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I quite enjoy the high speed/high MPG combination that I receive with this car. Mine is an automatic (too lazy to shift), don't think the mileage difference is that much between the two.
I have been able to reach 52MPG, but I had to baby it a bit too much for my liking.
I too hope the car lasts for ages, is there anything besides the regular maintenance that is necessary to make this car last a long time?
They called later the same day, and said the dual mass flywheel had come apart, and that parts of it had worn thru the transmission shaft seal causing the leak. They said they had the parts on hand, and would have the car ready to go the next day.
The next day (yesterday) they called to say that they had it already to go, but when they refilled the tranny with lube, they found another leak in a hard to see area, where the loose flywheel parts had worn through the tranny case as well, so they had ordered a new tranny for it too, and that wouldn't be there until tomorrow.
Frankly I'm glad it wore thru the case and that I'll be getting a new tranny, since they weren't going to open the tranny, and there really wasn't any way of knowing if there was any damage from the short time it ran low on oil. Then I would have worried whether it would go out shortly after reaching the 60,000 mile warranty limit.
So with a new tranny, pressure plate clutch disc, and flywheel, hopefully I should be able to be confident in it holding up for the long haul. The dealer service rep said there had been a batch of flywheels that had been shipped to the assembly plant with a heavy protective grease applied (cosmoline maybe?), and that it had been removed improperly, so that inside between the two flywheel halves it would tend to migrate to one side and throw the flywheel off balance, and eventually causing it to fail.
They said this would all be covered under warranty ( as it should ). So hopefully I won't get any surprises when I pick it up tomorrow. If all goes as smoothly as it appears to have gone so far, I'll be very satisfied with VW's warranty service. I'll let you know if there are any problems, otherwise this will probably be my last post on the subject.
I like jkenzel's idea of re-starting the 5yr /60,000mile clock better!!
I'll have to ask about that when I pick it up, but my guess is they won't extend it beyond the original warranty, since that is how long they warranted it to begin with, and if they re-started the clock, that would be like giving me a 8 yr 8 mo 105,000 mile transmission warranty, which is not what was promised.
I think I might try a new Jetta TDI 6spd manual while I'm there just to get a taste of how that extra 40 hp, and extra torque feel compared to mine, Then see if they will offer me a little extra for a trade in car with a brand new tranny!
1. the engine is far from being "broken in". (aka 550 psi compression vs the more likely (at your 15k miles) 428-450 psi.)
2. The best fuel mileage has yet to come (all things being equal, and let me be one of the first to say they are never/not equal) Look for 30,000 to 50,000 miles for fuel mileage to start to "level off".
3. TDI's thrive under slightly to moderately aggressive load and rpm's operation.
4. some information to understanding the TDI
a. the turbo needs to be driven a certain way to keep the variable vanes from sticking, do NOT lug it! aka the best way to drive a turbo into the ground is to under rev it., aka drive it for EXTREME fuel mileage all the time.
b. high rpms LOW LOAD is another killer do not rev it hard without a load
c. max diesel engine torque comes on at a relatively (to whiny gassers) low 1750 rpms to 2250 rpms (look to your oem owners manual, Bentley's shop manual, on line specifications, etc)
d. ALWAYS use the correct VW 507.00 specification oil (in the 2009 MY case)
Use FULL THROTTLE accelleration several times per tank of fuel. ... Followed by no-throttle decelleration. (This decelleration part is CRUTIAL to good ring-sealing)
This kind of treatment is "just what the Dr. orderd" in reguards to;
1) Getting the piston-rings to seal (increase compression for breakin)
2) Acheive the best MPG engine you can have.
3)Keep the turbocharger-seals healthy. (if you dont use "boost", the seals may die an early death)
4)Keep the VNT vanes freed up and working (Variable Nozzle Turbocharger) by burning off carbon build-up.
If you go too long between these FULL THROTTLE accelleration treatments, you will likely see some black smoke out the tailpipe during treatment due to the carbon being blown out of the system.
The new clutch did feel noticibly stiffer than the old as I drove the car home, so they may have beefed up the replacement pressure plates a little.
