**Bad VW part vendor WARNING list**

SuburbanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Location
Midwest
TDI
Beetle TDI, and two Jetta TDI
This thread is titled "Bad VW Part Vendor Warning List." Who's the vendor?

The thread states, "We have seen this same pump sold by our favorite CRAP distributor."

It doesn't identify the vendor by name, but as internet vendor "Prothe" has a significant presence in the Chinese parts aftermarket, sells through an uncountable number of false storefronts, and for many is the poster boy for crap and self-disintegrating products - it seemed responsible to link to the 'forgery OEM pump' thread here.

OEM forgeries add a whole new angle. Especially when even reputable shops like in the linked thread can find themselves with those dangerous engine-destroying parts in their hands. Thankfully they were able to find this one and share a warning.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
My understanding is the purpose of this thread is to identify vendors selling parts that members should avoid. Pointing out the pumps exist doesn't help that cause. I'd certainly like to know who's selling them so I can avoid purchasing them.
 

SuburbanTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2004
Location
Midwest
TDI
Beetle TDI, and two Jetta TDI
I'd certainly like to know who's selling them so I can avoid purchasing them.

Quote, "We have seen this same pump sold by our favorite CRAP distributor."

Keep it easy, stay away from any crap distributor. Your favorite, or anyone else's. They may be selling this same pump as per the thread.

And keep an eye out for forged OEM parts.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
Also, this thread was basically started to out Prothe aliases, I thought. So, "our favorite CRAP distributor" would be Prothe.

Still, it would be interesting to know the original source.
 

AnotherPerson

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
Location
New Orleans
TDI
1999 Beetle
Im just seeing this post and im trying to remember what else he screws around with. I believe its the ford powerstrokes. I knew of his name and his crap long before any interest in vw tdi's.
 

bikeprof

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2005
Location
Pagosa Springs, Colorado(YEAH!)
TDI
1996 Passat B4 Variant white, 1996 Town & Country 3.8 LXI
WELL... !
I did buy a turbo "upgrade" for my B4 about the time "fly-by-night" Prothe started his online business, so actually not too bad duration BUT !
1. NEVER got the turbo to spool correctly
2. NEVER got the power needed but plenty of unused fuel
3. MANY times R & R turbo and other pieces(vacuum, etc...)

SO YEAH! Prothe should be impaled by one of his turbo shafts spinning ~ 180K !

And now, have to dish out more $ for new QUALITY turbo, then drain combustion chamber of the oil from the turbo seal "-(
 
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Bobt250

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Location
Pittsburgh
TDI
1998 Jetta, 2000 Jetta
I bought a complete head and a turbo from him 5 years ago. 90k later and still running strong. I need another one for a different car and plan on buying from him again.
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
Joined
May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
I bought a complete head and a turbo from him 5 years ago. 90k later and still running strong. I need another one for a different car and plan on buying from him again.

Clearly a gambler.........
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
I bought a complete head and a turbo from him 5 years ago. 90k later and still running strong. I need another one for a different car and plan on buying from him again.
Please...

No activity on your account for half a decade, and you come back today to miraculously detail your prothe success in three different threads? :rolleyes:

I can only roll my eyes so far...

Prothe is a well known crap peddler - please shill elsewhere, or provide much more detail like pictures or invoices.
 

Bobt250

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2009
Location
Pittsburgh
TDI
1998 Jetta, 2000 Jetta
I apologize for what appears to be a shill. The reason I was looking around is that I am in need of another head and was wondering what the word on him was now 5 years later. That's all, I'm not a shill, just stating my experience with him. I was planning on going straight to him (if I could find him) for another one but you guys have me concerned.

If I was a shill I would have been defending him years ago.

I only bought the head and turbo from him. I bought a timing belt kit from someone else that had a Conti belt. I've had good luck with those belts.

Can anyone say if they had a problem specifically with a head from this guy?

I seriously want to know because I need a head for an ALH
 
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jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
I bought a complete head and a turbo from him 5 years ago. 90k later and still running strong. I need another one for a different car and plan on buying from him again.
lol....have you looked at the cam? bet there isn't much left.
 

