TDIclub Secret Society of BMW Owners (SSBMWO)

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
Really enjoying the mods and JR 2.8 tune. Post-tune dyno was 343whp/566wtq (Mustang dyno).

Fuel mileage is up as well. Got 37.9 mpg on first full hand-calc tank, a personal best for the car, and that was winding through the Smoky Mts from Blue Ridge GA to Knoxville TN and doing 10-15 mph over the speed limit all the way up I-81 through Virginia on the way home.

Took a spin on Tail of the Dragon:
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
Put about 10K miles on my 2014 535D since I purchased it in Feb....

I love it!!

With the tune its lots of fun to drive.. I'm averaging 30mpg with VERY spirited driving.. the car is a monster off the line.

My oil change is due and I picked up oil and filter for $80... and it seems like oil changes are every 20K miles!!
 

nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
Trade your X5 35d for my 335d

Need to trade for an X5 35d--we're getting a food trailer! See my add please if interested.
 
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nicklockard

Torque Dorque
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Location
Arizona
TDI
SOLD 2010 Touareg Tdi w/factory Tow PCKG
Are you going with a vintage trailer with a reno? Good luck Nick!

Thank you so much. Well, I looked hard at converting an airstream for their extreme cool factor (IMO), but dang are they pricey. And you don't get much aisle space once equipment is installed. So I'm just going with a professionally built, lightly used 16' x 8' x 8' one. Need a hitch for 400 lbs tongue weight though (with the Hensley Arrow hitch I'm using).
 

SkeeterMark

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Location
North Branch, MN
TDI
2013 Jetta TDI 6M
New member of the SSBMWO here.
Took the buyback money on the jetta and replaced with a 2015 328d with 27k miles and a 2011 335d with 72k miles - his and hers BMW's :)
Replaced payment on the jetta with the 328d, and paid cash for the 335d. Thanks VW.
I loved the Jetta, but at 6 years old and 172k miles, and $16k buyback, this was a no brainer.

Love both these cars so far. The 335d really hauls the mail :D
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
Congrats!! Welcome to the Bimmer world. I traded in my Audi A3 and ended up with a 535D... threw a tune on it and called it a day. :)
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
First oil change.

$79 for extended life oil and filter... looks like oil changes are every 20K miles on these things?

Who said maintenance is expensive on BMW's?
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
I went with Rotella T6 at $2/qt (after rebate) in mine. That's a $32 oil change for 8 quarts plus $16 oil filter.
 

gcodori

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
Location
northern california (bay area)
TDI
2001 NB TDI plus CPO 2013 Passat TDI SEL Prem.
Congrats on the upgraded rides.

I turned in my generation 2.5 Passat for the buyback money. VW gave Gen2.5 owners nothing compared to the earliest or later TDIs. The fix money was good, I guess they figured that the fix for ours would be easier, but it turned out to be one of the last ones to get a fix (and I'm not sure they even developed one for the manual versions of the Gen2.5 passats).

I ended up paying more than I got back. None of that "I'm driving for free" money golf and Jetta owners were crowing about. Add in having to pay tax again on another purchase within 2 years pretty much took the remaining money.

Oh well glad that's all over.
New member of the SSBMWO here.
Took the buyback money on the jetta and replaced with a 2015 328d with 27k miles and a 2011 335d with 72k miles - his and hers BMW's :)
Replaced payment on the jetta with the 328d, and paid cash for the 335d. Thanks VW.
I loved the Jetta, but at 6 years old and 172k miles, and $16k buyback, this was a no brainer.

Love both these cars so far. The 335d really hauls the mail :D
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

Twinkieflyer

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Location
Blacksburg, Virginia
TDI
2002 ALH 5spd
Hey guys. Having some problems with my Jetta which may take some effort to sort out. Been looking at 535d xdrive for a bit. Got serious last month but dealers won’t sell now because of recall on egr. Dealer says they can’t sell until a solution kit is installed.

Any thoughts on this or car in general? I would be using it as everyday alternating after the Jetta gets sorted out.

I know this thing is going to be more of a maintenance hog but hopefully not too bad.
 

Tin Man

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2001
Location
Coastal Empire
TDI
Daughter's: 2004 NB TDI PD GLS DSG (gone to pasture)
Hey guys. Having some problems with my Jetta which may take some effort to sort out. Been looking at 535d xdrive for a bit. Got serious last month but dealers won’t sell now because of recall on egr. Dealer says they can’t sell until a solution kit is installed.

Any thoughts on this or car in general? I would be using it as everyday alternating after the Jetta gets sorted out.

I know this thing is going to be more of a maintenance hog but hopefully not too bad.
I had a 2002 ALH Beetle and stopped using it when I got an E320 CDI.

Would find the 535d xdrive too nice to switch from unless you really want to pamper it.

