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VW Passat TDI

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Comments

  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Everybody knows that VWs are sporty and are driven by people who tend to speed and take chances, right?

    Of course! Actually, while my TDI is a symbol 18, a 2.0slow Jetta was only a symbol 15 which is much closer to any other similar car. The 1.8T was a symbol 19. I believe a Trans-Am (at that time) was also a symbol 19. I'm just listing what I remember from when I bought my TDI. I'm old enough to not care about insurance, but was quite surprised when the bill came so I talked to the agent about it. He reassured me he had it right in the computer and he wasn't sure why a 90hp car would get such a high rating either. If they only knew I've bumped mine to over 115hp..... :P
  • thsmiththsmith Member Posts: 10
    I had a VW Sharan (mini-van) during a work assignment in Germany and had the exact same problem. I cannot remember exactly what it was, but it is a common problem. Take a look at the diesel board on vwvortex, or perhaps the tdiclub and post a question.

    When I had this problem I posted there and got an answer very quickly and the response agreed with the dealer's inspection. Sorry I cannot remember what it was, but it was some type of sensor that would not allow the boost to work - essentially, you are non-turbocharged when this happens. Stopping/restarting the engine resets the sensor. I think it will get progressively worse (start happening more often).

    Good luck.

    Here is a list of possible solutions from the diesel board at vwvortex - you might want to post a new query tho, b/c this info is from an older post:

    <>
    Your car is going into limp mode. This happens when it sees too much boost, so it cuts the boost altogether. Maybe fueling too, but I am not sure about that one. It is reset each time you switch off the ignition. Thats why the problem seems to go away upon restart.

    There are several things that can cause this. Most likely, the variable vanes in the turbo are sticking in the full boost position (due to soot buildup in the turbo). So while puttering around under normal acceleration, the ECM doesn't see crazy boost levels, so it thinks all is fine. But when you punch it, the boost spikes too high and the ECM shuts it down so as not to blow up your turbo. The best way to see if your vanes are sticking is to try to move the actuator rod on the turbo. There is a vacuum diaphragm that controls it. Look for the vacuum line that goes down to your turbo to see where it is located. If you cant move it by hand, try unplugging the vacuum line from the N-75 solenoid & apply vacuum. Either with a vacuum pump or just use your mouth. You can provide enough suction to move this rod yourself. Make sure it moves freely. If not, lubricate the area with a good penetrating oil.

    A second possibilty is your N75 valve has failed. This is what controls your turbo. It is not a common problem, but as with all electrical parts, it is possible it is no longer functioning. You can try to swap your boost control solenoid with your EGR control solenoid as a temporary test. The parts are very similar, so can be swapped to trouble shoot, but they do have some differences, so it should be used only as a test. AT least it will save you the cost of buying a new N75 valve if it is not the problem.

    A third option is that your intake is plugged, restricting the airflow. this restriction does not allow the compressed air to move fast enough into the engine, causing the higher than usual pressures before the restriction. This is a common problem here in north america because we use diesel that is more dirty than yours. 500ppm of sulfur IIRC. But since your diesel over there is supposed to be much cleaner than ours, I do not think option #3 is your culprit.

    Try to see if either of the first two help out & well go from there. Oh, one other thing. Before going through all this, contact someone who has a code reader or Vag-com to get the code stored in your ECM. It will probably read something like 'Charge Pressure Deviation' or something similar. If you can't contact someone who can retrieve the code for you, you may have to go to the dealer. Some will do it for no charge (it only takes 3 minutes), some will do it for a nominal fee, and others will charge a full hour labour to do it. It depends on the dealer & how customer friendly they are.

    Good luck & let us know how it goes.
  • wnzbnzwnzbnz Member Posts: 3
    Hi,
    Thanks for your response. Thrust sensor did not correct the problem, and 2004 Passat TDI is back at dealer. I printed out you info and will pass it on to the dealer. The problem occurs mostly on hot days, temperature greater than 85 F.

    Thanks again.
  • slezesleze Member Posts: 1
    I am interested in buying the the TDI wagon so I test drove an automatic TDI sedan (wagons only come in automatic). The only thing that concerns me is the <1900 RPM power. Whether you floor it or gently press the accelerator, you accelerate VERY slowly until the turbo kicks in.

