2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

M O T O R S ( H T T P S : // J O E B L O G S . C O / C A T E G O R Y / M O T O R S / )

VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

POSTED 11TH OCTOBER 2015 (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/)
JOE (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/AUTHOR/ADMIN/)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 1/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

I bought a MK4 Golf TDI last year, the 150 BHP version. Everything looked good on paper
and it test drove well. I know that they su er with camshaft issues but this one had a new
camshaft installed fairly recently with some work done to the injectors also. It had all the
extras I wanted, climate control etc.

The camshaft does two jobs on the VW PD (Pumpe Düse

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_injector)) engine. It operates the valves. Secondly it
operates a high pressure pump on each injector. They produce higher fuel pressure than
the previous generation of diesel engines and that means better atomization of the fuel,
more power and e ciency. Because of this there’s less room on the camshaft for each
lobe. The lobes are quite narrow and are under a lot of stress so the engine needs regular
oil changes with very speci c oil. Everything you ever wanted to know about the PD
engine can be found in this (https://joeblogs.co/wp-
content/uploads/2015/10/VW_TDI_with_PumpeDuse.pdf) PDF!

Back in June the car broke down, very rough running and a lot of white smoke. The
engine wouldn’t rev up properly and had little power. Fortunately we got a tow home but I
had a lot of diagnosing to do.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 2/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
I tried a few things to start with. I checked for continuity on the injector loom, that was
ne. I also tted a transparent fuel return line to see if any air was in it but that was okay. I
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
inspected the camshaft and injectors, ran some diagnostics with the VCDS software and
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
sought some help from the UK-MK4s.net forums. Eventually I came to the conclusion that
it was the camshaft wear that was the root cause of the problem. The cam had developed
at spots on the injector lobes which was giving the injectors a rough time. Eventually the
injector seals started to give up. Clearly some have got so bad that it’s now a ecting the
fuelling. I think in my case the seal closest to the cylinder must have gone and that
cylinder is being over fuelled resulting in a lot of unburned fuel. The injectors are all fed
from the same supply so I think if one injector seal has gone, potentially other injectors
could be starved of fuel which could explain the slightly random symptoms I’ve been
seeing.

The camshaft that was tted previously must have been poor quality to develop at spots
as bad as this. That and the use of the wrong oil or not changed frequently enough.
There’s also a lot of wear on the valve lobes. One of them to the extent where you can see
metal fraying o the edge of the lobe!
(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6567.jpg)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6528.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 3/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6527.jpg)

So the plan is to change the camshaft, cam followers, injector seals, timing belt with
tensioners and the water pump while I’m at it. The rockers, injectors and cam carriers are
held in place with stretch bolts so new replacement bolts are necessary. The manual calls
for several special VW tools but all you might need that may be slightly unusual is the
timing belt lock kit (not entirely necessary but makes things a bit easier), a camshaft
pulley puller (although this one is not actually the correct sort for this engine, more on
that later) and a 12 point triple square bit set. You’ll also need a torque wrench that goes
down to 8Nm for some of the smaller stretch bolts.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 4/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/WT-2049_ml1.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 5/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/57.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 6/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
I’m using a Haynes manual for this mainly which seems to cover the subject quite well to
be fair. Sometimes Haynes manuals just don’t go in to enough detail, something I’ve
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
found with the Spit re but for the purposes of this job it seems to be ne.
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
First step is to remove the plastic engine cover which just pulls o . Next is to remove the
cam cover and the large rubber hose that feeds the inlet manifold from the intercooler
(10mm bolts). You’ll nd the bolt nearest to the EGR valve at the back is a bit tricky to get
to so you can either take the EGR valve o or once the intake hose is o you can just about
get to it with a 10mm ring spanner. I took the EGR valve o mine while I was trying to
diagnose the issues. Just as well because the valve was actually stuck closed and it
needed a good clean out.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6523.jpg)

You’ll need to remove the timing belt cover as well, there are just two spring clips that
hold this in place. Once the cam cover is o the injector rockers need to come o . The
rockers come o in pairs and are held in place with eight 12 point stretch bolts. Working
on one pair at a time, I slowly loosened each bolt to remove the rockers nice and evenly.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 7/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6525.jpg)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6526.jpg)

