VW Jetta TDI

bpeebles

It sounds to me as if you did not go into the 40K mile service prepared. I just wnet thru all of my receipts for my TDI and the most expensive one was less than $90. (that is Ninety Dollars US legal tender) And that INCLUDES a free lonar car for each day they had my TDI.

It is NEVER a good idea to just tell a dealer "do the xxMile service". This is because they often add in expensive things which are not listed in the owners manual as required to maintain your warantee. Instead, you should read the owners manual yourself and hand them a list of items which you find listed in there.

I am curious.... would you be willing to provide us with an itemized list of what they did for your 40K mile service? (and what they charged for each item)

raymondl1166

We have a 06 jetta tdi and I'am thinking there might be something wrong with the transmission??when taking it out of park and putting it in reverse it seem to be slipping or revving up and then it seems to grab and go It's a tiptronic automatic 6 speed any buddy out there having the same problems like this?
Thanks Ray

tdisue

Hi all-

I am a relative new owner of a 2006 Jetta TDI. This is my first diesel vehicle and I love it...with the exception of the nasty black exaust reside on my bumper. Is there any trick to keeping this off the car or is this just something you deal with when owning a diesel??? I own a white Jetta and it really shows.

Also....does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove it?? I have been using Goo Gone...but am not really sure how this would be for the finish of the car.

Anyway...just my only complaint of the car...and I guess it's a small one.

Thanks in advance,
Sue

cosmo

This solution may be too extreme for your taste, but it has worked for me. I also have a white 2006 Jetta TDI. I took an immediate dislike to the Corolla-like styling and the pudgy side and rear views of the body. I taped off the rocker panels, the rear bumper cover below the seam, and the front spoiler below the seam. Then, after using denatured alcohol to remove all the wax and using a mild abrasive to rough up the paint a little, I painted the lower panel with black plastic pickup truck bed liner (3 coats). I prefer the looks now, as the car looks longer, wider, and lower. (More like a Passat.) The bed liner material is durable and easy to patch when it does chip. Road tar is less visible on the rocker panels, and the black exhaust residue is no longer visible.

sebring95

You might try to find some better fuel. A premium diesel won't soot like that. I run BP Diesel Supreme and get absolutely zero smoke, even with mods.

elias

my 06 jetta is silver and accrued an impressive soot layer after 6000 miles without being washed. it took some serious soap & scrubbing to remove it. the first half of the 3000 miles was before "ULSD" so maybe the soot won't accrue so much for the next 6k miles...
i don't think "premium diesel" solves this sooty-bumper issue whatsoever, because i don't believe there is really such a thing as "premium diesel" in USA (except maybe for some biodiesels!)
personally i find the soot-residue on rear bumper tends to keep tailgators at bay - a nice bonus. if that doesn't work, downshifting & flooring it will often cause the 06 TDI to "blow its nose" even with ULSD, making a nice soot-cloud on the tailgator.

sebring95

There are premium diesels, you just have to go finding them. Just because the pump says "premium" doesn't mean squat. BP Diesel Supreme is (and has been for 10 years) a low sulphur, high cetane fuel that leaves no smoke (nor residue) on my TDI. There are some others that have premium diesel as well, such as Sunoco but again, you have to seek them out. Calling distributors is the best way to find the good fuels because those guys are "specialists" and they generally like to talk about it. They can tell you if they carry the fuel and if so, where they delivery it. Of course, you can always just fill-up at different stations and see what happens. If you don't get smoke on cold start, you've made progress. I've filled at unknown stations before and can immediately tell the difference (low power, smoke, noise, etc.). A premium fuel will improve all those attributes.

ruking1

I get the feeling something is happening that you are not sharing or is not apparent. I have run #2 diesel 83,000 miles and have fuel in more than 12 states and NEVER have soot residual on the body or even smoke!!??

bpeebles

I have to agree with ruking1 --- In over 60,000 miles, I have never even noticed any soot on my rear bumper.

