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Comments
As for your question about unhooking the 2 hoses from the fuel-filter.... yes, you may get a splash of fuel from the hoses when you disconnect them. It is a good idea to have a shop-rag under them to catch any spillage. I would expect no more than a teaspoons worth.
I usually "work" the ends of the hoses off until they are *almost* free, then I am ready to deal with any spillage better when they do come off. Besides, just yanking on the hoses may break the plastic nipple off of the thermostatic return line. (the one with the mickey-mouse clip... you should see what I mean when you see the mouse-ears sticking out 8-)
Dont forget that diesel fuel is NOT as flamable as gasoline. It is more like spilling a little engine-oil.
Thanks!
The main thing is to READ THE SPECIFICATIONS on the bottle. Dont expect to see "TDI" on the bottle... you have to look for the VW505.xx specification.
His statement about 5W40 clogging EGRs is bogus. Do you not find it odd that Volkswagen themselves have not made that statement? Be wary of other statements that dealership tells you.
The 2 little O-rings are intended to replace the existing O-rings on the thermostatic controller. (plugged into the top of fuel-filter) When you replace the fuel-filter, you SHOULD NOT remove the hoses from the thermostatic controller. Instead, just pull out the "micky mouse" clip (looks like little micky mouse ears) and then pull the thermostatic controller straight out of the top of the old fuel filter. You will see the 2 existing O-rings on the part you pulled out of the fuel-filter. Match the colors to the locations of the existing O-rings.
I also find it interesting that you say the service man "did not know what the O-rings were for"... but he seemed to know which oil was correct for your TDI. It is scary that some folks blindly let that dealership maintain their TDI engine :surprise:
I have my diesel purge equipment all made up and ready to go!
I went to an auto parts place and did find Castrol 5w40 Sync. and it does list VW TDIs on the label. I did not feel comfortable with that though and have ordered Delvac 1 5W40 for my 505.00, which is what I have been using.
I was getting my filters at Wal Mart, the Fram/Mann... but Fram has changed to a look alike copy, so I scarfed the five Fram - Mann - filters that they had left, from among the other new ones @ 12.77 each, and when I got home and ordered oil and diesel purge from World Impex, I discovered that Impex sold the orginal Mann for $7, so I got one, and am taking the inventory of Frams back to Wally World. But a heads up to anyone who is getting the Fram product - check the contents - it could be a newer less quality filter. It certainly isn't a Mann.
Besides, as you suggest, real "Mann" filters can be had fo $7 elsewhere. (plus shipping)
Dont forget to "prefill" your fuelfilter with fuel before trying to start the engine. Otherwise, you could put about 30,000 miles of wear on your starter trying to get the engine running.
Also, be cognizant of installing the oil-filter rightside up. This keeps the oil from draining back into the engine when turned off. The cap for the oil filter is PLASTIC (use strap-wrench or leather belt to remove)... only tighten it by hand till it stops. It is the O-ring that makes the seal... not the torque.
Let us know how your diesel-purge process works out.
I was hoping that someone could help me out with my Jetta. Just last weekend, the car started having the following problem: the car would accelerate and shift well through the second gear, but when it should shift to third gear, it would not shift and the tachometer would just keep climbing with no acceleration taking place (this is around 40-50 MPH) but if the tach were red lined for a while, it would all of the sudden shift. And also, while it was "stuck" in second, the tach would be very jumpy when you press the accelerator.
So I took it to the dealer. Now, I had had a similar problem before, and they replaced the Mass Air Flow meter and the car ran great. So the dealer gets back to me and says that the IAT sensor is bad ($400), and that I need a new transmission ($5000!). So I told the dealer no way and got my car back. My Dad took the diagnostic log (which said Manifold Temperature Sensor Circuit Fault along with two faults with the trans - Gear Monitoring and Torque Converter lock-up clutch) to his VW dealer, and the dealer looked up the code and it said that I needed a new MAF.
So does anyone here have any experience with this sort of problem? Could the MAF be causing my problem, or do I really need a new trans? I've read that the MAFs on these VWs can be flaky and need replacing multiple times.
Also, as a boneheaded question, I wanted to check the transmission fluid level, but for the life of me, I couldn't find the dipstick! I feel like a dipstick, but could someone tell me where it is located on my car? I removed the air filter box and the engine cover, but still couldn't find it.
Thanks for any help you can offer and I apologize for the long post.
