And Now for a Totally Different Idea! : )

[Joshinthecity]

BUMP.
This is an awesome thread guys, keep it up!
Josh.

 

[n1das]

Just BUMPing this excellent thread to the top for the benefit of the huge influx of newbies we've had since this thread was last active.

 

[Drivbiwire]

Damn, nothing new to report. My darn car is simply running flawlessly!!!

After a drive to California and racking up 1500 miles with speeds as high as 116mph the car purrrs better than ever! total miles are now 217,000 miles.

Next oil change in 3,000 miles will post an oil sample of how little wear these motor produce! Maybe I will even post a compression check just to prove that at 220,000 miles the engine still has BETTER THAN A NEW CRATE MOTORS compression values (475psi vs mine at 550psi)!!!!

If you are gonna buy a TDI, maintain PROPERLY BY THE BOOK!!! Read your owners manual FRONT TO BACK. Read your maintenance manual FRONT TO BACK!.

Don't start messing with the engine or systems unless there is a REQUIRED SERVICE INTERVAL.

Don't open up air filter to take a sneak peak, that ruins the filter seals and requires replacement of the whole filter!!!

The harder you run them and the less you mess with them the more reliable they are!

DB

 

[kcfoxie]

I want to chime in, last night at one of the local GTGs someone asked what my complaints with the MkV Jetta were. My only complaint was that the iPod adapter does not display the songs on the radio or MFD, and that the bluetooth kit for the Multi-function steering wheel wasn't available yet. Mileage, mechanics, room, everything else... not a complaint.

In the 3,100 miles I've put on the car since I got it almost a month ago... It's not had to go back to the dealer. My 2002 Beetle, on the other hand, had to go back after just 2200 miles (first road trip, about 10 hours after I bought the car) because of a brake light issue. Then again for the same issue. This went on for some time, plus the grinding the car did going into 4th gear. I loved that car, and miss it... it was a great car, 9,125 miles when i got it and traded it in at 108,800 miles after a near 3 owners of ownership (I got it in 04)....the TDI would far outlive the gas engine in lifespan, I was afraid that my 2.0L's oil consumption was going to start matching that of the 1998's and I'd be spending more $ in oil than fuel. When I saw the TDI I knew I had to have it, I wanted one back in 04 but there was a very long waiting list then... and they had 7 on the lot that were not moving. So far, so good

I think the worst that happened was the car was hungry and didn't let go of the feeding tube one night at the diesel station.

 

[bbarbulo]

I haven't read through the whole thread, but I feel as though I should chime in. I'm not so much a troll as I am a disappointed enthusiast. 1st of all, it's not the diesel I don't care for. It's the entire Mk4 lineup, for no other reason than poor execution of an excellent idea. From electrical gremlins (door latch microswitches, MAF, coolant temp sender, glow plug harness, head and tail bulbs constantly burning out prematurely, etc.), to mechanical failures (rear brakes seizing, wheel bearings failing, shocks blowing, front LCA bushings failing, etc.), to wicked poor interior materials (from the door handle, the ripped seat bolster, the broken glovebox door...), and exterior shortcomings (front fender arch rust, front fender-to-door dirt trap - anyone who's removed the plastic lining knows what I mean, the disintegrating antenna base, dodgy rear wiper - works when it wants to, seizing driver side front wiper arm, seized rear hatch lock cylinder, yellowing headlights and sidermarkers), the car disappoints at every opportunity. Now, the good things... solid feel on the road, responsive brakes and steering, exceptional powerband, tuneability, and economy.

Let's talk economy... the engine is (in Canada an $1800 dollar option) - at least it was when we got the car brand new. In terms of fuel economy and price of gas, I worked it out that it took 125,000 kms JUST TO PAY THE ENGINE OFF. However, in that time, you were 1/2 way through your SECOND timing belt (for most ppl a $1200 job at the dealer) AT THE LEAST!! Then add your MAP sensor, coolant overflow tank (for that wonderful coolant migration issue) glow plug harness, intake cleanings, and all the other things that broke while you were 'paying off the engine with your fuel savings)... and you find yourself hoodwinked!! You're **** out of luck, the engine will NEVER pay for itself in economy just cuz it costs so damn much to keep it running.

