car struggling to move

[eclipsalon]

So this morning I turned on the car and it was idling normal at 1k. Last night I replaced the radiator so this morning I waited for the car to fully warm up just in case the water had frozen overnight. I reversed the car fine out of the driveway but as soon as I put it in 1st it almost died as I gave it gas almost as if the throttle cable wasn't working. I thought the clutch might have been going out but it wasn't over reving when I took off.
While I was on my way to work thinking it would go away, I was in third barely going 30mph at wot, not surpassing 3k rpm and hit full (wastegate) boost. Barely got the car got home and noticed it started overheating and when I popped the hood it seemed as if it was the turbo that the smoke/hissing was coming from. Kinda stumped now at work thinking what maybe be wrong.
Blown turbo?
btw cars a 91 tsi fwd. No mods other than uicp

 

[scott90gsx420]

Why would it have froze? Did you use the correct amount of water-antifreeze amount? You should pull the intake off the turbo and check for shaft play. You did start the car after you swapped the rad. right?

 

[AlaskanDsm]

So quick question.. When the car is in neutral, the car runs fine correct? No idle issues?

On another note, when you release the clutch does the car feel like it just doesn't want to move forwards? I am just clarifying for myself.

I had a similar issue happen to me where for whatever reason, my car was missing 1 of the 2 bolts that held in the driver front axle and the other bolt sheered off. This caused the axle to slip out of the transmission and caused almost the exact same problem you are describing minus the overheating. It is an easy check although unlikely.

 

[eclipsalon]

Why would it have froze? Did you use the correct amount of water-antifreeze amount? You should pull the intake off the turbo and check for shaft play. You did start the car after you swapped the rad. right?

No I don't have the right water/anti-freeze mixture, also didn't start the car once I put in the radiator.

So quick question.. When the car is in neutral, the car runs fine correct? No idle issues?

On another note, when you release the clutch does the car feel like it just doesn't want to move forwards? I am just clarifying for myself.

I had a similar issue happen to me where for whatever reason, my car was missing 1 of the 2 bolts that held in the driver front axle and the other bolt sheered off. This caused the axle to slip out of the transmission and caused almost the exact same problem you are describing minus the overheating. It is an easy check although unlikely.

Forgot about the axles, ill check those out when I get out ### mine are in pretty bad shape.

 

[jpmxrider489]

Maybe your ebrake or brakes are frozen or stuck.

 

[GRAVEDIGGER]

Has it even been cold enough to freeze at night in Texas? If you never ran the engine after you replaced the radiator, that is a problem right there, because there is no way you got everything filled up and topped off like that. You need to let it run until the thermostat opens and starts letting coolant circulate and then top it off. Then after it cools all the way down it's always good to pop the cap and top off a little more if needed.

 

[eclipsalon]

Has it even been cold enough to freeze at night in Texas? If you never ran the engine after you replaced the radiator, that is a problem right there, because there is no way you got everything filled up and topped off like that. You need to let it run until the thermostat opens and starts letting coolant circulate and then top it off. Then after it cools all the way down it's always good to pop the cap and top off a little more if needed.

That'll explain the overheating, now im keeping my fingures crossed about the brakes! Ima feel really really stupid when I get home and take the ebrake off and the car runs fine again!

Now that I think about it I think it was the Damn brakes... stupid is an understatement for how im feeling.

 

[93dsmwi]

mine are stuck on i cant find 5 min to figure out how to release them

 

[eclipsalon]

Good news and bad news...
good news is its not the brakes. Made sure of that right now.
Bad news is... its not the brakes so the problem is still out there.
I shall continue my journey now.

 

[96gsxwi]

have you done a compression check?

 

[eclipsalon]

did a compression test just now its pretty bad...
90...120...90...120. this is no surprise tho because i already knew it had low compression. low compression alone wont make the car not want to go either?
anywho i was messing with the car, took a look underneth to check out the axles, and they were still on. barely but on. so since the car is moving once again. im just gonna assume that the axle had temporarily popped out? i had also changed out the plugs with some 7es off the 2g and then it didnt want to start, then i put the 6es back on and it worked. this may also have been it since after i changed out the plugs back it seemed to work again. i have the car on as advance as possible with the cas and have to leave it a little loose(very little loose to where its still on tight) in order to make the car stay on there has to be a vacuum leak?

 

[jgore1989]

sounds to me like you need to check timing. could explain low compression and why you have to have your cas loose and having it avanced so much.

if your timing is good. make a boost leak tester. it could be that you have a boost leak somewhere.

 

[eclipsalon]

ive done blt; only leak is the cas. Also timing is dead on. Although i am taking into consideration that i may have some bent valves.
Is this a bent valve? - YouTube

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Which of the axles were popped out?

Also, axles don't just go around popping out of the transmission for no good reason. If it was the driver side axle as I suggested... CHECK the mounting location on the driver side of the block right under where the AC bracket would be, I believe those two bolts are also for the lower two of the AC bracket mounting.

Also with the compression being as low as 90 in the two cylinders, I believe that the lowest service limit is around 110-120. I will need to verify that to be sure but I think you might be looking at an engine rebuild VERY soon if the problem is not related to head gasket problems first. A leakdown test might be able to help narrow down if the problem is related to piston rings or the head to eliminate additional rebuild costs. Also maybe just to make sure the gauge is accurate, try on another vehicle for comparison??

