| Author | Message | ||
     7873jake |
So back in March I started shopping for a new 2014 TDI Sportwagen and even got several of you to give me your feedback on ownership. Work, mainly projects in the Middle East, and a huge influx of orders for more trucks has kept me busy at work, so busy I couldn't get free time to keep shopping and pursuing the VW Electric ShaverWagen (I think the thing looks like a Norelco shaver, especially in the silver I bought). Nevertheless, I rushed in to an impulse buy...a new 2014 last week and all I can say is I wish I had done it back in March! So why do I hate you current VW TDI owners? Because I didn't do it sooner and you've been having fun without me while I was distracted with other crap. The fun starts when you chuck the spark plugs and light the glow plug (but I guess I'm preaching to the choir at this point)! | ||
| Aesquire |
It's the way it cruise controls up & down hills without shifting.... Or to quote a character from Borderlands ( vid game ) Torque, Torque, Torque, Torque..... | ||
| 86129squids |
FWIW, my best friend bought one last year, intending to use it driving the LONG commute to/from his work- a nooicce white wagon, with black wheels and Yokohama tires... They laid him off. He would like to unload it to someone who could use/appreciate it. If I can help/facilitate, I will- it's a dang nice TDI wagon that's no longer needed and now a burden. Holler! | ||
| Hughlysses |
I guess the one downside to dieseldom right now is that diesel fuel prices haven't fallen nearly as much (by %) as gasoline. Here in coastal SC, diesel is around ~$2.90/gallon compared to $1.79/gallon for regular gas. So you're using fuel that costs ~50% more in a vehicle that gets ~30% better fuel mileage than a similar gas burner. Of course, I have found diesel as cheap as $2.59/gallon. That said, I've had my TDI for almost 8 years now and I still like it. | ||
| Crusty |
Just wait until this summer. The price of Diesel will drop after the winter is over and people don't need to buy heating oil. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I filled my diesel jeep grand Cherokee last night for $2.56 a gal. I'm loving it! Don't put all the focus on the mpg vs $ per gallon equation. Factor maintenance and longevity. No tuneups. My jeep has a 10k service interval (oil change). And my Cummins ram, with 230k on it, is just getting broken in and still pulls like a freight train (and returns 18mpg in the mountains - for a 3/4 ton TRUCK!). | ||
| Badlionsfan |
Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - 08:28 am: Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post Move Just wait until this summer. The price of Diesel will drop after the winter is over and people don't need to buy heating oil. I wouldn't bet too much on that.... (Message edited by Badlionsfan on January 21, 2015) | ||
| Kcfirebolt |
Ratbuell, Sounds like you're enjoying your Summit. I bought a 3.0 Overland over the winter (to go with the 3.6 Overland we bought in late 2013). We love our JGCs, and I already have 27k on mine. I am getting nervous about the DEF and catalytic converter issues I'm seeing on the diesel forums. How many miles do you have? Have you had any trouble with yours? I've had one check engine light (apparently, the DEF injector was working it's way loose. Solved with zip tie recall), but no other real problems. | ||
| Ratbuell |
10k miles, one exhaust regen, no issues at all. I add diesel, keep 42psi in the tires, and drive it  | ||
| Aesquire |
Squids..... VW has a buyback program for those. Demand is high. He may not make a profit but should get out from under on good terms. | ||
| 86129squids |
Thanks Aes- I forwarded that info, hopefully it'll help. | ||
| Hootowl |
VW dealer offered me 20K (I paid 23, including TT&L) for my 06 about 6 months after I bought it. Someone bought an auto, but wanted to trade it in for a manual, and they didn't have any. I didn't take it. I love my TDI So your friend may be in luck. Can't hurt to ask. | ||
| Aesquire |
I'm going to throw a little water on the fire here... But it's Evian. Freaking expensive parts and maintenance costs. You are covered for the first few years, and my local dealer does a great job, but when the broken thing is not under the warranty, ouch. It's A German Car. Thank the VW folk it's NOT a Mercedes, the Expensive Car that Cost More than you'd Believe to Keep Running. It's more sensible than that. VW assumes you'll do your own oil changes, and the car will complain if you don't take it in for scheduled service, and being German it will Order you to. The Mercedes will call the dealer and denounce you if you don't Obey.  My Sportwagen was made in Mexico. Very good quality, all in all, and great engineering. But it's that hyper-mad scientist German Engineering. This gives you an engine that growls happily down the road, ( it does not Purr ) and will devour miles with a chassis that is comfortable, even though it is racetrack stiff, and capable of BMW beating g's with razor sharp steering. There are parts I look at in amazement at the delicacy and strength, and remember the Me-109, the smallest airframe wrapped around the biggest engine, and a landing gear that was so suck that nearly half the aircraft made were wrecked in landing and take off accidents. That's German Engineering. OTOH, the seasoned pilots considered the balancing act to survive take off the same way a skate boarder does, "of course it's hard, that's what makes it fun". That's German Engineering too. I'm crazy enough to enjoy it, But do come at it with open eyes. I have the 2009 Mk5 GTI chassis under the wee wagon. Haven't tried the Mk6. The Mk6 Jetta has a cheap, built to price suspension. The Spartwagen's have the same bits as the GTI, independent rear suspension, etc. So it's the Sleeper in the lineup. I thought they were supposed to import the TDG this year, the GTI with the diesel and a grey plaid seat. Don't see it on the website. Feel free to disagree, and No insult intended to the Mercedes guys.  | ||
