Veteran TDI Owners: Advice Needed

uberCY · Mar 1, 2012

Ok vets. Looking for some advice about my situation.

I live in Des Moines, IA and I'm considering an 05-06 Golf. I know how/plan to change my own oil. Outside that I can't do much on a car. I drive about 4 miles to and from work daily. We have NO known TDI mechanics within 5-6 hours.

Knowing all this, would you buy a used, over 100k TDI Golf?

Thanks for any advice!

JC_1992 · Mar 1, 2012

With a 4 mile commute unless you travel a ton it probably wouldn't be the ideal car. Especially in the winter as the car would never get to full operating temp.

Most of us with TDI'ers are tinkerers or have learned to become one doing regular maintenance and fixing our cars. If working on your car, saving money, and having self satisfaction interests you (assuming time isn't the issue) then just start reading and doing research here on the forum.

If you find a well maintained TDI you won't need a Guru except for changing the timing belt. Unless you run into a major issue like a failing injection pump (my sisters case right now).
Any regular shop can install such things as brakes and suspension. Just make sure you provide the parts and fluids to be safe and to know that all the needed part are being replaced.

dieseldorf · Mar 1, 2012

JC_1992 said:
With a 4 mile commute unless you travel a ton it probably wouldn't be the ideal car. Especially in the winter as the car would never get to full operating temp.

+1. It's the wrong car, CY.

uberCY · Mar 1, 2012

JC_1992 said:
With a 4 mile commute unless you travel a ton it probably wouldn't be the ideal car. Especially in the winter as the car would never get to full operating temp.

Does this hurt the engine?

I do drive out to my golf course a couple times a week which is about 10 miles out. I'll also drive the car around town.

JC_1992 · Mar 1, 2012

Yes it does. Not allowing the engine to get up to operating temp and be there for a few while allows moisture to develop in the oil. Not only that but until the engine gets up to operating temp components wear faster due to the oils lesser ability to flow and lubricate.

TomJD · Mar 1, 2012

Not for you. Sorry.

OlyTDI · Mar 1, 2012

+1 that this isn't the car for you. How about a gasser Golf?

uberCY · Mar 2, 2012

Gasser Golf is looking more likely, 86% say I shouldn't buy! The engine options do NOT excite me though.

yatzee · Mar 2, 2012

you commute is hard on any car - 4 miles isn't even enough time to warm the oil up! I'd stay away from anything with a turbo... (gas or diesel)

diesel4ever · Mar 2, 2012

Come on guys. It doesn't mean that this car would self destruct in three years of ownership. This style of driving would be consider 'severe' and the engine maintenance schedule would have to be reconsidered. I would make sure that you idle the car for about a couple of minutes before you take off in the cold weather. You won't get 50mpg with your driving conditions, but you would be still filling up once a month.

jackbombay · Mar 2, 2012

JC_1992 said:
With a 4 mile commute unless you travel a ton it probably wouldn't be the ideal car.

dieseldorf said:
+1. It's the wrong car, CY.

uberCY said:
Does this hurt the engine?
I do drive out to my golf course a couple times a week which is about 10 miles out. I'll also drive the car around town.

JC_1992 said:
Yes it does. Not allowing the engine to get up to operating temp and be there for a few while allows moisture to develop in the oil. Not only that but until the engine gets up to operating temp components wear faster due to the oils lesser ability to flow and lubricate.

Short tripping a TDI is not bad for it, if it were, it would show up on a used oil analysis, but it doesn't.

Please note that when the engine hits operating temp the oil still has a ways to go to get fully warmed up, so for this example below the oil rarely got up to operating temp.

Myth-busted.

Drivbiwire said:
After 15,000 Miles on Delvac 1 5w40, 155,333 miles on odometer. Most trips were less than 7 miles each way with the winter temps in the 10F - 30F range. The engine would just barely reach operating temp before being shut down. There were occasional long trips but the vast majority were around town. I thought doing a 15,000 mile oil change in these types of conditions would give some insight as to how well the oil will hold up. One thing I noticed was the trace of water, this along with the depleted TBN tells me the oil was doing its job fighting off the acids from the 1.5% soot.