OK now seriously, some of the things, if you were an engineer or at least an automotive minded person, you could easily tell someone hired their half retarded nephew to help design some of the things on these cars. Most cars go 160K kms before their timing belt needs doing. VW can't do it. The serpentine belt routing was designed by that half retarded nephew I mentioned earlier. It's no wonder they need replacement ALL the time. (as a side note, I bought a 17 year old Civic once, and it had the original accessory belts still on it 17 years later! - I've gone through 5 belts in 7 years on the Golf).

So the conclusion... if we could afford to, we'd get rid of this car so fast that by tomorrow it would already be a faded memory. The TDI is not by any means a cheap car to operate. It was about 50% more expensive to purchase than my Civic (list price on my 98 Civic was $16,700 - the 00 TDI listed out at $25,000 or so) and it's about 7-8 times more expensive to operate per km than the Civic. The fuel savings will never be realized either. My Civic has seen highway fuel consumption as low as 5 liters per 100 kms, city is on average about 9 or 10 L/100 kms.

Anyways, I'm not posting this to be a stupid troll or honda fanboy. I just wanna give you a different perspective from someone who wrenches on cars all the time, knows cars intimately, keeps solid records.... TDI ownership is not for just anyone. You really have to be a true fan to be able to disregard all the things that go wrong with them. BTW, to add to the list of things going wrong... vaccum lines break up all the time, also today I noticed the line after the check valve, from the vaccum pump to the booster is CRACKED! Yeah... no power brakes today. Also, the power steering hose is leaking (the one just under the filter box)...

 

[tditom]

bbarbulo-
I agree that the VW is not for everybody, but that has more to do with lousy dealership/corporate support than the design.

For being a wrencher, I'm surprised you didn't know that the timing belt components on your MY00 can be upgraded to a 160K km set up at any timing belt change.

I think your serpentine belt failures are a rarity. Mine have lasted the 160K km intervals. I've never had to replace on early and I can't remember hearing of very many who've need to do so.

 

[bbarbulo]

yes I'm aware that changing the timing belt components can update it to the newer style belt. but what the hell were they thinking putting out a car in the first place with a crappy belt on an interference engine. besides, it's a diesel which sounds like a pig anyways, so why not use a chain instead. the noises will just cancel each other out hahaha j/k

as for the serp belt... ok let's say that is a rarity. maybe the automatic tensioner on my belt is too tight from the factory. but what about the scores of other issues I and people like me have. I think there are at least 20 separate and unrelated issues that I have encountered personally.

either way it doesn't matter. there is nothing I can do about it... I was just offering up a different point of view to those who are VW and diesel fans. I'm a fan of the car as a whole when there are no issues. but I'm realistic about what it is, and I admit there are problems. not like true diesel/dub enthusaists who just turn a blind eye and say 'well other cars have problems too'. Yeah... most cars have ONE major problem. Fords it's the trannies, Chrysler is oil sludge, Nissan is electrical, etc.... not like 20 problems... expensive ones too.

 

[n1das]

Just BUMPing this excellent thread to the top for the benefit of the huge influx of newbies we've had since this thread was last active.

BUMP again!

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=997524&postcount=52

 

[andreigbs]

This is an encouraging thread for any TDI owner, especially newbies that sometimes find themselves buying a TDI with over 150K miles and wondering if it's going to get them through the winter without a rebuild.

In most cases, these engines last till someone gets tired of taking care of them. In rare cases do owners experience breakdowns that aren't related to maintenance or service errors. VW isn't exempt from less-than-stellar quality parts and sometimes this shows up as failures during the warranty period; that's what the warranty is for.

