Disagree. My colleague is a VW connoisseur, they don't look clean inside like this when the oil wasn't changed. He had a 1.9 diesel that never had a change done, only top ups. 250000+ KM and anywhere that wasn't occupied by a moving part was PACKED with "grease".
I refuse to give up my 2.5 VW 5 cylinder Passat. It's been perfect for 150,000 miles and still pulls like new. But, I'm always on top of maintenance. That's key especially for the transmission
@@DrivingInFocus I also believe it doesn’t have low tension rings. I also forgot to add that it also specs for VW 502 00 5w40 oil which is a really good approval for non direct injected motors. Great protection.
Yes, people always criticized its low power output for its size (even though the Volvo 2.4 was about the same without a turbo), but it obviously paid off in the long run.
@@benjamindoyle668 They can get over 400 hp with some work, and can do it reliably without replacing major internals. The older 2.5s even had forged cranks!
My girls 2012 jetta is almost at 200k and it's had little issues here and there but nothing super bad now the rest of the car like the moon roof was dog water the interior has fallen apart 😳 like the panel on the passenger side between the door and seat . The map light section has cracked and the head liner has begun to sag that being said it's a 12 year old vehicle .. then I look at my 02 blazer xtreme the head liner is fine the interior isn't falling apart .
@walter68bug98 as of right now I'm pretty sure yeah, I got it with 180k on it last June Havent done the vacuum pump delete yet, but have put a newer 5 speed in it for WAY better fuel mileage now
Eric it looks like that poor thing was run without enough oil. My 05 Jett holds 7 quarts of oil. I've been told to never run it low on oil. 5 quarts is not enough to keep it from cooking itself. Thank you sir for another great video.
I had a Jetta also with the 2.5 and I also needed the same amount of oil. It is a noticeable difference compared to some 4 cylinder engines that only hold 4 quarts. The Nissan Rogue I have now has a 2 liter engine and it takes 4 quarts (maybe a smidge less than that) and they advertise a 5000 mile oil change interval for that vs the 10,000 for the VW 2.5. Of course depending on the oil you use 10,000 miles would be way too many for it. I am thinking about the average crap found at Walmart for example (I don't actually buy that stuff!!)
The manual for my 2014 2.5 says 6.3 quarts. The VW dealer where I bought it new, would only put 6 quarts in, and call it good. That would only get the level up to the "add" mark. The newer VW engines take less oil. The owner might have taken it to a quicky change place that would only put 5 quarts in, or the guy only took it in for an oil change when the oil light came on? I don't know what oil consumption is like on these, because I have the oil changed every 5,000, instead of the 10k VW specifies, and the oil is always still on the "full" mark.
Considering the damage here and the clean oil up top, it's impressive. It's clearly ran low/out of oil, started making a racket so they put oil in it (finally!). Poor thing
@@gldgti I wonder if NO oil was put in at the oil change? No oil until bad sounds started happening..the oh shit moment... and then 6.4 quarts of new oil got circulated but all the glitter was already on the pan floor.... and the noise made them shut it down and declare it dead very shortly thereafter?
I have a 2010 Golf with a 5-cylinder like this, and I LOVE it! I put a straight pipe on it and it sounds like a Lambo when I romp on it! I only just passed 125k miles and the car has never had any issues. I love seeing the other comments from fellow happy owners.
Check the vacuum pump area -- that's on the timing side of the engine. Chances are you will find an oil leak there. It seeps through either of the two gaskets in the pump, but most often through the one between the cast iron engine block and the aluminum pump body. It's a very common problem on this otherwise great engine and probably has nothing to do with the driving style or maintenance habits; it just happens after a certain time/mileage. I had mine changed at around 140K, but I am sure it had been leaking for a long time before I found out (my mechanic never told me about it!). It is a "silent" leak. In my case, the expelled oil never dripped on the plastic shield on the bottom of the car or the ground. Instead, it just spread itself on the surrounding engine block and transmission cowl surfaces. You will need to inspect that spot with a flash light as it's kinda buried deeper down. The vacuum pump replacement can be a DIY job if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and voiding the warranty on the new pump. This is because the removal of the original pump and installation of the new one requires removal of the outer cover plate of the pump so that you can flip the darn thing over the protruding shaft of the transmission shift selector. The latter part also must be removed... There are a few TH-cam videos on how to do this pain in the neck job. If not the DYI route, dropping the transmission is the only remaining option. As a matter of fact no mechanic will agree to do the repair in the DIY style. Naturally they want to make the money, so prepare to shell out well over a grand for it... Of course, you can probably keep driving with the leaky pump and the grimy engine. In that case, check the oil level regularly, which you should probably do anyway. 🙂
Thanks, Eric! I was one of the people who asked you to tear down one of these, so this is a special treat! I currently drive a 2006 Jetta. 150 HP is lots of fun with a 5 speed manual behind it!
Perfect, nothing i wanted to watch on TV! As a retired mechanic, i like the way manufacturers hide bolts, a treasure hunt!! Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 to you and the family!
I would argue that the 2.5 is the best engine vw has made, requires very little maintenance and it runs forever. My 09 rabbit has 515k on it now and that is after just getting back from a 9k road trip with zero powertrain issues. I literally beat the piss out of mine, redlining it all the time and towing 5k LBS or more with it on a weekly basis. Unfortunately the body will be rotten before the motor is done
@@jpchow4617 I believe that is the olny reason why i will have to stop driving this car, the body will literally crumble away around the powertrain. The car will still cruise down the highway at 100mph all day long feeling rock solid even with 500k on it
Most reliable engine I've ever owned was the Mercedes 617952 3.0l turbodiesel in a 1983 300D-T. I sold the car with 450,000 original miles on it and the new owner kept driving the car until it rusted away to nothing. That engine was incredible - it simply never failed and never required any repairs. 8 qts. of oil at 3k intervals.
