Passat NMS TDI Engine blow up!? (mystery)

[NikoSRB]

Hi guys,
I am new to this forum and so far, love it!

My story:

I own 2013 Passat NMS TDI with 113.000km. My engine blow up after engine wash?? Friend called me to clean/wash my engine and 10 min later after highway driving boomm. I didn't have any warning light on dashboard (check engine, oil, temperature) at all!!! I towed car to local VW and they found pieces of metal in oil pan?. They told me engine is blown and that water cant do this. Of course I am not covered. They told me they can replace with the new one for 17000$ CAD....crazy!! I ended bringing car to my mechanic. I explained story to him an he also is hard to believe that water destroyed my engine. To find out What happened he need to open the engine and dig inside to find out. I purchased the new engine with 74000km for 2600$CAD. So I was going to pick up my car yesterday and he told me he found the issue...intercooler. Intercooler was full of water and have no clue how. He told me that probably this intercooler destroyed my engine. He ordered the new one for 450$CAN. So probably next week my car will be completed. Did you guys ever had any issues regarding intercooler?? I am driving diesels for long time and never heard that intercooler can cause problems. Or can really one engine wash can do this? Sorry for the long email and thank you a lot!

2.jpg

• NikoSRB
• Sep 11, 2020

Blown intercooler 2013 Passat TDI

1.jpg

• NikoSRB
• Sep 11, 2020

Blown intercooler 2013 Passat TDI

 

[Tom in PT]

Was the intercooler full of "water" or full of antifreeze?

 

[NikoSRB]

Was the intercooler full of "water" or full of antifreeze?

Mix

 

[spacebee]

Jesus dude sorry about your car but thats why im terrified of washing my engine bay. i dont think one engine wash could do it maybe your antifreeze cap was loose enough to let a lot of water in?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Your car has an air-to-water intercooler. That intercooler has coolant flowing through it, cooling the entering air. If the intercooler leaked it could have caused coolant to get into the engine and caused a hydrolock.

Not sure what the warranty coverage is for that intercooler.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

Your car has an air-to-water intercooler. That intercooler has coolant flowing through it, cooling the entering air. If the intercooler leaked it could have caused coolant to get into the engine and caused a hydrolock.

Not sure what the warranty coverage is for that intercooler.

According to page 2 of the covered parts list, It is covered. https://www.reddit.com/r/tdi/comments/ch0v34
HOWEVER, OP appears to be in Canada and I dont know what their warranty terms are.

 

[NikoSRB]

thank you guys....i have no warranty on this, checked already with VW. But bow I am sacred now for intercooler. Is thwre any service that needs to be done on that yearly?

 

[pedroYUL]

That's the dieselgate extended waranty, right?

 

[14TDiMan]

IF coolant was in the intercooler, then you are getting screwed. Water intrusion could be caused by high pressure water, which would be on you. I would not think the dieselgate warranty would exclude any vehicle sold in North America. Could be wrong. Call VW.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

thank you guys....i have no warranty on this, checked already with VW. But bow I am sacred now for intercooler. Is thwre any service that needs to be done on that yearly?

May I ask why you think you have no extended warranty? When you say you "checked with Vw" where did you check? If you tried using the vwdieselinfo website, that only applies to US vehicles. It will not tell canadians any warranty information.

According to Vw.ca, you guys do get a "dieselgate" warranty. Here's the brochure that applies to your vehicle. https://www.vw.ca/idhub/content/dam...al-pieces/tdi/2013_Passat_VWC_2L_Gen-2_EN.pdf
You are covered until the vehicle is 10 years old or has 193,000km on the odometer. OR 4 years / 77,000km from the repair date.

 

[NikoSRB]

That's the dieselgate extended waranty, right?

As far I know, not there.

 

[Tom in PT]

I think there are only two possible ways for high pressure water to get into the interior of the intercooler during a washing of the engine: 1) the sensor at the top of the intercooler was missing and water got into the little 1/4 inch hole at the top - you would have had check engine lights if that sensor was not there, so most unlikely. 2) the large air intake hose at the bottom of the intercooler was missing - again, there would have been all kinds of codes if that was the case, and its covered up by the belly pan so virtually impossible to spray water into it. So, by far the most likely scenario given the mix of antifreeze and water is that the intercooler had an internal leak, leading to hydrolock, and the damage should be covered under extended warranty.