    Is there anything I can do to fix this lack of power? It didn't feel like the engine was struggling or anything but was just some sort of computer setting. Would a chip fix this?
  • soupboysoupboy Member Posts: 15
    Welcome to turbo lag. You might find some aftermarket bolt-ons or ECU remapping options that will allow the turbo to spool up sooner but you're probably not going to see much. You could try brake standing...

    The nice thing about the TDI is the broad torque range. For comparison, my WRX (gas turbo) does nothing until 2800rpm....but it's also a manual so you can rev and launch.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    I have driven my 2004 TDI wagon for over a year now (13,000 miles +), and I have NEVER experienced either turbo lag or lack of low end power. You may experience Tip lag until you learn how to drive it. By the way, flooring a diesel is not the way to get maximum acceleration out of it.
  • tomsawyertomsawyer Member Posts: 12
    I would appreciate some help on this one. I am doing the 5000 mile service on an 05 Passat TDI.

    I completed the oil change no problem; however, I am not sure how to empty the fuel/water separator. Can anyone guide me on how to do this? Here's a couple of questions -

    1) Is the fuel/water separator located on the right side of the engine next to the oil filter housing?

    2) If it is, is it a black canister with 4 hoses connected to the top of it?

    3) On the bottom, I see a white plastic wheel that looks like it can be turned.

    4) If this is it, it looks like the canister is held on to a metal arm with some type of torx screw. Does anybody know the size and will it fit on to a ratchet?

    5) Should I take the screw off to lift the canister to turn the plastic wheel?

    6) Will diesel fuel come out of the canister if I turn the wheel?

    I appreciate all who answer. Thanks in advance.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    cosmo, if flooring a diesel is not the way to get max accel out of a diesel vehicle, what is the way to do it? i used to floor my 2003 jetta 5-spd very often, in order to get max accel. i find myself doing it less often with 2005 passat tdi however.
  • liscolisco Member Posts: 1
    Just purchased a 2005 TDI wagon - have 2k miles to date. When I accelerate to 30 to 45 mph and let up on the throttle, I get a strange vibration/sound that seems to come from the drivers side roof panel area. I have ruled out heat shields - I can put the car in neutral and coast - the noise is there. I will take it back to the dealer, but just wondering if anyone experience the same issue. It certainly will help the dealer pin it down - you know how it goes - we could not duplicate the problem etc.

    Also - what is "tip lag"?

    Thanks
  • bzackbzack Member Posts: 12
    I bought a Passat TDI last week. So far I have driven 350 Kilometer. For the first 150 Kilos, it's mainly highway, I got 5.7L/100 Kilo. For the last 200 Kilos, it's all city, I got 7.5 L/100 Kilo. Is this normal?
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    If your figures are based on actual fuel added at fill ups, you are getting better fuel economy than I am with my '04 TDI wagon. If your figures are based on the trip computer readouts, you may be in for a let down when you refuel. My trip computer is consistently optimistic by 4 mpg.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    There is a discussion regarding this issue on another popular TDi forum. The subject to search for is "Shifting patterns of a automatic TDi". I have found that flooring the pedal gives me diminishing returns in regards to acceleration and a significant increase in exhaust smoke. I found a sweet spot that seems to give me the best acceleration with less smoke, and the shift point in automatic mode is 4,000 rpm. You have to experiment. It didn't take me long to get the feel for it. Off the line, depress the accelerator smoothly as if you were aggressively but sanely driving a manual transmission, i.e. not like you are a fifteen-and-a-half year old that pops the clutch and mashes the accelerator and either kills the engine or burns rubber. That sudden dumping induces Tip lag, and acceleration is temporarily zilch. To accelerate when already in motion, manually downshift one lower gear and go for the sweet spot. Flooring the acclerator will cause the Tiptronic to downshift too far and you lose the advantage of the TDI's torque.

