Advice for a Newbie

First of all, let me just say that I was very excited to find this group on-line. My wife and I have plans to drive up to Madison, WI tomorrow to trade in our 1999 Toyota Tacoma and 1996 Honda Civic on a new Golf TDI.
I guess you could say I'm getting the last minute gitters about trading in 2 vehicles for one New one, but I must say that knowing that there's a group of people like this that I can go to with questions and advice has definitely made me feel more at ease.

My questions (sorry for the babbling) are:

If you could do it again, would you buy another VW/TDI? Why? (Obviously this is not a good scientific sampling of the population considering that most of the people on here are enthusiasts)

I've thouroughly read through the FAQ section of this site and I'm relatively familiar with diesel engines. However, is there any special advice you would have for a newbie?

What sort of "break-in" measures should I worry about?

I guess that's all my questions for now. Thanks.

Only reason to get a VW is the TDI engine!!
I only bought the Silver Auto Golf New....all the others were used.

I am no expert but finally get to give some advice. We initually(sp) bought the VW TDI because my wife liked it(it is her car), and the MPG for the power. My advice is to do all of the preventive maintenance you can and do all the mods you want within the first few thousand miles. There is no need to be driving a 83k car that is still getting mods/maintenance(do as I say not do as I do).

1. Powerservice or Stanadyne fuel antigel and conditioner.

2. Think alot about a coolant heater. www.tdiheater.com

3. get heated seats.

4. Read the manual for breakin instructions. Basically, keep the RPMs down for the first 500 miles, then the next 500 miles.

5. look for snow tires. Goodyears s@ck in snow.

I bought 2 TDIs and yes I would do it again. With VW's new warranty and the Forum at your side, you can sleep nights.

Welcome aboard!

Originally posted by NussWag:
What sort of "break-in" measures should I worry about?

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">two Japanese cars for one precision, German-engineered machine? Sounds perfectly reasonable to me!

Just take it easy during the break in, don't baby the car, don't beat on the car...just drive it. Drive it far and enjoy.

I don't think I could be satisfied with a gasoline-powered car again after driving my 2001 Golf. It's much nicer than my older Honda Civic. Styling, driving experience and control and overal build seem better and a lot of fun.

Because of the awful diesel fuel in the U.S., use a good diesel fuel additive with every (at least every other) tank. In Winter, you must use an additive with antgel additive at every fillup to minimize the chance of your car's fuel literally gelling up and not starting.

There is less maintenance with a TDI in many ways, but the maintenance schedule mandated in the manual should not be postponed or skimpped on. This applies at least 50 times as much for oil changes. The factory oil is fine for the first 5,000 miles, but at 10,000 I recommend using Mobil Delvac-1 5W-40 full synthetic. With this, you can typically change oil every 10,000 miles, unless you drive like an Indy race car driver.

I believe the break-in period is a lot longer than with gasoline engines, and for the first 1,000 miles you shouldn't have a lot of sharp rpm changes and not go over 3,000 rpm. Fuel economy improves as the engine breaks in, and don't expect to see 50 mpg when the car is brand new.

Unfortunately, based on the majority of experiences others have posted, you cannot trust most VW dealers to understand, maintain nor repair TDIs properly. You must watch their work like a hawk, and check it afterward, if possible.

Oh, and have fun.

Originally posted by Mass. Wine Guy:
I don't think I could be satisfied with a gasoline-powered car again after driving my 2001 Golf.
(SNIP)
Oh, and have fun.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yupp, that's pretty much the way that I'd put it. I *LOVE* this car (2002 Jetta, pretty plain Jane and stock). I got 50 mpg on my first tank, up to about 54 mpg overall (10k miles) but I'm a grey-haired, broken down, retired, old guy who drives slow.
Bruce Henderson, Wallace NC

Nusswag-I can speak of my experiences. I just purchased a 2003 Jetta TDI in October. My main reasons were for gas mileage. I have a 99 Saturn which gets about 38, but the thought of 50+ really drew my interest since I drive around 35,000 miles per year. The car was about $5,000 more than my Saturn, but it is a world of difference. Everything from the looks, feel, and drive of the Jetta is superior. Both cars are 4cyl 1.9L, and they are nothing alike. My fiance was terrified about getting the TDI, but after driving it she has fallen in love with it. She can't wait for a Passat TDI to come out(just for a little bigger car). Like it has already been mentioned, the biggest reason people will come back to a diesel is for the long running, dependable engine.

