vw sludge problems

passatphill

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Location
chester england
Car
passat 1.8 turbo
Hello....I have a passat 1.8 turbo.been reading alot about these sludge issues. My pcv keeps getting blocked up which I clean weekly.also just been serviced but will do again with a larger oil filter weekend. Should I do an engine flush? ? If so whats best to use.any help on this would be appreciated
 
Not over keen on engine flushing with anything other than engine oil itself. What oil are you using in the engine? What's your usual driving style/journey type?
 
Its 5/30 fully synthetic. Sometimes short journeys to work but will start going longer way I think.do u think a few oil changes in short time will help??
 
I think a few changes in short order would be better than a flush. Detergent / solvent flushes are very harsh in many peoples' opinions. VW 507.00 oil is the way to go with these engines, I have a personal liking for Fuchs Titan GT1 Pro C3 but hunt down oilman Tim (of Opie Oils) for a specific recommendation.

The VW spec is quite comprehensive, covering more than just kinematic viscosity.

Get some revs on it too, once you have fresh oil in there give it a good half hour of 'prescriptive' driving.
 
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You could drop the sump pan and either clean or replace? It's messy but not difficult, provided you clean up properly, change the gasket and get the right torque on the bolts.

There could be a lot of sludge sitting on the bottom that oil changes can't really get rid of.
 
^ ^ agreed ^ ^. I've not had sludge problems apart from with an MG Montego in the early 1990s but this was before the general availability of synthetic oils.
 
There are a few products around that look similar to this one. Personally I think that high quality fuel and oil coupled with proper driving (ie. use all the revs periodically) should keep deposits to a minimum.
 
I've used seafoam to help clean the PVC hoses and intake tract from oil and carbonizing with the infamous N14 motor used in the Mini Cooper S and few Peugeot Models.

Seems to work... My Cooper S picked up better and stopped stuttering and reduced hesitation somewhat.

Still needs a decoke doing, but seafoam has helped.
 
I saw an independent video review of Seafoam on YouTube. Young American chap with a Honda Civic Coupe.

He took the spark plugs out and stuck a camera into the combustion chamber so you can see the state of the pistons before and after.

There was certainly a visible difference.
 
A lot of people recommend oil catch cans for my engine, but I haven't installed them yet. They are installed inline on the PCV piping and catch sludge before it is recycled into the intake to be burned off. I'm not sure if this is a thing for the Passat, but check it out.
 

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