Perhaps you should have your IQ checked. (Injection Quality) the presense of soot usually indicates ineffecinet combustion. Are you getting less than 45MPG?

I am also wondering if the design of the new (MK5) jetta tends to 'pull' the exhaust back onto the bumper? The butt of that MK5 jetta is pretty big ;-)

You dont have a "fin" on your jetta....do you? (that sure would induce the exhaust to get pulled back onto the bumper)

tdisue

Hi all - thanks so much for responding to my post. I am only getting 38 mpg or so...nowhere near 45 like bpeebles mentioned. Ruking - I am not leaving anything out.....I am a first time diesel owner trying to figure this whole thing out....I'm trying to understand what you meant by that. I fill up at Valero gas stations.....we do not have BP or Sunoco here in Texas. My car has put out soot since day one. Do you think it's a performance issue???

bpeebled - what do you mean by a fin?? A fin on the bumper or a fin on the trunk? I don't have either.

The soot is nasty looking.....maybe I should ask the dealer.

I am looking forward to any more feedback you can offer. Thanks in advance!
Sue

ruking1

I would swag a guess, it is indeed a performance issue. Since it is a relatively new TDI (2006) most dealers have an official/unofficial 1 year new car adjustment period. So I would bring it in and mention your symptoms of low fuel mileage and soot. You might point in the direction of checking the IQ.

Unrelated to this issue, you might also ask them to check the alignment and tire balance (should also be covered under the new car adjustment period). All the best and let us know what you find out.

bpeebles

By "fin", I meant a fin on the trunk. Some people actually put these things on their car thinking it is a "performance enhancement". In reality, a "fin" on the trunk messes with the aerodynamics that the manufacturer carefully tuned in a windtunnel.
A side-effect of adding a fin is to cause more exhaust fumes to get sucked onto the rear bumper. (Cuz the clean air is not flowing smoothly from the trunk-lid down onto the bumper.)

hopeful99

what should the eng temp. be on a 06 jetta tdi. the gauge is at 190deg. is this the norm. thank u. :confuse:

harrye

hello,
i was wondering if anybody on this forum might be able to help point me in the right direction as concerns my 2000 Jetta TDI. In a nutshell I tink I need a new motor. Can anyone recommend a mechanic in the Seattle area? thank you

bpeebles

Yup ... 190F is the proper temp for all VWs.
In cold (-10F)weather, you will be lucky to see it reach 190F because the TDI engine is sooooo efficent. (it does not make much waste heat)

bpeebles

There are several websites that "rate" mechanics/dealerships.

Here is Trusted TDI mechanics - by state
(Use "Ctrl-F" and search the entire webpage carefully.... Also search page "2" )

Here is VW/Audi deraler ratings

vwinva

Inside Line confirms that the Tiguan small SUV will be offered with a Blue-Tec diesel. Expect this to replace Jetta wagon. Blue-Tec should be 50-state legal. Not a great looking vehicle but you'll be high enough up to actually see around. I'm tired of looking at license plates from a low-down Jetta.

bpeebles

The last I heard - the "blue tec" technology was not yet approved by the EPA for use in the USA. Apparently they have some reservations about owners having to add the special fluid which makes the exhaust scrubber work. (The EPA thinks that most people will just put fuel in it and drive... ignoring the need to add the special fluid)

On the other hand- I also heard that Mercediez-Benz (Chrysler) and VW have been pushing the EPA pretty hard to approve the "Blue-Tec" for use in the USA

Perhaps you mistakenly understood that BlueTec will be coming to North America (ie Canada) -- but will not be available in USA.