I had many of the Mercedes 616 and 617 engines. I did manage to ruin a 616 (don't ask how; I actually am not sure) but had a 617 that came to me with a bad knock and I drove it for ages that way, even turning up the fuel injection and thrashing it. Its final pull for me was a 1 ton diesel van full of scrap metal up a steep hill several miles long. It hated me for it, but did it. I eventually sold them all, including the knocker, as running units. Very tough engines.
That “thermostat housing” is a gift from God, they have the same plastic housing, basically, on the 2 L and you can freeze that thing solid fire it up and drive it for an hour while it thaws out the ice and all you have to replace is that housing, ask me how I know I will tell you
@ 200,000kms And the one I pulled off my car didn’t show any signs of that but when the engine froze that was the part that softened and saved the car. I thought because of all the fittings on it, the fact it was plastic and it was on a German car it was gonna be expensive but in Canada it was $13 at Lordco. I will take that part blowing up when the motor is frozen and driven for an hour because I have to get to where I’m going more than my fear of wrecking an engine over a head gasket ANY DAY!!!! Note: yes it had coolant but it had gone bad and this day was a record low during a record snow storm
We had one in the shop for an engine from a local body shop. Owner had crashed into a ditch and busted the radiator then waited idling for an hour before calling a tow truck then waited idling until the engine died for the tow truck to arrive. The valve cover had melted. The intake manifold had melted and plastic extruded into the intake ports and into the cylinders. Spectacular.
I want your "Give it to me straight" shirt. That engine had a lot of metal transfer in that one cylinder. Overheated is an understatement here. Watched many of your videos. Seen many destroyed pistons. But never until now have I seen a melted piston. Great video!
Not to be pedantic, but there were two variants of the 2.5 we got in the US. We had the BGQ/BGP which made about 150HP in the earlier MK5's, then the later MK5 and MK6's had the CBUA/CBTA which made 170HP. I've got a 2008 Rabbit with the CBUA and a 5-speed manual and it's stone-dead reliable. It's got typical VW intermittent issues, but otherwise it's a great engine.
Brother inlaw has this engine in a gti with a five speed transmission, very realiable but hard no fuel . With the EA888 that replaced this 2.5 there is alot things VW changed in the engine design to make it endure 330 hp in the Golf R 2.0L. Great tear down , and Thanks.
@@russellvoth5161 these 2.5 07k engine make a very reliable 400hp on stock internals with 10lbs of boost. Head flows very well, like Honda k series good. Due to its Lamborghini head design. Iroz motorsports uses a Jetta junkyard iron block on his 1300hp RS3.
Greetings. Eric, first I love your channel. Every teardown is a new adventure. I am in need of a good pry bar and "Blue" appears to work well for you. Where can I buy my own "Blue"? Have a great holiday season.
I’ve heard multiple accounts of people reaching over 500k miles on original engine, I personally did 200k miles without a single thing breaking and it never burnt oil
Had a 1977 Audi 5000 manual, someone once said it sounds like the poor mans V8 with that offbeat 5-cyl exhaust note. Ran like a dream till the rust got it.
Finally, an engine I can get behind! In my case, I owned 5 Acura Vigors with the G25A1 5 cyl. I even built a block from scratch after buying a new crank from the dealer - don't think that didn't turn heads at the parts counter! Pretty bullet proof, but my first one broke the cam, necessitating a rebuild. Cheers! Biker Bill in Little Rock
Hey, I own one of these engines! It’s in my 2-weeks project car that I’ve been fixing for 8 months… (electronic gremlins). I can confirm they sound great and they are fun to drive. Mine is (for the moment) hooked up to a 6-gear Tiptronic which in a convertible is fine, I think… It’s great to hear that they are reliable: we never officially got them in Europe and now Volkswagen is in a deep meltdown -> the only support is what I can do to it.
@ MY ‘98 is a bit of an outlier (they still thought of a very limited production run), but still: the body harness on this car is the work of the devil.
Definitely one of VWs underrated engines. I see them in my shop with 220k miles quite a bit and not much going on with them. As far as reliable inline 5s go, id say late 90s-early 2000s Volvo might be the golden standard.
I had an 05 Volvo XC90 with the 2.5 liter. Bought it just before covid used as a mechanics special after another vehicle of mine was totaled. I had to do the PCV service which required dropping the oil pan because the drain back to the pan was solid carbon. Even after that and almost 200k miles on it the engine looked fantastic inside. Once the PCV service was done, new timing belt and water pump, new plugs and coil packs, fluids swapped, brake pads and rotors swapped and struts and control arms along with new ball joints, I drove it back and forth to work for 3 years and put about another 40k miles on it, for maybe $4k all in on the car. Was excellent. Gave it to a friend of mine when I moved away and he's put another 15k on it. That engine will probably top 300k easy given how it looked.
@sergeizakharkin4908 Yeah my 2003 S60 with the 2.5T was solid but the car felt haunted. If I got out the car and locked it, it would randomly lock and unlock itself for like 15 seconds. The most bizarre experience Ive ever had with a vehicle 😄 It would only do it once every 3 weeks though so it wasnt too annoying
@@timesup6302 Not sure if its problem solely with the early P1 platforms, like my oldie cruiser, but 90% of electronics issues Ive encountered were because of a sub-optimal battery. Just about fixed every electronics problem got fixed with a new battery (the designed flaw sunroof is not doing any early P1 chassis owners any favors for the last 10%)
That is one gnarly piston. That thing got heat discoloration on the rod, but it didn't melt the piston at the wrist pin which is incredible. The scrappy side of that piston definitely got hot enough to spread around the aluminum with the friction. I can't imagine that piston staying together much longer. A few more miles and I suspect we would have had a few inspection ports and a disconnecting rod going to war to create some piston nuggies in there.