In short, my experience with my two TDIs and over the course of 120K miles of driving both is that they are tough, reliable, economic and much fun to drive. Cruising at 80 mph is effortless, passing V8 gassers uphill is priceless. I have NEVER been let down, never been broken down on the side of the road.

The best and most important information I've ever found was here at Fred's, and it has saved my skin countless times. This is the only auto forum I check a few times a day and read constantly, thanks to the contributions of folks like Dbw, Wjdell, Wingnut, Scurvy, DanG144, GoFaster, Dieseldorf, and so many others I have gleaned valuable information from.

To TDIclub, a great many thanks for your invaluable addition to my dieseling experience. It makes driving my TDI and knowing what's going on that much better.

 

[Franko6]

One of the things I enjoy doing is when it comes time to actually have to work on one of the engines and I'll have some 'unaware of the TDI mystique' mechanic come over and I'll pull the head off...

When I shine the light down the bore of an engin that is in excess of 300,000 miles, I'll most often see the original hone marks. I'll hand the light to my observer and ask, "How many miles you think it's got?" Then, I have him go look at the odometer, and the usual response is, "I can't believe it!... No way!"

For a passenger car, there are few in the world that will match the longevity of a well-maintained TDI. I have seen enough engines with nearly 400,000 miles where there is no appreciable wear in the pistons, crank, or transmission.

When the only excuse you have to dig into the engine is to re-ring it with that many miles, I wonder... just how far can one of these things go? To the moon and back... maybe twice.

People brag at being in the 200,000 mile club. I have good faith there will be a 500,000 and 1 million mile club.

 

[Herm TDI]

......
When I shine the light down the bore of an engin that is in excess of 300,000 miles, I'll most often see the original hone marks. I'll hand the light to my observer and ask, "How many miles you think it's got?" Then, I have him go look at the odometer, and the usual response is, "I can't believe it!... No way!"

For a passenger car, there are few in the world that will match the longevity of a well-maintained TDI. I have seen enough engines with nearly 400,000 miles where there is no appreciable wear in the pistons, crank, or transmission.
.

At this moment I have in my garage an engine out of an 1997 Passat (AHU) with over 360K miles on it. I can attest to the fact that you in-deed can see the orignal cross-hatch (hone) marks on the cylinder walls. It is the reason that I have such a strong affinity for these engines. The only reason I'm tearing it down is because it is a PERFECT candidate for a rebuild.
When I pulled the engine the car was running strong and served as a daily driver.
Its just that it has high mileage and I want to see what is actually worn and what is not.

When I send the head to Frank it should only need new guides and reseat the valves.

For a "rebuild" on this cylinder heand I'm looking at new guides, resurface the seats, and a set of valve stem seals. and let Frank clean the hell out of the whole assembly.

 

[st1300]

There have been so many goofy, troll-sponsored, anti-TDI threads recently, I thought I would start a pro-TDI thread about life with two of the best cars in the world. /images/graemlins/grin.gif Feel free to add your comments. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

It all started when I read the 5/96 edition of C&D magazine and Don Schroeder proclaimed the TDI is “…the first diesel to burn rubber.” While burning rubber was of minimal interest, grabbing a VW diesel with modern performance sure caught my attention and with the added benefit of more interior volume than any Volvo or E Class sedan!

The hunt began. I had learned there was a wagon version of the Passat with this wonderful new TDI (Totally Different Idea) engine. I figured I’d just go pick one up at one of the 22 local VW dealers. Well, that wasn’t happening. Many of the dealers I contacted said there was no such car as a TDI wagon…they didn’t exist…and the sedans, for MY1996, were all sold. Not being easily dissuaded, I finally contacted a dealer in SE MA that acknowledged the existence and they had 7 of them but had all been ordered and were long gone. I was pleased to learn the wagons did exist but was saddened that there were only a handful of them brought to America.

