Aluminum flecks in oil filter

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.
Honestly - I think this really is a "$hit happens/things break" deal - a bazillion folks drive these MK7 VWs with 2x+ stock power, I've found only 1-2 examples of this issue in the online-VW-a-verse. My car is a v. mild example of power increase BTW on these cars.
 
Honestly - I think this really is a "$hit happens/things break" deal - a bazillion folks drive these MK7 VWs with 2x+ stock power, I've found only 1-2 examples of this issue in the online-VW-a-verse. My car is a v. mild example of power increase BTW on these cars.
Mild example?? Aren't you at 360 wheel??? What's a more extreme example putting down??? No worries about rods???
 
Mild example?? Aren't you at 360 wheel??? What's a more extreme example putting down??? No worries about rods???
360 crank - 300-320 wheel would be the best estimate. Golf Rs at 500 wheel...stock internals. Seriously, these MQB VW engines are great. Many GTIs/Rs at the 400 wheel mark. Internals etc. when you start getting past 500 wheel.
 
360 crank - 300-320 wheel would be the best estimate. Golf Rs at 500 wheel...stock internals. Seriously, these MQB VW engines are great. Many GTIs/Rs at the 400 wheel mark. Internals etc. when you start getting past 500 wheel.
400 wheel, a good set of brakes and a set of coil over setup, a car the size of a r would give supercars fits on the track.
 
Hope I can get some pics when they drop the pan (even though there really are 2 pans and the upper one is covering the goodies) as well as the timing chain cover etc. Also, here is most recent UOA metals trend data:

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Hope I can get some pics when they drop the pan (even though there really are 2 pans and the upper one is covering the goodies) as well as the timing chain cover etc. Also, here is most recent UOA metals trend data:

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Ooohhhhhhhh....look at the Silicone.....I knew it.....it's the K&N "rock catcher" . Throw the whole engine away!!!!!
 
Ooohhhhhhhh....look at the Silicone.....I knew it.....it's the K&N "rock catcher" . Throw the whole engine away!!!!!
That is from the HPL oil - VOAs show ~10ppm Si where most oils are closer to 0 and these results are about 12 if I recall. The rising Si trend is when I started using HPL.
 
That is from the HPL oil - VOAs show ~10ppm Si where most oils are closer to 0 and these results are about 12 if I recall. The rising Si trend is when I started using HPL.
That's right. HPL and the K&N.....deadly combination of engine wrecking. Those guys at HPL made the oil to slippery and the timing chains just....and the tensioner just......sorry, lost my train of thought with this absolute b/s.


I think I diagnosed it...the problem started with....not pointing any fingers....but the issue is the lunatic holding the steering wheel.....most likely culprit.
 
Just saw this thread this morning and have been reading it throughout the day. Glad you figured it out before completely wrecking the motor. I guess this goes to show you can’t rely on the scan tool to verify timing chain stretch.
 
Just saw this thread this morning and have been reading it throughout the day. Glad you figured it out before completely wrecking the motor. I guess this goes to show you can’t rely on the scan tool to verify timing chain stretch.
I don't think I was looking at all the channels that you need to to verify this.
 
For anyone interested Charles aka "The Humble Mechanic" tears down a "blown up" ea888 gen 3 2.0 out of a GTI. My 1.8 is basically the same in most respects sans the variable valve lift on the exhaust cam and the slight 0.2L displacement difference which I believe is stroke.

 
Well the plot thickens....really weird situation. Just swung by the shop and talked to them, some high strangeness indeed!

Firstly - engine is eat-off clean inside so thanks Liquimoly/M1/Quaker State/LM MoS2/LM Ceratec/LM Engine Flush and last but not least....HPL oil and engine cleaner!