 

[eclipsalon]

Axle boots are completely gone so that's were I thought that they came out of but then I was thinking that if an axle is atatched then it wouldn't move anywhere? Also compression wise: 85% sure it needs rings. Bought the car for $650.
Guess I should specify that im not trying to make this car go fast, just get me to work and back. As long as the car goes im good and so far problem solved so thanks for the input guys you all have been very helpful! If now someone might have an idea as to why the motor sounds like a leaf blower, unless it might be the low compression and someone thinks I should stop complaining and deal with the major stuff first feel free to say so.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Hmmmm... That noise is hard to identify... It seems more like it would be a leak or maybe a collapsed lifter? I am not sure what to tell you.... Maybe when I get home I can look into it more. It's noisy as shit next to all these servers and I can't hear the video properly.

Do you have an aftermarket boost gauge in the car that tells you how much pressure you are putting in when you do your BLT? You could be leaving heavily at like the intake manifold or something. Did you spray the crap out of everything with soapy water when you did you BLT?

 

[pats16valve]

How was the car running before you replaced the radiator? Are you sure you hooked everything back up where it was originally?

 

[Honto]

How was the car running before you replaced the radiator? Are you sure you hooked everything back up where it was originally?

This, if the car was fine before the install I would go back over your work.

 

[DSM1G90]

in case the water had frozen overnight

..This is old news now, but since if the water had frozen in the radiator, the block is also full of water which has also frozen.

When water freezes, it expands ... and will crack a block in a heartbeat since water cannot be compressed-it has to go somewhere.

Cylinder walls takes the first hits at cracking being thin as they are...

Iron isn't as strong as forged steel and cracks easily.

 

[eclipsalon]

i had ended up getting the car running again.. in case anyone was wondering. (think i already stated that) Problem was never really resolved but i just went over everything, checked plugs, axles, put more water in the car, advanced timing, etc. Now it seems to be knocking so this car is gonna be rebuilding period. thanks again for the replies.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

..This is old news now, but since if the water had frozen in the radiator, the block is also full of water which has also frozen.

When water freezes, it expands ... and will crack a block in a heartbeat since water cannot be compressed-it has to go somewhere.

Cylinder walls takes the first hits at cracking being thin as they are...

Iron isn't as strong as forged steel and cracks easily.

This is true but this is also why the car has freeze plugs built into the block in case the block freezes, the design by nature is supposed to allow the freeze plugs to be the weakest point to relieve some pressure and blow those plugs out first. Does this happen in every case, no.

 

[jtmcinder]

OK, I'll join the party.

I never saw an answer to a critical question asked very early on: when the problem first emerged, were there any problems in neutral (or with the clutch in)? I realize that there might *now* be problems in neutral and/or with the clutch in; the question is whether when the problem first showed up was there a problem in neutral.

If the answer is No (i.e., originally the problem was only when the car was in gear and moving), then check your T-case.

 

[eclipsalon]

Cars fwd

 

[AlaskanDsm]

OK, I'll join the party.

I never saw an answer to a critical question asked very early on: when the problem first emerged, were there any problems in neutral (or with the clutch in)? I realize that there might *now* be problems in neutral and/or with the clutch in; the question is whether when the problem first showed up was there a problem in neutral.

If the answer is No (i.e., originally the problem was only when the car was in gear and moving), then check your T-case.

I asked the question just to clarify that the problem was not with the engine itself. From how he described the original problem initially, it sounded like the engine was fine in neutral and was only having problems once the car was in gear. That is also why I suggested the problems with the axles as that was the problem that I once had. Now as far as the noise that is coming from the engine from the video that is posted, I do not know if that problem was there from before the OP posted this thread.

FYI:

So this morning I turned on the car and it was idling normal at 1k. Last night I replaced the radiator so this morning I waited for the car to fully warm up just in case the water had frozen overnight. I reversed the car fine out of the driveway but as soon as I put it in 1st it almost died as I gave it gas almost as if the throttle cable wasn't working. I thought the clutch might have been going out but it wasn't over reving when I took off.
While I was on my way to work thinking it would go away, I was in third barely going 30mph at wot, not surpassing 3k rpm and hit full (wastegate) boost. Barely got the car got home and noticed it started overheating and when I popped the hood it seemed as if it was the turbo that the smoke/hissing was coming from. Kinda stumped now at work thinking what maybe be wrong.
Blown turbo?
btw cars a 91 tsi fwd. No mods other than uicp

Indication that engine was fine in neutral
My indication of possible axle problem
quoted a different car than in profile

Cars fwd

Although I suspected so based on your original description, there really was no clear answer to my question if there were any problems when the car was in neutral while it wasn't moving properly. Now that the original problem is solved, I think that we are just trying to identify if the noise in the engine that you posted in the video happens all the time, in gear or not, as well as if the noise was there prior to the work that you did on the car.

 

[scott90gsx420]

..This is old news now, but since if the water had frozen in the radiator, the block is also full of water which has also frozen.

When water freezes, it expands ... and will crack a block in a heartbeat since water cannot be compressed-it has to go somewhere.

Cylinder walls takes the first hits at cracking being thin as they are...

Iron isn't as strong as forged steel and cracks easily.

Haha not always true.. I froze mine once i had a small leak at the o-ring on the water pump..I prolonged it because it was 20degrees outside so i added water and added water for a week or so forgetting to put more antifreeze.

Came out one morning..Got the weird feeling to check it when to open the rad lid and the lid was frozen in.. Took 4 hours of slowly dumping AF in and had heater and blow-dryers on it.. Once i finally manned up and started it and it ran fine.. Has since, but i think the leak saved me as it allowed the water to leak out and relieve the pressure.