Looked like it had been run for a long time with stuck rings on that cylinder the piston just slapping around in that cylinder not being centered by the rings I'm sure the check engine light was doing the blinking thing screaming you have a serious misfire
Important note at 2:00, the first iteration of the 07k made 150 hp and 170 ft/lbs of torque. This iteration was used in the MkV body styles (05.5-10). The second iteration of the 07k made 170 hp and 177 ft/lbs of torque. The bump in hp comes from a redesigned exhaust manifold as well as a slightly different intake manifold if I'm not wrong.
@@seanmowry7708 they also upped fuel requirement from 87 to 91, so they probably also messed with ignition timing (my 05 says 87 on the fuel lid, but i have seen newer ones requiring higher octane)
Finally! I’ve been asking for this engine for months now. Now we just gotta see that one liter three cylinder Mitsubishi motor that comes in the mirage
I had a 2008 Rabbit with this engine. Bought it new and drove it hard for 90k miles. I think the only maintenance on the car was new tires several times and 3 oil changes, at most. That engine never even hinted at having a problem. Indestructible and pretty good power too.
I currently drive a 2011 Jetta with this engine in it and it has been absolutely wonderful. The only thing I ever had to do it was replace a coil pack once. It just hit 100k miles and is not showing any signs of problems.
ENGINE REQUEST --- 4.2L inline 6 out of 2007 +/- GMC Envoy or Chevy Trailblazer. Just wanna see the innards. I have an 07 with a P0203 code I was gonna fix over a weekend ... 2 months ago. I'm patient/persistent though; I'll get it. Compression test next good weather day. You're my favorite TH-cam video every Sat nite. Natchez MS ... in da 'Sip.
My sister bought an early production 05 Jetta 2.5 new. Sold it 3 years ago at almost 200K running beautifully. Didnt burn oil. Other than the typical Mk5 quirks - sagging headliner, conductor plate (replaced at 135K), cooling fan module(only replaced once at 100K), and the sprayed on coating on a few interior switches, the interior and original paint were mint. The woman who bought it for her daughter thanked my sister for it being so immaculate compared to everything else she looked at.
I have been watching your videos for 3 years now, great job, have you ever torn down any GM 4.2 6cyl engines ? I have a '07 Trail Blazer, used and I got my first LEMON, it has a small head gasket leak, don't know which cylinder, between my health and the weather I'm hoping to get thru winter and get something else in the spring. My curiosity is getting the better of me and I want to see the inside of one, I hear they are notorious for head gaskets. Thanks again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and your employees.
Subj: Cosmopolitan elocuence. Thanks James for the detail, as a non English native speaker I'll take that to enrich my vocabulary and verbal elegance. Eric ⭐👍.
I had a 2012 VW Passat 2.5L with the 5-spd manual. One of the few xars i ever regretted trading. What made these engines so good in terms of longevity was the slightly more complex timing chain configuration. Shorter timing chains means less total stretch. Which is why the later model cars that had the timing chain guides & tensioner problems resolved lasted so long. This is one of the few VW group engines with rear mounted timing chains that DONT need to serviced before ~100k miles at least for later model cars. Compared to the other VW offerings, that had timing chains on the back of the engine these were great!
You never service the timing chain on the 07k. Its for tue life of the vehicle. Theres one on reddit with over Million miles, uncracked motor. 10k oil changes too.
@@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo Yep. Thats partially due to good engineering on VWs part. Shorter timing chains stretch less. I wish I kept that car... But a 6spd manual Dodge Challenger Scat Pack called my name.
Ooo i have a 2013 Jetta 2.5 SE as my commuter car. Ive had 2 issues with it, but neither are issues with the engine itself. 1. A/C compressor died, but that can happen to any car, not a 2.5L issue 2. I had an unlucky chipmunk sleeping on the serpentine belt one morning when went to start it up. Threw the belt, but didn't damage anything. RIP little guy. Also not a 2.5L issue
That rocking piston would look great as a desk trinket. When you launch engine parts across the shop at your employees, give a good loud warning like INCOMING!!!
They probably quit making it because of CAFE and EPA standards. All these complicated turbo motors for the benefit of 2 or so MPG just doesn't make sense to me. They won't last nearly as long which means more environmental impact than any potential savings. STUPIDITY
@@daves3402 They were talking about fuel economy, not emissions. While burning slightly more fuel per mile does slightly increase emissions, they are not really the same conversation.
Reminds me, I always take trips to Detroit coming from Toronto, up until 2019 as you approached Windsor/ detroit about 100 miles out you could literally see a brown haze off in the distance covering the 2 cities..then in 2018 the Ontario government scrapped emissions tests, and suddenly there were more catless cars than before and by 2019 you just simply could not see any brown haze over the 2 cities from a distance as you approached it not to mention a lot of people have since moved to windsor cashing in on the inflated toronto prices and til this day i dont see any more brown haze as i approach windsor/detroit...my thinking is a bit crude but seems like going catless cleaned up the atmosphere there lol
I got a 11 Jetta with the 2.5 with 230k it never left me stranded. The only things I replaced were the plugs, coils, oil, filter, and belt. Other then that it been cheap to own as a beater
One of your first teardowns was on a Canyon/Colorado inline five. I had finished optimizing the process with the rest of the team for the balance shafts for the two motors.
One thing you should know is VW recommends 10k oil changes. And the cap is stamped Castrol. But I always change mine at 5k. Shoulda removed the wrist pin on the rocking piston, I wonder if the bearing showed signs.
The unique growl of the 5cyl is awesome. I had an early Audi 5000 and with a mild after market exhaust, it was smooth And reliable with proper maintenance.
