got a new car... sat in a field for 2 years. what should I look at?

[/QUOTE] I get frustrated and run out of patience easily so if it gives me any grief ill probably just throw the battery in and start turning the key. oops. if the timing belt breaks, it breaks. thats the way she goes I guess. nothing I can do about it.[/QUOTE]

Wow.....for REAL? Impressive.

Proly fine, but I would turn it over by hand a couple times, you're just checking to see if something really bad happened before you got it. I'd also open the fuel tank and have a look.

Not much thawing happened today. Had the hood open all day. I’ll give it another day.

"if the timing belt breaks, it breaks. thats the way she goes I guess. nothing I can do about it."
Factually incorrect but if that's how you roll...(they're not making any more of these, y'know...).

Sheesh, you guys worry too much. It'll be fine.

its not the end of the world. ill take my chances. what I am not doing is:


1. replacing it myself on the street


or



2. having it towed hundreds of km for the nearest competent guy to fix it.








anyways, I talked with my brother about how many times he turned it over the week prior, he confirmed it went a few times so I knew it wasnt seized. he was eager to see it run and kepy hounding me to start it up and eventually told me "if the timing belt breaks ill give you $2000 cash for it right now" so...


I threw the battery in, made sure the fans had no snow around them and spun freely and turned the key.... it literally started up INSTANTLY. ZERO delay, I swear the key barely got fully turned and the engine was already purring nicely... 2 year old diesel and snow packed motor as shown in post 33 and all.


my 04 when fully warm doesnt even start that smoothly and instantly.. takes literally 1 full second of needing the key turned in the 04 BEW. this 03 ALH starts so quick, its impressive.




let it idle for 20 or so minutes, then took it on a drive around town. it ran for about an hour so far total, and I put 15 km on it, even took it on the highway where I discovered its first problem, otherwise it runs very very good, feels super tight compared to my 04 with 110,000 more km on it. (215 VS 325). im impressed. I like it already.




feels like it has a flat spot on the front driver tire (but it doesnt). it has a hell of a vibration and a weird clunking sound from that front corner. im going to get tires balanced tomorrow, do an oil change this week and then fully detail it this weekend.



ordering a timing belt kit from roseland right now with every option available, as well as the serp belt assembly too with all options, then she goes to a mechanic for a full service, skid plate, EGR delete, Jeff Stevenson tune, ventectomy, cam and lifters checked, new thermostat, time the injection pump, and intake decarb.



then a frostheater this summer, swap my hitch from the BEW over, glass headlight lenses, and possibly swap my seat from the 04 BEW over too as the 03 ALH has a rip in the drivers seat.... is this possible? is this an easy job?

turbobrick240 said:

Sheesh, you guys worry too much. It'll be fine.

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I agree. and you are 100% right, which I proved it an hour ago. fired it up and drove it like nothing ever happened tonight. runs better than my meticulously maintained 04 that ive dumped 1000s of dollars into.



what the others said didnt fall on deaf ears though and I appreciate all your comments and tipe. I am going to have everything visually checked but am not rebuilding the whole entire car from front to back, top to bottom. I will have most fluids replaced and the critical things changed, then fix it as it breaks. "if it aint broke dont fix it" type deal.

Nice! I'd say even if you put a couple grand in it, if the body has no rust, that's worth it's weight in gold right there. Wait till the gas prices start climbing again, and see how valuable it becomes....

prev owner hit a deer, the driver door has very minor rust, peeling clear coat, and severely bent from when they opened it with ice jammed down the pillar last week... so that doors gotta get swapped or replaced, otherwise the rest of the body is immaculate. ill take some pics tomorrow. im planning on putting another $2000 or so into it and itll be solid for a very long time.

fouillard13 said:

I will have most fluids replaced and the critical things changed, then fix it as it breaks. "if it aint broke dont fix it" type deal.

Click to expand...

yea, chances are your fine, but the risk reward is not worth a timing belt or radiator hose break. they are cheep to do and will reward you with 100's of K of miles with no hassle. blow a radiator hose and not catch it and you risk head warp and or gasket failure.
i would NOT go nuts on it but $250 in preventative stuff is well worth the weekend of work.