    Works for me. I'd like to learn what works best for the rest.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    thanks cosmo. i'll try to incorporate your advice re acceleration and will report back if i notice anything that might interest you or others here. i actually wish the car would smoke *more* like my 2003 jetta TDI 5-speed would do - because i tend to enjoy putting a soot cloud on tailgators. in related news, i noticed that it seemed impossible to make the car smoke on the low-sulfur california diesel fuel. but on nevada fuel, ascending into some nevada/wyoming mountains around 7000 feet, i put a magnum opus sooty onto a left-lane hog who was dawdling up the mountain. i was lovin that, but i have it on good authority that such enjoyment makes me an idiot!

    i've looked at two other VW forums (fora?) and have not found the thread to which you refer but i'll look for some others. wink wink nudge nudge say no more. funny enough, on one of those other VW forums i found a discussion about the next-gen version of my other car, pontiac GTO. sometimes i've got the need for speed/acceleration, other times i've got the need for diesel mpg :)

    in diesel price news, it's nice to see the price of diesel *almost* as low as the price for regular unleaded here in new england and in some other states on I-80...
  • bzackbzack Member Posts: 12
    Thanks! My figure is indeed based on trip computer. Even though it may not be accurate I'm still surprise in a good way: compared to my Grand Cherokee, Passat is extremely fuel efficient.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    I am new to the TDI, loving it after 5 days. My commute is mostly highway -- I have not needed to buy fuel yet, but the computer tells me I am getting about 41 mpg.

    1) I do notice it seems to be better if I keep my speed to 70 or lower, but I still can get 38 mpg at 75. Does that match your experience?

    2) Will my mileage improve after the engine is broken in?

    3) I "drive" it like I drive gasoline cars -- I turn the key, start and go. Of course, it's 100 degrees here in PA. Should I be waiting 5 seconds or watching some glow light?

    4) I got the GLS for $23,677 before tax and tags. How did I do? That was $1800 less than the first dealer I spoke to. Once I got below invoice, I stopped shopping. I also feared that the TDI supply would dry up.

    5) Can I play MP3 CDs in the Monsoon, or just conventional CDs?

    Thanks! I look forward to joining the legion of loyal VW drivers.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    2) Will my mileage improve after the engine is broken in?

    Historically, the TDI engines have been quite tight when new. Performance and economy goes up after 5k-15k miles.

    3) I "drive" it like I drive gasoline cars -- I turn the key, start and go. Of course, it's 100 degrees here in PA. Should I be waiting 5 seconds or watching some glow light?

    No need to wait in the summer, but when temps start dipping you might start making a habit of waiting. The glow-plug light should just blink right off if warming isn't needed. I have three diesel vehicles and pretty much catch my self waiting to start every vehicle I own :) I'm not sure how fast you throw it in gear after starting, but you really should wait maybe 5 seconds or so at the least. It's very hard on a transmission (any vehicle) to be thrown straight into gear before pressue is brought up. I usually start car, then put on seat-belt, etc. before going into gear. Just a little tid-bit.
  • smokerrsmokerr Member Posts: 5
    We have a 2005 Passat TDI wagon, automatic trany with 4,000 miles

    Fuel mileage on the highway has been 38mpg (trip meter reading, with 3 people, packed to the roof with baggage).

    Two people and some baggage, 40-42 (lower with headwinds, higher figure neutral). Actually measured, not trip meter readings.

    Trip meter is a .2 to .5 high on the highway, and 1.5 to 2 mpg high in town (assume the algorithm has a harder time calculating right with frequent speed changes).

    It should get better after full breakin, uncertain on the Passat with its special break in oil (imprvoed very fast intitialy), but typical 10-15k in a diesl will max out.

    Under 70 is best economy range, though I have had the higherest reading in town, very early moring, 35-40 mph speed limits and hit all the lights, computer reading of 43.5 mpg.

    Do not wait for light, as it does not acivagte at high temps. Read manul for low temp ops (40 degrees and below I believe).