Do you have any recient news on the EPA approval of the Blue-Tec technology for use in the USA?

hopeful99

are there alot of heaters for a 06 jetta tdi to plug in over night. thanks h99
:confuse:

vwinva

Bluetec is not approved yet. I am optimistic that it will be since AdBlue meets the Euro 4 and Euro 5 environmental standards which are as tough as anything CARB has. Best description I have seen for an AdBlue package would be a separate tank @9 gallons that would be switched out by the dealer as part of the 100K service. EPA draft reg. wants some sort of early warning/no run arrangement to keep vehicles from running with an empty tank. See www.dieselSCR.org blog for more on this.

bpeebles

Yes - there are several choices to plug in your automobile to heat the engine in cold weather.

Basics are;
OIL heaters
*)Magnetic stick-on to oilpan (wont work on Aluminum oilpan)
*)Dipstick heater (replaces oil dipstick with heating element)
*)Lightbulb placed under the oilpan (I know a guy that has done this for many years)

Antifreeze Heaters
*)Inline with the hoses (can be either electric or diesel-fuel powered)
*)replaces a frostplug in engineblock

Entire Car heater
*)Heated garage

Although the heated garage is perhaps the best choice foe a warmed engine... it promotes rusting of the body panels and I dont have a garage.

After much trial and error - Most folks end up with aTDI heater. You can experiment with your car... or go down a proven path with TDI heater.

vwinva

Have found a station in the area that carries B20. Would like to hear from anyone who has run a TDI on B20. Ny Jetta has 150K on it, worried about crud from the tank choking the fuel filter. Any other significant issues to beware of?

bpeebles

The seals on the fuelpump.

hopeful99

thank u . is this heater differcult to install. not the best with tools. thanks. :confuse: h99

bpeebles

I did not think it was very difficult to install. The instructions that come with it are pretty clear. It is IMPERITIVE that you use genuine G12 antifreeze to replace any that is lost.

If you are not comfortable with tools, it may be best to talk to somone who is and see if they would install for you. I would not think it would be more than 1/2 hour of time for somone comfortable with tools.

hopeful99

thank u for your help. where can i get the G12 antifreeze?

sebring95

Probably cheaper to go to a vw dealer if that's all you're buying, but www.worldimpex.com is a terrific source of VW parts at significant discounts.

hopeful99

AGAIN THANK U . I OWE U . HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY. H99

deryll

I've found a 06 TDI Pkg 2 SE at a dealer in another state and what I need to find out does the passenger seat on the Pkg 2s have any power on them at all, i.e. power recline or tracking? We travel quite a bit and my 06 Pkg 1 car has no power on the passenger seat and since my wife likes to recline it all the way down for resting purpose its quite a bear to bring back to the upright position with the rotary knob set up.
At present I'm waiting on the saleman to get back to me with the info but I though maybe someone on the forum would know.
Thank You and Merry Christmas To All.

elias

hi deryll. you are most welcome. i've got 06.5 pkg2. passenger seat is all manual. but it can recline plenty. you are right that it is sort of a bear to bring it back up with the knob - you gotta get all your weight off the seatback to do it.
i gotta tell ya - i think travelling with seat reclined that much is probably bad news if any collision occurs. i think passenger might slide under the belt in that case. well, sorry for that bring-down aspect, but there's your info re the seat.
i can't recommend VW TDIs strongly enough!
Merry Christmas & respective-other-holiday-cheers to all!

hopeful99

hi dery, i have a 06 jetta and yes it has a power driver seat. with all the bells and wislhels would be interested in a sale. car has nav. pkg2, plam gray, totally in mint cond. has 5,326mi. let me know if u r interested. contact me at harveyg19@frontiernet.net. thanks h99

hopeful99

hi dery, i have a 06 jetta and yes it has a power driver seat. with all the bells and whil. would be interested in a sale. car has nav. pkg2, plam gray, totaly in mint cond. has 5,326mi. let me know if u r interested. contact me at harveyg19@frontiernet.net. thanks h99 ps car is manual 5spd

highender

I run my 2002 TDI with 110,000 miles , on 100% biodiesel. THere were no problems. Just change the fuel filter after a month or tankful......

do not know year of your TDI..but pre 1995 diesel engines may have hoses that would leak , so you would need to change those to Viton hoses or newer hoses, in order to run biodiesel.