| Hootowl |
I've thought about trading in for a mk6 but I don't want the downgraded suspension. | ||
| Thumper74 |
I worked at ECS Tuning and have a slight chub for all German diesels... | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
I loved our 2003 TDI, and I wanted to keep it, but I was vetoed by the wife (it was her car), when she bought her Focus. As said before it needs a lot of upkeep (at least ours did). In nine years and 180,000 miles, after tallying all the receipts, we had spent about as much as the original purchase price of the car in maintenance and repairs. But that torque... | ||
| B2tomtom |
I love my 06 mk5 TDI Jetta but it is a lot of work. Purchasing a VCDS cable from Ross-tech is a must if you're going to work on this car. I can't bring myself to trade up from the mk5 since I have been averaging 48 mpg. | ||
| Hughlysses |
06 TDI here. I've had to make some niggling repairs that would have been majorly expensive if I'd taken it to the dealer. One of the radiator cooling fans failed a few years ago. Thanks to a fix found at tdiforum.com, I removed the fan assembly, disassembled the failed motor, removed, cleaned and sanded the brushes to provide more clearance, and put it back together. Took ~2 hours, most of which was removing and reinstalling the fan assembly. ~5 years later it's still working fine. Right now I have a leaky valve on the EGR cooler. Dealer would replace this ~$350 part (plus labor) because of a failed $0.50 seal. I attempted a tdiforum recommended fix a couple of months ago (replace seal with a wad of epoxy) but it's leaking again. The next sunny, warm weekend I have free I guess I get to delve into that again. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
What year did they add the EGR and diesel exhaust fluid stuff? | ||
| Azxb9r |
One thing to keep in mind with modern diesels is that the engine oil is critical...more so than with older models. Regular changes with the correct oil are essential. VW has had problems with the cam lobe that drives the injection pump wearing out due to inferior quality oil. Many direct injected motors use hydraulic pressure to open the injectors, and the high pressure oil systems are sensitive to sludge and deposits. The cats are sensitive to high sulfur content in the fuel and flash burn-off from poor quality oil. VW has also had issues with glow plug harnesses. | ||
| Aesquire |
The DEF came in in 2010. Not sure on EGR. I've had an exhaust system valve replaced. No charge at the last free service. You do have to use approved oil. Mobile one does NOT cut it. Rtfm. Well worth it and I change between 5 & 7 thousand miles instead if 10k. Might be a waste, but I don't think so. My last several vehicles I use good synth oil and the body may be rotted away and everything else quits, but the engines run fine. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
EGR was around 2004 for big diesel engines. Not sure if it was the same for cars or not. | ||
| Hootowl |
"VW has had problems with the cam lobe that drives the injection pump wearing out due to inferior quality oil." Not inferior quality per se, just the wrong oil. You must use vw spec oil in the PD TDI engines or the lobes will wear down. It's my understanding that the new common rail engines do not have this requirement. | ||
| Thumper74 |
FWIW, I haven't seen a failure on TDI cam lobes, only gas engines | ||
| Ratbuell |
I saw DEF mentioned above - please, don't sweat the concept of DEF. So many people get up in arms about the stuff...it's the same as keeping your windshield washer tank filled up. I have an '01 Ram Cummins, and the '14 Grand Cherokee diesel. Ram - no DEF. Grand, yes. They didn't fill the DEF at PDI on the jeep, so at about 1200 miles the light came on. I stopped at a Flying J truck stop where they have DEF at the pump. $17 later, it's full. DO NOT buy DEF in a gallon bottle - truck stops have pumps of the stuff, and it is WAY cheaper that way. Haven't touched it since, still have over 25% left at a hair over 10k miles. Fuel economy is excellent, and the Jeep doesn't "smell like a diesel" (personally, I love the smell of my no-DEF, no-cat Ram...but in a luxo-truck like the Jeep it would just be out of place). | ||
| B2tomtom |
I had a cam lobe failure on my 06 Jetta TDI. Luckily I caught it early. | ||
| Rah7777777 |
Had an 01 Jetta TDI with various stuff done. Front mount intercooler Boost controller Larger injectors Full exhaust (larger straight pipes) Maybe more...but sold it years ago when I moved 1.2 miles from work. Short trips are bad enough on a gas engine but even worse on a diesel. It wasn't really fast but it'd blow the doors of a stock version. And you could drop a gear and floor it to create a nice black cloud behind you for those tailgaters haha | ||
| Rah7777777 |
2005.5 they went to the PD motor which required the special oil or you'd jack your top end up. | ||
| Thumper74 |
Something note worthy that Ratbuell pointed out... but DEF at the pump when you can! The fluid in the gallons have expiration dates, so pay attention. | ||
| Azxb9r |
As others have mentioned, the urea fluid is not anything to be concerned about as long as you dont confuse it with urine...no you cant just piss in the tank to fill it up.  |
