Touran 1.9 TDI Radiator drain plug ?

[vw oldie]

Hi

Does anyone know if there is radiator drain plug on this car? In the process of draining yet more oil from the heating system after the 3rd oil cooler fail. Have been undoing the lower hose but it is a pain to reach so is there a plug anywhere? Seems some Golfs have it on the nearside lower corner but I cannot see anything there.

Thanks

[zollaf]

i find the best thing to do is to fill the resevoir, and allow the oil to float, then i use a vacuum oil extractor pump to suck the oil. and keep repeating until its all gone. draining will allow the oil to go down and into places its not yet got to. all depends how much has got into the cooling system of course.

[Rob69]

How are you busting so many coolers? Is the oil pump pressure relief valve jammed, have you had the pressure checked? I'd still drop the hoses off to get a better flush through.

[zollaf]

oh, deffo drop the hoses off to flush it, remove stat, add washing powder, run, drop coolant and repeat until its clean, but sucking some off the top saves some work..
and yes, why so many coolers. are you using acid instead of tap water, or is the water you use high in some chemical. some people round here have boreholes and the water eats copper pipes. so much so that one neighbour had a stainless hot water tank made and had to use all plastic pipes in his house, as a tank only lasted 6 months before it was eaten..

[Rob69]

Wonder what that water does to his insides!
Shame about your team today Z, better luck in the quarters.

[vw oldie]

Many Thanks for the updates. Its done 163,000 miles from new and the first one went about 100,000. Replaced with G&S the next 2 times now with a VW original which is well pricey. Use G12 coolant and is well looked after so not sure why this is happening. Not sure where the oil pressure valve is but will get it checked once all the gunk is cleared up. I have been doing it via the bottom hose already but a pain to keep jacking it up and crawling underneath to undo the hose. Seems some VW have a handy drain tap but not this one...Currently by-passed the cooler with some 15mm copper pipe to avoid the Daz corroding the seemingly very fragile alloy cooler. Caught the failure fairly early on but the oil went everywhere as usual and is filling the header over and over, such a messy job :( Will try the vacuum drain pump, tried a hose and gravity but went everywhere.

[zollaf]

it is a proper horrible nasty job. i shudder everytime one comes in that i have to do.

[Rob69]

Think its worth getting the oil pressure checked once you've cleaned the mess up. 3 failures sound more than unlucky!

[vw oldie]

3rd time in doing it and each time it went meant an AA tow home, not good. Picking up a new oil pressure relief valve today and will fit in the hope if cures this PIA problem. Scooping tons of oil still out of the expansion tank. Made a ACME Oil Scooper (TM) by glueing a thin rod to an old round plastic container like you get soluble vitamins in, bit like an old 35mm film canister but longer. Works great, small enough to get in the hole and collects the surface oil without too much water going in too. Slowly reducing in quantity and will flush through a few times before shoving in the G12 in and re-connecting the very delicate and expensive oil cooler. Can't face this all again for a while.

[vw oldie]

Hmm, seems there is no such thing as an oil pressure relief valve for 1.9TDi Touran. Ordered what I thought was the part but from TPS but it turns out to be just a connection union with nothing in it? I can't check the oil filter/cooler housing unit right now but I don't recall anything that looks like some of the post picturess for this part which is basically like a hollow tube with a spring and ball bearing, bit like a pitot tube. I guess this works with pressure until it is too great in which case the spring is compressed and the bearing moves to open a vent or something similar? Just want to do whatever to prevent another cooler disaster....

[vw oldie]

Checked in with VW technical/support and seems there is NO issues with oil coolers in VAG engines that has been documented, I beg to differ. Seems if it was an over pressurisation of oil there would be worse symptoms but they did not elaborate what they could be. So, no obvious oil pressure relief valve and no real reason why it keeps breaking. Guess I'll get the pressure checked and see what it actually is. Car runs like new so this is just a massive pain if it become this unreliable, need it for long journeys sometimes so no oil and water on a motorway is not nice.

[zollaf]

oil pump must have a pressure release valve. usually its part and parcel of a pump. its not unheard of for oil coolers to go, but not as often as yours does, which would indicate a problem. so its either too much pressure or something is eating them, either the coolant or the oil, or you just have been bang unlucky... really unlucky..

[Rob69]

the relief valve is integral to the oil pump, if you google images of the pump you should see the cylindrical tube where the spring and valve sit. get the pressure checked when the engine is cold and the oil is more viscous as the cold pressure will be higher than hot oil. I don't know if it is adjustable on the oil pump, might be that the spring and ball are installed and a cap riveted or pressed into place.
Having a similar debate with equipment supplier at work the last few days - pump discharge pressure too high and integral relief valve needs adjusting.

[vw oldie]

Thanks again. I guess the pump is the next thing to look at but I will get the pressure checked. Seems odd as there are literally no other symptoms, runs great, uses not much oil, great mpg etc...

[vw oldie]

STILL been clearing out the oil with the oil cooler by-passed with 15mm copper tube. Seems to have really got lodged in some hard to reach places this time. Another issue had me worried was an intermittent shudder/jerkiness at 1500-2000 rpm and clouds of grey/black smoke. No pattern and would be fine some days and bad others. Read various posts and was worried about everything from shot turbo to MAF sensor, ERG valve etc. After much fretting and careful driving I had another check and noticed that when the engine was revved hard I could hear a noise under the from nearside. Was not there on tickover when I was usually under looking for causes. Turns out the inter-cooler hose coming out from the inter-cooler/rad was ever so slightly loose. Re-seated and would be fine for a day then start leaking again. The whole part was changed about 5 years ago when it blew out after the retaining lugs wore down.

So, if you have a splutter/rough patch and smoke at 1500-2000 rpm, check the hoses! Seen many posts about this all with various outcomes/suggestions most costing a bomb but for me the fix was £40 for a new hose AND do the clips too, and drives great again.