Need help, 2006 Jetta Rolling Coal and virtually no power

[AndyBees]

Info:
2006 Jetta BRM, 273k miles, DSG

Initially the owner thought it was the MAP sensor and installed a new one. When the Code was deleted, it come back. He brought it to me. Using VCDS, I deleted the Code and it come back. The owner also stated he thought the problem might be the Connector. So, I ordered a Connector with pigtail. This afternoon, rather than install the Connector/pigtail, I played around with the wires on the OE connector. The results were good, in that I was able to delete the MAF Code.

So, I took it for a drive, wow, clouds of black smoke and virtually no power. But, no CEL ... scanned several times beside the highway, restarted the engine several time, etc., still no CEL (no codes). Also, in Group 18 there were all 00s for each injector meaning no faults.

Anyway, I tried to monitor various things on my LapTop using VCDS. I noticed Boost was considerably below Specified .... as much as 500 mBar, depending on the circumstances (grade).

There is not a boost leak...... if so, it must be in numerous places to not be making a noticeable noise.

So, is this a bad Actuator, bad N75 (does a BRM have an N75?), vacuum hose leak, or sticky Vanes?

As I understand from the owner, the issue come on sudden.

Thoughts?

 

[Mozambiquer]

Check the camshaft. That's often what happens when the cam wears the rest of the way through the lifters.

 

[AndyBees]

Check the camshaft. That's often what happens when the cam wears the rest of the way through the lifters.

Well, last evening I talked with the owner of the vehicle. He said that he was just driving along about 55 mph and all of a sudden the engine started acting up, bucking, noticed a smoke cloud behind, etc. Then, it cleared up and seemed okay for about a mile or two and then it hit again. He said he barely got home with it. And, the drive to my place (over 15 miles) was nothing less than a challenge!

What amazes me, is it seems perfectly okay on level ground slowly accelerating ....... boost follows specified boost almost perfectly, then if I ever so slightly push the accelerator down, the engine begins bucking and belching black smoke with no power. The idle sounds perfect!

Well, I plan to dig in today to see what I can rule out, find, etc.

Anyone with thoughts on this issue, you are more than welcome to chime-in!

 

[Mozambiquer]

For some reason I thought this was a bew, but just noticed you said it's a BRM. Look up the zip tie mod on here and see if that's the issue it's having.

 

[oilhammer]

It could be the turbo's stop screw mount broke off the casting. It could also be a massive boost leak somewhere that only manifests when it is under a load. I'd check the charge air tract closely for any signs of leakage. Check the EGR cooler/plumbing for any leaks (a leak in the EGR tract ahead of the valve itself means a loss of exhaust pressure ahead of the turbine wheel, which equates to a massive drop in boost pressure since the exhaust is leaking out before it has a chance to spin the turbocharger shaft). Is there any hissing when you accelerate? EGR coolers fail on 100% of every BRM eventually. Turbochargers eventually wear out their stop, too (that is what the "zip tie mod" intends to remedy). I've also seen a few BRMs have CRACKED exhaust side castings around the turbocharger wheel.

 

[Rx7145]

It’s something to do with the turbo actuation system I would try the zip tie mod for sure. Also check the turbo output it’s underneath and hard to get to but it likes to leak there.

 

[AndyBees]

Oilhammer, I was hoping you would chime-in ....

Okay, using a vacuum pump similar to the Mityvac Pump, I checked the Actuator ... it holds vacuum. Also, I observed the Actuator arm move what appears to be full stroke (need to check this further as well as look for a broke or worn Stop-screw as you've suggested).

Also, doing a vacuum check, it appears that the N75 is okay.

For what it is worth, I noticed that the engine Revs just fine sitting in Park ... no hesitation or black smoke! And, it starts extremely good. The car sit at my house for at least 10 days. Yesterday afternoon, it fired-up immediately. Also, it seems to idle very smooth. Does any of this suppose to tell me anything?

EDIT: Well, typed this response about 2 hours ago! I must have forgot to post.... maybe that is a good feature of the new TDI Club website software! (I never lost it, even after leaving the website and turning off the LapTop.)

