Time to retire my TDI

Spock-Mckoy

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
TDI
2002 Golf GL
My fuel injection pump has been ruined by the low sul diesel fuel. I replaced the top 2 large seals, all good. However, the bottom is now leaking profusely, won't start since it loses prime immediately, and that requires more money/time than the car is worth to me. As Dirty Harry once said, "...a man's got to know his limitations....'' I don't have the specialty tools, I'm not buying them and a new pump. I have 3 other vehicles, so the TDI is going to the Vietnam Vets for auction. 120,000 miles on it. I'll save on no more insurance, maint, inspections. I spoke to a friend who works on VW and asked if he wanted to buy it. Even him owning all the tools and having the skill, he couldn't get out of it what he puts into it to fix it, then sell it. It's been fun, but time to end the relationship with it.
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
I understand that happens with all cars. For IPs though, I've managed to break stuff in two while trying to reseal the head end in two cars. I've taken them out and replaced parts myself in both and kept them rolling. Both cars had over 300k on them and never rebuilt the pumps beyond my own work. They can be fixed, especially if just leaking. I understand and respect you decision though.
 

KyleMillione

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2017
Location
Yaphank, New York
TDI
02 Jetta, 03 Jetta
Post some photos of it on here, 120k is nothing. Someone will likely want it if it’s in ok shape. I don’t see the sense in dooming it to scrap yet. Both of mine have over 250k and my wife and I daily drive them. To be honest, if it’s just the head seal leaking it’s not a huge job.
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
Why do you say that?
Probably because ULSD was blamed for many of the leaks in injection pumps due to the seals shrinking just a little. If it took this long in ULSD though that is amazing. My first B4 started leaking almost right after switching to ULSD in 2007. We have been using it in the states for a long time now.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Great plan. Throw the car away like it was a POS Metro instead of doing necessary maintenance. My 2006 Jetta is at 185K on everything original except the timing and serpentine belt and required maintenance items like oil changes and filters and unlike a Metro it drives and handles as well as it did when new with 39 (thirty nine) miles on the odo.

If you are worried about insurance, just park it and take it off insurance until you need a car when your Metro or other POS car you drive breaks down.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Yup. Poor me. I actually have to keep up on maintenance if I want my car to last. Much better to just drive it into the ground and then get another new car and just run it into the ground and get another new car and run it into the ground and then get another new car and...............Well, you get the idea.

I hate to break it to people, but cars are not built to be sent to the crusher at 100K miles. If I keep up on maintenance, my TDI will last me at least until 400K miles.
 
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Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
120k miles is almost new. My 05 is at 314k and still going, my goal is 500k. Fix it and drive on or sell it here on the forum. I see IP’s for sale all the time, if it’s bad replace it.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI
TDI
2001 alh Jetta, RC2 w/.205's 5speed daily summer commuter and 2000 alh Jetta 5spd swap, 2" lift, hitch, stage 3 TDtuning w/.216's winter cruiser, 1996 Tacoma ALh
Yup. Poor me. I actually have to keep up on maintenance if I want my car to last. Much better to just drive it into the ground and then get another new car and just run it into the ground and get another new car and run it into the ground and then get another new car and...............Well, you get the idea.

I hate to break it to people, but cars are not built to be sent to the crusher at 100K miles. If I keep up on maintenance, my TDI will last me at least until 400K miles.
:DSomehow I get the feeling you don't really hate to break it to people:;)
 

Nevada_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Location
Reno, sort of...
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
Ol' Rattler sometimes gets up on his high horse and forgets how to return to earth. All that aside, a 2000 TDI with 120k on the clock is just getting broken in. Hopefully there is a Vietnam Vet out there that is familiar with TDUI's and can save it, or someone who is willing to donate the time to do the job for them.
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Sure. Thanks for honest assessment. One of my more endearing character defects me thinks. Sometimes It's a constant battle for me to maintain a level headed demeanor. :eek:

A more level headed response would be that "in the right hands, the car is defiantly worth repairing".
 
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Intech

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2005
Location
S. Central Pa USA
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS, 1999.5 Golf 2 dr
My fuel injection pump has been ruined by the low sul diesel fuel. I replaced the top 2 large seals, all good. However, the bottom is now leaking profusely, won't start since it loses prime immediately, and that requires more money/time than the car is worth to me. As Dirty Harry once said, "...a man's got to know his limitations....'' I don't have the specialty tools, I'm not buying them and a new pump. I have 3 other vehicles, so the TDI is going to the Vietnam Vets for auction. 120,000 miles on it. I'll save on no more insurance, maint, inspections. I spoke to a friend who works on VW and asked if he wanted to buy it. Even him owning all the tools and having the skill, he couldn't get out of it what he puts into it to fix it, then sell it. It's been fun, but time to end the relationship with it.
Be real careful about the Viet Nam Vets thing. I’m a six year Navy vet, and missed Nam by a year. I donated a car to “Cars for Viet Nam Vets”, advertised by KYW1060 out of Philly. It was my wife’s Jaguar XJS, with a Chevy LT1 and a turbo 700R trans in it, with less than 8K miles. Four brand new tires, and the interior maxed out from Beverly Hills Motoring accessories, including, two inch thick sheepskin covers, which alone were $3200. I turned down a $6k offer for it about a month before I donated it. When after a couple of months, I didn’t get my IRS receipt, I started calling around, with no luck. It wasn’t until I threatened them with a complaint to the PA Attorney General, that some guy from Chicago called me and told me that they only got $400 for it, and they don’t mail out receipts below $500.
 