As for special advice, there really isn't a whole lot you probably haven't already figured out. There are better places than other to get your diesel, just ask around.

As for the break-in measures, I believe the "break-in period" is 600 miles or something. Just don't use cruise and odds are you will be varying your speed enough that you don't need to think about it. The dealership also to keep it under 95mph for the first 600 miles, I don't know if that is really neccessary or not.

Check out the following link, we are doing a get together in January in Lake Mills to discuss the TDI's and to observe/perform some maintenance items. It would be a good opportunity to ask questions, get the EGR modification done, etc.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=18&t=000593&p=

Good luck with your purchase, and I hope to see you around.

Your goin to like it and wonder why you didn't but one before. IMHO the TDIs are not fully broken in until about 10K miles. I won't repeat what has already be said other than to second these other thoughts.

Enjoy your new TDI. I got mine about two months ago, am very, very pleased with it. I've had everything from early bugs, when new, to the first golf, to the first yr. new beetle, to a '00 Passat, and I really feel that my Jetta TDI is the best of them all.

I now have about 1700 mi on it, read the things you have in these pages, and have treating it with respect, but giving it the gun once in a while.

We are about to embark on a 5400 mi round trip, this week, and am looking forward to the comfort, good ride, and economy. We made the same trip a few years ago in a '99 New Beetle, gas. It'll be interesting to compare the two.

You made a wise choice, I researched and drove both Toyota and Honda Hybrids. No match for the performance, and quality of the VW.

enjoy

All I have to say is WOW! I am VERY pleased with the car so far (only 450 miles on the odo.). I can't say enough about the overall driving expericence, the torque, the precise feel of the 5-spd transmission, the ride... Just wish we would have bought it earlier.

Biggest surprise so far? We got 49 mpg on the first 1/2 tank! Yes, the car only had 450 miles on it, but I was curious, so I decided to fill it up anyway to check mileage.

I am very excited to have become part of this club.

NussWag,

I'd do it again. I've owned two and loved them. If only the Passat had it in the states.

George

so your gonna get a new golf eh? nice choice. Make sure you get the heated seats! that's the only thing I think about when its -20f here. For break in it tells you what to do in the manual, just don't floor it for 1000 miles I think. I abused the hell out of mine when I first got it and it doesn't burn a drop of oil, so you really don't have much to worry about. enjoy.

nusswag, you will not have to worry about doing it again since there is no reason to ever get rid of the one you now have i have 150K on my 2000 JEDI and plan on many many more miles with out any changes (engine or turbo)

look forward to meeting you to (i live in Northern WI) at a GTG (maybe when i have another bon-fire). plus once we get ahold of your car we can make it run clean for a long time (EGR/CCV mods). and start running Power Service in each and every tank.

LOL, I admire your restraint Garrett. Nusswag, whether you know it yet or not, you're likely to put a performance chip into your car (after you've broken it in of course!) While I'm sure you're perfectly happy with the performance your already have, if you go for a ride in someone's car that's chipped, you're gonna drop ya jaw. Believe me.

Would I buy another VW? Depends. Seems like everyone's using VW as their reference point now, so interior quality, suspension, content, safety, and looks are getting more competitive in the market. If the new ultra-low sulfur standard has the effect on the US market that I hope it does, there are going to be a LOT more diesel choices in a few years.

My first pick? Click and see:

http://www.alfa.co.nz/reviews/147reviews/147_14.htm

Or how about some domestic blood?

http://irishcar.com/opelvectra22dtrbb.htm

or this?

http://edmund.com/editorial/firstlook/firstlook2001fordmondeo/43010/

Meanwhile, I can't think of another car currently AVAILABLE in the US that I'd prefer.

~BeetleGo

[ December 17, 2002, 10:47: Message edited by: BeetleGo ]