VW TDI talk

[LAWN BOY]

I've been looking at TDI diesel Volkswagens. Mainly an older Golf. Overall what I hear about them is good but I don't have any personal experience. Was wondering what everyone here thinks of them. They seem like a great mix of fun/cool factor as well as practicality and good mpg. How do they handle in snow? What are the main issues at certain mileage levels? Here's one I found most recently.

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[bigbadbob]

Had 2 of those,, the car falls apart B4 the engine dies.
Make sure the EGR is turned off in software,, or the intake gets gummed up real bad, not a fun job to clean. Soft allen head bolts.
I imagine with that many miles the bugs have all been dealt with.
Watch parking,, the oil pan hangs pretty low.

Had some bad door lock sensors in the door,,not fun to change one in a back door,, once you find it.
ALH was a good engine. Make sure the timing belt is done.. Its not fun either.
Change the oil by sucking it out the dipstick tube,, a lot easier than pulling off belly pan.
One ecm went bad,,, was interesting to change it,,, not fun. Had to use VAGCOM to relearn keys.
Good Luck.

if there was a low miler I would grab it,,,,
This is where i got a lot of info
Havent had a VW for about 8yrs

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[jacob j.]

Things to keep in mind:

Some of the early TDI motors are recommended to have a new timing belt every 40-60k. Mine had the ALH motor and I replaced the timing belt and related components every 80k. The water pump usually goes bad before the timing belt but since the water pump is behind the timing belt - you're going to do it all anyway whether you want to or not. Typically it's the water pump seal and regardless if it's OEM it only seems to last about 65-80k. In order to do the timing belt on the Mark IVs you have to remove the passenger side engine mount and support the motor/transaxle with a floor jack or something similar. As Bob mentioned, there are quite a few TTY fasteners and those have to be replaced during certain repairs.

Some of the water pumps have a plastic impeller and occasionally those will break apart and plastic pieces will clog up certain cooling system passages and junctions, requiring a back-flush. On the Mark IVs, some of the cooling system fittings and adapters are plastic and those start falling apart around 90-100k or around 15-17 years, whichever comes first. There are some aftermarket companies making alloy replacements, which solve that problem.

Heater cores are an issue in the Mark III - V cars. You have to take the dash out for most of the Mark IV and V models to do the heater core. The Mark Vs have issues with the servo motors in the heating system failing and there's a couple that are very painful to get to.

Mark IVs also need new crankshaft position and G68 speed sensors at about 90-120 miles.

If you're willing to deal with these issues, they are great cars. They're quiet on the road, handle well, and get good mileage. I installed the KYB fully-adjustable shocks on all four corners of my Mark IV and it was a night and day difference. I took a buddy on a road trip to Nevada and it was very comfortable for both of us in that car with all of our gear.

 

[EFSM]

Engines good, cars will nickel and dime you to death. It’s your choice: if the fun of a little diesel is worth 2-3x the per-mile expense of a cheap Honda or Toyota, go for it. But make sure you have plenty of experience with electrical systems, or have a good mechanic on the hook.

My commuter vehicle is a 2012 Camry that I bought with 250k miles, now has 350k. I have put on a new a/c compressor solenoid ($50), KYB shocks (almost $600), one new wheel bearing a friend did for free, brakes and 2 calipers, a couple sets of tires, and serviced it. It’s not a fancy car, but it sure is cheap to run. Gets 30mpg during the winter and 35+ during the summer. That’s not nearly what a TDI gets, but keep in mind that some places diesel fuel is 50% more expensive than gas (here in S IL gas is $2.80 and diesel $4.05). That means you’ll have to get a solid 45-50 mpg with a TDI to match an efficient older gas car.

 

[FederalQ]

I’ve had this 2005 Jetta BRM 5 speed for 9 years and it ran great until a whitetail deer buggared up the front end last month. I bought it with 190,000 miles from a diesel mechanic and it’s currently at 298,000. This is/was my first car and has been one of the best cost to own vehicles I have had. 54 MPG in the summer mid to upper 40’s on winter blend. Okay on plowed snow covered roads with decent tires. Their traction control system works great. I am on the fence to fix this one or get a newer TDI.

 

[jacob j.]

I’ve had this 2005 Jetta BRM 5 speed for 9 years and it ran great until a whitetail deer buggared up the front end last month. I bought it with 190,000 miles from a diesel mechanic and it’s currently at 298,000. This is/was my first car and has been one of the best cost to own vehicles I have had. 54 MPG in the summer mid to upper 40’s on winter blend. Okay on plowed snow covered roads with decent tires. Their traction control system works great. I am on the fence to fix this one or get a newer TDI.View attachment 483396

The Volkswagens I've owned were great cars despite the work I had to put into them. If a low-mile, grandma-owned version of a car like yours or a low mile MKIV VR6 comes up for sale in my area, I'm grabbing it.