Just got new VR6, hot oil and burst coolant hose!!!

[flyferrari 0]

Hi Guys, I'm still new to this forum having had this VR only 6 days (had one 10 years ago and sold it........idiot!!!). I have used the search facility but am still not happy that I have the answers I need.

 

This VR6 has a 1year old engine with 4000 miles on it, fitted at VW Croydon with £6K bill to prove it. Everything was replaced from block to radiator and all hoses. Ever since I picked it up I have been concerned with the MFA oil temp reading. The coolant stays at an indicated 98-102 irrespective of motorway cruising or in traffic with the fans cutting in and out. The gauge was checked as accurate with a laser temp sensor. The oil however reads about 124 oC at in traffic but at a steady 75-80 MPH was reading 138 oC. Because of the handbook entry about 140 being OK I didn't worry about this too much. I had the car round to an independent on Wednesday for a general check and they said ,engine wise at least, the car was in excellent condition and all appeared well. VagCom seemed to check OK too. On the drive home, literally just as I was on the phone bragging to the G/F about how I'd picked a "good 'un" steam appeared from the engine bay and I quickly pulled over and shut down. There was a split in the pipe that runs from the heater matrix to the head/throttle body and coolant was spraying on the manifold.

 

As I said the hose was only 1 year old and so shouldn't have failed. I'm now worried that there has been something really nasty going on within the cooling system. Or am I panicing over nothing and I've just been unlucky with a s***y VW hose and the oil temp is totally unrelated? Your views would be welcomed.

 

Kevin

[gezza 0]

same hose split on me pal do you mean the 3 piece one?? if so i got one from scrap yard (off a passat vr6) for a fiver!!

 

mine had like a little pin prick in it!!

[RS VR6 0]

The 138c your getting is abnormally high. Mine never got any higher than 117c...and thats on a 32c day and with the AC on.

 

Here is something you can try. Remove the oil temp sending unit on the oil cooler and clean it. If there is corrosion on the sensor...it could vary the temprature up to 10c.

 

Here is the original thread on Vortex. They also mention the oil cooler could be either bad or clogged.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3271547

 

As for your coolant hose busting...any part has the potential for premature failure.

 

My secondary water pump and coolant temp sensor both failed within three years of purchase.

[flyferrari 0]

I think it's all one piece (haven't had time to inverstigate further yet) but is T-shaped. It must be a pin prick from the spray pattern. The hole is on the leg that goes to the throttle body, just after the pipe leaves the big reinforced rubber block at the junction of the pipes. 2 hours at the side of a road waiting to have your new toy towed.....not my idea of fun. I now need to know wether to replace the pipe at home, where it currently is, or get other bits of the cooling system looked at while it's in pieces? I would have to get someone with more mechanical self confidence to do that....I would probably break more than I fixed.

 

Kevin

[vr6storm 0]

if the water temp is staying at the low hundred mark,and the oil temp is reading 138 an you have checked the water temp by other means then the oil temp reading seems to be false...........what the oil temp first thing in the morning when you start up?? it should read - - -

[gezza 0]

sounds like same pipe as mine that went and in same place!!!! if you are local to me lancs?? i will come and help you fix it its easy!! and have a look at ya other problem???

[flyferrari 0]

I was wondering if the MFA gauge was over-reading. I'm not sure how you would check that. I'm not sure what it reads first thing in the morning and I'm in the states at the moment so can't look. I thought about a dirty contact but someone posted that the temp reading increases as resistance drops so a dirty contact would make the indication under-read.

 

From the posts so far do I gather that you think the two issues are unrelated?

 

Kevin

[gezza 0]

not so sure pal but mine isnt cooking the oil it just burst the water pipe and has been ok since getting new pipe after all they are rubber and do goe!! will watch and post up my oil temp tomoz is there any oil leaks anywere??? or any other signs of oil getting rwally hot ie steam comeing from dipstick or rocker cover gasket were you fill it up with oil??

 

simply is there any back pressure???

[flyferrari 0]

No leaks at all......bloody well shouldn't be after VW took £6k for work done!!!! Everyone will be suprised that VW wanted to help me out with parts and labour......but couldn't bring themselves to open that fat chequebook of theirs!! Oh well.

 

With the offending pipe being so new I was worried that the pressure cap hadn't done it's job and the weakest part had given way. The pipe then presumably would have been the least of my worries followed by replacing the heater matrix and anything else that would get damaged by an over-pressure situation. If it's just a weak point on a poorly manufactured rubber part then I'll just replace it and get on with "improving" and enjoying my car.

 

Kevin

[gezza 0]

yep just replace and all should be well??!!

 

get some pictures up kevin???

[gezza 0]

atched mine today for ya going blackpool 70 mile round trip anyway oil temp was between 92 and 104 max and water was between 78 and 90 max (hit 104 at constant 90 for a few mintues on private road :lol: :lol:

[flyferrari 0]

So you think that a steady 98-102 oC at cruise is too hot (it gets hotter the faster I go)? I've read the thread about the dodgy thermostats and, as mine was new from VW last year, I'm wondering if I'm afflicted by the same problem. The thing is I don't want a "cold" one because running cold is just as bad for an engine as running hot and will bugger the fuel consumption as well. If I could guarantee getting a correct rated new one then I'd change it as a precaution. What is the correct spec for a late VR (coilpack) coolant thermostat?