I've seen some videos lately where inline engines have been mounted on the engine stands sideways instead of at one of the ends -- at 2:50 it seems there was some places that "might" have worked --
These are overall excellent engines. The earliest ones had a flaw with the timing chains that allowed the top chain to jump teeth on the intake camshaft, oftentimes leading to interference damage. It would also happen if the crank was ever turned backwards. VW quietly fixed it, but never publicly acknowledged the problem. It was primarily the 2005.5-2007 Jetta engines, and it was (probably) only in some of the BGP engine codes. Nobody really knows the exact fix, but the chain replacement kits for BGP/BGQ engines are slightly different from the CBTA/CBUA engine you have here. My 2005.5 BGP engine had the chain problem, which is indicated by loud chain noise prior to failure. Engines without the problem will have chain noise only with cold oil, but are quiet after warmup. I replaced the engine with a BGQ from a 2007 Rabbit, and it hasn't shown any of the same problems, so it's likely one that VW fixed. Still, it's common to replace the chains, etc, when replacing the clutch.
Oh wow, more piston vapor! How does that oil squirter look? Been a while since I worked on one of these, but I recall the squirters being the last item on the flow chain. Low oil pressure will starve the most distant wrist pin, and it being a full-floating wrist pin actually works against it. Just thinking out loud though! Also fairly certain that's a nitrided crank, and if that's the case, then holy muffins that thing got HAWT.
If you do retain the head for resale (I assume you already know) the cam bridge plate has to go with it. VW/Audi mills the head. Line bores the journals and then slices the bridge off making the tolerances unique for each engine.
Missed a huge chance to cover one of the cylinders on your shirt with tape, for the full i5 combo
If there is anyone on TH-cam that deserves a tool sponsor it's you Eric!
@@chadhensley6078
Bingo PAL, really enjoy this young man 💯👍😎✌🏻✌🏻
Tools, or a company that makes plastic tote bins.
......BLUE ! 💙
@@daewooparts Haha true.
Nope!!
Buy your own tools!!!
They make you money.
Donations never build anything!!!
Time for you to grow up!! Man up!!
The oil pump design is great! Too bad no one ever changed the oil.
Disagree. My colleague is a VW connoisseur, they don't look clean inside like this when the oil wasn't changed. He had a 1.9 diesel that never had a change done, only top ups. 250000+ KM and anywhere that wasn't occupied by a moving part was PACKED with "grease".
@@brianwelch1579I mean that's what you get for never properly changing the oil
I refuse to give up my 2.5 VW 5 cylinder Passat. It's been perfect for 150,000 miles and still pulls like new. But, I'm always on top of maintenance. That's key especially for the transmission
hell yeah I keep up on the maintenance I have one at 290k right now
Part of this engine’s longevity is that it’s in a low stress application, port injection and 6.4 quart oil capacity.
Agree.
It's also a closed deck with fairly short chains, a cam girdle, and a
Rotor oil pump. Solid combination.
@@DrivingInFocus I also believe it doesn’t have low tension rings. I also forgot to add that it also specs for VW 502 00 5w40 oil which is a really good approval for non direct injected motors. Great protection.
Yes, people always criticized its low power output for its size (even though the Volvo 2.4 was about the same without a turbo), but it obviously paid off in the long run.
@@benjamindoyle668 They can get over 400 hp with some work, and can do it reliably without replacing major internals. The older 2.5s even had forged cranks!
Love my 5 cylinder.209k still going strong
Right on😊
My girls 2012 jetta is almost at 200k and it's had little issues here and there but nothing super bad now the rest of the car like the moon roof was dog water the interior has fallen apart 😳 like the panel on the passenger side between the door and seat . The map light section has cracked and the head liner has begun to sag that being said it's a 12 year old vehicle .. then I look at my 02 blazer xtreme the head liner is fine the interior isn't falling apart .
245k on mine so far lol
@@jayh9910 do you still have the original water pump and thermostat on yours?
@walter68bug98 as of right now I'm pretty sure yeah, I got it with 180k on it last June
Havent done the vacuum pump delete yet, but have put a newer 5 speed in it for WAY better fuel mileage now
Midweek teardown?
I'm up?
Guess I'll be watching for the forbidden glitter 😁
Eric it looks like that poor thing was run without enough oil. My 05 Jett holds 7 quarts of oil. I've been told to never run it low on oil. 5 quarts is not enough to keep it from cooking itself.
Thank you sir for another great video.
I had a Jetta also with the 2.5 and I also needed the same amount of oil. It is a noticeable difference compared to some 4 cylinder engines that only hold 4 quarts. The Nissan Rogue I have now has a 2 liter engine and it takes 4 quarts (maybe a smidge less than that) and they advertise a 5000 mile oil change interval for that vs the 10,000 for the VW 2.5. Of course depending on the oil you use 10,000 miles would be way too many for it. I am thinking about the average crap found at Walmart for example (I don't actually buy that stuff!!)
The manual for my 2014 2.5 says 6.3 quarts. The VW dealer where I bought it new, would only put 6 quarts in, and call it good. That would only get the level up to the "add" mark. The newer VW engines take less oil. The owner might have taken it to a quicky change place that would only put 5 quarts in, or the guy only took it in for an oil change when the oil light came on? I don't know what oil consumption is like on these, because I have the oil changed every 5,000, instead of the 10k VW specifies, and the oil is always still on the "full" mark.
Considering the damage here and the clean oil up top, it's impressive. It's clearly ran low/out of oil, started making a racket so they put oil in it (finally!).
Poor thing
@@gldgti
I wonder if NO oil was put in at the oil change?
No oil until bad sounds started happening..the oh shit moment...
and then 6.4 quarts of new oil got circulated but all the glitter was already on the pan floor....
and the noise made them shut it down and declare it dead very shortly thereafter?
So many people buy European cars without understanding that almost every single European engine takes 2 to 3 more quarts of oil than any other engine.
I have a 2010 Golf with a 5-cylinder like this, and I LOVE it! I put a straight pipe on it and it sounds like a Lambo when I romp on it! I only just passed 125k miles and the car has never had any issues. I love seeing the other comments from fellow happy owners.