Once the rockers have been removed we can moved on to removing the injectors. Each
one will need disconnecting from the injector loom to start with. This can be a bit tricky to
get o but they just have a tab that you press in. Bit of a wiggle and they should pop out.
https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 8/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6532.jpg)

Each injector is held in place with a clamp and stretch bolt. Once the stretch bolt and
clamp are removed, you can rotate the injector left to right a few times by levering it with
a screwdriver. This should loosen the seal enough to pull it out. VW recommend the use
of a slide hammer to remove the injectors but I found it fairly easy just by looping a piece
of wire under the solenoid and wiggling them out with a screwdriver while pulling on the
wire.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 9/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6538.jpg)

The seals on two of the injectors were in fairly good condition but the other two were
knackered. You can see where the lowest seal has just perished. The top two seals seal o
the area where the fuel return outlet is. Just beneath that, on the smaller diameter part,
are tiny perforations where the fuel supply is drawn in to the injector. The issue here is
that the lower seal has gone and excess fuel is getting in to those cylinders while at the
same time potentially starving subsequent injectors of enough fuel. Although I’m not
entirely sure about the starvation, that depends if the fuel pump can keep up.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 10/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6543.jpg)

The brass part at the end is actually what seals the combustion chamber but in some
cases that clearly wasn’t making a tight seal.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 11/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6558.jpg)

I cleaned the injectors up well and removed most of the carbon deposits from the end.
You’re supposed to use a special tool to t new seals here but from what I can gather
that’s just to help you get them on without being twisted. This is easily done if you are
careful, you don’t need the tool. Just look closely at each O ring after you have put it on
and make sure the mold line is straight all the way round. The brass washer can be
removed by gently putting it in the vice and twisting it o . The new ones should come
with a tiny circlip to hold them in place. The small O ring obviously ts at the end, the
slightly thinner of the two large O rings goes in the middle and the thicker one at the top
(nearest to the spring).

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 12/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6556.jpg)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6557.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 13/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

The holes that the injectors t in to will need a thorough clean but with care because any
slight damage in there could wreck the cylinder head. I used some kitchen roll and a
small piece of tubing to try and clean the very bottom of the holes out, making sure that
there wasn’t any debris left in there. Any small bits in there could prevent the O rings
sealing properly. I stu ed kitchen roll in each hole until I was ready to t that particular
injector. If you look closely you can see bits of O ring stuck to the sides in this one, all that
was cleaned out.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 14/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6548.jpg)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6549.jpg)I smeared some

engine oil round the O rings before tting the injectors which should just slide in to a
point. Make sure they go in nice and square then apply some pressure and you should
feel them kind of click in. Now they need aligning. The manual gives you a measurement
from the right hand edge of the cylinder head so you can make sure each one is in
https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 15/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
square. I don’t think this is entirely necessary though as it’s just to make sure that the
clamp is lined up correctly. If you have a pretty good idea of how they were before they
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
came out, I think you can get away with squaring them up by eye. Once each injector is
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
square the new bolt needs tightening to 12Nm plus 270°. Reconnect the injector loom
and then it’s on to replacing the camshaft.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6564.jpg)

The auxiliary belt needs removing next which means the tensioner needs moving out the
way. There’s a square bit of alloy sticking out from the top of the tensioner which is for a
spanner to make it easier to move. Once it’s out the way you can either slide a drill bit
through the hole in the side to lock it in place or just remove the belt and let it go back in
to place.

The lower auxiliary belt pulley needs removing now. This means you’ll have to jack the
o side front up and get it on an axle stand. Remove the front wheel. Behind the alloy
intercooler pipe is the pulley. Usually this should have a plastic cover over the bolts to
protect them from water and road grime. Someone had forgotten to put this back on my
car so 3 of the 4 cap head bolts holding the pulley on had to be drilled out. I was running
out of sharp drill bits and had to mess around with a chisel to get them out. Got there
eventually.
https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 16/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6552.jpg)

You should be able to prize the pulley o one bit at a time. Once that’s done then it’s time
to remove the lower belt cover (4 lower bolts, one higher up) and lock the crank at TDC.
The Haynes manual states that you need to remove the inner wheel arch cover. You don’t
need to do this but it was just as well on my car. A load of road grime had built up behind
it over the years and I found some rust that needs treating.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 17/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6597.jpg)