I didn't get a chance to test drive an '09. My wife was waiting for me to take her out for dinner as a reward for driving 2 hours round trip to pick up my car, so she wasn't real interested in waiting around while I tried out a new one.
The service rep did have an '09 in the shop that he started up for me however, and I was impressed with the total lack of diesel smell from the exhaust, and the absence of the normal little puff of smoke on start up. They also had an '09 in the shop that needed $4k worth of repairs after the owner ran 100% bio-diesel in it.....not a warranty repair needless to say.
He said that now that the TDI back order list has been taken care of, the dealers are willing to deal a little more, but also the resale on the older ones has dropped as well because people no longer have to wait for a new one. I'll probably just hang on to this one. Even though the extra hp and torque would be nice, I'm happy with the power of the one I have, and it still looks like new.
584 miles in 6.25 hours = 93.44 mph avg!
The mpg seems OK but would like to know where you can drive for 6.5 hours at 93 mph and not be posting this comment from a jail cell somewhere?
In any case, glad to know you have no soot up your tail pipe.
1. the low fuel lamp lights
2. low fuel buzzer goes off
3. finding the next cheap D2 station (knowing there are app 2.4 gals@ 48 mpg or 115 miles to find a cheap D2 station)
4. fueling to the first click off
5. doing the math for the mpg
For this car, I believe the redline is 4500 rpm, but what would you consider high? I usually keep it around 2200 or so, no more than 3000.
We get no where near the (previously) posted mpg on the 09 TDI. The range right now is between 39-45 mpg. There are also a mix of 3 drivers with the possiblity of a 4th. As an apples to oranges comparison, these same three drivers get between 38-42 mpg on a 04 Civic. Two of those drivers post 48-52 mpg on the same baseline daily commute.
On your question of redline, I think your (my) gauge does indicate 4,500. The real redline is 5,100 rpms. The truth is it is safe for the car to run to 5,100 rpms. I do however realize this might send up red flags for a host of reasons; real and imagined. If you have a DSG, the system might also shift it for you anyway.
So being that you seem to keep it @ around 3k, don't be afraid to let it, when the spirit moves you to go to @ least 75% of redline or 3,825 rpms (4,000). Believe it or not good doses of italian tuning are good for the TDI.
Now comes the 2009 Jetta CR rail that may (probably) have better tuning than the CRD Liberty and it has an exhaust filter that the CRD does not have. The Liberty is capable of impressive fuel economy if driven properly. The catch 22 that I suggest is that harder running puts more soot into the Jetta CR exhaust filter requiring fuel more to be frequently injected in such a way to burn the soot out of the filter. The more deftly the Jetta CR is driven the less soot in the exhaust filter and the less fuel is needed to burn out the filter.
There are other Corolla sized Gas Vehicles that put up the same mpg numbers tho, and I hope the newly designed 2 ltr Jetta Diesel has eliminated all the Sooting, Coking and Turbo Clogging issues.
This remains to be seen tho, from people like me who would own the Jetta and drive it like an old Granny, with an eye on the MFD readout in the dash telling me I made the right choice.
I would buy an 06' in a second if they didn't have that dead spot from idel to slow acelleration in stop start city driving.
I would much rather have an 06' with, real leather, a fully adjustable memory electric seat, a dual zone a/c and reported better mpgs than the new ones, but all the 06's I have test driven seemed to stumble and stall a little when easing forward in heavy traffic.
Any thoughts?
The answers are the only radical change (sooting) is the use of LSD (500 ppm) to ULSD (15 ppm to less).97% LESS Most of the issues of which you speak are driver behavior/s related.
I do not think you would be happy with a diesel.
http://tdi.vw.com/leaderboard/
Oh, is there a way to tell the difference by looking at the MFD if someone has choosen UK vs US MPG units?
I'm not sure if the leather in my 06 is real or maybe it's *warm leatherette* (google that one, kids!).
I actually prefer cloth seats.
Fwiw, I get 50 mpg since I started driving so close to the 55 mph speed limit on the highways here. It's a bit hazardous to drive so slow due to the prevailing 70 or 75 mph speeds, but mpg is even more fantastic, and speed enforcement seems a especially capricious lately!