Check the vacuum pump area -- that's on the timing side of the engine. Chances are you will find an oil leak there. It seeps through either of the two gaskets in the pump, but most often through the one between the cast iron engine block and the aluminum pump body. It's a very common problem on this otherwise great engine and probably has nothing to do with the driving style or maintenance habits; it just happens after a certain time/mileage. I had mine changed at around 140K, but I am sure it had been leaking for a long time before I found out (my mechanic never told me about it!). It is a "silent" leak. In my case, the expelled oil never dripped on the plastic shield on the bottom of the car or the ground. Instead, it just spread itself on the surrounding engine block and transmission cowl surfaces. You will need to inspect that spot with a flash light as it's kinda buried deeper down.
The vacuum pump replacement can be a DIY job if you don't mind getting your hands dirty and voiding the warranty on the new pump. This is because the removal of the original pump and installation of the new one requires removal of the outer cover plate of the pump so that you can flip the darn thing over the protruding shaft of the transmission shift selector. The latter part also must be removed... There are a few TH-cam videos on how to do this pain in the neck job.
If not the DYI route, dropping the transmission is the only remaining option. As a matter of fact no mechanic will agree to do the repair in the DIY style. Naturally they want to make the money, so prepare to shell out well over a grand for it... Of course, you can probably keep driving with the leaky pump and the grimy engine. In that case, check the oil level regularly, which you should probably do anyway. 🙂
If your engine oil is dirty, it's best to keep the pick-up clean by making sure that the end doesn't get submerged in the oil.
OK, that's comment o' the year
🤣🤣👍👍
@EricaMTB LMAO....you were being funny....right?
The timing chain tensioner pop gets me every time 😂😆👌
"I'm taking shrapnel!"
Thanks, Eric! I was one of the people who asked you to tear down one of these, so this is a special treat! I currently drive a 2006 Jetta. 150 HP is lots of fun with a 5 speed manual behind it!
The GM Atlas was a 5 cylinder you tore down a couple years ago.
I was remembering same too
I was going to say, I know he has to have torn down one of those GM I5s before.
In fairness, the Atlas is a very forgettable engine.
Your narrative is a riot. You're doing tear downs that we all wish we had time for. Great editing.
Perfect, nothing i wanted to watch on TV! As a retired mechanic, i like the way manufacturers hide bolts, a treasure hunt!!
Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄 to you and the family!
I would argue that the 2.5 is the best engine vw has made, requires very little maintenance and it runs forever. My 09 rabbit has 515k on it now and that is after just getting back from a 9k road trip with zero powertrain issues. I literally beat the piss out of mine, redlining it all the time and towing 5k LBS or more with it on a weekly basis. Unfortunately the body will be rotten before the motor is done
biggest threat to this vehicle is moisture and salt
@@jpchow4617 I believe that is the olny reason why i will have to stop driving this car, the body will literally crumble away around the powertrain. The car will still cruise down the highway at 100mph all day long feeling rock solid even with 500k on it
Most reliable engine I've ever owned was the Mercedes 617952 3.0l turbodiesel in a 1983 300D-T. I sold the car with 450,000 original miles on it and the new owner kept driving the car until it rusted away to nothing. That engine was incredible - it simply never failed and never required any repairs. 8 qts. of oil at 3k intervals.
I had many of the Mercedes 616 and 617 engines. I did manage to ruin a 616 (don't ask how; I actually am not sure) but had a 617 that came to me with a bad knock and I drove it for ages that way, even turning up the fuel injection and thrashing it. Its final pull for me was a 1 ton diesel van full of scrap metal up a steep hill several miles long. It hated me for it, but did it. I eventually sold them all, including the knocker, as running units. Very tough engines.
That “thermostat housing” is a gift from God, they have the same plastic housing, basically, on the 2 L and you can freeze that thing solid fire it up and drive it for an hour while it thaws out the ice and all you have to replace is that housing, ask me how I know I will tell you
How do you know?
Yeah, how do you know?
@ oh yah and it happened to me
Yes, and they will WEAR A HOLE THROUGH from coolant flowing through them. Seen multiple examples.
@ 200,000kms And the one I pulled off my car didn’t show any signs of that but when the engine froze that was the part that softened and saved the car. I thought because of all the fittings on it, the fact it was plastic and it was on a German car it was gonna be expensive but in Canada it was $13 at Lordco. I will take that part blowing up when the motor is frozen and driven for an hour because I have to get to where I’m going more than my fear of wrecking an engine over a head gasket ANY DAY!!!!
Note: yes it had coolant but it had gone bad and this day was a record low during a record snow storm
We had one in the shop for an engine from a local body shop. Owner had crashed into a ditch and busted the radiator then waited idling for an hour before calling a tow truck then waited idling until the engine died for the tow truck to arrive. The valve cover had melted. The intake manifold had melted and plastic extruded into the intake ports and into the cylinders. Spectacular.
I want your "Give it to me straight" shirt.
That engine had a lot of metal transfer in that one cylinder. Overheated is an understatement here. Watched many of your videos. Seen many destroyed pistons. But never until now have I seen a melted piston.
Great video!
Eric, a mid week video and it falls on my birthday? Best gift ever!!
As a former 2.5 driver, this video was a lot of fun. Thanks Eric!
Not to be pedantic, but there were two variants of the 2.5 we got in the US. We had the BGQ/BGP which made about 150HP in the earlier MK5's, then the later MK5 and MK6's had the CBUA/CBTA which made 170HP.
I've got a 2008 Rabbit with the CBUA and a 5-speed manual and it's stone-dead reliable. It's got typical VW intermittent issues, but otherwise it's a great engine.
Brother inlaw has this engine in a gti with a five speed transmission, very realiable but hard no fuel . With the EA888 that replaced this 2.5 there is alot things VW changed in the engine design to make it endure 330 hp in the Golf R 2.0L. Great tear down , and Thanks.