The engine needs supporting with a jack next as the engine mounting needs to come o
to remove the timing belt. This was a pig of a job. I had to remove the auxiliary belt
tensioner, expansion bottle and fuel lter to get to the engine mounting bolts. They were
bloody tight as well which made it that bit harder. Got there in the end…

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 18/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6604.jpg)

Home
The (https://joeblogs.co)
engine mount bracket thatContact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
is attached to the engine doesn’t seem to want to come
Privacy
out. (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
The only way I could see of removing it would be to remove all the plastic belt cover.
This makes getting the belt tensioner out a little tricky. I managed to get it out in the end
and re t the new one by removing the stud. If you can get two nuts on the stud and
remove it with the old pulley on I think that must be the easiest way of removing the
pulley.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6668.jpg)

Once the tensioners are o you can change the water pump which has just 3 bolts. It
came out with some wiggling. Clean the bore out and bolt the new one in with a new O
ring.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 19/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6664.jpg)

Now the camshaft pulley can be removed. First the 3 bolts can be removed and the
toothed pulley can come o . The pulley underneath the outer toothed part is secured by
a bolt in the centre. A very tight bolt! I made up a device to bolt on to the pulley to give
me some leverage. Most people seem to have made something similar…

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 20/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6621.jpg)

Home
Once the(https://joeblogs.co) Contact
bolt is o you can remove the(https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
pulley using a puller. As it happens the one
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
mentioned above isn’t the right sort for this engine but it worked a treat anyway. I just
removed the legs and bolted it straight on to the pulley. When the pulley has been
removed the tandem pump needs removing. This must be removed so that the new
camshaft is in the correct position when tightening the cam carriers down otherwise
some of the valves may foul a piston. I suppose you could rotate the crank 90° so that all
the pistons are half way down the cylinders but I’m still not sure how easy it would be to
tighten the caps down evenly.

To remove the tandem pump, rst unbolt the water pipe below it. Then you can remove 4
bolts to move the tandem pump out the way just enough so the part that engages with
the cam is clear. Remove the metal gasket which will either need replacing or cleaning
up and re tting with some instant gasket.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6654.jpg)

The camshaft carrier caps need marking so they can be put back in the same spot. The
rst one is closest to the timing belt, the fth one is closest to the tandem pump.
Removing and re tting needs to be in sequence also. First slacken o 1, 3 and 5 nice and

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 21/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
evenly. Then 2 and 4 can be removed evenly also.

Home
Now you(https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
can inspect the cam properly. Mine is de nitely past it. You can see that some of
Privacy
the lobes(https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
are quite misshapen. There should also be an even chamfer all the way round
the edge of the lobe. Some lobes were ne, others were not. I wouldn’t be surprised if I
was losing some power here. The worn lobes can’t have been lifting the valves anywhere
near as high as a normal one.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6640.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 22/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6641.jpg)

I cleaned up the cam carriers and tted new bearing shells. I also tted new cam
followers. These are supposed to be submerged in oil for a while before you t them but I
found it easier to submerge them and pump the air out manually. The old ones weren’t
too bad really. A bit of wear on the top but certainly not deformed or cracked which
seems to happen to some PD engines. I did notice that these were the hardened black
variety though.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 23/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6644.jpg)

Here’s the new followers ready to go in and after they have been tted along with new
cam bearings.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6648.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 24/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6649.jpg)

The camshaft kit I bought came with followers, camshaft, camshaft seal and shell
bearings. The red stu is the special cam lube they supply with the kit. You can see how
di erent the lobes on the new camshaft are. Hopefully it should make a fair bit of
di erence to the way the car drives afterwards.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 25/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6653.jpg)

Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)

Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6651.jpg)

Once you have dropped the cam in t bearing caps 2 and 4 with new bolts. Torque them
down to 8Nm plus 90°. Then 1, 3 and 5 can be tted with new bolts and torqued down
evenly. The oil seal needs tting before cap 1 is tted too ideally.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 26/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6660.jpg)

Now the bearing caps are on the injector rockers can go back on. The rockers will need
new bolts too. The torque setting for these is 20Nm plus 90°. The tandem pump and cam
pulley can be re tted now. The main bolt in the centre of the pulley torque is 100Nm. I
reused the gasket for the tandem pump and just smeared some instant gasket on both
sides after cleaning the mating faces up. The coolant hose will need bolting back on
below the tandem pump too. I smeared a bit of instant gasket on that too just to make
sure.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 27/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6685.jpg)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6730.jpg)