I was beginning to accept reality: My hope to live this simple core belief of ‘Driving is more fun than re-fueling’ wasn’t going to be realized any time soon. Where do we go from here?

A few months passed and we were in lovely CT for the weekend. I got up early in the morning and went out for a drive to visit some of my old stomping grounds. The lack of TDI was still gnawing away and I vaguely recalled a VW dealer nearby so I went in search of Crowley VW in Plainville. I found it after a while and wasn’t going to stop since time was short. As I drove by the dealership, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a wagon with plastic wheels covers tucked in with the other new cars. Could it be? It wasn’t the VR6 and there was no 4 cylinder B4 wagon sent to the US leaving only one possibility…a TDI wagon. /images/graemlins/eek.gif /images/graemlins/eek.gif I turned around and had a look. Sure enough, it was. It had 200 miles on it and the window sticker showed Middletown (NY) VW as the receiving dealer. “What’s it doing here”, I asked myself. How was I going to buy this car before someone else snatched it? My mind was racing and I went up to their front door to look for their hours. “Sunday: CLOSED” /images/graemlins/mad.gif. Well, we extended our weekend and hooked up with the dealer first thing on Monday AM. I took the beast out for a drive on Rt72 and I was amazed by VW’s most innovative product yet. It was so quiet and performance was admirable. “WOW…better turn the thing around and get back to the dealer and start selling…hard.” The wife wasn’t keen (gross understatement /images/graemlins/crazy.gif ) on the idea of another diesel following her time spent in the ’80 Dasher diesel wagon…the car that lead to the moniker "dieseldorf"…but that’s another story. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

We attempted to cut a deal after the wife offered thumbs up following her test drive. The dealer was holding their ground and I was holding mine. We parted company, TDI-less, and had follow up telephone “discussions”

for the next 4 days. On the 4th day, the dealer conceded and we picked up the car the following day. It was early August (1996) and there was a new TDI wagon in my garage. Life is good!


Ever since, this has been “her” car. She loves it and so do I. Wadda car !!

Major selling points:

<ul type="square">
[*]Extreme range - - the cars get filled every couple of weeks…this rates HIGH on the appeal factor.
[*]This car was winning awards before it even arrived in America. Popular Mechanics gives it the 1996 Design and Engineering Award while Popular Science adds it to their list of “Best of What’s New” for 1996.
[*]Ranked "Best Bet" by 1996 Car Book for the Intermediate Class
[*]Drivability equal to or better than the gas models with astounding fuel economy as a bonus
[*]Incredible durability - - this wagon will easily be the least expensive ($/mile) car I have ever owned.
[*]Seamless integration of engine control electronics and diesel engine yielding a superior, sporty driving experience right out of the box
[*]Availability of manual gearbox
[*]European styling and tons of room for such a compact package (Passat, not Jetta)
[*]Major-league availability of maintenance, OE upgrades and service parts across the country and at great prices
[*]Bodies built from virgin steel - - unlike the Japanese recycle specials dumped on our shores
[*]Strong, strong powertrain warranty
[/list]
As the Passat closes in on 150k miles, here are a few pictures of the journey over the past 7+ years during which time we purchased another 'cause we liked the first one so damned much!



The old buggy still shows a decent shine after all these years:

A genuine no "stories" car....no hits, no runs, no errors.

...and then there was dyno-MITE !!:



My new plate...seems to be driving fellow motorists crazy. Maybe not the best idea.

Our next TDi?:

TDIs awaking to a new day, ready to offer up endless, trouble-free, fun-filled miles!

:

Umweltfreundlich TDi !

God that is depressing!

 

[n1das]

I haven't looked at this favorite thread in a while. I was up at the Enfield NH site over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and managed to fire the 45kW generator up again and give it a maintenance run. It's still working!

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=997524&postcount=52

 

[n1das]

I haven't looked at this favorite thread in a while. I was up at the Enfield NH site over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and managed to fire the 45kW generator up again and give it a maintenance run. It's still working!

