TDI Message entries from January 1, 1998 to April 30, 1998:

04/30/98 21:12:09
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lexington Province/State: Ky Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDi & 95 GTi VR6
Comments:
About TDi Chips.... At the moment "Wetterauer America" is the only one I am aware of that has chips available for the TDi. I just ordered mine yesterday & I will be installing it in the car on Wednsday May 6th. This is "THE" chip! It boosts the power to 115 hp & 185 lb/ft torque. They refer to themselves as "The diesel masters". Over 70% of their chips(in Europe) are for the TDi. I will report my observations (power,mileage, etc) to the list shortly after the ch p is in the car. I cant wait! The # for Wetterauer America is: (219)477-6806 Fax: (219)531-5500. They are located in the Chicago area...(central standard time zone) Or visit their web site at www.wetterauer.de I'll be back on May 6th with a report.



04/30/98 06:10:11
Name: Peter My Email: Email Me
City: San Francisco Province/State: CA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: was '88 Jetta GL now '98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I was wondering if anyone has heard of or seen/installed any performance chips for their TDIs in the US? I'd be interested in the results. I can't seem to get a response from any of the 'tuners' that might be developing one for my US car. When my wife and I agreed to buy this car she thought we were getting a slow economy car. I'm having more fun with this car than I did with my '88 Jetta and my mileage is almost double what my gas car could do with a light foot! Love this car!



04/30/98 02:55:00
Name: Kent Veiner My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Ft. Lauderdale Province/State: Florida Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: Passat TDI Wagon
Comments:
I am yet another want to be Passat TDI owner. Please help me! If anyone is aware of a '96 or '97 TDI wagon available almost anywhere in excellent condition, please refer the owner to me. I may consider a sedan if a wagon proves to be too difficult to ind. I can be reached via e-mail, or toll free, M-F, 9-6 eastern time @ 800 676-0004 Ext. 1652. Does anyone have any words of wisdom relative to buying a used TDI from a cautionary perspective? My thanks to anyone that is in a position to help. Kent - FTL - FL.



04/28/98 22:18:57
Name: JC My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lisbon Province/State: Portugal Country: Portugal
Your VW/Audi: Ibiza GT Tdi
Comments:
Hi Fred, Once again thanks for this page. You can try everything but you won´t find another page on the Web about the Tdi. I own a Seat TDi and it has already done 24.000 Km in 7 months without any kind of trouble, with silly consumption and a "getting better ever day" top speed and acceleration. A few days ago someone asked me why the 110bhp engine could not be found in the USA. I´ve even heard that VWoA said it was a demand problem and the engine production was totally absorbed by the European market. Well, that´s not true. The fact is that the 10bhp engine can´t beat the EPA emission levels but the 90bhp plant stays near the limit, even with the new exhaust. So VW is going to produce a 1,9 TDI with 115bhp to be marketed in 1999 just because the 110 wouldn´t pass the 1999 Europe D3 emission regu ation. It will be just in time to equip the VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda range ( Beetle included ) in the US and in Europe. I´ve still heard ( this one not from a reliable source ) that the future of TDi in the VAG Group would be a 1.8 16v Tdi with 125bhp in 001, but has I´ve said this one is unconfirmed and not from a reliable source. Hope you keep this page alive forever,



04/28/98 22:17:20
Name: JC My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lisbon Province/State: Portugal Country: Portugal
Your VW/Audi: Ibiza GT Tdi
Comments:
Hi Fred, Once again thanks for this page. You can try everything but you won´t find another page on the Web about the Tdi. I own a Seat TDi and it has already done 24.000 Km in 7 months without any kind of trouble, with silly consumption and a "getting better ever day" top speed and acceleration. A few days ago someone asked me why the 110bhp engine could not be found in the USA. I´ve even heard that VWoA said it was a demand problem and the engine production was totally absorbed by the European market. Well, that´s not true. The fact is that the 10bhp engine can´t beat the EPA emission levels but the 90bhp plant stays near the limit, even with the new exhaust. So VW is going to produce a 1,9 TDI with 115bhp to be marketed in 1999 just because the 110 wouldn´t pass the 1999 Europe D3 emission regu ation. It will be just in time to equip the VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda range ( Beetle included ) in the US and in Europe. I´ve still heard ( this one not from a reliable source ) that the future of TDi in the VAG Group would be a 1.8 16v Tdi with 125bhp in 001, but has I´ve said this one is unconfirmed and not from a reliable source. Hope you keep this page alive forever,



04/28/98 20:40:58
Name: Nathan Tennant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Stratham Province/State: N.H. Country: U.S.A.
Your VW/Audi: 1996 Passat TDI
Comments:
Dear Fellow Diesel Lovers, I have been trying to find out the status of the new Passat TDI and possible entry into the U.S.A. So, Far I have received one message from VW Germany confirming that the new Passat TDI will be in the U.S.A. by July of 1998. I received another message from VW of America which reconfirmed the message from Germany. But the other day I was told by VW of America that the New Passat TDI will not be coming to the U.S.A. If you are reading this, PLEASE E-MAIL BOTH VW OF AMERCICA and GERMANY and TELL them that you want to see the new PASSAT TDI IN the USA..................
 

04/24/98 23:01:16
Name: James Jovanovich My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Jackson Province/State: WY Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: New Beetle TDI (July?)
Comments:
I am getting a New Beetle in July with the TDI engine. Does anyone have information on upgrades, chips, etc.?



04/24/98 21:07:13
Name: Jim Hearn My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Napa
Province/State: Ca Country: USA
Comments:
Does anyone have any information on an after market device that allows you to turn the ignition off and leave the car and the engine continues to run for a minute or two while the turbo cools down and then the engine shuts itself off? I heard there is an ftermarket product out there that does this.



04/24/98 01:50:52
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Don't worry TDI fans, big brother is not going to take our cars away or make them illegal. The EPA has been drafting stricter emission standards for diesel fuel for some time and this study is part of the process. Our TDIs are already the cleanest diesel engines on the planet. The technology that makes our TDIs so clean is just starting to cross over into the truck market. So the EPA has formaly stated in an overfunded study that breathing diesel fumes will kill you. DUH! Burning any hydrocarbon fuel rele ses pollutants and carcinogens. Diesel technology has changed very little in the last 60 years as compared to gasoline engines. Now it's diesel's turn to play catch-up. Once the diesel industry makes the needed changes, stinky smoky city busses and semi-t ucks will be a thing of the past. There is a web site on diesel emissions at www.dieselnet.com. Here is what it says about the EPA report. EPA releases a draft diesel emissions health assesment document The US. EPA has released a draft assessment of the possible health hazards from human exposure to diesel engine exhaust emissions. The February 1998 draft assessment is an update of a December 1994 draft assessment that was reviewed in 1995 by the Agency' Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). The 1998 assessment focuses on health hazards (hazard identification and dose-response analysis for the purpose of recommending measures of risk/hazard), and also provides background information about dies l engine emissions that is useful for putting the health information into context. EPA risk assessment methods and practices have been followed in identifying possible human chronic health hazards for adverse noncancer effects as well as carcinogenicity h zards. The assessment will undergo a second review by the CASAC in the Spring of 1998 and, following a consideration of comments, a final document will be issued. Notice of the CASAC review will be published in the Federal Register. The draft assessment document is available from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone 703-605-6000, fax 703-321-8547 (document reference number: PB98-124308, price $85.00). The document i also available online at http://www.epa.gov/ncea/pdfs/dstoc.pdf Contact Dr. William Pepelko, telephone 202-564-3309; e-mail: pepelko.william@epamail.epa.gov.



04/23/98 18:54:19
Name: Kevin McDaniel My Email: Email Me
City: Evanston Province/State: IL
Country: USa Your VW/Audi: Still looking
Comments:
I don't see how making diesel cars illegal in California would help. Car's make up maybe 5% of diesel fumes. Buses and Trucks almost all run on diesel and there is now way you are going to change that quickly. More green friendly cars, buses and trucks would be great, but technology just isn't there. How many electric cars have you seen lately. They are about the only thing getting better mpg then a TDI short of a geo metro. Just my $.02



04/23/98 15:19:36
Name: Frank Marcoux My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: San Francisco Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
"A group of scientists in California released findings on April 22 that Diesel exhaust has been proven to greatly increase the risk of lung cancer." I was wondering if anyone had a take on how this could affect TDI drivers and the availability and price of Diesel? Does anyone know what VW would do for TDI owners if diesel cars were to become illegal in California or the US? Let me know what you have heard or what you know.



04/23/98 00:40:52
Name: Mark My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: bristol Province/State: ct Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1980 rabbit diesel
Comments:
Hi, I am interested in finding a group in the NE US who might link VW buyers and sellers. I have a 1980 Rabbit Diesel (83,000 orig. miles, no rust)I am willing to let go really cheap. Not running can't get injection timing right. Also, I would like to purcha e a 1997 Passat TDI, can you point me in a direction? I'll drive a long way to find a creampuff. Thank you.



04/22/98 03:52:15
Name: Gary Pieper My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Eagle Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 96 Passat TDI sedan
Comments:
I finally got one!!! Thanks to those who responded to my request. I was unable to locate a TDI wagon that was reasonably priced. Found a nice 96 Passat sedan, green/tan with moonroof, 32K miles. Took it on a maiden voyage to Mpls, MN for the Easter ho iday. Loaded to the gills with family of four, cruised 320 miles @ 75 mph and another 300 miles of city driving and averaged 44 mpg. Filled on Easter before the trip home, drove 1.5 weeks to and from work and filled today - 45.5 mpg. I love this car!! I will be teaching my wife to drive a manual in this - she couldn't possibly kill this engine. Just changed oil / filter. Used Fram PH3569 and Castrol RX 15W-40 HD diesel oil. Not very easy to change the air filter, hard to get the cover off with all t e fuel lines, etc. Ended up removing the air flow sensor from the cover to get it off. Enough about my car. Happy driving!! Would like to hear from anyone using any of the power chips in the US Passats. GP



04/21/98 19:47:48
Name: Tony My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Portland Province/State: OR Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1981 Rabbit, Diesel
Comments:
My Rabbit is great, have had it for several years and just at 99k miles. However, after 17 years it is looking pretty tired but mechanically has many years left! Gives me 43-47mpg. I'll definitely hold on to this one for my daily work commute. I had hoped for the Golf TDI. Guess it isn't going to happen (Thanks for the info).



04/21/98 18:23:56
Name: Ron J. My URL: Visit Me
City: Silver Spring Province/State: MD
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 86 Golf Diesel
Comments:
Regarding shocks: My wife has a Honda Civic and it "shocks" us quite a bit. I have been told that it has something to do with low rolling resistance tires. A co-worker suggested getting a grounding wire to drag along the ground as we drive, and that would do the trick. y Golf has never caused ne shock problems. Both of our cars have cloth seats.



04/20/98 15:56:34
Name: Byron Hulls My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Columbus Province/State: OH Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Regarding the static issue. I have taken to using anti static spray designed for clothing use on the seats of my cars about once a month. This reems to reduce the amount of shocks. 25 K miles, 46.3 mpg average lifetime



04/20/98 01:52:25
Name: Walter Muma My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Cambridge Province/State: Ontario Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: Jetta TDI
Comments:
Well, Volkswagen has done it again! I just picked up my brand new Jetta TDI on Thursday, and I am VERY impressed. This engine is VERY nice. I have trouble keeping the speed down, it cruises so nice at highway speed! And major improvements have been ma e in various details of the car itself. It is much quieter. The stereo is nicer, the alarm system and entry is improved, and so on. I traded in my 1993 Golf with 255,000km on it. (I thought I'd better trade it in while it was still worth something, since I put on a lot of km per year). So far, this is definitely the best Volkswagen I have ever owned (I have owned a Super Beetle, 2 Rabbits, 2 Golfs (both diesel), and now the Jetta TDI.



04/19/98 12:57:00
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
More on static shock: I don't think it's only a driver's problem. My experience is that whoever gets out and touches the metal first gets zapped. But all is well if my recommendations below are followed. ---Scott



04/19/98 12:51:54
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Hi, I've always had a problem with Static Elex in cloth seat, regardless of the car. The better the cloth, the better the static. I've gotten into the habit of opening the door, then holding the metal around the window as I get out. The shock you fee is as you touch the car after you get out. You're grounding yourself (or the car... not sure). If you're already holding the door, you still discharge through the door, but the "electrical" contact is already made. Therefore you don't FEEL the shock. The shock comes from the static jumping from your hand to the car. Try this and see if it works. ---Scott



04/18/98 21:52:24
Name: D'nardo Colucci My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: mpls Province/State: mn Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 87 jetta
Comments:
Oh yeah, one more thing. I saw a car in Lisbon that I think looks more like the old beetle and looks better than the new beetle. It's a Ford Va or Ka - I couldn't read the tag. I checked out www.ford.com and there it was front and center! I think it c ptures the spirit of the old beetle better. And you can put it in the trunk of your Jetta!



04/18/98 21:48:30
Name: D'nardo Colucci My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: MPLS Province/State: MN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 87 Jetta
Comments:
I just got back from Lisbon Portugal yesterday. The cabs there are generally one of two makes; Mercedes and VW. One particular cab was the TDI Jetta. With 5 people in it, it showed no signs of weakness in acceleration! I asked the cabbie what he thoug t of the car. I speak broken Mexican and he spoke Portugese. Even with the language barrier, anyone can understand when he bangs on the dash, smiles and says "Bom Maquina!" He liked it better than the Merecedes. That's some endorsement. Also, about the shock treatment. I get zapped something fierce by my 87 Jetta as well. At this point I'm in the habit of closing the door by the window glass. It's not right. Passengers do not have the same problem. Is it something in the ignition circuit?



04/18/98 01:19:03
Name: Lazaro My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Miami
Province/State: Florida Country: USA
Comments:
This page has some good information, I'm waiting for the Golf TDI to come out in the USA. That is the car for me. I use to have a 86 GTI and then a 89 GTI 16 Valve. Now I'm driving a BMW 318ti nice car , but I need better gas mileage. Not because I 'll sa e money (not that I mind saving a little money) but I think it really is cool, go figure.



04/17/98 21:26:58
Name: Keith H My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Gilmanton Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Has anyone had the same problem with getting a static shock when getting out of the car? Dry days are the worst, put your foot on the ground and then touch the door frame or anything outside the car and you can get a realy good zap.



04/17/98 08:50:47
Name: Gerhard K. My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Munich (Muenchen) Province/State: Bavaria (Bayern) Country: Germany (Deutschland)
Your VW/Audi: VW GOLF 96 GL TDI
Comments:
Hy TDI and Volkswagen fans, sorry about my bad english, but I give my best. I wonder that only a few GOLF drivers in comparison to Pasat and Vento/Jetta on this Page! In Germany there is the other way round. I love my car ist is a dragon green perl eff. Golf TDI with 29.000Km and it goes over 200kmh. And it takes under 6 L/100km. It is my first TDI after 2 x Golf II CL and GT. The Golf II GT was a great car too! I wish you all the best. Und noch ein paar Gruesse an unsere Deutschen TDI Freunde. Auf ein Unfallfreies Jahr 1998!!! Gerhard



04/16/98 20:00:49
Name: Kevin McDaniel My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Chicago Province/State: IL Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: Still Looking
Comments:
I have found some chip tuning info for the 90 HP TDI engine. I contacted Wetterauer performance products (www.chip-tuning.com) about what they can do for a 98 Jetta TDI. How does 115HP and 185 Ft/lbs of torque sound. That's more torque then the VR6 eng ne. They do not have an official product for the US TDI because demand is low, but in Germany, 70% of there business is chipping TDI's. I have no relation to the above mentioned company, just wanted to pass along the info I recieved from them. Chip tuning is not for everyone. But it will be fun to blow glx's away while getting 40+ mpg. Kevin.



