[Vwdiesel] It pours

[Vincent McBeigh]

I was on a back road with no real shoulder or driveway for miles. I saw the
coolant light then saw the gauge spike to max and then level out to center.
Not long after that, the oil warning went on and my engine stopped running.
Any attempt to restart until it cooled resulted in no cranking at all and
every light in my car dimming severely.

When I pulled over, the engine was billowing blueish smoke with a nasty
odour (not coolant) and my water pump pulley was crooked. I checked the
dipstick and there was plenty of oil (read on the full mark), there was
smoke billowing out of my oil cap and dipstick tube when I removed them to
check.

This is a 1999 Mk3, AHU with almost 221k miles.
On Jul 26, 2013 2:17 PM, "Mark Shepherd" <mark at shepher.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

> I don't think that your engine was truely seized, as you were able to
> restart later.
> Seeing as you spotted the warning lights, I assume you drove gingerly for
> the next mile or so.
> Not sure what could have hit your pump. If it's one of the last of the old
> style 4 cylinder types, I suspect it's failed on the cheap bushing of the
> last of the
> production...
> I drove that [this] old engine for a week with oil level so low that the
> vacuum pump would have to rely on centrifuge to create a vacuum. [For some
> reason
> there is no high pressure warning sender on the filter housing]! only one
> for the head, and that is satisfied with only a few psi.
>
> I also drove for 2 miles towing a caravan with no water after my top hose
> split catastrophically covering my windscreen with water; but I had thought
> it was
> the passing 4 x 4 showing off with it's super-dooper screen wash. Alas no
> water level alarm...
>
> Symptoms were a drop in water temp[gauge-wise] followed by a slow rise...
> I too was on a no-stopping interstate, 2 miles was first exit... This was
> the
> corroded headgasket event that led me to hand skim that head years ago,
> and the rest is history...:o)
>
> So basically things may not be as bad as you think...
> Mark
>
>
> ========================================
> Message Received: Jul 26 2013, 02:56 PM
> From: "Vincent McBeigh"
> To: "Brian and Ruth Decker"
> Cc: "vw fans"
> Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] It pours
>
> The engine is probably hosed, then. I didn't have the luxury of pulling
> over immediately due to where I was on the particular stretch of road. It
> may have toasted my engine, but at least I could get to a safe location for
> my passengers.
>
> It seems like it's my water pump that got eaten. I think something kicked
> up from the road and hit it or got caught in the belt. Luckily, as a road
> hazard, my insurance should cover it.
> On Jul 26, 2013 8:42 AM, "Brian and Ruth Decker"
> wrote:
>
> > One thing I have learned on the older VW diesels is when the coolant
> light
> > comes on I shut off the engine and coast to a stop to find out why. If I
> do
> > that and I have no coolant I have usually blown a coolant hose, water
> pump
> > belt or a head gasket. With the coolant hose or belt I just replace and
> > it's
> > good. About the same with the head gasket except it takes a little
> longer.
> > If one drives even a mile I find that it usually ruins a piston or two
> and
> > at least a rebore is in line.
> > Brian Decker
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com]
> On
> > Behalf Of Vincent McBeigh
> > Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 1:37 PM
> > To: vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > Subject: [Vwdiesel] It pours
> >
> > Hi, all
> >
> > My 1999 Mk3 Jetta AHU has been giving me all sorts of trouble lately. I
> had
> > to replace the alternator in an AutoZone parking lot in NY, and back here
> > in
> > NH, I had my coolant light and oil pressure light come on in that order,
> > got
> > blue smoke from under my hood and out my tailpipe, then the engine seized
> > (it seems). This all happened fairly rapidly. My coolant tank is bone
> dry,
> > but I still have plenty of oil on the dip stick.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Vincent
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