[Vwdiesel] trip with Jetta GTD

[dieseltdi at verizon.net]

Well I was going to spend this email talking about the great trip I just took with my Jetta GTD and my little tent trailer that I restored but when I went out to change the oil and check fluids, I discovered that something bad HAD happened on the long trip.  Apparently on the last leg home yesterday, I developed an oil leak into the cooling system.  I know it started yesterday because the evening before, I have checked the coolant to make sure I had plenty because I have the cursed slow leak from the heater valve and there was nothing in the coolant tank but coolant.  Well today I found a nice scum of black oil floating on the top of the coolant and smearing the walls of the coolant tank.  Now, just to set the stage, the car never overheated on the trip, used only about ½ quart of oil and all gauges stayed within acceptable limits including the EGT which I kept below 1100 degrees F post turbo.  So I guess my thinking runs in this order:  1) Oil could be leaking between the seals in the head gasket,  It has always been weepy since I got the car but no huge external shows of oil.  2) something in the “oil cooler” has failed or 3) some seal in the oil/water cooled turbo has failed. (I am hoping that this isn’t it as I really don’t want to get a turbo rebuilt.)  So what say yea all?  I intend to flush out the system with some degreaser and stay easy on the car until I figure out what to do.  Car runs fine, no real smoke except on hard acceleration, engine sounds about the same, maybe a bit “tinny” but nothing I can put my head around.  Really need the collective wisdom on this one before I dive in.  Thanks, Hayden



"God is not a diviner being or a magician, but the creator who brought everything to life. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of things that evolve.” Pope Pius XII
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Proud owner of:
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel
1968 Beetle
1982 VW Jetta Coupe GTD "FrankenJetta"
And many, many, many VWs; from a 1947 Beetle (13 Beetles total), to Vans (5 - 3 splitties  2 bay window (both were campers), 1 Vanagon Westy, Rabbits (3), Karmen Ghia (1), Jettas (11), Passats (2), Dasher (1), New Beetle (1), Rabbit Convertible (1) and Rabbit Pickups (3) most now gone but not forgotten.