04/16/98 00:28:28
Name: tom City: charleston
Province/State: sc Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 91 jetta gl; 98 jetta TDI
Comments:
I was back at the dealer today and found that the TDI wagon on the lot isn't for sale. It seems that a German-emissions model slipped into the states, and VW had to buy it back. Oh well.

My A/C stopped working this weekend... seems that the A/C relay had an intermittent short. The mechanic says that he's seen this a few times on the engine control system, but not on the A/C (until today).

I saw a few Passat TDIs on the highway this weekend; still no Jetta TDIs. And the (gas) Passat wagons are available now :-)

tg.



04/15/98 20:39:28
Name: Krosnoff My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me Province/State: Florida
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 96 Passat TDI
Comments:
I saw a 98(99?) VW Passat V6 Synchro Wagon yesterday on the highway. What a good looking wagon!! I guess we must keep waiting for the TDI Passat to return to the USA. Anyone got a word on whether it will in 99?



04/15/98 04:36:04
Name: tom City: charleston
Province/State: sc Country: usa
Comments:
I think someone was looking for a Passat TDI wagon... I saw a white 96(?) TDI wagon without tags on the lot of Stokes VW in North Charleston, SC the other day. If you're interested you might want to give them a call at +1 843 767 1600. tg.



04/15/98 00:37:49
Name: joe My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Larkspur Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: looking
Comments:
The VWVortex website reports that the 1998 Passat Wagon delivery to US dealers is slated for this Summer. Can anyone confirm this and do you know if this includes the TDI engine?



04/14/98 15:42:15
Name: Adam Ritscher My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Warner Province/State: NH Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1989 Diesel Jetta
Comments:
Well, I have had my Jetta 10 months now, bought it with 150K miles on it and am now up to 188K, and have had no problems. I have changed the oil every 3K, I changed my timing belt, front disks and pads, air filer, fuel filter, mufler, alternator (upgrade to 90 amp model to run stereo system), a door handle and each half shaft twice (Good thing for lifetime waranties, has anyone gone through them before. I replaced the driverside one twice in teh last 2 months.). I only seam to average around 40 MPG, bu I average 80 MPH most of the time and floor it whenever I accelerate. I am looking at getting a 98 Jetta when I graduate from college in May and putting a new computer chip in it to bost it to 120HP. I will probably end up keeping my car for a while th ugh, because it seams to like having the miles racked up on it.



04/14/98 01:27:40
Name: Ric Woodruff My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Orlando Province/State: FL Country: USA #1
Your VW/Audi: "98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I am looking for recommendations for a diesel fuel additive for my TDI. One that is fairly concentrated, cleans fuel injectors, disperses water, lubricates the upper cylinder, etc. In the past (for a 1985 GM V-6 diesel) I have used "Fuel Power" additive, which can be found at truck stops. The car had 80K+ miles on it when I started using it. After 5 or 6 tankfuls, the fuel economy increased significantly, and exhaust smoke decreased. Any suggestions for a better additive?



04/14/98 00:49:45
Name: Ric Woodruff My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Orlando Province/State: FL Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I have about 8,000 miles on Jetta TDI. I LOVE the car except for one concern: Recently, I have noticed that the windshield is becoming noticably pitted! It is only detectable when driving into the sun at a low angle (dusk or dawn). In over 20 years of driving, the only time I ever experienced this phenomenon was in an 18 wheeler with 1,000,000+ miles! A recent car of mine (an Olds)had 185K+ miles, with no such problem. Anyone else with a similar problem?



04/13/98 07:51:52
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hi everybody. When the ECM/computer detects a fault somewhere it will send a signal to either the 'check engine' or 'glow plug' lights on the dashboard. The code is stored even if the light clears. To find out what caused the fault, you will have to take he car in and have it hooked up to the dealer's diagnostic computer. Our TDIs have as many electronic sensors as any gasoline engine so there are many things that can trigger a fault code. There is no need to panic if this happens, the car is safe to driv . Just take the car in as soon as possible to see what is causing the problem. Good luck and happy driving.



04/13/98 02:04:26
Name: Steve Tetrick My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Minneapolis Province/State: MN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 81 Rabbit Diesel
Comments:
Time to replace the 81 with approx 187,000 miles. Considering new Jetta TDI. Does anyone know if it is available with an automatic?



04/12/98 02:57:30
Name: John My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lakewood Province/State: Colorado Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetti TDI
Comments:
Have had my TDI since October and love the car. But today I was on the highway and the glow plug light started to flash.. It went out as soon as I slowed down to 50MPH. I have checked the book and either I missed it or it doesnt explaine why this flashe ? Any comments? CARNUT1@IBM.Net



04/10/98 18:25:22
Name: charles eilers My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Schulenburg Province/State: tx Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1996 vw Passat TDI
Comments:
Purchased car about 1 year ago and has been excellent. We get 42mpg at 75mph. Dark blue 4 door sedan, am/fm/cassett, power doors/windows, no sunroof to leak, nonsmoking car. Recently had a serious industrial accident and have two broken legs and clutch nkle and foot so can't drive it anymore. Am heartbroken but have to sell. $14,795.00 US 409-743-4249



04/10/98 17:34:16
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hi TDI fans. I had my facts wrong when I put the post up about when the fuel filter should be changed. I got my Robert Bentley repair manual in the mail yesterday. All the routine maintenance item intervals are listed with actual miles and KM. There it s in black and white: change diesel fuel filter at 30,000 miles! It also says to drain the water out at 30,000, go figure. Water draining intervals are not listed anywhere else. This must be RB's way to let us know we are still dealing with VW. As was posted a few weeks ago, there are two oil filters for VW diesels. All the older diesels take #068-115-561B, the TDIs take #068-115-561E. Both filters use an anti-drainback valve, bypass valve, have the same mounting plate, and are completely interc angeable. The differences in oil filter sizes are due to the different OEM suppliers. I was able to find some information about the difference between the older 'B' filters and the new 'E' filters. According to my local NAPA sales rep. (not the usual retarded counterman), VW made a minor change on the diesel oil filter specifications. Th bypass valve spring was made stiffer so the bypass valve opens at 30 to 35 PSI instead of 8 to 12 PSI. This is to get the oil pressure up faster during a cold start. This is really only going to affect the oil pressure when the cold oil is near its pou point, and only if one is using nonsynthetic oil. But then, this is when the engine is experiencing the most startup abuse. I don't know if the "E" filter will eventually replace the "B" filter, or if VW will maintain two part numbers. I guess VW will formally announce the upgrade when the last of the "B" filters are all sold out. That could take a few years. The high price of the "E" filter must be due to importing and stocking a low volume item. I also found out that NAPA Gold is made by Dana/Wix, who is an Audi/VW OEM supplier. The filters are exactly the same and both companies use the same part numbers, except Wix puts a '5' in front. The Dana/Wix and NAPA 98 filter catalogs are the only ones so far to list the new filter upgrade. In NAPA Gold filters the "B" is part #1452, and the "E" is part #1191. In Dana/Wix the 'B' is 51452, and the "E" is 51191. The prices are about the same as the good German oil filters so use whatever you want. I am trying to gather information on aftermarket oil filters for our TDIs. I am making a little data table and I would like to know what filters people are using. Please send me an e-mail with the brand and part number of the oil filter you are using. In a week or so I'll post the results. Thank you in advance for the help everybody.



04/10/98 14:18:32
Name: Nathan Tennant My URL: Visit Me
City: Stratham Province/State: NH
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 1996, Passat TDI
Comments:
Well, So far 50K on my 1996 Passat TDI....The engine seems to run smoother with age, almost like it is still just getting broken in... I commute 60 miles each way to work and cruise at 80 mph for 95% of the time. The Passat is consistantly averaging 50 MPGs!...This is by far the best engineer engine and car I have owned. I have been using Mobil 1 15W/50 and changing it every 3K..Probably a little anal, but it should keep the TDI engine going for the long haul. Absolutely no maintainence problems to date and no problems with Cold starts...I have started the car in -20 F. weather with out even the slightest hestitation... VW Germany confirmed with me that VW is planning to bring the new passat into the USA with the 110 TDI engine. He cited that the reason they have not brought the car into the U.S.A. with the TDI is extremely high demand in Europe for both the engine and he car. He said in many cases, 60% of the Audi and VW models are going out the door with the TDI power plant!!!! Apparently engine production facitlies are maxed out ....



04/10/98 02:52:43
Name: tom City: charleston
Province/State: sc Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI; 1991 Jetta GL
Comments:
I don't know if the diesel smell goes away, but I've stopped noticing it. Most people don't even know it's a diesel when they ride in my car, but the other day while stopped at a light I got talking with a guy in a convertible who said it certainly sounde like a diesel. I blew his Chrysler Sebring away when the light changed :-) tg.



04/09/98 19:17:19
Name: Jake My Email: Email Me
City: Toronto Province/State: Ontario
Country: Canada Your VW/Audi: Still Looking
Comments:
I contacted chiptronic and found out some info about their TDi chip/power upgrade. I don't want to post it because its long and I'm not sure its appropriate because it includes pricing. If you want a copy let me know and I'll forward one. P.S. if any one has any more info on the TDi engine which is going to be fitted in the 1999 Jetta Please let me know. Also, does any one have any info on the ABT TDi upgrades??



04/09/98 18:31:52
Name: m hitchman My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Val Caron Province/State: Ontario Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: 97 jetta tdi
Comments:
6 mos old 40000 kms on it. nothing major todate 5.1 l /100 km fuel no oil burning at all i drive the car fairly hard and steady.cruise control and never a hesitation from the engine. i'm hoping that it continues on this strongly. started at -35 c without being plugged in. great car. another update in a couple of months. i expect to do 85000 km this year. great web site. mjh



04/09/98 03:13:03
Name: Bryan Andrews My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Newport Beach, CA Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDI
Comments:
WOW! At six months and 20,000 miles I love this car. I work for another auto company but had to have my 97 Dk Blue Jetta (beige interior). (Drove eight hours to get it) Nirvana! Eats roads, passes most everything -- except gas stations every three hou s. (It doesn't have to stop, but I do!) Starts up with a "flick" of the key, everytime (no cranking). Quiet, smooth, smokeless, and a great long distance tourer. 43MPG at eighty (625 mile range). Cruises effortlessly at 90 (40MPG), but passing at spee s over 100 mph is slow! Climbs steep grades (Grapevine, Cajon) with Cruise on at eighty in fifth gear (up to 7,000ft). Speed varies maybe 2mph -- no downshifting necessary. Is this a Diesel? Stoplight stormer!! Three minor problems with fit and fin sh, dealer promptly fixed. The perfect salesman's car -- large trunk and everyone loves it, most are astounded. One friend with a 97 ACCORD is amazed, and jealous of the " tweaked" stereo. Another friend drove mine and now he owns one. This car is so good I think I'm cheating the system. I use new Mobil Delvac1Synthetic at every 5,000 miles (ask around at oil wholesalers -- $4.00/qt.), Redline additive, and use about a half quart between changes. CD player -- Clarion units are an exact match and cheaper -- Clarion makes the VW Premium Sound system. E-Mail me on stereo enhancement tips -- $50.00 and no component changes makes a world of difference.. two friends (one Jetta Gas) have done that also. One complaint... no power windows! Love this car ( well like it alot).



04/07/98 23:09:33
Name: Joe My URL: Visit Me
City: Sausalito Province/State: CA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: Looking
Comments:
Would anyone who has information about when the 1998 Passat TDI (or any other TDI model other than the Jetta, Bettle and Golf) will be exported to the USA please post here what you know? By the way, checked out the new Bettle. Liked the way the body looks, but the interior seems cheap (thin plastic etc.), and the dash is so deep you feel like serving dinner on it. This is a shame, for if the interior matched the exterior, VW would have roduced something very unique, in my humble view of course.



04/06/98 17:50:59
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
I drove a New Beetle last week. It rides better than I thought it would. Since the Beetle is Golf based, I am assuming the engine layout for the TDI model will be similar to a Jetta TDI. The fuel filter is easier to drain on the Jetta than it is on the P ssat. It only has to be drained every 10 to 15 thousand miles, and changed about every 50,000 miles. There is no fuel tank draining that I know of on any of the new TDI engines. Prices for dealer oil changes range from $25 to $50, so shop around. Use die el motor oil if available or a regular oil that is approved for turbochargers. Those plastic engine covers are easy to remove, but on the TDI engines there is nothing under there to work on. The only maintenace item I do more often than the dealer recomme ds is oil changes. Texas is so warm all year that there would never be problems with winter fuel. Need more detail, send me an e-mail.



04/05/98 07:28:07
Name: Michelle Nelson My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: fort worth Province/State: TX Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: future beetle owner
Comments:
I'm seriously considering buying the TDI beetle. But, I need to know more a about the maintence and the routine cost of maintence. I have read postings regarding oil changes, (suggested oil), fuel filter draining, and fuel tank draining. Engine compartment is covered on the new beetle, so I'm not sure if I can perform routine maintence. Is the fuel filter draining something I could earn to do? If not how much does a routine oil and fuel filter draining cost? This would be my first diesel. Overall, I'm very impressed with response to the TDI. It sounds like it may require some "special" attention to make it last. If it is just some TLC and affordable routine maintence, I love to own a TDI. Thanks for any input. Michelle


04/03/98 06:40:26
Name: Tin Nguyen My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Oslo Province/State: ... Country: Norway
Your VW/Audi: 98' Golf GL TDI
Comments:
I HAVE FOUND THE TAPPING/CLICKING NOISE! Next to the diesel filter on the right inner fender there is a vacuum switch which is clicking when the engine is running. With some help from a VW mechanic I found out the noise is coming from this switch. He told me not to be worried, because everything is OK. Does any of you TDI drivers have this clicking under your bonnet? Happy driving! Tin



04/02/98 20:36:05
Name: phaedrus My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Roseville Province/State: MN Country: 55113-4451
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I've had my TDI for 2 1/2 weeks now and i'm loving it. 1300 miles, filled it up twice. yow. Someone recommended to me that for the first 1k miles you should load the trunk up with 3-400 lbs and then for the 2nd k, run it light. Supposedly, it will impr ve the overall quality of the break-in. Any clues? I did it, but i've no idea if it makes a difference. Second, has anyone heard of #2 arctic blend diesel? Supposedly it's a #2 diesel (no #1) that is good to -40(F). I'm skeptical, but i did get prett good mileage (45mpg) on it. Finally, has anyone else had problems finding out what blend of fuel gas stations are running? I've asked at 2 SuperAmericas and some other station and the clerks were clueless. Anyone else run across this problem? If so, w at did you do? -phaedrus



04/02/98 06:05:28
Name: Tin Nguyen My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Oslo Province/State: ... Country: Norway
Your VW/Audi: 98' Golf GL TDI
Comments:
Hello all TDI fans! This is a great homepage, isn't it? I have a possible problem: This morning I noticed a low tapping/clicking sound from the engine of my 98' Golf TDI when reaching 115 km/h and about 2300 rpm. It sounds like one of valves, but when I opened the bonnet, I couldn't recognize this noise. With the bonnet open and the eng ne at 2200-2300 rpm I couldn't hear it either. The car rounded 24 000 km some days ago and is working perfect otherwise. Could it be the fuel pump tapping or do I have a problem with the engine? Please e-mail me if you have any ideas. Tin



04/01/98 20:56:17
Name: Nate Wall My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Washington Province/State: DC Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '85 Jetta TD
Comments:
I am interested about TDI conversions for the earlier Jatta diesels. My '85 turbo has about 200,000 miles on the original powertrain. I would love to drop a TDI engine in (and possibly the transaxle)and am interested in if this is possible or practical. p> 

04/01/98 02:26:20
Name: D'nardo Colucci My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Minneapolis Province/State: MN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1987 Jetta (176k miles)
Comments:
It took me a while to find this site - but what a gold mine! I'm all psyched about the TDI Jetta especially after test driving one yesterday. It held it's own against the more powerful Passat (150 hp vs 90 hp). Because of the info I learned here, I aske the salesmen questions they couldn't answer (without lying). Maybe I can get the info here. 1. Is the 110 hp TDI in Europe just a tweeked 90 hp engine (ie. better chipset, no emmisions control)? 2. What would it cost and how would one go about buying European Jetta (Vento) ?



