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Volkswagen TDI Models

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Comments

  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    What is surprising, when using this dual filter by-pass setup, is that the UOA's provide amazinginly low wear numbers.

    All the UOA's on my 2001 Toyota Echo had single digit (or zero) numbers for all the important metals and other oil suspended particles. This for OCI's between 15 and 18k miles!

    The numbers were essentially the same as UOA's for 3k miles without the special filtering.

    Here is an example: http://theoildrop.server101.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB3&Number=2257- - 89&Searchpage=2&Main=225779&Words=highmiler&topic=&Search=true#Post225789

    Only copper was 10 after 11k miles!
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    All I can say is WOW!!! :) The only thing I would do is to have the dealer or whomever you trust to do this to check the chain on the echo (if so equipped @250k )!! If belt equipped just do your recommended cycles. All the best to 400k and above !!
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Thank you for the good wishes.

    The big question is, will the timing chain survive that kind of mileage? Or is it the water pump, the alternator or some other accessory item that will go first?

    I never had to replace anything, not even a light bulb on my Echo. I sold it with 200k miles because I wanted (not needed) a new car.

    I did, however, quite a bit of preventive maintenance like ATF and coolant drain and fill on a yearly basis. Belts and spark plugs every 2 years.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    "The big question is, will the timing chain survive that kind of mileage? Or is it the water pump, the alternator or some other accessory item that will go first? "

    If I understand your post, since you sold it; the question is now academic?
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    I am sorry if I did not say it clearly.

    I meant my 2007 Sentra.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    On the 2007 Sentra, the most I would take it without checking (the timing chain, if so equipped)is app 250,000 miles, only because failure can be catastrophic if the engine is an interference type.

    The alternator and water pump are truly consume able items with higher mileage cycles. I would replace only when it fails. But...

    In the VW TDI (A4) for example, it makes sense to change the (app 60 dollar or less) water pump at the 100k mile timing belt change as most of the cost is labor (on the A4 model-due to the design) and the labor cost to change the water pump out at the timing belt cycle is a minor percentage. On the A3 model, since the water pump is not an intergral part of the design, changing out a water pump at 100k makes NO sense, as it can easily last 250,000 miles.

    So on the 2007 Sentra, you will need to determine if the water pump is out of line or in line designed.
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    Thanks for the advice.

    I will find out.
  • sgundesgunde Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone experienced their TDI just shutting off? New TDI Wolfsburg, 20,000 miles turns off around corners or slowing to a stop. Clutch is in all the time. Driver very experienced with a stick (2000 Corvette and 2005 Porsche Carrera S). Anyone have any idea, the dealer sure dosn't.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I usually have some kind of answer or advice for technical issues... but I have never ever even heard of a TDI just quitting like that.

    For this odd problem, perhaps you may want to try the TDI club
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    yes there is at least one case of this same problem described on tdiclub. i think the dealer traced it to:
    clogged fuel-return-line.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have been thinking about this stalling problem and with the TDI engine, there is no "ignition" at all. This kinda points to the problem being a fuel-supply issue.

    It is not uncommon to get a small airleak in a fuel line. Most of the time, it is harmless or you may observe som airbubbles in the clear fuel line between the filter and the Injectionpump. It is possible that the Injectionpump can "suck air" and the engine would stall out.

    One easy thing to try is to simply replace the fuel-filter and MAKE CERTAIN that all the hoseclamps are snug and BOTH of the O-rings are installed properly and in the correct location. (The 2 O-rings appear to be the same but are intended to be installed in different locations.)

    I am thinking by doing the above, the stalling problem will be resolved.
  • pludlowpludlow Member Posts: 16
    I haven't experienced the stalling but have some thoughts about the possible culprits: The fuel shutoff is electrical and could be that a poor connection is causing the problem during acceleration (negative); or another possibly related problem is there seems to be a "throttle" cutoff associated with braking, as I have tried powering the engine to test or dry the brakes only to have the "throttle" cut back.

    Hope this helps.

    Pete
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You are correct that the TDI (and most other fuel-injected cars) will cut the fuel to the engine during decellation. This is to improve MPG and reduce tailpipe emmissions.

    As for the "cutoff" with the brakes on... you are only partually correct. It is actually a specific RPM limit when brakes are applied.

    To prove it to yourself, try this -- while sitting in neutral put left foot on the brake pedal and then use right foot to bring engine RPM up... you will notice that the engine WILL NOT GO PAST a specific RPM while the brake is applied.

