Blown motor, tensioner failure 2.0TSI 2012 GTI 93K miles What would you do?

glad you're deciding to go that route

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Probably not in the cards. It's a fantastic upgrade and I was offered a used, 8k mile K04 for $1000, however the mandatory software upgrade at $899 from APR put the brakes on that. Not to mention a recommended exhaust and intake upgrade. So while it's a great price per horsepower upgrade, $1900 right now is pretty rough to justify. Unless I'm missing something? Sucks to not do it though!

Motor is still at the machine shop. Guy wants to take the heads off in order to drill in and remove the sheared stud/broken off extractor. I am not going that route, no need to take the heads off. I'm going to take my time with a Dremel and some stone bits to grind the entire thing out. Not scared, Jalopnik covered a very similar scenario https://thegarage.jalopnik.com/heres-how-you-remove-a-fractured-bolt-extractor-tip-fro-1746998630

Just need to go back and get the motor. 6 days now, for nothing? That's how these things go! Hopefully more to come tomorrow.

Happy you decided to go this route and following your thread closely.. Did your motor experience any symptoms before failing?

We're back! Went and picked up the motor after the shop said 'take the head off and bring it in'. No thanks, not easy or cheap! I can do this. Spent hours grinding and drilling out the carbide extractor and stud. After several bits and grinding pins, I got it down pretty deep! I wasn't perfectly on center, so it got interesting in the end. Had to tap it to 5/8 size since the M8 was drilled out and the tap wouldn't bite. I was just plain out of options. Helicoil is a big question mark, and I didn't have a stud big enough. So, what you see is an SAE 5/8 Bolt middle finger to German engineering! I'm all for originality, but this just works! Torqued is down to 18 ft/lbs perfectly. So glad to have a solution that didn't cost a thing, other than some beers for my buddies helping me.

Here is the sheared stud, deep and showing a little drilling. The extractor is on the right side, hard to see but it's in there and wasn't coming out!





Turbo is ON!!!!

Did your motor experience any symptoms before failing?

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Actually, yes it did. Let me preface this statement with the fact that I drove a 2003 S8 for a year with a failing tensioner that clacked at start-up for 1.5 seconds. Extremely common to that car and by no means a deal breaker, something I thought nothing of. So the noise was familiar. I mistakenly assumed the tensioner in the GTI was bad, but given my experience it wouldn't kill the car! So, it clanged for a week before failing on shutdown. After that, it would not restart for me, and the rest is history....

Looks good, nothing wrong with a "jerry rig" that works!!

Its just amazing you took this job on, and watching you do it all with your shared pics and all is very cool....Keep us posted.


Jeff

Hey again. Transmission and motor have been mated together and torqued down. Alternator and compressor attached. Hoses attached and the motor has been reinstalled. Now just to reconnect the downpipe, cv joints and plug in the electricals and radiator and push the go button! That will be nerve wracking. I hope to have most of it wrapped up tomorrow, stay tuned!

Whoa, now that's "easy" access. I looked up how much work it is to pull all that off the front, any particular reason you went that route instead of dropping it from the bottom?

Mostly because I don't have a lift, or any way other than jack stands to raise the front end up enough to sneak it out. And to be honest, taking the front end off was no big deal. Looks harder than it was.

So cool you had the nerve to do this yourself. The cost to have this done for sure may have broke the bank.

The fact you tackled this on, never had done this before or anything?

Pretty Cool...

arty0038:


Jeff

In the 20 degree weather the other day my 2012 GTi started dying after a minute of idling and then driving it 30 mph. Then I got camshaft position delay and other camshaft error codes. Cleared those then I got all 4 cylinder misfire codes. Did some trouble shooting and replaced some electrical parts which did nothing. Took it to VW dealer and found out that the spool valve on the camshaft has separated. So there’s a whole list of parts reccomended to replace when this happens and it has 130,000 miles so they want to replace the tensioner (which I already have the new version), timing chain, a bunch of gaskets, brackets etc and it’s gonna cost $4,900 if I let them do it.