03/31/98 02:15:17
Name: joe My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: San Francisco
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: looking
Comments:
I've been following this thread for a couple of months, and my interest in the TDI made me test drive a Jetta last week. Acceleration is passable as is the fit and finish, but at idle I noticed more diesel smell than I would want to deal with long term. If anyone could posts the answer to the following questions on this thread, I'd be most appreciative. 1. Does the smell mentioned above go away with time? 2. Can anyone describe the "chip tuning" process and its availability in Northern California? 3. Is there a expectation that the 110 HP TDI will be available soon in the U.S. and for what models? 4. Will the TDI Synchro Wagon be available in the U.S. and when? 5. Does VW have plans to issue a TDI Van and when? 6. Does anyone have an opinion about the quality of the '96 and '97 TDI Passats and the availablity of the '98 TDI Passat in the U.S. Thanks again for any responses to these questions! Joe



03/30/98 03:26:21
Name: Kevin Little
My Email: Email Me
Comments:
My name is Kevin.  I dont know if this is where I ask others for info but here I am.
To all TDI owners.  This is a whole new world to me.  I have had 2 Subarus in the past.  Both went to the 200,000 mile mark, which I consider to be an excellant car
I'm into dependability, and durability.  I've heard diesel is good on both accounts. I'm curious as to the particulars to owning a TDI.  Oil to use, oil consumption, routine maint. etc.  Is this the way for me to go?  I might be interested in the New TDI Beetle.  If anyone would like to enlighten me I would appreciate it.
Thanks
I can be reached at     kslittle@gte.net

                                                  Sincerely,
 
                                 Kevin Little



03/28/98 13:09:54
Name: Barry Hertz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Saskatoon Province/State: SK Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: 98 New Beetle TDI 5sp
Comments:
I am expecting a silver 98 New Beetle TDI 5sp to arrive soon. Has anyone been able to get one yet? Interested in Bio-diesel fuels and lubricity additives (Tribology). Some claim the Beetle's TDI has new components. Can anyone verify this?



03/28/98 13:09:30
Name: Barry Hertz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Saskatoon Province/State: SK Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: 98 New Beetle TDI 5sp
Comments:
I am expecting a silver 98 New Beetle TDI 5sp to arrive soon. Has anyone been able to get one yet? Interested in Bio-diesel fuels and lubricity additives (Tribology). Some claim the Beetle's TDI has new components. Can anyone verify this?



03/26/98 04:12:21
Name: Gary Pieper My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Eagle Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: want a 96/97 Passat TDI wagon
Comments:
Anyone have a 96/97 Passat TDI wagon for sale in the WI / MN / IL region? Am trying to find one in the near future. E-mail if you have / find one for sale. Thanks GP



03/25/98 20:44:24
Name: nebojsa m. My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: kitchener Province/State: ontario Country: canada
Your VW/Audi: 98 jetta tdi
Comments:
what kind of engine oil does the tdi use.does the oilhave to be a CD rating or better.the manual calls for CD.thanks and email me.



03/25/98 12:06:17
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
All auto makers consider the timing belt a routine maintenance item like tires, bulbs, wiper blades, brake pads, shocks, struts, etc. By 60,000 miles (100,000KM) the timing belt is going to show some aging, mostly cracks. Most auto makers recommend a bel change around 60,000 miles. If the belt was not changed and snapped, you have no warranty or an engine. A TDI replacement engine costs around $3000 USd. When you have the belt changed, have the dealer or a good mechanic who knows VW diesel engines do the work. The belt also drives the fuel pump. The fuel pump could be damaged if the belt tension was set too tight. There are two ways to kill a TDI: quickly by neglecting the timing belt, and slowly by neglecting the oil changes. I have not been able to find out the difference between the two oil filters. Both filters are very well built, use bypass and anti-drain back valves, and are interchangable between the older VW diesels and the TDI engines. The older VW 1.6L diesels that used turbochargers had a filte setup similar to the TDI so I don't know why VW came out with a new filter for the TDI engine. The older "B" filter is slightly larger than the TDI "E" filter. As Rob stated: all the aftermarket oil filter companies list one replacement filter for both V filters. Bosch, Mann, Mahle, and Wix are VW OEM suppliers so those filters should work quite well. All these companies list one filter for all VW diesels: ACDelco, Baldwin, Beck-Arnley, Big A, Bosch, Deutsch, Fram, Lucas, Mahle, Mann, NAPA Gold, Purolato , and Wix.



03/25/98 03:06:02
Name: Dave Ryall My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Calgary Province/State: Alberta Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: '98 Jettea TDI
Comments:
I've got 10,000 kms on my Jetta TDI and just returned from a 550 kilometer trip (One Way). I was very surprized with my fuel mileage. On the way to my destination I kept to the speed limits, generally in the area of 90-100 kph. I also used cruise control as much as possible. I used 24 liters of fuel which works out to 64.8 miles per imperial gallon. In US terms it works out o 54.3 mpg. I'm very pleased with this but have to admitt that mileage does drop considerably if you put your foot into the throttle. So far my car has been trouble free and very, very enjoyable to drive. If I have one complaint it is the fact that the sun roof takes up quite a bit of head room. this isn't much of a concern for the driver because the seat can be lowered, but some passe gers do complain that it is a little cramped. I did mention before that there had been some oil consumption but it seems that it is normal for the break in period. My consumption has dropped to almost nothing at this point.



03/25/98 02:55:29
Name: john pilipenko My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: hackettstown Province/State: n.j. Country: u.s.a.
Your VW/Audi: 1996 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hi everyone, just had an experience at my VW dealer and wanted to hear from anyone with similar one. I've got almost 70,000 miles and had a 60k service done. He recommends i change the timing belt every 60k to avoid any damage when it lets loose.My feelin to this is that with a 10/100k warrenty on the powertrain, shouldn't VW cover any damage if this should happen ?



03/24/98 13:11:31
Name: Robert Schneider My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Trumbull Province/State: CT Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: VW 1997 Passat TDI Sedan
Comments:
Does anyone have information on oil filters for the TDI. VW lists two diesel filters. Regular Diesel 068115561B $7.85 Retail TDI 068115561E $14.75 Retail As you can see the TDI filter is almost double the price of the regular diesel filter. Bosch and Fram make no distinction for the TDI. There may be a check valve in the TDI filter which keeps the in the Turbo for cooling. Is there another source, which uplcates the VW TDI version?



03/23/98 17:57:20
Name: Jay Wassall My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: West Chester Province/State: PA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Are there any TDI owners out there with over 100k miles on them yet? I am wondering how many miles you can get out them before major engine repairs. If you have a high mileage TDI can you share your repair experiences with us?



03/23/98 03:43:17
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lexington Province/State: Kentucky Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDi & 95 GTi VR6
Comments:
For those of you Jetta TDi - 'do it yourselfer's'.... The 'Robert Bently' service manuals for the Jetta TDi should be available sometime this summer. The Passat TDi manual is allready available. This manual is great for basic repairs/maintenance or complete disassembly of the car. I highly recommend these as they offer a general overview of the engine's, and other specifics like capacities etc.....They are also fairly easy to understand. Note: Th manual covers all engines available in the U.S. & Canada for the specific vehicle. You can visit their web site at www.rb.com or call 1-800-423-4595.



03/22/98 12:54:08
Name: GroovBird My Email: Email Me
City: Antwerp Country: Belgium
Your VW/Audi: Golf TDI Rabbit (90hp)
Comments:
I got my Golf TDI Rabbit since December, 1997. It came in green, with the following options (since it was a special series): double airbag, power steering, tinted electrical windows, heated electrical outside mirrors, centralized locking, special wheels, irconditioning and a radio player. I must say, I'm VERY pleased with it. I hear others here having a mileage of about 6.5l/100km, and so do I, but I don't think of it as a problem. I'm also interested in tuning it, allthough I'll have to discuss that matter with my boss, since this is a co pany car. I do have a question for all the people out there having the same car as me: I feel that the car is limited to 180km/h. It's unbelievable how easy you can get it to that speed, and how impossible it is to go any faster. Is this standard? Or is it really t e limit of that car. I drive about 160km/h on average, which is well enough for normal cruising speed. I also saw how Fred got a nice blue golf on his frontpage, but he mentions that he'd rather have a 'green' one. I'm seriously considering taking my car for a photo shoot once the weather gets any better around here, so let me know if you're interested in hese pics as I will share them on the net then :) Well ;) I'm one happy Golf owner. Dave



03/20/98 02:02:58
Name: Terry Bryant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Spring Province/State: TX Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I have had my '98 Jetta TDI since Ocbober 27, '97. I have been very pleased with power, fuel economy, etc. It now has 10,000 miles on it. (I drive a lot). I have been averaging almost exactly 45 MPG combined. The best mileage I have ever gotten on a ank was when it was new. I got 48.25 on a trip. I have heard about other people getting 50+ MPG. I usually drive at about 70-75 MPH on the freeways. Also, it still uses a little oil. I had to put 1 quart in at about 8,000 miles (between the 5 and 10 maintenance). Is this average? I like everything about the car, and would highly recommend it. What kind of experiences have others had?



03/19/98 22:44:26
Name: John My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me Province/State: Europe
Your VW/Audi: VW GOLF 93kW TDi '95
Comments:
Hallo, i'd like to get in touch with Dirk from Belgium for some good tuning options for mine Golfie. For All: How are u able to get so high mileage ? I used to get about 6.5 l /100 km last summer - but i think the problem was about the average speed ( 160 km/h) . I'm looking for all options to get it run faster and also cheaper. C'ya John



03/19/98 21:44:21
Name: Frank Marcoux My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: San Fran Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: TDI 1998 Jetta
Comments:
Inresponse to the previous post about the chips, I contacted Neuspeed and they say they should have a chip available in 4-6 weeks for the TDI for $124.95. I have no idea how much to install. I was also very curious on how they can alter the performance, any info would be great. Also I was wondering if they void the Manufacturer's Powertrain Warranty (I have a feeling they would) If you know more than this regarding power boost chips please enlighten me.



03/19/98 00:23:31
Name: paul belli My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me Province/State: Ontario
Country: Canada Your VW/Audi: New Beetle....when it comes
Comments:
I have placed a deposit on a New Beetle TDI. Who knows when it will come, the vw dealer does not.. This is a BIG step for me...To buy something without 'seeing it' or spending time researching it. But my 'gut' feeling is that this is the right car for me. My first car was a 2CV :) I did drive a Jetta TDI (90hp) and it had enough power for my needs. I assume the New Beetle will perform similarly. I have read on the NET about Chip Tuning the TDI.. It sounds too good to be true..and at what cost? Any coments would be appreciated. Paul



03/15/98 08:34:43
Name: Dirk My URL: Visit Me
City: Affligem Province/State: Aalst
Country: Belgium Your VW/Audi: VW Golf TDII 150HP
Comments:
I own 1 of the first TDI-110's. I nice car to drive and even upgraded it completly. Full option, very fast (can beat 2.0-12V's). Now it is very very special car. Feel free to contact me if you want to tune your VW.




03/14/98 03:53:41
Name: Lagaeysse Tom My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Beernem Province/State: West-Vlaanderen Country: Belgium
Your VW/Audi: Golf A4 type 1998, TDI
Comments:
I haven't found the pictures of the new Golf 98. If there are pictures of the new Golf, will you reply to my e-mail adress. Thanks.



03/12/98 13:33:19
Name: william ofori My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: accra Province/State: accra Country: Ghana
Your VW/Audi: VW Golf GTd estate
Comments:
I am need of a 1993 model VW Golf GTd 55KW desiel engine service manual and owner's manual. If anyone has one to spare you can send it to the ff address William Yeboah Ofori P.o. Box 4487, Accra-Ghana



03/12/98 08:20:52
Name: Jan Otto Ruud My Email: Email Me
City: Kongsberg Country: Norway
Your VW/Audi: 98 Passat TDI 110
Comments:
I just want to say I feel sorry for you guys over there, that you cannot get the new Passat TDI. I have the 98Passat TDI 110 hp, and it was worth the long waiting time. Could it be that VW don't sell the Passat TDI in USA because they are not able to produce enough of them, and have to exclude some markets? The statements from VW that the TDI is not suited for the car is bulls***.


03/11/98 23:41:51
Name: ter halle My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: vriezenveen Province/State: over Country: nederland
Your VW/Audi: audi 80 tdi
Comments:
cant find any maintenancedata ore trouble shouting information about tdi on the net



03/11/98 20:21:53
Name: Greg My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Atlanta Province/State: GA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: None yet
Comments:
I need to hear from some experienced TDI owners out there. Since it has become clear that the Passat TDI will not hit here until 1999, I am now possibly going to get the TDI in the New Beetle. What I need to know is, how reliable have your cars been? If y u have had problems, what were they? I had a Jetta that developed trouble with the engine's computer and it would lose I would say a third of its power. It would regain the power for a short time if I would turn the engine off and then restart it. The dea er could not or would not fix it. Has VW reliability improved? I hope so. I would like a reliable car that gets 50+ miles per gallon. Thanks for your time.



