VW Jetta

[WCPoe]

From what I understand the newer vw's are basicly a Mini dodge on the fuel system as for expected life span al goes off how well you care for it and how you drive em I know there are several vw guy's that have well over 100,000 and going I believe the newer motor's have been proven and then some . I'll warn ya you go for a test drive you will most likly end up with 1 in your driveway

Yes, that's the way it happened to us for the most part. Add to the fact that the wife's 1997 Q45 Infinti, with nearly 180,000 miles requiring premium fuel did push us to look for a economical everyday driver.

The Passat TDi with the DSG transmission is great to drive pulling well through the gears without any drama. I just never wanted a 4 cylinder that had to rev to the stratosphere to get out of it's own way and the TDi delivers with it's great torque curve. It handles / rides well enough and the heated power sport seats are superb in their support. I'm not coming down from this cloud right away, LOL.
:-laf

 

[HBarlow]

Darn it you guys keep posting to this thread and bringing it up to the top in the new postings. Could you please stop! Your making my mind wander!

Seriously though as stated previously our car was a lemon, (electrical issues also). Yet unlike the 1987 Hyundai Excel I owned for a very short time period that keeps me from EVER owning another Hyundai, I would consider another TDI in some form.

Maybe it is time to start looking at another one? Can someone refresh me as to what changes came after 2004 -05 to the engine? I remember something in my reading about "double pump" or the german equivalent of that. At the time, with my experience fresh in mind, it sounded expensive and troublesome. Sounds as though anecdotally that has not been the case.

What is a realistic life span, miles wise, of these engines with appropriate maintenance?

HBarlow I think that collectively, we here, have an appreciation for diesels in whatever form they come in. So many inherent advantages that are not present in the current offerings of high mileage vehicles, (Prius, Volt et al).

Surprisingly, I am in that crowd even after many a cold morning pumping that little primer on my parents '81 toyota diesel and their Mercedes 300 td wagon, (my father was not a believer in child labor practice's ).

The '04, '05, and '06 TDIs, as I understand them, were similar to our 24 valve engines. My knowledge of them is very limited. Injectors are driven directly off the camshaft. Extreme pressure on the cam lobes requires a special VW spec motor oil. I think the average service life on them is less than the earlier and simpler engines. Some of them discussed on the TDI websites have experienced cam and lifter failures around 100k miles but I don't know if the cars with failures were properly serviced with the correct oil.

No TDIs were sold in the US for model years '07 and '08. The '09 uses a Bosch HPCR injection system very similar to our Cummins 6. 7 liter engines.

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey I have seen several mexico only vw's that have been brought over into the States and it is fairly easy . I have seen the vw pick/up's so I know they are made . If you have your paperwork in order and know what you are doing it can be done without a lot of headaches .

Sam,

If that's the case I would expect to see a lot of them in Texas. I have never seen even one. Could the ones you're seeing in SoCal be registered and plated in mexico and being driven in the US by mexican citizens?

 

[VEscudero]

Vw is a great company, here in Mexico they offer more diesel vehicles than other automakers, the limit is the ULSD is not available in our country, here the diesel has a sulfur level of 300 ppm.

The Amarok is offer with 2. 0 L Bi TDI engine and six speed manual transmission only. This engine complies the Euro 4 emissions standard, I think this standard was effective in Europe until year 2007. The price for the top version is $ 37,000. 00 USD.



In our company we have a 2009 RAM 4X4 MEGACAB TURBODIESEL 5. 9 L and one 2012 VW TRANSPORTER 2. 0 L TDI, both are awesome vehicles, we use them in a gold and silver mine.

Diesel engine vehicles are a must in the underground silver mine.



The VW Transporter delivers 35 MPG, the RAM 15 MPG, different vehicles different applications.

 

[Tim1]

Count me in. My 96 passat just turned 200k and has required basic maint. I agree that you need to be a diesel person to have one. Bad thing is, all parts for this year are made in china, and is a crap shoot. This year is a 60k change on the timing belt, so is a bit more expensive to own. When this old girl quits, I too will be going to a toyota. Tim

 

[AHarris]

We love our Sportwagen, but keep an eye on that high pressure fuel pump (HPFP). Ours failed around 47K and took out the entire fuel system. VW stands behind their products and replaced the entire fuel system from tank to injectors under warranty with no questions asked. Had it been on our nickel it could have been a $10K repair bill!