So the root cause? Bolts that were holding the timing chain tensioner to the block both snapped causing the tension to become cattywampas and the spring broke (piece of in the oil pan). Can't believe I drove it for ~6 mos. this way including hard mountain hooning and over 40 runs down the drag strip. The loud noise on startup in April had to be it breaking. This caused rubbing in a few places which is clearly the source of the higher aluminum in my UOA and bits in the filter. The strangeness part now...1) the bolts that broke were not factory parts, they were v. lightweight aluminum and 2) there are paint marks all over for timing it...that is not how they come from the factory. Our guess is that since I bought this car new with about 50 miles on it that either at the factory or port something was wrong and it was re-timed and the bolts...who knows why they used those non-factory fasteners. I'll be writing VW a letter with all the pertinent details. She called the dealer and they had no records that I wasn't privy to. I'm incredibly lucky to not have to have a new engine. My shop is great. Should have back on Wednesday.

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Well the plot thickens....really weird situation. Just swung by the shop and talked to them, some high strangeness indeed!

Firstly - engine is eat-off clean inside so thanks Liquimoly/M1/Quaker State/LM MoS2/LM Ceratec/LM Engine Flush and last but not least....HPL oil and engine cleaner!

So the root cause? Bolts that were holding the timing chain tensioner to the block both snapped causing the tension to become cattywampas and the spring broke (piece of in the oil pan). Can't believe I drove it for ~6 mos. this way including hard mountain hooning and over 40 runs down the drag strip. The loud noise on startup in April had to be it breaking. This caused rubbing in a few places which is clearly the source of the higher aluminum in my UOA and bits in the filter. The strangeness part now...1) the bolts that broke were not factory parts, they were v. lightweight aluminum and 2) there are paint marks all over for timing it...that is not how they come from the factory. Our guess is that since I bought this car new with about 50 miles on it that either at the factory or port something was wrong and it was re-timed and the bolts...who knows why they used those non-factory fasteners. I'll be writing VW a letter with all the pertinent details. She called the dealer and they had no records that I wasn't privy to. I'm incredibly lucky to not have to have a new engine. My shop is great. Should have back on Wednesday.

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Is that brown sheen in the bottom of the pan the Liquid Moly additive? :D Sorry, have to ask since I know you and @Trav recently discussed this.

You are extremely lucky! And glad to hear a root cause was determined, though what a bizarre saga! Amazing how that ended up happening.
 
Is that brown sheen in the bottom of the pan the Liquid Moly additive? :D Sorry, have to ask since I know you and @Trav recently discussed this.

You are extremely lucky! And glad to hear a root cause was determined, though what a bizarre saga! Amazing how that ended up happening.
No. Just the lighting. Fresh clean HPl oil is all.
 
Less cam chain tension for more HP. 🏁:D
Basically my chain of events (haha) is bolts snap. Tensioner goes all the way out. Spring in tensioner breaks and jams it so it maintained tension. I'll post up the pics of the parts when I get it back.
 
Is that brown sheen in the bottom of the pan the Liquid Moly additive? :D Sorry, have to ask since I know you and @Trav recently discussed this.

You are extremely lucky! And glad to hear a root cause was determined, though what a bizarre saga! Amazing how that ended up happening.
Really cool to be able to see your internals like that. It's so clean.
 
So the root cause? Bolts that were holding the timing chain tensioner to the block both snapped causing the tension to become cattywampas and the spring broke (piece of in the oil pan). Can't believe I drove it for ~6 mos. this way including hard mountain hooning and over 40 runs down the drag strip. The loud noise on startup in April had to be it breaking. This caused rubbing in a few places which is clearly the source of the higher aluminum in my UOA and bits in the filter. The strangeness part now...1) the bolts that broke were not factory parts, they were v. lightweight aluminum and 2) there are paint marks all over for timing it...that is not how they come from the factory. Our guess is that since I bought this car new with about 50 miles on it that either at the factory or port something was wrong and it was re-timed and the bolts...who knows why they used those non-factory fasteners. I'll be writing VW a letter with all the pertinent details. She called the dealer and they had no records that I wasn't privy to. I'm incredibly lucky to not have to have a new engine. My shop is great. Should have back on Wednesday.


Good to hear. That doesn’t sound like something a port of entry auto center would do. I thought they repaired minor damage and installed add ons etc.

I had thought VW was shipping out of Mexico by rail but I read now that they do use ships on a Pacific coast route.

I will be curious as to the response you get back from VW.
 
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