    You can increase mielaege with some tricks, put in netural and coast to stops as far in advance as you can (it maintains speed very well on the level), coast down hills, turn engine off if waiting for more than 30 seconds at hte light (also in manual).
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    putting the car in neutral & coasting is not a way to save fuel - to the contrary. it's a waste because it uses fuel. instead, if you keep the car in gear & downshift as you coast down to a lower speed, zero fuel is used. as far as i know, this is true for all current vehicles, both diesels and gassers and has been the case for all fuel injected cars for the past couple of decades.
  • joss1joss1 Member Posts: 2
    As fare as finding "Power Service Diesl Kleen" and other similar brands, go to a bonafide truck stop off a highway. They have a many different brands. Even ask a trucker what they use in thier rigs for some more feedback.

    John
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Good stuff. I have only bought gas one time, and I hadn't set the trip odometer beforehand. So right now, all I have to go on is the onboard computer.

    Strictly on the turnpike at 60mph, I get 45 mpg readouts. On my whole commute this AM, including miles before and after the turnpike, it was 44 mpg. I never exceeded 60 and accelerated gently.

    At 70 mph, mileage drops to about 41. At 80 I can still get 38. This is no luggage and just me in the car.

    Regarding coasting: of course, the car consumes less gas idling in neutral than it does in gear. Before the Passat TDI, I drove a 5-speed and had downhill backroad spots in my commute where I would step on the clutch and coast for a half mile or more. But of course, taking your foot off the gas in an automatic (the only available trans for the Passat TDI) creates a drag. That is useful when approaching a stop, since it saves on brakes, but otherwise a waste of momentum. It is simple to shift into neutral and coast, but here is my question:

    Is it not hard on the auto transmission to pop in back into "D" when you are going about 40 mph? Might that shorten the life of the trans?

    And, in Tiptronic mode, is there any way to go from 1,2,3,4,5 into N? :confuse:
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Regarding coasting: of course, the car consumes less gas idling in neutral than it does in gear.

    Actually, that's not true. When you push in the clutch or coast in neutral, the engine burns fuel just as if it was idling in the driveway. When coasting in gear, the motor is actually turning with the transmission and not burning fuel. I was skeptical a few years ago when I first heard this, but confirmed with VAGCOM software hooked to my TDI. If I coasted in gear, the fuel injection drops to 0g/second. At about 10mph, there's not enough power available to maintain and the injection will kick back on. When idling or coasting in neutral, it runs at about .9g/sec. Turn the A/C on while idling and it consumers 1.2g/sec. (i believe those are the right numbers, it's been awhile.... :) )
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Wow. I'm learning something.

    Now is this true just of the TDI? Or all cars?
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    One more question: Long ago, I heard that diesels use very little fuel at idle, much less than a gasoline engine.

    Izzat true?
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I used to think it was just the diesels that didn't burn fuel when coasting in gear, but it's been rumored the gassers do it as well. I can't confirm that though.

    If I ever come acrossed a gasser VW I can hook my VAGCOM to, I'll find out the difference in idling. Diesel doesn't use much fuel when idling, but I really don't know how to compare. Diesels are typically smaller displacement than similar powered gassers, so I would thing pound for pound they could burn less fuel. I dunno really though.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    Coasting with the clutch pushed down for a half mile is cruel and unusual punishment for a throw out bearing. Likewise, I've read several sources that advise against coasting in neutral with an automatic because it hinders lubrication within the transmission. I haven't free-wheeled since I traded my 1959 DKW 3=6 for a 1963-1/2 Falcon Sprint convertible. (Two cars I wish I still had.)
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    t-pie, rent a clue here and learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself about the basics of modern fuel injected vehicles. your "regarding coasting of course" comment is flat out wrong.

    as for driving a 5-speed and stepping on the clutch & coasting, if anything that is more counterproductive and wasteful of fuel than doing it with an automatic/slushbox. for the passat tdi it's an smg transmission not a slushbox so you are doing essentially the same (wrong) thing.

    also your "but of course, taking your foot off gas" comment seems to be equally wrong. however your third item, a question about the auto trans, is a better one. so you don't get a "three-fer" of wrongness for your post ! go for it next time if you dare - what other wild & wacky driving techniques do you have.

    to answer your question: IF volksy programmed & designedtheir trans properly, it should be fine to go in and out of neutral at any speed. however that's a big IF - you may be aware of the BUCKING issue on these passat TDIs - they all do it - but the gassers do not - i consider it an indication of a design/programming flaw.

    as for the final question, a way to go from 1,2,3,4,5 to N, that's a good question, i have actually wanted to do that on rare occasion such as stopping in a parking lot. but not for the reasons you are doing it.

    happy & safe motoring to ya! if you are going to use driving techniques wasteful of fuel, at least you are doing it in a diesel and wasting that much less fuel ! you go!
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Likewise, I've read several sources that advise against coasting in neutral with an automatic because it hinders lubrication within the transmission.

