rocketeer928 - My 2003 VW Jetta TDI

rocketeer928 · Nov 22, 2010

shizzler said:
Dang, you wound it all the way to 6 grand?

Thats still a pretty nice meaty power band from 3k to 4500.

The ECU kicks out wherever Jeff programmed the RC5 tune last June. I was a bit surprised too because I thought my ECU limiter was set at 5800 rpm.

I never, ever go that high while driving. About 5000 rpm is my personal limit, on occasion.

tothemax · Nov 22, 2010

shizzler said:
Dang, you wound it all the way to 6 grand?

Thats still a pretty nice meaty power band from 3k to 4500.

Look nice but watch pushing it all the way to 6k on the dyno with OE rods...

rocketeer928 · Nov 22, 2010

It wasn't me, it was the guy running the dyno at Xenocron. He's used to running Japanese cars, I think. I doubt I will have a dyno done there again. I'll stick with DSG.

ChippedNotBroken · Nov 22, 2010

rocketeer928 said:
It wasn't me, it was the guy running the dyno at Xenocron. He's used to running Japanese cars, I think. I doubt I will have a dyno done there again. I'll stick with DSG.

This was the first time they have ever run diesels. It was a learning experience for everyone involved. I would think the hour and a half you were on the rollers with mechanical issues would have been more of a disappointment than the relatively insignificant hiccups with whp vs chp printouts and how they got the cars rolling on the dyno. A few of the cars they dyno'd (like mine) either limped or choked under 2000 rpm if you stomped on them, while others started to boost right off idle. As far as running it out to the rev limiter, that's what he was told to do, had you told him otherwise he would have certainly complied.

rocketeer928 · Nov 28, 2010

Those of you with a boost gauge and FMIC, do you experience your boost pressure fluctuating 1 - 3 psi while driving at a constant speed, rather than remaining steady? I'm not really concerned, but just curious. I don't remember the regular fluctuations when I had the EuroJet SMIC installed.

1.9 TDI Awd · Nov 29, 2010

All i can say is WOW. Best Thread if have Read to date!! i have not payed attention to more than 4 hours of class reading about your Jetta work.

I am not sure what your headlight situation ended up being.... But I will say that HID conversion is the best $$$ i have ever spent. my '94 Golf had crap for headlights and then i did the E-Code conversion and the 55-Watt Bi-Xenon 10,000k HIDs. BEST EVER!! also bought low beam high beam and foglight slim 35 watt hid kits for my S-10 Blazer all for $128 with shipping from ebay. Lifetime bulb warranty! this is the seller that i used http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/supervtec/ if you look around youll find what you need and the more you buy the better the deals he will work with you if you ask. cant wait to keep reading, Love your Thread.

This is The TDI Bible.

tothemax · Nov 29, 2010

rocketeer928 said:
Those of you with a boost gauge and FMIC, do you experience your boost pressure fluctuating 1 - 3 psi while driving at a constant speed, rather than remaining steady? I'm not really concerned, but just curious. I don't remember the regular fluctuations when I had the EuroJet SMIC installed.

I have not had this issue.

What kind of gauge do you have?

Check it against your vagcom to make sure it's not yoru gauge.

If the road is flat and you put on cruise control, you should not have much variation in boost..

rocketeer928 · Nov 29, 2010

I have a McNally EGT/Boost gauge.

rocketeer928 · Nov 29, 2010

Wavetrac LSD

I just ordered a Wavetrac Limited Slip Differential, Type 02J and its installation kit from Autotech Sport Tuning. They had a wicked Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale that ends in less than 10 minutes.

I was convinced on the Wavetrac based on its superior performance in snow, since I live in New England. I will likely have it installed early next year.

tothemax · Nov 29, 2010

rocketeer928 said:
I just ordered a Wavetrac Limited Slip Differential, Type 02J and its installation kit from Autotech Sport Tuning. .......

Great choice of LSD !!! you will love it in the snow... you can also practice your left foot braking... after you get it..

Check the McNally gauge against the VAGcom reading ... you may find it is your gauge that is the issue

gforce1108 · Nov 29, 2010

Haven't noticed any fluctuations with the FMIC. The only thing I've noticed, and I think it has more to do with the RC3 tune is that cruising at about 70 requires almost no throttle so I see the gauge bounce between 0 and maybe 5 PSI at it cycles between boost and no boost. Any more throttle and boost is constant.

rocketeer928 · Nov 29, 2010

tothemax said:
Great choice of LSD !!! you will love it in the snow... you can also practice your left foot braking... after you get it.

If I drove like that here on the awful, pothole infested roads in CT, I would definitely kill myself and total my car. Ha, ha! That driver must have practiced a whole bunch to keep control of his car, and his interviewing passenger certainly trusted him. Fun video.