03/11/98 16:44:01
Name: Jason Goray My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Eagan Province/State: MN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I am awaiting delivery on my new TDI, and I was hoping someone could email me with some advice. This is my first new car and my first deisel car. I am concerned about breaking the vehicle in properly and how to "care and feed" it. My goal is to keep th s car in pristine condition for as long as possible, so I will probably need more info than just "change the oil regularly"... Thanks, -phaedrus



03/11/98 03:30:11
Name: Gary Pieper My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Eagle Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: Want a 98 Passat TDI
Comments:
I have been waiting to get a TDI for 2 yrs. Had to give up my 1984 Mercury Lynx 2.0 diesel with 140,000 miles - needed engine overhaul due to low compression. Just visited Milwaukee Auto show and was disapointed to hear of 98 Passat TDI delays. Drove a 98 Passat GLS last Saturday - very impressed - can't wait for the TDI. Fred, I have an article from Automotive Engineering magazine regarding the Golf TDI race car as shown on the TDI home page - e-mail if you would like a copy. I may have to find a 97 Passat TDI to tide me over until the new Passat TDI is available (need the automatic for my wife). Don't know if I can wait 18 months. GP



03/05/98 21:34:26
Name: Jake Kulinski My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Toronto Province/State: Ontario Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: Still Looking
Comments:
This is TDI heaven!! I'm looking to buy either a 1998 or 1999 Jetta TDI some time this fall. I know, its still too early to be poking around and asking questions. But how could I not get excited about getting a TDI!! Does any one know if the 1999 A4 Jetta chasis TDIs will e available with the 110 hp 170 lb/feet torque engine currently available in Germany? --And has anyone tried the power chip upgrade available from p-chips that increases TDI output by a claimed 30%? If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know.



03/05/98 02:12:27
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lexington Province/State: KY Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1997 Jetta TDi
Comments:
For those of you TDI owners or fans that live in the Lexington, Ky area.... WXEZ 103.3 will be broadcasting live from 6 A.M. to 10 A.M. in a 1998 jetta TDi while driving around the city to see how far they can go on one tank of fuel. The theme is "Drive t l it drops."



03/04/98 23:01:53
Name: Jeff Anderson My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Port Washington Province/State: Wisconsin Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1997 Passat TDI
Comments:
Greetings: Was always interested in how the TDI compared to the BMW 325is slant 6 24V on roll-ons so I conducted a little test. I don't care how fast a car does a 1/4 mile or 0-60mph, but the 50-80mph, and 50-70mph getting onto expressways and passing slow moving t affic interests me. But first before the results, does anyone have this TDI condition. At 68-70mph 5th gear (about 2400rpms) I get a resonating humming sound from the rear, and it appears to be exhaust related, but maybe the tires as Al Ruid thinks. The tires are the stock Goodyear GA that came with the car. The 2400rpm hum car also be heard in the other gears but is most noticable in 5th to the point that I avoid crusing from 68-70mph and go either higher or lower. Anyone have this problem? Please se d me a brief message "yes" or "no" if this characterizes your Passat tdi. Now for the test results. I did several tries with both cars and took the mean or average of the results, used the same I43 road, same location with no lights or other equipment o erating besides the motors (I have the euro light switch on the Passat). A slight tail wind about 10mph and a cloudy 31-33 degrees F. The Passat synthetic Devac oil and has 23,000 miles, and the 325is has 10/30 Valvolene racing oil 58,000 miles a 1993 mod l. Both cars are strictly stock even down to the tires (replaced the BMW tires at 50k miles with the stock Michelin MXMs) Passat 50-80mph 5th gear=14.14 sec., BMW 5th gear 13.81 sec; Passat 50-80 4th gear 11.89 sec., BMW 4th gear 10.65; BMW 50-80mph 3rd gear=6.9 sec, did not test 3rd on the Passat. Passat 50-70mph 5th gear=9.40 sec., BMW 5th gear=9.94 (Passat beats the BMW consistantly; Passat 50-70 4th gear=7.56 sec., BMW 4th gear=6.88 sec., Passat 50-70 3rd gear=6.18 sec., BMW 3rd gear=4.63 sec. The Passat fares well in most of the tests, but can't compete with the Bimmer 50-80 or 50-70 in third gear. Once the Bimmer s over 3000rpms the 24 valves do the job. But consider I just took the Passat on a 1250 mile field trip and it cost $25 in fuel, the Bimmer would have been double that (still cheap). The Bimmer averages between 27-32 mpg respectable for a 6 cylinder, bu the Passat tdi ranges between 45-52mpg. The Passat also weights 250 lbs more than the 325is (for this test more fuel in the Passat), dry weights about 220 lbs difference. So there you have it, happy motoring!



03/04/98 14:31:33
Name: Gord Acorn My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Ottawa Province/State: Ontario Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: none yet
Comments:
Hi All, great information page you have here! I am in the market for a new car and the Jetta TDI is one I am considering. I am having a hard time finding something as I want a 4 door, manual trans., power goodies, ok performance, and etc. Also I want s mething with a good aftermarket parts selection as I haven't found any car in my budget that I like right out of the box. In my research so far, I have found that turbo cars have much more potential in them than the manufacturer give us in stock form. I am assuming that this is the case for the TDI also, but wanted to get some of your feedback from people that actually have tried this. I see there is a chip available from a company in Germany that only does TDI's, but haven't heard of anyone here in NA sing one. Also has anyone tried a free flow exhaust, a better air intake or some additional plumbing to help cool the intercooler? A lot of these things should actually help fuel economy also. From what I understand the Jetta TDI is just a regular Jett as far as body is concerned and regular suspension modifications will be no problem. Has anyone tried this also? Sorry for being so long winded! I would appreciate hearing peoples experiences and opinions on this. So far I like what I have seen about the Jetta TDI, except for the soft suspension, and it currently sits at the top of my list. Please e-mail if you can. Thanks!


03/04/98 01:08:42
Name: Larry Tillotson My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Ketchikan Province/State: Alaska Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1997 Passat
Comments:
Great car 5000 miles @ 39mpg city driving,I am a long time diesel owner and this is the best. We had two problems and with no dealer around this is serious.The rear door latch jammed, and there was a recall on the EGR system. We had the EGR replaced in Prince Rupert B.C. at Beacon Motors.Very good servi e.



03/03/98 09:44:40
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Sorry about the double posts yesterday. Here is my experience with giving the turbocharger a cooldown period. I do it with my car whenever I can. It's not always possible to leave the car idling, but if there is time DO IT! As Scott stated, there could be a risk to the turbo bearing if the car has been driven at high speed for a long time and is suddenly shut down. Our oil is cooled at the filter by the engine coolant. So at least we know the oil going to the turbo bearing is never over 200F or 100C. Regul r motor oil is stable to over 350F, synthetics over 450F, so we have some margin. What we don't know is how hot the exhaust manifold gets or how fast it cools off. This is also why VW recommends we use oil filters with an anti-drainback valve, to keep the oil from draining back out of the turbo bearing supply line. Where I work there are several diesel powered pumps and generators, all turbocharged. The turbos are only oil cooled as on our TDIs. These engines have autostart and shutdown capability with pre et throttles. They cannot idle at all. When they shut off, they are off from full throttle. In 20 years I have never seen a turbocharger bearing failure. We also use GMC 6.5L turbodiesel pickup trucks. These poor things get really abused. Again, I have ne er seen a turbocharger bearing failure. All the truckers give their turbos a good cooldown before shutting off their rigs. Some of those big rigs are using up to sixty PSI of boost, the TDI uses about 16. That's a lot more heat to deal with. So here are e amples of both exremes. Any turbo technicions out there, jump in!



03/03/98 00:15:43
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I hate to seem like a blabber-mouth, but I'm finding new things to mention that are not covered here. Check this out: --- I don't know about previous years, but the '98 VWs come with a vallet key. It's purpose is to allow its holders (mechanics, detaile s, technicians, etc) access to the driver's door and the ignition ONLY. It cannot open the trunk, glovebox, console, or the back seat latches (it won't even fit). But beware: I have taken my vallet key to a local hardware to have a copy made for my wal et. It turns out that the COPY will open ALL locks. I can't see the difference between the two keys. But one works and the other doesn't. If you're really serious about only giving people vallet keys, but still want the original as a master kept in a afe place, you'd better consider going to the dealer for the copy. They must have a unique key for this purpose. Make sure you test it before leaving, though.



03/02/98 23:09:26
Name: A.KYLE My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: CLOUGHMILLS, BALLYMENA Province/State: N.IRELAND , CO.ANTRIM Country: U.K.
Your VW/Audi: GOLF MK3 GLTDI 5DR
Comments:
GREAT PAGE! , AND I'AM GLAD I'VE FOUND SOME INFO ON VW TUNING AT LAST. I SUPPOSE YOU COULDN'T GIVE ME SOME POINTERS ON UPGRADING OF TURBO ON A TDI. LETS SAY FROM A 90BHP TURBO TO A VARIABLE GEOM'Y 110BHP ONE. ALSO DOES IT REQUIRE NEW CHIP PROGRAMMING FOR EMAPPING. IF THIS IS THE CASE , PLAN B WOULD BE TO PURCHASE A TD GOLF, AND UPGRADE WITH VG TURBO, ADD INTERCOOLER, PLUS WATER COOLER RADIATOR SYSTEM TO FRONT VALENCE. IT WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED IF YOU COULD GIVE ME SOME GUIDANCE/INFO IN THESE AREAS. (FROM JUST A WEE COUNTRY YOLKAL DESIGNER WITH SCOTS IRISH BLOOD)



03/02/98 20:22:10
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I've been reading on the "VWDieselL@velocity.bc.ca" mailing list about whether or not to idle after start up. What about idling prior to shut down? Think about this: We've all been on the highway on a long trip, just waiting for that rest area so we c n have a "pit stop." "Ahhh, there's one," you say. So you go blasting off the highway at 65 mph, park the car, then go running into the building for relief. Meanwhile, your turbo is spinning down from ~80,000 rpm with NO OIL PRESSURE. The TDI owner's anual says to let the car idle for TWO minutes after high-speed travel in order to allow the coolant temp to come down. Diesel experts on my ship (Coast Guard) assure me its to let the turbo spin down with proper lubrication. They say shutting down with ut a "cool down" is the main cause of turbo failure. I don't know about you, but I let the engine idle... at least a little. My neighborhood speed limit is 25mph. That's 1200rpm in 3rd gear. So I only idle 10 seconds or so after that. From around 40m h, I choose a one minute idle... and a full two minutes from highway speeds. How much do you value a little time compared to a $16,000+ investment that you may keep for years? What you think?



03/02/98 17:04:06
Name: Larry Larson My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Seattle Province/State: Washington Country: U.S.
Your VW/Audi: 84 Jetta turbodiesel, 85 Jetta Turbodiesel
Comments:
Greetings, I'm planning on taking my 85 Jetta turbodiesel to Mexico this summer. Does anyone know if the VW dealers there are equipped to repair diesels, and do they have quick access to parts if I should need them? I have traveled a lot in Mexico in the past, and I know VW dealers are everywhere, but haven't seen any diesels on the road. By the way, the supply of Jetta TDI's is good in Seattle. 8 of them have been sitting on the lot at Campbell Nelson for the last 6 weeks. I think they finally sold one last week. Ma be soon they will start dealing. Does anyone know how sales are going nationwide?



03/02/98 07:06:45
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat
Comments:
I put "intercoolers" in the search engine and got more info than any of us will ever use. This article was written for gasoline engines but the basics are the same. Enjoy TDI fans! Intercooler Tech: Intercoolers are also called heat exchangers, charge coolers, or aftercoolers. Whatever you call it, the function of an intercooler is the same: it cools the intake charge of air after the air has been compressed (and heated) by the turbocharger. "Why do s the intake charge have to be cooled?" is the frequently asked question. Well, a simple answer is because the charge coming out of a normal turbo can be as high as +300F degrees!! At that temperature, air is very thin and has low density. Reducing the intake charge temperature can greatly reduce the chance of detonation, the most common killer to a turbo rotary engine. An effecient IC will provide significant power gains versus an ineffecient IC, even at the same boost levels. With a cooler intake charge, the boost level can be safely turned higher to achieve even more power gains. Of course, the appropriate fuel and engine setup must accompany the increased boost levels in order to produce more p wer.



03/02/98 07:06:36
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat
Comments:
I put "intercoolers" in the search engine and got more info than any of us will ever use. This article was written for gasoline engines but the basics are the same. Enjoy TDI fans! Intercooler Tech: Intercoolers are also called heat exchangers, charge coolers, or aftercoolers. Whatever you call it, the function of an intercooler is the same: it cools the intake charge of air after the air has been compressed (and heated) by the turbocharger. "Why do s the intake charge have to be cooled?" is the frequently asked question. Well, a simple answer is because the charge coming out of a normal turbo can be as high as +300F degrees!! At that temperature, air is very thin and has low density. Reducing the intake charge temperature can greatly reduce the chance of detonation, the most common killer to a turbo rotary engine. An effecient IC will provide significant power gains versus an ineffecient IC, even at the same boost levels. With a cooler intake charge, the boost level can be safely turned higher to achieve even more power gains. Of course, the appropriate fuel and engine setup must accompany the increased boost levels in order to produce more p wer.



02/28/98 04:09:22
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Thank you Scott for bringing up something a lot of TDI fans would probably like to know more about. First, some intercooler basics. The intercooler is a heat exchanger as is the radiator. All car radiators are water to air heat exchangers. The intercooler is an air to air heat exchanger. The intercooler's job is to cool off the intake air before it enters the engine, after it is compressed by the turbocharger. The outside air and the intake air never mix. The intake air picks up heat from the turbocharger n two ways: first by some heat carryover from the turbo exhaust side, and second by being compressed. Air heats up when it is compressed. At first this hot intake air sounds as if this is something we might want, after all, a diesel works off of heat fro compression. But we only want that heat in the cylinder, not before. Hot air is thinner, denser if it is cooler. This means hot air contains less oxygen, cold air more oxygen. We want the coldest air possible going into the engine to increase the oxygen ontent for better combustion. So we cool it off a little. A 10C drop will increase the amount of oxygen a lot. Since an intercooler has no moving parts and is maintenance free, it's free horsepower! The flow path works like this: The air filter to the ai side turbo inlet, the air side turbo outlet to the intercooler, the intercooler to the intake manifold. Those two big hard plastic hoses coming off the back of the engine are the inlet and outlet ducts to the intercooler. There is no danger of the engine ingesting water through the intercooler unless it has been punctured. The risk of the intercooler being punctured is the same as the radiator. How many of you have ever had that happen? Intercoolers have been used for years on turbocharged race cars and m st big turbocharged diesels. Any trucker can tell you all about them. Anybody else that can help explain this, please, jump in. Later TDI fans.



02/28/98 04:00:05
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lexington Province/State: Ky Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDi
Comments:
The component that was previously mentioned is the intercooler for the air intake/turbo system. It is completely water and air tight. The intercooler is like a radiator for air. Here is how it works. All of the air enters from the air filter box, it trave s to the turbo where it is compressed and unavoidably heated, then it goes to the intercooler where the intake air is cooled while the car is in motion by air passing over, it just like any auto's liquid cooling system. The compressed cool air then travel back to the engine for ignition with fuel. The reason for the intercooler is because cooler air is denser, denser air = more power.



