"New" 2015 TDI Plan

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
So my 2005 A4 TDI is about to roll 500,000 miles. I am seriously considering a "new" 201 TDI from the dealer. Is the A6 format every bit as reliable as my A4 platform? That thing is basically bullet proof as far as cars go.
 

16vjohn

Vendor , w/Business number
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Jul 12, 2007
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Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
EA288 CVCA 6MT
That's the PD engine, right? The Mk4 drivetrains were generally durable, but the PD engines had their own issues. I'd say durability is probably par between the CVCA and the old PDs. There are A LOT more complicated emissions controls and the maintenance will be more difficult. For example, the oil filter can only be accessed from underneath. The water to air intercoolers add a lot of hoses and wires. The engine bay is very cramped.

Bottom line, you will miss the simplicity of your Mk4, but the Mk6 platform is so much better and functional. Will it make 500k? I doubt it... But I don't see why high 200s wouldn't be possible with the right care.
 

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
Well I just secured an S model with the 6 speed DSG in it. 94 miles on it. Hopefully it provides more cabin heat when it is -30F out! I still plan on putting more miles down on the 2005 version but she has few issues, especially when it is cold out. I am thinking about getting some version of a VAG-COM. Is there one that will talk to both of these cars?
 

16vjohn

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Salt Lake City, UT
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EA288 CVCA 6MT
The latest VIN/license-crippled version of VCDS from the money grabbers at Ross Tech will talk to both. Good option if you like paying money for engineered limitations to a company with virtually no competition. But yes, my bitterness aside, it will work with both cars.

Btw, your new 15' has a 80amp auxiliary heater, a water pump with a damper, and an "integrated exhaust manifold" inside the cylinder head. All those things combined make them more hospitable and comfortable than any diesel I've ever owned. On more mild days between 20 and 30F, I had heat 4 blocks from home. S models had heated seats... it's just a really good winter car.

You'll love it... welcome to the Mk6 family. Be at peace knowing the entire fuel system, turbo, entire emissions system, ECU, and long block are all covered by a 11 year/162,000 mile warranty thanks to dieselgate.
 
Last edited:

rustycat

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seattle
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2015 passat sel
I'll throw a hearty endorsement on loving the 15. Our SEL TDI just rolled up on 6500 miles. Since buying it in May there have been zero issues, squeaks or gremlins. A fantastic car. The cabin heats quickly, but I don't notice much difference in reaching engine temps quicker with the EA288 engine. Just took a Thanksgiving trip from Seattle to Paso Robles. I got 51 mpg through central Cali with speeds up to 85mph. Our 13 SEL never saw 50 mpg. The traction control also seems a bit more refined than the 13 (but I could be wrong for sure). I did hit a flooded spot on I5 and noticed the traction control light on the dashing flashing away, but never felt it being applied--very subtle.
 

NAZ TDI

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Jul 6, 2011
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now Kuna, Idaho
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2015 Jetta TDI DSG
The latest VIN/license-crippled version of VCDS from the money grabbers at Ross Tech will talk to both. Good option if you like paying money for engineered limitations to a company with virtually no competition. But yes, my bitterness aside, it will work with both cars.

Btw, your new 15' has a 80amp auxiliary heater, a water pump with a damper, and an "integrated exhaust manifold" inside the cylinder head.
Just a side note on the "integrated exhaust manifold". My 1940 Ford with flathead V8 has much the same thing. The exhaust passages from the valves go through the water jacket to the other side of the block before exiting.

By the way, I also thoroughly enjoy my 2015 TDI!
 

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
Thanks everyone. All I need to do is decide if I want the extended warranty or the paid maintenance package. I am leaning toward "NO" to both since I drive about 30,000 miles per year so the mileage limits always trump the years on those plans. Plus the service package ends at 50K, you can't get one that would pay for a timing belt change. I always change my own oil too so I can't see either paying for themselves.
 