I thought you chose the Peloquin LSD. Or, did you switch to the Wavetrac for your 6-speed tranny?

tothemax · Nov 29, 2010

rocketeer928 said:
If I drove like that here on the awful, pothole infested roads in CT, I would definitely kill myself and total my car. Ha, ha! That driver must have practiced a whole bunch to keep control of his car, and his interviewing passenger certainly trusted him. Fun video.

I thought you chose the Peloquin LSD. Or, did you switch to the Wavetrac for your 6-speed tranny?

BTW... this left foot stuff will not work on the TDI unless I can figure out how to modify to program to make it not coast on the throttle when we press the brake w/ the left foot....

No I did chose Peloquin because it was cheaper and we have no snow here in CA... I do htink that the wavetrac offers more control on snowy or slippery roads

rocketeer928 · Nov 30, 2010

tothemax said:
No I did chose Peloquin because it was cheaper

With this past long weekend's sale from Autotech, the Wavetrac and its installation kit was only slightly more than the Peloquin. I bought at just the right time, though I'm thoroughly broke at the moment. Don't tell the wifey...

rocketeer928 · Dec 1, 2010

I have not studied or scrutinized it yet, but I finally found a "How-To" via VWVortex for the installation of a Peloquin LSD on the 02J transmission. From what I did read in the thread, the write-up needs to be supplemented with the Bentley, which I have. The guy who wrote it did the work on his TDI. I'm assuming the installation of a Wavetrac would be the same as a Peloquin.

I still haven't decided if I will do the work myself or take my tranny someplace to have a trained mechanic do it. Any thoughts?

Link: http://www.kd8cgo.com/component/content/article/46-peloquin-install

Edit: I read the document. I don't think I want to tackle the installation of the Wavetrac, but rather let someone experienced in transmission work to do the job.

rocketeer928 · Dec 7, 2010

Over the last couple of weeks, I replaced the N75 boost solenoid and the blue, flimsy vacuum tubing with the VW-style, cloth braided tubing. I also extended the 17/22 turbo's actuator rod about 1½ turns to prevent the over-boosting I was experiencing.

In a few days I'm headed down to Red Lion to have Jeff install the RC5 ASV Euro tune on my spare ECU. It'll be a long trip, but I'm looking forward to the bump in power.

Fiveflat · Dec 7, 2010

Is there a complete "kit" for all the vacuum tubing? I want to replace mine because they are looking cracked and brittle...

rocketeer928 · Dec 7, 2010

Not that I'm aware of. I bought the two different diameters from www.IDParts.com . As I took one tube off, I then cut an equivalent new tube and replaced.

squire89 · Dec 7, 2010

...have you gotten your lsd in yet? wondering how you like it if so. i'll likely be adding one to my trans swap when it happens, and wondering what you thought

rocketeer928 · Dec 8, 2010

The Wavetrac LSD is on a UPS truck somewhere in flyover country. It's supposed to arrive on Friday. If I decide to install it myself then I will likely install late December. I'm supposed to receive How-to directions from Whitbread soon (hopefully).

After reading the How-to, if I decide a transmission professional should do the installation then it will likely not happen until spring. I would need to find myself a competent tranny guy.

rocketeer928 · Dec 11, 2010

RC5 ASV Euro Tune

This past Friday, I went down to visit Jeff R. in Red Lion, PA, to get the RC5 ASV Euro tune for my Jetta TDI. It took me about 5 hours from home, and started to snow lightly when I arrived. My car got all dirty; winter weather.

The Euro tune is great. After installation, I had Jeff drive my car to test it out with me in the passenger seat. The extra bit of power is noticeable. But, what I find most satisfying, the turbo spools up quicker and more smoothly and I'm not overboosting (I think that is more to do with lengthening my 17/22 actuator rod). Acceleration is so quick and smooth now.

As a plus, the cruise control is very smooth when the resume button is hit, which apparently is a feature of the Euro tune. Before, hitting the resume button would cause the car to lurch and race up to speed. I did notice that when going down a steep hill, the cruise kind of makes the engine jerk a bit to keep the car at speed, but that's a small price to pay.

Jeff also told me that I will likely notice a bump upward in fuel mileage with the Euro tune. Actually, gauging by the needle, it seems to me that he is right. However, only time and fill-ups will tell the real story, especially during my normal commuting. After putting on my 15-inch winter tires/wheels, at 572 miles I got 51 mpg with the "normal" RC5 BEFORE getting the RC5 Euro tune. I always get a big bump in mileage when I install the winter tires and before the fuel gets winterized around here in CT.