Everything else is doing fine, the air filter is going just over 40,000 miles on the OEM paper. The restriction meter is still showing 0 restriction and the Screen is still intact.

Analysis by OilGuard

Iron: 39
chromium: 3
Lead: 2
Copper: 10
Tin: 4
Aluminum: 6
Nickel: 0
Silver: 0
Silicon: 11
Boron: N/A
Sodium: 8

Magnesium: N/A
Calcium: N/A
Barium: N/A
Phosphorus: N/A
Zinc: N/A
Molybdenum: N/A
Titanium: N/A
Vanadium: N/A
Potassium: 13

Physical properties:
fuel (%vol): N/A
Vis@100c: 13.8
%H20: 0.6
Glycol: NEG

Additional tests:
Tbn: 5.2
Oxid: <2.0
Nitr: N/A
Soot: 1.5%

DB

otbBlaine · Mar 2, 2012

My commute for the past couple of years is 2 miles, and my car hasn't self destructed yet.

I vote no, only because you admit you don't know much about cars and the TDI guru's are 5-6 hours away. Maintenance is important and the wrong mechanic can screw things up bad.

I'm a big fan of my lady's Honda Accord: simple, reliable, quiet.

tditom · Mar 2, 2012

hybrid for you!

Mike_Van · Mar 2, 2012

It can be the 'right' car for you, depending on what you're after.

If you want a TDI for the MPG it promises, you might be disappointed especially in the winter, due to the short commute you plan.

If I could not arrange for a guru to do a pre-purchase inspection on a TDI, though, I'd pass.

In your case an 'appliance' like a Civic might be more up to the task, but I'm one who also doesn't drive his TDI far all the time, but still love it. My mechanic is close by.

jackbombay · Mar 2, 2012

otbBlaine said:
My commute for the past couple of years is 2 miles, and my car hasn't self destructed yet.

Exactly, and even if short trips were responsible for notable engine wear (which they are not) it is only a small percentage of cars that end up in the junkyard because the engine "wore out" anyway.

And then of course there is the reality that most poeple, even here on TDI club, only own cars for ~4 years then get a new one, and there is nothing that you could do to kill a TDI in 4 years without being intentionally abusive.

uberCY · Mar 2, 2012

Thanks for all the input.

Right now I drive an 09 Accord but the lease is coming to an end. The Accord is fine but the engine high whine annoys me. Also the highway noise is quite high.

My wife drives a Prius so we don't need another hybrid but it's not out of the question. Catch? I love my manual and don't want to give it up. Hense why a TDI Golf 5 speed sounds right. I could have a quieter cabin, better mpg and more pep/fun.

Unfortunately it's looking like a lack of local TDI guru might point me elsewhere. Blah

diesel4ever · Mar 2, 2012

Than again, it's never too late to learn. My background is in electronics. I drove my first TDI for five years and visiting the dealer for all the necessary service. The price of maintenance got to me so I decided to learn about these vehicles, bought few tools, manual, VCDS and enjoy working on these thing so much so I am contemplating early retirement from my day job to do this on a regular basis. If you have a decent mechanical aptitude this can be fun. You may become a 'local guru' for your area. Good luck with your decision.

jasonTDI · Mar 2, 2012

You guys can go on and on about no damage but you drive ALH cars. This is a BEW. PD engines don't like short tripping. I know. I see the worn out cams in less than half the total miles of someone who drives 20 miles each way. Just saying.....

These are the cars that puke out actuators and have all sorts of other maladies. They NEED to be driven. The driven one ALWAYS drive the best. See it day-in-day-out.

jasonTDI · Mar 2, 2012

uberCY said:
Thanks for all the input.

