93 golf tdi poor mileage. very poor

Hi everyone. I have a 93 golf tdi and i am only getting around 600kms a tank. I've had the pump rebuilt and was wondering if the injection timing could be off. It doesn't blow any black smoke , and seems to run ok. It's my first diesel and would like to try and possibly figure out the problem with the help of you guys before i take it to a diesel mechanic.
Should i try changing the fuel filter and glowplugs first? It doesn't seem to be blowing any black out the exhaust.
Thanks
Chris

93 TDI?

Your glowplugs cannot have an impact on fuel economy... just whether ot not the car will start in cold weather. Don't replace glowplugs until they fail... then replace only the one that is bad. Glowplugs are not at all like sparkplugs, except for the fact that they both have "plug" in the name.

You fuel filter is not likely to affect the fuel economy. However, your air filter is a good place to start.

If the pump was recently rebuilt, and your poor fuel economy started at the same time, then it is certainly suspect. What kind of fuel economy are you getting (in MP(US)G, MP(imp)G, or L/100km)? Miles or km/tank doesn't tell us much unless we know how much fuel you used. We cannot just assume that you filled up all the way to the top and drove until you ran out of fuel. Even if you did, there can be up to a 2 gallon difference in capacity of your tank if it is an expansion-type tank.

Chris, you've got a couple folks in your area who specialize in the non-TDi engines. I cannot urge you enough to have a quick inspection performed before you start throwing $$$CDN at the car.

Welcome aboard!

I have to fill it tonight, so i will guesstimate the mileage per ltr. It was my brother in-laws car and it sat for about a year before i took it off his hands. The mechanic that worked on putting the rebuilt pump back in it is just a regular mechanic. Not a diesel specialist.

Also. Is there a product that you guys would use as a injector cleaner? I had one guy tell me to put methol hydrate in my tank. He said to add about 2 cups to every tank. Haven't done that. Any suggestions? Just because the car was sitting for around a year.

Lubro-Moly Diesel Purge. Feed it directly to the engine through the fuel filter inlet. Place the tank return line in the can, too. Run the engine for a while on it, changing RPMs every once in a while. Great stuff... not the easiest to find, though.

Here's a pic of my Golf running on Diesel Purge:

Methyl hydrate contains two thing that shouldn't be in your TDI: Methanol and water.

chris's84rabbit said:

Just because the car was sitting for around a year.

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Can you remove the fuel and add clean, dry fuel? Problem is, you could have eighteen different issues and have no way of eliminating or isolating them when you've got a tank full of condensation, Chris

I was not aware there was a '93 TDI made by VW.

cheetah45 said:

I was not aware there was a '93 TDI made by VW.

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ownership says 93 along with the vin.

chris's84rabbit said:

ownership says 93 along with the vin.

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But is it a TDI engine?

That was my subtle point in my first post... your engine is diesel, but not a TDI.

I don't mean to sound flip but your car is 16 years old. Cars like people eventually die. My guess is that your 93 has exceeded its useful economic life. It's time to move on.

the engine is out of a 1994 jetta tdi. the car was a tdi. have the old cooked engine with turbo.

o rly? TDIs started in 1996 IIRC

TDI is a Turbo, Direct Injection.

The engine in the 94 was indirect injection, there it was a TD, IE Turbo Diesel.