You know you're obsessed when....

dubStrom

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Location
Kansas City Missouri
TDI
2003 A4 Jetta (sold), 2010 JSW (sold), 2013 Passat 6MT traded for 2014 JSW with 6MT-TOTALED in November 2016, 2003 ALH 5MT conversion (sold), wheezing 2015 GSW/DSG and a new 2021 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 p'up
...you find yourself checking into job market in Argentina, cost of living considerations, temporary storage options for the move (while you look for a house), just to be able to buy an Amarok, all before realizing the consequences for your kids, and wife =)

Then you erase the browser cache, just in case :eek:
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
...you find yourself checking into job market in Argentina, cost of living considerations, temporary storage options for the move (while you look for a house), just to be able to buy an Amarok, all before realizing the consequences for your kids, and wife =)

Then you erase the browser cache, just in case :eek:
My wife would just roll hers eyes and tell me to have fun. She may let me back in the house when I return, or if I can find out where she moved to!:(
 

NarfBLAST

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 3, 2002
Location
Waterdown, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2001 Golf 5MT
When every time you hear a nearby vehicle making "swish swish swish" or "tick tick tick" sounds your heart skips a beat as you wonder if the sound is coming from YOUR lifters or YOUR timing belt!
This is the truth! At a stop light today I heard all kinds of belt noises today and looked in the rear view to find to my relief a salty looking older woman smoking a cigarette behind the wheel of an old Chevy Blazer. The noises faded as I pulled away.

You know you are obsessed when, at 482,000 km you switch your instrument cluster to "United Kingdom" so you can get a picture for the 300,000 mile club... (pic to follow in a few days fingers crossed)
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
9 YEARS???? This thread ran for 9 years. Who could have known with I posted my original post that 9 years and 3 TDIs later it would finally fade to a stop. That is really, really cool.

In the 9 years that this thread has run, time has marched on. A few years after I started this thread I actually started selling VW's at a dealership in Orlando Florida. Then moved back home to 'Bama and continued with VW for a few more years first in Montgomery, then in Birmingham before finally getting out of the car business and starting my own business.
I've met lots of great VW people, many who have shared a passion for TDI's like I did.
One thing is true-- we all seem to be cut from the same cloth. We all like to drive as far on a gallon of fuel as we possibly can, and at the same time, not give up performance or longevity.

After not having posted over a year now, I felt the need to check back and see if this old thread was still going. It wasn't. It was a great run during the time we all shared our obsession.
Good Luck to the veteran obsessed TDI owners, and with the soon-to-become obsessed future TDI drivers.
Jerry
 
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itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
Hey Tomo,
I left VW right as they were introducing the hybrids to us. Very peppy car, and for those who drive more city than highway, Hybrids offer a good alternative to the TDI. I can't wait for (the never to ever be available in North America) Diesel/Electric Hybrid.
But, we know the story with VW. WE think of the perfect car and they never build it. (TDI Tiguan??, TDI/ Electric Hybrid.
Oh great.. there I go getting obsessed again.
Cheers.
 

Tom Servo

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2000
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
TDI
2005 Gol TDI, blue and falling apart
9 YEARS???? This thread ran for 9 years. Who could have known with I posted my original post that 9 years and 3 TDIs later it would finally fade to a stop. That is really, really cool.

In the 9 years that this thread has run, time has marched on. A few years after I started this thread I actually started selling VW's at a dealership in Orlando Florida. Then moved back home to 'Bama and continued with VW for a few more years first in Montgomery, then in Birmingham before finally getting out of the car business and starting my own business.
I've met lots of great VW people, many who have shared a passion for TDI's like I did.
One thing is true-- we all seem to be cut from the same cloth. We all like to drive as far on a gallon of fuel as we possibly can, and at the same time, not give up performance or longevity.

After not having posted over a year now, I felt the need to check back and see if this old thread was still going. It wasn't. It was a great run during the time we all shared our obsession.
Good Luck to the veteran obsessed TDI owners, and with the soon-to-become obsessed future TDI drivers.
Jerry
Wish I could remember the name of the guy who sold me my current Golf, it would be a hoot if it was you! I bought it in late 2004 from Royal in Vestavia Hills.
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
Wish I could remember the name of the guy who sold me my current Golf, it would be a hoot if it was you! I bought it in late 2004 from Royal in Vestavia Hills.
That was a bit before my time. I was at Royal (Orlando) starting in 2005, and Ingram in Montgomery in 2006. and finally at Royal (B'ham) in 2009.
 