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[gezza 0]

i would say yuopr water is tooo hot sorry just read my last post and the 104 at constant 90 was referring to the oil!! thats the hotttest it got water never went over 90

 

also just coz thermostat was new doesnt mean it wasnt faulty or isnt faulty now you know.

 

it was roasting yesterday and i bet mine was running hot accordingly so presume mine should run alot cooler on a nice cool day??!!

 

change thermostat?? can you hear fan kicking in???

 

dont know about specs for parts etc leave that to one of the teckies??!!

[NottsCounty 0]

Did you also get new engine mounts with the new engine?? Sloppy mounts means the hose in question will move more than it should and hence burst.

[flyferrari 0]

Hi guys,

 

Thanks for all the replies. Having splashed out on a couple of specialist tools, namely a spring hose-clip remover and a infrared thermometer, I have a new perspective on what was going on.

 

I fitted the new coolant hose using the clip remover.....how much easier was that using the right tool rather than long nose pliers!!! The engine still runs at 100 oC all the time with the fans cutting in and out. The dash guage is accurate to the nearest 2 degrees and I still feel this is too hot. I'm getting the Phirm to change the 'stat on Monday to hopefully clobber that issue once and for all. The oil temp is a different issue. The oil temp displays 15-20oC hotter than the genuine oil temp during warm up and when it reads 130oC the temp at the sensor is about 98oC so I'm a little more relaxed about that. Once again, there will be a new sensor being fitted on Monday. I'd much rather know what the real oil temp was rather that having to do a combination of "guess and God" plus mental arithmetic.

 

Having topped up the coolant system as per Bentley manual, the coolant level in the expansion tank is slowly dropping (still between the max and min marks). Is this normal as it completes its self bleeding? I also have a slightly damp carpet in the passenger footwell but with the blower on the car does not mist up and the moisture in question does not smell sweet. I have checked the sunroof drains and they are clear. I'm hoping this is just a hang on from the heavy rain we had the other day....I'm dreading that whatever caused the tiny pin-prick hole to appear in the hose has taken out my heater matrix.

 

I think I'm becoming paranoid.........is this normal for Corrado ownership!!!

 

Kevin

[matt_corradovr6 0]

anyone got a pic of the heat exchanger and the temp sensor and where they are as my oil gets relly ho too.

[flyferrari 0]

Hi Matt,

 

If you stand in front of the car with the bonnet open and peer down the front of the engine, past the inlet manifold, then you will see a large cylindrical metal structure slighly to your left of the engine center line. It has two black probes in the top (pressure sensors) and a brass coloured sensor near them on the same surface. This is the offending temp sensor.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Kevin

[matt_corradovr6 0]

wiil have a look later. thanks :D

[ziderapple 0]

Is this all sorted now?

[dr_mat 0]

It's too hot, no question. When cruising at a constant 70 or so you should see no more than 90 degrees on the water, and no more than 120 degrees on the oil, even on a hot day. As you say your oil temp is reading way wrong though, so that doesn't sound too bad. Basically, sitting still in traffic you should see 100 degrees on the water and 100 degrees on the oil - the radiator fans should be capable of preventing the water temp going any higher.

 

There have been numerous reports that VW-supplied thermostats don't open wide enough for the VR6 engine any more, so it might indeed be caused by that. It would not surprise me if your hose blew as the weakest point in a system that is over pressure. Perhaps you should get a new expansion tank cap - that's where it's supposed to blow from ..

 

Also check the rear engine mounts - any excess movement from these will put extra stress on that particular hose.

[flyferrari 0]

Hi,

 

Today didn't go well.......no parts from VW so couldn't do the job. The rest of the engine was given the once over and it appears that the hose was the only part to get damaged. I replaced the expansion tank cap as a matter of course when I changed the coolant hose. At £6 it wasn't worth messing around. I will post further when I get the jobs fixed. It has to be said, even though I know the oil temp is readig wrong it is very disconcerting seeing a reading of upto 146 oC just on a motorway cruise.

 

Kevin

[sim0n_parker 0]

what sort of oil is it running on? has it got cheap oil in? overdue oil change? ive had it before where ive skimpt on oil brands and found the car runs hotter, just a thought?

hope you get it fixd soon mate!

simon

[flyferrari 0]

Hi Guys,

 

Well I suppose an update is called for. The fault that has gone undiagnosed so far is.........a blown head gasket. I'm livid! A 10 minute job at my local garage confirmed this by testing for combustion gasses in the coolant. Big bill heading my way I fear. Not a happy bunny.

 

I will keep posting as things develop but in the mean time if anyone has engine temps getting too hot, a simple check(£20 all in) will save a lot a f*****g around changing perfectly sevicable parts.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

[A-J 0]

Hard luck mate. Hope you get it sorted soon.

[flyferrari 0]

Hi guys,

 

Final update on this problem. The car is now at VW in Ashford. They have diagnosed a porous head which caused the gasket to blow. Thats the bad news. The good news is that the lump is covered under a 2 year warranty...brought to my attention by C & R is Nottingham (thanks chaps!!)... and so will be replaced by VW. The engine is on back order but hopefully shouldn't be too long a wait.

 

Regards

 

Kevin