To ruking and bpeebles, driving the TDI a bit spirited actually seems to help the car to run better! It seems a bit counter-intuitive at first, but I can see how it benefits the car. My first reaction was to drive for the mileage, but can now see this may not be the best approach.
Btw, Even while driving for the max mpg I'll ever achieve, I floor the go-pedal most times to get to highway speeds.
and: a local dude with a blue 09 sedan has plate "CLNDEZL" or something close to that. (i'm embarassed on his behalf.)
hmm, i wonder if SMLYDZL is available. . (checking DMV web site, and: Yes it is!)
One TDI is @ 116,000 miles and I have had the following done:
1. TB/WP (yours will be due @ 120,000 miles)
2. two TSB's
3. new tires @ 112,300 miles.
So far I like the new tires !!
I'm getting just the opposite effect. The used TDI that I bought 10K miles ago showed substantial edge wear on the newer front tires which indicates hard stopping and hard driving. Also the engine sounded dead and did not have as much pep as my brother's PD TDI. I drive easy for fuel economy and never deliberately open it up except for an onramp were it is necessary or when passing on the 2-lane.
After my first road trip of easy driving the engine got zippier and started the patented light throttle diesel rattle typical of pre common rail diesels and that sound has continued to get louder. Acceleration has improved and my documented mileage has improved 1.5 MPG over the 10K miles right through winter and winter fuel. :surprise:
I think the light driving has allowed the turbo, turbo hoses, intercooler, engine and EGR valve to clean up. I think that hard driving creates more soot and what is mostly seen going out the back is poorly burned fuel and accumulation in the exhaust. You will also put less soot and fuel in your oil with easy driving due to less blowby.
I am open to other reason(s) why my engine is improving with easy driving.
You could be right. A friend of mine who has over 700k miles in TDIs (440K on the first one) subscribes to the easy driving method. He suggested that my timing belt is stretching and improving the timing or a sensor is failing in a good direction but will fail. I guess I will find that out when I do the timing belt in 10k miles.
But, if my engine is improving with light driving due to better fuel doesn't that mean that the better fuel reduces the need for hard driving?
All we are really trying to do is to point out the various factors and knowing them, (and how/why they work) put as many of the factors (as one wishes) in your favor or...NOT. NONE by itself is a "magic bullet. " or... "bullet to the head" for that matter.
So for example, do you think I got 112,300 miles on GY LS-H (aka CRAPPY) oem tires by "abusing" them?
Since it can be dicey to fault isolate in print, let's take a stab @ tire edge wear. Edge wear can be due to a host of variables. So for example, in addition to your hypothesis, it can be alignment related, lack of /too much/incorrect rotation, too little/much tire pressure, or less likely, mechanic issues.
As to your 1.5 mpg, again a host of reasons but for example, I have experienced that just switching from old to new tires, or even increase/decrease in tire pressure.
All the best for trouble free operation.
I'm going to try a bit of mixed driving, hopefully that will keep the car running for as long as possible. We'll see in a few years.
We're not ready to buy until the fall. Would actually love a Passat TDI or an A4 TDI, but not sure if we could wait THAT long.
I've driven the Jetta TDI which I liked. How does the Sportwagen TDI feel and handle in comparison?
I have a spreadsheet of every drop of fuel pumped into it for over 100K miles. I was just playin around learnin how to use Excell and kinda went overboard.
My spreadsheet automatically calculates for each fillup;
MPG
Fuel-cost/gallon
fuel-cost/mile
My spreadsheet also calculates overall statistics. Here are my hilights as of 100,925 miles;
min MPG = 36
average MPG = 50
max MPG = 65
min cost/mile = 0.03/mile
overall cost/mile = 0.05/mile
max cost/mile = 0.1/mile
I even programmed excell to graph MPG and fuel-cost for every fillup.
I'm using a Auto Maint. software that kind of does the same thing but it is for a small fleet and is some what over kill.
No, Ruking1, I absolutely do not think you are abusing them. When I first read that I thought it was a stunning achievement. Also, this calls into question my definition of what hard driving really is. I may be driving harder than you and thinking that my driving is "easy" driving when it's not. So I'll drop that issue as somewhat undefinable.
I am happy with the way this discussion is going but I am not happy with my ability to communicate.
