Inside a Diesel Engine’s Catastrophic Failure After a Missed Shift

WOLFSBURG, Germany — A recent teardown of a Volkswagen TDI diesel engine has revealed the catastrophic consequences of a missed shift, offering a rare glimpse into the destruction caused by over-revving a diesel engine. The engine, a 2.0-liter CKRA four-cylinder turbodiesel, was salvaged from a 2012-2014 Volkswagen Passat and featured in a video by the YouTube channel I Do Cars.

The engine, which originally produced 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, was found with multiple holes in the block and a locked-up crankshaft. Eric, the host of I Do Cars, meticulously disassembled the engine, uncovering bent connecting rods, shattered pistons, and a fractured oil pump. The damage was so severe that the engine’s internals were scattered throughout the block, rendering it irreparable.

“This engine had a very bad day,” Eric said during the video. “There’s a giant hole in the block, and the crankshaft is completely locked up. It’s clear something catastrophic happened here.”

Eric speculated that the damage was caused by a “money shift,” a term used to describe when a driver accidentally downshifts instead of upshifting, causing the engine to over-rev. While gasoline engines are more commonly associated with such failures, diesel engines, which typically operate at lower RPMs, are not immune to the effects of extreme over-revving.

Despite the extensive damage, Eric noted that some components, such as the cylinder head and camshafts, were in good condition and could be salvaged for use in other engines. The video serves as a cautionary tale for manual transmission enthusiasts, highlighting the importance of precise shifting to avoid costly and dramatic engine failures.

Volkswagen’s TDI engines were once popular among enthusiasts for their efficiency and torque, but the Dieselgate scandal in 2015 tarnished the reputation of diesel vehicles in the U.S. Many TDI models were scrapped, making engines like the CKRA increasingly rare. This particular engine, however, met its end not due to scandal, but to a driver’s costly mistake.

For those interested in the technical details of engine failures, Eric’s channel provides an in-depth look at the inner workings of various engines and the common causes of their demise. As for this TDI, its story serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of even the most robust engines when pushed beyond their limits.