TDI Club Future?

Sounds like a business opportunity...

oilhammer said:

Yep, it sucks. And I know the cars will last, I just pulled another BRM car in that just crossed the 400k mile barrier.... still truckin' along fine.

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I remember riding in a supplier's Mk III Jetta TD (note the lack of "I") back around 2001 or 2. It had 697k km (just shy of 450k miles). It ran fine, but the thing I remember about it was that it felt like it no longer had a suspension. The owner was a salesman, paid per kilometre, and was on the highway all the time. That car didn't owe him a dime...

Rob Mayercik said:

Sounds like a business opportunity...

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It would be interesting to build one with PTFE insulated wire. PTFE wire has really good abrasion resistance.

I have been a member since 2001 and have frequented the site without many post. I have had 5 TDI in those years. 1999 NB, traded for 2005 Passat, traded for 2013 Jetta. I couldn't turn down $6k especially having 94700 miles. So what did I do, I bought a 1998 NB TDI with 89k miles and a 2002 Golf TDI with a down motor. My 8yr old has already claimed my cars and has sworn me to pass them on to him.

I probably will continue to not post much but I will forever be a diehard TDI driver.

PlaneCrazy said:

Thanks to the dieselgate fiasco, we now no longer own a TDI. My wife's TDI was bought back this morning, and traded towards a '17 Golf Sportwagen Trendline 5-sp manual.
Needless to say I'm not alone. My guess is that many TDIClub members will bail from their TDIs as well. For those that stay, plus owners of pre-dieselgate TDIs, attrition of the remaining TDI fleet will no doubt reduce membership.
For those like me who bailed (our remaining TDI was reliable, but the buyback was just too good to pass up on), many of us, self included, are going to miss it here. This was always a much more informative forum than Vortex or other car forums. It would be a shame to see it disappear, it would be nice if the momentum could keep it going and become a technical resource for all serious VW fans, not only TDIs. Maybe it's time for TDIClub to become VWTurboClub or something, making room for 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0 TSI owners.
Thoughts?

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There is the general VW discussion area for that. It started as a TDI site and should stay that way. The last thing we need is for it to turn into a clone of Vortex.

I have not been here that long, and i also don't really post much as I more so try to read and learn TDI specific stuff.

That said, I hope the site stays VW TDI. Dieselgate was interesting. 2 months before Dieselgate everyone was saying VW for life. Even then many owners did not so much care since they still loved their cars performance. But once the buy backs were coming, it was amusing to see all the VW for lifers bail. LOL...

Sorry, got off track. Anyhow, there's still a ton of us who are not fair weather friends. As the northern cars rot away, theres a bunch of us transplanting the power plants into older or different VW's or different chassis all together. Theres a ton of cars south of the rust belt as well that will continue on.

To me, the great thing about the site is the TDI information and exchange of it. There doesn't seem to be near as much people spouting off how to do something they never done, but they heard from a friend.

I can appreciate moving on to other modes of transportation. In the 90s I was very active in one particular forum but during this century it began to appear I would not own one of those vehicles for a long time. So I had to move on. I didn't ask the group to accept VW's.

I mean heck, I have a Dodge Cummins, a Ford Powerstroke, a few Mustangs, etc. I don't expect to talk about them here. Thats what Cummins Forum, Powerstroke Nation, the Corral, etc is for.

One thing that did irk me a bit in this thread though, was some guys talking about how "nice", "open" etc the people are here, while in the next sentence talking about the "goons" on Vortex who modify their cars with wheels and suspension because they are not hyper-milers. To me, that's as close minded to being ridiculed over there for driving a stock car.

Personally, I do not drive appliances. I almost bought a Ford Fiesta brand new in 2012 as a beater, but ended bought a Mk1 Volkswagen diesel instead. Closest appliance vehicle I have is my Cummins, because I only use it when I need a truck.

Just because some people have a passion for the vehicles they own and want to make them more enjoyable to drive by putting on performance suspension, horse power upgrades, etc does not make them a goon. I'm not saying I personally like some of the trends and attitudes, some cars look plain stupid and some people are just real blank holes.. but you have that in any group of car guys who enjoy working on their stuff.

What I meant was the knowledge river runs very deep here compared to many forums. We have many old-timers and wrenching holy men. ��

oilhammer said:

I think membership shot UP due to Dieselgate, with 99% of those new members just coming here to whine and cry. They will all hopefully be gone soon enough, and we can get back to our regularly scheduled programming.

It kinda sucks, but life goes on.

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I second this ^^


bajan

red16vdub said:

I second this ^^


bajan

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I third it!

Waynoooo said:

E
.
I loved my Golf, but I could not pass up $20K for a 6 year old car with 90K on the odometer.
I hold out hope
Cheers!
Wayne

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As one of th original *beachers* -- I was gripping about the fact that my 2015 Golf in pristine condition with (now only) 5,108 miles was a Buy Back at "only" $25K.

