Any harm removing engine cover?

peteman

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2003
Location
Golden, British Columbia, Canada
TDI
2003 Golf TDI 504 000 km and 2003 Golf TDI 225 000 km
I know that the cover is in place for insulating purposes, both sound and heat. Any harm if removed? Besides increased noise and heat loss.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
I am not certain of the appeal to remove it apart from making easier access to the oil filter and for visual inspection of the engine.

IMO, these engines have virtually no waste heat and chill down so rapidly when turned off, I can't imagine why anyone would want to give up that tiny amount of heat. Even during the hot weather, there is lot little excess heat...it's part of the reason these cars can achieve the tremendous fuel economy they do.
 

POWERSTROKE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 17, 2000
Location
Staten Island (The Dump)
TDI
2002 Golf
[ QUOTE ]
I am not certain of the appeal to remove it apart from making easier access to the oil filter and for visual inspection of the engine.

IMO, these engines have virtually no waste heat and chill down so rapidly when turned off, I can't imagine why anyone would want to give up that tiny amount of heat. Even during the hot weather, there is lot little excess heat...it's part of the reason these cars can achieve the tremendous fuel economy they do.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree. Other than visual inspection, what would be the purpose. Take it off to inspect every 3000 miles, which would mount to three times per oil change. It takes a minute to do.
 

tdipoet

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 4, 2002
Location
hooksett, nh
TDI
'11 Jetta TDI
mine came off when the foam began too... what a mess.

besides, i like looking at the engine, not a cover.
 

bitterberry

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2003
Location
Lenexa, KS
TDI
1999.5 Jetta (5-speed)
[ QUOTE ]
-50 celsius in the winter....+30 celsius in the summer. Although I wasn't planning on removing it until May when temps get above 10

[/ QUOTE ]

Well the summer temp sounds lovely but MINUS 50!!??!? How the hell do you survive up there? I hate it here in Kansas City in the winter time. If I could afford it, I'd move out west to San Diego and ride my bike all year long.

YEESH!
 

POWERSTROKE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 17, 2000
Location
Staten Island (The Dump)
TDI
2002 Golf
[ QUOTE ]
mine came off when the foam began too... what a mess.

besides, i like looking at the engine, not a cover.

[/ QUOTE ]
I do to. [sic] /images/graemlins/grin.gif I just think in the winter when it is cold the cover serves a purpose.
 

MITBeta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Location
Boston's Metro South-West
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 2004 Sprinter CDI Passenger (Mid/High), former: 1996 Passat TDI Variant
It does seem to keep the engine somewhat cleaner as well, from what I have seen...
 

zeratul

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2004
Location
green bay, wi
TDI
04 PD JETTA GLS, GALACTIC BLUE, 5 SPD,
isnt there a significant increase in the 'dieselness' of the sound if the insulation is removed?
 

Growler

Got Soot Vendor
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Millersport, Ohio
TDI
Schmutz, 2015 Golf Sportwagen DSG & Schnurren, 2001 Golf GL 2 door 5M
[ QUOTE ]
isnt there a significant increase in the 'dieselness' of the sound if the insulation is removed?

[/ QUOTE ]

why yes, yes it does. I am running mine without an engine cover or rear engine bay seal, just so I can listen to my engine/turbo.
 

dieseldorf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 11, 2000
Location
MA
TDI
ex- 1996 wagon, ex-2000 Jetta
[ QUOTE ]
I am running mine without an engine cover or rear engine bay seal....

[/ QUOTE ]


Indeed, if you want to hear the engine, remove that gasket that runs the width of the windshield...then you'll hear the engine!

Sheesh, I had that off my car for a day or two and could NOT believe the noise. /images/graemlins/eek.gif VW has done a very decent job of isolating the cacophony from the passenger compartment.
 

mgwerks

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Location
Texas Hill Country
TDI
black 1999 New Beetle
Hey - I bought that cacaphony on purpose! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif I'm with Aaron onthis one. Well, since it might occasionally reach into the 20's in the winter here, I might reattach that cover come November. I have to admit, though, all cleaned up the cover makes a nice piece of wall art (my wife has the patience of a saint)!
 

AlanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2002
Location
Long Island NY, relocating to Louisiana next week
TDI
1996 Passat wagonTDI, 02 jetta sedan, on the dark side 2017 Rav4
I run mine without the cover too. Besides 2 of the mounting nuts were mysteriously missing last time I was at dealer.
Im trying not to go back to dealer.
I have some warrenty issues so I will have to go back, no cruise, and the little switch on the drivers door that has he light to open fuel door,never goes off(slight battery drain).
I found a local place with 35 years VW experience to do my TB for 250.00 plus parts. Have appointment for monday 3/9 will see how it goes.
 

blitzoid

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Location
NYC
TDI
Blue '02 Golf GLS TDI
Alan - pleaase let me know how it turns out. It would be great to find a good garage that isn't too far away. Dealer options within the five boroughs are horrible.
 

GotDiesel?

