B4V ramblings...
Hey gang,
I just got back from two wonderful weeks in Acadia national Park, and used my 96 TDI wagon to tow my little sailboat, a canoe on the roof, and three bikes up there from Maryland.
I had fixed the air conditioner which worked flawlessly on the way up installed new brakes ( which are mediocre at best) 2 new General 14" tires on the front and polished up the headlights as best I could.
Mods on this car are 520 nozzles, set up by drive by wire, and Malone chips. The power on his car is strong enough now to cause my clutch to slip if I step on it too hard or too low an RPM.
I drove very conservatively with the boat behind me, holding between 50 and 65 miles an hour on the interstates and turnpike. In return, I averaged about 35 miles to the gallon towing the boat...you can't beat that with a stick!
Aside from the annoying resonance at about 2000 RPMs , and the check engine light which would go from off to a faint glow to full on randomly throughout my trip, the drive was perfect. I'm going to post about those two things in a separate heading later.
With 1/2 of the rear seat folded down, a Thermarest, sheet and pillow, my partner Nancy slept most of the trip back there in moderate comfort…
I have a set of the code headlights, but did not have a chance to get them installed. That would be one thing that would be a nice improvement! At 244k, I burned about half a cup of oil in 1500 miles of driving… Not bad at all!
I enjoyed the motor performance on this so much, it's getting me enthused about installing a 1Z in the Phoenix… My 82 diesel Westy, which still runs around on the 1.6 na motor. I'm hoping I can then tow my boat up with it, and not need to go camping with the Passat.
I guess if there's a moral to the story, it's don't be afraid to take your 20-year-old TDI out for a long trip!