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=997524&postcount=52

BUMP!

Just BUMPing this thread again for the influx of newbies TDIclub has had since the CR TDIs came out.
I need to get up to that site soon and fire up the generator. I haven't been there since last fall.

Anyhow...BUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMPPPPPP!!!!!

 

[n1das]

I haven't looked at this favorite thread in a while. I was up at the Enfield NH site over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and managed to fire the 45kW generator up again and give it a maintenance run. It's still working!

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=997524&postcount=52

Reviving this old thread from the dead. I was up at the site earlier this summer and fired the generator up and gave it a 1/2 hour maintenance run.

YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUPal3nG7AY

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I wasn't a club member until a year after this thread was started, but I was driving a TDI for over a year at that time.

How many people here still use the same TDI daily as when this thread started? I do!

 

[dieseldorf]

It seems like we live in a different era. Things aren't what they used to be. Times have changed, facts have changed.

 

[hskrdu]

How many people here still use the same TDI daily as when this thread started? I do!

14 years later and my '03 is still going strong!

 

[Rob Mayercik]

Same here - a month shy of 16 years and 353,000 miles since I brought it home, it's still going...

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Funny, I'm at 353K too!

 

[Steve-o]

Ooh, not quite for me. Thread started in September; in December I took delivery of the '03 (Indigo Blue) Wagon I'm still driving. I won't mention my mileage so as not to be embarrassed... lol

 

[maxmoo]

Same here - a month shy of 16 years and 353,000 miles since I brought it home, it's still going...

.....and with an automatic no less!
I'm assuming you've had the tranny rebuilt/replaced?

 

[volmaniac]

I was in negotiation for my 02 golf at the time but did not take possession until December 2003. Currently at 345k miles and still runs great.

 

[Nevada_TDI]

I am the technically the third owner of my Jetta, and I don't remember exactly when I purchased her. It has been about 10 years and 168,000 miles since I have had her for a total of 268,000 miles.

 

[Powder Hound]

...

How many people here still use the same TDI daily as when this thread started? I do!

I still drive my daily driver as well. I bought mine a month shy of 4 years before this thread started. While I turned over 222k 10 years ago, I've only put 45k since that time: yes, I've only got 268k miles on my originally owned 4-dr. Love it though; it drives great still.

Cheers,

PH

 

[whitedog]

Mine is a 2004 so I don't actually qualify, but I'm still driving it. Except for this week. I can't blame the car for blowing the coolant hose, just the knuckle buster that failed to get the clamp on the fuel line above the hose. First time I have ever had to walk because of a break down in any rig of mine. (Me bumping the transfer case into neutral on my D50 doesn't count) But I was able to walk to the store and get some distilled and get me the 3/8 mile home.

 

[wonneber]

I wasn't a club member until a year after this thread was started, but I was driving a TDI for over a year at that time.

How many people here still use the same TDI daily as when this thread started? I do!

I bought mine new back around the time it started.
257K miles and still going.

 

[Rob Mayercik]

.....and with an automatic no less!
I'm assuming you've had the tranny rebuilt/replaced?

Twice, actually:

First one lasted 68,000 miles (followed VW "no maintenance" schedule)
Second lasted 180,000 miles (fluid/filter every 12mos/30K miles)
Third* still running (same maintenance regimen, this time with Royal Purple ATF).

*"third trans" is actually the second one rebuilt

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

It's impressive how many of us are driving the same TDIs 15 years on. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We had a customer in the other day who was giving his '01 Jetta to his son, it has 575K on it. I wonder how grateful his son is.

 

[volmaniac]

Steve, I may be able to track down a piece of glass but the constraint is going to be time. I have a 1.5 hour window to complete this on Saturday, otherwise my mission may be discovered by parties unfriendly to the operation. I can't be burning stuff all afternoon. That will never fly.

Still makes me chuckle. Click and Clack never did anything better.