How VW Parts Fail ~ 1.9 and 2.0 TDI CamShafts

VW Diesel engine damage is not very common, but VW check engine lights are. Today we look at how VW TDI camshafts fail. The VW camshaft lobe can wear and cause several issue, including poor running, check engine lights, and engine noise.
For full show notes, visit the blog at ~ humblemechanic.com/?p=6036
Sponsor of the day ~ ShopDAP.com
Join me today as we breakdown:
~What is a Camshaft
~How does a camshaft work
~What is "lift and duration"?
~How TDI camshafts fail
~Symptoms of a failing VW camshaft
~How to diagnose a failing VW camshaft
~Is this a DIY repair?
~Shout out to Apex-Tuning
~and more
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[@trancemiro]

This problem doesn't apply to my VW but I still like to watch your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you. :)

[@theblackmambaplague]

Also, I have 106,000 miles on my 2006 gti 2.0t, what should I replace that is known to fail? I have always been a vr6 (built many of them) guy and I just dipped my toes into this engine. Gradually I'm progressing into knowing more about this engine. Thanks, I always enjoy your videos👍

[@CoolAirVw]

You'll always replace the lifters. New lifters are black anodized. Break in is critical.

[@CoolAirVw]

@@sammcharis Yes, you replace the cam shaft.

[@CoolAirVw]

@@sammcharis they will start taking damage immediatly and will fail in short order.

[@mopartron3030]

Charles I have an '05 Passat TDI with 206k miles, I just pulled the valve cover and inspected the camshaft where a couple lobes are showing initial wear but the engine runs fine with no noises, codes or low power... how long do you think I have before the wear gets worse? I've been running only Liqui-Moly Diesel High Tech oil btw.

[@timbr33]

Hi Charles, can you speak about the cam lobe timing on a BKD 2.0L engine? i just did a head change on my Jeep Patriot with this engine (Australia) and i noticed that the intake and exhaust cam lobes are not paired (one lobe leads the other). Is this to encourage swirl? or maybe to have an effectively longer duration without having to hold both valves open for as long? i haven't seen this before and am very curious why they are set up like this? Thanks

[@rhkips]

Oh god, that chunk out of the injector lobe at 4:49... Oh well. Time for a custom grind! :D Great information man; thanks!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahaha. Thanks !!

[@kws1957]

My former Audi A3 1.9 TDI from 1997 with 704,655 km on board had fewer problems then the actual car I had not to open up the engine...

[@vojin54]

Yours was not the PD

[@Rochie]

Wow your beard was small back when. It is mighty and majestic now. I'd love to see a 2.0 tdi rebuild from yourself one day, your rebuilds are the best on youtube.

[@Sounddoctorofficial]

Hi, does this failure affect the BXE 1.9 tdi engine? Reading very high injector quantity on cylinder 3 on VCDS compared to the rest. Rest are -0.50ish and cylinder 3 is reading 1.8, sometimes 2 which is not normal, some sources say it could be cam wear rather than leaky injectors? Engine has done 147k miles (golf, european, 2008)

[@armwrestlingforlife]

Hello mate, i have question for you, on 2.0 TDI 8v I need to chenge new camshaft and hydraulic lifter, question is if i use black lifter hardened, do i need to use Camshaft with black coat or i can you like in factory material, sry for bad english

[@rteaw]

hi, do you have any video of Pumpe duse and how to find a fault when the injectors are mounted in the engine.. engine codes, BKD BMM 2.0 tdi. aprox. 2005-2008.. I got so much air back i the return line.. but dont know how to find where it comes back from, now he wont start at all... have changed out the rubber seals on the injectors but still a lot air returnes.. had the tandem pump off and couldnt see any problems inside, it gave the right pressure.. but dont know if the tandem pump can get in air from the vacum pump side because its on the same axle..

[@alexgrant1176]

Great videos! Thank you

[@CoolAirVw]

your welcome, thanks for watching.

[@tabernaculoband]

Thanks this helps a lot ...

[@2abmw]

congratulations on getting hired by techshop magazine i will be looking forward to reading your articles in the future

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thank you. Those folks are awesome!!

[@whitt87]

Thanks Charles. The silver followers have been superseded. Do the new style black followers fail like the previous style did or cause camshaft wear? Also do they need breaking in?