    I still would replace the fuel filter if it were my TDI stalling. It would be a cheap way to "shotgun" the problem with more than 60% chances of success.
  • sgundesgunde Member Posts: 2
    Thanks alot guys, I told the service advisor what you said. They were not sure what to look for, they were going to replace the mass-air sensor. Volkswagon did not have any ideas either. I'll keep you informed. Shane
  • robmelrobmel Member Posts: 1
    Hi there I too have a GT TDI 130 golf and been experiencing a judder at about 2500rpm. It then carries on when you accelerate to about 3000rpm and then is fine...Did you manage to get to the bottom of this problem as im fearing the worst...thanks
  • anteateranteater Member Posts: 1
    If you haven't replaced the filter, I wouldn't go searching for a MAF yet. I have an '06 TDI Jetta (way cool) the only problem in 15k miles was a bad batch of fuel from a cheapo station. Mine shuddered and ran like crap. I replaced the filter and all is good. If you do need a MAF, go to TDICLUB.com and check out some of posts re: MAF. Both are easy to change and the members freely provide detailed instructions with photos. Great site!

    Mine has 109HP and 178 ft.lbs torque and up to 42MPG @ 80 MPH - and it's plenty fast. Lucky 07 TDI shoppers, the 08 1/2 Jetta TDI will have 140HP and nearly 200 ft.lbs torque and better mileage. I wish I could have waited.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Ahh... but I like the 58MPG on the highway (with AC on!) that my TDI delivers. I would be very surprised if that 140HP motor can acheive that.

    I have never been "wanting" for more power in my 2003 TDI. I "drive the torque curve" and it can outperform many other cars... especially passing power.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I have put over 98,000 miles (a baby for some veterans) on the 2003 Jetta TDI, and I am still amazed at its inherent capabilities (given 90 hp and 155# ft of torque).

    Not too many areas in the continental USA exceeds the altitudes of the Rocky Mountains. Literally the TDI runs like a mountain goat in this performance parameter and range. (forgive the juxtapositions of metaphors here) The nexus of course if it can run well there, almost anywhere else is by definition: "down hill".

    I was amazed at the mpg going from sea level to 6500 feet. I was particularly amazed from 6500 feet to 2000 feet!! 584 miles, 12.1 gals, travel time 6.25 hours, @ 48.26 mpg!!!!! It is amusing to get those surprised quizzical looks from V8 drivers during pull away.

    (Durango, CO to Las Vegas NV, for those who want to mapquest)

    http://www.laplatadiscount.com/Durango/Reference/tips.html

    ..."Did you know? About three-quarters of the nations land above 10,000 feet is in Colorado. Estimates place more than half of Colorado above 5,280 feet."...

    Yet in listening to folks who have these types of machines in Europe; such as Alltorque's Skoda examples, it becomes apparent that the USA market get the "less powerful version" (90 hp vs 100 to 110 hp). They also get another gear, (6 speed vs 5 speed)that can also wring out 2 more mpg, if they do not demand the extra hp and torque.
  • shelley2shelley2 Member Posts: 17
    I have to fill the car up with water every other day, and the water seems to be coming from the driver's side under the car, I think it is the seal on the water pump, and wondered if there was a quick fix for now until i can fit a second hand pump myself, or is it a difficult job to do. Was going to use bars leak or radweld. Also are golfs prone to leaks in this area?
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    You do not state the mileage, but the water pump is a known replacement item. Depending on ones model/year (I do not keep up on the variouos /model/years technical issues- trade portion of this knowledge but) intervals can range from 60,000 to 250,000 miles. (Mine, an A4 2003 Jetta TDI has both a timing belt/water pump interval recommended at 100,000 miles) (I know for example a latter model A-3 has one of the best intervals at app 250,000 miles) Do not under any circumstances use a stop leak. The real question is WHEN it will leak, not if. Latest preferences are the water pumps with the brass impeller.
  • pludlowpludlow Member Posts: 16
    The pump is located on the rear of the engine on the passenger side. If you know the leak is on the driver side and not running across a frame or sound barrier, then I am suspicious its not the pump. Having someone pressurize the cooling system should allow you to assess and locate the leak better. Pressurizers are a reasonable cost and a good tool for diagnosis. There are other cooling system components to the driver side of center that could be the source. The thermostat and coolant heaters are on the driver side of the engine above the bell housing, as well as the supply hose from the radiator.
  • churchchurch Member Posts: 1
    I seem to be having the same code p0234 you talked about the N75 valve ?? what is it? where is it? how do i replace it? thanks
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I assume you already know that P0234 = "Turbocharger Overboost Condition Control limit exceeded" So the N75 is a good candidate to look for problems. Since it is so expensive, you may wish to try cleaning it 1st.