Are there any great VW shops in the Austin/Round Rock area that would do a great job and cheaper?

SO CLOSE!!!!

Can't help you Doc, on the other side of the country. I recommend starting a new thread. Or, doing it yourself.....

Got her almost completely buttoned up and ran into a show stopper: Missing a retainer clip for the turbo pressure pipe. I have one for the radiator side, missing the turbo side. VW wanted $5.00 and 2 days to order one. So I made one, came out pretty damn good. Never done anything like this before either, this was cool.



After this, add air intake, battery, oil and antifreeze and hit the 'go' button! Anyone have insight for adding anti-freeze? I don't see a cap. I see the expansion tank, but its small. Also, do I have to bleed the system or will it be okay to just add the minimum amount?



Spent most of my day on my back, looking up and getting dirt in my eyes. Exhaust hook up and CV Joints. I hate CV Joints!
I don't see why tomorrow isn't the day....

Good job!!! We are going to nickname you MacGyver :thumbsup:

Cant help you with the Coolant part. All I have heard its a real PITA to get all the air out of the system.

I am sure someone here has done it many times and can chime in.


Jeff

There is no radiator cap or anything to fill coolant, you put in in the reservoir. All you do is let the car run for 15 minutes and keep adding coolant until the level stops going down. Burp the radiator hoses a few times. Also drive it around for a little bit and check to see if you need to add any more.

Coolant is added through the expansion tank. Fill up the coolant until you have a even level in the tank, start the car let it get to normal operating temp and keep adding coolant until it levels out.

Thanks for the tips

Well, installed completely, oil and fluids and turned the key. Took lots of cranking but fired up eventually! It's a little lumpy at idle and a few spots in the rev range, hoping it's just been a while since it ran.

That's the good news. Bad? Well, the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree! I can figure out some of the lights. Not sure why the power steering is yellow or the traction control light is on? But, the check engine is on and light blinks a lot, cylinder 4 misfire P0304. I was iffy installing the manifold and didn't feel great about how it seated itself. Think I messed up there? I can remedy that if so, new injector seals and a new manifold if necessary. Any other ideas? PCV Valve? I understand it could be anything. Can't be sure about all the parts that came pre-installed on this motor. Best part of the old motor is I have a lot of spares! I can swap out PCV. Though I'm a little bummed out by all these lights.

I'm going to button it all up, headlights and bumper and take her for a long drive to see it I can burn anything out of it tomorrow.
Thanks for following along everyone, keep the tips coming, we're getting there!

GreggGTI said:

Well, installed completely, oil and fluids and turned the key. Took lots of cranking but fired up eventually! It's a little lumpy at idle and a few spots in the rev range, hoping it's just been a while since it ran.

That's the good news. Bad? Well, the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree! I can figure out some of the lights. Not sure why the power steering is yellow or the traction control light is on? But, the check engine is on and light blinks a lot, cylinder 4 misfire P0304. I was iffy installing the manifold and didn't feel great about how it seated itself. Think I messed up there? I can remedy that if so, new injector seals and a new manifold if necessary. Any other ideas? PCV Valve? I understand it could be anything. Can't be sure about all the parts that came pre-installed on this motor. Best part of the old motor is I have a lot of spares! I can swap out PCV. Though I'm a little bummed out by all these lights.

I'm going to button it all up, headlights and bumper and take her for a long drive to see it I can burn anything out of it tomorrow.
Thanks for following along everyone, keep the tips coming, we're getting there!

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An illuminated amber power steering light is normal after unplugging the battery, as is an illuminated amber traction control light. Their respective modules have forgotten their adaptations.

The steering light should turn off of you turn the steering wheel lock to lock a couple of times, and the ESC light will turn off once you drive it a few feet.

Well done. I tip my hat to you.