T6.1 150 dsg steam from engine

I thought it was worth an ask to see if anyone else with the same or very similar vehicles has noticed the same thing as it’s quick and easy by just typing stuff on a forum.

I’m not sure is or isn’t the case as no one has said either way

I would be more inclined to agree with you about getting covers off and taking a look if it was a a bit further down the line and not only 9 months old.

Lookers Vw Teesside have already been a bit rubbish with me for customer service so I don’t want to take my van down there with me having information I really am not qualified to be talking about and having pulled covers off a normal end user would normally do.

I’m my trade if someone did that to some work there was issues with before speaking to the installer about it wouldn’t be a great start to getting it sorted out.

I really do appreciate everyone’s input with this and I will be booking it in to Vw for a checkup very soon.

I’m not very optimistic about the future with this thing if these are the conversations I’m having at 9 months in!
 
VW dealerships do tend to be disappointing, however if you haven’t read the Owners Manual regarding routine maintenance checks you aren’t helping matters when it comes to potential warranty issues.
It works both ways.
 
RivalDealer said:
I thought it was worth an ask to see if anyone else with the same or very similar vehicles has noticed the same thing as it’s quick and easy by just typing stuff on a forum.

I’m not sure is or isn’t the case as no one has said either way

I would be more inclined to agree with you about getting covers off and taking a look if it was a a bit further down the line and not only 9 months old.

Lookers Vw Teesside have already been a bit rubbish with me for customer service so I don’t want to take my van down there with me having information I really am not qualified to be talking about and having pulled covers off a normal end user would normally do.

I’m my trade if someone did that to some work there was issues with before speaking to the installer about it wouldn’t be a great start to getting it sorted out.

I really do appreciate everyone’s input with this and I will be booking it in to Vw for a checkup very soon.

I’m not very optimistic about the future with this thing if these are the conversations I’m having at 9 months in!
Click to expand...
Yeah its annoying when your local dealer is a bit of a disappointment, it certainly build faith in the brand !
 
RivalDealer said:
After running (and still using a 225k mile 07 320d e91) a few a few high mileage vehicles with no real issues other than the expected general maintenance items I would be very disappointed if this van needed that much inspection from the end user (not a mechanic) further than what the dashboard and user interface on a regular basis at this stage in its life to ensure that everything is ok is worrying to me.

I’m probably totally wrong here and should be checking levels every week etc but as already said in my opinion a brand new vehicle should not need that much attention from the end user at this stage.

So glad I extended the warranty now this thing is a piece of junk!
Click to expand...

I'm afraid you can't expect to just drive a vehicle from purchase date to the next scheduled service without opening the bonnet, these Euro 6 vans are far more complicated than your Euro 5 (or4?) BMW and therefore have much more to go wrong or at least need attention. Whether that is progress is a whole different debate, we are where we are so we must make the best of it. Ultimately I'd have thought that it's in your best interests to maintain your T6 as best you can, that means checking the fluids occasionally.
Forum members will try to assist you with their experience and knowledge, but suggesting that you might open the bonnet to try to identify the source of the stream is a very reasonable suggestion and if you can't do that I fear there is not much more help they can offer.
 
Pauly said:
Lets start on the assumption that theres no outside interference here and things are vehicle based, if what you are seeing is steam then some form of liquid is being heated beyond its boiling point

What liquids are there in the van that it could possibly be

Coolant
Oil
Screenwash
Brake fluid
Power steering fluid

If its coming from the vehicle then it has to be one of these, coolant and brake fluid are easily checked as they are visible header tanks up high (mark with a pencil maybe ?)
The other are a little bit trickier, probably be worth dropping the underneath engine tray (if you have one) and have a look for any leaks or wet patches
Click to expand...
Or alternatively that there MAY be an outside influence, water splashed up onto the hot engine perhaps. Either way see if you can video the symptoms as some VW centres are notoriously poor at replicating customers problems.
 
The reason for the under bonnet checks is not just about manufacturing quality. Road debris could easily have caused a small puncture in the radiator, creating the steam you see. A quick check of the coolant level would spot that and catch it before it damages the engine.

Pete
 
good point

I’ll keep an eye on the level in the bottle as in the image above while waiting on my appointment at Vw for another issue I have with it.

I’ll take a video of the steam and post it if it happens again to give a better idea of what’s going on.
 
I’m afraid the mayonnaise is ‘one of those things’. You’re likely to have a heart attack if you worry about it, but it very much seems to be a thing on the three t6.1’s I’m familiar with. In fairness tho, if I had only one to check, I’d be much more worried.

Two 150’s and a 204, 20,21 &22. None used every day.

Modern oil is a different beast. The fact that it’s collecting and getting stuck at the high point is actually the additives doing their thing. The fact that the cap has a decent seal on it I suppose should also be good.

These kind of things are why I suck up the annoyance and care free approach of the main dealer, stump up the cash and let them service it. If it goes pop, theres no wiggle room, altho id likely get it back full of dings and with every fastener broken after six months if an engine let’s go. I’d at least have something else to whinge at them for.

I’d very much prefer to let no one else touch my vehicles!
 
Last edited:
Two7Five said:
I’m afraid the mayonnaise is ‘one of those things’. You’re likely to have a heart attack if you worry about it, but it very much seems to be a thing on the three t6.1’s I’m familiar with. In fairness tho, if I had only one to check, I’d be much more worried.

Two 150’s and a 204, 20,21 &22. None used every day.

