@Ali What's the car worth to you?
They're normally pretty reliable motors, Is the belt over due on the service interval?
Looks like something has snagged the belt
Only if you buy it from a reputable sourceReplacement engine is probably the easiest fix there to be honest.
@Ali What's the cost of a replacement head?
If it's no more than £500 I would go for it!Don’t know yet... any idea?
No it was a modern 16v used in the 2003 3 series, the 2 litre N42 unit. I can only guess I was lucky with split second timing it happened or maybe the fact that it's a valvetronic engine which gives it variable valve lift on the induction side. It's a seriously complicated horrible engine that also has the vanos system on both camshafts. So there is actually 3 camshafts in this engine!
Breaking news, it’s actually the 2.0 BKD engine, for some reason I had it in my head it was the 1.9 PD.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-PASSA...-/264793258453?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Tempting but not reconditioned and not a job I fancy doing outdoors over Christmas. Will have to give it some thought and maybe get the head off and have a look at the pistons.
The interior is ok but the bodywork is showing it’s age. Loses coolant very slowly, never tracked down why but it might become apparent - probably the coolant reservoir.
That was their worst engine, at that time, it would not suffer missed oil changes or cheap oil, guess where the engine was built, and maybe designed?
No it was a modern 16v used in the 2003 3 series, the 2 litre N42 unit. I can only guess I was lucky with split second timing it happened or maybe the fact that it's a valvetronic engine which gives it variable valve lift on the induction side. It's a seriously complicated horrible engine that also has the vanos system on both camshafts. So there is actually 3 camshafts in this engine!