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What Would It Take for YOU to buy a diesel car?
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Well, 2 of my dad's employees have/had recent jetta TDI sportwagons. 1 got rid of his after 2 failed pumps. The other still has his, but the engine is toast thanks to a failed pump that shredded and shot into the engine ... VW still refuses to fix it. He's persuing legal representation now.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
FWIW, the Common Rail HPFP issue is relatively well known in the TDI world; the jury is still out as to whether "mis-fueling" (i.e. putting either gasoline or contaminated diesel in the tank), low-lubricity diesel, or a poor pump design (by Bosch) is at the root of the problem.
While I have no problem with VW quality per-se, I'm staying on the sidelines until this one gets figured out. Who knows, the new Mazda SkyActiv-D may hit the streets in the Mazda3 before VW has a fix for the HPFP.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
The hp fuel pump self-destructed and contaminated the entire fuel system.
He definitely never put gas in the car. He is a truck driver, so, as far as I'm concerned, that's someone who is more likely to fill up a gas car with diesel out of habit, not the other way around.
VW is denying the warranty claiming insufficient lubrication. The aren't claiming he put gasoline in because they have found no evidence to support that. Just insufficient lubrication.
Anyway, the stories from these 2 owners are enough to keep me away from VW's TDI ... and that's such a shame. oh well.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
As I understand the Common Rail TDI failure, the HPFP is located in the fuel tank and when it goes, the entire fuel system can be (but isn't always) compromised. The engine is not impacted in any way-shape-or-form.
FWIW, the rumor over on the TDI Forum is that VW and Bosch have gone through a number of redesigns and the issue seems to be slowly getting better (i.e. cars with late model fuel pumps seem to fail with less frequency than the ones with earlier designs), unfortunately failures are still happening.
For my part, as much as I'd love to have a fully tarted up 6-Speed (the kind with three pedals under the dash) Golf TDI, there are two things I'm less than sanguine about:
1) The HPFP issue which I do believe will get corrected sooner or later.
2) The inclusion of a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) as part of the exhaust system.
The new Mazda SkyActiv-D engine will most likely have some of its own teething issues, and may also have HPFP issues (VW isn't the only company that's suffered with HPFP implementations in recent years). That said, by virtue of the lower compression ratio of the SkyActiv-D engine (14.0:1), Mazda is able to build the engine with no DPF or Urea catalyst and still pass all present and codified future emissions standards.
My dilemma is that I prefer the way the Golf looks, feels and drives over the second generation Mazda3, however, Mazda seems (at the moment) to be on the best path to a clean, reliable and highly efficient diesel engine, and that may win the day for me in spite of how the Mazda3 looks.
That's a bigger concern than even the issues themselves - VW service. I could always buy an extended warranty, but you still gotta go to that same dealer to get whatever it is fixed.
The other thing is you used to put up with that risk to get a nicer vehicle overall, and with the cost cutting even that is gone. I'd buy a Golf or the old Jetta Sportwagen before I'd get a new Jetta sedan.
Any how, just expressing frustration that the only two truly affordable diesels are VWs. We need more choices...
Correct. As far as I know, that is exclusively an FSI problem, not TSI. FYI, VW extended the warranty on FSI engines for the HPFP and any consequences of its failure. I can't remember what the letter said exactly, but I believe it was 10yr/100k ... maybe even more. Personally, I'm just keeping an eye on the follower and have replaced it once already just as a precaution.
For my part, as much as I'd love to have a fully tarted up 6-Speed (the kind with three pedals under the dash) Golf TDI
Same here ... but not until its fixed.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
That is getting toward EU percentages for diesel sales. Audi has several great diesels in their lineup sold in the EU. I am waiting for them to show up here. Still dreaming of the A4 Allroad Quattro TDI with the same 2.0L engine used across the lineup. Rated in the UK at 51.2 MPG on the highway. I can live with that kind of mileage.
Plus MB has sold YTD 129k cars and SUVs. Will they bump BMW off the pedestal this year.
Volkswagen's high-mileage, clean diesel TDI models accounted for 24.1 percent of all July sales.
My favorite the Touareg TDI must have had good sales. Though they did not brag about it.
Sport utility vehicles Touareg and Tiguan experienced 119.3% and 19.5% sales increases, respectively.
My bet is, over 50% of those Touaregs were TDI models. Who would want the gas version?
I just do the scheduled maintenance. There are a host of scheduled maintenace items that I have extended 1. I had the timing belt and water pump done @ 100,000 miles (VW recommended interval). I run currently 30.700 miles OCI's. Fuel filters @ 80,000 to 100,00. Air filters are @ 100,000 miles.
Unscheduled maintenance, my left front low beam lamp burnt out. I had to get new tires @ 112,300 miles.The coolant sensor was removed and replaced (threw a computer code) .
I ran another cost comparison agains an 04 Civic and without boring folks it was way higher for the same mileage (110,000 to 120,000 miles)
Cars are better than they used to be and 200,000 miles isn't all that hard to achieve.
Word of mouth is more prevalent than just a decade ago. People post like crazy, and the curve of complaints at the NHTSA has to be steep. The failure rate is probably only 2 or 3 %, even on stuff like Odyssey transmissions or CR-V ACs or Toyota gel. Maybe 5% for VW window regulators. :shades:
We're getting ready to put 5,000 miles on our 12 year old minivan with 158k on it. Back in the day, you'd carry a spare engine if you even considered such lunacy.