[@TheZoonder]

Is it possible to contact you and ask you about some weird power issues under 2200 rpm with Skoda 2.0 TDI BMM engine?

[@454k30]

One of the cam followers/lifters collapsed and wiped out a lobe on my cam shaft. I will admit that I had heard a ticking noise from the valve train months earlier, but i did nothing about it. I should've looked and swapped out the lifters and came at that time. Would've been a lot better than having it fail on the interstate in WV in the middle of a blizzard. Lesson learned, fix it when I suspect an issue.

[@ole.ivar.sandvik4110]

Is it the same problem with 1.9 tdi awx (131hp) engines?

[@tashan65]

Hi sir is there a diference in 1.9 tdi and 2.0 tdi cam lifters

[@t2p]

Did a camshaft recently on a cr engine....it had spun when the belt broke and would not allow the timing tool to fit....

[@radu_mol2935]

i found one thing more that cause camshaft failure,each rocker arm shaft tip has one aluminium cap that comes out which leads to loss of oil pressure inside cilinder head,with that low oil pressure hydraulic lifters start to fail by not applying the same force and damaging the camshaft

[@SY-ml5nl]

So what can we do to avoid this? Fill engine with more oil? Thanks

[@tullgutten]

Changing one now. On one cylinder it does not open exhaust valve and blows back in the intake making loud noise, also worn trough the lifters, have not gotten it of yet but hoping no damadge to the valve it self

[@V10PDTDI]

Hi Charles you definitively what to replace the cam bearing shells and lifters at the same time you don't want to run use lifters with a new cam and the wear that is present on the injector lobes is cause when the lifter is busted thru and the lobe is really worn bad the lifter makes contact with the injection lobe have a look I have lots of video on this subject I have replace lots of them the worse car with this issue is the mk4 Jetta with the BRM engine thanks for the videos.

[@V10PDTDI]

I meant to say the mk5 Jetta instead of the mk4.

[@trumpetplyrmatt]

Have you seen any newer (2014+) TDI issues? I am thinking about buying one

[@BenIntentional]

Great video answering that very question. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHiaYYiQq5dmmqc

[@JessieAMorris]

Hey, I have a 2006 BRM engined Jetta TDI that the timing belt broke on. I got the head machined and valves replaced and did the belt. Now I have low power. I believe it is due to injector issues. Any suggestions on where to get some injectors for a reasonable price?

[@JessieAMorris]

Yeah. I had a two dot gasket and replaced it with a 2 dot.

[@shariefmitchell9863]

How do those engines respond to a bigger cam?

[@Koda18]

How common is this? I'm looking at an 06 Jetta TDI great shape 244,000 high way miles. Has all service records clutch and pressure plate ect were done. Should I be concerned about this failure? Or is it not likely ? Opinions and advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks for all you do.

[@jaxon.frandrup]

i’m sure you already know this since it’s almost a year later, but it all depends on maintenance! i have 241k on my 05tdi mk4. still runs great

[@jcpage305]

What off the shelf oil should be used to avoid this problem in the future. I have an 06 Jetta TDI that was given to me due to this exact failure. I have since replaced the cam and lifters but was unsure of the types of oils i should use. I have been using Delo since the repair.

[@jaxon.frandrup]

i personally use liqui moly toptec 4100. look at the bottom of the 5 liter jug and make sure the VW oil specification is on it. i have a 2005 BEW TDI jetta and the oil specification is 505.01 i believe. liqui moly toptec 4100 covers that spec. i think vw published a chart on which oil to use for which engine

[@soness878]

If there is no engine lights on. Would accelerating with the gas pedal being depressed (not in park but in drive) and hearing the car sounding like it's vibrating/resonance/spinning be caused by a bad camshaft? and also what is the labour time on something like that. and/or poss costs overall . you said timing belt needs to be removed, should a new one be put in? nothing but probs with my car man 03 tdi golf alh engine

[@454k30]

When mine finally failed the engine still ran but vibrated horribly. When driven there was a large cloud of white smoke (raw diesel fuel) coming out of the tailpipe. The power was way down and I had to keep the pedal nearly to the floor to maintain highway speeds. Labor time was about 10 hours. I would've done it myself but I was on a cross country drive and had no tools or space to work. Might as well change the belt since that item comes off anyway. Also, at no point did my check engine light ever come on.

