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VW Jetta TDI

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Comments

  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    i was thinking that the "exhaust flap" would be covered under the 48000 mile drivetrain warranty, not the emissions warranty.
    I understand that "exhaust flap" is known also as the "anti-shudder valve" and is important for safety , such as to prevent the engine from running forever after the key is turned off.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well that's not a drive train part though. :(
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    You should have received a separate emissions warranty booklet listing the covered components (and their parts). Emissions control components often required by state law to be warranted for considerably longer than the typical 50-60K mile drivetrain warranty. In California, its (IIRC) 70K miles/7 years. YMMV for other states.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    yeah, i think i was off-base on that exhaust-flap being same as "anti-shudder valve" - currently I understand that exhaust-flap is something very different. it also sounds somewhat "optional". (I understand my "dirty-diesel" 06 doesn't have an "exhaust flap" - it's only the DPF/newer/CR models which have it in USA.)
    The folks on Freds are more knowledgeable than me about these things - they are rather adamant that the emissions warranty should cover exhaust-flap if it fails before 80k or 100k. They recommend filing a complaint with EPA/NHTSA if VW doesn't cover it under the emissions warranty.
    Additionally I would file a complaint with VW "zone office" if they don't pay for "exhaust flap" under emissions warranty - make sure it gets to someone with a title resembling "zone office representative" for your region.
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    edited April 2010
    From what the dealership said, the car will run fine without this part. As many have mentioned, it is part of the Exhaust/Emissions functionality of the car, so it does seem that it should be covered under warranty. What does it say in the Owner's Manual of the vehicle? I currently don't have access to it to review. Once I have the opportunity I will be contacting VW to find out why this part wasn't covered. I recall reading something about the emissions being covered for around 80K...

    This link is a bit old, but might still apply?
    http://www.epa.gov/oms/consumer/warr95fs.txt

    * Emission control and emission related parts are covered for the
    first 2 years or 24,000 miles of vehicle use; and

    * Specified major emission control components are covered for the
    first 8 years or 80,000 miles of vehicle use.

    Since I haven't owned the car for two years, it is well over the 24K miles. For the second bullet, the question is, is this part "major"? It is certainly expensive....
  • dieselfitter1dieselfitter1 Member Posts: 42
    Run it without! Might improve mileage! Spend the $500 on GOODIES for VW!
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    edited April 2010
    Major components, covered by the Federal Emission Warranty and as mentioned in one of the previous posts (and according to VW ) are:

    catalytic converter

    engine electronic control module (ECM)

    on board diagnostic device (OBD)

    All above 8 years or 80,000 miles

    There is a disclaimer though, damages caused by tampering, use of improper fuel, abuse, neglect and improper maintenance are not covered by this warranty. This, probably written by a clever attorney, may mean just about anything and could be interpreted into one's advantage (or disadvantage).

    It never hurts to ask the VW service manager to double-check with VW N.A. and double-check his "check" ... i.e. yourself calling tech support at VW N.A. and check with them directly.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    The key is: Does the part affect emissions, and is it available from an aftermarket supplier? If the car runs fine without it and it is just for emissions, I would not spend my $500 repairing it every 45k miles. I am sure there is a lot of crap on cars today that are only there for emissions. In CA there is a limit as too how much you have to spend to keep your car up to standards.
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    Not just in CA but in Colorado as well. I think it varies from State to State.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    Car and Driver recently published test results comparing the performance effects of up sizing wheels and tires on a VW Golf. The advantages of 19 inch wheels and tires over 15 inch wheels and tires on the Golf were a 3% improvement in braking and a 6% improvement in skid pad g's.

    The disadvantages of the 19 inch combo compared to the 15 inch combo were a 132% increase in tire price (NOT counting the price of the 19 inch wheels), a 4% slower acceleration from 0-60mph, a 9% decrease in fuel economy, and a 35% increase in wheel/tire unsprung weight.

    Regarding the effects of unsprung weight, I offer an excerpt from the October 2008 edition of Popular Hot Rodding:

    "The lighter the wheel and other unsprung components, the easier it is for the tire to follow bumps in the road. On a vehicle with extremely high unsprung weight, the inertia of the wheel and associated assembly can't move fast enough to follow the road, resulting in a jarring, crashing ride. What's more, a heavy wheel/tire combo requires a heavier spring and shock package to control it, upping the ante with even more weight, bigger brakes (still more unsprung weight), in a situation that spirals out of control."

