[Vwdiesel] '01 Jetta TDI, Head Gasket

[Dave Cook]

I would think (without knowing for sure how it is set up) that an internal crack in the EGR cooler could cause it, just like a head gasket leak.  The bubbles are, I am sure, coming from exhaust being pushed into the coolant passages.

I don't think he has ever noticed any heat increase, I've driven the car hundreds of miles too since the coolant loss was first noticed (including in the mountains) and have never ever seen the needle get over half.  However, it has been pointed out that on the TDI cars, the needle is almost like an "idiot light" and the needle will point straight up in the middle as long as the temp is within a range, and would only go up if temps got more extreme.

I did notice in my old converted Cabriolet that when I had a bad head gasket, there were wild swings in the temp as the exhaust bubble built up, blocked the coolant flow for a time, and then cleared and released coolant back to the engine.  That car also burst a couple of coolant hoses (spectacularly)* and was driven with a loosened cap for a time before I replaced the gasket.

Dave Cook

*On one trip, the hose from the head to the rad burst from clamp to clamp.  (The only part of the hose that didn't rip was right at the hose clamps.)  A guy stopped to help who only had a roll of duct tape.  We wrapped the duct tape around the hose from end to end and put it back.  The car was able to drive like this for the 10 or so miles until we got to a salvage yard and found a "close enough" fit hose off some American car.
--- On Tue, 10/5/10, Bryan Belman <dieselwesty at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Bryan Belman <dieselwesty at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] '01 Jetta TDI, Head Gasket
> To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 11:19 AM
>  yes, this is what I was thinking,
> but would not explain the bubbles.  It is 
> much more rare for TDI head gaskets to fail.
> Again, going up mountians, he would have had to see some
> type of heat increase, 
> no?
> 
>  Bryan Belman, Pt. Pleasant, NJ
> 04 Jetta Wagon TDI PD, 100hp, 5sp -- running :<)
> 92 Jetta 1.6 Eco-Turbo Diesel, 5sp -- running :<)
> 82 Diesel Westy 1.9NA -- running :<)
> 70 Type 1 stock Beetle -- Running :-) 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: Tad <tadc at europa.com>
> To: Dave Cook <davevw at yahoo.com>;
> Audi-VW-Diesels Group 
> <Audi-VW-Diesels at yahoogroups.com>;
> VW Diesel Group <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
> Sent: Mon, October 4, 2010 8:35:05 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] '01 Jetta TDI, Head Gasket
> 
> I thought tdi gaskets rarely blew... Maybe you've got a
> cracked egr cooler?
> 
> On 10/3/10, Dave Cook <davevw at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> > My friend's TDI Jetta seems to need a head gasket. 
> For some time, it has
> > been losing coolant mysteriously.  No leak has ever
> been observed.
> > Recently, I saw bubbles going into the reservoir
> tank.  And on a mountain
> > trip, I could smell the coolant being released from
> the cap as the Jetta
> > worked to drive up a steep road.
> >
> > So I think I will be replacing the head gasket in the
> car.
> >
> > It has 184,000 miles.  We kinda figured that the
> timing belt would be
> > replaced, but not the hardware as that was all
> replaced at 130000ish miles.
> >
> > So the job can be planned out, what all else would you
> recommend doing at
> > that time?  How about the head?  Assuming everything
> looks ok (and checks
> > out flat, etc) would you worry about reworking it and
> such?
> >
> > Other things to consider?
> > Dave Cook
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vwdiesel mailing list
> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> >
> 
> -- 
> Sent from my mobile device
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