As for the dipstick...there is no dipstick. More and more transmissions do not have them. The only way to check/change the transmission fluid is with a VAGCOM where you can monitor than fluid temperature and visibly check through a plug that can be removed.
You may wish to read the owners manual cover-to-cover so you become familear with all of the gadgets, features and operational quirks of a European automobile.
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As for your alleged electrical problems.... You may have inadvertantly done somthing else that made it appear there was a problem. (Like not putting automatic xmission into "park" if that is the kind of xmission you have)
There are some other conditions that may cause the symptomes you describe. Unless you can pinpoint the sequence of events that led up to the situation... there is not much help we can offer.
Jim
www.beeneverywhere.com
The TDI engine pulls from IDLE like a tractor... there is no need to even touch the throttle to pull away from a stop. You will find that most of your driving will be under 3000 RPM because of the wonderful torque that is available in that RPM range. In other words.... RPM is not required to get accelleration with TDI engine. The torque-peak on my TDI is about 1800 RPM. This is also the most econimal RPM to be driving at. (read...best MPG at 1800 RPM - which is about 55MPH)
If you are switching from a high-reving engine like Honda... you will need to retrain your driving habits. The Hondas I have owned needed to "wound up" above 2000 RPM just to get moving from a stop. (or they would stall out) This is totally opposate from TDI engine.
This car is a winner!
Jay
it's got one less gear but lots more than one more fun. i drive a 5-spd TDI and a 6-speed pontiac GTO.
comparing to the GTO the TDI's shift-throw & clutch-action are superior. but GTO clutch "take-up" is smoother moving away from a stop, even with the extra 250 ftlbs & 300 hp. also i understand the GTO clutch can take way more of a beating before it glazes/melts.
another family member has a beetle DSG TDI - I've driven it and strongly prefer the 5-spd stickshift.
I know this has to be a simple thing, but I am not just understanding it properly I think. Can you lay my fears to rest and get my thinking straightened out? Thanks!
The newer (pumpe duse) TDI engines have a lift pump in the fuel tank that would pump fuel out of the exposed nipples if this short length of hose is not installed.
The short length of hose will simply re-route the fuel from the lift-pump back to the tank.... exactly what happens when your engine is running anyway. The fuel is CONSTANTLY passed thru the filter and fed back to the tank in a big loop.
can you explain what " engine running away " is ?
In the context of a diesel engine, since there is no throttle valve on a diesel engine, any crankcase oil which leaks into in the intake manifold can fuel the engine and cause runaway. After all, a diesel engine RUNS on oil. One situation that can cause this on TDI engine is if the oil-seals on the turbocharger leak enough oil into the intake to fuel the engine.
The VW TDI engine has several "safetys" to prevent runaway. The main safety is a butterfly valve in the intake tract that slams shut when you turn off the ignition key. (This is also sometimes called the anti-shudder valve.) In the event of TDI engine runaway, turning off the ignition key should kill the engine even if there is oil leaking into the intake manifold because this valve will stop all airflow into the engine.
Remember - a diesel engine has no ignition system so there is no such thing as cutting off the power to the spark plugs to kill the engine.
I believe that the diesel purge really made a difference. It was running great before but seems to be noticeably smoother now, and and has more pick up. I will be looking for the MPG increase.
The car had 68,000 miles and I bought it with 50,000 and any kind of purge had not been done to my knowledge before so I am thinking that this was a good thing to do at this time.
At any rate, I thank you for the assist in advise in the matter!
I love the TDI, the dealership I could do without....
Thanks for any and all help
I personally use Primrose 405C, which is a combination of cetane booster, H20 emulsifier,lubricity agent, detergency, rust preventative. You will most likely need a winter additive if conditions warrant, for fuel gel prevention.
If you do decide to use bio diesel, be advise to look into specific bio diesel fuel and winter additives.
Upshot: Now that you have done your mild 1500 miles "reduce speed" break in; go slightly aggressive to aggressive. Do NOT baby the engine.
You are trying to so called "balance" a number of items; some of them are diametrically opposed.
One of the big ones is systems longevity: i.e., of the turbo, engine and transmission. You will not get full compression till app 50,000 to 60,000 miles. So you are trying to establish good habits in operation.
As a long term goal; there is really no reason for example why with proper care and operation; your diesel should not be able to go 500,000 to 1,000,000 miles. This of course is way beyond what most folks will go.