[@coltonwood9846]

The ALH engine DOES NOT have camshaft problems.

[@Neighbor512]

I know it's an old video but a lot of premature wear is not only oil quality but the design of the cam bearings as well (lack of lubrication) there is a great upgrade from Frank06 (Google it) where he modified the bearings to increase oiling as they have a design flaw from factory. KermaTDI sells an upgrade kit including his bearings as well as the black nitride lifters and black nitride cam lobes

[@markday6524]

Hello Charles, thanks for the information on the TDI camshaft fails. I no longer have a TDI because of the fear factor. (CAM FAILURE) My question is any update on the 1.8T camshaft failures? Yes I do have the recall letter. Thanks

[@HumbleMechanic]

Nothing yet. I have heard it will only be software, and not cams. I have also heard it will for sure be cams. Hahha sorry I wish I had the answer.

[@markday6524]

Thanks Charles, time will tell I'm not driving the car until repaired. One other quick question the Golf has not been run since November. Is there a way to crank the engine with out starting. I would like to build up oil pressure before starting. Thanks again Mark

[@YZJB]

+Mark Day Unplug the coil packs?

[@CoolAirVw]

Older tdi's (2003 and older) dont have this issue. They are super reliable.

[@schhh4266]

It's strange how "valve lobes" wears out but injector lobes usually stays in good shape although they are definitely stressed more. Maybe the one and only problem with all this "cam failure" is popping out aluminium plugs on rocker arms oil gallery, resulting in insufficient oil pressure/lubrication?

[@LynxStarAuto]

You think so? I would say there is much more tension to work against with the valve lifter + valve spring, and therefore the valve lobes see more stress and excessive wear.

[@schhh4266]

Yes I am. In my humble opinion you need a lot more force to pressurize fuel up to 28,000 psi than to open valves whose springs doesn't have to be as stiff as they are on gasoline engines because of lower revs.

[@skylinefever]

Sure, the injector lobe might have more pressure, but the surface area is increased. As a result, the pressure on each square mm of surface is lighter than that of the intake or exhaust cam lobe.

[@jeffthebuilder10]

Mine looked just as worn out on b5.5 passat. at least they easy to work on.. and a dad who was a mechanic..

[@CoolAirVw]

they are pretty easy really.

[@Endmass]

The factory grind on motors like the BEW weren't right. No matter what oil you put in, they'll still wear. Drop in a colt regrind, and no more issues.

[@CoolAirVw]

please tell us more.

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

Agree with the first part off your statement.Had to replace cam on 1.9pd BJB at 260,000 miles and always had Castrol 505.01 spec oil.Oddly it was no 2 cyl cam, lifter that failed.The bearings each side were badly worn but the others were perfect.

[@jbarchie1074]

Cool good info thanks

[@reyemnuqui1862]

I am new to the vw tdi game and would like to ask for your help if possible

[@HumbleMechanic]

Okay. I will do my best.

[@danielmihai300]

Hey man, first...great videos, please advise, I have a problem with my 2015 audi a3 2.0 tdi engine, long cranking at first start, but if I stop the engine and crank it again it’s start with no problems, also every crank in that same day starts’up with no problem, the long crank usually happens after the car is not started for more then 10 - 15 hours, and some times, on rare occasions when I’m in second - third or forth gear the engine stumbles/stalls for 4-5 seconds when I accelerate it, this happens once a week or often, so, took the car to the mechanic, diagnose it and the g40 (cam position sensor) came up short or open, ok, replaced the sensor deleted the error and after a week or so the engine started to stumble again in third gear when accelerating, took it back to the mechanic, diagnose it and no errors found!!!!!!! A few days later, after sitting over night, first crank took a little longer than usual, so ok, back to the mechanic, diagnose it again and the g40 sensor came up “implausible signal” deleted the error, took it for a drive to take some log’s, everything was ok, the error didn’t show up, but the stumble manifested again later on with no errors, and a day later, after testing the car with the mechanic with no error codes, in the very next morning the long cranking problem resurfaced, i'm sure i have the g40 sensor error again but allready spent 400$ on diagnostics and sensor replacement, so until i find another tehnician, i don't want to visit the shop again. do you have any idea what should I look for, what can cause this problem??? I’m going nuts here, please help me🙏. Thanks in advance!!!