 

[AndyBees]

Well, I have re-checked vacuum on the Actuator and N75... everything seems okay there.
I did put the vehicle up on stands and to do a visual from the bottom with light, mirror, etc. The set-screw on the Turbo housing is there and looks to be okay. The Turbo piping on the back looks okay. The Actuator on the EGR looked fine too.... no smoked-up look.

On the front side and top, I could not find any evidence of a boost pipe leak. I checked from beginning to the end..... ends of Inter Cooler. Now, granted, without major surgery, there's no way to check the Inter Cooler other than the end fittings.

I did find a spot on the boost pressure hose coming up behind the Left Fan. The fan has cut into it quite deep. But, using different light angles, mirrors and prying, I could not see that a hole is there. Also, there is zero oil. Thus, I feel 100% sure there is no hole.

So, as Rx7145 suggested, the issue may be with the Turbo Actuator System ................ Or, at 273k miles, is the Cam worn out?

I have to take my youngest Grandson to a baseball game this evening (he's a good left-hander for a 1st grader). So, I may not be able to get back to this project until tomorrow afternoon.

 

[AndyBees]

Update! (nothing done since last post)

Project is on hold until Monday morning as I have family coming up from Georgia for the weekend., Wife has had me head over heels into a long list of Honey Dos ........ you can only imagine!

Have a great week everyone!

 

[oilhammer]

100F... a great weekend it will be not. I have to work on the outside of my house. Much rather be in the air-conditioned garage balls deep in a Volkswagen.

 

[dtrvler]

Lower Intercooler Pipes cracking!

Lately, on Mk5 BRM cars. I'm finding a crack at the back end of the lower intercooler pipes (3C0145840H, and 3C0145840C depending on the date of mfg) where the hose connected to the turbo connects to the lower intercooler pipe. These are not cracks from accident damage or mechanic abuse. The...

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[JETaah]

Have you tried the basic settings test for group 11?
That is a good way to tell if the turbo ON-OFF readings indicate a choking off of the exhaust path because of the vanes shutting down too far.

How to fix engine hesitation and surge on VW Jetta TDI mk5 (turbo lag)

How to solve engine hesitation from turbo adjustment, VW Jetta TDI mk5

www.myturbodiesel.com

 

[AndyBees]

Have you tried the basic settings test for group 11?
That is a good way to tell if the turbo ON-OFF readings indicate a choking off of the exhaust path because of the vanes shutting down too far.

How to fix engine hesitation and surge on VW Jetta TDI mk5 (turbo lag)

How to solve engine hesitation from turbo adjustment, VW Jetta TDI mk5

www.myturbodiesel.com

Actually, I've not spent much time on this vehicle since last Thursday .... I hope to get back to it this coming Friday.
Thanks for the suggestion JETaah ...

 

[AndyBees]

I updated the title and initial post to reflect that the Jetta is a 2006 (I think) as the build date is July, 2005.

Today, while removing stuff so I can take off the Valve Cover, I discovered that the Air Filter is getting some exhaust soot via the warm-up tube which comes off the exhaust manifold. So, taking a second look at the EGR thingy on the lower back of the engine, it appears to be leaking exhaust gas (I noticed the exhaust gas leak during an earlier inspection from underneath the vehicle). The EGR Assembly is either an "early model or a "late" model. Considering the Bentley Publishers go with the early stuff and never update, I believe the ERG is a late model which is a bit more simple. Anyway, a replacement includes the entire EGR Cooler Assembly and is not cheap.

So, although the "play" in the EGR shaft doesn't appear as bad as some I've seen on YouTube, could this thing be losing enough exhaust pressure to cause the Turbo to not function properly?

Below, is what the owner said. Notice, he said it cleared up for a mile or two ....... that doesn't sound like boost pressure loss to me. I've looked and looked for a boost leak, other than the Inter Cooler. I guess the best way to check the Inter Cooler is drain and remove the radiator considering the AC condenser is in front of it .... but, either way, I'm only going to see one side. But, you'd think if the IC is busted anywhere on the front there would be oil that's drifted toward the radiator side ...

- The Turbo Actuator appears to work properly when vacuum is applied.
- The N75 tested okay.
- Vacuum system is okay.
- There are no codes indicating something has gone awry other than the low boost. (and obviously loads of smoke and no power)

I'm going to go ahead and remove the valve cover to inspect the Cam ....