.... so my best option is to do the fix, hope for the best on results, and just count on good re-sale, at any time I may wish to sell. 11 year warranty is the best on the planet. Me thinks



Any way, that's the plan

Demon_Beetle said:

I have been a member since 2001 and have frequented the site without many post. I have had 5 TDI in those years. 1999 NB, traded for 2005 Passat, traded for 2013 Jetta. I couldn't turn down $6k especially having 94700 miles. So what did I do, I bought a 1998 NB TDI with 89k miles and a 2002 Golf TDI with a down motor. My 8yr old has already claimed my cars and has sworn me to pass them on to him.

I probably will continue to not post much but I will forever be a diehard TDI driver.

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THIS is awesome

I've been talking to a LOT of people who have done similar. Originally Mk4 owners, fell in love with diesel, then upgraded to a new common-rail. Couldn't pass up the buyout money, turned in the car, and then went BACK to a Mk4.

Sales of Mk4 stuff (timing belts, suspensions etc) are UP this year at ID. Lots of people bringing Mk4s back to life. We've resurrected a few ourselves

Hey, I know those cars. And there are two TDIs in the background (one a "new" 2015), along with two more elsewhere on the property.

Here's the odometer on the blue one on the way home tonight.


Note the trip mileage and the fuel gauge. That's one reason why we love our TDIs.

I do miss our Mk IVs. My first one, a 99, wasn't great from a reliability standpoint but it was awesome on fuel. The second one, a PD wagon, was somewhat less great for fuel consumption, but stil really good (got a 1300 km tank out of that one), but was reliable and fun.

I'd love another Mk IV but alas finding one not corroded to death in these parts is highly unlikely.

IndigoBlueWagon said:

Hey, I know those cars. And there are two TDIs in the background (one a "new" 2015), along with two more elsewhere on the property.

Here's the odometer on the blue one on the way home tonight.

Note the trip mileage and the fuel gauge. That's one reason why we love our TDIs.

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Hey, 350k - not too shabby!

With all thanks to Chris Hill for the extensive hours spent on my car, I don't see my self ever giving it up! 04 PD with 220k and still running strong! Always starts on a dime even at -14 deg!

cevans said:

Originally Mk4 owners, fell in love with diesel, then upgraded to a new common-rail. Couldn't pass up the buyout money, turned in the car, and then went BACK to a Mk4.
Sales of Mk4 stuff (timing belts, suspensions etc) are UP this year at ID. Lots of people bringing Mk4s back to life. [/IMG]

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^^^This is me!^^^ Turned-in the JSW and bought a Golf R but it just sits and I still drive my mk4 EVERY day with +250k on the clock and still running like brand new.

I'm thinking about going the other way and buying a 2015 Passat TDI for safety reasons. My B4 has 307k on it and works fine, but I'm doing 30,000 miles a year on a very congested, 70-80 mph four lane road and the 2015 would be so much safer if I have an accident. The question is, since I don't want to read a 300 page thread, has the HPFP failure problem been solved on the 2015 Passat? The car I'm looking at has 21k on it, can I expect to drive it another 250k with zero problems like the older cars ? Thanks.

cevans said:

THIS is awesome
I've been talking to a LOT of people who have done similar. Originally Mk4 owners, fell in love with diesel, then upgraded to a new common-rail. Couldn't pass up the buyout money, turned in the car, and then went BACK to a Mk4.
Sales of Mk4 stuff (timing belts, suspensions etc) are UP this year at ID. Lots of people bringing Mk4s back to life. We've resurrected a few ourselves

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Same here, only I will include PD era cars in the resurrection category. I am bringing a 385k mile '98 NB back from the dead this week. And I am continually keeping a lot of the older 'regulars' alive and kicking (have one in for a 330k service today along with a few other items).

My biggest issue is still parts availability. Just found out yesterday the newer style A4 Golf console (with the cupholders) is NLA. Oddly enough, the older type like my 2000 has was still available...albeit just a few left. So no upgrade for me, but at least I will get a new original type one.

General service parts (timing belts, filters, brake pads, etc.) are not so much a problem. It is the other things like trim pieces and what not that can go a long way to refurbish a tired 1/4 million mile car interior and bring it back to life that are the issue, along with some other vital bits (wire harnesses, sideview mirrors, door panel clips, etc.).

This is why the A3 and B4 cars are such a pain to keep nice if used for daily duties. And there are only so many things that can be harvested from salvage yards on cars that old.

Let's just hope the aftermarket picks up the slack, and does so with good quality stuff and not garbage.