@@russellvoth5161 these 2.5 07k engine make a very reliable 400hp on stock internals with 10lbs of boost. Head flows very well, like Honda k series good. Due to its Lamborghini head design. Iroz motorsports uses a Jetta junkyard iron block on his 1300hp RS3.
Greetings. Eric, first I love your channel. Every teardown is a new adventure. I am in need of a good pry bar and "Blue" appears to work well for you. Where can I buy my own "Blue"? Have a great holiday season.
Love the channel!!!!! Do what you love and never work a day. Bless you and your family Eric!!! Thanks for the content man
Happy Holidays Eric to you and your family Thanks!
Thank you buddy! ❤️
I’ve heard multiple accounts of people reaching over 500k miles on original engine, I personally did 200k miles without a single thing breaking and it never burnt oil
22:17 It's so metallic in there it's asking for fuel, fire, and that which it desires!
OOOOOOooooo YEAHEAH
Well that's going to be stuck in my head the rest of the night. White knuckle tight!
Well played!
A bonus mid-week teardown. Thanks for that Eric!
Had a 1977 Audi 5000 manual, someone once said it sounds like the poor mans V8 with that offbeat 5-cyl exhaust note. Ran like a dream till the rust got it.
Finally, an engine I can get behind! In my case, I owned 5 Acura Vigors with the G25A1 5 cyl. I even built a block from scratch after buying a new crank from the dealer - don't think that didn't turn heads at the parts counter! Pretty bullet proof, but my first one broke the cam, necessitating a rebuild. Cheers! Biker Bill in Little Rock
Hey, I own one of these engines! It’s in my 2-weeks project car that I’ve been fixing for 8 months… (electronic gremlins).
I can confirm they sound great and they are fun to drive. Mine is (for the moment) hooked up to a 6-gear Tiptronic which in a convertible is fine, I think…
It’s great to hear that they are reliable: we never officially got them in Europe and now Volkswagen is in a deep meltdown -> the only support is what I can do to it.
My uncles 98 beetle. 5 speed manual 208k and an electrical nightmare
@ MY ‘98 is a bit of an outlier (they still thought of a very limited production run), but still: the body harness on this car is the work of the devil.
I had a Jetta with this engine. Loved it. Smooth as silk, no oil consumption, decent fuel economy.
Definitely one of VWs underrated engines. I see them in my shop with 220k miles quite a bit and not much going on with them. As far as reliable inline 5s go, id say late 90s-early 2000s Volvo might be the golden standard.
Aint that the truth! I own a 2005 S40 2.4i, still going strong at 195k miles! Electronics are a different matter tho
I had an 05 Volvo XC90 with the 2.5 liter. Bought it just before covid used as a mechanics special after another vehicle of mine was totaled. I had to do the PCV service which required dropping the oil pan because the drain back to the pan was solid carbon. Even after that and almost 200k miles on it the engine looked fantastic inside. Once the PCV service was done, new timing belt and water pump, new plugs and coil packs, fluids swapped, brake pads and rotors swapped and struts and control arms along with new ball joints, I drove it back and forth to work for 3 years and put about another 40k miles on it, for maybe $4k all in on the car. Was excellent. Gave it to a friend of mine when I moved away and he's put another 15k on it. That engine will probably top 300k easy given how it looked.
@sergeizakharkin4908 Yeah my 2003 S60 with the 2.5T was solid but the car felt haunted. If I got out the car and locked it, it would randomly lock and unlock itself for like 15 seconds. The most bizarre experience Ive ever had with a vehicle 😄 It would only do it once every 3 weeks though so it wasnt too annoying
@@timesup6302 Not sure if its problem solely with the early P1 platforms, like my oldie cruiser, but 90% of electronics issues Ive encountered were because of a sub-optimal battery. Just about fixed every electronics problem got fixed with a new battery (the designed flaw sunroof is not doing any early P1 chassis owners any favors for the last 10%)
OM617 (turbodiesel) is the the 5 cylinder standard.
That is one gnarly piston. That thing got heat discoloration on the rod, but it didn't melt the piston at the wrist pin which is incredible. The scrappy side of that piston definitely got hot enough to spread around the aluminum with the friction. I can't imagine that piston staying together much longer. A few more miles and I suspect we would have had a few inspection ports and a disconnecting rod going to war to create some piston nuggies in there.
Your shirt reminded me of the engine that was in my ex-1977 Datsun 280Z. It was an inline 6 Cylinder.
I had one with the 5-speed manual. Transmission ate me out of house and home, but the engine was bulletproof.
Jeep 4.0 LEGENDARY 💯👍😎👌✌🏻✌🏻
@@dantesinfernopurgatory7826 The 4-SPD was standard. Years later, the 5-SPD could be added. The 5th Gear was Overdrive.
@
Had a bunch a early VW bugs,
Bajas lots of fun…..
Thanks. That piston (part of a piston) that went through a cheese grater was SPECTACULAR. Thanks, Dude!
This is my favorite tear-down that did not involve a post-manufacturing inspection portal.
That piston was impressive!
Looked like it had been run for a long time with stuck rings on that cylinder the piston just slapping around in that cylinder not being centered by the rings I'm sure the check engine light was doing the blinking thing screaming you have a serious misfire
Important note at 2:00, the first iteration of the 07k made 150 hp and 170 ft/lbs of torque. This iteration was used in the MkV body styles (05.5-10). The second iteration of the 07k made 170 hp and 177 ft/lbs of torque. The bump in hp comes from a redesigned exhaust manifold as well as a slightly different intake manifold if I'm not wrong.
Not quite.. the 170hp revision happened in 2008, still in the MkV with the old style manifold. 150 has a MAF, 170 doesn’t
@seanmowry7708 Thanks, it's been a while since I've owned an 07k so my knowledge is a little rusty (just like my 07k Jetta was)
@@seanmowry7708 they also upped fuel requirement from 87 to 91, so they probably also messed with ignition timing (my 05 says 87 on the fuel lid, but i have seen newer ones requiring higher octane)
Wasn't there a 2.3 V5 in the Mk4 Golf (and maybe Passat?) with 150 horsepower (150ps) also?