I will look into the radiator hose, and am ordering the timing belt kit tomorrow morning with all options and rollers and tensioners available for it.


can you link me to the radiator hose in question? im sure by seeing the part I can figure out where its located, then possibly figure out how to swap it from there. or maybe get the timing belt guy to do it while hes in that deep already.


thanks.

while hes in that deep already.

Have him replace the coolant temp sensor while it's empty too. Worth it as it relates to fuel economy.

honestly its about age more so than milage at this point in question. Rubber and oil/diesel MIX, as in any leaks in the past will shorten the life of any rubber hose or belt in the way, DRASTICALLY.
i would not worry about anything other than rubber hoses and belts and fluids and the parts that are easy to do (while your in there) for now. thats plenty to take care of.
Worst thing you can do with a daily is to make it feel like a project.
all the other things can wait till its an issue like you said.
you did ask us what to do, we answered with a laundry list, we are fanatics about TDI's and we like to see them properly maintained so dont be surprised at the results here.

That’s great that it fired right up. I am surprised that there wasn’t at least one caliper seized, however sometimes we get lucky. Keep an eye on all those other things listed, likely at least one wheel bearing will need replacing and maybe the rear brakes will need to be removed and the slides cleaned and lubed.

Congratulations on what looks like an excellent purchase. I think you still need to tackle your timing belt but if that’s just not in your wheelhouse then it’s great you have someone proficient that can.

Unbelievable ......

I would be concerned about wheel bearings if they can develop flat spots from being stationary for so long.

geese, these guys just can understand how cars can last.
My Jetta sits outside for all fall though spring with not even a battery tender on it and put away as driven hard at autocross and what not. i connect the battery and away it goes. i keep up on fluids but YOLO the rest. no seized calipers, no bearing failure.
OP's car sat for 2 years, not 20 years!

I'll add my two cents to this post. I would change the oil and filter before trying to start it. I would also wait until all the snow is melted from the engine compartment.

Eric

just ordered the full timing belt kit with contitech belts and the coolant temp sensor.


I am doing an oil change today. wanted to at least hear it run for a few mins before I went too crazy on everything. after yesterdays drive im sure all the snow is melted now. I made sure there was no snow around the cooling fans and the serp belt and it fired right up like it was summer, better than my other car in the summer actually.


would like to get the driver wheel wobble/thud sound figured out. ill see what I can find when its on ramps and im underneath.


brakes feel solid and e brake handle only comes up a few inches before its engaged and tight. whole car is a HELL of a lot tighter and fresher than the 04 ive got with 100,000 more km.



will keep you guys updated. thanks!

Wheel wobble could be the tires are no longer round.

its funny. 3 tires were flat. the only tire that was good was the driver front tire and thats where im getting my problems from. going to take it to a tire shop early next week too and dont plan on driving it until I get that figured out. shes getting a good detail and an oil change and then its ready for the timing belt later next week.

Sounds like a gem. Don't forget to replace the paper filters, check all hoses and tubes (they should be fine) and look in the fuel tank. Check the other fluids, maybe top off the transmission fluid.

paper filters?



I did fuel filter, air filter, and cabin filter already. its getting oil filter done today. I have not looked in the fuel tank but was planning on topping it off with fresh diesel and starting my mileage log on it too.


someone mentioned a fuel stabilizer/water seperator type additive. what do you guys think about that? I got some grey bottle power service diesel kleen laying around.

Yea, those filters. Fuel stabilizes are great to add before you leave it sit. My car used to sit for months, I got this nasty black slime in the tank, it was easy to remove. With no ethanol in it, diesel usually keeps pretty good. Hardest part getting in the tank is the big plastic cap, you need to drive it off with a wood (or?) drift.

That’s under the rear seat?

That’s under the rear seat?
Yes, passenger side rear seat.
That car looks really nice -same color as mine!
EDIT:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggcfn8MZhEo