Aluminum flecks in oil filter

[TiGeo]

Here you go folks. Glad I stopped driving it and am getting it sorted. Bummer as I just filled it a few weeks ago with a fresh change of HPL 5W40 custom blend. This will end up with Liquimoly Leicthlauf High Tech 5W40 back in it which is fine. Clearly the source of the aluminum bits as well as elevated Al in my UOAs. It's rare to hear about issues with the timing chain tensioners/chains on the MK7/gen 3 vs. the previous gen 2.0 in the MK6 but I drive it hard so there you go.

From my trusted Euro shop:

Quick update. TLDR: it’s a ticking time bomb.

The timing chain tensioner is all the way out and has been cutting into the timing cover plug. You will need chains, tensioners, rails and the oil pan needs to be taken down to make sure there isn’t debris in it. Ideal time to upgrade to the aluminum oil pan as well. I have parts on order and will try to get you some kind of time and price estimate in the next day or so. I will not see all the parts until mid-week at the earliest and we leave for Watkins Thursday, but will try to expedite when we return because I know you have events coming up.

 

[twouvakind]

Man, how can you be sure that they root out all the aluminum after repair? Only one way to find out hooner!

 

[sk_pete]

Mesh inlet will not let them in,or?

 

[RooflessVW]

Man, how can you be sure that they root out all the aluminum after repair? Only one way to find out hooner!

It's a real concern.

Best you can do without a full rebuild is several successive and short oil changes.

 

[TiGeo]

Man, how can you be sure that they root out all the aluminum after repair? Only one way to find out hooner!

I'd say any small bits are either 1) in the oil pan or 2) already removed in the filter. I'm not concerned about that. The oil they put in will be the third change in 1K miles...I'd say I'm good. I've been beating on this car since it made this noise in April...if it hasn't blown up already it isn't now.

 

[OLEJOE]

Thanks for the update.

 

[RooflessVW]

I'd say any small bits are either 1) in the oil pan or 2) already removed in the filter. I'm not concerned about that. The oil they put in will be the third change in 1K miles...I'd say I'm good. I've been beating on this car since it made this noise in April...if it hasn't blown up already it isn't now.

There will be metal in the lifters at a minimum. If there is a cascade failure from this event I'd wager it will be valvetrain.

 

[ZeeOSix]

There will be metal in the lifters at a minimum. If there is a cascade failure from this event I'd wager it will be valvetrain.

Oil has to go through the oil filter before getting to the oiling system.

 

[TiGeo]

There will be metal in the lifters at a minimum. If there is a cascade failure from this event I'd wager it will be valvetrain.

Why wouldn't the filter have taken care of that? I really think any issues would have reared their head by now, this made this noise 6K miles ago and in that time it's been pushed hard. 40+ drag runs at the track. 3-4 days of straight hairball/redline mountain hooning.

 

[TiGeo]

The shop said the "spring tang piece is mangled and the tensioner is all the way out". I wonder if that was the noise I heard in April when this started - it was loud and heard lots of rattling/bad sounds for a minute before shutting up. I bet they find something in my oil pan.

 

[RooflessVW]

Oil has to go through the oil filter before getting to the oiling system.

Why wouldn't the filter have taken care of that? I really think any issues would have reared their head by now, this made this noise 6K miles ago and in that time it's been pushed hard. 40+ drag runs at the track. 3-4 days of straight hairball/redline mountain hooning.

Bypass events, smaller particles than the filter removes, etc.

Anyone know what VW's filter efficiency is?

Like I said, there's nothing you can really do about it. Change the oil a few times and hammer on it. It'll fail or it won't, as you've already said.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Bypass events, smaller particles than the filter removes, etc.

Anyone know what VW's filter efficiency is?

Like I said, there's nothing you can really do about it. Change the oil a few times and hammer on it. It'll fail or it won't, as you've already said.

Bypass events depends on how much the car was revved super high before the oil was at full operating temperature. It's always good practice on every vehicle to keep the revs low until the oil is fully warmed up.

This case is one reason to run a high efficiency oil filter. Anything getting past a high efficiency filter isn't going to cause an engine failure (like the valve train "blowing up"), but still might cause a bit more engine wear.

 

[TiGeo]

Bypass events depends on how much the car was revved super high before the oil was at full operating temperature. It's always good practice on every vehicle to keep the revs low until the oil is fully warmed up.

This case is one reason to run a high efficiency oil filter. Anything getting past a high efficiency filter isn't going to cause an engine failure (like the valve train "blowing up"), but still might cause a bit more engine wear.

I don't hit it hard cold/until oil temps are at full operating temps. The filters I've used since new are by Mann.

 

[PimTac]

The frequent oil changes may have saved you from a new motor. Fingers crossed

 

[Vermess]

40+ drag runs at the track. 3-4 days of straight hairball/redline mountain hooning.

All this with a tensioner that looks like that. Some stuff ain't fair. Glad it wasn't worse.

Now that it's diagnosed, why not bring the car home and change out the timing components???

 

[TiGeo]

The frequent oil changes may have saved you from a new motor. Fingers crossed

What saved me from a new motor was complete luck that I dropped it off when I did b/c the noise was getting more regular.

 

[TiGeo]

All this with a tensioner that looks like that. Some stuff ain't fair. Glad it wasn't worse.

Now that it's diagnosed, why not bring the car home and change out the timing components???

Why not pay the shop that has always taken care of/done the large mods on this car that warranties their parts/labor for 3 years/36K? My time is worth more and TBH, I'm past that part of my life ahhahaha. Working on the ground on cars sucks. I take care of the basic stuff is about all. Parts are already ordered and should get it back next week. In the meantime, it's been nice driving my W8 Passat! I really like these guys, my son works there, and I'm happy to pay them to fix it.

 

[TiGeo]

Also - I was right all along..tensioner!

 

[MRC01]

Also of note, "my guy" wasn't overly concerned to hear about the metal glitter in the oil filter..."yeah, that can be pretty normal".

... From my trusted Euro shop: Quick update. TLDR: it’s a ticking time bomb. ...

I just noticed this thread and can only say - what a bummer! I cut open & inspect the oil filter for the Lycoming O-360 in my airplane at every oil change. It always has tiny bits of metal in it, in addition to tiny spots of carbon/dirt that I can crush between my thumbnails. That's normal. But this "normal" is much less metal, and much smaller, than what you showed in your original photo. The amount of junk in a single pleat of your filter element is what I typically see across all the pleats in the entire filter. While it's true that every used oil filter will have some junk in it, so you can't freak out about a few bits, but you can't ignore it either. The difference between "normal" and "problem" is a judgement call requiring experience.

This excess metal may or may not appear in UOA, which is why we do BOTH the UOA AND the filter inspection. Different kinds of wear, producing particles of different sizes, some captured by the filter and others pass through and stay in the oil.

What saved me from a new motor was complete luck that I dropped it off when I did b/c the noise was getting more regular.

Wise move!

 

[MRC01]

PS: since I occasionally drive my Mazda in a spirited fashion through its entire RPM range, you have me wondering how that impacts the cam chain & tensioner (2014 Skyactive 2.0). Motorcycles rev about twice as high as cars and still last a long time, so revs aren't necessarily bad for an engine. But I did wear out the cam chain tensioner in one of my motorbikes.