Help with Jetta Wagon Purchase

Mozambiquer

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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
Where is a good source for that software? I'm gonna Google it.
You can get it here: Ross-Tech
There are Chinese knockoffs, but they won't allow updated software, and may or may not have viruses attached. The homeowners version is $199 looks like.
It'll pay for itself very quickly.
 

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf

tdihopeful

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03 2dr 5sp Golf
There is a sale on a laptop with VAG installed on etsy. 400$ it looks like a pretty nice laptop too. I need a laptop anyway. Could kill two birds with one stone.
 

Mozambiquer

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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
Link has anyone used a tool like this?

I've not used that one, but it appears to be a knockoff. It doesn't state that it has the tdi timing tool like vag-com has. I've used other scan tools and all, but nothing beats the vag-com.
 

Mozambiquer

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tdihopeful

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Yeah I decided to go with a laptop separate and maybe a MacBook I think VAG-COM will run with through Bootcamp. Can anyone confirm this? One thing is I noted that VAG-COM cannot apply "tune" mods to the ecu ie injection timings quantities and those parameters. What do I want to do for those? I did order the Bentley thanks for the recommendation on that... Another thing I'm curious about is operating the engine sans computer systems. From what I understand this is possible with the ALH. Could someone provide links/direct me to where this is discussed on the forums.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
You can change timing and fueling levels with VCDS, but you can't "tune" the car per se. That requires an ECU re-flash that can be done by sending your ECU to a tuner or re-flashing it through the OBD port.

The ECU (or computer, as you call it) is fundamental to TDI operation. The only way to run without it is to modify the injection pump to operate mechanically, like older VW diesels. And you still have to figure out how to manage turbo boost. In my opinion running a TDI mechanically makes no sense as it results in big compromises in performance and efficiency. And the computer system is dead simple.
 

Mozambiquer

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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
Yeah I decided to go with a laptop separate and maybe a MacBook I think VAG-COM will run with through Bootcamp. Can anyone confirm this? One thing is I noted that VAG-COM cannot apply "tune" mods to the ecu ie injection timings quantities and those parameters. What do I want to do for those? I did order the Bentley thanks for the recommendation on that... Another thing I'm curious about is operating the engine sans computer systems. From what I understand this is possible with the ALH. Could someone provide links/direct me to where this is discussed on the forums.
Yes, you can adjust injector quantity on the alh. I just did that yesterday with my golf and vag-com. It really woke my awake car up. 😂 Now to stay out of it...
If you look up the hammer mod, that's how to adjust injector IQ. Tuning can't be done through vag-com, though you can make some tweaks.
For that you can go through several of the tuners on here, whether that's rocketchip, Malone, kerma, or who. I'd be wary of eBay tuners, it's easy to mess things up badly.
You can convert to m-tdi but you lose a lot of what makes the alh so great. No dynamic adjustments on the fly, no changing timing on a split second notice, no making it run at optimum power and efficiency, instead with the manual pump, you set it and leave it.
 

tdihopeful

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I had asked the question of running the engine without ecu because I'm planning on developing one or more TDI engine models for use in aircraft. Through VAG-COM could I increase HP to Euro Spec 110hp as opposed to the what 95 stock US? Also can I manage the EGR system and fuel temperature sensor parameters?
 

Andyinchville1

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2003 Jetta TDI wagon, 5 sp, 226K miles
I had asked the question of running the engine without ecu because I'm planning on developing one or more TDI engine models for use in aircraft. Through VAG-COM could I increase HP to Euro Spec 110hp as opposed to the what 95 stock US? Also can I manage the EGR system and fuel temperature sensor parameters?
Hi

I think the ability to be able to run in "mechanical mode " would be nice from a hardcore reliability standpoint...

I'm a long distance delivery driver and often worried that if the computer or some important sensor decided to die at an inopportune time i could be stuck in the middle of nowhere or maybe the car could die in a bad place ( like in a busy construction area with fast moving traffic and nowhere to pull off etc).

I like the that electronics can make for more fuel efficiency and power but why cant a normal pump be used in both modes (electronic mode normally OR mechanical mode as a fail safe? ... even if it had to be "switched manually" but it would be nice if the pump could switch to mechanical mode automatically by itself and maybe have an indicator light pop on to let you know it happened so you. An fix it at your leisure..).

Just out of curiosity , what makes the pump stop working if the electronics craps out? The pump is mechanically driven but something small must keep it from working if it goes bad or doesn't receive a sensor signal but could that be bypassed in a pinch easily?