For the over all discussion (all you ever wanted to know about break in and even beyond) you might want to do a "break in" search or some such combination of words on www.tdi.com.
Best of luck and congradulations!!
Windchill has ZERO effect on inanimate objects so you can ignore it....windchilll was invented to help warm-blooded mammals understand the speed that heat will leave their skin.(If you are driving at 65MPH and stick you arm out the window...the windshill factor is more like -80)
Turning off the heater does allow the engine to warm up faster... but the engine temp will come right back down as the fanspeed is increased. (you pull more heat out of the engine) so...this idea is not very benificial.
There is only so much heat available....and you need to "balance" it by using just enough fanspeed to warm the interiour without pulling all the heat out of the engine.
There are several things you can do to improve the situation.... but the efficency of the engine is the real culprit.
*) Use pre-slit 1/2inch pipe insulation cut to lenghts on every-other grill-slat. (I am not sure if this trick works on the 2006 grille)
*)DO NOT cover the intercooler intake.
*)Reduce fanspeed to reduce how much heat you are pulling from the engine.
*)You may be able to use "recirculate" mode to keep the heat inside the car... but beware that can cause fogging of the glass.
*)Consider installing an engine heater like TDI-heater
*) Thank your favorate Deity that you have heated seats!
Just bought a 2002 Jetta TDI Auto (sorry bad leg made me give up stick) with 82K from a VW dealer for 13K do you think that is a good deal? The car is a clean 1 owner with all the VW service stamps in the book for all service except the 80K. Clean carfax only thing I can see that they touched up was some bumper dings. Tires 60% brakes 50% all seems to work and runs very well. I knew that the car needed the 80K service and that includes the timing belt. They agreed to do the 80K service including the timing belt and water pump pulleys and all included in the 13K price. I have been looking for a while and this seems like the best car that I could find in great shape having what I would call normal wear. Came with guaranteed state inspection and 30-day 1000-mile warranty. KBB and Edmonds vary so I am not sure that I got a good deal what do you think did I get a good deal.
Thanks in advance.
BTW they want $1400 for a 2 year 24K warrenty that covers quite a lot. Engine, trans, driveline, electronics, turbo, glow plugs, cooling fan, a/c, quite a long list is it worth it.
also i have heard of folks with problems with their dsg but our 06 beetle dsg has no prob so far, 19k miles.
in other news, 06 5-spd is already pushing 50 mpg at 5k miles. i've got a leadfoot and got 48 mpg with 03 5-spd but had not expected so much with the 06. woo hoo!
Thanks for your suggestion
RAY
Again - if you get a warm day, just pull off the insulation and toss in the trunk. My rule-of-thumb is if I have to turn the heater off ... it is time to remove some insulation.
For many years, folks have been using some kind of heater to pre-heat the antifreeze on all kinds of engines. I have never heard of any problems with the hoses due to the heater. Lets not forget that the ENGINE HEAT is far more intense than any electric heater you could add to your engine.
The TDI heater is well-proven and should not cause any problems with your hoses. In fact, the hoses it comes with have "protective sheaths" on them where they may tend to rub against somthing. (look at the pictures on the website) It is a VERY well-engineered kit that installs with minimal hassle.
My TDIheater sure helps get some heat on that frosty windshield on cold mornings. (I NEVER EVER use an ice-scraper due to scratching of the glass)
PS: Dont forget to consider ordering a "plug protector" and "Heavy Duty Outdoor Timer" from the TDIheater website too.
WIthout a "plug protector" - you will find that Ice buildup on the plug will be a problem. (and the metal corrodes after a few years)
Without a timer - Your electric bills can get outreagous if you leave the thing plugged into power longer than 2-3 hours before starting the engine. The timer will pay for itself in one winter.
The colder parts of the country sell "cold weather diesel" (cut with kerosene). With the great effency of the TDI, it is very possible to fill up with NON cold weather fuel and drive into -10F temps.
I have just been informed that i need a new engine for my 2000 jetta TDI. the pre-diagnosis was that there was most likely a problem with my turbo to manifold plumbing. Now it is the entire engine. i was wondering if somebody out there knows of a good (really good) diesel mechanic who i can turn to for another opinion on my vehicle and who can do the work on it. I'm looking for somebody who is both proficient with diesels, namely volks jetta's, and who is fair about pricing. i'm located a bit north of seattle near mount vernon. thank you, harry emerson