1998 VW Passat Oil Emergency

Hey All...

I have been serachig the site for a little while and not really found what I
am looking for. Earlier today, I was driving on the highway when the oil
light flashed and sounded the alarm and the car lost power. I pulled over
within seconds and turned off the motor. Yes, the car is overdue for an oil
change, so mea culpa. I checked the dipstick to find the oil level WAY below
the fill line. I phoned a friend and he arrived shortly thereafter with a
couple quarts. The car never overheated.

We added 2.5 quarts and let the car sit for a few minutes. I tried starting,
but nothing happened. Belts turned, and it made the sound like it wanted to
start. I had to call for a tow and the driver said that the engine sounds
like it has no compression. He said that it might be a blown timing belt,
but I replaced it last year and I am told that the damage would be
catastrophic if that happened. I think that I may have added too much oil.
Any thoughts? I would like to head into the repair shop tomorrow armed with
a least a working theory that is backed up by people who really know.

It is a 1998 VW 1.8T with 109k mostly highway miles. Other than this last
lapse (I work three jobs and travel a lot) I have babied her and been really
regular with maintenance.

I would appreciate any advice you can provide.

Thanks,

FrankP

"FrankP" <u25934@uwe> wrote in message news:6585d29509dba@uwe...
> Hey All...
>
> I have been serachig the site for a little while and not really found what
> I
> am looking for. Earlier today, I was driving on the highway when the oil
> light flashed and sounded the alarm and the car lost power. I pulled over
> within seconds and turned off the motor. Yes, the car is overdue for an
> oil
> change, so mea culpa. I checked the dipstick to find the oil level WAY
> below
> the fill line. I phoned a friend and he arrived shortly thereafter with a
> couple quarts. The car never overheated.
>
> We added 2.5 quarts and let the car sit for a few minutes. I tried
> starting,
> but nothing happened. Belts turned, and it made the sound like it wanted
> to
> start. I had to call for a tow and the driver said that the engine sounds
> like it has no compression. He said that it might be a blown timing belt,
> but I replaced it last year and I am told that the damage would be
> catastrophic if that happened. I think that I may have added too much
> oil.
> Any thoughts? I would like to head into the repair shop tomorrow armed
> with
> a least a working theory that is backed up by people who really know.
>
> It is a 1998 VW 1.8T with 109k mostly highway miles. Other than this last
> lapse (I work three jobs and travel a lot) I have babied her and been
> really
> regular with maintenance.
>
> I would appreciate any advice you can provide.
>
> Thanks,
>
> FrankP

even though you shut it off pretty quick, you said the car lost power first.
sounds like you may have seized the engine anyway.

"Matt B." > wrote in message
news:GG9Jg.5415$rT5.1339@fed1read01...
> "FrankP" <u25934@uwe> wrote in message news:6585d29509dba@uwe...
>> Hey All...
>>
>> I have been serachig the site for a little while and not really found
>> what I
>> am looking for. Earlier today, I was driving on the highway when the oil
>> light flashed and sounded the alarm and the car lost power. I pulled over
>> within seconds and turned off the motor. Yes, the car is overdue for an
>> oil
>> change, so mea culpa. I checked the dipstick to find the oil level WAY
>> below
>> the fill line. I phoned a friend and he arrived shortly thereafter with a
>> couple quarts. The car never overheated.
>>
>> We added 2.5 quarts and let the car sit for a few minutes. I tried
>> starting,
>> but nothing happened. Belts turned, and it made the sound like it wanted
>> to
>> start. I had to call for a tow and the driver said that the engine
>> sounds
>> like it has no compression. He said that it might be a blown timing
>> belt,
>> but I replaced it last year and I am told that the damage would be
>> catastrophic if that happened. I think that I may have added too much
>> oil.
>> Any thoughts? I would like to head into the repair shop tomorrow armed
>> with
>> a least a working theory that is backed up by people who really know.
>>
>> It is a 1998 VW 1.8T with 109k mostly highway miles. Other than this last
>> lapse (I work three jobs and travel a lot) I have babied her and been
>> really
>> regular with maintenance.
>>
>> I would appreciate any advice you can provide.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> FrankP
>
> even though you shut it off pretty quick, you said the car lost power
> first. sounds like you may have seized the engine anyway.

Sure looks that way. On a trip through South Carolina a few years ago my
timing belt broke on my VW Rabbit diesel. The engine was destroyed within
seconds, even before I could roll to a stop. Two thousand dollars later I
was back on the road. I'll never buy another vehicle that allows a collision
between the pistons and the valves whenever the engine gets out of time.

"Papa" > wrote in message
news
> Sure looks that way. On a trip through South Carolina a few years ago my
> timing belt broke on my VW Rabbit diesel. The engine was destroyed within
> seconds, even before I could roll to a stop. Two thousand dollars later I
> was back on the road. I'll never buy another vehicle that allows a
> collision between the pistons and the valves whenever the engine gets out
> of time.

Good luck finding that in a newer car. My understanding is that this is
generally the case with high compression engines...and many of them today
are high compression.

on the other hand a timing chain is usually more durable (theoretically is
lifetime). However over very long periods of time they can stretch slightly
(enough to make them noisy and then possibly skip a tooth). Or, if you have
a manufacturer who gets a batch of bad chains out there....or if you have
other issues like defective or worn chain guides...or poorly designed
lubrication. Timing chains are generally more reliable as a whole but if
something does go wrong, they're usually harder to fix since they're
intended to be (again, theoretically) maintenance free and are usually much
harder to access than a timing belt, which usually is designed to be
somewhat accessible.

From what three mechanics have told me, the timing belt is gone and that I
would have significant valve work that needs to be done...now I need to
figure out a good junkyard that would buy it.