[@spoodydude4104]

Hi mate having the same issue did you seem to fix this because I think it may be the vvt and was wondering if you fixed it ?

[@danielmihai300]

Hello, for the long cranking, was the vvt system, the other problem was caused by the crank shaft sensor(engine stall)

[@22lambo]

Would a worn out cam cause a big decrease in fuel economy? Like 10 mpg less?

[@HumbleMechanic]

WOW, it could, but that is a crazy low MPG

[@22lambo]

+HumbleMechanic that's what I'm saying.... it's my girlfriends car and she was averaging 43mpg and how she's getting 35mpg... same commute every day and nothing has change. Did all the regular maintenance stuff like oil/air/fuel filters, I'll change, checked tire pressure and alignment, checked for drag in wheels, etc and came back with nothing. She claims it has a little less power and feels different but to me it drives fine.

[@realisticcritic]

Kris Sondors if it was a sudden drop in economy not as likely but if its a gradual decline absolutely. seen pumpe duse motors with bad cams drop as low as 30mpg economy. take the valve cover off and have a look. don't make the mistake of replacing with a junk camshaft. the dealership cam is expensive and will fail again. lots of $400 cams floating around the internet and even on otherwise reputable sources that are supposed to be a billet cam but spend the money and put a colt cam in. seen several cheap cams break clean in two and trash the head when they do it. its not cheap but do the job right the first time and you'll never have to do it again.

[@theblackmambaplague]

What oil should we use? I don't have a tdi but I do have a 2006 gti 2.0t

[@jewtoobeful]

+theblackslcmamba I'd say 5w40 LongLife full synthetic, preferrably Castrol or some other known brand for safety. It might cost a bit more but think about oil in your engine as blood in your veins. You dont want a discount blood transfusion if you go to the doctor, right?

[@logmegadeth72]

+theblackslcmamba check out VW 502.00 for a list of specified oils.

[@Endmass]

+theblackslcmamba Rotella T6 is my goto. Castrol Ti synthetic is the easiest to get locally and one of the best oils you can buy - and priced accordingly.

[@skylinefever]

Shell RT6 isn't actually approved for VW gasoline engines. However, it does perform extremely well in VW gasoline engines.

[@TTRVision]

505.01 spec

[@user-super-user]

how come a lot of the vw bls engines have conrods that like escaping?

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

And BXE engines.

[@user-super-user]

@eugeneoreilly9356 true, bxe,bkc and bls use the same rods

[@urgrandmascar]

Hey guys, can you do a video on injector seal failure, is it DIY, what are the symptoms etc for the the BEW PD tdi, I just found out I have both a cam shaft failure and possible leaking injectors/fail o-rings. Aaaaand the cam shaft failure was probably accelerated due to running the engine few thousand kms with the injector leaking diesel into the oil btw!

[@HumbleMechanic]

+DeadlyFitnessAndMotivation yikes that is a lot going on. I'll add it to the future videos list

[@urgrandmascar]

Yeah tell me about it, thanks man.

[@aaron___6014]

I was about to bid on a TDI with 200k and came across this common problem. Maybe I unreacted but it would have been fairly expensive.

[@TTRVision]

In europe are a lot of failures on all VW brands. .... replacing all the tappets, oem cam + new bearings , setting the injectors with the dial gauge (all the correct procedures) , using only 505.01 oil and the problem will return. I think the problem is deep in the camshaft alignment and torsional unbalanced forces in the head. I`ve seen failures on engines at arround 130.000 km running the correct oil spec 505.01 from day 1.

[@gafrancisco]

bullshit ... i have a pd150 ...arl engine ... with 274K ... no camshaft problems,or bearings or in the engine whatsoever .... replace engine oil between 12 or 15K (5w40 syntetic no matter what brand) ... car runs great! (German made)

[@davidstuart2322]

Gilberto Francisco Bullshit to you the pd 150 is the one with bad cam's and you can use only the vw grade of oil

[@bigbill74scots]

Extended servicing kills them. Oil change every 10k miles or better snd the run forever. A mate has one on 220k.

[@alireza071]

Mine fail in 132k miles(UK) always being service with vw recommended oil and well look after only poff poff poff sound like exhaust leak but rather than that engine start fire up with half turn and no lost of power at all so can any1 advice is it OK to drive in short trip like school run and shopping or Not?

