Rough running after service 1.9tdi - ECU ??

[nicknicknick]

70,000 mile lubrication service was done 1,000 miles ago.
Since the service:

• The engine has been MORE rattley - especially during the first 3 or 4 seconds after starting.
• Increase in vibration at any engine speed below about 3,000 rpm
• Turbo-whine - not heard before the service
• Oil is very black - after 1000 miles??? WAS it changed ??

I was told the air filter could have been duff, but the spares guy said it could just be that the ECU was confused by the change of parameters (air, fuel, oil filter (and possibly oil too..?)) and would need to be reset.
A local garage also found the fuel filter clamp nut had only been screwed down finger tight and an air filter clip had been left off. GRRrrr!

So.....................
How likely is the ECU story? And can it be fixed?

Thanks in advance guys and gals (hopefully)

[vincentbob]

Doesn't sound good, the ecu parameters would not account for the rattle on start up, or the turbo whine, this sounds more like worn bearings caused by oil starvation. The black oil is nothing unusual for a diesel.
I would suspect that the garage who serviced it forgot to put the oil in before they started it, and gave it a good reving to get the oil pressure up before they realised their error, difficult to prove though.
I suggest you take it to another dealer and have the oil pressure checked.

[nicknicknick]

Thanks (and no thanks! because now I'm worried! :-S)

The rattle is more of a top end or exhaust rattle, but I don't know whether that changes anything..? And the turbo whine is like a wheezy old bloke just before he coughs up: Barely noticeable, but now I'm listening for it.

How the heck could I even beging to prove that it was run without oil? It's only my word that the engine was as sweet as a nut before the service, and a different and worse beast after.

Any more wise words gratefully received. (Also, I'll book my place in the queue for the local dealer...)

[vincentbob]

Noises are difficult to define without hearing them, its true that a diesel can sound tappety when first started cold, but you know what it sounded like before. The ecu parameters can be effected by a severely blocked air filter, but will quickly tune themselves in once changed, and by 1000 miles should have compensated for this. It may be that you have an air leak in the turbo ducting that is causing rough running, and also the wheezing that you have mentioned. But this would not explain the rattling on start up.
Another common fault is incorrect refitting of the air filter lid, or damage of the same which causes a surprising amount of vibration. With the bonnet open, raise the engine revs and look for any periods of resonance. If this occurs, hold the revs there and put your hand on the top of the filter housing. If this stops the noise, resecure the lid. Also look for any other loose ducting, for this you will need to remove the engine cover, itself a common cause of heavy vibration if not correctly fitted.
Let me know if you find anything. I didn't mean to worry you. Regards.

[nicknicknick]

Thanks again vincentbob,

It seems to be getting worse each day it sounds even more like a top-end rattle, and is loudest on the side of the engine where the exhaust manifold is.

No-one in either of the 2 local VW dealerships answers the phone, so booking it in for connection to a diagnostic computer is proving difficult.

The vibration is quite a heavy one - the whole car seems to hum, like the way it would if it had a leaky exhaust pipe.

Do I wait for the engine to fall apart - :-( ?