VW 1.9 Turbo Diesel problems

anronmor

Hi all,
I drive a 05 transporter 1.9 diesel. It's been giving problems lately and I've been to two garages with it so I thought I'd see if anyone with a bit of knowledge could give some advice.

It started to belch smoke occasionally, usually in first to 3rd gear when you floor it. Also when going up hill, basically when the engine was under pressure.

Since this problem started then engine has started to make a hissing sound when you floor it - we checked the turbo pipes and they're all ok and connected

I've replaced the fuel filter and put some dipthane through it in case it was dirty diesel or injectors but that's not cured it at all, still suspected the hissing sound.

I took it to a bloke today and when we took the front grill off you could see the intercooler is leaking - looks like oil
but I guess when it's running it's going to leak air from between the turbo and the engine block hence the hissing sound.
Yer man who seems to know what he's about is going to replace the intercooler.

What do ye reckon, does that sound plausible given the symptoms?
Can't afford to drop another load of money on it as I just replaced a drive coupling for 500 euro so would be great to know if this will fix it before I shell out.
Thanks
Ronan

mathepac

A few observations.

When I see black smoke (most commonly unburnt fuel) my first thoughts are the air-filter / air-box / MAF.

If these have been eliminated as sources of the problem, the next suspects are the turbo and inter-cooler. Given the whistling sound, I'd suspect an inter-cooler pipe leak, at a junction. VW uses those hard black pipes (like Wavin) with the proprietary clips which don't normally give a problem, but check them and if any flexible pipes are used check that the circlips (jubilee clips) haven't come loose. This would be my best bet as to fixing the problem. Unless a rock / accident has damaged the inter-cooler itself, they don't break.

The oil in the inter-cooler is undoubtedly from the crank-case vent (CCV) pipe, a narrow flexible pipe which runs from the top of the engine back into the inter-cooler piping, Oil-mist condenses in the inter-cooler and settles in the bottom, eventually leaking out via the lower inter-cooler pipes and settling in the under-tray. Try emptying the inter-cooler of oil and tightening all the circlips. To fix the oil issue, ask your mechanic about plumbing in an oil catch-can or venting the CCV to atmosphere and blocking the CCV return via the inter-cooler.

A whistle under load with black smoke may be a turbo about to let go, but if the correct maintenance schedule has been kept and the correct oil has been used, it shouldn't be a problem. Check that the turbo oil pipe(s) are not clogged (PITA of a job, but I think they're maintenance items depending on the turbo fitted).

crosshair1

You will need to have this pressure/smoke tested to find the source of the leak, a lot of these leak oil at the intercooler header gaskets but may not be enough to cause your running problems.
They also suffer from worn charge air pipe barbs, causing the pipe to seal poorly when boost increases, you will have a significant pressure leak to cause the black smoke.

anronmor

cheers lads, some great advice there.
will give those pipes inter cooler and air filter a check myself before I go the mechanic route.

anronmor

just a quick post to say thanks to the lads for the good advice

For anyone with similar problems it turned out it was the intercooler
It's fixed now and running like a watch.


My mechanic picked one up for 300 euro, though I'm told that the intercoolers were a recall item on that model, they're known to give trouble.