    How would that be different from idling in neutral at a stoplight? Either way, the engine is idling and the transmission disengaged.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Coasting with the clutch pushed down for a half mile is cruel and unusual punishment for a throw out bearing.

    Can you elaborate? The clutch is disengaged, hence no friction or wear on the clutch. What is the throw out bearing, and how would this driving style affect it? I drove my 5-Speed Legend 200,000 miles using that technique. And never once had the clutch serviced.

    Appreciate your insights.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    t-pie, rent a clue here and learn from those more knowledgeable than yourself about the basics of modern fuel injected vehicles. your "regarding coasting of course" comment is flat out wrong.

    as for driving a 5-speed and stepping on the clutch & coasting, if anything that is more counterproductive and wasteful of fuel than doing it with an automatic/slushbox.

    also your "but of course, taking your foot off gas" comment seems to be equally wrong. however your third item, a question about the auto trans, is a better one. so you don't get a "three-fer" of wrongness for your post ! go for it next time if you dare - what other wild & wacky driving techniques do you have.


    I am happy to learn from others here. It's good stuff.

    Sebring made the case as to why a car coasting in gear uses less fuel than one out of gear.

    However, you have to judge the circumstance, no? If you are intending to slow down (for a light, toll booth, etc) then it makes sense to take full adavantage of engine braking while also saving fuel. But if your intention is to maintain momentum and let gravity work for you, coasting out of gear is going to cover more distance on less fuel than coasting in gear and suffering engine drag. Now, it still may be a bad habit in the Passat if there is some science to demonstrate that it is harmful to the car to go in and out of neutral while moving.
  • enzanbenzanb Member Posts: 1
    Have heard about the 7500 miles needed for registration clause, but suppose I buy the TDI out of state, with residency in that state of purchase and then move to California say within the first 2000 miles. Any help? Thanks.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    hi t-pie. i was a bit rude - sorry about that. re your idea about intending to maintain momentum and let gravity work for you, i still think it's a "win" to keep the car in gear. fwiw, coasting in neutral is actually illegal in some states! i can't imagine the cops ever citing someone for that unless the driver got into an accident and admitted he was coasting in neutral intentionally. best regards.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    I admit I'm new to the world of automatics, but I've been driving 3-on-the-column, 4-on-the-column, 3-on-the-floor, 4-on-the-floor, and 5-on-the-floor (all with clutches) since 1963. I'm sure the driving instructor who told me to put the clutch in ONLY when I shift and the VW mechanic who tried to politely explain to my first love (a blond) in 1965 how she ruined the throwout bearing in her cherished Beetle are both dead now, so I can't call on them to present their reasoning. However, there are some living resources available.

    There are a multitude of discussions on this and related topics in other forums. So as not to offend our host, I suggest doing an Internet search if you are curious.

    Information not contained in other forums is also available, and I'll provide some samples for your review.

    This one address the practices of shifting an auto into neutral at traffic stops and holding the clutch down at traffic stops.

    http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/sub_care_clinic/1675807.html?page=2&c=y

    This one addresses a warning in the operators manual for Allison automatic transmissions. See page 7. I assume the torque converter style Tiptronic is similar.

    http://www.allisontransmission.com/servlet/DownloadFile?Dir=publications/pubs&FileToGet=OM- 1334EN.pdf

    Tom and Ray seem to expound endlessly on this topic, and here are some samples of their offerings.

