1st Road Trip: 800 Miles

Well I picked up my 2001 Jetta TDI in KY last week and
drove it 800 miles to the Houston Texas area. I got 44.6 MPG
(45) and was very satisfied with it overall. A/C is cold. It's not as comfortable as my old Dodge Durango, but who cares.
The Duranmgo cost me @ $175 to drive the 800 miles.

I spent less than $75 driving the Jetta TDI back.

IU have some quick questions: I can smell the "Diesel Smell"
inside the car. Should I have the exhaust system checked?

Also, how much ground clearance is typicalk of a 2001 Jetta 1.9 L
TDI? How can I tell if the struts are bad?

TIA,

Ty

Yes have your exhaust checked, especially right after the turbo. There is a flex joint that could be the culprit. Any holes prior to the rear of the car can be the source, so listen to the exhaust, crawling next to the car from front to back. If you can get it up on a ramp, it would help.

If you are smelling diesel fuel, check under the hood on the passenger side, for the fuel filter and its connections, and under the engine cover at the injection pump and its lines, and the fuel return lines on the injectors.

The Jettas sit low. If you look at the top of the front strut towers, under the hood, you can see the how much space is exposed under the mushroom shaped stop plate. If it is inexcess of 1/2", the upper suspension strut mount is worn. You can do the bounce check, from any corner of the car, push down on it and see how the car comes back to it original starting point. More than one bounce, you have bad shocks or struts.

How many miles are on your car? Do you know if it has original struts/springs and shocks?

If it does not have a metal skidplate, get one now! www.dieselgeek.com (TX) or www.evolutionimport.com

You already see that the Jetta does sit low. Get down and look under the front end. See how much of the oil pan is exposed/poorly protected by that plastic shield. Now, imagine the rogue armadillo, tire snake or parking curb meeting up with it...