BuzzKen

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 16, 2011
Location
Markham, Ontario
TDI
'10 Touareg TDI, '09 335D, '10 X5D
I apologize for what appears to be a shill. The reason I was looking around is that I am in need of another head and was wondering what the word on him was now 5 years later. That's all, I'm not a shill, just stating my experience with him. I was planning on going straight to him (if I could find him) for another one but you guys have me concerned.

If I was a shill I would have been defending him years ago.

I only bought the head and turbo from him. I bought a timing belt kit from someone else that had a Conti belt. I've had good luck with those belts.

Can anyone say if they had a problem specifically with a head from this guy?

I seriously want to know because I need a head for an ALH
Just buy what you need from IDparts and you will be good.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
I apologize for what appears to be a shill. The reason I was looking around is that I am in need of another head and was wondering what the word on him was now 5 years later. That's all, I'm not a shill, just stating my experience with him. I was planning on going straight to him (if I could find him) for another one but you guys have me concerned.

If I was a shill I would have been defending him years ago.

I only bought the head and turbo from him. I bought a timing belt kit from someone else that had a Conti belt. I've had good luck with those belts.

Can anyone say if they had a problem specifically with a head from this guy?

I seriously want to know because I need a head for an ALH
Removed three of them over the last 7-8 years. One was so warped it puked the head gasket after 5k. Good thing as his "timing belt" was half its original width and would have caused far greater damage. The secong just ran very poorly after 20K. Lots of unburnt fuel smoke and very hard to start. The valve seats were so soft they pretty much either eroded down or the base metal was so soft it hammered them in. The third was a SMOKER. oil smoke, bad. There was about .5mm of play in EVERY guide. That head had 3K on it.

Junk....
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Hans auto got me

To be clear, for anything engine related or mechanical/critical I always buy from the tdiclub vendors.

As per usual, should have checked here first. Got fooled by the "Hans auto" store front when quickly searching for a less critical part (door latch).

Live and learn.

Luckily it's "just" a door latch and is easy to change on the mkv but still hate to be sending any money his way. Will be more careful going forward.
 

skyking1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Location
Washington
TDI
2003 beetle 2002 beetle
Thanks for the thread. My injection pump is going bad, and I ended up on hansauto site. It rang a bell......
thanks again!
 

quartersaw

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2005
Location
Albany, NY
TDI
2002 Jetta Wagon, '96 B4V,'99 2 door Golf
My BLAAST 'Billet turbo', which allegedly gave up to 30 lbs. of boost (per seller) lasted about 500 miles.
Had problems with the turbo from day one, and was fed a stream of B.S. by the seller.
BLAAST has ignored my e mails for warranty coverage.
I replaced it with a VNT-17, and have had no problems.
If you buy a BLAAST turbo, you are throwing away good money.
(I'm running a Malone Stage 4 tune)
A sad bump for this crook......
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
Thanks for the thread. My injection pump is going bad, and I ended up on hansauto site. It rang a bell......
thanks again!
I have one of these installed that I need to change out. It's an OEM pump that clearly has issues since it wanders all over the voltage map and throws codes. It is still working but isn't right. I have an old pump on the shelf that worked fine so I'll toss it on.
 

AnotherPerson

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2015
Location
New Orleans
TDI
1999 Beetle
Was laying in bed thinking about this dude. Since he is very good at finding cheap stuff in China for our cars. Why the hell doesn’t he get us some beetle door panels made? Cheap Chinese plastics can’t be any worse than what vw makes them out of. And I’d be fine paying him $150. I’m sure many others would since vw wants so much for them. Every time I’m looking for something non mechanical google links to him but he no longer sells it. I’ll take chinese cosmetic parts for 1/4th the price. Can’t be any worse than cardone and dorman crap everybody here sells.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
^ which supports his business and the likelihood that he will trash yet another innocent TDI'ers cylinder head with a timing belt he won't guarantee other than to replace it with another CRAP belt
 

kooyajerms

grocery getter
Joined
May 5, 2004
Location
Pomona, Southern California
TDI
97 B4V (mine), 11 x5 35d (hers) 04 V10 (that one you want), 2014 Q7 (mom's) 74 Shasta 1400
Sure Jason, but the point of the thread is who's considered a "bad" vendor. We confirm that he is one and then to say, he can get an item cheap for us, let's contact him about that. The thread was based on treatment of customers, and I'd say supporting him on non critical items so he can keep supporting his critical item failures is a loss.

Screw you Windex, too fast
 
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