Jeff had taken my spare ECU four weeks ago and installed the RC5 ASV Euro tune on it. This wasn't exactly my original plan. I had intended to have my original ECU with the RC5 on it, which will pass CT emissions, changed to the Euro tune, and then have my spare ECU fitted with something like RC3 just for emissions. Instead, the spare has become my primary ECU with the RC5 Euro tune, and my original ECU with the other RC5 will be used for emissions.

For those of you thinking about RC5, don't make the mistake I made. Just go for the ASV Euro tune, and if you need to pass emissions, get yourself a cheap ECU on Car-Part.com to have an emission-compliant tune placed in it with the immobilizer deactivated. My fear of having an RC5 that would pass emissions cost me power and more $$$ than really necessary.

I'm really happy with the Euro tune, and I look forward to the next NE Dyno Day in the autumn to see how my car now performs.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 12, 2010

That's great news. Glad you're happy with it. I still love my current tune, and it hasn't been touched in almost 4 years. I had forgotten about the cruise feature: I hated the way it worked before.

I got 46 on my last tank, about 1/2 mixed driving and 1/2 a trip to Maine. Winter fuel. I haven't swapped tires yet: I usually wait until it is actually snowing and I have to go out.

rocketeer928 · Dec 16, 2010

500 miles and Fuel Gauge

OK, to be quite honest, I stole the picture idea from IBW.

However, I was shocked that for the first time ever, I've gone 500 miles between last Friday, Dec 10 and today, and my fuel gauge needle is at the ½ mark. I actually drove the long way home to get this picture tonight.

I know it's not truly a half tank of diesel, but it's impressive anyway. I imagine that it's a combination of the RC5 ASV Euro tune (Jeff told me I should get better mileage) and the 15-inch Blizzaks. What makes this even more amazing to me is that it has been stinkin' cold here in CT since Tuesday morning; way below normal with lows in the mid-teens and highs in the mid-twenties.

I would say 70% was highway driving. Typically, I do 50/50 highway/local, But I was coming home from visiting Jeff R. and the Philly area on Saturday.

With my wide 235/45R17 summer tires and the other emissions-ready RC5 tune, I was just hoping to get to 425 miles at the ½ mark, and often did not.

I suspect that I will experience a new personal best in mileage when I fill up again. I'm not certain if the diesel here has been winterized yet.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 16, 2010

That's impressive, especially with snows, which I don't think of as being terribly low rolling resistance. You're probably headed for 49 or 50 MPG for the tank. I got 46 on my last tank, and I think that was on winter fuel. Haven't put the snows on yet, although they're ready and waiting.

rocketeer928 · Dec 16, 2010

Actually, I got 50.6 mpg with the Blizzaks and the former RC5 when I filled up on Dec 10, so I think this tank may be even better than your prediction. Last year, I was a little above 50 mpg with the snows and RC4, and I think that was before the fuel was winterized.

Kel3283 · Dec 18, 2010

Who makes the full exhaust system you installed?

Very interested!?

squire89 · Dec 18, 2010

it looks like an idparts(tdiparts formerly) i happen to have a 2.5" turbo back fs in the classifieds....not to plug the sale at all....

rocketeer928 · Dec 19, 2010

Kel3283 said:
Who makes the full exhaust system you installed?

Very interested!?

squire89 said:
it looks like an idparts(tdiparts formerly) i happen to have a 2.5" turbo back fs in the classifieds....not to plug the sale at all....

Yes, I bought the exhaust from IDParts. The exhaust system is here: http://www.idparts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=124&osCsid=o91med3ddkolkf3tsiqf608tn4

I ended up using Torctite exhaust clamps from Verocious Motorsports, which hold much better: http://www.verociousmotorsports.com/Shop-by-Brand/Torca/TorcTite-Stainless-Steel-Exhaust-Clamp

sqhschief · Dec 22, 2010

Grill Replacement?

Rocketeer928, I just went through like every page of this thread and all I have to say is WOW! The amount of dedication and passion you have for your car is amazing, I thought I was bad about buying new stuff all the time

.

I noticed somewhere on one of your recent pictures that you had an upgraded front grill thing. Where the VW symbol is, where did you get that? I have been looking for one of those forever. Do they come pre-painted?

I look forward to the rest of what this thread brings

.

Ich habe auch liebe meinen VW, weil er sehr schnell fährt und bekommt große Kraftstoffverbrauch.

rocketeer928 · Dec 22, 2010

Vielen Dank für das Kompliment über mein Jetta TDI, sqhschief.

Es ist ein Gitter Oettinger, dass ich aus North American Autosports gekauft. Hier ist die Website: http://www.namotorsports.net/detail.cfm/part_cd/OTOE80422600

Das Gitter kommt weiß grundiert, aber nicht lackiert.

Copy-and-paste into Google Translate if needed. Ha, ha!

rocketeer928 - My 2003 VW Jetta TDI

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