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Comments
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks
David C.
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.
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.
Check out TDIClub website for a proven step-by-step TDI break-in procedure.
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.
We can feel that there's a lot of untapped power waiting to be enjoyed someday soon!
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....
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.
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
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.
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.