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Volkswagen TDI Models

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Comments

  • rocquerocque Member Posts: 37
    I'm going to pick up the car, the mechanic say's he has the parts to show me. I'm just as shock as you are. and I'm telling you all the truth. It all started when I day I heard a clicking noise comming from under the turbo wastegate(in that area) then I after I was driving and the car started to sputter(it felt like I was running out of gas but I wasn't) anyway I stopped the car and had it towed to my mechanic.
  • tdicowboy1tdicowboy1 Member Posts: 1
    Gotta tell you, I love the car, love the diesel, love the many different gadgets and additions that come with a VW car.

    I do however have some questions. This is my first diesel experience. The 2002 model I bought had 47,000 miles on it, but it is in MINT condition. Engine looked great, no issues with performance, etc..

    My questions are this:

    1) When should I first change the oil? (50k) Should I move to synthetic, or synthetic blend first?

    2) Should I run the car "through the garden" as it pertains to maintenance. I.E. Belts, Filters, etc.? Just in case.

    3) I typically fill up at a Shell, Phillips 66, or Shamrock station. Should I worry about adding fuel additives during cold weather (I live in KS)? Or do these stations add it prior?

    4) And finally... What should I expect to pay for an oil change, belt replacement, etc.?

    Thanks.. you can either respond here or write me at adetwi01@sprintspectrum.com

    Thank you.
  • fdannafdanna Member Posts: 263
    Info from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website:

    Has Massachusetts prohibited diesel passenger vehicle sales in Massachusetts?

    No. Massachusetts has not specifically prohibited the sale of diesel passenger vehicles. However, diesel vehicles can only be registered in Massachusetts if their emission levels are low enough to meet California emissions standards, which Massachusetts has adopted. The automobile manufacturers have not made MY 2004 diesel passenger vehicles that meet MY 2004 emission standards.

    (Note the word REGISTERED. Sneaking a car from another state will not work).

    Will consumers be able to register diesel passenger vehicles in the future?

    Current diesel technology has not advanced to the degree that automobile manufacturers can produce vehicles to meet the more stringent LEV II standards. It is up to the automobile manufacturers to produce diesel passenger vehicles that are California-certified so they can be registered in Massachusetts. As diesel technology advances and as low sulfur diesel fuel is phased in, diesel passenger vehicles may be manufactured to meet the California standards under LEV II.

    ---

    I think when we have low sulfur fuel and can take advantage of the advanced diesels from europe we'll all be better off. Not to mention the fact that many of the problems people have now will go away. Our diesel is the equivalent of leaded gas in the 70s. Outdated.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Welcome. Please send me an email (it's in my profile) and I'll send you some links to important info. Please put "TDI" in the subject so my spamfilter doesn't zap you.

    To answer your questions:

    1. This car should have had synthetic in it from day one. If not the service intervals should be much shorter (around 5k). With synthetic the interval is listed at 10k miles and even that is conservative.

    2. It's possible it needs some things, but one place to start would be a VW dealer. A good one will be able to look up the maintenance history (assuming it's been maintained by a VW dealer). This sounds like a lease return (just a hunch) so it's quite possible the previous owner had it serviced by VW. If you can't get a maintenance history on it, I think an oil/filter change, fuel filter change, and air filter check are in order. Not much else needs done. The belts should be good for awhile but see #4 below for more on that.

    3. Additives....well I guess it depends on how comfortable you are with your fuel and how cold the temps are. I would recommend treating it yourself anytime the temps might drop below freezing. The cost is minimal for the most part. I generally use Powerservice winter formula (white bottle). Powerservice is rather cheap and does a good job. I normally buy BP Supreme from a local distributor and I normally don't treat it unless the temps are going to get really cold (like under 10F). But I personally know the distributor and that he takes great care to supply quality fuel. I was up and running at -15F last winter with no problems.