As you know, biodiesel has good lubricity for the fuel pump, and cleans the whole fuel system.

bpeebles

The issues with fuelpump-seals related to BD is when folks tend to switch back and forth between using BD and regular diesel.

With the introduction of ULSD over the past several months, the problems with fuelpump seals has become even more exasterbated do to the large swing between chemical makeup betwee the 2 fuels. (1 fuel makes the seals swell while the other one makes the seals shrink.)

traumagas

Hello all
I have a 04 tdi wagon with 68k miles on it. I approached the dealer and service people at 60k asked if I needed a timing belt and tensioners, They said NO and that at 100k do the belt and water pump.
Well the belt broke at 68k and now has to have head worked or new Head, I opted for New Head and water pump and the works at the tune of 3200.00 I had VW place do it since I was out of town on thanksgiving. I have to say I am very unhappy with VW and the car. I dont trust it and Little gun shy of it. this is the most money I have had to spend on a car with only 68k on it. it may get 40-46 mpg but all that just went out the window. with this repair.
Another thing I see that a Class action law suit is in the works due to all these timing belt failures VW and Audi are having. Does anyone have any insight into this? seems if VW says dont change the belt untill 100k then it should be covered untill then. This will be my last VW :mad:

Traumagas

bioboy

Rob Hey I'm having the same problem I have a 2006 jetta tdi. I'm going crazy. What in the world is going on. I'm running biodiesel since day one but I doubt it has anything to do with it.
Please Get back to me the dealer is putting me off until the 15th of jan

Thanks you
Rob who also has tdi

sullyak

I am contiplating the purchase of a 1999 jetta tdi with 95,000 miles. The owner appears to have meticulously maintained the vehicle. He told me that his "diesel" mechanic told him to NEVER use biodesiel in this car. Is there any truth to this? Running biodiesel is one of my main reasons for purchasing this car. The price is $8000. Any major issues or comments regarding the purchase of this vehicle would be appreciated. It will be my first jetta.

Thanks.

tu754z

Don’t know much about bio-diesel since it is not available where I live. You can run the thing on used fryer oil with a conversion kit and that is something I plan to do as soon as my warranty is up. So I don’t see why bio-diesel would be a problem.

You don’t say if it is a A3 or A4 99 since that was a conversion year. But in any case it is common for the intake manifold to clog just past the EGR. It is a toss up some cars are 90% clogged at 60K other it takes well over a 100K depends on how you drive I guess. Believe it or not it is hard to tell how clogged it is without looking since the drivability is not adversely affected until the very end. You would notice power loss but over time but it has to be real clogged to make the car very powerless. For example I test-drove a 00 with 120K on it and I could not get the car over 50MPH. On inspection, the intake only had an opening the size of a pencil. But with a opening say the size of a nickel it would run fairly well (not like unclogged car but you as a new buyer may not notice it). Consider the intake is about 2 inches in size when new. But that is not a showstopper all you need to do is take off the intake and clean it (not a small job). You may need new injectors at a 100K that is about normal.

One biggie is the timing belt and I think both the A3 and A4 in 99 was a 60K change. You want to make sure that it was changed at least once and at about 60K. If it has never been changed that is bad since it can break at any time and by by engine.

The VW TDI is a good car and with 95K it is just about broke in nice. If the car is good overall and all it needs is some normal maintenance sounds like and OK deal based on the little info you provided.

bioboy

Ok all it was was a fuel filter. but at 15000 miles it seem a little premature to go bad

bpeebles

Incorrectly prepared biodiesel is KNOWN to plug fuel filters. Many folks carry an extra fuel filter with them just for this reason.

