Can someone explain VW 502/505 cert?

[JAG]

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Where are you seeing these particles?? Yes, sound like something to worry about.
On my engine at least (2003 transverse 1.8T), there is a plastic hose that comes up to join up with the rubber Y-Hose. The other branch of the "Y" joins up to a nipple on the valve cover. I saw those particles when I looked inside the plastic hose and the Y-Hose. Your engine may be different but see what you can take apart that is part of the PCV system. If you get a look inside, please let me know how filthy it looks.

I like your serviceability rating idea for cars. It seems that the really cool, performance-oriented cars are the generally the least serviceable. Turbo cars are especially bad!

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Agreed but then, most things they would want to look for are not readily available, would you agree? I mean, sure, you can look in the oil filler area, but valve train/timing belt etc are pretty difficult to "look" at.
The thing that helps is that the area you can see through the oil fill hole is one of the most deposit-prone parts of an engine, so if it is bad there, it's probably bad in the valvetrain too.

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I'm expecting mine to go. These things always seem to happen when we''re out of town. Had a fan-short keep blowing one of the fuses on the battery mounted box last time I was in West Chester, Pa. O2 sensors in Fla and N.C. I guess I was lucky I blew a coil and the transmission went both near home.
Man, that sucks. Mine has been much more reliable than that. Knock on wood...

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And yet ChiTDI loves GC. I guess it just depends?
Yeah, it does depend and it makes no sense to me because some oils have worked very well for one guy's engine and not in another guy's same engine type. Besides the 1.8T, a moderator here named ekpolk used to have an Infiniti G35 and GC worked so well in his. That convinced me to try it in mine. It burned it up at two to three times the rate that every other oil I've tried in it(M1 0W-40, Syntec 10W-30, M1 10W-30, Amsoil ACD). I gave GC approximately 15,000 miles (3 oil changes) to "settle in" in the engine and the oil consumption was actually worsening, not improving. It is a pain to check the oil in the G35 and oil consumption is not good for catalytic converter and O2 sensors, plus it costs money, so this was a deal-breaker with GC.

 

[kbuzbee]

Originally Posted By: JAG
...Your engine may be different but see what you can take apart that is part of the PCV system. If you get a look inside, please let me know how filthy it looks.


Will do, but I can't take TOO much apart until I get something to replace all those single use clamps (who ever thought THOSE were a good idea?).

I went poking around that area after reading the (a?) thread on vortex about replacing both PCV hoses. I was trying to figure out if mine needed replacement and whether it was something I thought I could do myself. I found a small hole in the upper hose (actually looked more like a slice(?) on the back side of the part of the Y that goes into the valve cover. Didn't find anything on what I could get to of the lower hose.

Thing is, I still don't know if this is something I should tackle. It looks pretty tough to get my HUGE hands into all those little places ;-) The issues I'm trying to balance are:

1. The aftermarket parts are silicon and should last longer
2. but my factory parts already have 122K on them, that's "pretty good"!
3. It's very difficult to get into these places and
4. most people seemed to think you'd wind up breaking something else in the process.
5. Barring #4 it would be cheaper to do it myself and
6. I'd get a better feel for the kinds of stuff I'd find along the way (sludge or whatever)

Any thoughts??

Originally Posted By: JAG
I like your serviceability rating idea for cars. It seems that the really cool, performance-oriented cars are the generally the least serviceable. Turbo cars are especially bad!


Agreed (on the turbo thing). So where do we start a petition to someone to get turn this idea into reality???

Originally Posted By: JAG
The thing that helps is that the area you can see through the oil fill hole is one of the most deposit-prone parts of an engine, so if it is bad there, it's probably bad in the valvetrain too.


Ah, well that makes sense. I'll get some picts in a bit and post them here.

Originally Posted By: JAG
Man, that sucks. Mine has been much more reliable than that. Knock on wood...


I suppose so, but, you know, every time stuff like that happens I try to force myself to sit back and remember how truly blessed I've (we've ;-) ) been that nothing has ever happened that REALLY stranded us. Sure there have been delays and $$ outlays but things could have been MUCH worse. For the most part I think things have worked out VERY well. I TRY to remember that when I'm shelling out $500 to get us back on our way and that we've always been able to afford what was required (at least so far ;-) ).

Originally Posted By: JAG
Yeah, it does depend and it makes no sense to me .... It is a pain to check the oil in the G35 and oil consumption is not good for catalytic converter and O2 sensors, plus it costs money, so this was a deal-breaker with GC.


Understood! I think I'll run it in my wife's Eclipse first and see how it works there (a less demanding environment both mechanically and usage wise. I have too many other things i want to try in the Jetta before pouring in some GC but, at some point I think I'll try it too. If/when I get to that point, I'll post it up here.

Ken

 

[kbuzbee]

Here are four different angles:

I lightened them up a bit to try to take out some of the shadows.

Do these show anything of interest or are they the wrong angle??

Ken

 

[JAG]

Thanks for posting those pictures. The varnish is very thin on the portion of the valve cover shown in the pics. The metal below that looks super clean. The black plastic appears to have something on it but I can't tell if it's just road particles or something else.

Considering how it's quite clean and that your UOA had a decent flashpoint (measure of fuel dilution), I think your PCV system is still working decently. The only semi-urgent matter is to repair the slice in your Y-hose or replace it (it's not cheap). Silicone glue might seal the slice if you clean the area with a solvent first.

I think that the question of how much else to do with the PCV system can be driven by whether you would enjoy doing it. It can be fun to clean something out and put it back on the car. I'm soon going to do that with the intercooler (for 2nd time). On the 1st time, mine was coated in all the nasties that were in my PCV system which acts like an insulator and increases restriction. I hope this time it is much better.

 

[kbuzbee]

I might do it myself in warmer weather. For now it's duct taped....

Thanks for the input.

Ken