Should I buy this TDI? 03 5sp wagon

Picked up a new handheld vacuum pump. My old one had sucked brake fluid so many times that the gauge was unreadable VNT started movement at 10. I manually cycled it a bunch of times and got it just below 8. I can now drive it without triggering over boost. It’s still overshooting, but then settling down. Hopefully I can get enough heat into it to clear it out. Worst case, I have a spare vnt-15 with half the miles with a bad actuator.

I recorded a handful of boost logs as it was improving. I’ll upload them from the laptop. Hopefully I’ll get it inspected today (only 2 years overdue).

The more I drive it, the better it runs. I can feel that the boost control is much better now that I've gotten some heat into the turbo. I drove it to work again and could feel a bit of a vibration so yesterday I changed the passenger side inner CV joint. I did have a problem with the gasket on that one when reassembling the transmission and I could see some grease seeping out. I know the gasket was torn but maybe it was causing another problem if it wasn't seated straight. Regardless - after 303k miles, I new one was a good idea. Another order to idparts
The joint looked decent when I took it out, but the vibration is gone - and that's all that matters. I also changed out the rear, original shocks and mounts.
I haven't changed the fuel filter yet. Now that it's inspected (only 2 years overdue), I'll drive it to work more to get MPG calculations and schedule an alignment. It drives down the road straight, but with all new components that affect the alignment, it can't be right.

Here is a boost log from a last month:

And my shop with 3 MKIVs (a 4th is outside) and my SLK (and triumph bonneville)

I've put about 1000 miles on it and the turbo is freeing up. It's fairly hard to get it into limp mode other than one spot in my drive to work. I have to slow entering the highway and then accelerate up a hill. If I can maintain speed I'm OK, but if I have to drop a gear it goes into limp mode. I can run 75 the rest of the way into work even up hills without a problem.

New issue - the AC isn't working... I have had a set of gauges for a few years, but no tank of R134. Just bought one on amazon and tested the car. Doesn't look good... Fans work, clutch engages, nothing else happens. High and Low side stay around 75psi. It's a little low, but not low enough to prevent it from engaging. Found a few threads about rebuilding the compressor, but still cheaper to pull from the parts car I suppose.

Odds are very high the RCV is bad -- they're pretty cheap and you have to open the system (which means a vac machine + refrigerant + dryer) anyway, so.... I'd fix it.

Genesis said:

Odds are very high the RCV is bad -- they're pretty cheap and you have to open the system (which means a vac machine + refrigerant + dryer) anyway, so.... I'd fix it.

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That's what I was seeing in some other threads, but not everyone was having success in repairing it. Normally I'd be all for repairing over replacing, but the compressor is essentially free where I'd have to pay for the repair parts (unless I disassemble a used compressor).

I have the evac and recharge equipment, just not the reclaim so I'll have to hit someone up for that.

Got it -- if you have a replacement compressor then that's easy, of course. The only issue generally with doing this is that you won't know FOR SURE until you take it apart, at which point the car is down, which becomes a fairly serious pain in the butt real quick if you remove the lines and find a bunch of metal particles in the high pressure side!

It seems I'm very slow at updating (and getting work done on this car!). I finally tracked down the overboosting problem. I knew the VNT moved a little later than the spec, but that should cause underboost. While cleaning the intake I noticed that the VNT lever wasn't returning to rest, but then I realized that there was excessive play in the VNT. The actuator was a rusty inside as well. The combined issues were leaving the turbo in boost mode.

I had a spare turbo that came with the car (off the previous owner's father's 98 Beetle). The VNT was free and it had no shaft play but the actuator wouldn't hold vacuum (he wouldn't listen when I told him he probably didn't need a new turbo).

Used turbo, new actuator, new oil line (first one I couldn't remove) and an install kit all from idparts and no more overboost!

One interesting thing I haven't run across before... if I leave the car idling for a few minutes, the turbo spools up a bit (RPMs do not increase). Kinda sounds like my powerstroke when it went to high idle. Runs great though.

My car does the same thing, I think it's emissions related, because if you watch the mass air flow under VCDS, it'll match for the first few minutes, then the actual goes up and then the turbo noise starts. Always thought it sounded cool.

gforce1108 said:

One interesting thing I haven't run across before... if I leave the car idling for a few minutes, the turbo spools up a bit (RPMs do not increase). Kinda sounds like my powerstroke when it went to high idle. Runs great though.

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Yep. Mine does it as well. Very easy to tell when you have a full straightpipe.

z14ben said:

Yep. Mine does it as well. Very easy to tell when you have a full straightpipe.

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My straight piped 98 Beetle never did it (had a later vnt-15 in it), nor does my 04 BEW with either the kp39 or now the 17/22 w/ 3" straightpipe. This 03 never did with the original vnt-15. Bone stock car now with a 98 Beetle turbo.

Doesn't bother me - I just found it odd. Running great! Put 150 miles since yesterday driving it light/mild/hard without a hiccup. I want to run at least 1 whole tank and then put it up for sale. Gotta finish my garage!

I've run more than a tank - it gets such great mileage that I've been using it quite frequently for the last 4 months. I had to replace a powersteering hose that started leaking where a bracket attached - wasn't too bad. Summer tires back on. AC would be nice
307k miles and going strong!

Garage is almost done - and I put my 04 Jetta in to get the transmission replaced/repaired. 90hp on a bone stock ALH just doesn't cut it when you are used to a much more potent BEW that still gets the same MPGs.

Haven't updated anything in a while - need to keep my records straight! Car is running and driving perfectly. Getting 43-45 MPGs running 75 everywhere. Found both rear springs broken (explained the low sitting rear) - installed 2 MOOG rear springs and it lifted it 2" (probably just a little over where it was originally when new).

Installed a new washer pump last week and the grommet yesterday. Still seeping but traced it to rear hose so the pump is capped off. I did find that the rear nozzle was pointing backwards into the cover so it didn't work anyway (corrected).

Coming up on 310K miles. (04 is in getting it's trans redone - picked up a Peloquin LSD to install while making 1 good trans out of 2 broken ones)