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  1. 1

    PSA: Check your power distribution block

    My 2003 (402k miles) nearly burned down yesterday. I've seen a lot of comments about the 150a fused alternator circuit getting hot, but not many where it got hot enough to combust. Would seem 20 years of heat cycling and 402k of rattles and vibration finally caused that nut to loosen. Check your...
  2. 1

    Lots of white diesel smoke coming out of exhaust!

    Prothe strikes again... that guy has been ruining cars for countless people for 20 years. Super ****ty parts. You'd be better off rolling the dice on a used head from the junkyard than buying one if his new heads. Sorry... I know this doesn't help you. And I'm not saying this to make you feel...
  3. 1

    oops! I did it again - back in the TDI game

    I love this thread, thanks for documenting it all. I could almost have given the same story of these two Mk4's that landed in my lap after a hiatus with Ford and Tesla. Working on these has been super therapeutic for my anxiety! At this point, starting to see a lot of Mk4 in the junkyard so...
  4. 1

    Squeaking/buzzing sound at high boost… I have a theory

    Finally got to tear into it this weekend. Missing three bolts. Only two of which were tight. Gasket was broken in several places. Moral of the story, if it sounds, looks, and feels like a boost leak, it’s probably a boost leak.
  5. 1

    Squeaking/buzzing sound at high boost… I have a theory

    Disregard all of that. It’s the intake manifold gasket. There could be missing intake bolts as well. Will be tearing into that this weekend. 🍺
  6. 1

    Squeaking/buzzing sound at high boost… I have a theory

    2003 ALH, 5MT. 485k miles. Runs and drives well. Everything working properly, other than an oil soaked timing belt and a noisy lifter. (Working on both of those.)… and a boost related squeak. Almost sounds like taking wax paper together and blowing through, like a high pitched buzzing. Comes on...
  7. 1

    Headliner adhesive that works?

    This entire post is proof why getting participation trophies as a child are bad. Anyway…. Same thing happened to my headliner. 20 years seems to be the age limit for that foam. File this is in the same category as mixer flap foam. Ended up getting a nicer headliner from the junkyard, used an...
  8. 1

    VNT-15 autopsy at 390,000 miles

    Swapped out the original Garrett VNT-15 with a Borg-Warner unit this weekend. 390,000 trouble free miles (from the turbo itself), minimal oil loss and axial play. The wallowed out control device explains the overboost issues considering everything else is in order. Pretty incredible the...
  9. 1

    ALH Bottom End Longevity

    It's beat man, totally beat. Lived most of its life in Texas and South Carolina, so at least road salt wasn't a factor. Fixed the blend door last week. Need to glue up the head liner and give it a deep clean. Need to figure out how to fasten the wheel liners in place. All 4 door lock actuators...
  10. 1

    ALH Bottom End Longevity

    Hey all, been a minute since I've been here. Ended up getting an Odyssey for the family and a Silverado 3.0L diesel to pull trailers, and all my TDIs are in distant memory. Only last week a 2003 Jetta landed in my lap. It runs and drives great with 390,000 miles, but I'm wondering what I can...
  11. 1

    Mulitple DPF replacements

    The #1 cause of DPF clogging and failure are short trips and frequently interrupted active regens. What's your daily commute look like? Speed, miles, time? After that, probably biodiesel use (even BP may mix bio diesel into their "regular" diesel.) And also, using the wrong oil. Low ash oil is...
  12. 1

    507.00 oil question

    Careful haha... these discussions never go down well. Something about opinions, *** holes, and armpits or something... All oils that meet the 507 standard are excellent oils. Personally, I preferred the factory fill oils, like LiquiMoly. IDParts sells the 5L jugs and it ends up not being much...
  13. 1

    How long does AdBlue last?

    I put in 2.5 gallons and that keeps the light off for about 7-10k. If the tank was completely full, then I'd say your experience is normal. The light will come on when you have like 1500 miles left, so you'll have plenty of warning.
  14. 1

    "Oil Change Needed"

    None at all, just emotionally ready to move on after I got the phase 2 money.
  15. 1

    "Oil Change Needed"

    Thanks engineerorange -- Indeed, it was overfilled. I usually put 1/2 qt extra in my cars... been doing for 15 years. This car has never seen a drop of bio diesel. VCDS did say "Poor Oil Quality" on the service reset, but I've seen it say that by default on other gasoline VAG products.... so I...
  16. 1

    "Oil Change Needed"

    Weird new issue with my 2015... When I turn the key on, I get the message "Oil Change Needed" and a yellow oil container light. Information here and on the internet seems spotty, and all recommend to reset the service intervals. I did, both the oil interval and inspection interval. Confirmed by...
  17. 1

    SuperCommuting thread

    I did the exact same thing. It was like this on my older 98 Jetta: USAA: Liability only, $500 deductible. Geico: Full coverage, higher coverage limits, towing/labor/rental reimbursement, and a $100 deductible Both were the same price. When I called to cancel my USAA policy, they asked if I...
  18. 1

    Rough idle, knocking, and check engine light on

    Sounds like HPFP failure to me. Pull codes with VCDS, remove fuel filter and check for metal shavings on top.
  19. 1

    2011 Jetta TDI post fix Gen 1 engine

    It sounds like the generation 1/2 solution was wildly different than the generation 3 fix. I noticed almost no change in engine sound, the max power and acceleration is still there, and regens are less-frequent, but that's probably because I got a new DPF with the fix. I did notice boost seems...
  20. 1

    2015 Gen 3 Fix Phase 2 - First Impressions

    It's anecdotal at this point, but city mileage seems much worse. Highway seems about the same, perhaps a little better.
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