VW TDI - Diesel Info?

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

I am thinking of buying a VW Jetta TDI.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

Do you know of any VW TDI or other good diesel forums?

Is buying a diesel now with the new ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel) fuel requirements around the corner a bad idea?

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[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I am thinking of buying a VW Jetta TDI.

Does anyone have any experience with these?

Do you know of any VW TDI or other good diesel forums?

Is buying a diesel now with the new ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel) fuel requirements around the corner a bad idea?

nG

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

It seems that Noah and I have the same questions.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

I had a 2001 jetta TDI, and i loved it. Not nearly as slow as you'd think with 90hp, since it has so much torque.

And also suprisingly quiet once it's warm.

If your commute is ~20 miles each way or longer, a diesel will save you lots of $$. If you make mostly short commutes, you may want to stick with a gasoline engine, since diesels don't have very good cold-start fuel economy, since they depend on the heat of the engine to combust the fuel.

I'm not sure when the new low-sulfur fuel is coming over for sure, but there's a lot of engines that aren't getting to the US because they require the low-sulfur fuels to operate, since they use even higher injection pressures to atomize the fuel more effectively.

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

Thanks. I have taken a couple on test drives and I am pretty impressed.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Very strong, long lasting engines.

A few things to keep in mind, tho.

You have to use synthetic oil (altho it doesn't need to be changed as often. 5-10k miles is recommended)

The TDI cycles fuel back through the fuel filter, to keep it warm, and keep fuel from gelling up in cold weather. This is a good thing. But this means that if you ever run completely out of fuel, you'll need to re-prime the fuel filter with a brake-bleeder (a mitymac hand pump) before you can drive again. The fuel filter is HUGE, and wont self-prime with a few cranks.

Diesels obviously don't need tune-ups like a gasoline engine, since they don't have an ignition, however, your 80-100k mile services are more expensive. A timing belt change is $500-800 depending on where you go. If you do it yourself, the parts are ~$300.

People will NOT turn on the gas pump for you unless you go inside the gas station, or they know you, because they will insist you're a jackass for wanting to pump diesel into your car. Can be quite annoying.

....I think that's about it. Very low service cars other than that.

And using an additive like powerplus anti-gel and cetane boost (available by the gallon, which is enough for ~300 gallons) will keep you trouble free, and in prime performance during the winter, and keep all your fuel system parts clean, and performing well all year round. And unlike gasoline, there is a NOTICEABLE difference between different quality diesels, so try all of your local stations, and find which one your car likes the best. The BP diesel supreme is by far my favorite, and with the powerplus, you'll quickly forget it's even a diesel.

Performance, noise, and smoke will all be drastically different between fuels, which is why i always recommend an additive.

Also check out http://www.tdiclub.com for more info. (yes, the tdi engine has it's own site)

 

[WhoSayWho? 5,000+ posts]

Thanks again, that helps a lot.

 

[azbass 5,000+ posts]

my bro has a tdi passat wagon, he loves it. id say go for it!

 

[badandyturbo 10+ year member]

You will not be dissapointed. Go for it. 600 miles to the tank FTMFW!

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

My sister-n-law has a 2006 Jetta TDI. She Loves it.

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

I personally think VW period FTMFW

 

[Astyl 10+ year member]

Crank up the boost on that MOFO

I saw a VW Jetta TDI awile back that was all tricked out, and said he was pushing over 500 pounds of torque in this tiny *** car, pretty quick