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From what I've heard dealers charging for diagnostic work, $250 is inexpensive in my book. Nevermind the other capabilities you get with the program. I diagnosed my MAF as being out of spec and was able to find a cheap replacement online. Dealers were charging $500 for diagnosic/MAF replacement. I paid about $100 for mine and spent a whole ten minutes swapping it out. I'll never go to a dealer, hahaha
I usually pay to have the maintenance done on our Tahoe. Can't save enough money doing it myself like I can the VW. Chevy dealer charges $23 for the full LOF, and $5 for a tire rotation. I'm not going to crawl under the thing to save $10. The VW is a different story though, substantial savings by doing the work yourself.
Glow plug replacement is about as easy as changing a spark plug. The harness is real easy too, as both are right in the front of the motor. Figure an hour if you have no idea what you're doing. A glow plug and a harness would run you about $50 at any of the online VW parts stores. Just FYI.
Jason
Best bet is to email me so I can get you some detailed instructions on doing many of the maintenance items. I can't link them directly in here due to edmunds rules. I've also found there's some better methods to performing service/repairs available online, that the Bentley manuals don't address. Mainly because their manuals are geared toward ALL jettas/golfs/etc. where the online sites have more detail geared toward TDI issues.
When I changed out my suspension, I researched both my cd's, print manual, and some online sources. The Bentley offered good directions (although one step was absolutely wrong, misprint or something) but I picked up some tips from the online sources that worked out better than doing it the way the manual stated. Sometimes trial and error is better than the written way, and it's great when others have already figured out the errors:) Or easier ways to do something. I'm always interested in THAT!
Ditto on the above quote. Typically, what happened in the case of the 2003 VW Jetta, they came out 6-12 months later with the newest paper book. So in your case the 2004 paper book will be out sometime in late 2004 or early 2005.
parts source is www.vwparts.com
Any links? Thanks
The TDI engine is so torquey, I never even use the throttle when starting from a stop....just release the clutch and it pulls like a tractor.
If you REALLY desire more power, there is a "chip" available that makes so much torque that it has been known to burn up the clutch if one uses full throttle. (it will actually 'spin' the clutch)
I did test drive 02 and 04 jstta tdi and i know the torque is great there. but as I heard the 05 will have a wider wheelbase it should come with a better engin. No one will refuse that, right?
http://www.edmunds.com/future/2005/volkswagen/jetta/100313014/pre- - view.html?tid=edmunds.f.mmindex.content.num2.0.volkswagen*
Do you have any idea when the 05 will come out?
Sometime in the calendar year 2005, the new generation of Jetta will be introduced into this market. Whether VWOA chooses to call them '05s or '06s will depend on timing and marketing. However, it is virtually certain that the diesel engines in these cars will be the SAME as the current ones. [There will be new gasoline engine choices, but that's not the focus here.]
The next change to the ENGINES in the TDIs probably won't occur until model year 2007, when the availability nationwide of low-sulfur diesel fuel will allow VW [and Mercedes and perhaps Audi and BMW] to give us their latest technology in diesel. For the VWs, that should mean we will get the 16-valve heads here, finally, that are currently available in the EU. This in turn should mean lower emissions, better running, and a few more hp. Not a revolution, and depending on your needs, perhaps not worth waiting for.
In any case, the new body style for the Jetta will not signal a new engine right away for the TDI...that comes later, as the fuel problem in this country finally gets solved.
In other words, the stuff they are pumping now will disappear (with the exception of use in off road equipment, such as farming). Anything on or near a highway MUST be low sulfur.
I think this is why Chrysler is waiting until mid 2006 to launch the SMART brand (which features diesel engines).
I'm just hoping and praying they can meet the green states' emission rules soon :-(
The LSD is allready available for all road fuels.
The HIGH sulpher diesel is also available, but is dyed a bright pink to indicate it is ILLEGAL to use on the road. It is intended for Farm equipment and other NON road-going vehicles.
In farm communities, there are 'gas stations' that have a pump that delivers the pink stuff. The price is about $1.65 gallon because it does not have road-tax applied to the price. The TDI has a CLEAR section in the fuel line under the hood that can be used by law-enforcment to inspect for pink fuel. Dont get caught with this pink stuff in your tank!
And there is still an awful lot of crud out there being sold as diesel - low cetane, high sulfur, and barely useable in modern auto diesels. Just go to the TDI Club website and read some of the laments - if low-sulfur, high-cetane fuel were easy to find, there would be a lot of currently unhappy Pumpe-Duse owners who could relax and start enjoying their cars. This is a real issue with the '04 PD engines.
Quote EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules will require that new diesel engines meet lower emission levels beginning in 2007 and will require ultra-low sulfur fuels for all on-road engines beginning in 2006. -end
There's the rub:) Most states have no rating system for diesel, just that it must be at least 45 cetane (i believe). Based on my experience, good diesel is clear where most diesel is a brownish/green color or sometimes looks like mountain dew. The other way to tell is by how your car is running. Higher cetane fuel will quiet the engine down and provide more performance. I also see NO smoke running a premium diesel, even on a cold startup. I run BP/Amoco Diesel Supreme whenever possible (reported to be 50 cetane and 30ppm sulphur). It's hard to find and sometimes BP pumps say "supreme" but have regular #2. Some BP/Amocos don't even carry BP #2 (private franchises are only required to purchase XX amount of BP refined fuel). If you can actually buy BP #2, it's not bad. If I jump from typical truckstop crud to BP Supreme, the difference is extremely obvious. The car quiets down noticably before you get out of the parking lot.
There is great debate and controversy over this, but the oils that meet the VW 505.01 are specified. The ones that currently meet this specification are the Castrol and the Motul, 5w40. (both are group III type oils) In addition, depending on how you read the owners manual and or technical manuals almost every weight can be used. I personally have standardized on the 5w40 and there are a lot of reasons in favor of this. Most have to do with extreme longevity etc .
This is especially true for the 2004 TDI (pump duse) that uses the camshaft to operate the fuel-pumps for each cylinder.
In any case, dont be afraid of the 10K mile oil-change intervals. Only the folks that get PAID to change oil benifet from anything less.
Any idea will be appreciated.
I think the Golf, at the right price, is a remarkable value, but resale might be higher down the line with the J/Wagon. If you can swing the difference in price, I'd probably pick the wagon.