Right now I drive an 09 Accord but the lease is coming to an end. The Accord is fine but the engine high whine annoys me. Also the highway noise is quite high.

My wife drives a Prius so we don't need another hybrid but it's not out of the question. Catch? I love my manual and don't want to give it up. Hense why a TDI Golf 5 speed sounds right. I could have a quieter cabin, better mpg and more pep/fun.

Unfortunately it's looking like a lack of local TDI guru might point me elsewhere. Blah

I'm in Madison and a bunch come from DesMoines and further west but it's a BIG drive.

jackbombay · Mar 2, 2012

jasonTDI said:
You guys can go on and on about no damage but you drive ALH cars. This is a BEW.

On that note, 2003 jetta wagon 5 speed is still the best TDI EVAR!!!!

uberCY · Mar 2, 2012

jasonTDI said:
You guys can go on and on about no damage but you drive ALH cars.

So an ALH engine would be okay? What's that, years 2000-2004?

tditom · Mar 2, 2012

uberCY said:
So an ALH engine would be okay? What's that, years 2000-2004?

1999-2003 (Jetta- others varied which year they started using ALH)

Mike_Van · Mar 2, 2012

Listening to Jason would be a wise move.

whitedog · Mar 2, 2012

jasonTDI said:
These are the cars that puke out actuators and have all sorts of other maladies.

Actuators?

jasonTDI · Mar 2, 2012

whitedog said:
Actuators?

On the Borg Warner Turbo.

Often the turbo and seals are good but they die electronically. Same issue with the BRM, CBEA, CBJJ motors.

Good news is Garret turbos can be retrofitted up to the 06's cars. 09'+ if you tune and do an "off road" emmisions delete.

cmitchell · Mar 3, 2012

You sound a lot like me (except I even quit doing my own oil changes) and have a very similar commute: five miles. I'm also 5.5 hours from a TDI guru. I bought the car new and have religiously maintained it for nearly 10 years now, and it's doing just fine with 134K. I guess from reading some of the comments here I've should have never bought the car in the first place because it's the wrong car for me. Good grief! If you want a TDI and are willing to maintain it properly ... whether you do the work or not... get one. Jason says short trips are an issue with a PD, so find an ALH, and BUY IT!

halocline · Mar 3, 2012

jackbombay said:
and there is nothing that you could do to kill a TDI in 4 years without being intentionally abusive.

Wanna bet?

Wrong oil, BRM cam, dealer maintenance, veggie oil, etc...

turbocharged798 · Mar 3, 2012

Been doing a lot of short trips with my BEW lately, no issues. Just checked the cam and it looks like brand new.

Short trips kill PD cams is complete bull crap IMO. I pulled the valve cover off after sitting a few weeks and there will still oil sitting on the lifters. Plenty enough to lube the cam until oil pressure builds.

IMHO, its that Castrol 5W-30 505.01 crap that kills the PD cams.

Turbospool · Mar 3, 2012

jasonTDI said:
You guys can go on and on about no damage but you drive ALH cars. This is a BEW. PD engines don't like short tripping. I know. I see the worn out cams in less than half the total miles of someone who drives 20 miles each way. Just saying.....

These are the cars that puke out actuators and have all sorts of other maladies. They NEED to be driven. The driven one ALWAYS drive the best. See it day-in-day-out.

I say listen to the Guru's ... they know what they speak of. Many of the rest of us simply like to act like we do

yatzee · Mar 3, 2012

Turbospool said:
I say listen to the Guru's ... they know what they speak of. Many of the rest of us simply like to act like we do

x 2. Regardless of the engine, cold starts are not great for any engine. That coupled with the poor cam design from the factory will speed the wear on the camshaft. Sure, oil plays a role, but cold starts are not great.

Veteran TDI Owners: Advice Needed

Buy or Don't Buy

Buy

Don't Buy

Member

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg

Member

Veteran Member

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number

Top Post Dawg

Member

Top Post Dawg

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Veteran Member

Top Post Dawg