Also -- BEWARE: running BD has been known to cause seal failure on the fuelpump. (due to chemical charctoristics of the fuel)

You did not say WHICH grade of BD you are running. The last I knew, VW does not endorse use of BD over 20%. (B20)

urbanchef

I have been running my Jetta TDI on SVO since April 06. I converted it with only 1000 miles on it. I have driven it on heated SVO for 16,500 miles purging before any extended shutdowns as recommended. After fueling up for the first time with the new ULSD fuel my Jetta won't start. The dealership said I need a new fuel pump and injectors for only $4600, (conversion voids warranty), so, I towed it back to my garage.

I also have an 05 Dodge Ram 3500 dully and have ran it for 25,000 miles on SVO with no problems til fuelling up with the new diesel. Now I have to put in fuel conditioner and occasionally start it up by spraying starting fluid via the air intake.

What can I do to repair my Jetta? Starting fluid has not been successful! Can I replace the seals in the fuel pump?

I had engine symbol, and wrench lights lit a few days before breakdown and I had to fill-up with engine oil as well!

bpeebles

Obviously the real issue here is that you ran NON-APPROVED fuel thru a pumpe-duse engine. (very bad idea)

If you are engine-savvy, you can use VagCom to troubleshoot.

Your 2006 is a "pumpe-duse" engine. Each injector has its own seperate fuel pump. There are not may people in North America that have the skills to work on the fuel pumps. It is not advised that you try it at home (nor have dealership do it)

If you need to replace injectors, I recommend some of the Kerma Injectors that will give you more power and better MPG than the original injectors.

You may also wish to become a member of www.tdiclub.com website and see what the TDI experts have to say about your delima.

highender

I run my 2002 Tdi jetta with 110,000 miles, on 100% biodiesel....and have not had problems...

Biodiesel is very good for your fuel pump..it has better lubricity compared to the new diesel#2 ULSD.

But make sure it is properly filtered, or else it may/will clog fuel filter....

15,000 miles for a new fuel filter is kinda quick....especially for a newer car. I will need a new one, since I have over 110,000 miles...and the biodiesel will clear out all the gunk in the fuel system.....

Many people run biodiesel at high percentages with no problem....

however, with the new ULSD, with its low lubricity, and how it contracts seals....it is the opposite of biodiesel. One expands the seals, and the other shrinks the seals. It is this shrinking and expansion on the seals that causes failure/leakage.

I suggest if you run biodiesel, than always have some in the tank , like at least B20 or higher.

bpeebles has a good suggestion....go to the tdiclub.com to ask those experts who work on their cars all the time.

autoboy16

Since there is no correct place for me to place this and there used to be a TDI Jetta wagon, I'll put this here!

Vw should market the Sharan MPV, the (MAzda5 sized) Touran mini MPV, Yaris sized Fox, and the Tiguan here.

Check them out here!

alltorque

The VAG TDi engines 10k miles oil change is the only aspect that winds me up, and then only a bit. As ruking1 knows, I run a Skoda Fabia vRs, (that's a VW deritative here in Europe), with the 1.9TDi, 130bhp/228lbft torque, 6-spd manual. 80mph cruising is at 2400rpm and the torque spread is between 1900 - 2400rpm. 50+mpg is easy and these engines do go on forever - but only if you use the VW 505.01 oil. THat high torque makes overtaking fuss-free in just about any gear. There's lots of this info on the "Is This The Day Of The Diesel" forum.

Why does 10k miles oil change wind me up ? Well, just about every mainstream gasoline engine here in Europe runs on 20k miles oil changes; even more for some depending upon driving style in those cars that monitor it. 10k just feels like a service money-maker and I'm sure it's very conservative. However it's a relatively small price to pay for a great engine. Some day you'll catch up on oil drain intervals and we might, but only might, catch up with you guys on other things such as warranty periods, (generally 3 years/60k miles here in UK but typically only 2 years in mainland Europe).

Hi ruking1. Small world, eh ?

ruking1

It is truly amazing how just a difference in perspective makes. On the synthetic oil thread, I am sure there are a number of folks who on the one hand think I am certifiably nuts: to a polite, lets wait to hear how his Honda Civic (gasser) BLOWS UP due to running 20,000 mile OCI's.