    4. Seems like $50 for a synthetic oil change at the dealer isn't out of line. I use either Amsoil or Delvac 1 (which is more expensive and better IMHO than what a dealer will use) and I have about $40 in it doing it myself. Takes about 10 minutes every 10k-13k miles. I highly recommend learning how to do this yourself, I think my wife could do it and she's far from mechanically inclined. It's that easy.

    As for the timing belt...you'll have to check your manual as to when it's due on your car. VW has changed the interval just about every year it seems. I'm not sure what dealers are getting for a belt change. Seems like $500 is a number that's stuck in my head. I'm guessing, but I think your should be good until 80k miles at the least. I didn't have mine changed at the dealer though so there are other options. I'll give you more detail in my email.

    Good luck with the car.
  • rapidrickrapidrick Member Posts: 70
    I thought I was too, until I found out that you need to modify the EGR and run cetane in it to make it run at peak efficiency. BS for a new car, IMHO, unless you enjoy monkeying with your car.

    Not VWs fault, just better diesel engines with crappy fuel. When we get the good fuel and don't have to modify our new car engines, I'll be in line.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    you need to modify the EGR and run cetane in it to make it run at peak efficiency.

    I think you're being rather picky here. Is it required to bypass the EGR? Probably not. It seems the folks doing lots of city driving would be most effected as that's when the EGR is working anyway. I recently watched a guy pull his intake to check it since he had ran about 70k miles with the EGR active. It was dirty, but I don't believe it was causing any problems as it was just a thin coat of goo (looked like the inside of most gasser tail-pipes). We cleaned it out anyway and put it back together. He didn't notice any change in performance. I did the EGR bypass for him which took all of 10 seconds.

    As for cetane being needed for "peak efficiency", I don't believe that either. The Cetane may improve performance and quiet down the motor, but it shouldn't effect mpg. I only concern myself with additives in the winter, which is something all diesel owners should be concerned with. While the fuel should be blending for winter, there is a lot of room for error. It's best to treat diesel fuel both for the chance some water has accumulated and the possibility the fuel wasn't blended correctly with anti-gel. This also adds all of a few seconds to a fill-up and maybe $1. Not a big deal considering fill-ups are every 500-700 miles.
  • deaner14deaner14 Member Posts: 40
    So, I've got less than 3K left on my warranty on the '02 Jetta and I was wondering if there's anything I should take the car in for...

    I've already had the window regulators replaced and service has been performed on a regular basis. There's nothing noticeably "wrong" with the car and the apparent noises that have been reported by others seem almost non-existent.

    Weather in South-central Texas is rarely cold enough to worry about. Mileage has been very nice at approx 50 mpg combined.

    Any thoughts, ideas and/or suggestions?

    Thanks
  • spamletspamlet Member Posts: 22
    Was wondering what anyone would look for (besides the obvious).

    Been following the forums for a while, but not sure on the 00s. Any concerns with the mileage (specifically timing belt related)? Anything I should have examined closely?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (spamlet)
    Q: Anything I should have examined closely?
    A: The service records.

    If this vehicle has been serviced as called out by the manufacturer. Chances are it will be quite reliable.

    Obviously, the timing belt MUST be changed at the specified intervals or the engine may become a boat-anchor.

    The 00's were the most troublesome (body wise) and the little quirks were worked out over the following years. If these have been addressed allready, you should be in good shape. If not, it is not a big deal anyway.

    I beleive that the 00's had a 'special' serivice contract wheras the dealer changed the oil and performed most of the maintenance as part of the purchase price.
  • mwmossermwmosser Member Posts: 11
    Hi all -

    My wife and I are looking to purchase an '04 TDI wagon probably after tax time. We drove the GLS yesterday with the 5-speed and we very impressed with the car. I'd be happy with the GL; the GLS has options that are nice, but not necessary (except the wheels, as I hate wheel covers).