We aren't worried. If the van breaks down, we'll either fix it or buy a clunker to get back home in. Even a clunker is probably good for 50k. :shades:
The funny thing and I can not prove this, nor is it anything but folklore, but it seems that every mechanic I know would rather work on a clean car than on a dirty one. So if I do one thing to ANY to all of my cars is/are to keep them (components also) as clean as I possibly can.
One of my neighbors though I was out of my mind when I drove cross country a couple of years back in our (then) ten year old minivan (a 3.8 liter Dodge Grand Caravan) which had over 170,000 miles on the clock when the trip began. The only casualty during the trip; the ground strap between the engine and the body separated and until I replaced it, I couldn't use my cruise control (oh, and the alarm would sound for no reason when the car was locked).
That said, "back in the day" I got transferred from Los Angeles to Atlanta; back when I could put my complete list of possessions into a 5'x8' trailer. I dutifully loaded up my stuff, hooked the trailer to my 1970 Challenger which had about 230,000 miles on the original 318 (I had found a 340 Six-Pack from a wrecked AARA Cuda which I had in the car for an entire month before the 318 went back in, a month by the way, which featured four speeding tickets) and headed out across the country. I had a casualty on that trip as well, the radiator bailed outside of Albuquerque. :P
Boredom probably sets in for most people and they want to get something different. Or their needs change.
There's some grime in my engine compartment, but it's not all that filthy considering the age. Those splash shields must help, not to mention not having leaks. I don't have much interest in scrubbing down the block and risking getting rinse water on the electrical components.
Remember who you're talking to - I wash the exterior of my cars maybe twice a year. Forget waxing.
I do however subscribe to and :shades: do the 6 mo waxing plan. All this really does is delay to hopefully avoid a paint job in the future.
It also gets an occasional rinse (when it rains).
Rain's probably worse for the paint than spilling diesel fuel on it. :shades:
Well, after I got permission from my CFO.
If nothing surfaces within the next 2 years, I will probably buy a Passat TDI anyway and hope for the best.
But you said it, not me....
Further back VW was able to do the constant improvement mantra for the MK IV Jetta and the 2003 Jetta TDI is still considered one of their better efforts.
Many nice cars started out rocky and got better---C4 Corvette comes to mind, Porsche Boxster, etc.
I'd be *very* tempted by a MINI diesel countryman wagon. I still find VW scary. :shades: Besides, my friends at Hi-Tec Automotive will work on MINIs but won't touch a VW. (They are a Porsche-Audi shop primarily). I also have a diesel specialist in the area of excellent reputation.
He says VWs are harder to fix than Porsches, and he should know.
It's not every day that two brand new off-roaders turn up at the same time. So is it a coincidence? No. Porsche's Cayenne and Volkswagen's Touareg are brothers - built on the same platform with many shared parts. And we've got them together in the UK for the first time. So is there more than a badge to differentiate these cars?
Similar external proportions give away the fact that these two cars are related.
So if you want a Porsche SUV and don't want to spend the bucks for the name get a Touareg and save about $30k.
The arrival of the new Porsche Cayenne comes at the same time as the new Volkswagen Touareg which makes sense considering the Cayenne is based on the Touareg. Porsche fans should be delighted with the redesign although Porsche purists will still be unhappy until the Cayenne is dead altogether and Porsche returns to its roots. Don't count on it though as the Cayenne is Porsche's best-selling vehicle (shocked? me too) and with VW Group now in control, expect even more vehicles falling outside of Porsche's traditional circle.
In any case, the new Cayenne arrives looking better than ever as well as the new Touareg. More interestingly, both will come in hybrid trims for the first time and each lose 400 pounds of fat, despite being larger than before. The result is leaner, meaner, and greener machines.
Since I have only seem one, the gasser Honda Civic timing belt and water pump AND valve adjustment with attending valve seal R/R, seemed to have many more procedures, took more man hours, seemed more complicated that the diesel TB/WP change, as complicated as that can seem.
I was thinking more about passenger cars when I said that. Forget about that SUV platform-sharing business. One thing they have in common as SUVs is that neither one's body is built in Germany apparently.
My Porsche technician friends do not find VW a familiar universe, but they do of course understand that the Audi-VW world is a lot more similar.
I think the point was that the VW world is just different enough from the Audi one to make life difficult for them, and they already have a tough job.
It'll be interesting to see how their shop reacts if/when Audi or Porsche SUVs introduce diesels, as they do not do any diesel work at all and prefer not to.
I'm sure they *could* do it (smart guys) but I can understand that they do not, at least not at the moment, think of diesels as an enthusiast's type of car.
Which is why they took on MINI in addition to Porsche and Audi, and not VW.
I suspect that even at dealerships, one technician has been designated "the diesel guy" and that this is not necessarily regarded as a status position.
Yep, and let's remember platform-mates don't necessarily share the same reliability.
Look at the Acura Legend and the Sterling that was based on it.
While you can’t buy a diesel engine in a mainstream light-duty pickup, heavy-duty pickups now offer propulsion suitable for a tandem-axle dump truck.
I’m not exaggerating. Ford’s 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8 packs 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque; the base engine in a Peterbilt 348 dump truck offers a mere 260 horsepower and 660 pound feet. Does your pickup really need more power than a Peterbilt?
NYT article