20k service update- plus pics of fuel filter canister

I though this might be pertinent/interesting info for a few of you TDI-ers. I went in a bit early for my 20k mile service (19,500) since I'm going on ~1k mile road trip next week. I was unsure of what their response would be when I asked to go back in the service area to check the fuel filter while they were changing it, but they were really cool and said it was no big deal.

Here are a couple pics with the fuel filter out...





So anyone with more experience with what the fuel filter canister is supposed to look like......how does mine look?

I talked to the mechanic for 5-7 mins and asked about HPFP's and DPF replacements. He said with a bit of an embarrassed look that he's done quite a few HFPF's, admittedly a good majority of them were from mis-fueling, but he said they are pretty random minus a few exceptions. He said he has replaced 3 fuel systems in one customer's car, but that seems to be an anomaly. He said the best thing you can do is keep receipts and try and fill up at the same station every time. I told him I have every diesel receipt since new and I keep a journal in the car as well as fill up at the exact same station and pump 95% of the time and he said that's great, their general rule (not sure if he meant VW as a whole or just my local dealer) is that you get one "free" HFPF without too much hassle (mis fueling aside), but if you have multiple failures it's hard to justify without some sort of documentation/receipts. He also said that VW has been very good about replacing the fuel system out of warranty, which is good to hear.

As far as DPF issues he said there are a fair amount in the 2009's and 2010's, but he couldn't recall doing any DPFs in the 2011+ TDI.


Lastly as an aside-

the free alignment check every time you bring the car to the dealer that always seems to find your car out of alignment may not be super accurate. I brought the car in about 500 miles ago and it showed one wheel "in the red" or out of spec and all the other wheels within spec, but of course recommended an alignment for $90. I declined at the time since my 20k service was coming up soon and I would wait until then. Today they checked the alignment and said it was spot on...interesting. Lol

Thank you.

I would say that can looks pretty clean.

I thought so as well, we'll see what it looks like at the 30k interval. It was a bit of a relief to see it so clean even though the car only has 19,7xx miles.

Clean.

you don't need to crack the fuel filter again till 40k.

by then, you will have decided if you are of the camp which takes action to flush air from the system after filter change, or the camp that says fill and go.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=372242

or the book with your owners manual has other details.

Oops 40k is right, I forgot. I'm temped to let someone else do it, not sure about the cost though. I would definitely prefer to flush the air out.

if you want to keep the car for a while, and are inclined, not too hard to do the servicing. Good DIY info is pretty easy to find.

I decided to pick up a VCDS. Seems a little pricy at first, but lets me operate the pumps after filter change, and see many other things the car knows, but may not want to share.

If you are not so sure you want to climb the learning curve, nothing wrong with having someone else do the service.

I have a brother who is inclined to work on the car, but not equipped. First time he tried to change the oil, the care was towed out of the driveway.

Those of us with trust issues always suspect folks at the bottom of the automotive service industry who may not care as much as we do or be as careful about our individual car.

I do plan on keeping the golf for a long time, the fuel filter would be the only part I'm unsure of doing. Oil and filter changes, air and cabin filters, shocks and struts, tie rods, nav systems, and manual transmission fluid flush and fill are things I've done before and I will DIY when the warranty ends. Even replacing engine mounts on my '04 545i and having to lift the engine with a hoist wasn't that hard. I'm just a bit weary of the seemingly fragile fuel system in the golf.

The filter canister looks fine.

On the subject of the free alignment check....

One local dealer (not VW) has an overhead system that apparently checks the alignment on every car that passes the service advisers' station(s). It is not fully automatic as someone has to put a device on each of the 4 wheels for it to work, but it checks the car as it is driven past the system. I suspect but am not certain that the system might be fooled if the valet moves the steering wheel at just the wrong moment while driving through the system or if the wheel device is put on incorrectly.

Just food for thought, they may not check every car, and the car might not have to be moving.... The person I talked to was a service advisor and they come in all different levels of knowledge and honesty. LOL

Bill

They do a similar thing at my dealer, but after putting the sensors on all 4 wheels the car is stationary while it checks the alignment. I'm just going back to the way I used to do it before owning this car....just get it aligned every year or so and when installing new tires. I've never experienced uneven wear when doing it this way, except one time on my previous car forgetting to do an alignment after lowering it lol

If you are wary of the fuel system, that for me would be reason enough to climb the little learning curve and do the filters myself.

I am of the camp that thinks the warning in maintenance manuals about flushing air from the system whenever components between the tank and HPFP are opened apply to changing the filter. (there are also plenty of folks who do not and are happy)

Plenty of stories here of dealers that pop a new filter in and let it go without flushing.

I don't suppose you asked the service tech if they ran the fuel pumps to get air out of the system after they changed the filter?



On the alignment, a local dealer I purchase oil from (where I purchased the car) has one of what looks like this:

http://www.hunter.com/alignment/quickcheck/index.cfm

Also of note, is my recent experience with the local firestone place, that has an older rack. The point to mention is that they just had it calibrated, and the system was off quite a bit before the check.

So the check every car is a great idea, it seems to me, but requires calibration and proper operation to obtain accurate and reliable readings.

In most places, I bet the porter does the drive in alignment quick check, (that is the way it worked in the dealer I visited) and a more skilled tech does an actual alignment. I would hope that they would correct if too many were being sent back that did not need adjustment, but as noted, not every place is totally honest.

I used to be of the mind to evacuate the air but so many mechanics and do-it-yourselfers do not that I just decided to fill it up completely with additive and put the lid on, letting a bit spill out to make sure it was absolutely full. Car started right up, no problems.

No metal flakes in yours by the way, which is what I would look for.