2009 Jetta TDI 65,000 miles Glow Plug light flashing..

altern8energy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Location
East Texas
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI. 2001 Jetta TDI
So here's my story.. Friday morning I've begun my trip to work which is about 55 miles away. 10 miles into it, while accelerating to get onto I-20, I get a flashing `Glow Plug' light on the instrument cluster. I'm like ***?!? So I drive it a bit to see if it will go out. It goes out when I'm slowing down while taking an off ramp 12 miles away from where the indicator started flashing.. So I start to take off again and about a minute later it starts flashing again....If I slow down abruptly, the light goes out..This doesn't look good and the damn owners manual doesn't really tell me much, other than it needs to be serviced.. Really?!? No ****!!

So luckily the place where I bought by 2009 Jetta TDI was only a couple miles from where I work. So I drive it into the Service Center and actually for once have the damn indicators flashing so someone can see it and I was told it would take about 45 minutes for a tech to get to it and then another hour or so to diagnose it. I'm like ok.. Well I need to get a rental so I can get back to work..

So lunch time passes and I check in on my car.. ****ing $2200.00 because a diaphragm within the turbo assembly is gone and they can't just replace that. They have to replace the whole turbo assembly. ***?!? $1200 for the turbo assembly and $800+ for labor and another $100+ to upgrade the software in my ECU, because they claim it's needed..

I only owe like $5000 on the car and I get this kind of problem at 65,000??

I asked the guy who heads the service center if this is a known issue, and he says, they get 1-2 a year that do it.. I'm like, shouldn't this be a recall issue?? Why would the diaphragm that makes up part of the turbo and Wastegate, just disintegrate.. and what would this have to do with the Glowplug indicator flashing.. He couldn't answer that question..

I hope to hell I'm not getting bufued by a VW service center because the economy is bad and they can't move enough cars, so they start screwing the customers with fraudulent repairs.

I'm thinking to myself, how do they know it's this issue?? Wouldn't they have to actually disassemble part of engine to get to the turbo assembly? Or did a ECU dump tell them this??

This is the 2nd VW I've owned that has developed hellaious repair bills. I used to have a 1995 GTIVR6 that I bought brand new and it was a blast to drive then one day the syncros between 2nd and 3rd gear locked up and I was stuck in 3rd gear.. That was a $2000 job as well.. and after they fixed it, it never did shift right...

I wasn't expecting any major repair issues until the car was well over the 150K mark.

Tomorrow or Tuesday I'm suppose to pick up my car.. I'm asking them to provide me the old turbo assembly, so I can inspect it myself. If what they say is true with having to replace the whole turbo assembly, that's pretty damn bad that VW would design a part that part of it would fail and you would have to replace the whole damn thing.. What's next? Glow Plug actually goes out and they have to replace the engine too??

That's it for now..:mad::mad::mad:
 

maine09tdi

New member
Joined
Nov 1, 2011
Location
Maine
TDI
Jetta 2009 TDI
Find a VW guru. I had the exact same thing (@108k) and KMHmotors in Lowell MA was able to make a custom bracket and use the turbo actuator from an 06 turbo (which btw you can buy) and not make me replace the turbo.

Keith: I'm thinking you could make a fortune selling the custom bracket and actuator as a "09 turbo actuator assembly".

Now I'm not sure if doing that causes any unforeseen issues, but I had my fixed last week and put ~800 miles on it and it runs great! Way cheaper than 2k for a new turbo.

If you do end up letting the dealer replace the turbo, definitely ask for the part back. Sometime someone is going to blow a turbo and you'll hopefully be able to get some use out of it. Eventually someone is going to be able to sell the real 09 turbo actuator and stop this foolishness, but until then a custom bracket seems like the right answer.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
do a search for turbo failing on the 09+ it's becoming more common. Saddly what should be a $500 repair is $2200 because no one sources just the actuator yet.

BTW how would you discribe your driving? you agressive? sounds like you put a lot of highway miles on it.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
One question was the hood insulation sagging? In the back of the engine compartment in the middle.
 

altern8energy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Location
East Texas
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI. 2001 Jetta TDI
One question was the hood insulation sagging? In the back of the engine compartment in the middle.
driver's side front of the hood insulation had shrunk and the tabs no longer were long enough to keep the insulation in place. I ended up using some small zipties to attach it back to the hood.

what would sagging insulation have to do with a part of the turbo going out?
 

altern8energy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2008
Location
East Texas
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI. 2001 Jetta TDI
do a search for turbo failing on the 09+ it's becoming more common. Saddly what should be a $500 repair is $2200 because no one sources just the actuator yet.

BTW how would you discribe your driving? you agressive? sounds like you put a lot of highway miles on it.
I do mostly highway driving and I do get on it from time to time to clear out the DPF.
 

MonsterTDI09

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Location
NoVa/NJ
TDI
2010 Jetta DSG/ up keep on 2009 Jetta DSG 2006 Jetta Pag 2 in North SEA Green
driver's side front of the hood insulation had shrunk and the tabs no longer were long enough to keep the insulation in place. I ended up using some small zipties to attach it back to the hood.

what would sagging insulation have to do with a part of the turbo going out?
It may be trapping heat on to actuator it's just a though.
 

JohnQ

Active member
Joined
May 4, 2013
Location
Northeast USA
TDI
Jetta
This just happened to me... and.. i popped my hood thinking, no way- but yes my hood insulation had also popped out in the rear two tabs passenger side...

I also noticed the there was a cover that was popped off of an air intake compartment? Im not familiar with turbos but it was abutting the front of the engine bay to the left (if you are facing the front of the car) of the driver side headlight.

What gives? Im not sure how long ive been driving with that cover off.

Also a 2009 jetta tdi.

Ive never had frequent problems on any of the cars ive owned in the past.. im beginning to be fearful of being both a VW owner and a diesel owner.
 

jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006

geoman

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2010
Location
woodstock ontario canada
TDI
2009 tdi jetta wagon
might be an old thread but sadly is still a relevant one. for all those who care to listen, if u can't rig up a turbo timer, for goodness' sake don't turn off your car after a long hot trip or when its still hot under the hood. idle your vehic for a min or two, don't interrupt regens and you'll keep your turbo longer and less cooked! also check your 2 fans because they are hardly robust in these models. yes it will affect your fuel econ but this expense pales in comparison to the potential repair bill.
 

jscsir10

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
Location
oxford ny
TDI
2009 jetta
also note that the the turbo diaphragm is replacable and it only costs 600 with labor. i fought for this after my dealer played stupid about it. i had to bring them the part number in hand and make them look for it. they where not happy but did the job.
 
Top