The 05 TDI that I purchased already had 79k miles on the clock. The Nokian WRs look like they were new maybe 10K miles before that. The rear tires (now front) showed almost no wear and the front tires (now back) showed what I would call severe bevel in the braking direction. This means hard stopping but not necessarily hard acceleration, but I think they go together. 10K miles later the fronts still look perfect and the rears look about the same – still beveled. I may have to go another 20k miles before the next rotation to get this straightened out. Nokian WRs are directional.
Alignment is good based on no repeat of bevel on the front tires and pretty good fuel economy for an automatic 5 speed (45.7 mpg now overall and not quite 50 mpg when all highway at 65 mph). Tire pressure is 38 psi front and 40 psi rear. I check often. The only way that I am getting improved mileage due to wheel alignment is that it was a little out of alignment and it is wearing towards better alignment. Possible, I guess.
After reading a ton of posts on TDIclub.com where mileage is dropping it seems very odd to have mileage increasing after 80k miles - this isn't really my usual luck.
Thanks for the responses.
Thanks..need to know soon, I would have to buy it sight unseen.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Volkswagen-Jetta-TDI-2006-Volkswagen-Jetta-TDI-Se- - dan-Deasil-Leather-Sunroof_W0QQitemZ220407978448QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Truck- - s?hash=item335156d9d0&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A317%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A- - 1%7C240%3A1318
Long story short, instead of doing the oem recommended tire rotation of front to back back to front, where in effect only two tires get onto the front right passenger side, I went to a 4/5 tire, cross the rears and fronts straight back rotation. The upshot was EVERY tire spend 10,000 miles on the right front passenger side. The corollary, each tire spend 10,000 miles in each position also, evening out the wear.
So since you have or have chosen the directional tires, the best advice (swag) would be to have (a 5th tire or) 3rd right side tire. The upshot here is wear would now be spread over 3 tires (directional) instead of two. Or if you only go with 4 total directional tires, once the scalloping starts, it is hard to reverse. Sorry this is not better news.
I do run 38-36 psi fronts and 38-34 rears.
So here's the short list of candidates so far:
1. Fuel has been gradually improving. I use the same fuel in my Liberty with no improvement, but that could be the Jeep's fault and the fuel is really better.
2. A mechanical wear - timing belt, front end alignment or other that is wearing in a direction that is temporarily improving mileage.
3. Something different between the previous drivers driving style and mine (not a serious candidate in my mind).
4. Improper maintenance by previous owner such as wrong oil or too extended oil changes. Some things in the engine were gummed up (rings? Lifters?) and now it's cleaning up with correct oil and change intervals (doing 7,500 right now will go to 10k after 3 changes).
5. A ha! Just occurred to me thinking about no 1. Previous owner used bad fuel and good fuel is cleaning it up now.
6. None of the above. "We can never KNOW anything".
-Completely unknown maintenance history.
-No-name used car lot lacking grasp of English language (Deasil ???)
-Likely an auction car
-No warranty
-Buy-it-now price is likely close to reserve.
I've seen a couple VERY nice private party cars with known maintenance history sell for similar coin. A couple had lower mileage than this one. These '06 models are starting to come around to reasonable cost on the resale market. Considering you can pickup a brand new '09 for around $20,000....I'd have a very hard time buying a used one, particularly with an unknown past.
From the CarFAx details, the only maintence record is the wash job at 88681 miles just before it was sold at a dealer auction.
It is recorded as a one owner vehicle, but I guess he/she is long gone and any service records too.
In the Jeep, we got caught in a blizzard with bumper deep fresh powder that was drifted half way up the radiator at times - plugged the radiator with snow almost to the top on one side. I believe the diesel engine kept us going when a gasser might not have, because the power is so steady. All I had to do was hold the pedal and concentrate on steering.
I have driven the Jeep in the Ozarks with 4-5 inches of snow on the road and had no trouble driving around front wheel drive cars that were stuck on hills. I may be delusional, but I think the Jetta TDI with good snow tires would go right up those hills. I think I would put money on it. Of course when there is an ice storm in the Ozarks nothing goes anywhere without chains or studs until the salt and gravel trucks get out.
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