Catastrophes: 1Z Cases and Analysis

That's what you get when you can't say 'no'!

Last week, a colleague came to me, recommended by my favorite colleague, and asked for help with a TDI that was experiencing jerky behavior, frequent breakdowns, and occasional starting problems. The car is a Passat 35i facelift, with engine code 1Z, so it's all familiar territory. On Monday, I took the car home and quickly found the cause of the problem: relay 109. The next morning, I drove the car hard, and suddenly the coolant temperature warning light started flashing. My worst fears started to surface. When I asked my colleague, he confirmed that this had happened before during spirited driving, and that it went away after adding coolant. Well, it seems the head gasket is also in trouble.
Okay, so I took the cylinder head off. Oh dear, the timing belt was only hanging on by threads. It has 240,000 km on the clock. I asked when the timing belt was last changed, but all I found in the engine compartment was a sticker indicating a change at 93,000 km. The response was: 'Which timing belt? What is that?' Okay, so this car has been running with the same timing belt for approximately 150,000 km! It's a miracle it hasn't ripped . I removed the cylinder head and took off the old gasket *sweat*, and just to be safe, I also checked the glow plugs. Two were defective! So, I started working on it with a stomachache, because one of them was on the 3rd cylinder. And sure enough, the usual problem: stripped threads! I talked to a colleague about getting a rebuilt cylinder head. It was too expensive. So, I went with a thread repair. That was Friday evening at 7:00 PM. I called my favorite tool supplier and asked about Helicoil. They were out of stock. It wouldn't be available until the next day, but they had something similar called V-coil. I picked up the stuff on Saturday, cut the threads, and inserted the thread insert. It went in perfectly and without any problems. I put the cylinder head back on, put the timing belt on, and...? The car won't start. Now what? I statically adjusted the fuel pump. It was completely out of alignment. The car is running now. Thank God. I got on the highway and logged some values. It's running smoothly now, and it doesn't need any more fuel!!!
'but unfortunately, the misfire is still present and cannot be eliminated either through adaptation or any other means. I have already installed the relatively new injectors from my old 1Z engine. It does improve slightly, but it is definitely not gone! So, I will probably also have to replace the ESP and the injectors!!!! '

Conclusion: Never touch a car that doesn't belong to you!

Hello,

Quote:

conclusion: never touch a car that doesn't belong to you! icon_cool.gif

That's also my experience...

Hello,

conclusion: never touch a car that doesn't belong to you! icon_cool.gif

That's also my experience...


Thank you for the condolences!!!

@Jörg:

It's no surprise that more and more workshops are complaining about a lack of customers or even closing down – especially when someone takes on a workload that would normally keep an average workshop busy for two weeks, including three warranty claims and approximately five unnecessary replacement parts (like mass airflow sensors, etc.).

If word gets around, you could switch gears and possibly open the first diesel mechanic workshop - it would definitely prove to be a goldmine in a very short time .

Even though it might have been stressful for you, I think it's wonderful that there are people like you who are willing to help.

@Jörg:

It's no surprise that more and more workshops are complaining about a lack of customers or even closing down – especially when someone takes on a workload that would normally keep an average workshop busy for two weeks, including three warranty claims and approximately five unnecessary replacement parts (like mass airflow sensors, etc.).

If word gets around, you could switch gears and possibly open the first diesel mechanic workshop - it would definitely prove to be a goldmine in a very short time .

hello!!!!????

I'm a hobby mechanic, and that's where it stops! I can imagine that I could earn more money in my job!

'but you're right! in a workshop, it would have taken forever, and the person wouldn't have gotten away with it so cheaply. I would have preferred to install a reconditioned head with the mileage, but... unfortunately! I just hope I don't get any more complaints! but the VW workshops are to blame themselves! If the competence and quality were right, then certainly not so many VW owners would be looking for alternatives! But believe me, I was really scared when I saw the whole drama under the hood, and then the thread problem came up too!'