02/27/98 18:10:19
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Sorry about that last post. Don't know what combination of slipped-up keystrokes did that. I placed the following post in the watercooled NG, not much help, though. Perhaps TDI fans can help: ----- While searching for a suitable location to mount after arket fog lights on my Jetta TDI, I "discovered" the air intake for the turbo (is this an interchangeable word for "intercooler?"). For those who don't know, it's just below the left blinker (under the bumper). This is NOT the normal FILTERED intake fr m the fender (confusion of the NG). Recalling that I had driven through a short section of 4" deep water (flash flooding) made me aware of something that seems important to know. A lot of people in areas subject to flash flooding feel somewhat "comforta le" driving through deep water as long as in does not come up to the door sills. Some will go even deeper, as long as the water is not coming into the car and there's no chance of sucking it into the air intake (mounted safely in the front fender on most newer cars). But having this turbo intake so low is something most of these drivers don't think about, but should be very aware of. Am I correct in assuming that more than just a splash of water (like from puddles) IVO of this intake is a BAD THING? Th s intake appears to have cooling fins, or fins designed to diffuse water to keep it from flowing directly to the turbo. Back to the fog light: I feel the fog lights would LOOK best just below the blinkers. However, I'm concerned about restricting the air flow to the turbo. Should I be? Is this a "ram air" kind of thing? Or does air just need to be present (like t at "rapidly flowing" air in the fender ;->)? Thanks for your help, Scott A. Farrell 98 Jetta TDI w/2100mi



02/27/98 18:03:34
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Comments:



02/27/98 15:56:48
Name: Toni Klassen My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Berkeley Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta
Comments:
Just to let joe in Larkspur know that Mcnevin Cadillac/Volks in Berkeley has 7 TDIs, ask for Bruce Lee. If you belong to AAA, you can buy for 3% over invoice. My 78 diesel rabbit died(blown head gasket, warped head): so I didn't have too much bargaining power. I have just driven 491 miles and so far so good. Toni



02/26/98 03:16:38
Name: Hung L. Lam My Email: Email Me
City: San Diego Province/State: California
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Great site with lots of infos and helpful comments. Got a 98 Jetta TDI for a month now with 715 miles on the engine. Mileage seems a little low(37.5 miles/gallon), does it get better with age? what is the normal break-in period, how long, how many miles? How to break it in properly? and how to shift during break-in and after break-in(what gear @what speed or RPM need to up shift or down shift?). No problem so far and the car is a joy to drive. I affraid to take it on the highway because it is less than 1,000 miles. Some body with 98 Jetta TDI please shine a light on these for me. Thanks in advance.
T_HLAM 98 Black on Black Jetta TDI.



02/25/98 04:09:43
Name: Peter Murray My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Atlanta Province/State: GA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '97 GTI-VR6
Comments:



02/24/98 16:51:43
Name: Sean Roberts My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Columbus Province/State: OH Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '78 Westfalia
Comments:
More on the subject of availability of Jetta TDIs, here in Columbus, OH each of our three VW dealers have at least 6 Jetta TDIs sitting on their lot. One of them has 11 in stock at the moment I believe. There was even a dealer that had two '96 Passat TD sedans in stock. And no I have no affiliation with any of these dealers in any way.



02/24/98 01:25:11
Name: joe My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Larkspur Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: looking for one
Comments:
I live in Marin County, CA (north of the Golden Gate Bridge) and am looking for a TDI, though am unsure of which model, having never test driven one. Can someone refer me to a Bay Area dealer with a supply of TDIs? Local dealer has none - they don't seem opular in Marin. Much thanks in advance!



02/23/98 18:09:58
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
HI, Someone wrote: "Tdi's don't stay on the local dealers lot long." Pearson-Miller VW in Dartmouth, MA has had five sitting around for over two weeks. Not that I want to advertise for them, but if you're looking... -----Scott



02/23/98 16:00:00
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
I found some info about Passat TDI smoking on a Passat web-site: www.geocities.com/motorcity/1108, look in the FAQ section for TDI smoking. Jetta TDIs are in short supply in my neck of the woods. Any of the big name diesel fuel additives will do a good ob in cleaning up fuel injectors. Use as often as you like, I usually add a cup once a month. In the fuel and oil business we are considered 'mixed fleet' owners because most of us have both gas and diesel vehicals. Chevron's Techron is a great fuel syste cleaner that works equally well in a gas or diesel engine if you only want to buy and use one product for both types of engines.



02/23/98 06:52:01
Name: Dwayne Morton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Tucson Province/State: AZ Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI /66 type3 etc
Comments:
Tdi's don't stay on the local dealers lot long. VW had a price promotion (mark down) the first of this month with an ad in the newspaper on the 6th, a friday. That dealer was sold out the next day, the one I purchased was brought down from Phoenix. Demand seems high for any good diesel vehicle, truck stop prices at $.989 per gallon. I have to say that most people who have ridden in the tdi hadn't a clue it's a diesel. Most potential customers seem preoccupied with the 'new beetle'.



02/22/98 18:40:25
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I guess the guestbook doesn't like angle-brackets. Here's the post from rec.auto.makers.vw.watercooled I mentioned on my previous post without angle brackets. Subject: I don't think the '98 Jetta TDI is selling well. Date:22 Feb 1998 17:32:31 GMT Several of the dealers in Massachussets are advertising big inventories of '98 Jetta TDI's which leads me to believe that it is a slow seller. One dealer indicated "Over 10 Jetta TDI's in stock....no reasonable offer refused." Maybe this is the time to strike a bargain I believe the Jetta TDI is most often available in the Jetta GL level of trim/accessories (lowest level. I would then try to get a TDI at GL pricing if I were to try and buy one. -----Hope it worked this time. If not, I'm sorry for cluttering the guestbook. Scott



02/22/98 18:35:18
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I don't know if it's ethical to post someone else's post with their name attached. So I won't. I've seen some posts in here asking where to find Jetta TDIs because they're in high demand in some areas, esp Europe. Check out this post I found at rec.aut s.makers.vw.watercooled: (names removed) <> Perhaps that's why I got such a good deal ($16,000). See my previous post for more details on the price I paid. Perhaps interested buyers may find it worth the trip to MA to buy a TDI Scott A. Farrell 98 Jetta TDI w/1600mi



02/21/98 03:39:41
Name: Tom Poe My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Haw River Province/State: NC Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 96 TDI Passat
Comments:
I've had my TDI Passat for almost two years and it's a great car. Only one real problem that started about six months after I got the car and I still haven't gotten it totally fixed. It started with the smoking problem. I had to wait about six months f r the back ordered computer to come in. When I finally got the smoking fix installed the check engine light started coming on immediately after the new computer was installed. The dealership was completely CLUELESS about the cause of the engine check li ht coming on. They're fix was to install another computer that took another four months to get it shipped to the dealer. When this new computer was installed, things went from bad to worst. Now not only does the check engine light come on, but the Glo lug light comes on and blinks continueously! If the check engine light wasn't bad enough, now I got another light that is blinking. With the first and second computer, acceleration at speed was great, now with the third computer the car's got no power. On a couple hills on the interstate highway, the car can't hold it's speed. I've got an appointment at the dealership this coming Monday. They claim that a temperature sensor has failed and the computer thinks that the engine is too hot. We'll see...frankly I think my dealership is way over their head with this car's technology If any one has any suggestions, I would appreciate if you would forward them to me. I'd love to get this problem fixed once and for all. Tom



02/21/98 02:00:31
Name: Ron My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me Province/State: MD
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 86 Golf Diesel
Comments:
Great Web page! Anyone know about good injector cleaner fuel additives, if necessary, how often, etc? My Golf has 145K miles on it and gets 45+ mpg driving thru the potholed streets of DC. Thanx for any info you may be able to provide.



02/20/98 00:40:33
Name: John Albrecht
Comments:
TDI turbo recall VW - TK code - campain
It has come to my attention that VW has found a problem with the turbo supplied for the 96 TDi motors in certain cars sold the US of A. The problem is that the turbo can loose oil to the bearing when the engine is cold or at startup and boost is applied by overreving the motor.
This would cause a pre mature failure in the seal or bearing. Or it would cause smoking at best and excessive oil consumption at worst. The manufacture of the problem turbo is KKK they (VW)are replacing these with Garret turbos.
The VW recall campaign is under a code TK - you can call VOA to see if you car needs the recall - the 800 # is 800 822 8987 as usual the VW of A clerk couldn't tell me what the code or recall campaign TK was for - that I gathered from the service manager at Bob Lewis VW in San Jose.
So know you know..
JEA



02/19/98 14:13:14
Name: Philip Rose My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: South Easton Province/State: Massachusetts Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
A friend of mine urged that I go test drive a new Jetta TDI. Great advice!! Thanks Keith! This is my first VW and my first Diesel! I love it! I think the motor is definitely the best part of the car. I drove the gas version after the diesel and thought th diesel was quieter and had better power charecteristics. I hope to own and enjoy this car for many years to come. Intial mileage has ben in the mid 40's!!



02/18/98 01:30:09
Name: Fred Voglmaier My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Maple Ridge Province/State: BC Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: '96 Golf GL
Comments:
Anyone have some time, even a little bit...Looking for someone to put some of the common TDI questions into a little mini-faq.... If so email me.

Thanks
Fred

BTW if any of you want to format your messages you can put html codes in the message.. ie < B R > without the spaces gives you a cartage return or enter...



13:17:53
Name: Nathan Tennant My URL: Visit Me
City: Stratham Province/State: NH
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 1996 VW Passat
Comments:
Here are some comments from that VW site that Brian mentioned. It looks like the TDI demand in Europe is hurting us in the U.S.A. (and Canada).

Where do you see Volkswagen five years from now?

Through the year 2000 you're going to see growth through Volkswagen from about 20%-25%, so I think if you did the mathematics based on selling 138,000 cars in 1997, we are projecting to sell over 200,000 units, both VW and Audi in U.S. and Canada. You can see that we have some pretty big expectations the next few years. Obviously we think we have a strong new product lineup. The new Passat is a really strong product for us. There is a lot of momentum in that product both in the dealerships and in the sales numbers. As far as the momentum is concerned, we're on our way to establishing ourselves as a really significant player in the import car market.
 

Does VW see itself as competing with Mercedes here in the U.S. as well?

Absolutely. I think where Volkswagen is headed is upscale. That they recognize that there are people out there that do drive a Volkswagen like the new Passat and say, "Hum. Why should I look at a Mercedes C-class. What distinguishes that car from this car?" People that want a little bit more value perhaps. People that aren't looking for the pretense of a luxury name plate and I think really make a more cerebral choice about the car they are driving. So I think, you can see that.
 

With the restructuring of VWoA, how is that going to affect the dealer level?

If you look at the way the company is structured, and we made this change in 1994, we flatten the organization. Which is a harsh way of saying that we decided to take the executive level people and put them closer to the customer, closer to the dealers. So right now your looking at what we call seven Area Executives around the U.S. and Canada, and they are empowered to make executive level decisions that go beyond just region manager. They have discretionary funds, they have the ability to help the customer out from a customer relations standpoint, to do things that a typical region manager would not have been able to do in a typical hierarchical, beaurocratic structure. So I think that's very important. I think that has helped out our very loyal dealers. Right now were not looking necessarily to expand our dealer buy. It's possible that we will look at certain points with franchises, but we are not setting a goal to double our dealers or increase them by 20%. What we're looking for more is quality over quantity. And so it's very important for us to make sure that the dealers CSI ratings are good and they devote the space and marketing attention to the Volkswagen brand. I think a product like the New Beetle and the new Passat, and the momentum that we've created over the last several years, has gone a long way in doing that. I think they know that we're serious about the market, if you surveyed the dealers or the public four years ago, they would have questioned whether we would have been around today. I don't think anyone would say that now. Most people now recognize that we're serious about this market.
 

There seems to be some variations in the level of customer service, product knowledge and general image at some dealers. Is this also something VWoA is working to improve?

That's something that we recognize and something that we are working very hard at bringing to a certain level, so that people don't see those major differences when they go from one dealership to another. That's why it is very important for us not to look at just expanding and expanding and creating more points. Rather to make sure that our relationships with our dealers are such that they begin to devote more attention and more share of mind to the Volkswagen brand.
 

With the obvious success of the New Beetle as a publicly demanded vehicle, will Volkswagen take this approach more often to determine future model additions?

As with any major company we do a lot of market research to determine what our future products are going to be, but the New Beetle was the exception to that. When they introduced the Concept 1 in Detroit four years ago, if you polled the company, the majority of the people would have said that we will never build this vehicle. It's a nice idea. It helped bring a little passion to the brand by showing it, reminding people of Volkswagen's presence in the market from the past, but it didn't fit. But the reaction was so overwhelming not only here in the U.S. but in the rest of the world, they were really forced to build the car and would have disappointed a lot of people. It's something we think is very positive for us here in the U.S. But whether or not we're going to show concept cars and ask the public it we should build it, and one example is the CJ Coupe. It was important to get public reaction from that, but I can tell you going in that we had already made up our minds that we are going to enter that market. Incrementally, from an A-platform perspective, that made sense.
 

What is Volkswagen's standpoint on the SUV market?

It's something that we are seriously considering. Whether it is with another company like Porsche is still undetermined. But, it is a good possibility in the future that we will have something like that. Whether it is a true SUV or something unique to Volkswagen remains to be seen.
 

Along those same lines, what does the future hold for the Eurovan segment of VW? Will we see a Sharon here in the States?

The plan with the Sharon has always been for Europe only where it is doing well. So we won't see it here. As far as the Eurovan is concerned, the plan is to bring another version here other than the Camper and with a VR6, but we are still months away from that and they will likely be an early 1999 model.
 

How about the TDI market here in the U.S.? Will we see more of this technology finding it's way into future models?

The TDI market, as you know, is an impassioned one, a submerged market with people just sitting out there waiting for the next diesel. The problem with the TDI is that it is extremely popular in Europe and they can't build enough of them there, with some of the models accounting for 60% of the sales. It accounts for less than 4% of our total sales last year and we don't make much on them. It is currently available in the Jetta and will be available in the Passat probably as a 1999 model. There are several new TDI motors that Volkswagen feels would be more suitable for the Passat applications. The TDI is one of my favorite cars.
 

Why did Volkswagen cancel the TDI motor in the 98 Passat?

Volkswagen felt that particular motor combination (Ed: 90hp TDI) was poorly suited to the new Passat in this market. This also is based on U.S. sales and marketing figures and the high European demand that I previously mentioned. There will be a future Passat TDI model that will feature a new line of TDI motors probably sometime next model year.
 
 


 
02/17/98 03:50:08
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hey TDI fans, I was browsing around and found a great web-site with some good TDI gossip. Check out http://www.vwvortex.com/ and go to their news section. According to these people an expanded line of TDI engines will make it to North America. But as we all know, what VWoA promises is not always what VWoA delivers. Let's just say I'll believe it when the cars are on the dealer's lots. That web-site again: http://www.vwvortex.com/ check it out and keep your fingers crossed!