Again ... Thoughts?

Well, last evening I talked with the owner of the vehicle. He said that he was just driving along about 55 mph and all of a sudden the engine started acting up, bucking, noticed a smoke cloud behind, etc. Then, it cleared up and seemed okay for about a mile or two and then it hit again. He said he barely got home with it. And, the drive to my place (over 15 miles) was nothing less than a challenge!

 

[AndyBees]

Well, here is another update!

The Cam is trash! Every valve lobe except one Intake is worn. The Exhaust Cam lobes are worn the most ... all of them. And, ironically, the lobes for the Injector Rockers don't appear to be worn but the back round side has cuts (yes cuts) in two of them. The rollers show no damage ... nice and smooth!

I suppose the bad Cam is the issue! I sure hopes so! And, he has no record (neither do I) on whether or not the TB has ever been changed since he's owned it. The first work I done on it was back in August, 2019 (Auto trans fluid/filter change). So, considering everything, this is a perfect time to do a TB job.

I'll post pics tomorrow!

 

[Mozambiquer]

Well, here is another update!

The Cam is trash! Every valve lobe except one Intake is worn. The Exhaust Cam lobes are worn the most ... all of them. And, ironically, the lobes for the Injector Rockers don't appear to be worn but the back round side has cuts (yes cuts) in two of them. The rollers show no damage ... nice and smooth!

I suppose the bad Cam is the issue! I sure hopes so! And, he has no record (neither do I) on whether or not the TB has ever been changed since he's owned it. The first work I done on it was back in August, 2019 (Auto trans fluid/filter change). So, considering everything, this is a perfect time to do a TB job.

I'll post pics tomorrow!

As soon as you said soot in the air filter, I knew it was a camshaft.

 

[JETaah]

That groove in the injector lobe is due to the neighboring deformed lifter's edge being depressed and opening the valve at totally the wrong time.
BINGO!

 

[oilhammer]

Soot in the air filter is from the leaking EGR cooler. The preheat (stove pipe, for the old folks) tube picks up hot air from the exhaust manifold to aid in warm up. And the leaky EGR cooler is literally right there, so it just pulls raw exhaust into the air cleaner... effectively turning the whole airbox into one giant low pressure EGR valve! And since the thermo-valve in the bottom of the air cleaner was bad or weak about six months out of the factory, as soon as the EGR cooler started leaking it starting sucking soot in through the air filter.

I modify that worthless thermo-valve so it just stays shut, although anyone operating their BRM in extreme cold may not want to do that. It is an easily reversible mod, too, if you wanted to make a seasonal change.

 

[AndyBees]

Oilhammer, your explanation is what I had concluded. I did put my fingers around the area of the EGR flap while the engine was running ,.... basically could not feel any exhaust. But, it is obvious it is leaking. Thanks for the tip on the thermo-valve mod!

As I stated previously, the Cam is trash. I think the guy is going to go with an el cheapo and later dump the vehicle. It has slightly over 294k miles on the clock.

 

[AndyBees]

Well, I have this thing completely disassembled and ready to go back together.

The Cam is trash as I said previously and one exhaust lifter was ready to explode. The others do show significant scuffing/wear. And, the bottom side of the lobes for the injector rockers have cut marks which must be from the adjacent lifters as someone suggested.

I'll post pics and results either late today or tomorrow!

 

[Mozambiquer]

Well, I have this thing completely disassembled and ready to go back together.

The Cam is trash as I said previously and one exhaust lifter was ready to explode. The others do show significant scuffing/wear. And, the bottom side of the lobes for the injector rockers have cut marks which must be from the adjacent lifters as someone suggested.

I'll post pics and results either late today or tomorrow!

Make sure to do the cam break in procedure.

 

[AndyBees]

Mosambiquer, yeah, the owner and I discussed Cam break-in last night and oil changes....

Back in the day, I did the break-in on high-lift and long duration Cams we installed in VW Air-cooled engines........... 2500 RPMs for 20 minutes .. on brand new rebuilt engines ... a bit scary to say the least!

 

[AndyBees]

Alright, everything is back together except the top TB cover and lower inner fender well.