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
Although I did just see the transmission filter and fluid should be changed at 40,000 on the DSG. Is this an easy job or a PITA (my 2005 tiptronic needs the tranny removed to do this apparently)
 

rustycat

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seattle
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2015 passat sel
Although I did just see the transmission filter and fluid should be changed at 40,000 on the DSG. Is this an easy job or a PITA (my 2005 tiptronic needs the tranny removed to do this apparently)
There's good video's on Youtube on changing the trans fluid. I opted for the prepaid service package, as I'm old with stiff and aching joints and figured, at driving 12k a year, inflation will make the prepaid service a winner.
 

abused-TDI

Veteran Member
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2005 VW Jetta
The latest VIN/license-crippled version of VCDS from the money grabbers at Ross Tech will talk to both. Good option if you like paying money for engineered limitations to a company with virtually no competition. But yes, my bitterness aside, it will work with both cars.

Btw, your new 15' has a 80amp auxiliary heater, a water pump with a damper, and an "integrated exhaust manifold" inside the cylinder head. All those things combined make them more hospitable and comfortable than any diesel I've ever owned. On more mild days between 20 and 30F, I had heat 4 blocks from home. S models had heated seats... it's just a really good winter car.

You'll love it... welcome to the Mk6 family. Be at peace knowing the entire fuel system, turbo, entire emissions system, ECU, and long block are all covered by a 11 year/162,000 mile warranty thanks to dieselgate.
Is this the correct VIN crippled VAG COM you speak of?

https://www.idparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=434{281}109

Thanks for the info on the warranty. The dealer confirmed Phase 1 is complete on the car and confirmed the warranty as you told me.
 

16vjohn

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
EA288 CVCA 6MT
Is this the correct VIN crippled VAG COM you speak of?
https://www.idparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=434{281}109
Thanks for the info on the warranty. The dealer confirmed Phase 1 is complete on the car and confirmed the warranty as you told me.
Yep, that's the one. Did you ask if they will give you the dieselgate money when Phase 2 is ready? That could be an awesome way to get another two or three grand off the price. I'm not sure what incentive anybody would have to get the second phase if the new owner wasn't entitled to the 1/3 payment from Phase 2.
 

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
Yep, that's the one. Did you ask if they will give you the dieselgate money when Phase 2 is ready? That could be an awesome way to get another two or three grand off the price. I'm not sure what incentive anybody would have to get the second phase if the new owner wasn't entitled to the 1/3 payment from Phase 2.
Great question. I just fired off that question to the dealer. We will see what I get back.
 

abused-TDI

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2005 VW Jetta
So the guy I have been working with also has a TDI, here is is response:

I know I am getting compensation for my Phase 2 whenever I do it on my TDI as part of my overall compensation. They split it up like 60% for Phase 1 and the remaining 40% when I complete Phase 2. So yes, for me there is an incentive for completing the repair. I honestly cannot answer your question with any certainty. Part of me agrees with you saying that you would have no reason to do Phase 2 if you weren't being compensated. But another part of me, thinking how VW might think of it, saying that you are getting a great rebate and interest rate and that would count as compensation. And since Phase 2 isn't out yet, customers who purchased them from the dealers can't attest to what their experiences have been. And I just spoke with my Sales Director and he said he hasn't heard anything from VW regarding your concern. So as I said, I can't answer your question with any certainty, but you do bring up an excellent point.
 

16vjohn

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EA288 CVCA 6MT
That seems like a good assessment with the information we have.

I can tell you that the court settlement required VW to remove from the road or repair 85% of the impacted vehicles. It's my understanding that they were lumped into generations too... meaning, 85% of the Gen3s will have to be repaired or crushed. Without the financial incentive to get phase 2 done, VW will have a very hard time meeting the requirements of the settlement.

I know VW wants this behind them more than anybody... with the crap they've had to deal with I would be shocked if they decide to gamble on cars sold post dieselgate.
 

keaton

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Apr 21, 2009
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Mesa AZ, 85202
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TDI-less ATM
That's the PD engine, right? The Mk4 drivetrains were generally durable, but the PD engines had their own issues. I'd say durability is probably par between the CVCA and the old PDs. There are A LOT more complicated emissions controls and the maintenance will be more difficult. For example, the oil filter can only be accessed from underneath. The water to air intercoolers add a lot of hoses and wires. The engine bay is very cramped.

Bottom line, you will miss the simplicity of your Mk4, but the Mk6 platform is so much better and functional. Will it make 500k? I doubt it... But I don't see why high 200s wouldn't be possible with the right care.
not sure i can 100% agree with you on that. MK4 to MK6 sure, MK5 to MK6 no. I have had my 2015 Jetta TDI for just over 1 week and there are tons of misses between the MK5 and MK6, and a lot of it is simple ****.
 