@@benjamindoyle668 That sounds about right, that would be within the range of time where VW made VR5 and VR6 engines
Finally! I’ve been asking for this engine for months now. Now we just gotta see that one liter three cylinder Mitsubishi motor that comes in the mirage
I had a 2008 Rabbit with this engine. Bought it new and drove it hard for 90k miles. I think the only maintenance on the car was new tires several times and 3 oil changes, at most.
That engine never even hinted at having a problem. Indestructible and pretty good power too.
I currently drive a 2011 Jetta with this engine in it and it has been absolutely wonderful. The only thing I ever had to do it was replace a coil pack once. It just hit 100k miles and is not showing any signs of problems.
ENGINE REQUEST --- 4.2L inline 6 out of 2007 +/- GMC Envoy or Chevy Trailblazer. Just wanna see the innards. I have an 07 with a P0203 code I was gonna fix over a weekend ... 2 months ago. I'm patient/persistent though; I'll get it. Compression test next good weather day. You're my favorite TH-cam video every Sat nite. Natchez MS ... in da 'Sip.
My sister bought an early production 05 Jetta 2.5 new. Sold it 3 years ago at almost 200K running beautifully. Didnt burn oil. Other than the typical Mk5 quirks - sagging headliner, conductor plate (replaced at 135K), cooling fan module(only replaced once at 100K), and the sprayed on coating on a few interior switches, the interior and original paint were mint. The woman who bought it for her daughter thanked my sister for it being so immaculate compared to everything else she looked at.
Always enjoy learning from your videos, so interesting.
Love this tear down ❤
Absolutely crazy 😧
I have been watching your videos for 3 years now, great job, have you ever torn down any GM 4.2 6cyl
engines ? I have a '07 Trail Blazer, used and I got my first LEMON, it has a small head gasket leak, don't know which cylinder, between my health and the weather I'm hoping to get thru winter and get something else in the spring. My curiosity is getting the better of me and I want to see the inside of one, I hear they are notorious for head gaskets. Thanks again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, your family and your employees.
Very nice engine. Nice closed deck, and simple to work on. This is definitely a solid tuneable engine
Add another malapropism to Eric's vocabulary: "The next first thing I'm going to do." @ 4:50 🙂
Subj: Cosmopolitan elocuence.
Thanks James for the detail, as a non English native speaker I'll take that to enrich my vocabulary and verbal elegance.
Eric ⭐👍.
To be fair, he didn't want the next thing to feel like a loser coming second, so he made them equal. 😂
His way with words is what makes his videos so entertaining 😅
Its fun watching you do your job and the comedy you add to it LOL!
This video is motivating me a lot to finish my project car, which has one of these (the 150 HP version).
Thanks Eric!
I had a 2012 VW Passat 2.5L with the 5-spd manual. One of the few xars i ever regretted trading.
What made these engines so good in terms of longevity was the slightly more complex timing chain configuration. Shorter timing chains means less total stretch. Which is why the later model cars that had the timing chain guides & tensioner problems resolved lasted so long. This is one of the few VW group engines with rear mounted timing chains that DONT need to serviced before ~100k miles at least for later model cars. Compared to the other VW offerings, that had timing chains on the back of the engine these were great!
You never service the timing chain on the 07k. Its for tue life of the vehicle. Theres one on reddit with over Million miles, uncracked motor. 10k oil changes too.
@@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo Yep. Thats partially due to good engineering on VWs part. Shorter timing chains stretch less.
I wish I kept that car... But a 6spd manual Dodge Challenger Scat Pack called my name.
Ooo i have a 2013 Jetta 2.5 SE as my commuter car. Ive had 2 issues with it, but neither are issues with the engine itself.
1. A/C compressor died, but that can happen to any car, not a 2.5L issue
2. I had an unlucky chipmunk sleeping on the serpentine belt one morning when went to start it up. Threw the belt, but didn't damage anything. RIP little guy. Also not a 2.5L issue
That rocking piston would look great as a desk trinket. When you launch engine parts across the shop at your employees, give a good loud warning like INCOMING!!!
Fore!
Good to see you again Eric . Thanks for posting.
Love that shirt. Recognized it right away. Jeep 4.0!
They probably quit making it because of CAFE and EPA standards. All these complicated turbo motors for the benefit of 2 or so MPG just doesn't make sense to me. They won't last nearly as long which means more environmental impact than any potential savings. STUPIDITY
You would have loved LA in the ‘70s. No stupid epa rules, and lots of respiratory disease. Do you enjoy poison in your water too?
@@daves3402 They were talking about fuel economy, not emissions. While burning slightly more fuel per mile does slightly increase emissions, they are not really the same conversation.
@@daves3402 CO2 doesn't cause respiratory disease. Any modern car produces almost zero oxides. The 2.5 was ditched for MPG, not emissions.
Maybe you shouldn’t live in a town of 4 million. 🤷
Reminds me, I always take trips to Detroit coming from Toronto, up until 2019 as you approached Windsor/ detroit about 100 miles out you could literally see a brown haze off in the distance covering the 2 cities..then in 2018 the Ontario government scrapped emissions tests, and suddenly there were more catless cars than before and by 2019 you just simply could not see any brown haze over the 2 cities from a distance as you approached it not to mention a lot of people have since moved to windsor cashing in on the inflated toronto prices and til this day i dont see any more brown haze as i approach windsor/detroit...my thinking is a bit crude but seems like going catless cleaned up the atmosphere there lol
THANK YOU. I've been waiting for this episode. I'm one of the many requestors.
I got a 11 Jetta with the 2.5 with 230k it never left me stranded. The only things I replaced were the plugs, coils, oil, filter, and belt. Other then that it been cheap to own as a beater
Those of us who recall the Audi/VW five-bangers of the 1980s don't think of them as being sturdy or reliable.