[@dannyantrim3546]

I have a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 1.9 l and has 208000 miles and the camshaft is bad. God help me

[@CORRIGEEN71]

bkc engine 1.9 tdi mk 5 engine locked up ie would not turn with starter ,but I turn it at crank pulley with spanner, before I heard scoring noise on road, then pulled in engine would not turn over, 250 k miles had lots of power and no problems was a bit rattlie on tick over but no probs engine is toast??

[@alireza071]

Mine fail in 132k mile vw 1.9tdi 2009(UK) always being service with vw recommended oil and well look after only poff poff poff sound like exhaust leak but rather than that engine fire up with half turn all the time and no lost of power at all so can any1 advice is it OK to drive in short trip like school run and shopping or Not?

[@bitteroldman3151]

Check flex joint in the exhaust system

[@ElectronSpecialties]

Very cool stuff and I really like the stickers. Wanna share some whalez at SEMA lol?

[@Jimmy-ht6ii]

Replacing mine right now on my 2006 tdi made it to 303k miles before the original camshaft failed. MAKE SURE you pull the camshaft hold down bolts out and NOT the head bolts lots of people have made that mistake including me. Now im doing a head gasket too

[@SY-ml5nl]

What oil brand spec did you use?

[@meiszterful]

guys for a passat b6 engine code bmr 170hp diesel with dsg i get some blueish smoke when i start the engine cold but when it warms up the smoke goes away.the engine is starting smoothly both cold and warm.any ideas what it might be?

[@codyweiler4598]

You're having oil leaking into the intake and burning with the diesel fuel. From a bad valve or bad Turbo seal. The Blue smoke is burning oil. The fact it goes away means the expansion of the engine when warm is sealing off the leak and it corrects with engine expansion.

[@Tonil875]

Hi Which is the cause of this failure on every 1.9 TDI PD? Regards

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

Engine design.

[@MechRider89]

Any recalls or problems with the new mk7 GTI line-up yet?

[@HumbleMechanic]

+MechRider89 No recalls yet. Seen a few issues here and there. Nothing crazy yet.

[@MechRider89]

Good to hear, I'm going to be trading my Mk6 Golf TDI in for a new GTI P-Pack tomorrow. Really hoping VW has sorted out more of the issues with the TSI engines, I can deal with the plastic intake but the timing really has me concerned.

[@bradjd6957]

Looking at 2011 tdi wagon with low miles 50k. Any advice?

[@HumbleMechanic]

Have it inspected before you buy it. But really they are pretty darn good.

[@randylee2549]

@@HumbleMechanic 2009 TDI 2.0 had this issue?

[@seoulkidd1]

2011 has the most problems

[@skylinefever]

Are you in the USA? It is my understanding that in 2008, VW eliminated the PD system and used common rail injection. In the process, they were able to build cams that didn't have the same stresses found on PD engines.

[@mrtopbreak333]

Hi I have a 2006 Touran with 70,000 on the clock, I change the oil and filter every year with the correct type. A mechanic has had a quick listen to the car and based on this has said the cam is worn. Is it likely that the cam has failed on my car. PS when the cars warmed up and running for a while the noise disappears. Regards Peter

[@HumbleMechanic]

It could be that. I'd pull off the valve cover and properly inspect it.

[@mrtopbreak333]

Thanks for the reply, I think that's the best course of action.

[@trade1713]

Si, what's the cause, bad /incorrect oil or inferior metallurgy?

[@rkan2]

At least compared to AGR/ALH/ASV with electronic injector pump, in PD engines the camshaft additionally creates the injection pressure.. That might have something to do with it.

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

Inferior design.

[@elidorsey8048]

Which lobe makes brakes on a 2015 1.8t have failure?!

[@HumbleMechanic]

It the lobe that drives the brake booster vacuum pump and high pressure fuel pump.

[@imbackinthegame3611]

what is the benefit of using a Sdi camshaft on a 1.9 PD TDI ?

[@MNMn-pq8kq]

Same system but without a turbo.

[@vojin54]

It should open the valves a little bit more than the standard one, because its a naturally aspirated engine, the lobes are a little bit bigger

[@imbackinthegame3611]

@@vojin54 no downside?