    My question is this: I understand these TDI wagons are scarce and highly sought-after. Assuming I don't want the one TDI wagon 5-speed that my dealer has on the lot (it's the GLS in Candy White, our LEAST favorite color, plus it will be gone by April/May/June anyway), and I ask them to find me a 5-speed GL model in Indigo Blue, have I lost all my negotiating room? A quick internet search of VW dealers in a 350-mile radius shows NO GL models with 5-speed TDIs.

    Or assume I do take the one on the lot. Does model scarcity mean I am going to pay at (or above) MSRP on them? I have checked TMV for my area, at it shows about $600 under MSRP, which seems fair.

    Btw, I am in Lawrence, KS, near KC. We test drove our car here in town but will try KC and Topeka next month or so.

    Thanks for your help.

    Michael
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    In the states where TDI's are offered and there is a bit of competition it is common to obtain a price of $100-$600 over invoice on the Wagon TDI if you do some dealer shopping.
    The TDI is not common, however, neither are the buyers. My experience is that 3 out of 5 will sell somewhere near invoice and the other 2 will not budge from MSRP. If your local dealer is flexible on price or if your are willing to travel then you should be fine.
    One thing to consider is that May and June is near the end of the model year and in past years there have been no TDI available. VW only builds a limited number of TDI and when they are gone they are gone. Not sure if this is due to fleet emissions or simpy engine availability.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    For example purposes- Autobarn VW a dealer group in Chicago area have 2 blue, 1 silver, 1 black and 1 red Jetta TDI GL 5 speed wagons in stock. Nice selection.
  • mwmossermwmosser Member Posts: 11
    Moparbud, thanks for the info on pricing and availability. I was unaware of the limited manufacturing cycle of the TDIs but that makes sense. Hopefully there will be some left in the late spring.
  • tagetage Member Posts: 2
    I'm considering purchasing a new 2004 TDI wagon and for the last month I've been lurking and surfing the net trying to get all the info I can. If I do purchase a TDI I'll probably drive it to the end of it's useful life. A key factor in my decision to purchase will be the anticipated cost per mile to operate. Note that MPG is only one part of that puzzle and probably not the most important one. It doesn't take many repairs to eat up the $200-$250 annual fuel savings one can get driving TDI 12-15K miles/yr.

    Although I do want AC and cruise in my next car, my instincts are to avoid things like electric windows and any complicated hardware because that is just something else to go wrong. The Jetta and Passat are not available in "stripped down" mode without the "frills". Should I be concerned about that?

    How can I find out about the durability of the chassis & running gear of a high mileage Jetta? I've read about regulator problems; has this been solved in the new models? Are there other service issues that have been a problem?

    I read statements on the internet that this was a 300,000 or even 500,000 mile engine. But so far I haven't seen any reports from anyone who actually put over 130,000 miles on theirs. If you trade your car with 50-60K miles, just about any car will do fine. Even if it does break down, it's probably covered under warranty for most of those miles. The true test of a car is how well it holds up after 150k or 250k miles. (I've driven more than one car past 200K) How do I get any feedback from people who have actually put high miles on their TDI? Does anyone know someone who actually put 200K or 300K miles on one of these cars or is this just a myth?
  • fdannafdanna Member Posts: 263
    I hear your point about having less frills in order to avoid more repairs, but these things, in my experience, are not what fail.

    Most Americans chuck their cars at 5 years or less and will buy a new car if a single repair is more than $300. I don't think you'll find anyone with 300k miles on a Golf. However, the general consensus is you can't really kill a diesel engine.

    What will probably fail before the engine is: transmission components, the tons of emissions sensors, radiator, and body rust. So you'll be left with a running engine and no chassis :-)
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I know of one that has what I consider high miles. It's an '01 Golf TDI that as of last July had over 220,000 miles with no major problems. I've seen quite a few with between 100,000-150,000 miles.

