T5 Engine siezed Help!!!

[vincecow]

Hi.
I have a 2005 T5 Transporter Automatic with 160,000klm and the engine has seized.
A new engine is $17,000 plus fitting, a 2nd hand engine is $8,500 plus fitting with no guaranee.
I loved the car but repairs are too expensive .
Any suggestions?
Is this model a lemon?
How long is gearbox expected to last?
Are engine rebuilds possible (or overhauled exchange)?
Regards
Vince

[Rebuild]

How do you even seize a diesel? Did you run it without oil or water?
What has seized?

2004-2006 are generally regarded as having soft cams and dodgy waterpumps.Mine is good so far(135K).They are not lemons.
Gearbox will last as long as it's treated well, as with anything.Fluid and filter changes.Valve bodies wear out but are rebuildable/replaceable.

Oh yeah, and welcome.

[Sunny43.5]

Welcome from me as well I will only add as a current owner of this model that the engine if its the same as ours which has gear driven cam is as solid as a rock , I can't complain about its toughness and fun factor . Auto's not so fun if I had known what I know now 4 years ago I would not have had the grief I had last year when the auto failed $11000 . But if you can find out the vans history especially the auto . DO NOT let VW service people tell you like they did to us that they cannot be serviced go somehwere else and get the sump removed new filter and clean out refill and hopefully it should be good for some more kays . As for lemon no certainly not they did have a couple of problems in the early days as reported here water pumps and exhaust manifoilds cracking are all I am aware of oh sometimes the intercooler hose will blow of easy fix just fit some screws to the join saves heaps and lasts forever . Good luck with yours strange that it seized can you enlighten us on how it happened ??

[jets]

I am aware of a T5 with the same engine failing in Adelaide. The owner told me that at first the coolant light came on so he stopped to top it up. A short time later the light reappeared & once again he topped it up. The next time[same trip] another light also appeared saying something like call the workshop. The van was trucked into the dealer where after diagnosis the owner was told a new engine was needed for around $22,000. After some talking the quote was reduced to $18,000. I had spoken to a couple of people since & it has been repaired, probably for around $10,000 [ don't quote me on this though]
The owner isn't mechanically minded but it appears that the water pump failed letting coolant into the oil. Eventually the engine couldn't run on the diluted oil & gave up.
For the regulars on this forum, member transporter has given details on how to check the water pump but for others who just drive the end result can be a very large bill.

[Sunny43.5]

Yes Jets the same thing happened to ours many years ago but did not blow the engine [must have been lucky] we were 380kms from Brisbane out near Mundubbera and the coolant light and buzzer went off , checked water container and added about a litre then every hundred kays or so it would repeat . I thought the water was leaking from underneath and spent time looking during the next few weeks until in desperation I booked it into dealer and they replaced the water pump , strange thing was I checked the oil with no change in the level or its condition at all really odd that was .

[vincecow]

The water pump was replaced about 20,000 ago it has been serviced twice since,with the correct lubricant.
The oil light came on momentarily a couple of times With oil level OK.
The engine raced to full revs and the van took off. I got it under control And shifted to neutral then the engine stalled and now won't move.
The NRMA towed it to a good VW mechanic who diagnosed it as seized.

[Rebuild]

Diesel runaway??
search youtube
Engine lunches itself on leaking turbo oil seals and runs on the oil in intake, until oil is gone.
here's some good info

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/stop-runaway-diesel-engine-how-to.htm

For an auto there is the antishudder valve on the intake which hopefully can be manually shut by turning the spindle(for a vacuum operated valve), while the engine is at full revs.That is MY plan anyway.
You have to block the air intake somehow.
Anyone have other ideas? for an auto

A manual is easier, just stick in high gear and apply brakes I guess.

[Sunny43.5]

Wow that was an interesting read I can now see how his might have seized but there could be hope as it may only be the turbo . Needs a more in depth diagnosis from an experienced VW mechanic familiar with the T5 's maybe . Even the "experts" can get a diagnosis wrong local VW dealer told me our camshaft was broken even though the engine was running as smooth as a button just a metallic noise so after two days they told me it was an airconditioning compressor bearing had failed .

[idaho]

If it has had a runaway (and it seems very much like it from the OP's description) the engine will be stuffed. The engine runs flat out until bearings / crank / conrods seize from lack of oil (which has all been pumped into the intake).