What's your TDI Experience

disisme

Active member
Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Location
ontario
TDI
2.0
I'm about to jump into another 2015 tdi Jetta, my 2014 tdi Jetta has been what I consider good to me
even though I only have 18000km on it.
There is a guy I work with that can be a real Debbie Downer , he is naturally a pessimistic to start with but anyway he says he has had all kinds of issues with his 06 tdi Jetta and is presently changing his fly wheel , says it's a two piece flywheel and that even the motors after 06 are bad motors because of the assembled cams and they still use the split flywheels.
So can you guys that have the experience as owners with what I would assume would be high mileage engines be able to elaborate as to how the old and newer post 06 tdi motors are?
Thanks
 

imo000

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Location
Cambridge
TDI
2009 M-B ML320 Diesel & '05 Passat TDI Manual 5-Speed
They eat camshafts and the flywheels are dual mass so they are expensive to replace.
 

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.
I am aproaching 110,000 miles on my 2010 JSW with the only issue being that I'm on my third battery. If I could make the numbers work, I'd pick up a 15 GSW today and schedule the buyback for the other.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
I have a BHW engined passat. Has a dual mass flywheel, and a cam just as likely to eat itself as the BEW jetta of your coworker.

I change my oil every 10k km and am on the original cam at close to 400k.

For me it all comes down to proper maintenance, and not abusing the car.
 

Savageman69

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2007
Location
ontario
TDI
2012 Highline Touareg TDI
the new engines are just as good as older ones such as an alh in my opinion....the emission crap is what ruins them....my 11 jetta is getting close to 300,000kms with nearly double stock hp...original clutch, everything it is rock solid.....160,000kms on this 3.0 and it is perfect such a beast
 

StratTDI

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Mississauga/ Streetsville
TDI
2012 Golf Highline '05 Golf TDI
Today I drove to Georgetown to see the new VW's, especially the Alltrack which seems like a decent Golf. Here's my issue...my 2012 Golf TDI Highline has been the perfect car. After owning 14 vehicles, I've never owned a perfect car, until this Golf. I've never had a problem and now with 108K it just keeps purring along. I was under the impression from their TDI specialist/ spokesperson that there might not be a fix for my year Golf. I understand that it's crunch time for VW and this emission scandal but I'm not willing to get rid of a perfect car. Call it superstition but I honestly believe that I won't find a better car with todays selection. Any car with a CVT, forget it.

Overall, I'm pissed at VW for creating a cheating device for such a great engine. They could have spent their engineering talents on passing emissions rather than working around it. Even if the window sticker read 50mpg/ hwy instead of 60mpg I still would have bought the car. The overall feel and driving impression was heads above the other vehicles I tested.

I was surprised by one comment at the dealership today...if the VW fix does not work on my vehicle and I refuse the buyback, I will be issued an E-Test letter where my car will fail and the License Bureau will refuse to issue me a plate sticker. Sounds more like a vendetta from our government. IMO, if VW had more North American content in their vehicles, non of this would have happened.
 
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Muggins

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2002
Location
Barrie, Canada
TDI
02 Golf GL 4dr 5spd
Overall, I'm pissed at VW for creating a cheating device for such a great engine. They could have spent their engineering talents on passing emissions rather than working around it. Even if the window sticker read 50mpg/ hwy instead of 60mpg I still would have bought the car. The overall feel and driving impression was heads above the other vehicles I tested.
Couldn't agree with you more!! I'm upset and even angry that VW killed this engine because there really are no alternatives -- meaning no light duty relatively inexpensive, diesel engines in North America. Don't tell me...GM Chevy Cruze diesel, please. The punishment was also far worse than the crime, imo.
 

disisme

Active member
Joined
Apr 17, 2017
Location
ontario
TDI
2.0
Guys after an enormous amount of reading , your's inputs included I agree these TDI's are rock solid and no worse than any other vehicles. Thanks for the input.
 

StratTDI

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Mississauga/ Streetsville
TDI
2012 Golf Highline '05 Golf TDI
I follow the maintenance schedule to a T, except for the oil changes. The VW mechanic told me something interesting. He said did you buy your TDI or lease it? I said what does it matter. He said if you bought it change your oil every 8K, if you leased it change it at 16K. He said over time the variable vane turbos clog up on these cars when they did the 16K oil changes. He said the people with the 8K oil changes never had that problem.
 

paperthin

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2013
Location
Toronto
TDI
15 A3 TDI
I really love my car, it is a good fit for what I need and want. I am exploring 2015 TDIs if can get my hands on one. It has been a great car and it is shame to give up but the buyback is enough to do so.
 

steve6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Location
Beaverton, ON
TDI
2003 jetta tdi
MKIV's are all I have owned but good over all cars, put over 300k (from 276, to 580) on mine directly. I think the problem for some is if/when things go wrong it can be terribly expensive. Those 06's mentioned in the original post could be just down right terrible for some people, others have gone hundred of thousand k's without issue. Even early mkiv's were poorly built out of Mexico, lots of repairs to mediocre things. I have only owned 02 and 03's (on purpose).

The timing belt maintenance is expensive, generally you don't get out the door under $1000 if mixed with other repairs, this is a hard expensive compared to other manufacturers who don't have this maintenance. When you need a clutch its very pricey at a shop as well.. shops don't offer the '$250 amazon specials', their prices are generally more. I have seen some say a clutch kit (just the kit) was over $1000 plus labour. The auto's up to 06 were basically Russian roulette(worse for 2000-2003), and terribly expensive to have rebuilt if yours didn't last, $3000-$5000, that's a huge expense on a car.

On that note, I just put another 03 on the road with just over 300k and retired my other 03, here's to another 250,000 with as little expense as possible! :)

I have a 03 wagon with 540k on it, now a 03 with 340k (just retired my 03 at 580k), and a 01 golf gasser with under 200k..
 
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