02/17/98 01:45:40
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
The fuel filters on our TDIs are not preheated. The fuel picks up heat from the engine as it is recirculated back from the fuel injectors. Simply put: cold engine, cold fuel; hot engine, hot fuel. Also, the electric block heaters work by heating the engin coolant. This will only heat up the block and head. The fuel system does not get any heat, the fuel pump is mounted too far from the engine. It has been too warm this winter for anyone anywhere to have fuel jell problems. Oil usage is normal in a new eng ne but the amounts used varies quite a bit. My car used no more than a pint during the first 3000 miles. Other people have stated oil usage as high as a quart per 1000 miles. If the usage is that high after 5000 miles I would suspect the turbo seal is lea ing by. Expect to gain 1/2 MPG per 1000 miles until the engine is broke-in, which is around 10,000 miles. My car returned 40 MPG on the first fill-up and topped out at 47 MPG by 10,000 miles. At the auto show I was told there would be Passat wagons this s mmer with gas engines only. My theory is the TDI engines for the Passats went to Mexico for New Beetle production.



02/16/98 22:20:52
Name: C. Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Lexington Province/State: Kentucky Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1997 Jetta TDi
Comments:
For those of you with jetta TDi's looking for performance chips...Automotive performance systems or "Neuspeed" as it is mostly known, says their chip will be available by (if not before) summer. I believe they are allready available for the Passat. The jettas use a new 32 pin chip which might be the reason for the delay. European Car magazine reviewed a Passat with the Neuspeed chip and CLAIMED it produced a max of 102 hp at 4000 RPM and 181 lb/ft torque at 2000 RPM. The issue date is January 97. They were quite vague about milage changes. I am going to get the chip as soon as it is available, i'll keep you all posted with milage and performance changes.



02/16/98 02:54:51
Name: Scott A. Farrell My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: '98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I haven't seen many comments on glow plugs. Here are my cold weather observations: This morning it was about 12 degrees out. It took 12 seconds for the glow plugs to warm up (usually takes 1-2secs) and it idled a LITTLE roughly for about 5secs. I supp se that was the amount of time it took for the gelled fuel to get out of the fuel line between the pre-heated fuel filter and the engine (about 6 inches). After that, all was normal. I suppose Canadians may have better (colder) stories. :-) Scott ke4wmf@aol.com



02/15/98 17:26:15
Name: Dave Ryall My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Calgary Province/State: Alberta Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: '98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I've had my TDI for 2 months now and I am very pleased with it. I haven't been keeping tabs on mileage but I do know it goes a long way between fill-ups. (Mileage was at the lower end of my priority list when I bought the car.) I am curious about oil cons mption. I have gone through two litres in 6,000 km. Can any one tell me if this is normal for the TDI? (I'm thinking there may be a long break in period.)Also, what is the normal break in period for these motors?.



02/14/98 23:45:19
Name: John Simick My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: cockeysville
Province/State: md Country: USA
Comments:
Sellers of New Complete TDI engines



02/14/98 23:09:55
Name: Jeff DeKoter My Email: Email Me
City: Minneapolis Province/State: MN
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
After putting 4400 miles on my 98 Jetta TDI bought last December, the check engine light came on. The dealer is trying to replace the engine computer on advice from VW. He says that the computer has to come all the way from Mexico as each computer is buil specific to each car. What is going on? Is this true?
02/14/98 19:14:13
Name: Charles Deters My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Mascoutah Province/State: Il Country: ST.Clair
How you found this site:: By Chance
Comments:
The information could be printed in a booklet for the benefit of TDI owners. Information on lubrication, and repairs, etc. plus certain comments would be a great seller. Thanks for keeping it alive, Chuck Deters

 
02/14/98 01:29:15
Name: Joel Hembel My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: West Bend
Province/State: Wisconsin Country: USA
Comments:
I really don't think anyone has to be a special person to own a TDI. I have a 96 passat TDI and have logged 63,000 miles thus far. It is winter here in wisconsin and I never worry about starting in the cold. My last tank of fuel took me over 905 miles, t ats in excess of 47 mpg. Not bad for winter driving (mixed city and highway). Love the power and effortless cruising up hills and highway speeding. TDIs are not for those who like to visit the gas station. I've owned many VW diesels and this one is the b st yet. I can guarantee my next is a VW TDI too! Sold on 900 plus miles per tank, VW relaibility and spunky power to peel rubber!

 
02/13/98 21:35:10
Name: Howard My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Sterling Province/State: Va Country: USA
How you found this site:: Searching under TDI
Comments:
Wanted a new Passat TDI in 1997. Settled on a Nissan. Was concerned about the Passat's dependability. It appears there are problems with the TDIs. German cars are great to drive, but it seems it helps to be an auto mechanic(or married to one) or you wi l be facing expensive repair bills. Still hope to own a TDI someday when they get the bugs out.

 
02/13/98 20:16:20
Name: Scott A. Farrell My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Buzzards Bay Province/State: MA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 VW Jetta TDI
Comments:
Hi, I just picked up my TDI on Jan 31st. I love it! I was lucky enough to trip over this site while using Lycos search strings. I didn't think there was ANYTHING out here about TDI's. I'm very pleased to have found this. Great Site!! I have two thi gs to post... a question, and an answer: Q: One of my concerns about making sure my TDI lasts is proper lubrication. A friend (who's paranoid, BTW) tells me not to believe the owner's manual about oil choice, maintenance intervals, and whether to warm up the car (manual says start and drive aw y... no warm-up). He feels that car companies do NOT want their cars to last because they'll lose money in the maintenance arena. Therefore, they recommend no warm-ups and thinner oil for less protection. I'm not sure I agree. But I do agree that a pr -luber would be beneficial (esp for the turbo). He warned me that without a pre-luber, the turbo continues to spin without oil pressure after shutdown... up to 80,000 rpm if you shut down after blasting into a rest area from 65mph. I saw a post in here omewhere about a pre-luber, but can't find it. Can anyone help me out? Further opinions on this topic are greatly appreciated. A: Someone posted that the dealers are not bargaining very much with customers because of the demand for TDI's. This person also requested some pricing info. Here's what I paid for mine: TDI with Destination Fee, A/C, Premium Sound, Classic Green Metallic Paint, MA Emissions, and $200 Dealer Prep retailed for $18,090. Invoice for this car is $16,646 (according to www.edmunds.com) including Dealer Prep. I paid $16,600 for mine and the de ler added a 4-piece set of floor mats and gave me 7.5% financing (without back-end profit... I calculated). I intend to add the CD player (undecided on OEM or aftermarket... I have Sony in the other car), and splash guards to protect the paint from tar a d grime. I'm looking forward to years of enjoyment out of this car. I may even buy another TDI in five years to replace my aging Nissan. Keep up the great Forum here!!! Scott A. Farrell ke4wmf@aol.com



02/13/98 09:04:12
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
The March issue of Car & Driver magazine has a good story about two of the magazines nutcase editors and a Jetta TDI. They put a 70 gallon fuel cell in the trunk and drove from New York to San Francisco nonstop. They had themselves sealed in the car and h d made some interesting alterations to the car to handle 'personal body functions'. I would avoid buying at a slightly used/abused white Jetta TDI in the New York area.



02/13/98 08:38:28
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
The New Beetle sales info listed an automatic with a TDI. EPA city/highway mileage numbers are something like 36/44. Dealers should be getting sales info in now. Regarding the fuel filter info that I posted earlier, only the Passat has to have the intake duct removed. I think the Jetta has plenty of room around the fuel filter because the intake duct is different and is not in the way. Regarding high performance modifications for the TDI, there are only two things one can do: install a K&N air filter and hot chip. Other than that there is nothing that can be done to improve the HP. Sometime in the future, maybe someone will market a low restriction exhaust. You lucky Europeans can buy an Audi A6 with the 2.5L V6 TDI! Keep the faith TDI fans.



02/13/98 00:13:40
Name: Eric Upton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Atlanta Province/State: Georgia Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 73 Beetle
Comments:
Has anyone heard any specs on the TDI New Beetle? I was thinking about picking one up this summer, but I also want an automatic. I noticed VW doesn't offer automatics with the Golf/Jetta TDI's and I was wondering if that was because of acceleration proble s or something else. I thought that the TDI, with its lower torque peak, would be well suited to an automatic transaxle, but I have never even driven a diesel, so I don't know. Any suggestions?



02/12/98 13:51:12
Name: Mike My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Newport Province/State: Gwent Country: UK
Your VW/Audi: Golf GLTDI
Comments:
I am having problems trying to find if it is possible to improve performance of my car. As it is the TDI is very good, but seeing TDI performace cars I know it can be improved. Can anyone shed some light on this.



02/12/98 13:13:02
Name: Nathan Tennant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Statham Province/State: N.H. Country: U.S.A.
Your VW/Audi: 1996 Passat TDI
Comments:
Regarding Import of TDIS, Brian is right on the money when he says that TDI engine production is at its max. From talking with my father in-law in Austria, Engine production in Germany is maxed, and they are having trouble meeting current TDI demand in Europe. These engine go in the Golf, Passat, Vento(Jetta), Sharon Van, Audi 4, and Avant Wagon. So, from what I can decipher, this is the main reason that they did not advertise the vehicles in the U.S.A. Demand was high enough with out it. It seems that once they are able to ramp up engine production further, they will again ush TDIs in the U.S.A. In the mean time the Jetta TDI is still out there...



02/12/98 07:10:23
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Checking the fuel filter is easy. The intake hose has to be removed. Compress the two clamps with some large pliars and move them to the middle of the hose. The hose is very stiff but it will move. The filter is held to the strut tower by a metal band. Th band has to be loosened. Use a #3 phillips screwdriver. I use a #3 phillips socket, $5 at Sears. The return fuel line has to be removed or the fuel will not drain out. The fuel return line is held on to the top of the filter by a metal clip. Remove the c ip and slowly pull the plastic tee off. DO NOT remove the fuel lines from the plastic tee. Some fuel will drip out so keep some rags handy. Lift the filter up a few inches and put some kind of a shallow container under it. Slowly open the drain. You only ave to turn it maybe one turn. Only drain a few ouces out, if there is no water then you don't have any. Close the drain, retighten the band, push the return line back on the filter, and reinstall the metal clip. Put the intake duct back on. I haven't fou d any water yet with 23,000 miles on my car. If you decide to remove the filter then you will have to buy some small fuel line clamps. Do everything as stated before, but remove the metal bands from the fuel supply side only using a small screwdriver or n edle nose pliers. Install the new clamps and tighten when you put everything back together. If you replace or completely drain the fuel filter, it should be filled before starting the car. Use a very small funnel and fill through the return line hole. It olds about a pint. Keep some rags handy. There are several messages already about oil and filters. Check in the Oct. to Dec. 97 messages and some ealier posts from Jan. 98..



02/12/98 06:00:24
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Three of us TDI fans went to the Chicago Auto Show yesterday and there was only one lonely Jetta TDI there. VWoA's theme is New Beeltle mania. They had a booth set up to sell New Beetle souvenirs and business was brisk. Six Beetles were on display and f ur were being abused by the public, no TDI Beetles were on display. It's a very cute car but if you need rear seat head room and a real trunk, buy a Jetta or a Golf. Six Passats were on display, only one was the new V6. Passat TDIs will arrive in 1999, b t in VW lingo that probably means 2000. The people running the exhibit are not VW employees but a firm that specializes in staffing trade shows, this week cars, next week computers. They had no technical knowledge or answers about future TDI plans. They id say that TDIs are 50% of VW sales in Europe and engine production is at its max. The US market gets shorted to keep European orders filled. Sorry TDI fans, this is the best I could get out of them.



02/11/98 23:37:49
Name: Richard Rhoda My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Tegucigalpa
Country: Honduras Your VW/Audi: 98 Passat
Comments:
Plan to move to Mexico, where they only have service on VW, Nissan, and Detroit cars. Want to buy a 98 Passat TDI wagon all wheel drive, if they bring them. Know and like VW (my first three cars were two beetles and a bus), but don't know that much abou diesel. Some reviewers say that diesel only appeals to a special type of driver. I'm trying to figure out if I'm "special". I know I'm really impressed with dependability and high mileage - does that make me special? I like some zip (so I can pass a ruck on Mexico's two lane roads), more than I used to get from the beetles and bus back in 60's and 70's. But I'm not interested in dragging from the stop light, I prefer a smooth, relaxed, high mileage acceleration. Am I "special" enough to wait for th TDI or should get the 1.6 liter turbo wagon when it comes? PS. The Mexican truck drivers always signal when you're clear to pass and move to the right to let you through - real cooperative chaps, I'd say.



02/11/98 14:09:31
Name: John Stangenberg My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Maybrook Province/State: NY Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Would someone please advise me how to drain water from the fuel filter on this car. Also some advice on oil and filters to use. The owners manual is useless on these matters. Thank you.



02/10/98 16:50:41
Name: Bob Grant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Terre Haute Province/State: IN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: Passat TDI wagon-if/when it arrives
Comments:
Does anyone out there have any more information on whether we will see the TDI Passat this year? I was planning on buying the wagon version this spring or summer, but it looks like we might not see TDI Passat's at all. I have three kids and the Jetta is too small. I'm not in a hurry, but if we get to fall I may have to consider an Accord or Camry. Anyone heard anything else? VOA is singularly unforthcoming.



02/08/98 19:46:24
 
 
Name: George My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Virginia Beach Province/State: Virginia Country: USA
How you found this site:: Via Passat list
Comments:
Waiting (impatiently) on my '98 Jetta TDI now... We were looking for a '98 Passat TDI, but gave up when they said it was one or two years off. We tried the Jetta just to see how it felt. We were so thoroughly impressed with the "feel" of the TDI, and ho well the Jetta seems to be screwed together we decided to go for the smaller car. Something about a bird in the hand... It certainly is not your father's diesel. Will be watching the comments here to keep up on what to do to keep the car running in to form for years to come. 
02/07/98 03:43:07
Name: Dalton Van Buren My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: St.Paul Province/State: MN Country: US
Your VW/Audi: 96 passat tdi sedan
Comments:
Hello, For anyone interested. My passat now has 54,000 miles on it and is in great shape. The only problem that I have had is the ignition switch went out last week. The repair came to about$126.00 but that is still less than extended warrenty. There have be n many cold weather starts (the coldest being -43 F) with no problems. I have measured the milage for the last 15,000 miles of in town(25%) and highway(75%) and have recorded an average of 46.23 mpg. As for the myth that the TDI is a snail, I've been u to a sustained 123mph. There was more left but how fast do you really want to go anyway. Great car and well worth the investment. Those of you who are in the colder states and find yourself at a truckstop that offers only #2 diesel, you may want to us a antigel addative called Power Service. Seems to work well for me. It was recomended to me by my Father who drives a semi coast to coast. thanks for reading through all of my blah and feel free to leave me a note. Dalton



02/06/98 17:05:18
Name: Doug Overton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Palm Beach Gardens Province/State: Florida Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 84 Rabbit GTI
Comments:
Ask your dealer why we can't get the 2.5l V6 TDI engine in the new Passat here in North America. If it will fit in the AUDI A4 it will fit in the Passat!



02/05/98 02:38:14
Name: Doug Savill My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Rossland Province/State: B.C. Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: 92 Jetta
Comments:
I've got a 92 TDI with 300,000KM on it with no work done to the turbo or the engine, mostly highway. It still appears to have good power and makes no "expensive" sounding noises. Does anyone have a feel for how much longer I've got before a rebuild.



