AFN Engine, 265k km - RIP

Hello everyone,

Last weekend, the engine in my 20-year-old Golf III TDI gave up. Throughout the week, I received a lot of information from this forum, and now I finally had the chance to remove the cylinder head to get a better look and understand the problem.

I was driving on the highway at approximately 140 km/h, going uphill, with the air conditioning on (which is common and appropriate for the time of year in Andalusia), so the engine was running at full load. Suddenly, I noticed that the power dropped abruptly and the engine was running very unevenly. I turned off the air conditioning, but I continued for about 2 km at approximately 60 km/h, as there was a rest stop at the top of the hill where I could safely stop. Once I got there, I let the engine idle and opened the hood. At first, I didn't think anything was seriously wrong, but when I saw that the oil dipstick had been pushed out, that white smoke was coming out of the engine's breather, and that everything around it was covered in oil, I had a pretty good idea of what had happened. So, I immediately turned off the engine and didn't try to find the problem in order to continue driving. The car was then towed home.

This long weekend (today is a holiday in Spain), I finally had the ZK test done. I didn't even bother to measure the compression. After reading about the experiences of other forum members, I had a pretty good idea of what the cause might be.
As you can see in the photo, the piston of the first cylinder is broken. Unfortunately, the cylinder liner has also been damaged. I don't know if it was caused by continuing to drive uphill to the rest stop, or if it was already caused by the crack itself under full load.

What frustrates me most is that I had already planned to replace the fuel injectors a long time ago (after reading a lot about it here), but I kept putting it off. Maybe I could have prevented the failure of my AFN. Well, now it's all useless to complain. It's always easier to be wise after the fact...
It's also frustrating that these kinds of damages don't give any warning signs. The engine wasn't modified, the injectors weren't causing any problems (at least not audibly), the oil was always changed correctly, the engine was always properly warmed up, etc.

After reading a lot in the forum, I wanted to share my experience with you. Perhaps some of you will consider having your fuel injectors checked or replaced proactively, just to be on the safe side.

I'll be looking for a used engine in the coming weeks and then install it. However, I'd like to fix this AFN engine. I'm not sure if the faulty cylinder can be repaired. I'll do some research and let you know what I find out.
Regarding the ZK (presumably a piece of equipment), a question: Do you think the valves have also been thermally stressed to the point where they should be replaced?

Thank you in advance, and sunny greetings from Andalusia (39°C)!!

Kiko.

Oh dear... This is all very annoying!

The grooves appear to be quite deep. The engine reconditioner can best advise you whether they are still within acceptable tolerances. If so, please also remove and carefully inspect the crankshaft gear for flatness! Under "search," you will find a lot of information about the "kill screw" here.

Whether it's worth getting the engine running again depends heavily on the condition of the attached components and the body. Consider that in the depths of Andalusia, cars don't rust as much as they do here in the winter with all the salt! Best regards from Tarifa/Cadiz!

That "killer screw" almost cost me the engine!

Quote:

Think about it, in the depths of Andalusia, the cars don't rust as much as they do here in the winter with all the salt!

And, most importantly, there is no TÜV there.


"In the PD-Sharan, it's not unusual for pistons to fail after 200,000 kilometers, but the engine in a smaller Golf shouldn't be subjected to full load as often... What condition are the other pistons in? Can you already see any hairline cracks?"

Hi.
This is a typical type of damage for the "early" AFN models.
The noises are coming from the car driving away.
I once bought a block where the piston had cracked, but the cylinder bore was undamaged.
You can check the screws and nozzles, but both will be organic.
The valves rarely cause any problems.
Mfg. Dirk.

P.S. I still have a good parking spot, but it's in Germany.

Thank you very much for the answers.

Dear T3Surfer, I will pass on the greetings to Tarifa. I often take vacations nearby, specifically in Zahara de los Atunes. I highly recommend it...
If I have the engine overhauled, I will also check the "kill switch" screw. However, I already checked that immediately after purchasing it. In my opinion, a "fixed" screw is already installed. But I will make sure when the engine is removed... In any case, thank you for the tip.
The bodywork is in very good condition. The paint is excellent, and there's no rust on the Golf, or only very minimal. As you correctly pointed out, rust isn't a problem in Andalusia, as long as you don't live on the coast. This is the "Jubi" version, which comes with many extras and everything is original. Therefore, I think it deserves to get a new engine.

To all VW enthusiasts:
The other pistons look good. No cracks are visible. However, they are not yet properly cleaned and removed. I will take a closer look at them after they are removed.
By the way, since around 1988 (shortly after joining the EU), Spain has also had TÜV (a technical inspection organization) – unfortunately! Just for information, in case anyone is thinking of moving there...

To Held467:
Thanks for the wake-up call. I probably should have stopped immediately. I'm now quite annoyed. How can someone be so inconsiderate!!
But the way you're describing it, it sounds like there's a typical AFN issue with the early engines? I always thought they were particularly durable.
Thank you for your contribution. Due to the issue with the block, we might be able to contact you privately if possible. I don't think shipping something to Spain costs that much.

Best regards and thanks again to everyone.

Kiko.