MN Chat Thread

[iceracer83]

Farmboy,
Did your wife show with the new TDI Saturday?

My wife and I stopped by Westside Saturday since their website showed 3- 2015 TDIs in inventory and we were driving by on Hwy 100. But, we were denied. They had a blue one that apparently hadn't been prepped yet so it was not available to drive.
We did take a look at a gas Mk7 though. The interior was very impressive, much more Audi like than VW.

I'd like to hear your impressions of the new TDI after a few months of ownership.
I am pretty sure we will be purchasing one within the next year or so.

Jay

 

[Farmboy]

Yepper, she made it home.

Pics & some quasi-random discussion here:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=421271

I don't know Audi & I have no Golf history, so my comments won't be useful that way.

I finally drove it yesterday, to fuel & get groceries. ~ 2 miles total.

The fuel nozzle deal is a total annoyance, I think it will make it much harder for me to get consistent fuel levels, though I suppose the difference won't be much more than a rounding error. I also don't like the nozzle cantilevered out . . . I'd like to have the nice big fuel hole that our Passats and our Beetle had. I'll have to look into this a little.

I'd happily trade the rear camera for air conditioned seats all the way around and maybe rear heated seats, and also maybe a bigger fuel tank so I can have more range. I have mirrors, I learned how to use them, I am not afraid to actually walk behind my vehicle if it's parked, before I try to back up, etc., and I learned at an early age to avoid parking places I can't drive straight ahead out of.

The trip meter reset is too easy and reachable. I can see it getting reset when I don't want it to be. I waited until I was at the pump to mess with it. I was hoping it had 2 or more trip meters, but there's only the 1 on the odometer. Looks like the "radio" (?) may have a couple of options, haven't really explored that yet.

Last new car was the Beetle TDI 15 years ago. I really wish I could remember that, at all, so I could compare the experiences.

My wife is pretty happy with the car. She will commute ~ 100 miles a day Bloomington to Lesueur during the school year to teach, so that's what counts. The goal is 25,000 miles a year, but maybe we'll only put on 20k . . .

I'll probably be driving it 2 miles every weekend to get groceries & fuel.

 

[PacketHauler]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to post a big thank you for your insights and that I'm sorry I didn't get to meet any of you. My family and I just moved to Melbourne, FL this past weekend to escape the brutal winters.

The TDI made it down here safe and sound on a full car-carrier being pulled by a a 26 foot diesel truck, which I had the pleasure of driving. Now I'm off to find some good diesel.

I wish you all the best.

 

[1st_TDI:)]

No worries, we can do in September too, you guys throw me ideas on what dates and I can check make sure it works with my schedule, so far I don't have anything planned for September weekends so, I'm all open to ideas.

Pretty sure September weekends are still open.

 

[JFettig]

Come hang out at MadFurther show today. I entered the twin turbo Passat

 

[1st_TDI:)]

Wish I could have been there. Had already left for the wedding. Would have been time better spent.

 

[hansengsa]

Any chance you would do a timing belt job? Doug Hansen 651-260-0610

 

[[486]]

I'm thinking on getting rid of a lot of the extra weight I took outta my car.

Other junk that I don't think is going back onto the car is
the underhood insulator (two or three clips came out without breaking, you can have those too)
rear wiper motor and arm (squirter is broken, shoots straight back, good for tailgaters haha)
full size spare with goodyear weatherhandler 195/65/15, only included in the tire rotation what looks like once
All of the carpet, rear seats, rear belts, headliner, most of the plastic (minus the door panels and dash) it is black on the lower half, and light tan above the door sills
engine cover (I don't think there's any foam left on the underside)
battery case and fuse box holder thing
styrofoam spare tire parts holder

I'm seriously considering throwing away everything but the seats, spare, and wiper motor, but I've got a very small trash can.
oh right, it's all out of a 2 door 2002 golf that is destined to be an engine donor eventually

ETA: reason I put it here is that I do not want to ship anything, if there's a local meetup or something where people'd probably want some of this stuff then I could go and meet some people.

 

[greengeeker]

Any chance you would do a timing belt job? Doug Hansen 651-260-0610

responded to your PM Doug.

 

[B.Reilly01]

Does anybody have the timing belt tools for rent? I'm going to need to do this job soon, so I figure I should rent them locally if possible. The summer kind of got away from me. Is the Bora Parts 100K kit still the recommended one?

 

[Schuttsr1]

Does anybody have the timing belt tools for rent? I'm going to need to do this job soon, so I figure I should rent them locally if possible. The summer kind of got away from me. Is the Bora Parts 100K kit still the recommended one?

I would be intersected as well. I was also wondering if anyone has a vcds locally as I'd like to try to find my cold start issue.

 

[B.Reilly01]

Schuttsr1, I have a knockoff cable and vcdslite, I'm in Apple valley and work in Plymouth. It doesn't access everything, but it's vbetter than nothing

 

[sirpuddingfoot]

Hey folks, I've been dealing with one issue after another on the Passat lately.

I replaced the front suspension with the exception of springs and a CV joint, my wife drove it for 2 days and the coolant temp flange blew out.
I replaced that and the tandem pump gasket, she drove it a day and poof, major boost leak I have to pin point (I suspect the EGR elbow).

But in good news (and the specific reason I'm posting) is that Schmelz Countryside VW in Maplewood now has an online parts system with much better pricing: http://ordervwparts.net/.

They don't have an option for local pickup, but if you mention it in the order comments, I'm told they can do it and will save you the shipping costs.

 

[haakonpe]

The Golf has been running flawlessly since Greengeeker and JFettig performed their magic on it.