BKmetz

Administrator, Member #10
Staff member
Joined
Sep 25, 1997
Location
Illinois
TDI
2015 Passat, titanium beige, 6MT
My fuel injection pump has been ruined by the low sul diesel fuel.

The switch to ultra low sulfur D2 was way back around 2005. Your issues could be fuel related, but not the sulfur content of the fuel.


:rolleyes:
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Heck, if you're donating it to them, I might be able to talk the wife into letting me drive up and get it from you. Better than the crusher, which is where a non-running car will go if donated.

Jason
 

NoSmoke

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2001
Location
Calgary, Alberta
TDI
2K2 Golf
My fuel injection pump has been ruined by the low sul diesel fuel. I replaced the top 2 large seals, all good. However, the bottom is now leaking profusely, won't start since it loses prime immediately, and that requires more money/time than the car is worth to me. .....
Do a search on injection pump seal replacement. There's a v good DIY here that many have followed. I replaced the three typically leaking seals myself and if I can do it, most everyone could. It's not that hard and the $ cost is minimal. Turfing a 120K car because of a leaking IP doesn't make sense IMO. BTW, no specialty tools are required.
 

4JimmyVee

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2005
Location
Thornhill Ont Cda
TDI
1999.5 Silver
Yes replace it the prices for this part in Toronto have come way down $4-600. btw my car has 372k miles and yes 400k is coming this year.
 

goodmonkey

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2014 Passat TDI, 2011 Touareg TDI
Spock-Mckoy, did we scare you off with our opinions? Good luck with whatever you decide.
 

1.8

Active member
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Location
not in the right place
TDI
tdi less
The engines used in the 'new' TDI until the first change ('05?) are irreplaceable jewels, in the Jetta/manual one could easily acheive 57 mpg-US-and with just a bit of restraint 62 was doable. Yes we did have to keep it at 2k or so but back then it was a big game, imagine a 16 hour drive with almost 1/4 tank left.

But for a strut bushing only scheduled maint was required on the three versions we had, it was a huge mistake selling them however we were not faced with the repair that the op is looking at.

Still I believe that selling this car similarly will be regretted-big time.

How about bone yard parts?
 

NoSmoke

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2001
Location
Calgary, Alberta
TDI
2K2 Golf
.....

How about bone yard parts?
Maybe I'm missing something here but why would bone yard parts be required? All I can gather here is that three IP seals were leaking. The OP apparently fixed the upper two but the leaking head seal remains. Now, replacing the upper seals is easier than replacing the head seal (O-ring) but the DIYs here explain how to do it w/o removing the pump and the procedure is pretty straightforward if the instructions are carefully followed. And the price is right (10 bucks for a new O-ring?). Why not do it?? It would be a shame to see a TDI with only 120K on it go to the crusher.
 

Miser_TDI

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 19, 2004
Location
Northern Ohio
TDI
2004 Jetta GLS (Galactic Blue, Leather, cold wx) JUST PURCHASED: 2012 Jetta TDI, blue, DSG. Nice car. :)
Heck, if you're donating it to them, I might be able to talk the wife into letting me drive up and get it from you. Better than the crusher, which is where a non-running car will go if donated.

Jason

*raises hand*


What Jason said.


How much you want for it? :)
 

1.8

Active member
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Location
not in the right place
TDI
tdi less
NoSmoke, -I- interpreted the op as suspecting that the pump has been significantly damaged due to the lack of lubricity in ulsd AND an unwillingness to obtain the required tools for repair hence the suggestion that perhaps a complete unit from a salvage yard might be a consideration.
 

Spock-Mckoy

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, U.S.A.
TDI
2002 Golf GL
Thanks for the comments. I asked a W guy if he wanted to buy it cheap and flip it. He has a shop. He said the resale is not going to recover his costs. I researched the value of the Golf as it sat. Not one offer covered the price of the new pump. For those who say replace the $1500 pump [plus specialty tools I'd need to purchase, plus find someone with the software to tune FI} to me are making an emotional decision and not a wise financial decision. I have 4 used tires on black painted steel wheels, 2 bottles of diesel purge, several new oil filters, repair manual for sale cheap. If anyone is in SW PA, and interested, contact me. As far as the donation to the Viet Vets, here is the latest. I got no email receipt yet. I DID get a call from the guy who bought it. From SW PA. He called my cell. I asked how he got my name/cell number. He said the tow truck company that towed it away left my name/address/cell number inside the car when it went to auction. Great.
 
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