RabbitGTI said:

I'm thinking about going the other way and buying a 2015 Passat TDI for safety reasons. My B4 has 307k on it and works fine, but I'm doing 30,000 miles a year on a very congested, 70-80 mph four lane road and the 2015 would be so much safer if I have an accident. The question is, since I don't want to read a 300 page thread, has the HPFP failure problem been solved on the 2015 Passat? The car I'm looking at has 21k on it, can I expect to drive it another 250k with zero problems like the older cars ? Thanks.

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does this help?

_____________________



Parts Covered Under Extended Warranty The emissions system warranty shall cover the following parts or systems: - The entire exhaust after treatment system, including the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst, the Diesel Particulate Filter, the Selective Catalytic Reduction converter, the dosing injector and other Diesel Exhaust Fluid system components, the exhaust flap, and all sensors and actuators - The entire fuel system, including fuel pumps, high pressure fuel rail, fuel injectors, vibration damper, pressure control valve and all sensors and actuators - The EGR system, including EGR valves, EGR cooler, EGR filter, EGR temperature sensor, all related hoses and pipes, and all sensors and actuators - The turbocharger, including the turbocharger damper - The On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system, including SCR DEF quality sensor, and any malfunctions detected by the OBD systems other than those related to the transmission. Additionally, the engine long block warranty shall cover the engine sub-assembly that consists of the assembled block, crankshaft, cylinder head, camshaft, and valve train . The extended emissions warranty includes parts, labor, and applicable taxes. The extended emissions warranty shall not void or supersede any existing warranty. Conflicts concerning the warranty are to be resolved in favor of the consumer..

RabbitGTI said:

I'm thinking about going the other way and buying a 2015 Passat TDI for safety reasons. My B4 has 307k on it and works fine, but I'm doing 30,000 miles a year on a very congested, 70-80 mph four lane road and the 2015 would be so much safer if I have an accident. The question is, since I don't want to read a 300 page thread, has the HPFP failure problem been solved on the 2015 Passat? The car I'm looking at has 21k on it, can I expect to drive it another 250k with zero problems like the older cars ? Thanks.

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If you're concerned about safety you may look at a '15 Jetta instead. VW refreshed the car for '15, mostly to help improve its performance in offset collisions. And the Jetta is pretty much the same size as a B4 Passat, so it's not small. Also easier to find with a manual if that's what you want.

I wouldn't worry about the HPFP. The fueling system on the EA288 engine is different than previous engines, and seems much more durable.

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Our MkIV and my best bud's have been parked pending resolution of a parts supply issue (long story, won't go into it until resolved). Will go through the two of them soon, I hope - but busy getting my shop at home re-roofed, getting a 7.3 off of the floor and getting a new shop built on farm (may not finish before winter).

The whole dieselgate thing is disgusting, but since I never did trust the HPFP issues, the only one in family is youngest daughter's '15 Passat - that she will drive until the last day of buyback offer time. It has been an extremely good car (DSG), but a fair number of electrical glitches during off-warranty period that are irritating.

We have some VW gassers, but I have never considered them much related to this website. I have enough VE pump engines to keep me occupied for a while, so will be back when winter comes. The gassers are really hard to support as the 'tex is hardly the scale and quality of technical resource we have here, but not sure if they would fit in so well (with the exception of those who are genuine mechanics and fix everything professionally).

The want is strong to go full redneck with a piece of property, buy as many old TDIs at auction as I can. Become a VW junkyard with a specific heavy focus on TDIs. Start fixing up the ones that just need mechanical work and resell. Sell good used parts for those who are also trying to keep the older cars on the road.

Lovely, rust-free California parts!

Matt-98AHU said:

The want is strong to go full redneck with a piece of property, buy as many old TDIs at auction as I can. Become a VW junkyard with a specific heavy focus on TDIs. Start fixing up the ones that just need mechanical work and resell. Sell good used parts for those who are also trying to keep the older cars on the road.
Lovely, rust-free California parts!

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California? The state probably has tax incentives available for a diesel junkyard

I owe a lot to TDI Club! I started reading here in 2005 before I bought the Passat wagon; what a great helpful community, and a lot happened during that time to learn more about them, take better care, and GO FASTER!.

If I'd bought some Honda, I could have developed some bad habits with the extra time...I inflicted a Passat on my son, he still thinks it's great.

Now the Passat drives about 1/week because of the 335d, but this is still the forum to keep up on if you ask me. But now my wife really wonders about me; IF, IF, I took all the carpet out, maybe the smell that stays on my clothes might go away; if that cures the problem, then a new cam would smooth out the 1800rpm shake. I'm lucky to be between two top gurus, so in the big picture this car can go much furthur, with no more than a an overdue quart of my own blood. I'm still in.

Auntulna, you are lucky, haven't met the oilhammer, but I have been down to Frank's. Helluva guy and a super mind.