Example, on my cummins 5.9 which was 100% mechanical, the only thing that would stop the engine under normal scenarios was losing alternator power causing the battery to die and consequently unpowering the solenoid that allows fuel to flow Into the injection pump ( fuel shut off solenoid) .... removing the solenoid and installing a manual choke cable to pull the lever that shuts off the fuel to the pump makes the engine potentially more hardcore reliable)

Some of the same ideas could be used in the tdi pump maybe to make it more "mechanical" ?

What makes the pump not work without electronics and can it simply be bypassed in a pinch ( I had to get my 11 mm pump because the quantity adjuster or something that sounds like that decided to act up... I think it was something electronic and if that could have been worked around mechanically I could still be using that pump?
 
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Mozambiquer

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Mar 21, 2015
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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
I had asked the question of running the engine without ecu because I'm planning on developing one or more TDI engine models for use in aircraft. Through VAG-COM could I increase HP to Euro Spec 110hp as opposed to the what 95 stock US? Also can I manage the EGR system and fuel temperature sensor parameters?
You cannot increase the power merely through vag-com, you have to tune for that, though you can adjust fueling to a point. Your best bet for that would be to get it tuned, and you can go a lot more than merely 110 hp with only a tune. Swap turbos and injectors, as well as the map sensor and you get get even more. Then if you build an h-beam rod block, with other upgrades, you can get closer to the 300hp range.
A m-tdi works great for swaps or industrial applications. I even considered it for my caddy I'm swapping a tdi into, but still think I'll go with electronic, though the simplicity of the manual pump does still tempt me.
 

Mozambiquer

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TDI
2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
Hi

I think the ability to be able to run in "mechanical mode " would be nice from a hardcore reliability standpoint...

I'm a long distance delivery driver and often worried that if the computer or some important sensor decided to die at an inopportune time i could be stuck in the middle of nowhere or maybe the car could die in a bad place ( like in a busy construction area with fast moving traffic and nowhere to pull off etc).

I like the that electronics can make for more fuel efficiency and power but why cant a normal pump be used in both modes (electronic mode normally OR mechanical mode as a fail safe? ... even if it had to be "switched manually" but it would be nice if the pump could switch to mechanical mode automatically by itself and maybe have an indicator light pop on to let you know it happened so you. An fix it at your leisure..).

Just out of curiosity , what makes the pump stop working if the electronics craps out? The pump is mechanically driven but something small must keep it from working if it goes bad or doesn't receive a sensor signal but could that be bypassed in a pinch easily?

Example, on my cummins 5.9 which was 100% mechanical, the only thing that would stop the engine under normal scenarios was losing alternator power causing the battery to die and consequently unpowering the solenoid that allows fuel to flow Into the injection pump ( fuel shut off solenoid) .... removing the solenoid and installing a manual choke cable to pull the lever that shuts off the fuel to the pump makes the engine potentially more hardcore reliable)

Some of the same ideas could be used in the tdi pump maybe to make it more "mechanical" ?

What makes the pump not work without electronics and can it simply be bypassed in a pinch ( I had to get my 11 mm pump because the quantity adjuster or something that sounds like that decided to act up... I think it was something electronic and if that could have been worked around mechanically I could still be using that pump?
The basic mechanical function of the ve pump are the same between an m-tdi and e-tdi pump. I don't know all the differences, but I know that the basic mechanical part works the same, but the electronic tdi pump uses an electronic actuator to adjust fueling and timing, whereas the manual pump uses a mechanical lever for the quantity and timing adjustment is limited to mechanically adjusting the physical timing, or some had a "cold start cable" that would advance the timing when the engine was first started (that's how my old rabbits are)
Could you do a combo? Probably, but I wouldn't know how to. I'm not smart enough for that.
 

tdihopeful

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Andy that dual system with having primary engine parameters being controlled via ecu and in advent of ecu failure or code that could cause engine to cease operating then being able to (at least in aircraft use) quickly or automatically default to mechanical operation would be perfect. For long distance ultra reliable operations on road use that would be pretty ideal I agree. As far as potential HP 300 from an ALH would be pretty amazing. Mozambiquer on a scale from 1-10 what would you think the reliability factor be on a 300 HP engine? I was thinking 200 would be pretty perfect.
 