16vjohn

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Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
TDI
EA288 CVCA 6MT
not sure i can 100% agree with you on that. MK4 to MK6 sure, MK5 to MK6 no. I have had my 2015 Jetta TDI for just over 1 week and there are tons of misses between the MK5 and MK6, and a lot of it is simple ****.
Let me clarify. Because of the MQB, the engineering costs are more evenly shared and the engineering is better relative to their costs. Like bigger brakes on base models, or better base engines, or the same drag coefficient despite the bigger interior dimensions. More serviceability like heater cores that can be replaced without removing the dashboard. Filters, fluids, and other consumables used by MQB vehicles, lowering the overall cost to service. Less part numbers in inventory, further lowering manufacturing, logistics, and engineering costs.

Yes, the Mk6 is not as "good" if you look only at what makes a German car "German". Like trunk hinges that intrude into the trunk space instead of a multi-link hinge hidden in the margins. Thinner metals in the body, no soft-touch dash, no analog fuel or temperature gauge, etc. Of course there are things you will notice. With the Mk4 and Mk5, VW tried to compete in the same space as the C class and 3 series, at the price point of an Altima or Civic... the result was horrible reliability, components built to meet a price point instead of a quality point. I think the Mk6's overall quality is worlds ahead of even the Mk5.

Point is, VW had to compete globally and they were able to deliver a highly competitive car in the industry while dramatically reducing costs. To the vast majority of people, the car is better in every way. To enthusiasts, we see them as cheapened out, but having owned 30+ VW products, I don't believe it was to the detriment of the generation. Basically, in a global market, it's a comparatively better car when you look at the big picture. Don't mistake features and design language with quality is all I'm trying to say.
 

keaton

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Let me clarify. Because of the MQB, the engineering costs are more evenly shared and the engineering is better relative to their costs. Like bigger brakes on base models, or better base engines, or the same drag coefficient despite the bigger interior dimensions. More serviceability like heater cores that can be replaced without removing the dashboard. Filters, fluids, and other consumables used by MQB vehicles, lowering the overall cost to service. Less part numbers in inventory, further lowering manufacturing, logistics, and engineering costs.

Yes, the Mk6 is not as "good" if you look only at what makes a German car "German". Like trunk hinges that intrude into the trunk space instead of a multi-link hinge hidden in the margins. Thinner metals in the body, no soft-touch dash, no analog fuel or temperature gauge, etc. Of course there are things you will notice. With the Mk4 and Mk5, VW tried to compete in the same space as the C class and 3 series, at the price point of an Altima or Civic... the result was horrible reliability, components built to meet a price point instead of a quality point. I think the Mk6's overall quality is worlds ahead of even the Mk5.

Point is, VW had to compete globally and they were able to deliver a highly competitive car in the industry while dramatically reducing costs. To the vast majority of people, the car is better in every way. To enthusiasts, we see them as cheapened out, but having owned 30+ VW products, I don't believe it was to the detriment of the generation. Basically, in a global market, it's a comparatively better car when you look at the big picture. Don't mistake features and design language with quality is all I'm trying to say.
yep you got it. reducing cost and seen as cheap... because its true. don't get me wrong I like my TDI but there are lots of things compared to previous generation that make it look & feel cheap
 

16vjohn

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Joined
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Salt Lake City, UT
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EA288 CVCA 6MT
I certainly can't argue with that... I guess the Tl;dr of my post above is that while it has certainly been built more cheaply, the dollars go much farther in the Mk6 than they did in the Mk4/5 generations.

If you account for inflation, my 1998 Jetta would be $30,000 today. I still have the window sticker listing at $19,599. A Mk4 TDI base model is $25,100 today. A loaded Mk5 today would be north of $28-30,000. I paid $18,400 for my Jetta S out the door, which with its standard equipment I think was in insanely good value. Add to the fact that VW gave me $6,600 to keep it, I'd say it's probably one of the best values I'll ever own in my lifetime. :)
 

abused-TDI

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Been driving the new 2015 for a couple days now. The shifting is crazy to get used to compared to my tiptronic 2005. Overall it drives nices, warms up faster, quieter. Also, not sure how much fuel it holds but I am almost 300 miles into the first tank and not even to half a tank??? My only question is what is going on when I push the "ok" button on the right side of the steering wheel and it appears to lock a MPH on the screen that normally is just 3 dash lines.
 

