[noahpm]

Look....I have told you what I have personally experienced on two different vehicles. One of them would not leak overheat at idle. But it definitely overheated and lost coolant under load. Removed the head and you could clearly see where the head gasket was leaking. New head gasket solved all the problems

You can put your head in the sand and hope for some miracle cheap fix or you can find a competent mechanic to run some tests and determine what the actual problem is with your vehicle. None of us are in front of your vehicle and cannot physically test anything.

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All I’m trying to do is gather some information so I can try to get this on the first or second try and it’s not the tenth thing we try to fix. I have a competent mechanic (to the best of my determination) so it’s good to know he should be able to figure it out. He didn’t on the first try and neither did the last guys, and I know these touaregs are difficult to work on and are often a problem to get properly fixed, which is why I’m here to find further advice or guidance to pass on to the mechanic, and cue myself in with what’s going on. I’m not sticking my head in anything, I’m trying to do my due diligence. Would also like to avoid another $1300 repair bill that doesn’t fix the problem.

 

[noahpm]

That sounds like a weak mechanical water pump to me. The engine generates more heat when the vehicle moves. That excess heat is not able to escape and the coolant overheats.

That sounds promising. Let’s hope that‘s all it is.

 

[noahpm]

Yes, the base 10/100 Powertrain warranty should cover it, and the extended TDI warranty if not. The DPF filter should not need maintenance in less than 43K miles. I'm at 50K and no issues with mine. The DPF issue may also be secondary to another issue, like over-fueling, which would definitely make the DPF filter covered under warranty.
Over-fueling means injecting too much fuel for the given conditions. Diesels are lean-burn engines, meaning they work best when running extremely lean- low volume of fuel for a given volume of air. They also are the reverse of gasoline engines, where if a Diesel runs rich, it runs hot. Rich running also generates more soot. That's why the whole 'Rolling Coal' thing can only be done for a short time- the over-fueling needed to do that can literally melt heads, exhaust manifolds, and turbos. It's not about putting too much fuel in the fuel tank
Given the totality of symptoms, over-fueling fits. It's not the only possibility, as others have pointed out.
Warranty questions would have to be addressed to VW, either a dealer or VW Customer Care. I've heard they do make accomodations for using independent shop, but I'd be useless as a source of info for that.
Good luck to you.

Just to make sure, because you mentioned the 10/100 warranty which to my knowledge is only on the second gen vehicles, and I believe some 2010’s were actually second gens (my owners manual oddly has a second gen on the cover and says 2010?), so I just want to make sure everyone knows I have a first gen, in case that changes anyone’s thoughts about what’s going on.

 

[RocketTech]

AFAIK 2010 was a split year. Purchasing new, you should've received a TDI Emissions warranty Addendum with your other vehicle paperwork, such as the Owners Manual, tire warranty, warranty and maintenance booklet, etc. Failing that, any VW dealer would be able to look up your warranty status. I dunno if VW customer care can. Your engine is a Gen 1 TDI for emissions purposes (2009-2012) and has an extended 10yr/120K Mile warranty on the Engine and Emissions system. You can find the details here.
I'm basing my advice on generic Diesel principles- they would apply to any Diesel engine. There are some other good suggestions as well which can also apply to most engines.
Troubleshooting principles generally address any known issues first. The 2nd Mechanic did that by addressing the Temp sender issues. I'm a bit concerned they didn't look into the plugged DPF filter a bit deeper, but they may not have seen any DTCs on it or forgot it only had 43K miles. The other important thing when selecting a Touareg mechanic is you also need one that is familiar with 3.0 L Diesels. Diesels are quite different from gasoline engines in operating principle and practical operation. Troubleshooting is going to hit a brick wall if they don't understand how Diesels work and they run out of DTCs.

 

[noahpm]

AFAIK 2010 was a split year. Purchasing new, you should've received a TDI Emissions warranty Addendum with your other vehicle paperwork, such as the Owners Manual, tire warranty, warranty and maintenance booklet, etc. Failing that, any VW dealer would be able to look up your warranty status. I dunno if VW customer care can. Your engine is a Gen 1 TDI for emissions purposes (2009-2012) and has an extended 10yr/120K Mile warranty on the Engine and Emissions system. You can find the details here.
I'm basing my advice on generic Diesel principles- they would apply to any Diesel engine. There are some other good suggestions as well which can also apply to most engines.
Troubleshooting principles generally address any known issues first. The 2nd Mechanic did that by addressing the Temp sender issues. I'm a bit concerned they didn't look into the plugged DPF filter a bit deeper, but they may not have seen any DTCs on it or forgot it only had 43K miles. The other important thing when selecting a Touareg mechanic is you also need one that is familiar with 3.0 L Diesels. Diesels are quite different from gasoline engines in operating principle and practical operation. Troubleshooting is going to hit a brick wall if they don't understand how Diesels work and they run out of DTCs.

Both the first guys and these guys work on diesels. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should just take this to a dealer. One less layer of mechanic swindling I have to potentially navigate. I'm worried if it's something that could be covered under warranty, the shop could try to pin it on other things first, or just try to tell me it's not covered under warranty. I mean apparently the DPF filter and the temp sensor should have been covered?