Now the injectors rockers need the clearance setting. First of all though the crank needs
rotating 90° so that all the pistons are half way down the bores and none of the valves
foul a piston. The clearance is set by nding the highest point of an injector lobe with a

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 28/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
dial gauge. The adjustment screw can be screwed in until resistance is felt, then backed
o by 180°. My gauge has the magnetic type base so I bolted my pulley holding tool on to
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
the cylinder head for the gauge base to stick to.
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6733.jpg)

Once the clearances have been set (I went over mine twice just to make sure). The crank
needs rotating back 90° and the lock tool tting for TDC. The cam belt pulley wheel can
be tted now but don’t tighten the bolts just yet. Rotate the cam until you can t the lock
pin. Now the new timing belt can go on. This can be a bit of a pain to get round the engine
mount. Once it’s in place, the tensioner can be adjusted. The kit I bought was a Gates kit
and had pretty detailed instructions for tting but all you need to do is rotate the
tensioner with an allen key until the indicator is within the gap on the back plate. The nut
in the centre needs tightening to 20Nm plus 45°.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 29/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6737.jpg)

Now the locking tools can be removed. The 3 bolts for the timing belt pulley can be
tightened to 25Nm. Using the crankshaft centre bolt, rotate the crankshaft two full turns
and re t the locking tool. Check the camshaft and see if you can t the locking pin here
too. If you can’t (I couldn’t), loosen the timing belt pulley bolts and t the locking pin. You
might need to rotate the camshaft just a bit to get it in. Re-tighten the 3 pulley bolts and
rotate the crank another two full turns. Hopefully you can t both locking tools fairly
easily now the belt has settled. This should also con rm that the crank and cam are
correctly timed.

The lower and middle timing belt covers can go back on now after a clean up. There’s 5
bolts in total, two of which are shared between the two covers.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 30/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6743.jpg)

Now the auxiliary belt pulley can be re tted. It will only t on one way as it doubles as a
harmonic balancer. The bolts are tightened to 10Nm plus 90°. The plastic cover was
missing on mine and I had to mess about drilling the bolts out. After the bolts were tight, I
lled them with some instant gasket to stop water and muck getting in. I could easily
have used silicone or something but instant gasket came to hand! Hopefully next time
someone takes the pulley o they will just be able to pop the instant gasket out with a
screwdriver and the bolts won’t be so hard to get out.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 31/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6745.jpg)

Now the auxiliary belt can be tted. It should be fairly easy to see which way it goes on.
Round the crank pulley, over the top of the alternator, round the back of the air con pump,
round the bottom of the power steering pump. Hopefully that makes sense! The
tensioner can be tted now. It will be easier if the locking pin (or in my case, a drill bit) is in
place. All you have to do once the bolts are tightened then is lever the pulley back a bit
with a spanner and remove the pin.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 32/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6747.jpg)

Next up is the cam cover. I put a bit of instant gasket around the curved parts at each end
just to make sure it seals OK. All the bolts should be fairly accessible. There is a slightly
tricky one near the EGR valve but you can just about get a ring spanner in there.

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6751.jpg)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 33/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/IMG_6755.jpg)

The engine mount can be bolted back on now which is considerably easier than
removing it. Torque for the bolts—bracket to car body (wheel arch), 40Nm plus 90°.
Mounting bracket to engine mounting bracket bolts, 100Nm and engine mounting
bracket bolts to engine, 45Nm.

Only a few bits left to do now which include the remaining timing cover, air hoses and
wheel arch cover. The fuel lter and lines need reconnecting. I also did an oil and lter
change at this point. Not much point in doing all this work only to let crappy old oil
circulate the engine. Time to turn it over.

Mine turned over several times for a fairly long time but nothing happend. I then realised
that the fuel lter was empty. The tandem pump doesn’t seem to work if there is air in the
line. Fortunately I had a small 12v pump. I was able to bypass the lter in the supply with
the pump and turn the engine over with it running. This was enough to prime the tandem
pump. You can get these small pumps from eBay for just a few quid.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 34/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/12V-Mini-DC-Pump-240LPH-3M-4-
2W-Submersible-Super-long-life-30000-hours-Fountain-Aquarium.jpg)

I reconnected the fuel lter and tried again, it red up this time. I tried to rev it a bit but it
died, not that surprising because the lter was probably still not quite full and needed
time to purge all the air. A few more tries and it was running beautifully but with one
exception…

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 35/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
It was STILL smoking heavily. I couldn’t have been more annoyed! It was thick white
smoke, the same as I’d been seeing before. I got the car fully warmed up and took it for a
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
run, it cleared up a bit and was now producing smoke but a lot less and more of a blue
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
colour.

