Just picked up my first mk5

[pkhoury]

I suppose with the exception of my first TDI, a 2010 JSW, I've picked up my first mk5 (already own 4 ALHs and a CJAA). That said, before I pop off the valve cover - I understand that BRMs are well known for seizing. Is it because of worn cam lobes damaging the followers, or are there other culprits? I can move the camshaft with my sprocket buster maybe 1-2mm at best. I don't want to force it. There's no coolant, so I don't know if that leaked out or what happend, but I think the car had been sitting for a minute (the battery showed 2.9V on it!). I'm also told the starter is seized, but I haven't even tested that out yet, so who knows.

 

[Mongler98]

Sounds like a real pile... needs some love.
2.9v is not even considered a paper wight. It's a boat anchor

 

[pkhoury]

Sounds like a real pile... needs some love.
2.9v is not even considered a paper wight. It's a boat anchor

Well if anything, it's a free core. The interior isn't bad for 339K, but it's also dirty. I already figured that if worst comes to worst, I'll make my money back on the DSG and injectors alone, but the goal is to get it working.

 

[Rx7145]

Well first things first I’d get a breaker bar and see if you can get the engine to even turn over. Definitely inspect the cam and the lifters most closely.

 

[325_Guy]

Not that I don't want this to work out for you but if your Jetta is black I'd be interested in the front clip and trunk lid

As for being known to seize, I wouldn't say that at all. Standard TDI issues when a timing belt breaks or slips, and possible lifter bore damage if a camshaft / lifters going bad are left unfixed for a few tens of thousands of miles, but otherwise the BRM is pretty rock solid.

 

[pkhoury]

Sounds like a real pile... needs some love.
2.9v is not even considered a paper wight. It's a boat anchor

The battery did charge back up. No clue what amperage it's holding, because it wasn't enough to help me jump a mk4 (turns out my alternator took a crap, and that got replaced last night), but it powered up radiator fans I was testing no problem.

Well first things first I’d get a breaker bar and see if you can get the engine to even turn over. Definitely inspect the cam and the lifters most closely.

I'm probably going to do this first, before I f**k with the engine with a breaker bar. It ain't turning, so I'm going to try and take off the valve cover and inspect it later today.

Not that I don't want this to work out for you but if your Jetta is black I'd be interested in the front clip and trunk lid

As for being known to seize, I wouldn't say that at all. Standard TDI issues when a timing belt breaks or slips, and possible lifter bore damage if a camshaft / lifters going bad are left unfixed for a few tens of thousands of miles, but otherwise the BRM is pretty rock solid.

Okay, good to know. I'm starting to think it's a cam/follower problem now. I've only owned a BEW before and wasn't really doing more advanced repairs myself when the TB went out. That said, every TDI I buy now, if I'm fixing it to run, it gets a new TB. Even if it's a fix and flip, because my conscience won't let me sell a car with an 8-15 year old TB.

It's actually blue, so no dice on that. I can check at the junkyard when I go back today, but I don't remember seeing any black mk5's there.

 

[Mongler98]

If it's not higher than 12.7 volts... the battery is trashed.