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1996/September/05.html

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1994/May/07.html

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1995/March/18.html

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1995/November/09.html

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1993/April/10.html

    http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1995/October/07.html

    Bottom line, as already pointed out, the practices of coasting in neutral and coasting with the clutch down are both illegal. That may explain why DKW 3=6's and Rambler Americans with freewheeling overdrives are no longer made. ;)
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Cosmo, :)

    Much appreciated! I had heard some of these things before, but always second-hand. And I figured they were as reliable as "don't go swimming after you eat" and "add ten pounds of tire pressure for long trips."

    Consider me educated on this topic, even though I logged over 400,000 miles between my Civic and my Legend and never had an issue. My two cars are hardly a statistically valid sample.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    Anothre question re fuel economy: My Passat, as did my Acura Legend, came equipped with Michelin MVX tires. The handling is good, not great. But I did notice a drop in gas mileage, almost 10%, when I wore out the tires on the Acura and replaced them with Dunlops. The Dunlops had wonderful handling, wet and dry pavement, but wore out quickly. I then went to el cheapo Kumho Korean tires. They actually performed pretty well -- better handling than the Michelins, better fuel economy than the Dunlops. What is the general wisdom on rubber? Are the Michelins worth the high price? Can other tires deliver the same fuel savings?
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    I plan to use synthetic oils in my TDI. Change it at 5,000 then every 10,000 thereafter.

    1) Should I go for the new 0W/40W from Mobil for better fuel economy?

    2) Is every 10,000 frequent enough? I am driving mostly highway. Very little stop and go.

    :confuse:
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    the michelin mxv tires are really top notch in so many ways. quiet. low rolling resistance. reasonable handling. the fact that they are the quietest tires is consistent with the low rolling resistance & the fact that they give better mpg. the better mpg is probably a big reason the manufacturers choose them - CAFE.
  • cctdicctdi Member Posts: 82
    For 04 & 05 tdi the VW gives the strict warning both in Toureg and Passat owners manuals that only 50501 5w-30 oil can be used. To my knowledge, the first two oil changes are 5k-7k, 10k for the rest life of the car.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    I was reading some posts over at TDI Club, by posters who seem well informed. But much of what they post directly contradicts the owner's manual. For instance, the break-in period. VW says, in essence, drive gently. The guys on TDI Club say city driving, with frequent hard accelerations and running up to 3800 RPMs is good, then right up to the redline after 1000 miles.

    Who's right?

    Further, they go on at length about fuel and fuel additives. With gasoline motors, I have found every fuel additive to be a waste of time and money, except for drygas in the winter.

    Do you put cetane or other additives in your diesel fuel?
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    I don't know about the break-in, seems to be a lot of opinions. I drove mine fairly normal during break-in.

    Some folks use the additives religiously. I have a good fuel source I always try to use and I don't use the additives. I do carry some with me in case I have to fuel at a questionable spot, particularly in the winter. If it's somewhere I'm not familiar with, I'll use the additives as insurance. I'm coming up on 130k miles and have had very few problems with my TDI.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    How do you know what is a "good" fuel source?

    I live in the Philly suburbs, with lots of high-volume gas stations -- Sunoco on the turnpike, Amoco, Exxon, Shell, Texaco, etc. I want to avoid the no-name place in the middle of nowhere, same as I did for conventional fuel -- but what else?
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Well that's a start, name brands with lots of volume sales. I happen to know the BP/Amoco distributor in my area and know where to buy "bp diesel supreme" which is a very good fuel, higher cetane, very low sulphur, plus it doesn't need treated for winter. It's also more expensive, but it runs quieter and stronger so it's worth it to me. You could start chatting with distributors if you were serious about it. Find who carries the higher quality fuels. Sunoco and BP/Amoco both are supposed to have a premium diesel. There's no legislation regarding premium diesels though, so even though the pump might say "premium" like most Sunoco's, that doesn't mean it's actually their premium product.