02/03/98 16:41:36
Name: H. Bergknut My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Vollsjö
Country: Sweden Your VW/Audi: 95 Passat Var. TDI
Comments:
125000 km in just just under two years. Only problem I´ve had is a broken ABS-sensor at 100000 km! Average consumption: 0.55 l/10 km. Best car I´ve ever had.



02/02/98 18:56:30
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hey TDI fans, next week a few of us are going to the Chicago Auto Show and give VW some grief about the lack of 98 TDI Passats, general support, and dealer knowledge. Anybody who can make the trip, please drop in on VW and help us get it across to them th t we are less than impressed with VW's effort with bringing TDI models to the US market. This is a great opportunity to let VW's corporate marketing dweebs know where the company is a little thin! I hope I see a lot of TDI fans there.



02/01/98 17:08:58
Name: Jay Wassall My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: West Chester Province/State: PA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I have been looking at TDI's for a couple years and finally bought a 98 Jetta TDI last week. I got the comfort group, A/C, and radio in it and could not be more pleased. What a fantastic car to drive. I got 43mpg on the first tank and have not found an flaws in the car so far. The build quality looks very good. The only thing I still want to do to it is add the CD changer. VW switched to a new style radio in 11/97, someone from VW told me it is now a Panasonic instead of a Clarion. The price on the CD changer through the dealer is supposed to be $295, I have been trying to see if any of the after market changers are a direct replacement. Crutchfield said they are looking at the new radio to see what fits.



01/29/98 21:20:25
Name: Frank Marcoux My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: San Francisco Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I just bought a 1998 Jetta TDI and I was wondering if anyone knows a good place to have minor service done around the BayArea, preferably the East Bay or the San Mateo area. Also, this is my first Diesel and I am kind of clueless on the special maintenan e it requires. The VW manual is not much use at all. I read about fuel filter change, water in the gas tank, fuel additives, timing belt changes, etc... If anyone can fill me in I would very much appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

 02/01/98 22:43:47
Name: Barbara Butterton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Oceanside Province/State: California Country: US
How you found this site:: Passat group posting
Comments:
No comment right now except that I am glad a TDI page exists! Thanks.

 
01/29/98 23:02:34
Name: Bill Hood My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Morehead City Province/State: NC Country: USA
How you found this site:: Surfing
Comments:
Great Site. I am looking to buy a new diesel beetle.


01/24/98 01:13:51
Name: Tim Beck My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Antioch Province/State: Tennessee Country: USA
How you found this site:: Searching, Searching
Comments:
Best information on the net about the TDI. Living in the southern United States, I have never had a need for a diesel. Unleaded gas is plentiful and cheap. But, I am really interested in what everyone loves about the VW diesels. I must confess a lack f knowledge about the subject. Do these cars really last 200k and 300k miles?

 
01/20/98 00:44:39
Name: JOHN My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Seoul
Country: Korea How you found this site:: Yahoo
Comments:
What kind of Engine oil does the Jetta TDI take? Can i just put Regular Convetion oil or do i have to put some Special Diesel oil in? thanks, cool page man

 



01/29/98 01:11:37
Name: Jerry Kammholz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Holtsville Province/State: New York Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
I recently purchased a 1998 Jetta TDI and I too noticed that the oil consumtion the first 1000 miles was something to be watched.It used a little over 1 quart for those miles.I currently have about 1800 miles on the car and I am totally delighted.It is a efreshing change in performance from my 1986 Golf diesel that I still own.The car handles like a dream, very tight. I also own 2 other diesel vehicles.One a 1982 suburban 6.2 and the other a 1997 suburban 6.5 liter turbo diesel.At present the cars have al been using Shell Rotella T 15w-40 oil but I have been looking into switching to the one of the synthetics.If any of the readers have any information about their experience with this please get back to me on E-Mail.



01/28/98 04:14:50
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: lexington Province/State: ky Country: us
Your VW/Audi: 97 jetta tdi
Comments:
What is this "smoking" i am hearing about? I know my car belches out a nice little black cloud at full throttle from a dead stop, and when flooring it on the interstates after the car has been cruisng for a while, but i thought this was normal for diesels. It is also my understanding that it is no mal for direct injection diesels to produce some blue smoke until the engine warms up, which my car does, only at start up and full load though. Should i be concerned? Is this "smoking" problem more than what my car produces? the car has 12,000 miles on it and i would appreciate any responce from anyone.



01/28/98 03:34:38
Name: Clay Peyton My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: lexington Province/State: ky Country: us
Your VW/Audi: 97jetta TDi & 95 GTi VR6
Comments:
What a great page! I got my 97 jetta TDi back in August and i love the car. I love iy so much that it allready has 12,000 miles on it. I can't get over how much usable power it has, and i can't complain about the 40-42 miles per gallon. Diesel is even costs less than gas here (only at the truck stops though.) I would like to let all the TDi owners know that they might want to keep an eye on there oil filters. I have been doing my own oil changes for several years now and i found out that if the filter is not put back on realy realy tight it can vibrate loose just enough to leak oil only when the engine is running. I lost 1 quart of oil 100 miles after the change was done , but no damage was done. Good luck everyone and enjoy your cars!



01/27/98 19:37:14
Name: Jeff Anderson My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Port Washington Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1997 Passat TDI
Comments:
Great car, no starting problems and it stays outside. Went to the largest Wisconsin dealer last weekend, am interested in the new 1998 Passat TDI wagon. The dealer had just recieved a fax stating that the TDI is cancelled for 1998. If the TDI comes in 999 it will be the 90hp version. So I tried the V6 Passat and the 20V Passat. The new Passat is a little quieter. The V6 5-speed gets up to speed in a hurry, I looked down and was doing 80mph at 4500rpm in third gear. Top gear at 80mph was close to 30 0rpm, so it's geared rather tall. Top gear acceleration at 60-70mph is similar to our TDIs, and the TDI accelerates better in top gear compared to the 20V motor, also a 5-speed. One dissapointment with the new Passat is that the doors close with a mushy oorly fit sound, not like our Passats with the characteristic German "thump". The front doors even sounded worse with than my 1991 16V Passat with 122,000 miles. Don't know why that is, or even if it's necessarily bad. Hope to get a TDI wagon when they a e available. The TDIs are selling well in Europe and it's apparently hard to say if we will ever see them over here so you better keep your TDI. Also, the Beetle is now available and can be ordered with a 90TDI and includes the "sports" and "convience" p ckage for $17,600. The dealer here expects delivery from Mexico in March. The TDI Beetle is about 100lbs heavier than the Jetta and is rated at 48mpg highway.



01/26/98 14:45:38
Name: Myles My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Springhouse
Province/State: PA Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDI
Comments:
The good folks at VW Diesel Parts in Ohio can supply TDI owners with genuine Bosch oil filters ($5.50) and many other parts for alot less than dealer cost. Minimum order is $25. Email or fax orders only. vwdiesel@bright.net Fax 937-544-6858 Check out their web site http://www.brightnet/~vwdiesel/



01/26/98 00:25:52
Name: JERRY KING My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: FALLING WATERS Province/State: WV Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1996 PASSAT TDI
Comments:
THANKS FOR THE INFO ON TDI SMOKING . I FINALLY FOUND A DEALER WHO WOULD FIX THE WHOLE THING UNDER THE EMISSION WARRENTY



01/25/98 01:00:53
Name: Shawn Wical My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Culpeper Province/State: VA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 jETTA tdi
Comments:
Firstly, I apologize to all who have written me. I am sort of anti-techno, despite that is how I make my living. Don't have Web access at home. Sneaking into my network now via remote access. Please mail me at above address. YOU MUST LOCATE MOBIL DEL AC 1 OIL !!!! Hit Mobil's site @ Mobil oil corp.com. Select commercial lubricants. Hit Delvac 1. You will be pleased that this oil exists My Jetta TDI was getting 38 mpg at 1200 mi. I changed to Delvac 1 after this, and my mpg jumped to 45 mpg after 1 tank full. Wait until it has broken in... Find the heavy diesel equipment dealers in your area that sell Mobil Products in your area, and they will be all to happy to hook you up with this 5w/40 fully synthetic oil. My engine was quite a bit quieter, t o. I bought it at $78 per 4 one-gallon container case. I cannot reccomend any oil to anyone more highly. I had been using Mobil 1 15w/50 in all my 4 (yes, 4) vw diesels. I will Use Delvac 1 from now on, simply based on my last oil change. To cover my ass legally, use whatever oil you want. This is purely my opinion. I am just detailing my experience. The Mobil site will convey the rest. Check out, in particula,r the testimonials. That should allow you to form your own opinions. Myles: I am sorry I did not get back to you regarding motor oil for your TDI, so here you have it. I finally saw a full billboard ad pushing Devac 1 at the Baltimore, MD toll plaza on I-95, billing it as the "million mile oil". This oil is a 5w/40. It will pump quickly in low temps, as well as flow freely in your TDI crankcase to allow maximum iol pickup. It allegedly has a significantly extended drain interval for our supercharged semi friends, so should perform nicely in your TDI. Amsoil, in my hands on experience, hasn't out performed Mobil 1. I removed cylinder heads from two of my 1.6 L turbo diesels and did not measure any significant bore scuffing/polishing in either engine, yet. THE WHOLE KEY IN KEEPING YOUR ENGINE IN TOP CONDITION IS P OPER FILTERS AND HIGH QUALITY OIL, CHANGED AT A MAX IMUM OF 5000 MILES, AS WELL AS PROPER FUEL FILTRATION. DRAIN YOUR FUEL FILTER EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE OIL, AND REPLACE AS SPECIFIED BY VW . DON'T FORGRT THE FUEL TANK DRAINING. AIR FILTER TOO !!!. B th my 1.6L turbo diesels have approximately 230,000 mi and will go many a mile more without major overhaul. I think Delvac 1 will deliver as promised by Mobil. You be the Judge. P.S. Who sent the mail regarding genuine VW oil filters from Mann/Bosch@ $5.50/ea from some place in Ohio, PLEASE post their ph #. The VW filters are indeed superior to ALL aftermarket suppliers, but their cost from a VW dealer eats away at the fuel sav ngs we attain from driving diesels. POST THE PHONE # !!!



01/19/98 17:33:24
Name: Shawn Wical My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Culpeper Province/State: VA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Greetings All: I just changed the oil on my Jetta TDI. It wasn't pleasant. Wrestling with that skid pad was like trying pry a plastic snow sled from under the car. Next time I will put the car on ramps and remove the skid first. Also, the original oil filter on my 1998 TDI is taller and smaller in diameter that those used on the 1.6L diesels. I beleive I have found an oil that will delight all you TDI drivers. It is called Mobill Delvac 1. It is a heavy duty 5W/40 fully synthetic oil specifically designed for diesels. I pay $78 per case. There are four 1 gal. jugs in each case. Hit obil oil corporation's web site, go into commercial lubricants and be prepared to be amazed. Some semi trucks can go 80,000 miles before changing oil when they use Delvac 1!!! You can't get this stuff at Wal-mart, etc. Your best bet is a Caterpillar de ler, etc. that sells Mobil products. I am going to use Delvac 1 for the life of my TDI. I will keep you folks posted with any other useful stuff I scare up.



01/17/98 15:07:50
Name: Ade My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Ottawa Province/State: Ontario Country: Canada
Your VW/Audi: TDI Soon I hope
Comments:
I was at a local VW dealer the other day hoping to test drive a Jetta TDI. However they had none in stock. Apparently their shippment had been delayed from Montreal due to the ice storm. I was very disappointed. The sales man showed me the Jetta with he previous Turbo Deisel engine. He had stated that it had both lower Hp and fuel economy. I am concerned with both and would prefer the TDI. Though the sales man trying to make a sale said that the turbo deisel Jetta would be much cheaper. Money is a so a concern for me. As I plan to keep my eventual purchase for most of its life (300k + kms) the premium paid for the TDI would more than pay for its self. Does any one have any comments about the major differnces between the two engines over the life pan of the vehicle? My current situation leaves me flexible about replacing my current vehicle (1994 Mazda B3000 pickup). I would even consider waiting until the 1999 model is out. As I understand both the Jetta and the Golf will be moving to the Audi 3 platform and will both will be available with TDI. This leaves me with more questions. The 1999 models will be slightly larger. However, as with most cars with changes, problems need to be ironed out it the production. I don't want a lemon. Then I w uld have to chose between the Golf and the Jetta. Is there much information published about the 1999 Jetta and Golf? I would appreciate some advice from anyone.



01/16/98 01:27:07
Name: Krosnoff My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me Province/State: FLORIDA
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 1996 Passat TDI
Comments:
Looking for confirmation for notice on the cancellation of the PASSAT TDI . . . EVERYONE MUST EMAIL VW & SUPPORT THE TDI!!!!! What a bloody sad day --- I hope VW doesn't let us down like this. This Web page has a notice regarding this (in the passat section) :



01/14/98 22:04:50
Name: Dave My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Shrewsbury Province/State: Shropshire Country: England
Your VW/Audi: Passat TDi
Comments:
I have a problem with my TDi. Its an intermittent missing at about 3000rpm. No faults are registered on the computer diagnoses. Therefore the VW garage says there is no problem. But there is! Does any body have any solution?



01/14/98 17:37:06
Name: Nate Tennant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Stratham Province/State: NH Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1996 Passat TDI
Comments:
Well, from every VW guy I have talked with VW is committed to keeping the TDI in the U.S.A. but it would not hurt if everyone who reads this can e-mail VW at www.vw.com and express your interest in the model. I would hate to think about buying anything but a TDI.



01/14/98 03:08:51
Name: jerry My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: fallingwaters
Province/State: wv Country: usa
Comments:
can any one tell me where i can find tdi mods



01/14/98 00:26:44
Name: rgp My URL: Visit Me
City: Knoxville Province/State: TN
Your VW/Audi: 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Sad news about the '98 Passat TDI (see previous post). Can anybody else confirm this? I got nervous waiting for the Passat and bought a 98 Jetta TDI. Kept thinking about VW's last diesel endeavor - 2 model years, as I recall (90-91 ECO Diesel). Regretted not buying one then. Previously owned two diesel Rabbits - couldn't wear them out ( he engine anyway). Hope VW has a long-term commitment to diesels here, but based on before mentioned track record, if you want one, you'd better get it....



01/13/98 20:15:43
Name: David Brownlee My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Bedford Province/State: Bedfordshire Country: England
Your VW/Audi: VW Vento TDI GL
Comments:
I have had this car since April 1995 and can truly and honestly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, economical and luxurious vehicle. I consistently achieve 50miles per gallon on trips to Scotland. The boot (trunk) is as large as a Mercedes S cla s. I particularly like Volkswagens attention to detail e.g. the way you can keep the key in the door lock to shut the windows and sunroof is helpful. I am replacing my Vento next year and am undecided whether to go for the 110bhp new Vento (launching in UK late in this year) or the Passat.