[@todayintheshopbanksy5904]

96k for my ARL powered 2004 SEAT Toledo.

[@Mike-kx3xt]

in the uk the lifters was a problem too as the replacements come black and not silver. if your unlucky enough the injectors will be shot when you take the rocker off as the body falls to bits. the oil is 505.1 for pd engines but nobody uses it.

[@CoolAirVw]

+Mike 505.01 (not 505.1) sorry to be a troll.

[@kyranoboyle3378]

@@CoolAirVw VW505.01 5W*40* not 5W30. Weight 30 can wear the camshaft prematurely in some cases. The later 1.9PD’s need VW505.01 also but the ones plagued with a DPF need VW507.00.

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

​@@kyranoboyle3378 505.01 spec is now hard to find.

[@upupandaway5646]

What oil do you recommend on a 2006 tdi

[@HumbleMechanic]

Double check the spec in the owners manual. Im guessing its 504.00 but im not sure.

[@laaribi_abdo]

so the most problem of cameshaft failure is a bad oil or not

[@454k30]

biggest problem is bad design. The other issue is wrong specification of lubrication or poor maintenance.

[@pezaun]

Charles, how hard is to change a tsi camshaft? The engine have to be completely removed? Thanks!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Which TSI? Probably no need to remove the engine. The biggest hassle will be the timing chains.

[@skylinefever]

5:55 Every automotive textbook I have ever read says that if you need to replace a cam, you always need to replace the lifters at the same time. Maybe you can get away with not replacing the lifters on a SOHC or DOHC engine, but you can't get away with it on an OHV engine.

[@454k30]

You should replace the lifters. The lifters, not the cam, is what failed on my ALH. One completely collapsed and wiped out an intake lobe. Several others were cracked and would've eventually failed.

[@eugeneoreilly9356]

The textbook is correct.

[@Chris-bn1bn]

I saw a scientific investigation, and because our present oils, it no longer protects metal to metal friction since sulpher has been removed. It's really dumb that they did not change over to rollers. Beak in oil is necessary during the break-in period (minimum) 300 miles along with at least 20 min. @ 2000 rpm. Don't use additives, as they usually are not compatable because of the detergents. In summary just use break-in oil, change as necessary. After break-in is complete, you should put in synthetic oil. Take it easy friends.

[@andreiprimu]

Done the oil change every 7k miles, I used the RIGHT OIL and never had this problem. Car has 371.000 miles.

[@kyranoboyle3378]

@@sammcharis VW505.01 specified oil 5W40 would be ideal

[@kyranoboyle3378]

If you’ve a 1.9 PD with a DPF then use VW507.00 5W30

[@Bluespaceboat]

I miss my 1.9TDI GT150, don’t miss the chocolate camshafts though.

[@arnodesplenter5279]

does this apply to a 2003 golf4 1.9tdi?

[@CoolAirVw]

No. A 2003 golf4 with 1.9L tdi, is an ALH engine and the PD engine that HumbleMech was talking about are 2004 and later BEW, 2004 & 2005 BHW and 2005.5 and 2006 BRM's. Despite HumbleMech slightly mispeaking and saying "2003ish"

[@CoolAirVw]

in america....

[@JoJoXishs]

Depends if its pd or boschpump

[@ericgoeffrey4189]

DOES THIS APPLY TO A 2005 tdi JETTA WAGON????

[@ericgoeffrey4189]

PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOON IM ABOUT TO BUY THIS WEEK. ANY BIG ISSUES WITH THAT YEAR AND MODEL?

[@piperathenry1971]

Bro dudes, you’ve got it wrong. My name is Dave , and I have 30+ years VAG experience among other shit I’ve done. But the PD cam failure has nothing to do with oil , or oil pressure, or shitty cam. The actual root cause is the LP in tank fuel pump. They were designed wrong from day 1. They half seize and the volume of fuel is much lower than required,this causes fuel starvation on injector 3&4 , since it’s a PD , the injector needs the right volume to operate efficiently , BUT also needs the volume to cool itself. There’s many moving parts that generate heat , anyway this causes the surrounding areas to get red hot, and eventually it starts boiling the oil on the cam, then metal shavings get into the oil system and shit goes south. I was seeing this failure back in around 04 in Ireland mostly with the GtTDi pd150’s. Some had as low as 50.000 km when it all went bang, but since the N/A version is not so high strung, it happens a lot later in the car’s life. I used to work as a service manager at a Seat dealership in Ireland when I realized the root cause, I did a shit ton of warranty jobs for Vw , ford, seat. I was a subcontractor at the time. But anyway, on the last note. The 2.0tdi CR with the common intake range sensor issue??! There’s a fix that costs about 35c and literally everyone already has the part needed for it , AND it takes about 12 minutes from start to finish. No codes no issues for years to come. I can show you, maybe you could make a video on it??? It would save ppl thousands 🙏🏽. Love your videos by the way, you guys ROCK!