"The entire exhaust gas after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalytic converter (DOC), the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system components, any exhaust flap, and all sensors and actuators"

I knew this too and asked him, at least about the DPF, and he said it was a "maintenance thing." I should have brought it up before the work was done, that's probably my fault. He didn't tell me about the DPF clean until after he did it though.

 

[TurboABA]

Wait a second.... so you took your TDI to some non VWoA shops to have it cleaned or something instead of making use of the warranty? Sounds like you're about to get a sweet TD1 flag on your VIN.

 

[RocketTech]

I would recommend taking it to a dealer, as it should be the least hassle for a fix and warranty coverage. They also have access to factory experts.
The DPF filter is kind of a special case. It sounds like a regular maintenance item, being a filter, but it's not really- at least not for a long, long time.
During normal operation, it collects the soot (unburned combustion particles) and stores them. When the soot filter gets full-ish, it gets a re-gen cycle, which burns the particles down to ash, stored in a different part of the filter. The ash takes up much, much less room than the soot. Typical replacement of the DPF filter is around 80K-100K miles. So the whole moral to the story is a full DPF filter at 43K miles suggests a problem with the Emissions system, which, as you confirmed, is covered under warranty. The EPA settlement specifically required the DPF filter be covered. VW is also required to troubleshoot issues with the system for free, and that troubleshooting needs to be complete- they can't just wiggle something and say "come back if you have a problem". A smart dealer should love this type of work as they get paid by VW to do it- the dealer makes money on it.
A DPF filter can be cleaned with a chemical treatment which is cheaper than replacement, but yours is covered under warranty, so... yeah. You decide what his motive was.

Both the first guys and these guys work on diesels. I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should just take this to a dealer. One less layer of mechanic swindling I have to potentially navigate. I'm worried if it's something that could be covered under warranty, the shop could try to pin it on other things first, or just try to tell me it's not covered under warranty. I mean apparently the DPF filter and the temp sensor should have been covered?

"The entire exhaust gas after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalytic converter (DOC), the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) system components, any exhaust flap, and all sensors and actuators"

I knew this too and asked him, at least about the DPF, and he said it was a "maintenance thing." I should have brought it up before the work was done, that's probably my fault. He didn't tell me about the DPF clean until after he did it though.

 

[noahpm]

Wait a second.... so you took your TDI to some non VWoA shops to have it cleaned or something instead of making use of the warranty? Sounds like you're about to get a sweet TD1 flag on your VIN.

I didn’t take it there to have it cleaned. I took it there because it was overheating. He didn’t event tell me about the DPF cleaning until after he did it. Why the hell would I get a TD1 flag for taking it to a non vw shop.

 

[TurboABA]

Not for taking it to a non vw shop.... for having the emission system touched (or cleaned as per the shop).
Our DPFs are not made to be cleaned. Hopefully I'm wrong and you'll still get warranty coverage.
I would strongly suggest NOT mentioning that your DPF has been cleaned, etc.

 

[noahpm]

Not sure how I would hide that if I take it to a dealer now. Unless they mistake it for a new DPF, or one that's spotless at 43k miles? My guess is Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act protects against me losing my warranty.

"According to the FTC, “It’s illegal for a dealer to deny your warranty coverage simply because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by someone else. Routine maintenance often includes oil changes, tire rotations, belt replacement, fluid checks and flushes, new brake pads and inspections.” It is also important to note that the “Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket or recycled part.”"

 

[massivewubby]

I'm not a diesel mechanic. I'm in a 2010 gti ccta. it kinda sounds like you have air in the coolant lines. Do your heaters blow hot? You can let the car run with the heaters on full blast and the coolant cap off for 10 minites or until the heaters start blowing hot. You need to be watching the coolant tank and ready to turn off the engine if it starts trying to overflow.

You can also check for electrolysis with a multimeter. Turn it to dc voltage, stick one probe into the coolant tank and the other to the battery positive. If the coolant is acting as a ground, you still have an electrolysis issue.

The reading should be under 2v... Mine read 12v. I went through 5 radiators in a single year until I finally learned about electrolysis. Hope this helps someone.

A very small leak turns into a cracked radiator. The coolant that leaks also leaves a white corrosive looking film on the radiator.

 

[New2Tregs]

I'm not a diesel mechanic. I'm in a 2010 gti ccta. it kinda sounds like you have air in the coolant lines. Do your heaters blow hot? You can let the car run with the heaters on full blast and the coolant cap off for 10 minites or until the heaters start blowing hot. You need to be watching the coolant tank and ready to turn off the engine if it starts trying to overflow.

You can also check for electrolysis with a multimeter. Turn it to dc voltage, stick one probe into the coolant tank and the other to the battery positive. If the coolant is acting as a ground, you still have an electrolysis issue.

The reading should be under 2v... Mine read 12v. I went through 5 radiators in a single year until I finally learned about electrolysis. Hope this helps someone.

A very small leak turns into a cracked radiator. The coolant that leaks also leaves a white corrosive looking film on the radiator.

Hello and welcome to the forums.
Sounds like some interesting info.

 

[volkswagens-for-life]

Hello and welcome to the forums.
Sounds like some interesting info.

Bot reply? 🤔 🤔

 

[New2Tregs]

Bot reply? 🤔 🤔

Possibly.