The next day I got the car fully warmed up again. I must have run it for an hour on the
drive idling and the smoke was minimal. Another run up the road and it seems to have
cleared. All I can think is that there was still quite a bit of excess fuel built up in the
exhaust manifold and possibly in the turbo. See how it goes over the next few weeks but
for now, it appears to be sorted.

All in all it took me about 3 weekends to nish the work. Mainly because of waiting for
various parts to arrive in the post. If you de nitely have everything you need though it
shouldn’t be more than a weekend’s work. I have learned a lot during the process and I
think I’d feel fairly con dent doing it again but I hope that is never the case!

A summary of the parts I replaced:

Camshaft
Camshaft bearings
Camshaft oil seal
Cam followers/hydraulic tappets
Injector seals
Cam carrier stretch bolts
Injector retaining stretch bolts
Rocker stretch bolts
Timing belt
Timing belt tensioner
Timing belt roller
Water pump
Update:

I’ve done around 700 miles since the cam was changed. Everything seems to be ne. MPG
has improved and the car de nitely feels smoother and quieter which isn’t surprising. The
only small issue is the engine isn’t 100% smooth at around 1100 RPM. Having connected

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 36/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
VCDS (VAG-COM) to determine what the problem might be, I can see that the fuel
compensation for smooth running (block 13) isn’t even across all injectors.
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacyheard
Having (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
good things about it I bought some Liqui Moly Diesel Purge and ran the
fuel feed and return pipes straight from a jar full until it was nearly gone. I ran the engine
at various speeds and it took about 20 minutes to use it all but it didn’t make a scrap of
di erence. The values in block 13 are pretty much exactly the same as they were before I
started. Just thought I’d share that in case anyone was thinking of buying some. I wouldn’t
waste your money. At least not if you are expecting to see tangible evidence of it doing
anything.

You can download a copy of the log le here – LOG-01-013-002-xxx (113277)

(https://joeblogs.co/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/LOG-01-013-002-xxx-113277.csv)

⟵ Berlin Marathon Golf MK4 TDI Turbo Rebuild

(https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/01/berlin- (https://joeblogs.co/2016/02/03/golf-
marathon/) mk4-tdi-turbo-rebuild/) ⟶

20 thoughts on “ VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues”

Shane says:
1ST FEBRUARY 2016 AT 8:47 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14281)

Hi I have pretty much same as yourself. First start up on mine in morning no

acceration. Replaced all seals also. One of my Injectors have normal bolt
clamping down injector and rest ave stretch bolt, shouldnt think this should be
my probably, also power bad,

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=14281#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (http:// joesbox.co.uk) says:

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 37/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
1ST FEBRUARY 2016 AT 11:08 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14283)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
What sort of condition is your cam in? As you can see, mine was very bad. I
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
also ended up replacing the turbo on mine (another post will appear soon on
that). My inlet manifold was very clogged up too. Got some more power
back now after cleaning it out.

If you have a laptop and VCDS that would give you some clues as to whether
the injectors are working OK.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=14283#RESPOND)

David says:
10TH MAY 2016 AT 9:34 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14500)

Are you sure you set the lash on the injector at the highest point? Most articles I
have read say to set at the lowest point, then bottom out the adjuster and then
wind back 180 degrees?
Cheers
Thanks

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=14500#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:

10TH MAY 2016 AT 9:44 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14501)

Yes, what I mean by the highest point is the highest point of the camshaft
lobe that’s operating the rocker for the injector. This is found by using the dial
guage on the rocker. You then screw the adjuster in until it stops, at which
point you know the injector is fully open. Then back it o 180 degrees so
there isn’t any risk of damaging the injector while the engine is running and
everything has expanded with heat.
https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 38/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?
REPLYTOCOM=14501#RESPOND)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
Roger says:
7TH FEBRUARY 2017 AT 10:36 AM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14979)

Hi
so you dint replace the roller rockers even though they were runnimg on your
chocolat camshaft.
Possibly a false economy?