[@SY-ml5nl]

This is big !!

[@SY-ml5nl]

How do I know if it's half seized? This will shock the pd community lol

[@piperathenry1971]

@@SY-ml5nl your primary fuel pressure/volume will be low. Usually shows up when replacing fuel filter,and the car won’t prime.

[@SY-ml5nl]

@piperathenry1971 thanks , when I turn my key, the engine cranks slowwwwly then starts , maybe 2 seconds if that. But only when starting 1st thing during the day. After turn quicker, but not as it should like my previous pd cara I've owned. Yet this is the lowest mileage and condition I've owned!

[@namAlexander]

i take it they updated the pump? I've got a seat Leon mk1 Pd150 2005 and had it since 2011 that had 49k on it and at time i looked at the cam issues and read allot about it and it was said they updated the cam, since then and regular oil changes using 5-30 since owning it and cam belts ect when needed its not happened , when i did get it there was a full seat service history only issue was phone the two garages on oil , one said 5-40 and the other 5-30 so i stuck with 507 spec as it covers any spec below

[@EternalyRandom]

I've never had a camshaft failure. But I've never owned a VW ether. Is this a common failure for VWs? Not being a troll just asking.

[@HambertHM]

+Eternaly Random No it isn't. Charles says clearly in the video it's mostly caused by cheap/wrong oil and negligent maintenance, but a defect in the metal alloy can also help. And it's just for early 2000s TDIs

[@flashgordon99999]

i wouldn't say early 2000 tdis The ALH engine was rock solid imho. I personally put 600,000 km on a 2000 Jetta and only ever had to change oil, filters. (changed every ten thousand km). Hell, even still had the original clutch, alt, struts, springs, front wheel brgs ! Have been a Mechanic for over 30 years and having worked on many later vw I think that the overly long oil change interval combined with excessive load and or poor metal in camshaft is what is at root. I have seen many failures with proper oil and recommended intervals at lower KM's and have seen much higher kms failures on BRM engines that used shorter oil change intervals (8,000 to 10,000 km). I personally have seen 400,000 km before failure with lower interval and 5w40 oils. (some T6 and some even Mobil TDT)

[@454k30]

Its common enough that we talk about it here and in the TDI forums. Does that mean it will happen to everyone? No, of course not. My camshaft never failed. The lifter on the intake side of the #2 cylinder is what failed on my engine, and when it failed it wiped out the corresponding lobe of the cam. This engine was maintained by me with oil changes and all other maintenance done by the book with proper spec oil. I never cut any corners with my maintenance and yet a lifter failed. So it can happen, but it wont for certain. I too have seen ALH motors with half a million miles and no valve train failures.

[@skylinefever]

It depends on the VW. On VW diesels with a distributor pump, cam failures weren't common. In the USA, distributor pump diesels were found on the Jetta, Golf, and Beetle until 2003. Also, the VW Passat used a distributor pump engine in the late 1990s. In 2004 to 2006, the PD system was used, and that was where the problem happened. In 2008, the PD system was replaced with the common rail system and the problem was eliminated. Another thing to remember is that before VW built the TDI, they had non-computerized distributor pumps, and cam failure was also extremely rare on those engines.

[@aashraf5516]

@@454k30 exactly what happened to mine yesterday, the camshaft had 250000 miles on it

[@freddybarajas7007]

If the camshaft is bad could it throw a lot of smoke?