    It seems if you rely on the dealer for service/repairs you may end up with a bad experience. They have a bad reputation for throwing expensive parts to repair things that could have been fixed much easier with proper diagnosis. Their service rates are generally higher than domestic/japanese shops and so are many of the parts. Most of the parts can be bought elsewhere for fractions of what the dealers charge though. I do mostly all of may own maintenance/repairs regardless of what I drive and so far my Jetta has been affordable to maintain/repair.

    IMHO, if absolute cheap is your goal there are better vehicles out there to pick from. None are anything I would care to drive because they're cheapish feeling and don't drive like a substantial vehicle. A Jetta/Golf feels like a bigger car, drives nicely, and has a generally better content. Plus the engine can be improved easily and my Jetta feels stronger than most any economical 4cyl gasser out there. I normally despise driving a 4cyl, however the TDI feels like a V6 in many circumstances.

    My '00 Jetta is the first economical car I've owned. Previously I mainly commuted in V6 Toyota Camrys which were substantially more expensive to operate.

    For all the more miles you drive the most important factor is up-front cost. You can get in a stripped down Toyota/Honda for $4,000 less than the cheapest Golf. And if options/features/driving isn't on your list of needs, then I don't see how you could justfiy a VW. They're a notch above the cheap econo cars in terms of those characteristics, and so is their price. I think you can buy two Kia Rio's for one TDI!
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    The engine and chassis die at the same time. My 70's corolla experienced a enginetranny divorce from the chassis due to rust...not so funny when it actually happens at 50 mph...but a sure sign you got your money's worth.
  • rocquerocque Member Posts: 37
    If your wondering how your jetta will be with high miles, allow me to tell you that the ONLY person that will benefit will be your mechanic...
    These cars are NOT designed for the millage they claim.........This car will bankrupt the best of us with repairs.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    My neighbour has a 97 Golf TDI with 289k miles.
    It has only needed regular maintenance. He is on his third clutch, second muffler, second set of shocks and struts and has replaced the injectors and glow plugs once. The rest has only been oil and filter changes, new tires every 60k miles, a couple of timing belts, new air filter once a year, belts and last year, replaced radiator hoses as a preventative measure.
    I have driven the car many times and it drives almost like new. I'd like to know if there is a car out there that would need less maintenance than this one.

    I would say that if you take good care of your TDI it will last a long time.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    It almost,except for the clutch, sounds like normal maintenance! :)
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    A big portion of this guy's driving is stop and go. He delivers newspapers between 2 AM and 6 AM daily and then drives to his regular job 40 miles away.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Way cool, but you didnt ask me! :) I am caring for and also planning on my 2003 TDI to go a min of 550,000 miles and hitting 1m would be way cool! I have put two dissimilar vehicles to app 250 k; one a 70 VW Beetle (college and military service days,) and a 87TLC both gassers!
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    IMHO it makes a lot of sense to hold on to your car as long as possible, getting lots of miles out of it.

    While most people seem to buy a new or used car every 4 to 6 years I tend to keep them for at least 10 years (300k miles with my driving habits).

    My present commuter car, a 2001 Echo already has 80k miles and the plan is to reach at least 350k miles (550k would be even better!)

    The only way to achieve this is to do an excellent job at preventative maintenance to prevent problems before they occur.
  • vzh9p7vzh9p7 Member Posts: 24
    Okay you mavens of motor oil; for those using Amsoil products, what product are you using?

    And for others, since I'm starting to do my own maintenance; where is a good jackstand point when rotating tires...I can jack the vehicle (front or rear), at either jacking point with my floor jack, but need to have it "held" there to get to the next tire to raise it and rotate it. Good frame locations?

    Finally, had a ditz in a Ford Expedition hit the front, breaking the grill. The sub grill assemblies are fine, and I think I can get it all taken care of easily enough; any online parts suppliers that we trust?

    Thanks for your responese.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I've been using Amsoil 3000 series 5w-30 for diesels. I'm switching to Delvac 1 on my next change (maybe this weekend) just to compare testing.

