[SalisburyBlueT4]

218,000mile 2.4TDI going along as normal, when engine suddenly stops as accelerating from lights. Thought - that's not good. Has it thrown a belt? AA man has just been and says nothing obvious on the outside, engine sounds "flat" and lacking compression. Now to be recovered to garage. Are there decent reconditioned engines about or is that generally a solution best avoided? Better off repairing what I have, regardless of how extensive the damage turns out to be??
Thanks in anticipation of some words of advice

 

[beavermeister]

there was a guy with anengine for sale on here .will try and find it

 

[beavermeister]

dbz864 thats the bloke on here with 2.4 engine for sale . good luck with it

 

[VISION PERFORMANCE]

Hi mate can you confime if its a TDI which would make it a 2.5 as the 2.4 aint a tdi*<>

 

[SalisburyBlueT4]

Thanks both - appreciate the lead on a possible engine mate.
Thanks rac, its a TDI definitely so should be 2.5 as you say.

 

[Aurora]

218,000mile 2.4TDI going along as normal, when engine suddenly stops as accelerating from lights. Thought - that's not good. Has it thrown a belt? AA man has just been and says nothing obvious on the outside, engine sounds "flat" and lacking compression. Now to be recovered to garage. Are there decent reconditioned engines about or is that generally a solution best avoided? Better off repairing what I have, regardless of how extensive the damage turns out to be??
Thanks in anticipation of some words of advice

Sounding flat is not really a diagnosis, did he do a compression test on it with a guage?.
I would put money on it being something electrical, fuel pump, pipe off somewhere or turbo.

Engines don't just lose compression like that, it's a gradual thing unless a piston has a hole in it or a valve sticks/bends/snaps or headgasket/cracked head.

And then wouldn't be all cylinders (Very very rare!)

I would get it looked at properly, but don't let a garage pull your pants down either.

 

[whooshwhoosh]

if "engine sounds flat"its still running then?:*
so hasnt gone kaput.
temperamental beings the 2.5s,quite possibly just having a sulk.
a vac pipe can make them"flat"if it comes off:*
keep posting upT:

 

[SalisburyBlueT4]

Thanks all for your postings - van's now at a VW specialist in Salisbury and I'll keep posting on what they tell me as investigation progresses. The AA guy simply turned it over on the starter. In case its important, the battery was dead almost within seconds of the engine stopping and he had to connect a charge unit to get it to turn over.
It wouldn't start and the 'flat sounding' was it just sounding a bit like a sewing machine - as if there wasn't any mech resistance. It did sound pathetic. Anyhow, on that basis he guessed lack of compression - no compression test was done last night.
As I say, I'll keep you all up to date on the evolving story - could be an interesting tale as we progress - but hopefully not!!

 

[max1956bikes]

218,000 miles thats just about run in.i doubt if engine is knackered.

 

[SalisburyBlueT4]

And the thought at the moment is that the Crank Sensor has failed and it's not an engine meltdown. Thanks all, for your sensible words of advice.

 

[Aurora]

Thanks all for your postings - van's now at a VW specialist in Salisbury and I'll keep posting on what they tell me as investigation progresses. The AA guy simply turned it over on the starter. In case its important, the battery was dead almost within seconds of the engine stopping and he had to connect a charge unit to get it to turn over.
It wouldn't start and the 'flat sounding' was it just sounding a bit like a sewing machine - as if there wasn't any mech resistance. It did sound pathetic. Anyhow, on that basis he guessed lack of compression - no compression test was done last night.
As I say, I'll keep you all up to date on the evolving story - could be an interesting tale as we progress - but hopefully not!!

Sowing machine sound is usually the starter motor just spinning as it doesn't have enough power to engage and turn over the engine!, doesn't sound like lack of compression to me mate, sounds like lots of compression and not enough juice to crank it over T:

The worst it could be is the belt has come off or it's stripped teeth and only half the engine is spinning. But i'm feeling positive for you.

Keep us all updated

 

[jets]

The worst it could be is the belt has come off or it's stripped teeth and only half the engine is spinning.

This can't happen if the belt has come off as some of the valves will be protruding & collide with the pistons.

 

[jets]

And the thought at the moment is that the Crank Sensor has failed and it's not an engine meltdown.

Where is this crank sensor. I am not aware of one on that engine.

 

[bringiton96]

When my van broke down last yr, the AA and the recovery men all looked at it and said... Its a gonner! DEAD, finished, new engine needed!

I was properly gutted!

Got it relayed home (9 Hours!!!) 150 miles...

Got my mechanic mate out, half hour later... all fine and dandy... Fuel cut off soloid wire worked loose.....

It amazes me that there are people that quite happily diognose your vehicle, not only wrongly, but without properly looking!!!

Dont listen to a word they say mate!

Get someone with knowhow to look then cry... or celebrate!

Good luck bud, hope all is well!

 

[SalisburyBlueT4]

Thanks all for the good vibes T:- it seems to have paid off as the crank sensor pick up has been replaced and the engine has started up again fine. Hopefully this has fixed it - top marks to Autoworks in Salisbury who have been completely straight with me throughout. I'll post again in a couple of weeks to confirm all fixed (or sooner if it isn't). Forum is great - moral support even in the darkest of times!A:

 

[Dan M]

Thanks all for the good vibes T:- it seems to have paid off as the crank sensor pick up has been replaced and the engine has started up again fine. Hopefully this has fixed it - top marks to Autoworks in Salisbury who have been completely straight with me throughout. I'll post again in a couple of weeks to confirm all fixed (or sooner if it isn't). Forum is great - moral support even in the darkest of times!A:

Glad it seems sorted mate. :ILU:

It really Pees me off when breakdown companies wrongly diagnose things like this so quickly as the ramifications could be huge for the person they have just told its going to cost them thousands!!!

 

[leedavis]

i had an aa man last week recover a car to my garage telling the lady owner that after opening the bonnet and looking in that her vauxhall astra diesel needed new injectors cause they were leaking,he opened the air intake sprayed in some easy start and it fired up,what he didnt tell her was 1,she was parked on a slight incline,2 her fuel light was flashing,3 he couldnt see the bloody injectors as they were under the rocker cover and the "leak" he was on about was very slight vapour seapage from a boost pipe on the opposite side of the engine to the injectors. All the car needed was some fuel,because it was on the incline and fuel was low the pump couldnt pick up the fuel. DO NOT take his word as gospel as iv came across a few of them over the years who havent a clue!!! one week wonder course and some of them are mechanics,on the other hand iv seen some bloody great mechanics refused from the aa as they are under qualified. I think its a case of if ur face fits at the interview not how good a mechanic you are as it should be. rant over and good luck mate hope its something simple and pretty sure it will be!

 

[Aurora]

Sounds like you have had a result there mate T:

I had a car in this week (Mate's car), Recovery people brought it here.

52 Plate BMW 325Ci,
Sheet said, Timing chain broken or crank/cam sensor/ECU.
30 mins later including the drive to Euro Car Parts, she was running, was the fuel pump!.

I always thought they did basic roadside diagnostics, half the cars could have probably been fixed at the roadside and would have saved them towing!.

 

[t4eddie]

Too much hassle to fix them at side of road. Easier to load up and get rid of.
on odd occasion Ive needed recovery Ive opted for delivery to home
rather fix it myself.

 

[Dan M]

Too much hassle to fix them at side of road. Easier to load up and get rid of.
on odd occasion Ive needed recovery Ive opted for delivery to home
rather fix it myself.

Yep, although saying this, I've had great service from the RAC for the last year including replacing a starter motor for me whilst I was at work!! T: