05 Jetta Dumb questions

Hello all my gf has an 05 TDI i think not positive about the year though..Its a new body style with a 1.9 but it has a 5spd manual. Anyway the headlight is out. I havent even popped the hood yet since the weather has been crap for three days so im posting to see if its straight forward or if bumper removal is necessary. Also for an oil change 505.01 is the good correct? Thanks

I have an '06 Jetta, which should be very similar to an '05. Changing a headlight is a piece of cake. I had to do it a couple of weeks after I bought mine (used). No bumper removal required.

Oil requirement is 505.01, yes.

ok thanks....also what does PD stand for? and is this car PD?

I believe it stands for "pump deuse". Yes, that car is one.

Yes, pumpe duse, German for unit injector. This is where the injectors are in the cylinder and are actuated by rockers via the valve camshaft. It is mechanical injection, but timing is electronically controlled, though. This was done to increase injection pressure to the reduce emissions. The previous engine (the ALH) has an external, belt driven distributor injection pump and spring loaded injection valves in the head.

The reason for the 505.01 oil is because the valve lifter loading is much higher because the valve camshaft lobes are narrower to allow the unit injectors to fit in the cylinder head. Using the wrong oil can ruin the camshaft and lifters.

--Nate

thanks for the info....i went to autozone last night for the bulb and looked for oil that met 505.01 specs but came up empty handed....do any of the big box stores carry it? and what do places like pepboys put in these cars if you took them there? if they use the wrong oil you may have a lawsuit on ur hands

Your traditional quik-ee oil change outfit is not going to carry the 505.01. Try an import car supply store or order it over the web. Read the label! Do not presume the person behind the counter knows the difference between synthetic and synthetic for a diesel engine which meets the 505.01 spec. I've used the Pentosynth since I purchased my car. I can buy it locally or through http://www.tdiparts.com. It's german. It's expensive. My engine is worth it.

p.s. The guys changing oil put in whatever they're handed that says "oil" somewhere on the label. Even VW dealers are infamous for not using the required oils spec'd for their cars. Diesels are such a tiny component of the auto market that I would think only a few shops pay attention to specific needs of diesels. You're better off changing the oil yourself

Believe it or not, I buy the VW 505.01 oil at my local VW dealer for about $7 a liter. It is competively priced. It is Motul 5W-40 VW 505.01. I buy the same filter the dealer sells from TDIparts.com for less, though.

--Nate