    Jacking spots are in front of rear wheels and behind front wheels. Check your manual, it has a diagram.
  • rocquerocque Member Posts: 37
    You guys and gals will soon see the dark side of the vw jetta. I took excellent care of the car. But you will soon see that this pieces of junk will not hold past 100k. The older models were WAYYYYY better that these one's.......WELL'LL talk when the time comes.........
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Stopped at a TDI mechanic/friends this morning to pick up some oil. They were checking over a '99 model with 245,000 miles a guy recently purchased. Looked in excellent condition and we went through the records to see what the prior owner had done. Not too much really, except he had all his maintenance/repairs done at the dealer and the costs were out of this world.

    I agree the older ones were probably built a bit better, but they were rather cheapish and sparse, sorta like most domestic/japanese economy cars.

    I'll know soon enough, I'll be rolling up on 100k sometime this year. So far I've had less problems than my last Toyota so I can't complain.
  • vwinvavwinva Member Posts: 71
    Anybody used this combination? Did it do you any good? I've got a couple of blind turns I have make each morning. I need to juice up the TDI to scoot.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Nearly all the reviews on chipping an auto TDI have been very good. My Golf TDI automatic chipped with Wetteraurer was a torque monster. Mileage was nearly unchanged. One problem was additional soot. There was quite an increase of soot on wide open throttle and this was not a big issue to me, however, it was no fun to be behind the Golf in the soot cloud.
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    To those who run biodiesel,
    Did you read the article in one of the car mags of the guy who runs used veg. oil from restaurants...seems he starts with reg diesel, then uses the coolant to heat the veg oil, runs on used veg oil then runs reg diesel before shutdown to clear out the injectors...If this stuff is for real, then I will become a compression ignited engine owner again....Run your car practically free!
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I've seen this on several full-size diesels. Room for an extra tank and other equipment seems like it might use up all your cargo capacity in a car. Gotta make sure you can get plenty of used veggie oil too.
  • deaner14deaner14 Member Posts: 40
    Not to mention the fact that you get to smell like a French Fry (or Onion Rings).... very sexy with the ladies...
  • andmoonandmoon Member Posts: 320
    All restaurants have an oil collecting tank in the back...they pay to get rid of the old oil!
    Now anyone know what this does to the power?
    Don
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    http://www.journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_mike.html

    You might find the above link interesting
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Here is the URL to their website.
    http://www.greasel.com/

    The main issue is that the greasel fuel needs to be HEATED before feeding it to the engine.... the greasel kit contains the heater.

    Bottom line: A 6 gallon marine fuel tank sitting in place of the spare tire will provide almost 300 miles of driving.
  • jtrujillo86jtrujillo86 Member Posts: 300
    I was really impressed with the recent Car and Driver magazine. I have been reading them for nearly four years and have only seen one SMALL write up about a 2.slow Jetta, a few Passats, and one GTI. Nothing ever about a TDI, which really peeved me. Anyway, it was cool to see their article about future diesels and I liked how they singled out the Jetta TDI as the only diesel car on the road, giving it it's own article. They pointed out the goods (which is a plus, because you only ever hear how bad diesels are) and the bads, but didn't focus too much on the bads. Anyway, I would check it out. It's great!

    Jeremy
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I still haven't received my March issue. Anxiously awaiting......

    I've noticed in the last year or so, some of their editors have written some positive blurbs about diesels.
  • cwdobbercwdobber Member Posts: 12
    I have a 2002 Vetta TDI GLS 5 speed with 82,000 miles. Twice in the past 2 weeks, we've had some pretty good rain storms with the result of water finding it's way to the floor of the passenger side of the car (front & back). Has anyone had this problem or heard about of similar happenings?
  • deaner14deaner14 Member Posts: 40
    cwdobber... I've had the same problem with my 2002 Jetta TDI on 2 occassions -- only it was with the Drivers side. The car was parked on a slight decline with the front pointed down. I inspected the overhead compartment for the sunroof and found some large droplets of water inside the cover. Couldn't locate any other wet spots in the car...
  • joe249joe249 Member Posts: 95
    That's the truth. Ask Edmunds why.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (joe249) Not just Maine and not "banned".
    Any state that has followed the CARB (California Air Resource Board) regulations is the same as Maine. Technically, it is the available FUEL that is not good enough.