01/13/98 08:26:13
Name: Stan Smith My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Malibu Province/State: California Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 82 vanagon diesel
Comments:
I have an '82 Vanagon diesel which I would like to transplant a TDI engine into. Please let me know of any available (and if the ECU and injectors have been updated) or if anyone knows of any other sources / information on turbo diesel engines /conversions. A friend of mine believes the transplant can be done, but it will be involved / costly. Any info would be greatly appreciated. please Email me and Iwould be glad to call you back - world wide. Thanks, Stan



01/13/98 08:22:52
My URL: Visit Me
Comments:



01/13/98 00:55:47
Name: Karl Mahn My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Belgrade
Province/State: Montana Your VW/Audi: WAS 98 PASSAT TDI
Comments:
Sad news folks. Just got a call from my dealer and he informed me that the 98 Passat TDI that I had ordered had been cancelled and that VW will not produce any TDI Passats for the U.S. this year. I am truly bummed out, now I might have to go buy a Dodge cummins or something.



01/12/98 20:56:39
Name: Bob Grant My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Terre Haute Province/State: IN Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Passat TDI wagon (when it arrives)
Comments:
As far as I know, the new Passat TDI will have the same 90hp engine. The 155 foot-pounds in the Passat is for the pressured 1.8 litre gas engine. The 110 horsepower TDI engine is the 1.9 litre engine with a different turbo (with flexible vanes). I don't think VWoA want's to certify two engines for the DI (one for the Jetta and one for the Passat), so they will probably just use the same engine for both.



01/12/98 20:06:59
Name: Casey Vanlandingham My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Ames Province/State: Iowa Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '98 or '99 Beetle TDI
Comments:
I'm looking seriously into getting a new Beetle this fall. I want to get the TDI in it as well. I'm looking for information regarding how well the TDI performs in cold weather. Are they hard to start in cold weather (around 0F), how long does it take fo the glow plugs to warm the engine in very cold weather? Any cold weather tips? Please contact me via e-mail at: cvanland@iastate.edu Thanks



01/10/98 17:38:31
Name: f. menninger My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: new city Province/State: NY Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1996 TDI Passat Wagon
Comments:
ATTN: TDI'ers *TDI 4 Sale!* 1996 TDI Passat Wagon (green), original owner, excellent condition, low miles (21,000),still under VW warranty and purchased fully transferrable 100,000 extended mile warranty, 40-47 mpg, have all records, paid $22,000, best reasonable offer takes it! To make appt to see and drive it please email me at imgenfm@aol.com



01/10/98 17:38:13
Name: f. menninger My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: new city Province/State: NY Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1996 TDI Passat Wagon
Comments:
ATTN: TDI'ers *TDI 4 Sale!* 1996 TDI Passat Wagon (green), original owner, excellent condition, low miles (21,000),still under VW warranty and purchased fully transferrable 100,000 extended mile warranty, 40-47 mpg, have all records, paid $22,000, best reasonable offer takes it! To make appt to see and drive it please email me at imgenfm@aol.com
 

01/10/98 17:28:18
Name: F. Menninger My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: New City Province/State: NY Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1996 TDI Passat Wagon
Comments:
ATTN: All TDI'ers! I hate to part with a great car but my business is growing and I need a larger car/van. So, my TDI Passat is for sale! Here's the info: 1996 TDI Pas



01/10/98 01:35:52
Name: Dave Zajano My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Phoenix Province/State: MD Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 89 Jetta diesel
Comments:
Been tracking TDIs for 9 months now and have questions about 110 hp? I have heard that turbo vaning is different and that gears are beefier than 90 hp. Anyone able to confirm this? Also one dealer has told me that 90hp TDI coming in Passat in US is actu lly the 110 European engine adapted for US. That torque is same as 110. (I hear 155 ft/lb in '98 versio of 90 hp which is not what the 110 puts out.) He also states that the '98 Passat TDI is a different engine from the '97. Is he correct? I'm ready o buy a TDI Passat as soon as one is available, but would wait several more months for 110 hp version. Could it be that 90 hp version we have now is the best we'll see this year or next? Been driving VW diesels since 1977 and wouldn't want anything else but the thought of being able to pass something other than a gas station is exciting after all those years.



01/10/98 01:18:26
Name: Brian Kmetz My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
The 'shelf life' of diesel is about one year. Only the farmers who would have fuel sitting around in large quantities for several months have to worry about fuel going stale, and I haven't met one yet. Diesel fuel is 'hydroscopic': it attracts water like rake fluid. It takes several hundred gallons or more to attract a pint. Our fuel tanks are plastic and too small for any of this to be a problem. I drain my fuel filter every time I change my oil. I have not noticed one drop of water yet. The refiners can t afford to have inventory sitting around in tanks anymore. Most fuel leaves the refinery around one month or less.



01/09/98 21:01:15
Name: OETTINGER My URL: Visit Me
City: Friedrichsdorf Country: Germany
Your VW/Audi: VW.SEAT.AUDI
Comments:
We just like to add a Link to the best TDI Website we could find. For REAL POWER go to, http://www.OETTINGER.com we offer the Horses you seeking for!



01/09/98 15:46:18
Name: Bob Norris My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Seattle Province/State: WA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: (Hopefully soon) 98 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Great site! and thanks to everyone for all the interesting info. I'm hoping to get a Jetta TDI within the next year when financial situation allows it. I was wondering if anyone knows if diesel fuel degrades over time in the fuel tank. I drive relatively ittle so with the mileage, some of the fuel would sit in the tank for up to a few weeks before being used. Would love to have a diesel again, I had an 82 diesel vanagon with a 5-speed manual that I really liked...had to give it up when merging into 70mph raffic at 40mph got too hairy...happy dieseling!



01/09/98 01:33:06
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Low lubricity is not a problem anymore. When low sulfur diesel fuel came out in 1993, the older VW diesels with the Bosch VE fuel pumps had a lot of failures. So did Stanadyne so they came out with a line of fuel additives. The lubricity additives are mea t for those older pumps. Some oil refiners were sloppy about how they hydro-treated their diesel fuel to remove the sulfur, and this affected the lubricity of the fuel. The oil companies got their act together back in 1995 with the lubricity issue, but t e fear remains. If anyone with an older VW diesel (pre TDI) has not had a fuel pump failure by now, they do not have to worry. It gets even better, sometime in 1998 there will be international standards issued for lubricity in diesel fuel. In the USA, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) sets the standards. The Canadian National Standards Board (CNSB) follows the ASTM. In Europe, the Association des Constructeurs Europeens de l'Automobile (ACEA) is working with the ASTM and the CNSB. ACEA eplaced the Committee of Common Market Constructors (CCMC). The tests for lubricity have been formalized and accepted. There are two tests used, both are very similar. Two metal plates, or a ball bearing on a plate are rubbed together with a film of diese fuel in between. Pressure is increased until severe scuffing occurs. One test messures the pressure in grams that was used, the other test messures the depth of the scratches in mm. This is a very simplified explanation, but it is the best I can do here. The only time we have to worry about low lubricity is if someone is blending diesel with gasoline, alcohol, white gas, or any of those really thin fuels to make winter diesel. One might put themselves at risk if they were using 100% kerosine. Most anti-je l additives include lubricity additives because very high blends of winter fuel (over 50% kerosine) could have lower lubricity. Sorry TDI fans, I can't recommend if anyone should or should not use additives, or which brands. The ASTM and ACEA are also dev loping higher motor oil standards for diesels. Look for the CH-4 rating to appear later this year.



01/08/98 17:57:33
Name: Simon Garner My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Hartford Province/State: CT Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: VW Corrado G60
Comments:
Regarding diesel fuel additives. There is only one additive tested and recommended by VW for diesel fuel:- Stanadyne Lubricity Formula. VW part number is ZVW 340 001. It comes in an 8oz bottle, designed to treat 15 gallons of diesel. Also available in big er containers (more economical) Other diesel additves made by Stanadyne are also approved by GM, John Deere, Mercedes, Navistar etc. For further information, call Stanadyne at 1800 842 2496. Mention you saw this on the 'Net.



01/08/98 04:16:23
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
There are several messages about oil changes in the September to December 97 section which is mislabeled 96. I posted a message back on 10-16-97. Oil filters are hard to find sometimes. The plastic pan is held on by three bolts and 4 Torx screws size 25. he drain plug is 19mm. The hardest part is figuring how to get a filter wrench in there. I use a metal strap type with a flexable handle. The metal strap type without the handle works well, it's the type that has a square hole for a 3/8" extension. If you do not overtighten the drain plug, the copper washer can be reused several times. I also remove the plastic cover off the oil pan. It is held on with one 13mm bolt. Oil tends to drip into the cover and collect. Later it begins to leak and you might think you have an oil leak somewhere. It takes me about an hour to change oil. One guy says he takes the oil filter off from the top so he does not have to remove the plastic pan. I thought about that, but I wondered how he cleaned up the drips. I am one of th se neat freaks who can not stand to have oil dripping off the engine. The plastic panel under the engine quiets the diesel clatter, the engine will be louder if you leave it off. Also in many European countries, to have a car dripping fluids is not tolera ed. No messy parking lots over there. I also like how clean it keeps the bottom of the engine and tranny, no road grime collecting under there. My cheesy browser can't read the 'My Email:' so if anybody has questions, contact me at: colbk@ceco.com or bria .p.kmetz@ucm.com. I have answered questions for several people.



01/07/98 16:56:17
Name: Shawn Wical My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Culpeper Province/State: VA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 1998 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Bought my Seude Silver Jetta TDI 11/22/97. All has been great so far with the exception of the upper windsheild/roof seal. The seal does not lay in the channel properly. It is sort of "wrinkly". Alerted dealer of this, so they are replacing it. No le ks, minor problem, but I am picky. If you but one of these TDI's, check the engine oil VERY FREQUENTLY during the first 1000 miles, as they comsume much more oil during this period. I have been a VW diesel driver since 1982, and this is the best yet !!! I have always done the work on my own cars. I am going to change the oil soon on my new TDI. Does anyone have any tips, torx sizes, etc. that are helpful??? If this is anything like my 1985 turbodiesel, I can expect an armpit full of 15/50 !!!



01/07/98 06:44:50
Name: Terry My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Milwaukee Province/State: WI Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: VW Jetta TDI, '97
Comments:
Hello..I just had my 1997 TDI, with about 4000 miles on it, repaired at the dealership for a "frozen" right rear brake. A few days ago, in very cold weather (about zero F) my Jetta was very slow to move, acting as if there was a great deal of resistance i the drive train. After a half mile I heard a loud "POP" sound and the resistance was gone. Since then however ive heard a loud rhythmic popping sound from the right rear of the vehicle. The VW service dept found my right rear brake cylinder/shoes in a state of disintegration with chunks of metal loose. They were at loss to explain how this happened. They said that somehow the brake "froze and then subtantial heat developed, and the brake disintegrated. Obviously they replaced the brake entirely and it was covered by warranty. Has ANYONE ever had such a problem with ANY vehicle??? Thank you for any replies, either here or by email. I DO lo e the TDI however and have had gas mileage between 40 and 47 mpg. -----Terry



01/06/98 04:34:18
Name: tom City: charleston
Province/State: sc Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 91 jetta GL; 98 jetta TDI
Comments:
I got my Jetta TDI about 3.5 weeks ago and have racked up 2100 miles. Mileage is up to about 48 mpg with over 500 miles between refueling stops. The car's a joy to drive, and just hums along on the highway. Even loaded down with friends it jumps ahead of traffic at the lights. It feels like it outperforms my 100 hp GL (with 150k miles), though that might be my imagination. The manual's not too good; I'm still very confused about routine maintenance requirements. And those WARNING: sections... I think I'd be better off driving with nuclear waste in open vats of gasoline than I would be driving with kids and airbags. Sheesh. tg.



01/06/98 00:45:46
Name: Brian Kmetz My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Streator Province/State: Illinois Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Passat TDI
Comments:
Redline additives will work just fine in a VW. A diesel is a diesel, regardless of who made it. There are only a hanful of companies who make all the additives for diesel, gasoline, and motor oil. Most companies buy from someone else and do their own blen ing, packaging, and marketing. There are not that many different additives, and most companies use the same ones.



01/05/98 23:42:53
Name: Tim Wilson My URL: Visit Me
My Email: Email Me City: Brooklyn Park
Province/State: MN Country: USA
Comments:
I'm very interested in the '98 Passat TDI. They haven't found their way to the Midwest though, and I'm curious to hear from someone who's driven one of the 90 hp versions. Can 90 hp feel sporty? I sure love the fuel economy, but I'd like to have some fun oo. Can anyone compare the 1.9L TDI with the 150 hp, 1.8L 4-cyl turbo?



01/05/98 21:49:36
Name: Paul Forbes My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Rockville Province/State: Rhode Island Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 88 Jetta, 96 Passat TDI
Comments:
Hello, I have a 1996 Passat TDI which I purchased new. At 8000 miles I got the "smoke". It got so bad, (my wife was stopped by the police), that I had the recall work done. Sadly, my car has never run the same since. It now has 42000 miles and surges hen accelerating. It still runs strong, but not "jusr right". It has been back to the dealers many times, but they seem to be at a loss as to what to do. Anyone else have this problem? This is my 10th VW and the most disappointing one. Thanks



01/04/98 06:54:24
Name: Bob My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: Danville Province/State: CA Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: 97 Jetta TDI
Comments:
Just bought a 97 Jetta TDI, last one on the lot. This is my second diesel, I also own a 1984 Mercedes 300SD turbodiesel with 165,000 miles. For the 300SD I have been using Red Line diesel fuel additive to raise the cetane rating. Does anybody know if this fuel additive is acceptable to use in the VW turbodiesel? I have always used Red Line in the 300SD and it works great.



01/03/98 07:53:28
Name: JERRY KING My Email: Email Me
City: Cleveland Province/State: TN
Country: USA Your VW/Audi: 96 TDI
Comments:
Great site .I just got a used 96 TDI I have the smoking problem that others have talked about VW said they would fix the ECU but I would have to pay for the injectors .any help on this? For the people that want remote door locking call Advanced Motorsports at 714 515 1672 they have modified the stock VW unit to lock unlock doors unlock trunk and roll up windows and sunroof at $249.95 its an easy install and works well , if anyone knows about engine chips or mods let me know.



01/02/98 16:35:46
Name: joel hembel My URL: Visit Me My Email: Email Me
City: ocomowoc Province/State: wisconsin, 53066 Country: usa
Your VW/Audi: 1996 passat tdi
Comments:
I really enjoyed lookin thru all the tdi messages.I now have just turned 60,000 miles on my TDI and it is great. I did have a problem early on with blue smoke on deceleration- like comming off a freeway ramp. Opon reacceleration a huge cloud of smoke woul billow out- sort of embarrising! It did not effect driveability or mileage. It took a little time for vw to find the answer (especially since I was the first to own one in my area with higher mileage). They replaced the electronic controll module and fue injectors. No more embarising clouds! Anyway I just love this car! Mileage is in the low 40mpgs in the winter with an average of about 50 during the summer months. Power is very good. I have owned many (over6) vw diesels and this one is my all time favorite.



01/02/98 02:36:20
Name: Gene Cremeens My Email: Email Me
City: El Campo Province/State: Texas Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: Looking........... 98 TDI
Comments:
Hi folks, In reading your notes my mind is being told to look more into the TDI Passat, 98 model. Being I drive 4500 to 5200 miles each month, I guess I need one. The fuel savings will make most of the payments. I'm told the handling is like a sports car. Looking to getting to one, in 98. I do feel like the 110 hp model needs to be here. Will look and the Houston Auto Show next month.
 

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