This isn't one of those engines
My 91 was great.
I had an '82 Audi Coupe. It was a 2.1L single cam, 5 speed.
I don't think of anything VW/Audi as reliable.
They won WRC championships, so they had to be both.....
I had a 5 in my 1993 Eurovan, it was rated 105 HP. My 2001 was a huge upgrade in many ways.
Those were old 2valve engines with belt. Reliable too but sluggish.
@@juhomaki-petaja Thanks. Brakes faded, too.
Thanks for another VW engine. I would love to see a tear down of a VW 1.4 TSI. it doesn't have a dipstick tube for you to fight with!
Humble Mechanic has a solid 1.4 teardown, he's also done the W8!
@@griffinetchison4064 Thanks. I have seen that one. I want to see the 1.4 get the Eric treatment.
Especially a supercharged/turbo CAV/CTHD. Complex engine but an interesting design
One of your first teardowns was on a Canyon/Colorado inline five. I had finished optimizing the process with the rest of the team for the balance shafts for the two motors.
Need to see a GM 2.7 turbomax teardown since I own a truck with one in it curious to see any failures on these engines.
@19:45... that water pump, lol. That bolt played with you then you brought in the hammer
Whoa, this was epic! Keep it up!
Bot, go away Maggot
I'd love to see more import engine teardowns in general. Very interested in VW and Honda stuff from 2005 to about 2015.
Me 2! How about a 2nd gen 3.0L TDI?
Been waiting for this one. Absolutely love these engines. They sound great and can make some impressive power on stock internals
My mom had a Jetta with this engine. Decently quick and a great runner.
I think I recall you doing a 5 cylinder Audi.
Save that large spring in the oil pump. Perfect replacement for a recoil spring for an AR-15.
Speaking of the Nissan 300ZX , have you ever torn down a VG30DETT , brilliant videos , keep up the good work Eric .
Mine went 215k before i sold it and its still out there. Fantastic engines
One thing you should know is VW recommends 10k oil changes. And the cap is stamped Castrol. But I always change mine at 5k. Shoulda removed the wrist pin on the rocking piston, I wonder if the bearing showed signs.
Nice shirt!
My 2002 4.2 Trailblazer straight 6 that I bought new is still running strong at 247K 🙂
Wow. An oddball 5 cylinder tear down and a trip to a Metallic concert all in the same post. Why I like mid-week videos.
Oh yeah! Thank you for this one
My precious Jetta engine! Ill take this as a "how not to reck it"
I really love that T-shirt showing the only proper engine configuration
Sitting at 225k with my manual 2.5 beetle, still going strong and tons of fun to drive.
The unique growl of the 5cyl is awesome. I had an early Audi 5000 and with a mild after market exhaust, it was smooth
And reliable with proper maintenance.
Audis were junk
@@toddbob55 And they still are.
Every time I see one of those VW gear mesh oil pumps I'm reminded of my first engine rebuild which was an air cooled Beetle engine.
22:07 - That's what I call Cream of Bearing Soup.
I've seen some videos lately where inline engines have been mounted on the engine stands sideways instead of at one of the ends -- at 2:50 it seems there was some places that "might" have worked --
I have seen these become popular in Porsche 944’s. I never knew they existed. How does the i5 compete against the vr6
My 1988 2.3 5 cylinder Audi Quattro 90 series is a two valve 250,000 still going strong! it also finally has hydraulic lifters!🙂
These are overall excellent engines. The earliest ones had a flaw with the timing chains that allowed the top chain to jump teeth on the intake camshaft, oftentimes leading to interference damage. It would also happen if the crank was ever turned backwards. VW quietly fixed it, but never publicly acknowledged the problem. It was primarily the 2005.5-2007 Jetta engines, and it was (probably) only in some of the BGP engine codes. Nobody really knows the exact fix, but the chain replacement kits for BGP/BGQ engines are slightly different from the CBTA/CBUA engine you have here. My 2005.5 BGP engine had the chain problem, which is indicated by loud chain noise prior to failure. Engines without the problem will have chain noise only with cold oil, but are quiet after warmup. I replaced the engine with a BGQ from a 2007 Rabbit, and it hasn't shown any of the same problems, so it's likely one that VW fixed. Still, it's common to replace the chains, etc, when replacing the clutch.
I had one in a VW Transporter twin cab Pickup. First gear wouldn't work, but that motor pulled from second gear like a champ.
I've owned a couple of Jettas, the body rusted off by about 200k but the engines were still going strong.
Cracked myself up. I imagined you making a unhappy smiley face in the oil pan silvery oil goop.
Ah, bringing back memories of the Acura 5cyl I used to have. Great car and engine.
Oh wow, more piston vapor!
How does that oil squirter look? Been a while since I worked on one of these, but I recall the squirters being the last item on the flow chain. Low oil pressure will starve the most distant wrist pin, and it being a full-floating wrist pin actually works against it. Just thinking out loud though!
Also fairly certain that's a nitrided crank, and if that's the case, then holy muffins that thing got HAWT.
Thank you for taking the time to show us 07k enthusiasts how this motor operates. Super informative!
Woke up and was shocked with this episode right on the screen of my tv. Absolutely stoked considering i own a couple of these engines 😆
Great teardown, thanks for sharing the video. 👍
Mine has 160k runs great but I change the oil and fix things and pull over if needed 😆 thanks for the video really appreciate it ❤
If you do retain the head for resale (I assume you already know) the cam bridge plate has to go with it. VW/Audi mills the head. Line bores the journals and then slices the bridge off making the tolerances unique for each engine.
Glad to see this episode. Got 254k miles on mine in my Rabbit. Going strong, engine will out live the body sadly though
Love that T-shirt!
Signed,
A Ford 300 c.i. straight-six owner
i have a 2.5L MT JSW and it's a great engine for around town driving.