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 11, 2000
Location
Pacific NW
TDI
2001 Jetta GLS
AlanTDI,

Check to make sure your brake lights are still working. If they are burned out, cruise control won't work.
 

carlisle

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2002
Location
Sioux Falls, SD
TDI
Two '98 Beetles, one '03 Jetta (ALH), and one '98 Jetta (AHU)
The noise; the smell! That's what it's all about man. Cover's been off both my '98 beetles since day one. Engine covers are for sissy's!

Chris
 

stayalert

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Location
VT, USA
TDI
2001 golf black
I burned a CD of the tdi idling after a drive with the turbo whistling.....I play it in other cars or on the stereo in my garage, house at work...I have 7 copies.....every cd player i have has a copy (and I have spare copies too just in case.) Some people think its a bit much. But heck I like it....
 

stayalert

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Location
VT, USA
TDI
2001 golf black
Um....I was kidding I run with the engine cover off currently....It looks so nice hanging in the garage.....
 

Blackknight

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2003
Location
Jackson, MI
TDI
None
For the nuts you should be able to just go to the hardware store and pick up some 10mm nuts.

I run mine without the cover, since I like how it looks with the cover off, and I'm too lazy to keep taking it off and putting it back on.
 

Brock_from_WI

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Location
Green Bay, WI USA
TDI
2003 wagon
Or even better yet, get some 10mm wing nuts /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I take my cover off in the summer, but it is on fall/winter/spring to retain what little heat it makes.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
My engine cover is somewhere in a landfill. I took it off and never gave it a second thought about replacing it. The amount of heat it retains is very insignificant in my neck of the woods or in relation to my driving needs. However, it did a good job on noise suppression. But, I love the sound of my diesel whacking! /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

stayalert

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Location
VT, USA
TDI
2001 golf black
I love the look of the engine cover and emblem.......hanging in my garage. Rob M Concord, MA USA
 

mgwerks

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Location
Texas Hill Country
TDI
black 1999 New Beetle
My wife says that if I clean it up really nice, I can hang it in the house! How is that for modern art? I mostly like to leave it off so I can see how much oil it is NOT leaking, unlike the old 89 Jetta NA diesel.

Oh, and by the way, the cover had worn part way through the fuel supply line from the filter to the inj. pump on my beetle - if I hadn't taken it off, I wouldn't have known.....
 

cattlerepairman

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2003
Location
Ottawa
TDI
none
Due to "when I have time I will put some loctite on those loose studs" last fall, my Beetle spent the winter without the plastic cover. "When I have time" never happened.

As weird as it may sound (it IS, after all, only a dumb plastic cover), there was noticeably more heat loss from the engine (seen when car was plugged in and also when the winter storms were howling). That cover does have its merits in the winter.
It is going to go back on /images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif when I have time to put some loctite on those loose studs. /images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

n1das

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Nashua, NH, USA
TDI
2014 BMW 535xd ///M-Sport, 2012 BMW X5 Xdrive35d, former 3x TDI owner
I'm running my '02 Golf TDI without the engine cover. During my recent 80k mile TB change, Herm TDI recommended that I leave it off. It hasn't been back on since.

Here's why:
* Easier maintenance. No hassles with taking the cover off and putting it back on.

* Easier to spot any problems developing, i.e., leaks, etc., before they become big problems.

* The cover doesn't provide much thermal insulation at all. I ran mine without the cover during the bitter cold we had in NH this past January, without any ill effects.

* The cover does provide some sound insulation, but not enough to justify leaving the cover in place. Besides, I LOVE the "Dieselness" sound!

* After reading the "My Car Caught on Fire" thread in the forums a couple of months ago, I'm glad I removed my engine cover. Whatever the cause of the engine fire, the foam insulation burned like Napalm and did a lot of damage to the glowplug harness, fuel return lines, and CCV hose. What started out as a small fire quickly turned into an inferno until the cover had completely burned up.

* I'm anal about doing preventive maintenance on schedule, but I'm also very lazy when it comes to things like the engine cover. I may hang mine up on the wall as a souvenir.

Just my $0.02 worth.


~ n1das
 

LWB053

Vendor
Joined
Aug 5, 2003
Location
Tampa, FLA, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta, Dk Green
Well, I live in Tampa, Fla, so warm-up isn't a problem. I run mine with the cover off, and honestly can't tell a difference inside the car. When I got the car, 2 of the studs were stripped, causing it to take longer to remove the cover than to do an oil change...I'm poking into the idea of using the pop-on style cover like my buddy's 2.slo uses...permanently installed studs, with round "ball-joint" tops, and a big rubber insert in the bottom of the engine cover that pops onto the ball-joints. Looks like an easy mod, and the engine cover will simply pop on, and pop off. If that doesn't pan out, my engine cover will remain an art exhibit in my garage.

Keith
 

aburchell44

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2002
Location
Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia
TDI
2003 TDI Wagon For Sale
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
isnt there a significant increase in the 'dieselness' of the sound if the insulation is removed?

[/ QUOTE ]

why yes, yes it does. I am running mine without an engine cover or rear engine bay seal, just so I can listen to my engine/turbo.

[/ QUOTE ]

Umm Diesel sound is music to my ears....

I love the noise when she dumps off the boost
 
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