    To clean/test N75 - Disconnect 3 hoses from N75, mark each one so you know how they go back on. Be careful not to break the plastic nipples, then cut 1/4 inch off the end of each hose to eliminate possible holes or cracks in hose, if not new.

    Connect 2 wires to battery POS and NEG, touch the connector on the N75 with the wires to cycle it ON. you'll hear it clicking. get electronic contact cleaner and spray in all nipples and cycle ON. black stuff will leak out. repeat process until liquid comes out clean. it should evaporate fast. then lube with electronic parts lube. reconnect hoses to N75, reconnect plug and you are done.

    "what is it? "
    The N75 valve is simply the name given to the valve by VW. It is an electronically-conrolled air-valve which controls the signal to the VNT vanes of the turbocharger. The N75 is Pulse Width Modulated to control the vacuum signal coming out of the actuation port. Although TDIs do not have a wastgate on the turbocharger, some repair manuals refer to the the N75 as "Wastegate Bypass Regulator Valve".

    Here is a technical description of N75 operation.

    "where is it?"
    The n75 is located on the right side of the car just foreward of the fuel filter,on the inner fender.

    "how do i replace it?"
    Remove the 3 hoses and the electrical connector and replace it. DO NOT MIX UP THE HOSES!!!

    Here is a photo of N75 valve from my favorite TDI parts source.
  • soapysailssoapysails Member Posts: 2
    I had the misfortune of running over a chunk of snow/ice ! it poke :confuse: ed a small hole in my fuel line. I was able to cut out and replace a 4" section, however, it won't start. This is what I have done: a. bleed lines to eng. b. checked to be sure filter can is full of fuel c. checked fuel pump fuse. when we took the lines off, turned on the key, we were unable to get fuel up from tank.. am I missing anything ! BTW, I'm 100 miles from a dealer ! help boys ..

    1998 vw TDI
  • pludlowpludlow Member Posts: 16
    Sounds like the hole was in the supply line and at one of your splice connections you have an air leak. Since the TDI is a suction pump as part of the injection pump (no electric push pump in the tank like the gas engine), any leak before the injection pump will suck air. If so you should see bubbles in the output leg of the fuel filter. You may need to fill the supply line between the filter and injection pump with fresh and absolutely clean fuel until the air in the line is gone, then reattach it to the filter. Also you could use a gravity feed from a clean jar just to get the engine running then reconnect the supply hose to the pump.
    Good luck - it's always the dreaded problem with diesels.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    To validate that the injection-pump and engine are OK... it is pretty simple to route the 2 hozes which normally go to the fuel-filter into a small container of CLEAN fuel. (put a soda bottle with CLEAN diesel in it under the hood near the fuel-filter)
    The engine should start and run just fine running from that container of fuel.

    If that gets the engine going, then you likely have an air-leak in the system between the fuel-filter and the tank.

    If engine does not run - your problem is between the fuel and the engine. (lets hope your injection-pump did not run dry and self-destruct)
  • soapysailssoapysails Member Posts: 2
    My thanks to "Pluglow and bpeebles" surprised to get such quick and helpful ans.
    I will try both ideas in the morning and let you both know.
  • blooeyes4u2blooeyes4u2 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if these are actually built? I've done LOTS of searching and haven't found anywhere on the web where this is an option. My next question is "why not?" Growing up in the 70's I owed several beetles throughout the years. A convertible beetle with a diesel engine is my 'dream' car that I would keep until they take my license ole blooeyes!
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    That would be a great little car. Equipped with the DSG transmission and you have a winner. Buy a gas Beetle convertible and a regular Beetle with TDI. Then swap engines and transmissions. Sell the regular beetle with the gasser and you got your dream car.

