TDI at altitude

rsm200

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
Wyoming
TDI
Golf 4 door 2011
Looks like I will buying a 2011 golf 6speed this week and just had a question about driving tdi's at altitude. Slit of my driving will be between 5000 and 10,000 feet. Does anyone know how performance is effected by altitude with the tdi engines? Thanks for the help.
 

Ski in NC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
Wilmington, NC USA
TDI
2001 Jetta ALH 5sp stock
I don't have direct experience with your specific car. But in general, computer controlled turbo engines can adapt much better to changes in elevation than non-turbo engines. So the car should drive nearly the same at higher elevations as at lower. Unlike non-turbo's that run out of ummph as you go up.
 

BeetleGo

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 21, 1998
Location
Cambridge, MA
TDI
5-door, 5-speed Golf GLS replaced BeetleGo.
No. Better! Really. Others who live up at the top (of the world) will testify to this.
 

Jethro

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Location
Los Alamos, NM
TDI
2003 Jetta 1.9
I don't think I've been BELOW said elevations. My TDI works GREAT!
(I live at 7600 ft, the lowest I've been recently was Denver)
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
Looks like I will buying a 2011 golf 6speed this week and just had a question about driving tdi's at altitude. Slit of my driving will be between 5000 and 10,000 feet. Does anyone know how performance is effected by altitude with the tdi engines? Thanks for the help.
Turbocharged engines create their own "atmosphere". Your car has cylinder pressure sensors in the glow plugs and it will vary the turbo's output to generate the cylinder pressure it wants. At high altitudes your turbocharger will work a little harder (which might even be good for it), but your engine will see very little effect. This is one of the advantages of turbocharged engines.

Have Fun!

Don
 

Conan

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2010
Location
Denver
TDI
2003 GLS TDI
Mine works great in the mountains. I think I actually get better mileage higher up, but I haven't done a scientific test yet.
 

DrewD

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2004
On an 06 PD, at 10,000 feet to ~14,200 feet asl, I noticed very bad lag from the turbo starting out from a stop which was a little troublesome with the notorious VW clutch engagement. Once turbo was spooled up, it did just fine at the higher altitudes.
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
You aren't getting the efficiency on the engines higher up (which doesn't always mean MPG but HP as well). Yes a NA is really bad the higher up you go vs Turbo charged. But you are still compressing less air then at sea level. But you also are likely getting cooler air which helps with a little air mass. I hardly notice the change in my TDI. I really do in my rabbit with a NA diesel in it and my motorcycle.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
In the summer of 1980, with my new '80 VW Rabbit Diesel, non-Turbo, I drove to the top of Pikes Peak (14,110 feet). The last 3 or 4000 feet to the top was a definite challenge for the 1.5l non-turbo engine! I could only run in 2nd gear for a few feet then back to 1st!..........black smoke galore!

Near the top I come upon a Caterpillar Road Grader just working along without any issues ..............Turbo Charged!
 

procupine14

Veteran Member
Joined
May 20, 2010
Location
Kansas City, MO
TDI
2003 Beetle 5sp
I haven't had a chance to take me Beetle into the mountains but the turbo diesel DMax Truck doesn't seem to show much of a difference even when towing 15,000lbs.
 

Nich

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Location
Pheonix, AZ
TDI
5 spd 03 Jetta TDI
A turbo at altitude is hands down better then nonturboded. The turbos on the TDI are too small on these cars to really be effective at high altitude, so you will lose a good deal of power but your mileage will be out of this world. People still have to remember that the turbo hits its max rpm around 2500-3000 rpm???. once you hit this limit you can not ram any more air in. Not sure if high altitude makes this happen sooner or later. A VNT17 would see less of an effect but then your limited by your reletive pressure becoming too high and blowing appart your head appart.
 
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Rattler05.5

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
Loveland, Co
TDI
2005.5 Jetta 5m; For sale
Altitude is definately noticed from a stop. Once the turbo is spooled it isn't very noticable. Not at all like a NA(normally aspirated) car that is painful at any bit of altitude. I LOVE driving up I-70 and ripping past cars that are screaming at 6000RPMs and pissed that they can't go any faster.

I was cruising up to BlackHawk and pushing 90MPH at 15psi and over 1000 EGT. It was fun, and coincidentally one of the best tanks I have ever gotten. My theory is that you get okay fuel mileage going up and infinite going down coasting. Averages out to really really good mileage numbers.

I was warned by Kerma that I should be careful to drive WOT if going to eisenhower tunnel. The car is able to adapt but you have to start the car up a couple of times for it to learn the atmospheric pressure change in order to limit itself.
 

Nich

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Location
Pheonix, AZ
TDI
5 spd 03 Jetta TDI
is 15 psi the Turbo limit or the engine block limit. I am pretty sure 30 psi is the engine block limit at sea level and decreases with altitude, I am pretty sure you can safely hit 18 psi even on pikes peak. there are plent of post in the tunning section about exact numbers
 

Rattler05.5

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Location
Loveland, Co
TDI
2005.5 Jetta 5m; For sale
is 15 psi the Turbo limit or the engine block limit. I am pretty sure 30 psi is the engine block limit at sea level and decreases with altitude, I am pretty sure you can safely hit 18 psi even on pikes peak. there are plent of post in the tunning section about exact numbers
Not sure. Wasn't WOT at 15 psi. That was just holding steady going 90 uphill.
My max is about 19psi.
 

xbiker423

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Location
Woodstock, VT
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon GL
Altitude is definately noticed from a stop. Once the turbo is spooled it isn't very noticable. Not at all like a NA(normally aspirated) car that is painful at any bit of altitude. I LOVE driving up I-70 and ripping past cars that are screaming at 6000RPMs and pissed that they can't go any faster.
^ This was my experience.

I drove from Maine to Keystone, CO. I stalled a few times before I got into the habit of pressing on the accelerator while getting going... Oops.

Driving over Loveland Pass was awesome - if the roads were clear and no one was in front of me. I've decided I need to live near (big) mountains so I can hike/ski/climb them AND drive around them! Woot!
 
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