    Do the math. And, if you do not drive on smooth skid pads 100% of the time, add the price of a case of Preparation-H to the 19 inch setup.

    By the way, Car and Driver found the 18, 17, an 16 inch wheel/tire combos to be progressively less penalizing on the Golf. For real world driving, I like the 15 inch combo results. :D
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    edited April 2010
    Volvo had a study few years ago and concluded that larger rims with low profile tires is just plain waste of money.

    However, they also concluded that in the U.S., that combination is popular and decided to follow marketing trends obtained from various consumers' clinics that they held in various U.S. markets. That is why you see most Volvos here with large rims/low profile tires.

    Size of wheels and tires was always a big "cosmetic" factor in this country. Cars so equipped definitely "look" better. You can try to see that "cosmetic" difference on very good TireRack interactive website.

    Not that many people realize that thin tires (for example) have much better traction in snow and on ice. In the 50s, Saabs were winning all these European rally races in Scandinavia because they had thin tires. Others then follwed. Thin tires produce much higher weight per square inch, where tire is in contact with the road surface, therefore a better traction.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Thanks for the study. Myself I like the looks of the 16" on the Jetta Sportwagen. The 17" do not look bad, just my experience in the 2005 Passat with 17" turned me off on them. The radical looking 18", 19", 20" tires and wheels look really $tupid to me. People with more money than brains. And more dangerous with our increasingly deteriorating roads and highways. Low profile wide tires give less traction on rain, snow and Ice.
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    After driving JSWs with both 16s and 17s, I found the ride on aging urban asphalt to be smoother and far quieter on the 16s. For me, road noise level is a big deal; a much bigger deal than .01g on the skid pad or a style statement.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The rest results were predictable except for the braking. I would have bet that braking, too, would have deterioriated with the 19"s. I suspect the 3% is so small as to be statistically irrelevant--that is, given enough testing and enough cars, there would in fact be no braking advantage to larger wheels. Well, then there's the factor of comparing the compounds of the 15" vs. 19" tires. I'm skeptical about the braking improvements, at any rate and wouldn't put THAT in the plus + column.

    Also I don't think there is any price advantage of 16" over 17".
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Also I don't think there is any price advantage of 16" over 17".

    Aren't 16" just about always cheaper to buy than 17"s? And woudlnt the wheels, if necessary to replace, cost more too?
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    I fully agree with your response. The Popular Hot Rodding article also identified poorer braking and handling related to increased unsprung weight. Tire compounds and tread designs obviously benefited the plus-size tires in the Car and Driver tests.

    Looks like you are now making a case for "poofy" tires? Or are you standing firm that a 6% improvement in cornering on skid pad quality pavement is sufficiently significant to justify the multiple disadvantages of the plus-size wheel/tire setups? ;)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No, not exactly that. I think my "case" is for that perfect "set of compromises" that constitutes a sweet spot for most of us in our daily driving.

    Poofy tires all by themselves give away too much. Low profile tires all by themselves give away too much.

    It's really about cost + ride +durability + dynamic effects + The Car Itself we are putting these on.

    Poofy tires on a Porsche are a crime. Low profile stickies on a Honda Fit are a waste of money IMO. 19" on a car driven on potholed streets is asking for big trouble.

    All that stuff.......

    As for the 16" vs. 17" argument---same idea---16" tire selection might not be good if you own a certain type of car. You'd be better off with 17"s in that case.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    edited April 2010
    Again, I fully agree with your response. Since we should be addressing the Jetta TDI as the applicable vehicle in this forum, I think the Car and Driver tests on a Golf are relevant. Most of us chose the Jetta TDI for fuel economy, comfort, handling, safety, and enough pizazz to provide some enjoyment in daily driving conditions at a reasonable price. I doubt that many forum members actively participate in the VW Jetta TDI Cup. The 16" stock wheels and tires on my '06 were way too harsh and noisy. After down sizing to a 15" setup, the ride and noise are tolerable and the handling is still stable and responsive. Now, if it was a Porsche 911or an Audi R8.... :)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Someting you did not meniton ... but may be improtant for folks looking for best MPG.

    It is a rule-of-thumb in drag-racing that each pound removed from a whee/tire (rotating mass) is equivalant to removing about 8lbs of static weight in the vehicle. Imagine traviling at 70 MPH on the highway with that 35% increase in rotating-mass.... this means the engine is working harder to keep those wheels spinning. (35% X 8 = 280% added engine load over the smaller wheels.)