I cranked the engine over 15 or more times at 8 to 10 second intervals with the Injector Loop at the head unplugged (as suggested somewhere) to pump oil up and push air out of the fuel system...

Unfortunately, it will not start, not even an indication it is getting fuel.

I'm 100% confident that the TB went on perfect and the three bolts on the Cam Cog are roughly centered in the slots. I used professional crankshaft and cam lock tools. I did the two turns of the crankshaft to confirm everything to be okay. So, I seriously doubt this is an Out of Time issue.... not even a hint of smoke.

So, will the Lift Pump push fuel through the Tandem Pump? I cannot hear good, thus, I cannot definitely say the Lift Pump is operating. However, before I torn it down, the engine started exceptionally well. In fact, the car sit at my house for about three weeks before I moved it to my garage. It fired-up instantly. Thus, you'd think the Lift Pump is functional. When I test drove it, I shut the engine down numerous times and it always fired-up instantly.

Anyway, if the Lift Pump will push fuel thru the Tandem Pump it should come out the return hose at the filter. Correct? I assume the top hose coming off the Tandem Pump is the return. Correct?

Hopefully, this is only an air in the system issue!

Gurus .. give me your thoughts!

 

[dtrvler]

You can bleed at test port on TP.

Can't start after tandem pump install - perplexed

Changed out tandem pump to correct issue with hard cold starts with assumption of leak at tandem pump. (it's 15 years old at 270 miles) During this process, starter went bad and replaced that, I replaced with the same model number, 02E-911-023-H. After replacing TP (replaced with new...

forums.tdiclub.com

Easier to crank with glow plugs out
You can watch for diesel mist...of course you will need to reconnect the injector harness connector. I dont expect much out of the in tank pump...it will move fuel up to and out of the test port on the TP tho
Is the in-tank pump working? You can pull off the line from the tank at the fuel filter to ck it by cycling the key to see if you have full flow.

 

[AndyBees]

Dtriver, I touched on the Lift Pump in my comments. I think it is working, but as I said, I cannot hear good. So, I'm not certain. But, as I said, it was a very good starter for the miles (274k). ... in fact, it started instantly, even after sitting for three weeks!

 

[JETaah]

To see if the lift pump is working put 12 volts on the two outer large spade connectors on the pump. The pump ground is the round end of the connector.
You can swap the hose from the fuel filter to the aluminum tube leading to the tandem pump with a clear hose to detect fuel movement.

If you pulled the tandem pump off the head while changing the camshaft then it will take a bit cranking to bleed the fuel rail.
Making sure that the injector harness is connected to the head, (as mentioned), pull the glow plugs and crank until you see plumes of fuel mist coming out of the glow plug holes. Put the glow plugs back in and that should do it if the cam timing is correct.

 

[AndyBees]

Thanks Dtriver for the tip about removing the GPs .... a bit more cranking with them out and I saw mist from one cylinder, then two, then three....

Well, it started right off and that 4th cylinder come in fairly quick ... 21 minute 2000 RPM break-in of the Cam! No smoking, starts great and idles smooth as silk.

So, later tonight after I get home from my grandson's baseball game, I'll post some pics!

EDIT: Yes, JETaah, I did have the Tandem Pump off as it was leaking a bit at the bottom (just damp) and there was a new gasket with the Cam Kit.

 

[AndyBees]

Okay, I created my first Album with this New TDI Club Website format .... not bad really!

After going thru my pics, I realized I never took any close-ups of the bad Cam and Lifters. So, for now, I am just going to provide a link to the new album with the pics I did upload tonight. Tomorrow, I will take some close-ups of the cam, etc.

EDIT: Below are a couple of pics of the Cam and Lifters that I zoomed in and did a screen shot.

Check out the pics in this link

Jetta , 06 BRM Engine

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[Rx7145]

Looks like a regular PD cam with 100k+

 

[AndyBees]

Yeah, but made it just past 273k miles without showing any symptoms. I replaced the rear ABS sensors on this vehicle about 8 months ago and changed the transmission fluid (August, 2019). As I recall, it ran just fine. So, apparently there is a point at which the lifter/cam wear reaches critical malfunction ...LOL