Matt B. wrote:
>> Sure looks that way. On a trip through South Carolina a few years ago my
>> timing belt broke on my VW Rabbit diesel. The engine was destroyed within
>> seconds, even before I could roll to a stop. Two thousand dollars later I
>> was back on the road. I'll never buy another vehicle that allows a
>> collision between the pistons and the valves whenever the engine gets out
>> of time.
>
>Good luck finding that in a newer car. My understanding is that this is
>generally the case with high compression engines...and many of them today
>are high compression.
>
>on the other hand a timing chain is usually more durable (theoretically is
>lifetime). However over very long periods of time they can stretch slightly
>(enough to make them noisy and then possibly skip a tooth). Or, if you have
>a manufacturer who gets a batch of bad chains out there....or if you have
>other issues like defective or worn chain guides...or poorly designed
>lubrication. Timing chains are generally more reliable as a whole but if
>something does go wrong, they're usually harder to fix since they're
>intended to be (again, theoretically) maintenance free and are usually much
>harder to access than a timing belt, which usually is designed to be
>somewhat accessible.

--
Message posted via CarKB.com
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"FrankP via CarKB.com" <u25934@uwe> wrote in message
news:658c6bdb045ac@uwe...
> From what three mechanics have told me, the timing belt is gone and that I
> would have significant valve work that needs to be done...now I need to
> figure out a good junkyard that would buy it.

Hmmm...I would think the engine would have seized and not the belt
breaking...unless it seized first and that somehow broke the belt? But then
in that case it shouldn't crank at all either...? Ah, I dunno.

I guess the decision to junk it depends on how much you like the car or not
and if the body/interior is in good condition or not. You might want to
consider selling it yourself as non-running to someone who would is into
doing engine transplants anyway...some enthusiasts might have a Passat they
built up only to have an accident with it but has a great tuned engine. You
might want to post to sites like http://forums.vwvortex.com and put it in
the classifieds there and see if there's any interest in a non-running
passat with a good body/interior. Might at least get more for it than a
junker would give you.

Matt B. wrote:
> "FrankP via CarKB.com" <u25934@uwe> wrote in message
> news:658c6bdb045ac@uwe...
>
>>From what three mechanics have told me, the timing belt is gone and that I
>>would have significant valve work that needs to be done...now I need to
>>figure out a good junkyard that would buy it.
>
>
> Hmmm...I would think the engine would have seized and not the belt
> breaking...unless it seized first and that somehow broke the belt? But then
> in that case it shouldn't crank at all either...? Ah, I dunno.
>

The cam might have seized in the head, but the bottom end may still be
free. In any case, it's rebuild (or engine swap) time. If the cam
seized the rod/main bearings are probably not in the greatest shape, and
new rings and pistons would probably be a good idea as well (as it was
apparently already burning oil and now will only get worse.)

nate


--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

"Matt B." > wrote in message
news:wqiJg.5427$rT5.1560@fed1read01...
> "Papa" > wrote in message
> news
>> Sure looks that way. On a trip through South Carolina a few years ago my
>> timing belt broke on my VW Rabbit diesel. The engine was destroyed within
>> seconds, even before I could roll to a stop. Two thousand dollars later I
>> was back on the road. I'll never buy another vehicle that allows a
>> collision between the pistons and the valves whenever the engine gets out
>> of time.
>
> Good luck finding that in a newer car. My understanding is that this is
> generally the case with high compression engines...and many of them today
> are high compression.
>

I know what you mean. However, I don't buy new cars, so in this regard I
have more flexibility. Right now I own a '95 Buick Roadmaster. It uses a
timing chain, which, in the unlikely event that it ever broke, would not
allow the engine to destroy itself because no matter how far out of time the
engine might get, it is physically impossible for the valves and pistons to
collide (unless it throws a rod or something).

Now my '88 VW Rabbit Cabriolet (1.8 L, 8 V gasoline engine) may be another
story.

Papa wrote:
> "Matt B." > wrote in message
> news:wqiJg.5427$rT5.1560@fed1read01...
>
>>"Papa" > wrote in message
>>news >>
>>>Sure looks that way. On a trip through South Carolina a few years ago my
>>>timing belt broke on my VW Rabbit diesel. The engine was destroyed within
>>>seconds, even before I could roll to a stop. Two thousand dollars later I
>>>was back on the road. I'll never buy another vehicle that allows a
>>>collision between the pistons and the valves whenever the engine gets out
>>>of time.
>>
>>Good luck finding that in a newer car. My understanding is that this is
>>generally the case with high compression engines...and many of them today
>>are high compression.
>>
>
>
> I know what you mean. However, I don't buy new cars, so in this regard I
> have more flexibility. Right now I own a '95 Buick Roadmaster. It uses a
> timing chain, which, in the unlikely event that it ever broke, would not
> allow the engine to destroy itself because no matter how far out of time the
> engine might get, it is physically impossible for the valves and pistons to
> collide (unless it throws a rod or something).
>
> Now my '88 VW Rabbit Cabriolet (1.8 L, 8 V gasoline engine) may be another
> story.
>
>

I think the 8Vs are OK, just the Diesels, 16V, and 20V that will eat
valves. I've never actually snapped a timing belt on one though so I
have no personal experience to draw on.

nate

(well, there was that time my dad broke the timing belt on his Pinto,
but that's not what we were discussing here... No damage, BTW)

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
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On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:46:49 GMT, "Papa" > wrote:

>

>Now my '88 VW Rabbit Cabriolet (1.8 L, 8 V gasoline engine) may be another
>story.
>

Non-interference engine, it will survive... <g>