It's a known issue with the 09-13 HPFPs.



http://www.tdi-issues.com/hpfp-cases-tac68/



http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?5024786-The-tdi-hpfp-problem.-Overstated-Understated



http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=306861



http://www.worldcarfans.com/111021630740/vw-tdi-fuel-pump-flaw-suspected-by-us-authorities



My advice to any 09 or newer TDI owner is to get the extended warranty! Just in case. Every time I take a long trip in this car the fuel pump is in the back of my mind. Not the best feeling with a $28K car.



But VW does stand behind their products, and I would probably buy another one.

 

[HBarlow]

Count me in. My 96 passat just turned 200k and has required basic maint. I agree that you need to be a diesel person to have one. Bad thing is, all parts for this year are made in china, and is a crap shoot. This year is a 60k change on the timing belt, so is a bit more expensive to own. When this old girl quits, I too will be going to a toyota. Tim

I'm surprised by your comment that all the parts for your car are made in China. Some replacement parts may in fact be made in China but there are many German and European sources for all years and models of VWs.

If your '96k VW Passat has provided 200k miles of service with only routine maintenance why dump it for a Toyota?

 

[MerkelG]

The difference between

Japan and German. Everything works in the jap car.

 

[JLEONARD]

We just got back from a 3300 mile round trip from Ct to Fl in the wife's 99. 5 Jetta. 48+ mpg doing 77-80 during most of the trip when we could. The car runs mint with 149K on the odometer.

 

[JCJohnson]

MerkelG I have not found that to be the case with my 03' VW TDI replace timing belt at 100,000, change oil, shocks and struts when needed. I have 282,000+ that is all I have done to the Jetta.

 

[rscurtis]

My 30 year-old Mercedes is still working fine, while most Japanese cars of that era have already been recycled- some even twice. How often do you see this- carbide inserts on the cam followers.

This car wasn't pampered, either. It was suffering from "deferred maintenance" when I bought it 8 years ago. It had been driven until you couldn't drive it any more. The valve train still looks like new.

 

[HBarlow]

I think some Japanese cars will still set off a radiation detector set to tight levels 68 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

 

[AHarris]

I would love to get my hands on an 80s Mercedes 300D!

 

[rscurtis]

Too bad you're so far away. Another forum member on LI has an '84 300D for sale, just over 100k miles on it. I've driven it and it runs great, and looks great too. If I hadn't had mine repainted last summer, I would have sold my '83 and bought the '84.

 

[Tim1]

Well. I put the passat on blocks for awhile, and replaced her witha 97 2 wh drive laramie with 148k on it. Extended cab, 5 speed that has the fully splined main shaft,kdp fixed,exhaust brake and guages,newe tires and brakes, new steering box,towing hitch and brake control,new pioneer sound system, and #12 tst fuel plate. Has the typical fading on the roof paint. Has the mag hyteck diff cover,rhino liner and i added a steering box stabilizer this weekend. It is getting 23 mpg, not as good a 40, but thats ok. Tim

 

[AHarris]

Too bad you're so far away. Another forum member on LI has an '84 300D for sale, just over 100k miles on it. I've driven it and it runs great, and looks great too. If I hadn't had mine repainted last summer, I would have sold my '83 and bought the '84.

Once I get ready to buy (when I sell the camper), I will jump on a plane and fly for the right car. Your bud's 300D might be worth flying to get for the right price!

 

[HBarlow]

Too bad you're so far away. Another forum member on LI has an '84 300D for sale, just over 100k miles on it. I've driven it and it runs great, and looks great too. If I hadn't had mine repainted last summer, I would have sold my '83 and bought the '84.

Is that the MB model that was slow as molasses and very noisy from outside? In 1985 when I moved to San Diego a neighbor owned one. I remember hearing it beginning several houses down the street when he slowed to turn into the neighborhood. It sounded like a big awkward diesel bus with an automatic transmission.