Best way to drive an 01M

Which is the best way to drive an 01M to achieve longevity?

  • Very slow, soft and gentle. (Grandmother)

    Votes: 1 4.5%
  • Fairly normal. Step above Grandmother.

    Votes: 1 4.5%
  • Purposeful with strong acceleration but never rough.

    Votes: 12 54.5%
  • Beat the hell out of it.

    Votes: 8 36.4%

  • Total voters
    22

FreshOntarioBeetle

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 5, 2014
Location
Wasaga Beach, Ontario
TDI
2002 New Beetle ALH 01M
What does everybofy think is the best way to drive an 01M on a daily basis? The best hope of making it last?
Would you drive it harder to keep the fluid pressure up and maybe less wear on the clutch packs etc.
Drive it like a granny?
Step above a granny?
Beat the hell out of it?
I personally drive it firm and with purpose, but never ever beat it or am overly rough with it. It gets a couple full throttle accelerations a week. I often accelerate from a stop slow for the first second or two, and then get it moving with maybe 2/3 - 3/4 throttle. But never jerky from the stop, always smooth but purposeful.
I'd love to hear how other people drive their 01M's! Or even other trans
 

Gotrek

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Location
Mont-Pubis, Canuckistan
TDI
1
CAn't speak for the 01M but my 09A prefers It aggressive, it shifts crisper and more firm that way and transmissions like that. They don't like granny driving the slippage from gear to gear cause friction/heat and wears them out.
 

UFO

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2007
Location
A mile high
TDI
2001 Beetle
I drove mine normally and pulled it at 160k miles. Who knows if it would have lasted longer if I drove the hell out of it? It wasn't broken, but it would have very soon, I'm sure.
 

fruitcakesa

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Location
Vermont
TDI
04 jetta 5 spd wagon
Pussyfooting around is not the way to drive a TDI anyway, auto or manual.
Change the fluid and filter regularly and drive it.
 

ketchupshirt88

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Location
waupaca, WI
TDI
2005 Passat daily, a bunch of others in the graveyard out back...
the wife's jetta is an auto... she says it shifts awful when she drives it, which is like a granny... but when i drive it, im 1 notch below grand theft auto style and it shifts ok.

drive it just how you have been driving it but in the back of your mind assume it will need a "3rd pedal mod" someday... i know her's will.
 

j_martell

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Location
Centre Wellington, Ontario
TDI
Reflex Silver 2006 Jetta GLS TDI Wagon
CAn't speak for the 01M but my 09A prefers It aggressive, it shifts crisper and more firm that way and transmissions like that. They don't like granny driving the slippage from gear to gear cause friction/heat and wears them out.
I've noticed the same with my 09A.

When i drove taxis years ago, we had three 01M ALH TDI Jetta sedans, that all made it well north of 400,000KM, and the guys that ran the company were big time slacker on PM for the cars (Not just the jettas). They were beat to death 24hrs a day 7 days a week by who knows how many drivers.....
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
I've noticed the same with my 09A.
When i drove taxis years ago, we had three 01M ALH TDI Jetta sedans, that all made it well north of 400,000KM, and the guys that ran the company were big time slacker on PM for the cars (Not just the jettas). They were beat to death 24hrs a day 7 days a week by who knows how many drivers.....
Is the 09A adaptive like the Tiptronic in the B5 Passat? If so more aggressive driving would lead to crisper shifts, as it will automatically set itself to sport mode. In the Passat, it is possible to permanently program it to sport mode with VCDS. I did it to ours and it was a big improvement.
 

dober

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Location
Aurora, ON
TDI
00 Silver Jetta TDI, 2006 Jetta Wagon
Mine runs way better with harder driving. If you drive like an old lady it won't shift smoothly at all.

I've also noticed that it hates going through hilly areas with a 60km speed limit and does not like stop and go traffic.
 

553SHEE

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2013
Location
Vancouver, WA
TDI
01 Jetta TDI
Mine runs way better with harder driving. If you drive like an old lady it won't shift smoothly at all.

I've also noticed that it hates going through hilly areas with a 60km speed limit and does not like stop and go traffic.
I experienced the same. My O1M hated going up almost any incline and would pop into limpmode constantly.

Bought my car with 127k on it. Drove it to Vegas from Portland Oregon 2 days after i bought it. Didnt know about the O1M issues until I was city driving and noticed how hard it was shifting.
I drove it 34k miles that way, never changed the trans fluid, and it never letme down. My 5sp swap was done 2 weeks ago. So far so good.

still have my first tank of fuel since the swap. Waiting to see the results.
 

boertje

Veteran Member
Joined
May 24, 2002
Location
Coeur d'Alene, ID
TDI
'01, '01, '03, ‘06 NB - TDIs all.
When I had 01Ms I drove them as to what the stock engine could deliver. Ended up getting rid of all 3 01Ms in favor of 02Ms so I could get rid of the 5-8 mpg penalty and enjoy driving them much more.
 

turbovan+tdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Location
Abbotsford, BC.
TDI
2003 TDI 2.0L ALH, auto, silver wagon, lowered, Colt stage 2 cam, ported head,205 injectors, 1756 turbo, Malone 2.0, 3" exhaust, 18" BBS RC GLI rims. 2004 blue GSW TDI, 5 speed, lowered, GLI BBS wheels painted black, Malone stage 2, Aerotur
Both mine have the line pressure turned up 20 clicks, black one vb rebuilt by me with a shift kit, green one a reman and haven't driven the wagon yet. I just drive them and do drive them hard at times. :p
 

Gotrek

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2015
Location
Mont-Pubis, Canuckistan
TDI
1
Is the 09A adaptive like the Tiptronic in the B5 Passat? If so more aggressive driving would lead to crisper shifts, as it will automatically set itself to sport mode. In the Passat, it is possible to permanently program it to sport mode with VCDS. I did it to ours and it was a big improvement.

If that's true on the MKIV as well then I want that! The manual does seem to indicate it's a learning transmission and it does appear to be. Mine shifts like cock every time I unplug the battery. Until it relearns. If someone has the steps please post them
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
They work better (to me) if you just choose between Sport and Economy modes, as the TCM seems to get confused when left to its own dynamic shift mapping. I like Sport mode the best, since with only 90hp it makes the car feel a bit peppier. But if you do mostly highway driving, Economy works well.

Sad they did away with the "S" button on the dash, because then you can choose on the fly. My Eurovan has this, and it works well.
 
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