Cloth Ears
A2OC Donor
We’ve been together since early 2006, my September 2004 tdi90 Sport in Mauritius Blue, and me. It had 3000 miles up when I bought it, and now has 95000 pretty well-cared for miles under its belt.
It has just celebrated its 10th birthday by lunching its engine.
I’d taken it to Awesome for a cambelt, service and MOT. While changing the sump seal, they found the crankshaft thrust washers sitting in the bottom of the sump.
On closer inspection, the engine is toast. I’m gutted. There was absolutely no indication of a problem, no noise, no smoke, it was running as well as it ever had when I drove it to Awesome on Wednesday. There was a tiny bit of chatter from the clutch, which I put down to a worn thrust bearing. I was planning to put in a new clutch at 100k miles (it’s still on the original) anyway, so wasn’t concerned.
It’s always been well cared-for, annual service irrespective of the longlife schedule, for the first 4 years by a main dealer, thereafter by Awesome. Always used VAG longlife spec fully synthetic oil, and quality parts.
It has repaid me by lunching its turbo at 48,000 miles (a leaky intercooler hose is suspected), the aircon compressor, numerous front wheel bearings, the front anti-roll bar, and various other bits and bobs.
So, it has to go. I'll miss it, but for me it is BER. I’m looking to replace it with something cheap to run and reliable. Maybe a TVR…
Any comments or suggestions, I’m in Manchester. It’s cosmetically perfect apart from a minor car park door ding and scuff on one of the doors, and a small scuff on the front bumper; interior is still very tidy and, until this happened, it still drove as well as the day I collected it, 8 ½ years ago. I'm actually very loathe to part with it but can't see an alternative right now; to all intents and purposes this is a very nice, well cared-for example with lower than average miles for its age and a shedload of history. I thought we'd be together forever.
It has just celebrated its 10th birthday by lunching its engine.
I’d taken it to Awesome for a cambelt, service and MOT. While changing the sump seal, they found the crankshaft thrust washers sitting in the bottom of the sump.
On closer inspection, the engine is toast. I’m gutted. There was absolutely no indication of a problem, no noise, no smoke, it was running as well as it ever had when I drove it to Awesome on Wednesday. There was a tiny bit of chatter from the clutch, which I put down to a worn thrust bearing. I was planning to put in a new clutch at 100k miles (it’s still on the original) anyway, so wasn’t concerned.
It’s always been well cared-for, annual service irrespective of the longlife schedule, for the first 4 years by a main dealer, thereafter by Awesome. Always used VAG longlife spec fully synthetic oil, and quality parts.
It has repaid me by lunching its turbo at 48,000 miles (a leaky intercooler hose is suspected), the aircon compressor, numerous front wheel bearings, the front anti-roll bar, and various other bits and bobs.
So, it has to go. I'll miss it, but for me it is BER. I’m looking to replace it with something cheap to run and reliable. Maybe a TVR…
Any comments or suggestions, I’m in Manchester. It’s cosmetically perfect apart from a minor car park door ding and scuff on one of the doors, and a small scuff on the front bumper; interior is still very tidy and, until this happened, it still drove as well as the day I collected it, 8 ½ years ago. I'm actually very loathe to part with it but can't see an alternative right now; to all intents and purposes this is a very nice, well cared-for example with lower than average miles for its age and a shedload of history. I thought we'd be together forever.
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