Lifespan of the VW TDI engines

[glovesave33]

Greetings all. I am considering a TDI VW Jetta or Beetle 99-2004. I was curious what is the expected lifespan of a properly maintained VW TDI? I know the Benz is touted at several hundred thousand miles, but I have not been able to find any posts regarding the VW. Thanks in advance.

[Bob_Fout]

300,000 + miles.

Even then the motor isn't dead, just some wore out parts need replaced, then keep on motoring.

[K5ING]

There are dozens of threads on here concerning high-mileage VW TDI's. Mine is going strong with no major parts replaced (including the clutch, turbo, injection pump) at 338,000+ miles. Many more here with even more miles.

How long it (and the rest of the car) will last depends on how you drive it, and what kind of driving you do. Short story is city driving=short life, highway driving=long life.

[Lug_Nut]

The expected lifespan of a TDI shouldn't be any different than any other engine, gasoline or diesel, which has been properly maintained.
Why do diesel or M-B engines last so long? Because owners expect them to last that long. It's a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Better maintenance practices are used on engines that have the expectation of lasting longer, less maintenance is expended on 'disposable' engines. Treat a TDI like a disposable and it will BE disposable.

[jasonTDI]

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Drivbiwire]

Originally Posted by Lug_Nut

Better maintenance practices are used on engines that have the expectation of lasting longer, less maintenance is expended on 'disposable' engines. Treat a TDI like a disposable and it will BE disposable.

Quaker State conventional 5w30 = 130,000 miles before the engine is shot

vs

VW505.01/VW507.00 = 1,500,000 miles before it lacks enough compression to continue proper operation

There is a difference between "proper" servicing and "overmaintaining".

People that replace air filters every 5,000 miles instead of every 40,000 (or based on actual restriction) end up with more damage to the engine due to lower filtering efficiency.

People that change oil every 5,000 miles have 4 times the wear due to the oil additives never becoming stabilized/activated where as the engine would have benefited from 10,000 mile intervals with all around better protection.

Keeping the fuel system operating at peak efficiency, fuel filters replaced by the book (20K), If you see soot or smoke...get it fixed! Excess smoke is your first indication something is not right, soot will kill these engines in short order not to mention put at risk the high pressure regions of the motor (cam and lifters).

The best thing any owner can do is COMPLETELY read the owners manual and the maintenance manual that came with the car.

DB

[Lug_Nut]

Originally Posted by Drivbiwire

The best thing any owner can do is COMPLETELY read the owners manual and the maintenance manual that came with the car.
DB

...and then FOLLOW the instructions.
I've read the bible. That doesn't mean I'm bound for glory....

[ieracer]

My 2 cents:

Diesels generally last longer than comparable gas engines because they are built stronger for higher compression, run at lower rpms, and where gasoline destroys lubrication in engines, diesel fuel doesn't. Cold start-ups are also a negative for gasoline engines because of all that extra gasoline needed to start.

On the other hand, GMC "attempted" to convert gasoline engines to run diesel which weren't worth a sh#%, they were the old ToroFlow engines. Other than these engineering embarassments, diesels do last longer in general.

[ymz]

Originally Posted by Drivbiwire

The best thing any owner can do is COMPLETELY read the owners manual and the maintenance manual that came with the car.

Except for the times that the owners' manual contains gross errors: such as the early 2004 VW manuals that specified the use of 505.00 oil... there were quite a number of those reported...

Yuri.

[dieselfueler]

Ive got 215,000 miles on a '04 PD motored wagon the only thing i've had to replace is an alt. pulley, intake hose and a MAP sensor and of course 2 timing belts. The thing still has it's original brakes, clutch and shocks(they are going away soon). Though someone stole my EGR valve a few months ago I guess they sell well at the flea market at least they blocked off the manifold holds....

Make sure the car your looking at has had the belts replaced per the service book and oil and filters changes. Use the search function on this forum. It's saved me alot of money on my car.

[n1das]

With "only" 259k miles currently on my 02 Golf TDI, it's still way too early to tell what its projected "lifespan" will be.

I plan on logging at least another quarter million miles on top of the quarter million miles already on it.

[n1das]

Originally Posted by Drivbiwire

The best thing any owner can do is COMPLETELY read the owners manual and the maintenance manual that came with the car.

R. T. F. M. !

[Dimitri16V]

Originally Posted by dieselfueler

Though someone stole my EGR valve a few months ago I guess they sell well at the flea market at least they blocked off the manifold holds....

[John96895]

I have a simpler formula calculating the life of a TDI engine.

300k
O1m = 2.2/3.7, easy enough. (Translation: 2.2 to 3.7 O1M automatic transmissions/300,000 miles)

[KROUT]

Originally Posted by Drivbiwire

Quaker State conventional 5w30 = 130,000 miles before the engine is shot

vs

VW505.01/VW507.00 = 1,500,000 miles before it lacks enough compression to continue proper operation

There is a difference between "proper" servicing and "overmaintaining".

People that replace air filters every 5,000 miles instead of every 40,000 (or based on actual restriction) end up with more damage to the engine due to lower filtering efficiency.

People that change oil every 5,000 miles have 4 times the wear due to the oil additives never becoming stabilized/activated where as the engine would have benefited from 10,000 mile intervals with all around better protection.

Keeping the fuel system operating at peak efficiency, fuel filters replaced by the book (20K), If you see soot or smoke...get it fixed! Excess smoke is your first indication something is not right, soot will kill these engines in short order not to mention put at risk the high pressure regions of the motor (cam and lifters).

The best thing any owner can do is COMPLETELY read the owners manual and the maintenance manual that came with the car.

DB

With all due respect half of this is bs. Show me proof that my engine will wear faster if I change oil every 5,000. These statement are your opinion and nothing more. My first engine lasted 285,000 miles and still looks good inside. No unusual bearing wear,cylinder walls in great shape.