I would have preferred to have a reconditioned head installed on the engine, especially considering the mileage.


'Why?'

Best regards, WarLord.

I would have preferred to have a reconditioned head installed on the engine, especially considering the mileage.


'Why?'

Greetings, WarLord.

versatile!

- flat head
- new hydraulic lifters,
- new valve stem seals
Bitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.
Bitte gib mir den deutschen Text, den du übersetzt haben möchtest.
Please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English.

Hi,

joergs wrote:

Conclusion: Never touch a car that doesn't belong to you!

I think I've heard this somewhere before. Then a 'buddy', usually on Friday evening just before you're about to leave, or sometimes on Sunday evening... could you quickly take a look?
The "minor issue" usually turned out to be a moderate catastrophe that then needed to be fixed for the price of a glass of beer...
I'm not going to put up with that anymore.

My condolences, Rainer.

Hi,

You also have my sympathy. I've grown tired of such stories.
because it's probably one of the most self-destructive things you can do.

Thank you for your condolences!!!

I just handed the car back to the owner. He also gave me a few euros for my work. But considering the time I invested, I'm almost in tears. Still, I'll chalk it up as a learning experience and try to approach the next potential job with a more relaxed attitude.

Regarding the problem with the engine misfiring, the owner's opinion is that he absolutely will not have a new or refurbished fuel pump installed. Injectors and the fuel pump could be purchased on eBay, but he's not interested in that! He doesn't know what the quality of those parts would be, and he doesn't want to have to deal with any problems later!

Certainly, this is a significant amount of money. However, on the other hand, the engine would likely be good for another 100,000 to 150,000 kilometers! But the customer's wishes are paramount!

@joergs:

I happen to have almost the exact same Passat that you're describing. It's a 35i 1Z with just under 240,000 km...
'How much does a reconditioned head cost for a 1Z engine? I might want to tackle that project myself sometime soon...'

@joergs:

I happen to have almost the exact same Passat that you're describing. It's a 35i 1Z with just under 240,000 km...
What does a refurbished head cost for a 1Z? I might want to tackle that project myself sometime soon...

I've been through over 93 relationships and have no idea what the handshake procedure is, and it should be a 'fairy tale' price of 350+ . I have no idea what else it costs. But for a refurbished head, I thought the price was reasonable! As far as I know (and many people have had this experience), only replacing defective parts goes wrong with such mileage. Even just replacing one part from the chain leads to a never-ending chain of problems, because the wear and tear on all parts is relatively uniform, and a new part in the chain disrupts the entire 'balance.' That's why you drive it until nothing else works and then go radical! Unfortunately, the guy didn't understand this and believes that this won't happen to him! }

Hello.
Take a look inside.
http://www.motoren-respondek.de/index-02.html

A cylinder head with valves and camshaft costs €528!

I have no idea whether it's a good price or not.

Best regards.

Hello.
Take a look inside.
http://www.motoren-respondek.de/index-02.html

A cylinder head with valves and camshaft costs €528!

I have no idea whether it's a good price or not.

MFG

at VW, it costs quite a bit more!!!!

If I look at it this way, then it was a great offer, because everything was included!

Thank you for the information.

'But Jörg, you're actually right. I'll keep driving it until something breaks, and then I'll fix it... Because 'never touch a running system.' Actually, mine is still running, although it sounds a bit strange, and the idle values have also gotten worse (the difference has increased since I first checked them), but it's running, and that's enough for me for now. If it gets too bad, I can always replace the head.'

What I've also noticed is: For about 4 weeks now, I've been driving 120 km of highway every day, instead of the 100 km of village roads I used to drive. The car is running much better now than it was a few months ago. On the highway, I usually drive at a comfortable 140 km/h (approximately 3000 RPM). Before, I tried to keep the engine speed at a maximum of 2000 RPM (to save fuel ).
Apparently, there really is such a thing as a kind of 'break-in' effect for the engine .

@Wurstblinker

Great link, they seem to have a pretty extensive selection...