Engine wont start after suspected head gasket blown

[CLOUD1]

Car is a 2002 A4 1.8T Quattro avant

I have had a problem with massive oil consumption for a while and was keeping it going with top ups- Shell Helix 10w40 SS HX7, rather than Castrol edge as the HX7 helped reduce oil use

1 month ago I overhauled the vacuum pipes with news silicone tubing.
I found a leak in air intake to turbo so replaced TIP, new air filter cleaned MAF
It all reduced smoking except when overran or warm start after short jouneys. Nil in morning, Nil on motorways.

It restored a lot of power and turbo go a new life....BUT

sadly I was on the motorway, enjoying the car and-
1 sudden loss of power
2 red low oil pressure light
3 yellow coolant light
4 fine 'tapping' sound from upper engine

pulled over
called AA- oil level fine, coolant steaming out of back of engine- probably flange too
would crank but not restart
Now wont crank
VCDS showed all knock sensor codes, lamda and O2 sensor codes

Being looked at today by mechanic

I would value views of
1) What happened?
2) Did the power restoration cause this
3) what would be reasonable labour for HG,valve stem seals, timing belt/water pump repair ( assuming nothing worse)

thanks in advance

[pauldazzle]

Oil pick up strainer sludged up which caused oil starvation, & catastrophic engine/turbo failure would be my guess. Engine is now probably seized!

[zollaf]

^^^^ wot he said ^^^^^

[CLOUD1]

Oil pick up strainer sludged up which caused oil starvation, & catastrophic engine/turbo failure would be my guess. Engine is now probably seized!

Update;
engine will move, battery is flat. When jumped it will crank but not start
plugs pulled and mechanic says all cylinders flooded with coolant.
he put it in gear rocked it back and forth and there is engine movement but slushing of the coolant.

He thinks it can be repaired with Full head kit including valve stem seals, along with new timing belt and water pump and new coolant flange at the same time, obvious oil and filter, coolant etc.

I suppose what you guys are thinking can only be known once the head is off, right? So presume it's reasonable to let him have a go?

[pauldazzle]

No, the only way to check the oil oick up is to take the sump off, which is easy on transverse mounted 1.8t's, but a pita on Audi's. Sludged up oil pick up strainer is a very common problem on poorly serviced 1.8t's.
Sounds like your HG did blow & the engine got so hot that the oil thinned, hence the red oil pressure warning, & rattling top end. Did you not get any signs of overheating before it died?

[micheal balbrig]

Red lights combined with the noise may suggest taking care before spending any money on repairs.

[Doctle Odd]

No, the only way to check the oil oick up is to take the sump off, which is easy on transverse mounted 1.8t's, but a pita on Audi's. Sludged up oil pick up strainer is a very common problem on poorly serviced 1.8t's.
Sounds like your HG did blow & the engine got so hot that the oil thinned, hence the red oil pressure warning, & rattling top end. Did you not get any signs of overheating before it died?

It's daunting pulling the sump on these in a driveway but as you say it has to be done.

[CLOUD1]

No, the only way to check the oil oick up is to take the sump off, which is easy on transverse mounted 1.8t's, but a pita on Audi's. Sludged up oil pick up strainer is a very common problem on poorly serviced 1.8t's.
Sounds like your HG did blow & the engine got so hot that the oil thinned, hence the red oil pressure warning, & rattling top end. Did you not get any signs of overheating before it died?

In hindsight the signs were all there, but I have to hold my hands up to bring a bit too wishful:
1)over the last few months I have seen a few occasions of the mayo-like coating on oil filler cap and I think I had a coolant leak at the flange but never got round to changing it so I added kseal to coolant tank which stopped the leak.
2) over the last few weeks from a cold start the temp gauge had been getting to operating temp(around93) within 1 mile, driven gently. I knew it was not right, as usually the same temp would be reached after 3-4 miles of driving.

ignorance has proven not to be bliss

on the motorway I wasn't really paying attention to the gauge, and I was pushing it a bit. I'd read that feathering around too much can cause increased oil consumption so over the last 2 weeks I'd been hitting it a little harder

I have had to pick up a cheap runaround today whilst evaluating the extent of damage.( yes, I know, I'm still holding out hope it can be saved, I guess weekends spent under the bonnet, or under the car can make you fond of it.)

If any one fancies a spares or repair B6, there may be one on the market soon!

[Doctle Odd]

If she's good apart from the engine she might be worth a 2nd hand engine. You'd need to see/hear the engine running and pull the sump and clean everything before fitting it but it's fairly straightforward to do.

[CLOUD1]

If she's good apart from the engine she might be worth a 2nd hand engine. You'd need to see/hear the engine running and pull the sump and clean everything before fitting it but it's fairly straightforward to do.

That's proving very difficult as most 2nd hand engines out there advertised on bay or via 1st choice spares have already been taken out.
The other difficulty is, and I hope I'm jot just being sceptical; that all 2nd hand engines seem to have covered 'only 40k miles'
hmmm