TDI2000Zim

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Location
NJ
TDI
VW hat meinen '14 Passat TDiSE getötet.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE OBSSESSED WHEN:
You are still driving a loaner Passat Gasser for more than a month, while the Dealer plays "pin the tail on the donkey" trying to figure out what the problem is with your LEMON, and still you keep an eye on gas stations that sell diesel as if you were still driving your TDi.
 
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TDI2000Zim

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Location
NJ
TDI
VW hat meinen '14 Passat TDiSE getötet.
YOU KNOW YOU'RE OBSSESSED WHEN:
Your wife begins to say you love your TDi LEMON (still at the Dealer for more than a month) more than you do your family.
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
ok. one more:
You know you're obsessed when you know what "the mystery spring" is, and you've saved every one you've ever found in your car hoping for the day the answer would appear on the TDI club.
 

ANDDRIVAL

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Location
New York
TDI
N/A
I would love to make a special trip for fuels. I am a bit busy now a days but latter I will surely think about it. Any experience sharing regarding this will be welcome.








Our Website
 
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TDI_Dan

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
Location
Michigan
TDI
2015 GSW 6M MKVII, 2011 Golf TDI 6M (bought back)
Guilty! On many of the few I've read. Obsessed with keeping it clean, performing my own service. Yes, I even drive by buildings with the windows down to hear the grunt and the turbo.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
When you defend VW for being so stupid as to actually program in an emissions cheat, get caught, and admit it, only to have to replay the whole scenario a few months later with a different engine, or two, or three....
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
When you defend VW for being so stupid as to actually program in an emissions cheat, get caught, and admit it, only to have to replay the whole scenario a few months later with a different engine, or two, or three....
Guilty as charged.

You know you're obsessed when after you defend VW, and go through a buy-back, you search for and buy the last 3 New 2015 TDI's in your state in 2017 and dont think twice about doing it.
(yep, I did that last week). Passat, Beetle Convetible and Golf Sportwagen.

Personal note: I can't believe this thread is getting semi-regular updates after so long. I've not checked it in a few years. When I wrote it late one night in 2003, I thought I'd put together some of the more common ALH TDI-ism's that I kept reading over and over. Glad to see the TDI community has kept growing over the years.

I'm sure VW will weather the diesel storm, and will have learned from it. We may have a few years without diesels, but that happened in the mid-90's, and again briefly in 2005-2006 for a short while.

Hang tough TDI folks. It'll get better.
 

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
You know you're obsessed when....you keep track of how many years you've been owning and driving diesel cars and kept track of how many miles logged in them.

TODAY marks the 15th anniversary of me getting my first DIESEL car. I got my 2002 VW Golf GLS TDI 15 years ago today! :cool: Drove it off the dealer's lot with 14 miles on the odometer. Sold it at only 361k miles in 2010 to a coworker whose son needed a car for college. The car is still on the road today in the hands of the second owner with over 400k miles on the odometer. :cool:

I've logged over 800k miles in diesel cars since first getting the 02 Golf TDI on 5/15/2002. I've owned a few more diesel cars along the way. There is absolutely no way I'm ever going back to gasoline again if I can help it. Absolutely no more gassers! VW's dieselgate scandal has strengthened my resolve to continue to own and drive only diesel vehicles. What's changed since the scandal is future diesel cars I own won't be from VW. I had already moved away from VW TDIs to BMW Advanced Diesel before the Dieselgate scandal erupted. If I someday add another diesel vehicle to my all diesel fleet, it likely will be a diesel pickup truck. The diesel pickup truck market does not appear to be threatened at all and is expanding.
 
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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
David, I'm about a week ahead of you. I just checked and I picked up IBW on May 9, 2002. Since then I've bought 12 TDIs for me and my kids, we've wrecked two of them, (one repaired) and I've driven about half a million miles in VW TDIs, most of it in IBW. And I bought IDParts and changed careers 11 years ago. So I guess I'm obsessed.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
You dig back through old threads looking for something specific and feel the need to bring this one to the front instead.
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
This thread has existed since 2003.
I know it's not as popular largely due to most of the stuff being ALH-era specific. But it's still pretty cool looking at this thinking when I wrote this I was in my mid-30's and had 3 young kids. Now the kids are mostly grown, and one has had my first grandchild.

The TDI club has come a long way since the early days. We've gained and lost a fair number of people. Some through changes in their taste in cars, others through changes in life.

You've all been a pretty cool bunch of folks.
In spite of the ups and downs of diesel Vw's, even during the "dark years" during the early 90's when NO diesel VW's were available in the US and now with the dieselgate issue, I have no doubt that VW will once again have TDI's or some form of diesel engine in the mix for North America soon enough.

Here's to the past 15 years that this thread has been around.
And to the next 15.
Cheers.
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
This thread has existed since 2003.
I know it's not as popular largely due to most of the stuff being ALH-era specific. But it's still pretty cool looking at this thinking when I wrote this I was in my mid-30's and had 3 young kids. Now the kids are mostly grown, and one has had my first grandchild.

