Here’s What It Takes to Kill Volkswagen’s Weirdest Engine

Some engines have higher reputations than others. The two.5-liter inline-five from Volkswagen is among the higher ones. The engine featured on this current I Do Automobiles teardown video got here from a 2011 VW Jetta, although the mileage is unknown. What is identified is that this mill was deemed too wrecked to be rebuilt.

Not figuring out mileage is definitely a bummer, however the investigation into this engine’s demise is additional difficult by an array of lacking elements. Gadgets just like the consumption manifold and spark plugs are lengthy gone, and this engine sat exterior after being pulled. That allowed water to enter locations it shouldn’t be, and that makes it troublesome to suss out potential hassle spots. At first, anyway.

The pinnacle seems to be good if uncared for. The cam caps and lobes present minimal put on, however heavy varnish suggests oil modifications weren’t quite common. The timing chain was additionally compromised with damaged guides, probably pointing to a timing failure. With the two.5-liter being an interference engine, any failure with the timing chain could cause the pistons to smack the valves. That will surely represent a catastrophic failure, and as soon as the top comes off, there’s extra proof to assist the idea. Two pistons present proof of hitting the top, and one has a substantial quantity of play regardless of being on the prime of the cylinder.

As soon as the oil pan comes off, nonetheless, the whole lot modifications. We see two spun rod bearings, and from the seems to be of it, the engine wasn’t shut off when the knocking began. Aluminum particles contaminated the oil, and in some unspecified time in the future, the piston with all of the play obtained scorching sufficient to soften on one aspect. Yikes.

The prevailing idea is that the engine was starved for oil. Whether or not meaning it ran low or simply misplaced viscosity—it’s unclear. One other idea is that the engine overheated, inflicting extreme harm to the cylinder, which then led to the bearings spinning.

In both case, all of it comes right down to primary preventative upkeep. Test your oil, make certain the coolant is full, and if you happen to hear humorous noises, shut it down. This engine could have been okay if turned off on the first signal of hassle. Now, it’s a completely destroyed mess with little to no usable elements.