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=14979#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:

7TH FEBRUARY 2017 AT 7:30 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-14986)

Possibly, Roger. I did check the thoroughly at the time and decided not to
replace them as they looked OK. Replacing them is another expense on an
already expensive job. Fortunately both the cam and the rollers are ne as I
made a point of checking them 10000 miles after this work was done when I
did an oil service. Maybe I was lucky.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=14986#RESPOND)

Dan says:
3RD JULY 2017 AT 11:28 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-16010)

If I am just replacing the seals on my injectors… do I have to roll the crank back
90degs still or is that just if I am doing the camshaft at the same time. What
would be the process of just replacing the seals of the injectors? Removal looks
simple enough but I am just trying to work out the installation process.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 39/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?
REPLYTOCOM=16010#RESPOND)

Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)

Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:
4TH JULY 2017 AT 7:54 AM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-16014)

You shouldn’t need to move the crank if you are just doing injector seals
(assuming the timing belt hasn’t been moved etc.)

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=16014#RESPOND)

Conall O Fiannachta (http:// Ireland) says:

14TH MARCH 2018 AT 4:29 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-18630)

Thanks very much for your detailed post. I have a VW Transporter 2006 wth a
1.9 PD TDI AXB engine which has been giving me trouble lately, injectors and
wiring loom. It was giving a mis re, which progressively got worse. Always
smokey on start up if left for any period of time, say just overnight which would
suggest injector seals leaking fuel into cylinder. I managed to gure out
through other forums that it could have been caused by a loose connection on
the loom as well. I have since bought a new loom (€100 from VW)! and got
injectors out for testing and repairing (€500! :(), two were ne but two needed
reconditioning, all 4 injectors got new seal kits. Now I’m wondering how the
camshaft is.. as I’m a little reluctant to put the injectors back in if the camshaft is
going to cause problems again! If the camshaft is worn does it throw up a fault
code?

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=18630#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:

14TH MARCH 2018 AT 6:23 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-18631)

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 40/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
A worn camshaft won’t throw up an error code as there’s no direct way for the
ECU to sense wear. It could manifest itself in other ways. Obviously in my
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
case it accelerated injector seal failure. Do you still have exactly the same
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
faults? I.e. smoke on start-up after standing? Does it clear up as it gets warm?
Does the engine run roughly? If you had the valve cover o I would expect a
worn cam would be fairly evident. One good way to check injector fuel
supply and return is to install a transparent return fuel line to the fuel lter
and watch for air bubbles.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=18631#RESPOND)

ale says:
21ST MARCH 2019 AT 11:27 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-23384)

no error code. when camshaft is worn you can se from 1000 rpm to 2000
loose power when is little worn and when is much worn you lose power up
to 2700 rpm… . from my experience with a seat leon 1m arl 1.9 tdi pd 150 bhp.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=23384#RESPOND)

Bateman says:
6TH APRIL 2018 AT 11:27 AM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19052)

Hi Joe, thanks for posting this up, looks like you did a meticulous job. My pd 150
golf su ered very tough running recently (virtually undrivable) and was
attributed to a very worn cam at 157k miles. I wasn’t as adventurous and just
had a garage replace this, followers etc and t a new loom I’d already
purchased. Just had it back, seems to be running ok but haven’t driven in anger.
They said they’d performed run in procedures and driven the car for an hour or
so but that I should go easy for a few miles. Did you change out the oil after a

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 41/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
short period after installation or just revert back to the change intervals as
normal? Did you also drive without hitting high revs/full boost for a time? Also
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
what PD oil do you use?
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
Many thanks!

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=19052#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:

6TH APRIL 2018 AT 1:44 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19055)

I did drive it fairly carefully for 500 miles or so to run everything in but stuck
to normal oil change intervals. First change since the cam replacement was
after 10,000. I use Comma PD Plus 5W40 in mine as it’s intentionally
designed for PD engines. I’ve stuck to an oil and lter change at 10k
religiously ever since.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=19055#RESPOND)

Macgyver says:
25TH MAY 2018 AT 3:07 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19964)

-1.46 2.52 -0.45 -0.64 I think 1 and 2 too much, you need correct that do you
know inside injectors have some plates under spring must be also changed.
cant nd video right now.