16vjohn

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If you run it dry, it'll take about 13 or 13.5 gallons.

The "OK" button on the right side is used to reset the MDF. For example, you'd use that to reset the MPG average when you fill the tank. Specifically to your question, you must be look at average speed.
 

16vjohn

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Read that again... the OK is used to reset the MFD by press and hold. You can also cycle through the data by pressing it once. "1" is since start, "2" persists until you reset it. I reset 1 and 2 when I fill the tank. 2 will also track hours, which is a fun metric to track in addition to miles. I reset the "2" hour counter when the oil is changed.
 

abused-TDI

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One the drive from TX to MN I got that controller figured out. The most irritating thing to me now is there is absolutely no indication off coolant temp. I want that so I know when I can turn the heat on when it is -25F!
 

abused-TDI

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I fully agree. I satiate my want with Torque and a bluetooth dongle, then I can monitor EGTs as well.
There are so many of those blue tooth dongles out there. There is a Veepeak one and an ELM 327 that are pretty low cost with lots of good reviews. Which one is working good for you?
 

Lightflyer1

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Sep 13, 2005
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Round Rock, Texas
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2015 Beetle tdi dsg
My 2015 Beetle came with coolant temp and oil temp displays built into the driver cluster. Boost in the center dash cluster. Now I just use the dpf app for monitoring regens.
 

16vjohn

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There are so many of those blue tooth dongles out there. There is a Veepeak one and an ELM 327 that are pretty low cost with lots of good reviews. Which one is working good for you?
I've had great success with the Panlong adapter. It's been connected to my Jetta for at least the last 14 months. It also works with my Ford and Nissan products.

https://www.amazon.com/Panlong-Blue...ie=UTF8&qid=1514996243&sr=8-9&keywords=elm327

My 2015 Beetle came with coolant temp and oil temp displays built into the driver cluster. Boost in the center dash cluster. Now I just use the dpf app for monitoring regens.
The "premium" instrument panels came with those readouts. My TDI S sure doesn't have it, but my buddy's 2015 Jetta Sport has it.
 

abused-TDI

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I've had great success with the Panlong adapter. It's been connected to my Jetta for at least the last 14 months. It also works with my Ford and Nissan products.
https://www.amazon.com/Panlong-Blue...ie=UTF8&qid=1514996243&sr=8-9&keywords=elm327
The "premium" instrument panels came with those readouts. My TDI S sure doesn't have it, but my buddy's 2015 Jetta Sport has it.
SO that Panlong dongle says it isn't for diesels? Does it work on your TDI? I might get one that supports Apple OS because I may be forced off my android phone soon. Thanks for the info.
 

16vjohn

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I don't know what they mean by that because it works very well with my 2015 Jetta. They're probably talking about stuff like injector buzz tests on Ford diesels.
 

keaton

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My car doesn't have a temp gauge either. kinda annoying (add that to the list) i want to know when the motor is warm not for heater reasons but i know i can be harder on the accelerations when needed.
SO that Panlong dongle says it isn't for diesels? Does it work on your TDI? I might get one that supports Apple OS because I may be forced off my android phone soon. Thanks for the info.
I have this one
https://www.amazon.com/ScanTool-426...15004121&sr=1-11&keywords=scan+tool+bluetooth

that one ^ will not work with iOS. The reason you will have issues with some Bluetooth devices and iOS is that the Bluetooth data channel (SPP) is locked down, it takes a fair amount of work and extra hardware at design time to work with iOS.

this one uses WiFi to connect to iOS devices. i have this one as well and it works with iOS.
https://www.scantool.net/obdlink-mxwf/

i'm sure any other cheaper wifi based version will work
 

abused-TDI

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Interesting, The wifi version was interesting since I use the bluetooth to play spotify and hook to the phone. Those 2 are quite a bit more $ but I guess they must be better on battery drain and speed huh? I was seriously considering getting the VAGCOM thing for $199 which is why I was looking at a cheaper dongle but now I am torn. Maybe this wifi dongle will let me read what I want like transmission temp etc. on my 2005 TDI it is shifting hard from 2nd straight to 4th so I need something to see what is going on.

stupid iOS...
 
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