[@HumbleMechanic]

It’s possible, but not a common symptom I’ve seen

[@freddybarajas7007]

HumbleMechanic mine has a loud clattering noise and throws a lot of dark smoke it has no power. Can u help me

[@blackout7615]

When they say "poor design caused this" they are telling you that you should kick your engineer friend in the nuts. All engineers do is design something to meet a minimum standard that the penny pinchers tell them they must meet.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Sortof. Its not generally the engineers that decide that, its the bean counters that force that hand.

[@BlondynCh]

I have a 2.0 CR TDI and never had a single problem with engine just do maintnance now and than well i have I23k miles on it thats over half a milion killometers and only now im doing my water pump and timing belt for second time. other than that I just replace oil every 10k miles with Mobile1 full synthetic so if you have any problems with your en gine it just got to be your fault because you wont follow basic care of your car and check oil every now and than well car has a turbo and yes they do take oil regardless of how new your engine may be. you may think im overprotective or whatever but again :) my car has over hald a million km on it and still runs strong

[@oorangejuce]

um.. i have a 400000+ km on 2003 passat.. should i be concerned?

[@SY-ml5nl]

What oil are you using ? Brand name, details? Is it 5w30 or 5w40? What is the spec ? How often do you change the oil ? How many miles driven when changed ?

[@EngineeringVignettes]

Well that valve met with a sticky end...

[@LynxStarAuto]

Somebody didn't change their timing belt on time 🤔

[@madalexzombie]

Maybe it's caused by weak valve springs chatter? Diesel engines often have weak stock valve springs because the manufacturer thinks that it's not a high rpm engine so it doesn't need to close valves very fast. Here you can see the damages caused by weak stock valve springs chatter in a BMW valvetronic engine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q56WZqKjo7l8nJI Sorry, it's in not in english, but you don't actually need any text to see rockers and shafts damages. You can see that rockers and camshaft knuckles have caverns. This damage differs from normal damage (when engine has just run a lot), normally it has stripes on camshaft knuckles, but not caverns. btw, I've found a short video which illustrates how valve springs work at high rpm: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnTMdGmdq9yGZ8U

[@anthonygillesse7242]

The design is bad and the head is under lubed because of the cam bearing placement. The bearings are lubed on the pressure side and not the dwell side. I did the bearing fix and 200kms later cam looks like new, proper oil and a pinch of zddp Silly German engineers

[@marcofloresmfcs1]

Will water wetter cause a tdi 1Z or AHU or AEL tdi to over heat blow the head gasket?

[@alireza071]

What about cambelt is that need to b change plus all the bolt and screw and washers what assembly oil have to use on camshaft and holders??

[@FEGTTTSDH]

the awx 1.9 pd is a reliable engine?

[@kyranoboyle3378]

Yes good engine

[@b13nissan]

That valve looks little not straight

[@BeaudoinMotorsports]

so not my MkV? 2.0 TDi?

[@HumbleMechanic]

Correct. This is mk4 and early mk5 pre common rail cars.

[@BeaudoinMotorsports]

+HumbleMechanic cool! that's a relief

[@schhh4266]

+Alec Beaudoin What year is yours 2.0 TDI? 2.0 TDI PD were selling in Europe all up to ~2008.

[@skylinefever]

@@schhh4266 I think 2006 was the last year that the USA had a 2.0L TDI PD. It was only used in the B5.5 Passat. However, the Jetta, Golf, and Beetle had a 1.9 PD.

[@meatamigo3428]

Hopefully VW decided to harden the cams in my golf r 😳

[@CoolAirVw]

Cant harden the lobes. Lobes have to be soft for proper break in. They wear against the lifters and "match up".

[@meatamigo3428]

+CoolAirVw sounds like bullshit to me.

[@tjsean0308]

+Meat Amigo it is not bullshit, same principle happens in your differential gears. The metal is tempered in the car google up differential or cam break in and you will see.

[@meatamigo3428]

+tjsean0308 that sux!

[@skylinefever]

Even if they didn't, I don't think cam failure is common in the Golf R. The PD diesel system put a much heavier burden on each cam lobe, which limited lifespan. Also, the PD TDI had hydraulic bucket lifters, whereas many of the later gasoline engines had roller cam followers which were much less problematic.

[@Corsa15DT]

they fail at 100k only with wrong oil. with correct oil they can go more than 500k

[@williamvest8581]

I think my camshaft bad but I have a ford

[@mitchellmitchell6938]

william vest then everything is bad

[@Glupkomatun]

;-)