    I cannot agree more... the 'trend' of using larger wheels just because they "look better" simply goes against my grain. It seems to me that the larger wheels simply cost more all the way around no matter how you look at it. I am not one to pay for glitz.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    Good point regarding rotating mass. That was probably the primary factor contributing to the differences in fuel economy and acceleration times in the comparison test using the Golf. I'm no engineer, but I assume that larger wheels and tires also require more energy to stop rotation, thus contributing to increased brake wear. Could increased rotating mass also result in increased wear on CV joints and other power train components?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I think this is a good discussion.

    I am replying to my own append because I thought of ONE reason why larger wheels may be approprate/benifecial. An engineer can fit a larger brake-rotor inside a larger wheel. Even an inch more of rotor-diameter can provide MANYFOLD braking power.

    This is because the "swepd area" which the pads can act on has increased.. (Also due to additional "torque" the pads can apply by being further away from wheel centerline)

    Infact, I know that some vehicles with larger wheels CANNOT be fitted with smaller wheels because of clearance issues with the brakes.
  • rrollntdirrollntdi Member Posts: 52
    Hi All... I just thought I'd weigh in with my 17" wheel experience. My '09 TDI Sedan had Michelin 225/45/17 tires on it ($450 option). After 23K miles and only 2/32 of wear, I had two scraped wheels. The cost to get the wheels resurfaced was $105 each. A few weeks later, a buldge developed on the RF tire :sick: . Detroit roads aren't the best, Summer or Winter. The tire would have cost over $200 to replace. That's where I drew the line. I replaced all four with 205/55/16s Bridgestones and factory wheels. The dealer had some take offs that he provided at a great price (trade in my wheels and tires for a net cost of about $400). My wife used to complain about the rough ride on the 17s and I also heard more road noise. With the 16s, the road noise is less and she doesn't complain about the ride anymore. The price to replace the Bridgestones is about 50% that of the Michelins. The treadwear rating is only 200, so they will wear out a little faster, but at 2 for 1 compared to the 17" Michelins, who cares :P . I liked the looks of the 17s much better because they were more unusual, but the on going costs aren't worth it.
  • longo2longo2 Member Posts: 347
    You're right on about the wheel size scam, the bigger the wheel and tires the only net advantage, is the bigger the profit for the supliers. I have never liked the look of the OEM 2006 Jetta 16" wheels anyway, and decided to go with 195 65 15's, steelies underneath with nice wheel covers for both winter and summer tires.

    Just got back from a 3800 mile round trip to Lake Havasu Az and the $64.00 ea General Altimax HP's from Tire Rack handled everything from packed snow and ice over the mountain passes to slush and rain.

    The set of 4 General Altimax Arctics' take offs on rims are stacked in the corner ready for next winter.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    The OEM 16" wheels on our Jetta were the 10 spoke (5 paired spokes) with polished facing and metallic gray paint on the rim and sides of the spokes. I agree, they looked out of place on a white Jetta. After one summer and fall of suffering the harsh ride, come spring I mounted the 15" silver alloys from our '04 Stonehedge Passat Wagon on the Jetta and the 16' alloys on the Passat. The improvement in ride on the Jetta was huge. The Passat's longer wheelbase and comfort-tuned suspension reduced the harshness of the 16" setup. I noticed no difference in handling in either car. An unexpected bonus from the swap is that the Jetta's OEM wheels' styling and color look great on the Passat.
  • longo2longo2 Member Posts: 347
    I think it was one of VW dumbest ideas of the decade to drop the Passat TDI wagon.

    It was the perfect classic wagon style that will still look good 10 years from now, nicely rounded where it needed to be but still a classic practical design for a mid size wagon. Looked great inside too.

    The chain driven counter balance shaft was a disaster, but that could have been avoided if they had kept the accountants out of the engine design meeting.