Modern oil is a different beast. The fact that it’s collecting and getting stuck at the high point is actually the additives doing their thing. The fact that the cap has a decent seal on it I suppose should also be good.

These kind of things are why I suck up the annoyance and care free approach of the main dealer, stump up the cash and let them service it. If it goes pop, theres no wiggle room, altho id likely get it back full of dings and with every fastener broken after six months if an engine let’s go. I’d at least have something else to whinge at them for.

I’d very much prefer to let no one else touch my vehicles!
Click to expand...

It's not the modern oil or the additives or "one of those things", it's the poor design of the oil filler tube that cools the air inside, causing the moisture to condense.
 
DaveD said:
It's not the modern oil or the additives or "one of those things", it's the poor design of the oil filler tube that cools the air inside, causing the moisture to condense.
Click to expand...
I have to ask Dave, how would you have done it?
 
Two7Five said:
I have to ask Dave, how would you have done it?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I'm not a vehicle or engine designer, but it seems that the engine doesn't create enough heat to keep the tube warm in the airflow created by the vehicle's motion, hence the condensation. It cannot be too difficult to overcome these factors for a major manufacturer, it seems from the VW document (link below) that the absence of an engine cover is a factor.

www.t6forum.com

Tpi 2043895/3 - Condensed Water Formation On Oil Filler Neck

TPI 2043895/3 - condensed water formation on oil filler neck. Technical product information Transaction No.: 2043895/3 Service info: condensed water formation on oil filler neck Release date: 11-Dec-2017 Customer statement / workshop findings White paste/foam/sludge in oil filler neck. ...
www.t6forum.com www.t6forum.com
 
An easy way to prevent the emulsification would have been to add a small bore vent hose to the top of the filler neck and connect into the PCV.
Not a difficult modification for an owner with some skills.
Oil emulsification is never good, even if the manufacturer says it’s ‘normal’. Even with low sulphur fuel adding water to combustion gases creates sulphuric acid, fantastic stuff for corroding engines.
 
DXX said:
An easy way to prevent the emulsification would have been to add a small bore vent hose to the top of the filler neck and connect into the PCV.
Not a difficult modification for an owner with some skills.
Oil emulsification is never good, even if the manufacturer says it’s ‘normal’. Even with low sulphur fuel adding water to combustion gases creates sulphuric acid, fantastic stuff for corroding engines.
Click to expand...
Or you could allow it to collect in a HDPE plastic pipe, which would be totally unchallenged by the contained acid, and keep it away from where you don’t want it.

The patent on a system that attempts to unblock the sort of vent you’re talking about is what keeps me in posh vans.

I’m happy enough that the goo is in the best place for it, and as such there’s no need to modify. The only way that it would consistently gas off is an open ended large bore pipe pointing at the sky. Thereafter, we’d be complaining about rainwater ingress and an actual issue.

These things are never as simple as forums like to be believe. Physics will do what physics does.

VW AG has a pretty healthy engineering overhead.

My Sprinter also has emulsified goop at the cap.

I don’t bother looking at our other stuff, because everything else usually breaks before the engines let go anyway… (I believe the caddy has a PSA / French engine also)

*Can confirm that the engine cover makes zero difference btw, but can confirm it looks a bit better when you’re checking over the engine bay. My 200ish arrived with one. Figure they’re using them up before the transit stuff starts to block the shelves.
 
DaveD said:
Sorry, I'm not a vehicle or engine designer, but it seems that the engine doesn't create enough heat to keep the tube warm in the airflow created by the vehicle's motion, hence the condensation. It cannot be too difficult to overcome these factors for a major manufacturer, it seems from the VW document (link below) that the absence of an engine cover is a factor.

www.t6forum.com

Tpi 2043895/3 - Condensed Water Formation On Oil Filler Neck

TPI 2043895/3 - condensed water formation on oil filler neck. Technical product information Transaction No.: 2043895/3 Service info: condensed water formation on oil filler neck Release date: 11-Dec-2017 Customer statement / workshop findings White paste/foam/sludge in oil filler neck. ...
www.t6forum.com www.t6forum.com
Click to expand...
DaveD said:
Sorry, I'm not a vehicle or engine designer, but it seems that the engine doesn't create enough heat to keep the tube warm in the airflow created by the vehicle's motion, hence the condensation. It cannot be too difficult to overcome these factors for a major manufacturer, it seems from the VW document (link below) that the absence of an engine cover is a factor.

www.t6forum.com

Tpi 2043895/3 - Condensed Water Formation On Oil Filler Neck

TPI 2043895/3 - condensed water formation on oil filler neck. Technical product information Transaction No.: 2043895/3 Service info: condensed water formation on oil filler neck Release date: 11-Dec-2017 Customer statement / workshop findings White paste/foam/sludge in oil filler neck. ...
www.t6forum.com www.t6forum.com
Click to expand...
No need to apologise.
 
It’s been a few weeks now and the levels have remained the same.

The steam isn’t every time the vehicle is used, the last time it did it and I noticed was Friday evening just gone.

It is definitely coming from the front grill and not from under the bonnet.

I was using the aircon on Friday as it was warm here.

That kind of blows my theory of it doing it on “see your breath days”

Could it be something to do with air con radiator etc?

Van still runs fine, it did have a engine light on but that was because of a software update and fix according to my Vw dealer

The light is now gone.
 
If you want trouble free AC it’s best to leave it on all the time as recommended by VW, it keeps the seals in good condition.
Sounds like the van needs an inspection by a mechanic.
 
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