1998 VW Passat Oil Emergency

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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)

Non-interference engine, it will survive...

Thanks, Nate and Peter. Good news is always welcome. :>)

Matt:

Thanks for the tip and the l>> From what three mechanics have told me, the timing belt is gone and that I

PeterD:

I found out today that my 1.8T is (was) an >>Now my '88 VW Rabbit Cabriolet (1.8 L, 8 V gasoline engine) may be another >>story.

actually the 1.8l 8V gas engine VWs are non-interference.

Thanks, Matt.

you need to know why the TB broke? Was it because of a low oil pressure issue and the camshafts seized? One year old TB's just don't break if done correctly. It maybe possible that you engine falls under the VW sludge repair bulletin, but you go to have oil change records.

Except that it was 2.5 quarts low. If the owner down't maintain the oil level, he's SOL. The turbo probably is also on it's way with such a low oil level. I agree about the 1 year old TB.