VW Heritage T5 Buying Guide

[jets]

Camshaft wear and driveshaft stubshaft failures are common on both the 1.9L and 2.5L TDIs.

I came across this reconditioning site related to the camshaft wear problem. [Thanks Sharkie]

SSCH Southside Cylinder Head Service, ERA Engine Reconditioning Australia

Go to Reconditioning Process page & click on VW Turbo Diesel Camshaft Issues.

[Transporter]

I came across this reconditioning site related to the camshaft wear problem. [Thanks Sharkie]

SSCH Southside Cylinder Head Service, ERA Engine Reconditioning Australia

Go to Reconditioning Process page & click on VW Turbo Diesel Camshaft Issues.

The camshaft wear problem in T5 AXD and AXE engine, only if you don't use VW506.01 oil in the engine. Which probably many didn't.


The naives who always know better than the manufacturers:
PD cam failure - Data collection thread - TDIClub Forums

[jets]

I must say I was surprised to read what Southside Cylinder Head Service said "The exact cause of the failure is still yet to be pinpointed but poor lubrication to the top end is likely to be playing a major part" I would have thought that they would speculate that the correct oil was probably not always used, as I would have.
I tried reading the link provided to the TDI Forum but after a couple of pages I got bored with some of the nonsense & stopped reading.
My main interest in this is my Mk5 TDI PD engine that has ALWAYS been treated with the correct oil, works perfectly.
Transporter, have you serviced many high mileage PD engines without camshaft related problems?

[Transporter]

There are quite a few MK5 PD engines there with well over 200,000km that I've serviced, 1.9 or 2.0TDIs.

You use a correct oil, change it on time and they go for ever, even on the original set of injectors.

[Sunny43.5]

Might be the wrong time to make an admission here but my trusty old 2005 T5 humble 2.0 litre manual petrol has at times not had the correct oil for that matter many times if the oil needed topping up I would grab whatever I had laying around just to avoid the dreaded rattle on start up [it's my warning that the oil is low anyway ]Whilst I only add a litre or two I can now say that after 300000 kays no issues with camshaft . I wonder why the diesels with lower kays have this issue anyone got a idea I am interested .

[Transporter]

Might be the wrong time to make an admission here but my trusty old 2005 T5 humble 2.0 litre manual petrol has at times not had the correct oil for that matter many times if the oil needed topping up I would grab whatever I had laying around just to avoid the dreaded rattle on start up [it's my warning that the oil is low anyway ]Whilst I only add a litre or two I can now say that after 300000 kays no issues with camshaft . I wonder why the diesels with lower kays have this issue anyone got a idea I am interested .

Sunny43.5
Simply because the correct engine oil is more critical for the diesel engine than for the petrol one. There are much higher pressures in the TDIs.

[Sunny43.5]

I only have limited knowledge of the diesels but I thought the compression thing was the biggest difference cant see why it would make a difference to the cam .

[Transporter]

I only have limited knowledge of the diesels but I thought the compression thing was the biggest difference cant see why it would make a difference to the cam .

In addition to opening and closing the valves, in PD diesels the camshaft lobes are used for actuating the PD injectors, which operate on a very high pressure. This is not valid in petrol engines or CR diesels.

[Sunny43.5]

Ok makes sense , like I said not a mechanic but needed to know .