high oil use - lowish mpg

[rhm]

Im afraid only leaves one thing, its burning it, it can be nothing else, so either turbo shot or rings, out of interest if you get someone to stick their nice clean finger into your tailpipe and wipe it around in there, does it come out all oily wet and horrible?
mike

Ok, back home for the w/e and carried out mickys test as suggested.
One nice clean finger inserted, one v black finger retracted. No oily mess, just very dry sooty deposits.
Injun not been run for a week mind but would expect if oily to have stayed oily. We're out in it this eve and staying over so will check again tomorrow when injun been run.

Checked my german receipts, too, translated by google - brill app!!!

Looks like Ive receipts for 2 top end rebuilds, new zylinder head etc. - latest was Jan 2007 at 167000 kms
before that June 2004 at 141400 kms (included new valves).

Its had 2 turbos too - Nov 2009 at 193835 kms before that, Sep 2004 at 144,675 kms

[Plasticman]

Been an ongoing problem then, as the exhaust is as youve described then I would rule out turbo , which really leaves head as in guides, but seems heads have been changed? valves? and surely new guides in the replacement heads, which leaves the bores , rings must be shot or non existent because that oil is getting up there and being well burnt, your exhaust is just like seriouse over rich, over fuelled .
no doubt it runs well, puts a new meaning on 'heavy oil' on the V5
mike

[rhm]

Cheers Mickey, Weekend trip out was ok, only local and mid speed, tops 50mph, running, starting no probs, no oily residue in tailpipe following fresh run.

I guess if its pointing to the piston rings then Im back at my starting point - have a compression test done and see how bad it is.

If it needs new rings Is that an engine out process?
Any idea what sort of cost would be at a reputable garage?

Once thats sorted then I'll have a bash at all the tuning checks that Si posted, I'm pretty confident Ive the nouse to do then myself, just not for anything more major at the moment.

Cheers guys

[Plasticman]

You may not get that much info from a comp check, oil control rings have little to do with compression, worn bores and such add to the oil problem and will lower ccompression .
It could be surmised that previouse works have been carried out maybe due to the high oil consumption, mayber the turbo was faulty.twice? likewise the head, twice?
I cannot say I am right as Im not handling the van but if it came to me with what you have described and with the repairs as listed then I would think about pulling the pistons for sure.
have no idea about labour costs as I dont take outside mechanical work on but i would whip it out, and pull the pistons and go from there, if the rest was/is good then best case hone and rings, worst rebore pistons and rings, if you assume the head and rest is in order than might make sense.
cant really add much more appart from its not cutting edge technology
mike

[rhm]

Cheers mydears

[rhm]

Hi Guys, Im having a staycation at home next week so gonna try and put all these useful tips to good use.

Its been 20 years since Ive had oil on me hands but Im up for it. my last job was de-coking a Mk2 escort!
Anyhow, Ive dusted off my spanners and Ive ordered myself some new specific tools and testers. Never worked on a diesel before.

Could have it done at a garage but I reckon its a good excuse for me to get known my way around the engine just in case I need to address an emergency fault at some point. Ive no oil light coming on at all and never had the buzzer of doom go off either. I reckon theyre either disconnected or faulty or something. Just had to keep checking oil level VERY regularly!

Besides, I reckon its gonna be an ongoing theme so the cost of the testers etc will pay for themselves (in lower garage costs) in no time at all.

Got a compression tester (£65) and an oil pressure tester (£70) winging their way to me.
Following up Si Baxter's post, Im gonna run through all of the servicing tips, especially the valve clearances before I do a compression test, dry then wet.

Read the post re compression tests on the Wiki - Engine oil temp > 30°C; disconnect fuel solenoid & return bleed hoses; remove injectors; replace old heat shield in injector hole (to checkit); screw adapter of tester into injector hole; neutral gear; Do tests; re-check any that are low with new heat-shield

Re-install injectors with all new heat-shields.