    We (TDI Owners) are eagerly awaiting the ELSDF (Extreemly Low Sulfer Diesel Fuel) to become widely available in the USA. This will pave the way for the TDI engines that meet the CARB regulations. (The engines ALLREADY exist in Europe... just our fuel is crap)
  • jaijayjaijay Member Posts: 162
    I just purchased a new Jetta TDI and am wondering what is the best service manuals for consumer maintenance (fuel filter, air filter replacement etc). I was hoping that VW would of provided something in their owners manual but I did not see any.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (jaijay) Here is EXACTLY what you asked for. Videos that show just what is needed to do what you ask to you TDI.

    http://www.saywhat.biz/richc/index.html

    WIth all due respect...
    You must keep in mind that REAL repair manuals do not actually tell you HOW to do it... just what to do. Such manuals assume a certain aptitude.

    Anyone that has such an aptitude... can figure out how to replace a filter without a manual. They use the manual to troubleshoot electrical glitches and nonspecific mechanical abberations.
  • coelacanthecoelacanthe Member Posts: 1
    Was planning to buy a jetta diesel 2003 but since i start looking for a deal i heard lots of horrors story like turbo to be changed (2000$), Expensive oil change and more. Nedd comment from owner of TDI jetta concerning these "low quality" car. Thanks
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Exist for pretty much every vehicle. Heck, I even had a Camry that was a piece of crap by my standards. Generally most car forums are going to attract folks that are having problems with their cars so you have to take it all with a grain of salt to some extent.

    However, VW dealer service usually is a little suspect and they do seem to think highly of themselves when it comes time to charge. There are ways to make these cars very cheap to operate, but relying on a dealer for service isn't generally amoung those ways. You have to be a very smart shopper when dealing with VW dealers IMHO.

    Only had a couple cheap parts replaced on my TDI, and actually only one was associated with the motor itself (MAF at 70k miles). Otherwise 75k miles of smooth, fast, and economical sailing. Most turbo replacements are bogus IMHO. Dealers have a tendancey to throw parts at these from what I've seen.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    By most accounts the A4 (2003) is one of the best of the breed. I have a 2003 TDI GL and am on track for 25-28k per year. I have 23k in 10 months. So far it has been running flawlessly.

    Also by most accounts the VW has a higher rate of problematic cars than say the Japanese competitors as I got down to the top five: 1 Honda Civic, 2. Toyota Corolla, 3.Toyota Prius 4. VW Beetle TDI, 5. Jetta TDI(2004)

    My goals is to go INXS of 550k miles! :)
  • jdb47jdb47 Member Posts: 4
    My trusty '00 Jetta TDI has reliably gotten 47-51 mpg since purchase until the past 8-12 months. I'm now hitting maybe 40-43. The fuel filter was replaced about a year ago, and I've only put about 12000 miles on it; new oil and filter every 10000 miles, done a few months ago.

    I know that it's winter time now, but the summer was like this too. I did finally start using diesel fuel cleaner with a cetane boost, but to no avail. Any help/suggestions??? Thanks.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    When was the last time your snorkel/screen was cleaned?
  • caseyr1caseyr1 Member Posts: 11
    Looking into buying a 2002 tdi with 25k for 14999 (does that sound like a good deal?)it is very clean seems to run well, I was originally looking for a five speed however I have found a good deal on an automatic that actually impressed me when I drove it.

    Anyway the question I have is where to find and how much are chips for them.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (caseyr1) Here you go....

    http://www.upsolute.com/
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