    For some reason the 15" Passat wheels have always looked great on that vehicle but the older 2005.5 to 2006 Jettas never seemed to look right. Limited aftermarket wheels in the 5 x 112 mm pattern for the Jetta leaves us few options.
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    We've had our JSW TDI for three weeks and are generally extremely satisfied with the car. We got 39 mpg on a 1200 mile trip mostly at 70+ without even trying. The TDI engine is amazing and responsive. Above 1500 RPM it pulls like a small V8. Our only significant gripe is that the std Bluetooth connection is hands-free only for answering calls; you must use the phone to place calls. Not a big deal for us but the brochure said it would be fully hands-free. The BT connection, though is robust. I'm not crazy about the touch-screen audio system but it's probably going to be replaced with a Pioneer NAV unit anyway.
  • rrollntdirrollntdi Member Posts: 52
    Thanks for sharing dwpc... :) I was wondering which Pioneer NAV system you were interested in??? Will it work with the steering wheel controls of the MFD?
  • littlerhodylittlerhody Member Posts: 22
    My rear air vents on my 09 Jetta TDI sedan have become a little off kilter (probably from the kids hitting the back of the center console with their feet). The rear vent levers are fairly light grade. In any event, if I could get inside the the vent I could probably fix the thing. It seems that the back of the center console surrounding the 110V plug can be removed. Has anyone had occasion to remove this piece who can describe the method used?
    Thanks
    David C.
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    I'm interested in the Pioneer AVIC 920. I've still got to do my due diligence...I'm not sure whether the JSW wheel controls will function with it. It would be nice to keep that function, especially for using BT. I'm going to replace the speakers first and proceed from there; I'm not happy at all with the sound quality of the "Premium" audio that's std in the JSW TDI.
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    Currently I'm looking to get an ODB II code scanner for my car, however I have no clue of which one to get. I would like to get a middle-ground model, not the very basic, but nothing top of the line. Would the Actron 9180 be a good choice? I have an 09 TDI Sedan. Any advice would be appreciated. I also heard something about VAG-Com, but not quite sure what that is exactly.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/index.html

    I had this for my '00 and it really was nice. You could control and adjust just about anything on the car. Might be overkill if you just want a scan-tool and/or want something to cover other models besides VW/Audi. Highly recommended (invaluable?) if you plan to do your own maintenance/repairs.
  • rrollntdirrollntdi Member Posts: 52
    The Pioneer AVIC 920 sounds like a nice system. I'm not sure I could justify $1200 or $1300 for a new stereo/NAV system for a 40 minute commute each way to work :confuse: . I know it's all about choices and I think I'd rather have a 50" LCD TV at home instead :shades: . I'm sure the new system will sound great with better speakers. Good Luck!
  • rrollntdirrollntdi Member Posts: 52
    I looked in the manual and it would appear that VW doesn't recomend towing anything with the DSG tranny :( ... They did show a rating of 1000 lbs for the manual though. Anyone have any experience towing, say a single PWC, with the TDI & DSG? I wouldn't want to spend the $ for the tow bar & PWC and find out the DSG sensor constantly overheats.....
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    From all I have read the DSG is pretty much rated for the vehicle itself. I don't see DSG as an option on the heavier Tiguan in the EU. My guess is you would not be covered by warranty if you put a hitch and towed anything, if it does not have any tow rating.
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    We took the plunge last week about bought a 2010 Sportwagen TDI 6-Speed Manual, no sunroof, no nav. Too early to assess reliability, but we are very happy at this point. With only 300 Miles on the clock, my wife is seeing 32 City and 42 Hwy (60 to 65 MPH). The fit and finish on this car are outstanding.

    We knew the Bluetooth was for answering only and that's fine -- she's enjoying the 6-Speed shifter and the TDI engine sound far more than yammering on the phone.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    edited May 2010
    Dont forget to break-in that new engine properly... then you will enjoy many-many years of high MPG driving. (never EVER use cruse-control during engine break-in) Constant engine speeds is a big no-no!

    Check out TDIClub website for a proven step-by-step TDI break-in procedure.
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    Updating my previous post on the audio system...
    After tweaking the sound settings quite a bit, the "Premium" speakers (std on the TDI) are sounding pretty good. There may have been some speaker break-in issues too. My only remaining audio complaint is the heavy compression too frequently heard on Sirius, which is why I won't pick the service up when the free term expires. I'm quite happy with the sound quality of "Media" inputs including the "Aux In" for my non iPod MP3 player.
  • vinchenz61vinchenz61 Member Posts: 12
    Beats me why they put that AUX jack buried in the bottom of the console. Also the the plug in lighter outlet is in an akkward spot as well.
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    Completely agree with the placement of the lighter outlet, and wish there was a second one nearby. At least getting a splitter helps out in this regard, as well as the placement of the plug.
  • dwpcdwpc Member Posts: 159
    edited May 2010
    I agree. I'd prefer the 12V outlets always be "hot" too; for uses like phone charging.
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    I've added "hot" cig. lighter between the front seats - just for that purpose; i.e. charging cell phones and such.... You can tap into "hot" wires under the passenger seat and, after proper fusing, bring aftermarket cig. outlet next to the cup holders.
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Thank you for mentioning the engine break in. We avoided a long haul on the Interstate highway coming home from the Dealer by taking local roads and continue to do a mix of driving with no high speeds and no constant speeds.