    Welcome to the Forum...
  • trujijtrujij Member Posts: 2
    Any chance you could answer a question on this subject? I have a 2002 VW Passat wagon. We lost the valet key and bought a new one from the dealer about 6 months ago. We found the old one a few days ago and stupidly tried to start the car w/it. Now even the original switchblade key won't work--nothing works. Anything I can do to get the new key we had made or the switchblade to start the car again?
    Thanks.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    tru j , it might start with the new-made-key if you wait a half hour and retry.
    (If it detected wrong-resistor-value in the original valet key, and you tried it a few times in a row, i think it might lock-out the ignition for 15 or 30 minutes. some cars do that. not sure if your VW is one such...)
  • trujijtrujij Member Posts: 2
    i'll try that--thanks!
  • jshlevjshlev Member Posts: 1
    Hi There everyone, My TDI usually is hard to start on cold mornings(no heat block yet) but just yesterday it now will not fire and run. The battery is fine and the starter seems to be doing it's job but maybe it's not getting fuel? Should I change the fuel filter to see if that is the problem? Is there a way to check to see if that is the problem. I read on a previous post about a fuel line problem and they put diesel in a can to bypass the filter? Would that be a test?
  • pludlowpludlow Member Posts: 16
    I doubt it's your fuel filter.
    My experience is with a 4 cylinder diesel if one of the glow plugs has burned out, starting will be very difficult. This is based on owning three 4 cylinder diesels with >500k mi. To check the glow plugs, pull the electrical connector caps and measure the resistance of each to a good contact with the engine block. You will see either low resistance of <10 Ohms or an open circuit which means burned out. Removal & replacement is simple, just be sure to clean the area around the plug before removing it. Around 100k mi I replaced one on my TDI for the same symptoms, and several on my Ford Tempo over 300kmi and lots on my Peugeot, but it was French!
    If it's your fuel filter you would likely see the problem at any temperature.
    Waxing becomes a problem after operating for a short time. For sustained cold weather below 10deg F I would use a good wax inhibitor.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You are correct in thinking it is NOT the fuel filter. A plugged fuelFilter does not often cause STARTING issues. Instead, a plugged filter will show itself as you are driving asking for power with the throttle. (more fule flow)

    Your IQ is the most critical thing when it comes to starting TDI engine. With the IQ adjusted to slightly above the nominal setting, a TDI will start very easilly in -15F temparatures.

    IQ = Injection Quality (aka timing of injection pulses)
  • jzautojzauto Member Posts: 1
    Engine misfires at idle only. Sometimes turning the A/C on will make the miss disappear. Seams to be a lean condition that changes with different attempts to locate it. For example: Cracking the #3 cylinder injection line slightly will smooth it up at times. Closing the intake butterfly almost to the point of stalling seems to clear the misfire.
  • miammiam Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a 2005 Jetta TDI in Vancouver WA from a dealer and the first month I owned this car it was in the dealers shop. After reading your blog about crappy service at dealers, I am now requesting that anyone who might know of a good mechanic in the Portland OR area let me know, Please!
    The first sign of problem was that at a stop light the engine idol was really "chugging." The whole car would shake violently and I took it back and said "I've owned a diesel before, but this can't be right." In fact I was right and the car had more problems than I knew. The dealership said that the fuel injection lines had been switched, that the intake was connected to the outtake and vice a versa. Since they "corrected" this problem my MPG have dropped by 20 mpg (from 50 to 30). Does anyone know anything about this? OR know any mechanics that are trust worthy?

    THanks
  • vwguy1776vwguy1776 Member Posts: 3
    hi,
    I recently had to shell out $2000 to replace my turbo that failed due to excessive carbon buildup. I own an 02 Golf TDI with 77,000 miles on it. The extended warranty company is balking at covering the cost due to the presence of this excessive carbon. I take good care of teh car and am pissed. does anyone else have this problem? any suggestions when i sue the extended warranty company? DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A CLASS-ACTION SUIT AGAINST VW FOR THE [non-permissible content removed] TURBO IN MY GOLF?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Comon.... You are not serious about blaming VW for this? VW does not even manufacture the turbocahrger. It is built by one of the 3 companies in the world that builds turbochargers.

    Most likely the problem with your turbocharger was the DRIVER. There is a reason that you need to use full-throttle accelleration at least once per tank of fuel. TO KEEP THE CARBON BLOWN OUT OF THE TURBOCHARGER!