On your post at hand, I think you could possibly change your intervals after a careful reading of your VW specifications and seeing if the multiple specifications will web or cover your goal (higher than 10,000 mile OCI's).

So to me for all I have read, bets are off for the PD or pump duse motor. Howwever if your owners manual, technical shop manuals, Skoda web sites will let you shoe horn or fold your (engine's oil specs) way into the VW 507.00 specification, ELF shows as high as 30,000 miles per OCI.

So on the 2003 Jetta TDI motor the spec is VW 505.00, 10,000 mile OCI. Turns out Delvac One 5w40 aka Mobil One Truck and Suv DOES NOT meet VW 505.00 specifically. ROAD BLOCK. However it does meet CF-4 which is a much more stringent specification, which of course exceeds VW 505.00 specification. Next Delvac One also meets CI-4 specifications which is still FAR higher than the CF-4 specification. (this is also duplicated on the ACEA specification side). Now all this is with the up to 500 ppm LSD in mind. Even at that, most oil analysis test good to go to 15,000 to 25,000 miles. So with the advent of ULSD, or 15 ppm that is like > 90% LESS sulfur, which means it tends to generate even less by products ergo app 30,000 is now with in the useful life.

music287

I've been getting +53 mpg on my '06 Jetta tdi. I've noticed that when the temperature drops (It's in the high 20's today.) my mpg goes down a coupla mpg's. Anyone else notice this phenomenon? What's the explanation?

Jay

alltorque

ruking1, You know, and I know and hunfreds of thousands of Europeans know that 20,000 mile OCI's in modern gasoline engines is fine - the manufacturers simply wouldn't advocate it if it wasn't and there are many many 150k+ mile engines roaming around Europe not breaking down, not burning oil and just getting on with life regardless of the 20k OCI's. My last Peugeot gasoline engined car only required it's initial oil-change at 20k miles and ditto thereafter. Times have changed since the days of mineral 20w-50's, poor tolerances and old materials. Problem, in USA at least, is that the service industry has chosen not to move on and pass the benefits onto their customers; for reasons we can all understand.

As for my TDi's OCI, I'll stick with my 505.01 for now, (i have a couple of changes' worth left), but will be looking at a new Skoda with the 2.0 TDi PD later in '07 so will be interested to see what that calls for in the way of specs and OCI. May even go mad and get the 2.5 V6 TDi. My neighbour runs an Audi A6 Quattro with 3.0 TDi. Wonderful device but maybe a bit big for my needs. On the other hand...........you only come this way once, I think. One think is certain; it will be a cold day in Hades before I go back to gasoline.

Many thanks for your always-valuable input.

bpeebles

All automobiles lose a certian percent of MPG in colder weather. This is due to onboard computer injecting more fuel.

It injects more fuel for several reasons including;
*)Cold engine is harder to keep running due to thicker oil.
*)Cold fuel does not ignite and burn as efficently.
*)You are loading the engine more with additional electicial equipment.
*)Battery requires more charging.
*)Cold xmission is less efficent (thicker oil...etc)
*)Cold differential takes more power (thicker oil...etc)
*)Cold wheel bearings take more power to move.
*)Rubber in tires is stiffer.

The reason you may notice this phenomena on TDI engine is because it is more efficent to begin with. (5% of 50MPG is more than 5% of 20MPG)

I hope this answers your question.

scalvit

This is Steve from Minnesota where it can get really cold too. I've had many discussions over the years about whether or not windchil effects cars. I think the answer is yes. Cars produce heat and cold wind will make the car cool faster. It's basic physics. So, I would disagree with you and say that windchill, although it was created to apply to humans, actually does effect cars.

Sometimes I'll run my 04 tdi in a lower gear to increase the rpm and heat up the engine faster. I also installed a TDI Heater that really helps on very cold days.

Just curious, do diesel engines run cooler because they run at lower rpms as compared to gas cars?