Driving Tips to prevent intake clogging??

CristinaJetta · Mar 6, 2007

I am the proud new owner of a 2003 Jetta wagon TDI that I am already crazy about. I just bought it this week and it has 94K kilometers on it. Just before I bought it, I got it checked out by a VW specialist and the only major issue was it needed intake cleaning. After reading many posts on this issue, I would like some advice on the actual driving habits so many are talking about in order to prevent the intake manifold from clogging up, like mine is right now. I am having it cleaned, but want some advice on how to best drive/maintain this TDI to prevent this and other driving related issues.
Cristina

Gaggu P · Mar 6, 2007

drive it like you stole it a couple times a week...some people do it for every hour of use (read that on this forum) i do it maybe once or twice a week...never hit redline in 5th but in 4th yea..

Rodrigues · Mar 6, 2007

I do about 7 days a week on average...

Gaggu P said:
drive it like you stole it a couple times a week...some people do it for every hour of use (read that on this forum) i do it maybe once or twice a week...never hit redline in 5th but in 4th yea..

FL2AK-tdi · Mar 6, 2007

Gaggu P said:
drive it like you stole it a couple times a week.../QUOTE]

Won't tht prety much wreck your fuel mileage average? Especially with an AT? Espescially in city driving?

mrGutWrench · Mar 6, 2007

CristinaJetta said:
I am the proud new owner of a 2003 Jetta wagon TDI that I am already crazy about. I just bought it this week and it has 94K kilometers on it. Just before I bought it, I got it checked out by a VW specialist and the only major issue was it needed intake cleaning. After reading many posts on this issue, I would like some advice on the actual driving habits so many are talking about in order to prevent the intake manifold from clogging up, like mine is right now. I am having it cleaned, but want some advice on how to best drive/maintain this TDI to prevent this and other driving related issues.
Cristina

__. I'd also find a VAG-Com (or GTG) and have the EGR reset lower. THat will lower the amount of soot in your intake (if the soot ain't there, it ain't gonna clog). Also, my own personal experience is that Power Service fuel additive seems to lower soot and clogging (my '02 sedan had nearly 130K -- fer you Kinehjin's there, eh, that's ummm, a fair old lot of kliks -- and it had only a thin film of clog when it was totalled). That's only a single data point so it's worth very little from a "scientific" standpoint, but it seemed to work for me.

2footbraker · Mar 6, 2007

You could also get a CCV filter such as a Provent or the ones TheTDIWagonGuy makes/sells.

highender · Mar 6, 2007

Yes.,. CCV filter and EGR mod

both these will help. One will decrease the amount of oil, the other the amount of smoke and soot.

Plus, drive it hard sometimes....

All above posts are correct.

jollyGreenGiant · Mar 6, 2007

I hate to be a pessimist on the whole EGR adaptation thing but I find that it doesn't do a real lot in terms of reducing soot buildup and it reduces efficiency rather significantly, it definately reduces timing advance which reduces MPG's and HP/TQ, not something I'm willing to give up for $15 in parts and about 3 hours labor every 100K if that!

I've experimented over the years with this and have never been happy with the results, I've tried it on several cars and have logged data before and after and IMO it's just not worth it.

If you really want to avoid cleaning that intake, get a Rocketchip tune and/or a racepipe. Get rid of that darn EGR cooler while your at it.

dieseldorf · Mar 6, 2007

jollyGreenGiant said:
If you really want to avoid cleaning that intake, get a Rocketchip tune and/or a racepipe. Get rid of that darn EGR cooler while your at it.

NICE!!

Cris, here's the TSB...see bottom of pg 5:

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/3005/3093clogged_IM.pdf

take care, and don't drive like an old granny

2footbraker · Mar 6, 2007

Some people think the new diesel fuel, ULSD, is expected to decrease intake clogging too. I'm not sure if anyone has any evidence of this yet, as it is too early to tell.

dieseldorf · Mar 6, 2007

2footbraker said:
ULSD, is expected to decrease intake clogging too. I'm not sure if anyone has any evidence of this yet, as it is too early to tell.

Not really. ULSD fuel has been available for years for our brothers in Europe, UK. Their clogging rate is signficantly lower than our own

xsamx · Mar 7, 2007

We've all been running ULSD for about 9 Months now... We were actually informed about it 2-3 Months ago... Blame the EPA!

Only way to prevent Intake Clogging is to Eliminate the ERG all together. Reducing via Vagcom will only delay it.

philh · Mar 7, 2007

That TSB cracks me up.

"If flap does not open and close freely:
 Replace EGR valve/flap."

How about cleaning it first?

dieseldorf said:
NICE!!

Cris, here's the TSB...see bottom of pg 5:

http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/3005/3093clogged_IM.pdf

take care, and don't drive like an old granny

CristinaJetta · Mar 7, 2007

Driving Tips to prevent intake clogging?

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! This is all helpful and gives me the food for thought I was looking for. Will run by my mechanic for his take.

And by the way, I drive like Trixie Racer after 10 cups of coffee, so I guess this is good for the car.

CristinaJetta

2003 Silver Jetta Wagon TDI
Black Leather interior, all the fixin's

dieseldorf · Mar 7, 2007

ZOOM-ZOOM, baby !!

CristinaJetta said:
And by the way, I drive like Trixie Racer after 10 cups of coffee, so I guess this is good for the car.

Enoy!

EddyKilowatt · Mar 7, 2007

p.5 of TSB: "...soft driving behavior...".

Sometimes things have to be translated from another language, to be poetically expressed in ours.

ruking · Mar 7, 2007

CristinaJetta said:
Thanks for the feedback, everyone! This is all helpful and gives me the food for thought I was looking for. Will run by my mechanic for his take.

And by the way, I drive like Trixie Racer after 10 cups of coffee, so I guess this is good for the car.
CristinaJetta

2003 Silver Jetta Wagon TDI
Black Leather interior, all the fixin's

The hidden variables to help in the overall data base:

I take it your EGR was not modified. Please correct me if I am wrong.

The other unknowns;

how long was it run on LSD vs ULSD?

what was the ppm of the LSD run in your 2003 TDI?

When was ULSD available?

Also there is some evidence that TDI's run on CA state LSD tended to not clog or had little clogging vs the other 49 states. CA state mandated LSD at 140 ppm vs up to 500 ppm for the other 49 states.

What was it for CN? Or where there those distinctions in the provinces?

Driving Tips to prevent intake clogging??

CristinaJetta

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