    Besides, your old turbocharger is likely to be good. I hope your repair-shop did not KEEP your expensive trubocharger. I am sure THEY sent it out for rebuild. (and got several 100 dollars for it)

    As a pre-warning to you... the INTAKE-PLENUM on TDIs is known to get plugged up with carbon and needs to be cleaned. (around 80-100K miles) Did your service-poeple include this cleaning in the $2000 bill? If not, you will be in the shop again soon...
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    Sorry to hear about your turbo failure. I really can do nothing about the spilled milk portion, but can offer up suggestions on how to make the new turbo you bought go longer than 77,000.

    Mine is at 107,000 miles. The goals are a min of 500,000 miles plus. The EGR and intake manifold was inspected during the 100k mile TB/WP change. It was pronounced good to go for @ least another 100k by one of the regional gurus. It was blacked, but there was NO carbon/soot build up.

    So when your water temp is cold (aka, less than normal operating temp @ app 190 degrees on your temp gauge) run your revs (through the gears) to not more than 2,500 rpms. When it is warm (aka @ app 190 degrees on your temp gauge) run your revs (through the gears) to app 3,500 rpms.

    You CAN rev to 5,100 rpms BUT much over 3800 rpms does NOT much good. (economy, power, speed, wise) This type of up and down reving keeps the turbo's vanes from getting stuck.

    Some might have different definitions, but you will want to run the car slightly ahead of the torque curve (again slightly to more aggressively). You do NOT want to wind it up like a Honda VTEC then shift. But you want to shift (slightly) before and let the torque pull you to where you want to go. So while I normally run the engine at higher rpms ( for the reasons stated) when I want max mpg, I run it between 1700- 2000 rpms(sweet spot) . Again, when you feel the need to down shift let the revs take you to between 2,500 to 3,500 and this will actually keep the turbo issues at bay while you can do the economy range if you so chose.
  • ally21ally21 Member Posts: 3
    Hi, can anyone help me please, I have recently purchased a new shape Golf GT TDI. It seems to have an intermittant shuddering when the vehicle is ticking over. The whole car seems to vibrate. I was advised to change the oil and clean the throttle body which has been done but has not made a difference. Has anyone come across this before or have any suggestions for me to try. Thank you!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    There is no "throttle body" on a diesel engine... just exactly what did they do? (I hope you did not actually PAY to have a non-exastant part cleaned.)

    In any case -You may want to start with a compression-test to ensure that all 4 cylinders are mechanically sound.

    Then, consider one of the injectors may be mis-behaving.
  • richt007richt007 Member Posts: 1
    I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Rich Truesdell and I am the Editorial Director of Automotive Traveler, which, as the name implies, is an automotive adventure travel web site. Wednesday I was up in the California desert doing a test drive on the Dodge Caliber SRT4 when I encountered a group of VWs and Audis going through some hot weather tests. As all the Audis were were not cloaked, I didn't see anything interesting there. But I did come across what I believe were two 2009/2010 Golf Plus models and the the test team and their escorts really didn't want me taking photos of the front of the cars.

    It took a little bit of creativity and patience, but here's a sample of what I was able to get.

    image

    I've posted some additional views at Automotive Traveler, including some higher resolution images. Here's a direct link to the blog:

    2009 VW Golf Plus Spy Shots

    I invite you to drop in, take a look, and leave any comments that might better identify the cars in the shots. Feel free to post the above image on other VW-related forums if you want so long that you properly credit it to Automotive Traveler and the link above.

    If the editors at edmunds.com would like to feature the images with proper attribution, please contact me directly.

    Thank you and have a great weekend.

    Richard Truesdell
    Editorial Director, Automotive Traveler magazine,
  • alltorquealltorque Member Posts: 535
    If you go to the VW Germany site you can see all the current cars - guess these are what you'll be getting. But maybe not the new Scirocco.

    www.volkswagen.de/vwcms_publish/vwcms/master_public/virtualmaster/de3.html
  • timbodeytimbodey Member Posts: 6
    looking for how to contact members without interrupting a forum :confuse:
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    If you click on a member's username and they have their email set to "public" you will be able to see their address and contact them that way. Not everyone will have their email set to public, so the other way to tackle the situation is to set your onw to public. Then if you want to contact someone off the forum youcan just let them know to click on your username and initiate the contact that way.