Up until this week that is...
For the past few days, the starting has not been instantaneous like it's been all summer - and by that, I mean I barely touch the starter and it's running. In addition to this, occasionally it's been idling a bit rough at the stop lights etc. Then this morning, it took about 5 seconds of cranking to get it going. After it was going, it took a while to smooth out.

My first guess is that I may be dealing with a fuel and filter issue. So I'll do a swap on that this weekend. If this doesn't get things back in order, then it may be time to have Greengeeker take another peek at it ;-) (thinking a compression check would be a good start -)

Has anyone out there had any experience with something like this, or opinions what it could be?

TIA

 

[TornadoRed]

Anyone else currently running winter tires on their daily driver?

 

[Kriesel]

Anyone else currently running winter tires on their daily driver?

Not this early yet... Will have them on the car and suburban once it's consistently around 40°F...

 

[Namakan]

Anyone else currently running winter tires on their daily driver?

Way too early for me. I usually wait until late October / early November before swapping them.

 

[sirpuddingfoot]

Well, it wasn't the EGR elbow. It was the $300 hose from the turbo to the crossover. At least it's on the road again. 170k is a cursed milestone.

Thanks for reminding me I need to buy some winters.

 

[[486]]

For the past few days, the starting has not been instantaneous like it's been all summer - and by that, I mean I barely touch the starter and it's running.

Then this morning, it took about 5 seconds of cranking to get it going. After it was going, it took a while to smooth out.

It is a diesel. It will get much worse as it gets colder.

Mine has a miss and pours out white smoke for a good 30 seconds when it's really cold out. Takes 5-10 seconds of cranking after waiting for the GP light to go out cycling the key and waiting for it to go out again. If I don't wait for the GPs at all it takes 10-20 seconds of cranking to start.

Thanks for the reminder, gotta put the group 65 battery back in for the winter. Took it out for a light little 51R for the summer.

 

[greengeeker]

It is a diesel. It will get much worse as it gets colder.

Mine has a miss and pours out white smoke for a good 30 seconds when it's really cold out. Takes 5-10 seconds of cranking after waiting for the GP light to go out cycling the key and waiting for it to go out again. If I don't wait for the GPs at all it takes 10-20 seconds of cranking to start.

Thanks for the reminder, gotta put the group 65 battery back in for the winter. Took it out for a light little 51R for the summer.

Woah. Not normal.

Pete, how does your head seal look? Any signs of dampness?

 

[1st_TDI:)]

Anyone else currently running winter tires on their daily driver?

I had thought of switching from my summer fun wheels and tires to the set of all season rain / snow tire for the fall crap. Once the weather gets below 40 degrees and stabilizes is when the soft winter tires go on.
Little more work, but the tires last a long time. This will be third year for the snow tires and they are still looking like new.

 

[TornadoRed]

Once the weather gets below 40 degrees and stabilizes is when the soft winter tires go on.
Little more work, but the tires last a long time. This will be third year for the snow tires and they are still looking like new.

I am running the hard winter tires now, Altimax Arctics that were used probably one full season before I bought them three years ago. My all-season Michelins were worn down to slicks, though, and I thought I'd wait until spring before replacing them with a new set -- maybe Michelins, maybe Pirellis, maybe Continentals.

So, two more months on these crappy tires, feeling every imperfection in the road surface, then my good Nokian Hakkas go on. Unless someone wants to make me an adequate offer for the Altimax tires mounted on steel wheels. They will serve for at least one more winter, they just won't be the best tires you've ever had.

 

[astrolumen]

Woah. Not normal.
Pete, how does your head seal look? Any signs of dampness?

I'm having similar rough start issues, that started earlier this summer before the weather cooled off making it a little rougher still. On friday, it was such a shaky start that my catalytic converter shook loose of the pipe running back to the muffler. Now I sound like a honda with a resonator.

Not sure what you mean by dampness around the head seal, Nick. You mean oil leakage? Cuz I got some of that, at least in the vicinity of the crank case. Not sure about the source.

I may be hitting you up for that service I was talking about last spring!

 

[[486]]

Woah. Not normal.

Really? Huh.

Mine must be just dun plumb wore out (at only 140k miles or so). In the records PO did use conventional 5w30 for quite a few changes at a 3k mile interval.

 

[haakonpe]

Nick - I'm guessing you mean the injection pump head seal. It's bone dry - no bubbles in the lines at all either.

 

[Redlabel6]

Anyone else currently running winter tires on their daily driver?

not yet! I picked up a nice set of Blizzacks on steel for $100.00. This will be my first winter on "real" winter tires.
d

 

[[486]]

Nobody wants any of the interior bits in post #6908?
Adding rear seats, and belts to the list.

They're all going in the trash bit by bit.

 

[greengeeker]

Really? Huh.

Mine must be just dun plumb wore out (at only 140k miles or so). In the records PO did use conventional 5w30 for quite a few changes at a 3k mile interval.

A quick compression test will tell. I doubt you have low compression though.

 

[[486]]

A quick compression test will tell. I doubt you have low compression though.

All of them were 100-110 on the first, and off the scale on the second (only a 300 PSI gauge)
Still gotta get around to pop testing the injectors. Got bubbles in the little tiny return lines after parking it for a while.

What would you charge for something bigger than M/T ALH nozzles?
Installed, of course. I still haven't gotten around to putting together a pop tester. Got a hydraulic hand pump (okay, a porta-power), a tee and a 10k PSI gauge, just haven't put them all together yet...
PM if that sort of thing is frowned upon.

 

[JFettig]

FYI

I moved out of Forest Lake and over to St. Cloud. I still work in the cities and will be moving back in a couple years. I will still be tuning in the cities, but more on-site or I have a couple garages I have access to as necessary.