motor oil specs must be used the only recomm. numbers what manuals books
example 507.504 etc. How healthy your car is, 8k-10k is ne. Even LL service.

https://youtu.be/dS-4C0qGOMc (https://youtu.be/dS-4C0qGOMc)
https://youtu.be/ld9iywiuQMQ (https://youtu.be/ld9iywiuQMQ)
https://youtu.be/3jlZBLrq9ag (https://youtu.be/3jlZBLrq9ag)
https://youtu.be/CFIL9PjE6dk (https://youtu.be/CFIL9PjE6dk) injector
https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 42/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?
REPLYTOCOM=19964#RESPOND)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
ale says:
21ST MARCH 2019 AT 11:33 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-23385)

the speci ed oil from vw pd motors is to have the 505.01.

505.01 is a additive to protect form worn pump injector and camshaft lobes.
change oil at max 15,000 km or if not do that km max 1 year after must
change the oil too if you din’tt haved run that 15.000 km.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=23385#RESPOND)

Macgyver says:
25TH MAY 2018 AT 5:16 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19969)

https://www.upload.ee/image/8480253/Screenshot_227.png
(https://www.upload.ee/image/8480253/Screenshot_227.png) under spring,
also injectors must be a measure from the cylinder head
https://www.upload.ee/image/8480264/Screenshot_226.png
(https://www.upload.ee/image/8480264/Screenshot_226.png)

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=19969#RESPOND)

Joe Mann (https:// joeblogs.co) says:

25TH MAY 2018 AT 6:07 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19970)

Good videos there. I didn’t know about the spring in the injector… Good to know.
I knew the injectors should be measured from the cylinder head in order to
make sure the clamp is aligned correctly but I didn’t have verniers long enough

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 43/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
to do that. The car has done 20,000 miles since on Comma PD Plus without any
issues though.
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?
REPLYTOCOM=19970#RESPOND)

Macgyver says:
26TH MAY 2018 AT 9:31 AM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-19986)

Here https://youtu.be/QZnM5LWp2l8 (https://youtu.be/QZnM5LWp2l8)

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=19986#RESPOND)

Lauris says:
7TH MAY 2019 AT 12:19 PM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-23856)

Hi! At rst, thanks for your post! Things explained! Doing the same job with my
b6 passat with bmp engine. I have a problems with injector seals as well. What
do you think about injector seat reconditioning? I have changed injector seals a
year ago and now i have the same problem with blown seals again. Want to
add that wear in camshaft is caused by insu cient lubrication – good oil dont
do the job enough. I had an option to participate in timken oil tests and results
are not satisfying. Only thing that helps is oil additive. I tried myself a TSL
additive and results now satisfy me. Old rough and damaged surfaces now are
smooth as mirror. If interested google it up. Take care with oil pump and
ballancing unit. These is a piece of hex rod that tends to break or wear. But,
thumbs up! Like your job.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=23856#RESPOND)

Will says:

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 44/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
14TH JANUARY 2020 AT 7:27 AM (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/2015/10/11/VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-
ISSUES/#COMMENT-43111)
Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)
Hi. This is very detailed. I have changed injector on my 1.9 tdi. Put it back
Privacy (https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
together and values are at 0. But i have cam cover leak by tandem pump. I
didnt use any sealant at all. My old seal wasnt leaking but i thought while i was
at it, could do with relplacing a seal, so i bought Elring seal with the bolts. Now
its leaking.

REPLY (HTTPS://JOEBLOGS.CO/ 2015/ 10/ 11/ VW-GOLF-TDI-PD-ENGINE-ISSUES/ ?

REPLYTOCOM=43111#RESPOND)

Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required elds are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 45/46
2/7/2021 VW Golf TDI – PD Engine Issues

(https://joeblogs.co/)
POST COMMENT

Home (https://joeblogs.co) Contact (https://joeblogs.co/contact/)

This site uses
Privacy Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed
(https://joeblogs.co/privacy-policy/)
(https://akismet.com/privacy/).

SEARCH

Search …

CATEGORIES

Select Category

ARCHIVES

Select Month

Proudly powered by WordPress (https://wordpress.org/) | Theme: Sydney

(https://athemes.com/theme/sydney) by aThemes.

https://joeblogs.co/2015/10/11/vw-golf-tdi-pd-engine-issues/ 46/46