Mozambiquer

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Andy that dual system with having primary engine parameters being controlled via ecu and in advent of ecu failure or code that could cause engine to cease operating then being able to (at least in aircraft use) quickly or automatically default to mechanical operation would be perfect. For long distance ultra reliable operations on road use that would be pretty ideal I agree. As far as potential HP 300 from an ALH would be pretty amazing. Mozambiquer on a scale from 1-10 what would you think the reliability factor be on a 300 HP engine? I was thinking 200 would be pretty perfect.
For 300hp, if you built it right, I'd say probably a 4.5-6. I have yet to dyno mine, but I believe it to be in the 150-200 hp range, that you can do with maybe a 8-9 on the reliability scale. Obviously how you drive and how you maintain would be a huge factor.
 

tdihopeful

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Considering aircraft useage 4.5-6 would be unacceptable outside specific use such as a CAFE air race. 8-9 for 150-200 HP would be pretty excellent considering certified aircraft engines are only maybe a 10.
 

Mozambiquer

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Considering aircraft useage 4.5-6 would be unacceptable outside specific use such as a CAFE air race. 8-9 for 150-200 HP would be pretty excellent considering certified aircraft engines are only maybe a 10.
Obviously if you did aircraft applications, you would want to do much better maintenance than for a car... You don't want to have any risks.
 

Mozambiquer

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Andyinchville1

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Considering aircraft useage 4.5-6 would be unacceptable outside specific use such as a CAFE air race. 8-9 for 150-200 HP would be pretty excellent considering certified aircraft engines are only maybe a 10.
HI,

I may have made mention of this in another thread BUT to make a TDI (or other engine for that matter) more "bulletproof" , I think it would be nice to eliminate the timing belt and replace it with a timing gear set ..... Hard to beat the hard core reliability of heat treated gears in a bath (or stream) of oil.

Andrew
 

Mozambiquer

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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
HI,

I may have made mention of this in another thread BUT to make a TDI (or other engine for that matter) more "bulletproof" , I think it would be nice to eliminate the timing belt and replace it with a timing gear set ..... Hard to beat the hard core reliability of heat treated gears in a bath (or stream) of oil.

Andrew
Yeah, that would be great, but that's another dead horse that's been beat a lot. As far as I know, nobody has done it, and it would take a ton of work to make it work, then it would be better to use an engine that already has gear drive. My 1983 ford ranger diesel has the old gear driven 2.2 liter Perkins/Mazda engine, they last forever, but are very heavy...
 

tdihopeful

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That's pretty good to think about Andy I will keep that in mind. I feel that timing belt is pretty well known and failure modes and timespans for these well enough understood that they would work perfectly fine. Perhaps in a very high performance high HP engine where low maintenance interval is desired such an oil bathed gear driven cam would be the way to go. As for why there was air in the fuel system that's on me. I didn't realize the pump/fuel system wouldn't self purge. On to the next matter of importance... I would like to upgrade the suspension. Specifically for stiffness in the rear to haul cargo including large water and fuel containers. Perhaps 2-300 gallons if possible. Where should I discuss this?
 

Mozambiquer

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2004 VW Touareg V10 TDI, 2012 Audi Q7 V6 TDI, 1998 VW Jetta TDI. 1982 VW Rabbit pickup, 2001 VW Jetta TDI, 2005 VW Passat wagon TDI X3, 2001 VW golf TDI, 1980 VW rabbit pickup,
That's pretty good to think about Andy I will keep that in mind. I feel that timing belt is pretty well known and failure modes and timespans for these well enough understood that they would work perfectly fine. Perhaps in a very high performance high HP engine where low maintenance interval is desired such an oil bathed gear driven cam would be the way to go. As for why there was air in the fuel system that's on me. I didn't realize the pump/fuel system wouldn't self purge. On to the next matter of importance... I would like to upgrade the suspension. Specifically for stiffness in the rear to haul cargo including large water and fuel containers. Perhaps 2-300 gallons if possible. Where should I discuss this?
Yeah, the alh doesn't have an in tank lift pump, and if you get enough air, you have to crack the injector lines open to bleed the air out.
Not sure on the Jetta wagon regarding suspension. For the golf or sedan, people like to use the wagon springs. I've seen people use some Jeep springs to lift the wagon. I'm not the expert on that though.
 

Mozambiquer

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That's funny Jeep springs
If you look on Facebook, there's a group called "lifted air cooled vw's" that's where I've seen the Jeep spring deal. I'm getting ready to do the wagon springs on my golf to get a little bit more space.
 

tdihopeful

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I think what I'm going for is aftermarket dual stiffness or coil over and perhaps gas struts? Air bag suspension would perhaps be neat but I'm pretty certain that wouldn't be in my budget nor am I enough familiar with the pro's and con's of air suspension to make a decision on that.
 
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