Oil Guzzling Syncro

Post by **slobbo** » 06 Jan 2007, 20:11

I've just returned from a trip to Inverness and have used a litre of oil. The trip is only 145 miles each way with quite a bit of climbing through the mountains on the way. The wheels are 15" with big mud pluggers so top gear requires foot down top gear to almost keep up with the traffic.

The oil consumption is roughly 500ml every 150 miles. This is bad but why am I using so much. It's not leaking anywhere but it does start with a cloud of smoke when it's been sat for a while (overnight for example) but this settles down and runs without smoking after a minute or two.

It's a 1.9TD AAZ with intercooler and a newly reconditioned turbo. It was rebuilt around 7000 miles ago with?Brand New Cylinder Head?New Rings?Complete Bearing Replacement?ALL Gaskets?Complete New Exhaust

The turbo gave out a little while ago and the turbo company reckons it was due to oil starvation. The guys at Syncronutz don't agree as they checked the oil flow.

Any ideas anyone?

Post by **andysimpson** » 06 Jan 2007, 20:50

AAZ' are known for burning oil when in golf/passats etc, sitting the engine at 50 degrees seems to make it worse. My AAZ used little in my golf but now likes to use some in my syncro. Make sure the breathers are clear. I have a catch tank on mine instead of recyling back into intake, this has collected about .5ltr in a 1000 miles, this is forced out at hih revs and hard cornering due to the angle the engine sits at.

Post by **slobbo** » 06 Jan 2007, 20:59

500ml in 1000 miles seems reasonable. 500mls in 150 miles doesn't. What size wheels are you running and what sort of top end speed are you getting? Do you find the bus drops back when climbing a hill very much?

Post by **andysimpson** » 06 Jan 2007, 21:35

slobbo wrote:500ml in 1000 miles seems reasonable. 500mls in 150 miles doesn't. What size wheels are you running and what sort of top end speed are you getting? Do you find the bus drops back when climbing a hill very much?

The 500ml is what got forced out, its burnt some as well, i have added just over a litre.

tyres were 215/75/15, it did 83-84 mph on the govenor in top and did'nt slow down on hills, this is with extra fuel (lots of) and air and an intercooler.

Post by **garyd** » 07 Jan 2007, 18:21

as I am just coming to the decision to fit an AAZ engine (to replace a 1.6 with a damaged head!) I am very interested in this issue of oil loss/usage. It is not an aspect I have heard mentioned before.

I get the impression that there are quite a few AAZs in T25s now - can we please hear from a few more owners about the oil issue - and about any other 'downsides' of these engines.

thanks
Gary

Post by **andysimpson** » 07 Jan 2007, 18:46

garyd wrote:as I am just coming to the decision to fit an AAZ engine (to replace a 1.6 with a damaged head!) I am very interested in this issue of oil loss/usage. It is not an aspect I have heard mentioned before.

I get the impression that there are quite a few AAZs in T25s now - can we please hear from a few more owners about the oil issue - and about any other 'downsides' of these engines.

thanks
Gary

The only down side to the AAZ' is the bottom pulley problem, i am not worried about pouring a bit of oil in. As long as it does'nt smoke, start well and performs ok. If you put a tdu in that would also use a bit more than expected in a golf, vw did not design the engines to sit at 50 degrees. The 1.6's that they had from new did'nt last anything like what they did in golf/passats. VW did not learn form their mistakes, the t4 enignes all sit at un healthy angles and don't last long and also like a drink of oil.

Put a AAZ in they are the best diesel for a t3.

Post by **Aidan** » 07 Jan 2007, 19:14

The turbo gave out a little while ago and the turbo company reckons it was due to oil starvation. The guys at Syncronutz don't agree as they checked the oil flow.

so is this fixed ?
What's the oil flow to the turbo like now ?
Is there any sign of drippage or any oil on the rear of the vehicle ?
What's the fuel economy like ?

Post by **slobbo** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:01

Yeah the Turbo company swapped the turbo out without too many grumbles as it wasn't that old. The new turbo is running great. The guys checked the supply again and all appears ok.

Post by **slobbo** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:06

No oil leakage anywhere. The car smokes when sat for a while. I think this is because oil is gathering where it normally wouldn't if in the car it was built for.

Fuel consumption is crap but they all are. Cost me about £35 for about 240 miles.

Post by **andysimpson** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:15

slobbo wrote:No oil leakage anywhere. The car smokes when sat for a while. I think this is because oil is gathering where it normally wouldn't if in the car it was built for.

Fuel consumption is crap but they all are. Cost me about £35 for about 240 miles.

The smoking is not good, thats likely to be be valve guide or turbo if its blue and smoking at idle. Depending on how you drive i think your fuel consumption is good, i get around 250 miles on about £55, my driving can only be descriped as eratic.

I would try running breather into a tank and se what happens with smoking and consumption.

Post by **slobbo** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:26

Only smokes for a couple of minutes then settles down and runs normally.

Post by **andysimpson** » 07 Jan 2007, 21:43

slobbo wrote:Only smokes for a couple of minutes then settles down and runs normally.

what colour?
does it run smooth when smoking or slightly rough?

Post by **slobbo** » 07 Jan 2007, 22:01

Smooth as a babys bum. Smoke is more white.

Post by **HarryMann** » 07 Jan 2007, 22:04

Cost me about £35 for about 240 miles.

28 mpg?

Syncro...
On hilly roads, 2 ton vehicle?
Slightly overgeared with 15" mud-pluggers?
Engine breathing a bit? running hot somewhere inside?

28 is very good then! and also think Andy's other points are your first things to consider too. Some of that oil is either getting past the turbo seals or being blown down into it from the PCV. First put a catch-tank in between the PCV and the inlet pipe that feeds down to the compressor intake boot.

Would like to see the intercooler installation (any pics)?

Are you reading oil temp, Oil pressure, EGT, Boost in the cab?

How often do you change the oil and what type are you running?

Post by **andysimpson** » 08 Jan 2007, 18:34

Is the dipstick at the correct depth in sump, engine could be running with too much oil. When its had an oil and filter change it should take 4.5litres to refil back to maximum mark.