The TDI club has come a long way since the early days. We've gained and lost a fair number of people. Some through changes in their taste in cars, others through changes in life.

You've all been a pretty cool bunch of folks.
In spite of the ups and downs of diesel Vw's, even during the "dark years" during the early 90's when NO diesel VW's were available in the US and now with the dieselgate issue, I have no doubt that VW will once again have TDI's or some form of diesel engine in the mix for North America soon enough.

Here's to the past 15 years that this thread has been around.
And to the next 15.
Cheers.
You know you're obsessed when, after owning 2 Jetta Tdi's, one very much a problem child that nearly induced bankruptcy, you buy a BMW 335d, an even MORE niche car, which promptly craps all of its emissions hardware causing untold headaches--and you respond by putting it up on blocks for 5 MONTHS, commuting to work by (Italian Aprilia) motorcycle, while the d's entire exhaust, intercooler, and tune are replaced with well engineered units (not designed by idiots). And THIS, even after all the World Wide Diesel Doom & Gloom (TM) convinced the whole world that diesels were designed by Satan hisself to cause world implosion.

Is that obsessed enough?
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
Some might consider the logic behind putting a deluxe timing belt kit, new brakes, new clutch and rebuilt cylinder head into an almost 15-year-old Golf with over 600k miles in the last 15 months, since I started a different courier job.

But with a total cost of ownership -- maintenance, repairs, fuel and insurance -- of 21.7 cents a mile, when the IRS lets me deduct 53.5 cents a mile, it seems pretty sensible to me.

If I do have an obsession, it's making the decision to drive it for five more years -- aiming for the Million Mile Marker. After that, who knows?
 

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
You know you're obsessed when you go test drive a bought back NMS Passat because it's a manual and you don't know if you'll ever see another. And you feel you can't reveal how many TDIs you have to the salesman because he'll think you're over the edge to be looking at another.
 

JDSwan87

Black Swamp Thing
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Location
Michigan near Toledo
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 5 speed Lagoon Blue Metallic(sold); 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon auto
You know you're obsessed when you go test drive a bought back NMS Passat because it's a manual and you don't know if you'll ever see another. And you feel you can't reveal how many TDIs you have to the salesman because he'll think you're over the edge to be looking at another.
Sooooo when do you take delivery?
 

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
Sadly (or not) someone who test drove it just before me called and put down a deposit when I was en route to the dealer. Dodged a bullet. And when I drove the 335d this morning I realized I like that a lot better than the NMS. If I bought the Passat the BMW would have to go. There is a limit.
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
You know you're obsessed when you go test drive a bought back NMS Passat because it's a manual and you don't know if you'll ever see another. And you feel you can't reveal how many TDIs you have to the salesman because he'll think you're over the edge to be looking at another.

I could have written that. LOL.

Right now I have 4 2015 TDI's. Bought largely for the same reason. I dont know how long it will be before we see another new one, and I'm not willing to take the chance.

Our house has 2 drivers.

By the way, if you'd like, I have a 2015 Beetle Convertible for sale.
 

itsmejerry

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2002
Location
Birmingham, AL
TDI
2015 Passat SE TDI Nav, 2015 Passat SE TDI, 2015 Beetle Convertible TDI, 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI All Phase 2 Emission Modified complete. 50 State Legal Diesel!
Some might consider the logic behind putting a deluxe timing belt kit, new brakes, new clutch and rebuilt cylinder head into an almost 15-year-old Golf with over 600k miles in the last 15 months, since I started a different courier job.

But with a total cost of ownership -- maintenance, repairs, fuel and insurance -- of 21.7 cents a mile, when the IRS lets me deduct 53.5 cents a mile, it seems pretty sensible to me.

If I do have an obsession, it's making the decision to drive it for five more years -- aiming for the Million Mile Marker. After that, who knows?
A million miles is quite possible.
I got to about 625,000 on a 1989 Diesel Jetta with no head work. It would have made at least 750,000 before a head rebuild, except a Buick running a light caused just enough damage to total the car.
 

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
I could have written that. LOL.
Right now I have 4 2015 TDI's. Bought largely for the same reason. I dont know how long it will be before we see another new one, and I'm not willing to take the chance.
Our house has 2 drivers.
By the way, if you'd like, I have a 2015 Beetle Convertible for sale.
The one I didn't tell the sales guy about was the '15 GSW sitting in my garage with 8K on it. Between it and the other three TDIs I own I could easily never buy another car, accidents notwithstanding. But that doesn't keep me from shopping. :D
 
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