    Easiest way if you can't find out who carries the premium fuels, is to fuel at different places and see which one makes the car run better. If it gets cold and you don't know for sure you're buying premium fuel, throw in the additive. I carry Power Service (white bottle) purchased from the local wally-world for about $4 a quart. A few ounces will do the trick.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    hey there t-pie. hmm, you mentioned another forum, -usually those posts get deleted. but anyway, to answer your question - i prefer to break in cars hard - as described in that other forum. whether i'm right to break-in cars like this, maybe i'll never know, since i never kept a car beyond 100k. i traded 2003 jetta TDI for 2005 passat tdi when the jetta had about 65000 miles.

    regarding additives, i don't use them except when the daily temp drops below 10F. or maybe 20F. above 20F i never use additives. with the jetta i used "white bottle" powerservice. it made a big difference on cold winter starts & how smoothly the engine would run when really cold - and much smaller mushroom clouds from the exhaust at startup. :| i'm not sure how the passat TDI will do on cold starts this winter but i will probably follow the same policy with the white powerservice bottle stuff.
    last winter there were a couple of days when the low-temp in my back yard was colder than the high temperature on mars as measured by those nifty mars rovers. i love it when that happens. so according to my policy, i should use cetane boost when driving my TDI on mars. gotta keep that in mind..
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    If you have questions about our policies that are not answered by a review of the Membership Agreement and/or Rules of the Road (links on the left side of the page), feel free to email me - no need to be puzzled about them. :)
  • cecirdrcecirdr Member Posts: 9
    I have a dealer about 30 miles away with an '05 GLS TDI in stock. He has no '06 VWs on his lot yet. (nor do the other local VW dealers....is Oregon out of the loop?)

    I had been contemplating a jetta TDI since the '06 passat didn't come as a diesel. Also because I can get the jetta diesel in manual. But other than that (and the dynaudio option in the new passat) I can't see a reason to not consider the '05 TDI.

    I plan to test drive it tomorrow afternoon. What do folks here think would be a good offering price for it?

    Thanks,
    Ceci
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I bought mine at Armstrong VW in Oregon below invoice. I love it so far 4500 miles.
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    I got my 2005 Passat GLS TDI for $23,675 in early August. Below invoice, and I didn't even have VW loyalty bonus.

    I think I could have waited and got it even cheaper, but since the new Passat is not coming with the TDI, I figured the supply might dry up.
  • sandman52sandman52 Member Posts: 36
    Contemplating a new TDI.
    Tried out the '04 Jetta last year, and found the rear seat a bit to tight for our needs, so was thinking Passat may be the way to go, but have heard the new model Jetta is quite a bit roomier than the old.
    Just got a dealer quote of 26,000 on a decked out 05 Passat GLX TDI wagon with a list of 31,000. But am wondering if the lesser MPG of the Passat is worth the extra room, and even if there is that much more room compared to new larger Jetta?
    Also wondering why VW has decided not to offer either the TDI, or the wagon in the Passat line in 06, and if that will have any effect on the value of the current ones??
    Any one out there who had some of the same thoughts in making their decision, have any insight they'd care to share?
    Thanks!
    sandman 52 :confuse:
  • sandman52sandman52 Member Posts: 36
    Just realized the quote I received from the dealer wasn't for a TDI, since the GLX doesn't offer the TDI, so that part of my post obviously is incorrect, but still would like to hear from those who have made the decision between the two vehicles, and why they made the choice they did.
    Thanks again :confuse:
  • tomatopietomatopie Member Posts: 31
    I just made that choice 3 weeks ago. The Passat is much more car than the Jetta, and is built in Germany still. Adult leg room and head room in the rear seats.

    I found that the 2005 TDI GLS was about the same price as the 2005.5 Jetta TDI. Since I plan to keep the car a long time, I don't care if it's resale value dips due to the new style Passat. The new Passat cannot be had in diesel this year. I found that the supply of Passat TDIs was drying up fast, so I bought mine before there is a bidding war. I bet you could drive it a year and then sell it in NY or CA (where new diesels are banned) and get almost what you paid for it.

    My 48 mile (each way) commute is mostly highway and, with the car not yet broken in, I am getting 41 mpg. Sure, I'd do better in a Jetta (which now looks like a Corolla) but I LOVE this Passat TDI.

    Hope that helps. I paid $23,677 in early August. :)
  • sandman52sandman52 Member Posts: 36
    Thanks for the input. You made some good points, and it sounds like you got a nice price. Was that a sedan, or wagon, and how did that compare to the sticker??

    Thanks :)
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