Q - am I right in thinking that the ref to heat shield is the injector washer?

Im assuming that the first test with the old one back in to check it, with a second check with a new one is to see if theres difference in compression that might have been due to the heat shield alone?

Off to vwwhitenoise tommorrow too, first dubbers event for me, as its just up the road Id be daft not too!. seen loads of splitty's running round locally today so I guess theres gonna be more than me there

[rhm]

Well the first of my testing equipment has arrived and having taken advantage of a break in this pissy weather, Ive now got oiled stained and slightly singed pinkies for the first time in 20 years!

Tackling the oil pressure warnings stuff first. Oil pressure test done and I think Im pleased with results!

My tester doesn't have the facility to check the pressure switch itself but given that I don't have get a light on when the ignition is turned on (and never had the buzzer go off) I have come to the conclusion that I need to replace the switch at the very least. I screwed my tester into the switch space at the rear of the block (I couldnt get enough clearance to use the other switch located under the water cooler thingy!).

Based on info provided in the JK manual for the 1.6td engine it says the low pressure light should go out at between 4.3 and 8.5PSI. At idle I had a reading of 9 PSI.

At 2000 rpm JK manual says 28.4 PSI, I got 36PSI - I'm assuming higher pressure reading is ok whereas a lower reading may suggest a problem?

Have to say the diagrams in te JK manual are pretty useless and v confusing - nothing like the Haynes manuals Ive had in the past for cars.

Spotted a few other problems that need sorting tho -

1. slight leakage of fuel from the pipe at the 2nd injector.
2. coolant leak (at the connection with the rear of one of the big pipes coming from the front). The jubilee clip is very coroded, Im hoping its a case of removing, cleaning up and replacing the jubilee to get a better seal. Expansion tank did show coolant loss, tho not absolutely sure whether this is a new development or has been gradual over past 2600 kms

[VWCamperfan]

Only blue smoke Ive seen was after any long period at tickover (waiting for the payage toll booth) - big cloud!

This would indicate worn turbo seals. At tickover, the air pressure on the exhaust and air inlet side of the turbo is quite low and the oil will push past the seals into the turbo housing. When you accellerate, the pressure of exhaust and air inside the turbo increases and prevents most of the oil coming past the seals again but the oil that settled in there at tickover is now blown into the engine, burnt and sent out of the exhaust as blue smoke.

[Plasticman]

Well read Mark, never noticed the "big cloud"
mike

[VWCamperfan]

I suppose one question now Mike is was the replacement turbo new or secondhand?
Guess the price is the only thing that would give that away...

[rhm]

Hi Mike / Mark

I guess it was new turbo Dec 2009 - kms 193835 item cost was 665 Euros!

Same in 2004 - kms 144 675 - cost then was 620 Euro's!

[rhm]

It was suggested to me at vwwhitenoise last weekend that the oil burn following a long period at idle could be worn valve guide seals?

[VWCamperfan]

Judging by the price, I would have said they were new. Just can't see how they would have gone so quickly if this is the cause of the problem.

[VWCamperfan]

It was suggested to me at vwwhitenoise last weekend that the oil burn following a long period at idle could be worn valve guide seals?

Usually the oil that comes past the valve seals is drawn straight into the cylinder(s) and burnt at both tickover and higher rpm.

[Plasticman]

be nice to think so but with the history behind it there has been ongoing probs, maybe previouse owner wanted it doing cheap and so rebuild turbo or mayhap he was sold a rebuild as new ? who knows. I have a mate that wanted one doing on the cheap, insisted on sourcing bits himself and getting a reall full on new age muppet to fit (read cheap)
said muppet didnt get oil flow to turbo and it ate itself, got it replaced at a discount but was nevr and still isnt right,
Im suspiciouse when I see things duplicated in the time frame and mileage quoted.. , valve guides, yep that too but hadnt it had heads done twice?

mike