Guess what's wrong with my ALH

Uncle Milty

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Location
Prince Edward Island, Canada eh.
TDI
2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS TDI
Yup, was driving along and heard a “flapping” noise. Reminded me of a fan belt that was about half split across and the loose end was whipping underhood components. It only lasted a second or two. Then 5-6 seconds later it happened again. I put the clutch in, I don’t know why, and I noticed that the engine had stalled. I coasted to the curb and that was it.
When I tried to re-start the engine the starter drive engaged and that was it… engine would not turn over.
With a wrench on the crank bolt I can turn the crank counter-clockwise and the cam shafts move along with the belt, but when turning it clockwise the crank only goes back to the starting spot and something stops the crank from turning any further.

The car did not over run as if it sucked up oil, but maybe the turbo seal did die ??
 
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firehawk618

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Location
Marysville, WA
TDI
2011 Golf TDI, 2dr, M6, Stock
Hmm sure seems like something is blocking the piston from reaching the top of one of your cylinders.

I hope it's an easy fix for you.
 

mk3

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta GLS 5-speed
Is your car a 5-speed? Dual mass flywheel failure?

otherwise timing belt or ?
 

belome

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
Mid MI
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS TDI 5-speed
Maybe you did get lucky and it is your DMF?

Any past timing belt failures?
 

Uncle Milty

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Location
Prince Edward Island, Canada eh.
TDI
2001 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLS TDI
LOL oops, yea it's not an automatic with a clutch;) It is a 5 speed.

I can turn it back (CCW) and the cams turn too, so belt is not stuck at a spot with the teeth torn off. It comes to a halt as if there is a piston stop installed, like a valve hitting. The belt looks OK as well,

I have the serpintine belt off and all those pulleys run fine.

I don't know anything about these silly dual mass flywheels. The thing about there being a noise involved really has my head spinning :confused:

Thanks for the input guys !
 

Nutsnbolts

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 1, 2001
Location
Weare, NH
TDI
2000 Jetta, Silver Arrow
I have seen starters puke seals and bushings into the bellhousing, one doing exactly what you describe. VERY unusual failure though.

Are you comfortable with the timing belt procedure? The way to see if the problem is engine related would be to pull the cam and see if the follwers are damaged. In addition, you can try to rotate the engine with the cam out, and if it still sticks, then it suggests that something is in the cylinder.

-Rich
 

CoyoteStarfish

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Location
Miami, FL
TDI
01 Beetle
I would suggest pulling the glow plugs first, and inspect the tips. Somewhat rare, but GP tips have been known to break off and create similar issues to what you described. Also, with the plugs out if you had hydrolocked the engine somehow the fluid would vent from the GP hole. You could do the same for the injectors, just on the off chance something broke free and let loose.

Don't have an injector puller? Make one. This one cost me all of $17 and two beers.

$15 for the slide hammer and $2 for the lugnut from a local autoparts store. The beers were for my buddy with a welder.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
The slide hammer puller is for the injectors not the Glow plugs. I'm confused on why Starfish mentioned the puller after talking about pulling the Glow plugs.
 

CoyoteStarfish

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Location
Miami, FL
TDI
01 Beetle
Read, read, then read again.

You could do the same for the injectors, just on the off chance something broke free and let loose.

Don't have an injector puller? Make one. This one cost me all of $17 and two beers.
Oh, and threads on the injectors are 14mm X 1.5mm
 
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AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Before going to all the trouble of removing GPs (which can be PITA) or Injectors, I'd remove the Valve Cover top of the engine. Look at all the lifters and cam lobes............... if there's been valve failure or lifter failure, it will be pretty obvious!

My guess is that a valve Lifter gave up the ghost or an Exhaust Valve dropped the head! ............

What you have described is not going to be a simple fix! Sorry to be so blunt, but reality tends to sink in when reading about your delimma.
 

vtveg

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Location
VT
TDI
98 jetta, 03 jetta wagon
Funny,
We had this exact scenario occur at work with a 50hp 4 cylinder Kabota diesel. One morning we went to start it and it wouldn't turn past a single point. We pulled the camshaft in the unit and didn't see any evidence of valve damage, so figuring that the issue was deep in the bottom end we pulled the motor. after the motor was out we pulled the head and found the hot end of a glow plug in one of the cylinder's with evidence of significant pounding between piston and head. We put it back together and have run it for about 100 hours at 1900 rpm without a problem.
Long story short - I'd pull your glow plug's to start. I'f we'd have done that first we would have saved 15-20 man hours in pulling the engine. Live and learn.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, MA. USA
TDI
2015 GSW 6M in S trim the other oil burners: 1967 two stroke Sonett 1988 Bolens DGT1700
This is a guess... This is only a guess:
The cam belt tensioner failed. The cam slipped. You now have the ability to use the crank to rotate the cam backward because the 'slack' that would have been consumed by the tensioner is gone.
Rotating the crank forward now simply moves the excess belt slack from the front to the back, but there's no pull on the cam. The cam doesn't move. The pistons come up and press on the valves.

This also accounts for the 'belt flapping' sound heard in those last moments.

This concludes this guess. Had this been an actual diagnosis, official information would have followed. We now return you to regularly scheduled posting.
 

Jettascuba

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2009
Location
South Africa
TDI
2002 VW Jetta
recently hade a seized air conditioner pulley on a TDi A5, BXE, could turn engine sligtly anti-clockwise, not at all clockwise, bearing was scrapnelled. Have you tried removing the serpentine belt and then trying to turn the engine (by hand)?
 

ELM

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Location
Sutter Creek CA
TDI
2002 Beetle 5 speed swap
On post #5 He stated this.
I have the serpintine belt off and all those pulleys run fine.

On post #5 He stated this.
recently hade a seized air conditioner pulley on a TDi A5, BXE, could turn engine sligtly anti-clockwise, not at all clockwise, bearing was scrapnelled. Have you tried removing the serpentine belt and then trying to turn the engine (by hand)?
 
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