    Only registered forums users can find email addys this way so there's no danger of exposing your email to just anyone this way.
  • snowglobe380snowglobe380 Member Posts: 1
    I have a TDI jetta and my car has been vibrating more so as well. I do agree from what I learned that doing a compression test is a good idea & then looking into the injectors. This is something i'm currently looking into as well. My car is notorious now for having its shaking and misfiring...
  • watkinstwatkinst Member Posts: 119
    My experience over the years with Ford - Toyota - Subaru - VW has all been the same. Only difference is the parent company and the policies they have which support proper customer service vs not sport it.

    Example - Ford no matter how random or unacceptable the issue was would bill the owner for the fix. Both my Subaru and my Toyota had repairs done way outside of the warrenty with no questions asked. Both Subaru and toyota dealers simply said hmm? thats not right it shouldn't do that we'll fix it no bill to me and a 100% happy customer and future buyer. Our VW had some issues not surprising even with a full extended fancy warrenty we still left the dealer $700 light for a car with 50,000 miles on it.

    My conclusion is that any dealer can be bad and the parent company policies can contribute to this poor service. I've also come to the conclusion that you should always learn as much about your vehicle as you can man or woman so that you know when things that shouldn't go wrong do and you can put pressure on the dealer to do the right thing vs charge you for a big fix etc.

    I've had mistakes made - vacume hoses left detached on my Toyota which resulted in me getting stuck given my 4wh drive didn't lock - I gave the dealer an ear full they fixed it no charge and payed for my tow which wasn't cheap.

    My Subaru which has been beat and abused like no other car I've ever had developed a very rare leak Subaru took one look and said that shouldn't happen we'll fix it the car was 40K out of warrenty! And yes they were right no matter how the car was used the leak it developed should never happen.

    VW - for years and - years and as for as long as I can remember has had horrible dealer reputations. It has 100% to due with the policies the parent company has regarding dealer pay back and credit from the parent company for warrenty and "goodwill" repairs.

    If you want to just drive a car not knowing a thing about how it works etc there are only three companies you should own a car from in this order Honda, Subaru, Toyota.

    If you take an interest in how your car works how it is put together etc then owning more exciting cars like VW's BMW's , Audi's - Mercedes etc.

    If you have little money for a car you should have a used Honda, Subaru - Toyota.
    If your a die hard American made type you need both money and car smarts for the Fords - Chevy's etc given the cars are OK but spotty regarding quality and the dealers have historically always been Ok but not outstanding when it comes to doing the right thing.

    I really do not like our 2001 1.8T Jetta its poorly put together - not comfortable - small and isn't exactly enjoyable to drive. Having said that the 5spd manual is well done something VW has always been known for is well done Manual transmissions. I drove the new 2L TDI jetta and was greatly impressed all my complaints appear to be fixed with the new 09 Jetta and for the price its hard to beat. Again its a VW so you should be the type that takes an interest in how the car is built and works so you know when things need addressing and when to call BS on the dealer.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I agree with most of that. I've always said that VW's are tremendous vehicles for someone that enjoys being involved with their vehicles. And the TDI is even more so being that the VW dealers usually have even worse service for those models. I plan on doing all my service and hope to never need the dealer for anything.

    I disagree on Toyota though. I lump them clear at the bottom of the dealer service pile, right there with VW. In fact, their CSI scores usually reflect my sentiment. I always swear I'll never buy another Toyota (but usually do anyway...i.e. my current Tundra) because the dealers are so bad. I've fought with them on every warranty repair I've gotten out of them on the five Toyotas I've owned. Been screwed a few times on issues that were slightly out of warranty. My '07 Camry had bad strut mounts at 37k and even though there was a TSB on it, three dealers and Toyota corporate told me tough luck, I should have complained before 36k. I even called Toyota corporate after the run-around they gave me on the Tundra recall and they didn't give a rip. What's funny is nearlest dealer is a Toyota/Honda franchise owned by the same folks. They're right next door to each other. The Honda dealer is clean, drive-in service bay, free loaners, awesome waiting area with food/starbucks, and they've always given me top-notch service. The Toyota side is a trash heap, no loaners, dirty bathrooms, and the biggest [non-permissible content removed] of a service advisor I've ever met. Makes no sense, except that Honda holds them to a higher standard. The only up-side is that the problems are usually few and far between. God help the person that gets a bad Toyota though!
  • sammyhsammyh Member Posts: 2
    i have had my golf mk4 remaped from 150 std to 196bhp i was told my clutch may need to be upgraded few months past and its starting to slip can you advise on a replacement thankyou sammy
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