Thread: My 97 TDI Disco has died....HELP!!!!

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your quick replies.


The motor is "completely fried", when i try to turn it over it just spits smoke out of the engine.


I have spoken to an automotive consultant and he was saying that the pressure cap on the expansion tank should have released the pressure and prevented the expansion tank from cracking. Basically he says the pressure cap should release the pressure before the expansion tank fails. So based on this he said if the expansion tank was recently replaced and the pressure cap was also replaced (or tested to make sure the old one was fine) then the expansion tank has failed and the supplier is liable… Even if something else in the cooling system failed and caused the engine to heat up, the pressure should not have caused the expansion tank to crack as the pressure cap should have been relieving the pressure… any comments??


He also suggested that rather then spending a fortune on a consultant to go and assess the car, it would be better to just post up the expansion tank / pressure cap and take that straight to the supplier… What do you think of this?


I am not sure if my mechanic checked for head damage when he did the original service, what is the technique for usually diagnosing this? Would it be expected that he performed this test?


Thanks,
Ed.

Originally Posted by edvanr

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your quick replies.


The motor is "completely fried", when i try to turn it over it just spits smoke out of the engine.
If the engine is turning over then it is not completely fried, it could be just that there is an oil gallery pumping oil into the cylinder causing it not to fire but if there is smoke then theres compression and where there is compression there is hope


I have spoken to an automotive consultant and he was saying that the pressure cap on the expansion tank should have released the pressure and prevented the expansion tank from cracking. Basically he says the pressure cap should release the pressure before the expansion tank fails.This is true though if there is a massive amount of pressure pumped into the cooling system that is too much for the cap to flow then it has to give somewhere So based on this he said if the expansion tank was recently replaced and the pressure cap was also replaced (or tested to make sure the old one was fine) then the expansion tank has failed and the supplier is liable…Yes test the cap that was fitted at the time of the failure, it should break off at around 15Psi Even if something else in the cooling system failed and caused the engine to heat up, the pressure should not have caused the expansion tank to crack as the pressure cap should have been relieving the pressure… any comments??


He also suggested that rather then spending a fortune on a consultant to go and assess the car, it would be better to just post up the expansion tank / pressure cap and take that straight to the supplier… What do you think of this?All well and good but it will still cost you no matter what you do, that I say is up to you and how much your willing to pay before you just go and fix it

The black tanks, well a lot of them were prone to cracking, weather this was a manufacturing fault with the tank or the cap I dont know but mine is still fine as is the same with a few others but then there have been a lot of failures.
If it was a white tank then this would be about the third I think that I have heard of in the time ive been on this forum and most I think may have been caused by a faulty cap.

I am not sure if my mechanic checked for head damage when he did the original service, what is the technique for usually diagnosing this? Would it be expected that he performed this test?


Thanks,
Ed.

About all you can do to check for head damage without taking the head off is to pressure test it.

Pump it up to 30 to 50Psi and see if something blows, if it does then something was wrong and if it doesnt you just hope you didnt dislodge anything when you did the pressure test.

I try to steer clear of going above 20 to 30Psi when testing radiators and I wont test the rest of the cooling system under normal checks, I will only pump it up if there is already a leak and im trying to trace it.

There are normally tell tale sugns of head damage e.g. Milky oil, milky coolant, lots of blow by, running rough or lots of steam from the exaust but these all point to head gasket or in some cases cracked head.

I wouldnt jump to blaming the mechanic straight up, do a bit more homework and test the cap etc and go to him with proof to take to his supplier or else you will most likly just be told to sod off

I'll back Mcrover on this one first things first get a pressure test and a leakdown check done on the engine.

Im Tipping you'll be up for a new headgasket as a minimum but more than likely a head as well.

6k would be about right for the price of a full rip down of the old head replace with a new head with all new valves, all new injectors a rework of the entire cooling system plus new timing belt, manifold match up and a turbo work over with a retest and tune of the pump Providing the mechanic did ALL of that without you lifting a finger to help.

if he just whacks on a new preassembled reco head $2k max with maybe $500 thrown on it to do the cooling system while hes at it.

on the coolant system over pressure thing yes the cap should have prevented the tank from over pressurising BUT if youve had a total failure of the gasket or head theres no way it will deal with the pressure or volume of gas the engine can put into the system. as a result the tanks can split. Its a chicken and the egg game of did the engine take out the tank or did the tank take out the engine and if you try to play it you will generally loose unless you have plenty of evidence that the thing was busted to start with OR the mechanic was sloppy in the installation of it.

best of luck either way.

Hi Guys,
I thought i would give you all an update on my situation....

I have decided to completely swap engines. It got so hot i have a really bad feeling that after spending a fortune rebuilding that I would have endless problems in the future. Maybe thats not correct, but this is the path i have chosen...

My mechanic in Sydney has been very helpful. He has spoken to his supplier and the supplier has agreed to supply me any parts I need for the engine swap at cost price.

I have also decided to get the work done in Melbourne, mainly so that if anything goes wrong I don’t have to take it all the way back to Albury for the guy to look at it... I found someone locally who will pick it up for me and drop it at the mechanic in Melbourne for $400 which i think is pretty dam good.

I have sourced an engine from Triumph in SA for $3,600 with a new head and timing belt 136,000km. Any suggestions on checks I should do on the engine number to confirm KM?

I am going to get Glen from Rover Land Service Center (Ferntree Gully) to do the work, he had good reviews from this site, seems to know his stuff, and isn't going to overcharge. He has quoted 14 hours work which works out at around $1,200, and I will supply all the parts.

As i mentioned I will be supplying all the parts as I can get them at cost price. I want to do as much as possible on the car while the engine is out to ensure we have a long and happy future together, this is what I am getting done, any comments?
- new clutch kit
- fly wheel dowls
- remove radiator and clean (or replace if needed)
- new hoses (heater, bypass, top & bottom radiator)
- new expansion tank
- thorough inspection of cooling system

Anything I am missing?

cheers,
Ed.

Originally Posted by edvanr

Hi Guys,
I thought i would give you all an update on my situation....

........................
I have sourced an engine from Triumph in SA for $3,600 with a new head and timing belt 136,000km. Any suggestions on checks I should do on the engine number to confirm KM?
......................
cheers,
Ed.

you could enquire if that vendor will give any warranty (eg. 6mth exchange) on the 2nd engine...

you could advertise your "fried" engine on this site.... (just a thought)

The vendor has offered 3 month warranty. So i guess i will take it for a few big trips as soon as possible...

I have had to do a gasket on my Tdi. No biggie. I personally would have gone with a head gasket and had the head checked. Replace it only if neccessary. A good machine up would have porbably sorted it.

I would definately get the rad flushed before ya use it with the new engine. Make sure the 'P' gasket is done as well as the belt.

Tdi engines are prety hardy things really.