 

[NikoSRB]

May I ask why you think you have no extended warranty? When you say you "checked with Vw" where did you check? If you tried using the vwdieselinfo website, that only applies to US vehicles. It will not tell canadians any warranty information.

According to Vw.ca, you guys do get a "dieselgate" warranty. Here's the brochure that applies to your vehicle. https://www.vw.ca/idhub/content/dam...al-pieces/tdi/2013_Passat_VWC_2L_Gen-2_EN.pdf
You are covered until the vehicle is 10 years old or has 193,000km on the odometer. OR 4 years / 77,000km from the repair date.

I dont see anything for intercooler.

 

[NikoSRB]

I think there are only two possible ways for high pressure water to get into the interior of the intercooler during a washing of the engine: 1) the sensor at the top of the intercooler was missing and water got into the little 1/4 inch hole at the top - you would have had check engine lights if that sensor was not there, so most unlikely. 2) the large air intake hose at the bottom of the intercooler was missing - again, there would have been all kinds of codes if that was the case, and its covered up by the belly pan so virtually impossible to spray water into it. So, by far the most likely scenario given the mix of antifreeze and water is that the intercooler had an internal leak, leading to hydrolock, and the damage should be covered under extended warranty.

Dieselgate warranty?

 

[Tom in PT]

https://www.vw.ca/idhub/content/dam...al-pieces/tdi/2013_Passat_VWC_2L_Gen-2_EN.pdf does not specifically mention the intercooler, so my previous post might well be wrong about coverage. Call VW as others have said.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

I dont see anything for intercooler.

look at the picture above that I posted yesterday. Left column. 3rd from the bottom. Vw calls the intercooler a "Charge Air Cooler"

 

[NikoSRB]

Th

look at the picture above that I posted yesterday. Left column. 3rd from the bottom. Vw calls the intercooler a "Charge Air Cooler"

Thanks. I will check with VW on Monday.

 

[Fixmy59bug]

good luck.

 

[NikoSRB]

I will you keep posted

 

[pedroYUL]

If told "no" first time, call a 2nd time to VW of Canada, or ask to talk to someone dedicated to the dieselgate warranty. Don't settle with the first no, they can be quick to dismiss you, and in my experience, the dealers are completely clueless on what's covered or not. Good luck

 

[Lightflyer1]

Read the Dieselgate warranty paperwork and know it. It can be a life saver if you know what is covered. As you found out not knowing really can hurt. If you own one of these cars you should read and learn the Dieselgate warranty document. You are doing yourself a disservice by not reading and learning this.

 

[adjat84th]

That looks pretty nasty. Could put water through the in/out lines and pressurize a little to see if it is in fact leaking internally. A vacuum pump would work as well to identify a leak with the part being off the car.

 

[NikoSRB]

I went to the VW dealer this week and they told me “why I didn't bring the whole car so they can inspect the engine?”. I said my car was here, but you asked me 1000$ CAD to see what is wrong, thats why I bring the car to my mechanic. I left the part there and they will let me know on Monday. Do you think if part is broken they will cover my expenses or they will say just no, because car was at other garage?

 

[Tom in PT]

The fact the car was at the other garage should not matter. All the garage did was try to diagnose it, not fix it. If VW has any integrity and covers your engine under the dieselgate warranty (some assumptions made here) they should cover it. You also could have the car towed to the VW dealer and they can inspect the carnage for themselves.

 

[NikoSRB]

The fact the car was at the other garage should not matter. All the garage did was try to diagnose it, not fix it. If VW has any integrity and covers your engine under the dieselgate warranty (some assumptions made here) they should cover it. You also could have the car towed to the VW dealer and they can inspect the carnage for themselves.

I replaced the engine already with my cost, but still have original engine with me.

 

[NikoSRB]

VW test the intercooler and its fine. So what damaged my engine will stay as mystery. Water or something else....thank you guys for advices!