The BMW would have a weak point in the transfer case and the Bosch CP4 HPFP, but haven't seen any go bad online (yet).

Another great choice would be an AWD Jaguar XE, XF, or F-Pace 2.0d. Wife's XE is very nice, save for the fragile vinyl interior and sparse dealer network.

TM
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
alot Of folks here have switched to 335D and 328D not so many with the 535D
I love my 328D Xdrive! No problems yet and gets nearly the same Fuel mileage as my Jetta SEL TDI
 

Dangerous_Dan

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 10, 2004
Location
Fargo ND
TDI
1998 Jetta, 2017 Jaguar XE 20d
Rare cats

It is true that there are not very many XE's floating around here in the USA. I have been very pleased with mine. Gets right around 40 MPG in town, 48-50 on the highway. It can cruise at speeds above the sane.

The down side is no dealer within 200 miles for me. But my experience with the VW dealer in town makes that almost a positive.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Replaced the HVAC blower motor in my 335d today. Very easy repair: only tool needed is a T20 Torx. The motor would squeal a little when it was really cold out, but I didn't realize until the new one was installed how much noisier the old one was in all conditions.
 

PeteZ06

Veteran Member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Location
Algonquin, IL
TDI
E320 CDI
Replaced the HVAC blower motor in my 335d today. Very easy repair: only tool needed is a T20 Torx. The motor would squeal a little when it was really cold out, but I didn't realize until the new one was installed how much noisier the old one was in all conditions.

I remember swapping out the blower in my Jetta... it would squeal in every speed setting except low... and on 100 degree days that just wasn't going to cut it.

Same experience, we grow accustomed to our cars sounding and driving a certain way as things very gradually wear out.
 

ezshift5

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Location
West Coast
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (Enroute BB).......2017 Jetta 1.4 turbo 5M ....................
I respect BMW engineering for a variety of reasons.....................

.......the 1999 straight 6 with a flawless clutch/transmission (that I ALMOST took home).....

......the WWII BMW 14-cylinder radial used by the FW-190........

But I think it would be a fair statement that non-mechanically gifted dudes (I am one) should plan on additional maintenance/repair funding.........

Again superb engineering but...................


Season's best,




ez
 

dogdots

Vendor
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Location
Kansas City
TDI
None
Changed my glow plugs and glow plug controller over the weekend on my 335d. CBU not too bad at 117k miles but I have been tuned since 59k miles.

What a PITA the larger connector on the controller is to get off...:mad: My fingers are still sore 2 days later :p

I had constant #4 glow plug dtc for the last few months but since the intake has to come off and there is no way to amp check or ohm check the glow plugs unless the intake is off and I value the time I take off work, I decided it was smart to just replace everything related while I was in there. I did have a few rough starts in single digit weather recently from #4 glow plug not working.

Glow plug #3 didn't want to play nice, I had to soak in PB Blaster and do 1/4 turns back and forth until it was out, and it brought a few hair size strands of threads from the head but luckily they were from the top of the hole. I was able to run a blind tap coated in red grease to clean up the threads and the new plug seated and torqued down properly. I also used anti-seize compound on all of them so next time it shouldn't be a problem.

If you try replacing the glow plugs on your own, you must have the engine warm from running before trying to remove the glow plugs, this is actually printed in the BMW service procedure.

I also deleted the swirl flaps while the intake was off.

 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
After nearly two years of ownership but only about 9K miles, I finally got a low DEF warning a couple days ago. After some reading decided to add DEF to the passive tank and let it fill the active tank. The owners manual is really useless on this topic. When I bought the car the selling dealer had replaced the tank, so I don't know how much DEF was in it, but I doubt they filled it.

Put 3 gallons in the passive tank, and, contrary to what I expected, the warning disappeared immediately. I'll drive it a bit tomorrow to make sure it's off. I'm about 3K from its 60K service so I'll fill the tank again then.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Lol. This is the first time I've had to add DEF to any car, so I can't complain, since I've owned two that use it for nearly two years each.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
Something your car is required to have unless you have illegally modified the emissions controls...which is a violation of Federal Law.....

I put 2 gallons in My Jetta today and a 1/2 Gallon in my 328D

I have no intention of modifying my emissions....
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
Something your car is required to have unless you have illegally modified the emissions controls...which is a violation of Federal Law.....

I put 2 gallons in My Jetta today and a 1/2 Gallon in my 328D

I have no intention of modifying my emissions....
That's admirable!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I have no intention of modifying my emissions....
Me neither. First, MA tests for it, and whether or not the car will pass without is not certain. Second, the car makes great power and gets excellent FE for what it is with a tune and all emissions intact. If I can get 35+ MPG on a trip running at 80 in a car that tuned has about 330 HP I'm not going to complain.
 
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