    We can feel that there's a lot of untapped power waiting to be enjoyed someday soon! :)
  • ydwydw Member Posts: 14
    For whatever it's worth, http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/carcharger.asp
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    edited May 2010
    Interesting link - but - obviously not properly fused for low voltage and amp charging.

    To the best of my knowledge (and correct me if I am wrong) cigarette car chargers are wired to supply 12 V and appx 10 Amp while typical USB outlet is appx 5 V and 0.2 or 0.3 Amps (A/C-D/C converters for cellphones charges are usually configured to bring 120 V household current to 5 V and 0.2 Amp).

    Had the Suburban owner used DC/DC converter to bring voltage down to 5V and Amps to 0.2 the fire would not happen because that is what the device calls for, when charging.

    So for all of you out there who have "live" cigarette outlets, if you leave your devices plugged in overnight, make sure you get a DC/DC converter. There are many of them on the market where you can select proper Voltage and Amp values for your devices.

    And that is why I pointed out "properly fused" in my earlier post.

    Great to bring this subject up anyway....
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    Currently I'm in the process of having Laser Shifters installed (for scientific research purposes of course) and am looking to find a way to hardwire the power cables for the shifter into the center console since we need a 12V power source. We were able to remove the side panels to the console, but were not able to figure out how to remove the power adapter or figure out where we would need to attach our cables to. Does anyone have any information that could assist in this research?
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    We decided to take the easy route and purchased a 12V plug and wired it up that way. Seemed easier than tearing into the electric system of the vehicle.
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    edited May 2010
    A simple elec. wiring tester would determine which wires to tap into. I have 2 of them and over the years they provided a valuable service to me not only to show me which wires are "hot" but also which wires are on the same circuit.

    I have "hard wired" my Garmin GPS, BlueTooth cell phone remote and radar detector by tapping into "hot" wires that were nearby or directly to the fuse box adding a fuse here and there. That keeps the cig. lighter open and available not to mention un-cluttered no wire appearance.
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    It would be nice to have a completely no wire appearance, however I still need the portability from one vehicle to another. Of course, I could just purchase another set of cables for the other vehicles.... Didn't think of that until just now.

    On an unrelated note, I just got back from Baie Comeau in Quebec, very scenic drive to take the TDI on :) Was planning on heading up to Labrador City, but the dirt/mud road wasn't too pleasing for the suspension :(
  • jogousajogousa Member Posts: 402
    edited June 2010
    That is exactly what I have done - I have an extra set of Garmin cables that I use, when I am travelling, renting a car, etc. That way I can take my Garmin with me and leave hard wired set in my car all the time. By the way, the last DAS AUTO publication now shows the exact position for placement of portable Garmin (on dash board above the fuse box where I have put it a year or so ago) and VW now offers a portable Garmin wiring set for hard wiring application.

    On another note, I think my passenger side remote door lock module is slowly dying. I've already had my right rear remote door lock module replaced under warranty few months ago. It's easy to diagnose that problem. When I try to lock the car with remote key fob sometimes I don't hear the click sound. That means that not all 4 doors are locked. I go around, try to open all doors one at a time and the front passenger remains unlocked (while the rest is locked) and the alarm sounds. That will be the second remote door lock module that goes bad after 15 K miles.
  • shriftyshrifty Member Posts: 255
    I'll have to keep that in mind with the door lock module, not sure how common of an issue it is, but something to think about. If you have 2 go bad that fast, I'd start looking into something else that might be causing them to go bad. On my Intrepid, I had a module go bad, turns out water was leaking in and shorting it out.

    On an unrelated note, my 09 TDI is going to hit 52K tomorrow. As time goes by, are there any noises/smells or any other weird signs to look for to let me know that something really needs to be replaced ASAP? I'm not the type to let anything go for long, but would appreciate any input from the seasoned TDI owners. Also, how long should the original brakes last? Mine still seem to be doing quite well, and I've heard people say that the brakes aren't that good on Jettas.
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