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Frozen locks on Passat do not take apart just heat up the key with a cigarette lighter and unfreeze them then use white lithium grease that is available in Canada @ Canadian Tire in a spray bomb. Squirt into the locks door latches hinges etc . I do this i the winter after it has rained to prevent freezing the next time it gets cold. Seems to work very well. Use lots and work the locks during application to get everything coated.

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Who cares about a 4.8% increase in fuel economey. i get a wounderful 45.9 mpg.

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Has anyone tried "Howes Power Kleen" diesel fuel additive? They guarantee a 4.8% increase in fuel economy. If true, such an increase in economy is well worth the price of a bottle, not to mention the additional benefits of a clean and lubricated fuel in ector system, upper cylinder lubrication, water dispersion, etc.

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Regarding "clogging the catalytic converter": What clogs a catalytic converter is not what additive you use. What clogs one is simply bad driving habits. Shifting at too high of an RPM or flooring the accelerator habitually will clog your converter wit out a doubt. If you drive in such a manner that you can see any smoke at all in your side or rear view mirror, a certain amount of carbon is continually building up in your converter until your TDI starts running like it has a lawn mower engine in it! W at I do is ALWAYS shift at 1800 RPM with slight throttle. I get up to desired speed plenty fast enough!

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an update to my previous post - I got the latch mechanism off one of the front doors. I'll dry that out by the woodstove overnight, then lube and reinstall. Now I find that my parking brake is not releasing completely! There's some drag on one(or both) of the rear wheels, and there's lots of slack in the lever (inside the car). Looks like I'll be under the car in the morning :^(

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This is not TDI-specific, but has to do with frozen locks and latches. If anyone has any advice on how to get latches to latch (both front doors - 96 Passat)I'd appreciate it! A heated garage would do fine but I don't have one and temps are in the teens (F) and going lower tonight. I think there is a catch that's supposed to pop up within the latch mechanism. That's not happening and both doors won't close - grrrr! I expect I will have to take the latches apart, thaw and dry them, and relube. There s a black plastic covering over the latch that I expect may pop off exposing some bolts. Before I destroy it, can someone confirm that's been there before? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, rob BTW, locks are frozen, too!

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Diesel Fuel Additives: When using a diesel fuel additive you want to make certain it is compatible with your catalytic converter. Some of the diesel fuel additives formulated for HD over-the-road diesels produce ash when burned - these ash deposits will eventually plug up the converter resulting in higher back pressure and loss of performance. The chemical used to suppress exhaust smoke is sometimes the cause of these ash deposits .... This problem develops very gradually over many thousands of miles, s it's not something you'll notice right away. It's worth checking with the additive manufacturer if the bottle isn't labeled in this regard.

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I have just taken delivery of my first diesel car and I am definitely *not* disappointed. The engine is very powerful, especially at low revs and the car is very comfortable to drive. I am very glad that I joined the diesel family ! Concerning oil: My gar ge uses and recommends the semi-synthetic oil "Shell Helix Plus 10W-40" Happy TDI-ing in 1999 ! Peter

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I've heard that the TDI powertrain in the new Jetta is the same as that of the A3 platform. The VW website seems to say differently...

98 Jetta:
Torque: 149 @ 1900 RPM
HP: 90 @ 4000 RPM

99 Jetta:
Torque: 155 @ 1900 RPM
HP: 90 @ 3750 RPM

Does anybody know how this changed? Thanks in advance.

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Anyone know where I can get cheaper oil filters for the new TDI. It has a cartridge type filter like Mercedes has been using where the engine has a cast aluminum housing with a plastic cap that unscrews you then lift out the filter paper. By what I am he ring I don't think the older TDI's work this way. It sounds like they have a regular metal case spin on filter. Am I correct? My filter isn't available at parts stores yet and it costs $17.00 from VW

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For everyones information ROBERT BENTLEY PUBLISHERS (The official Volkswagen service manual publisher) will be coming out with a updated service manual for our Jetta TDI's next year. Their web site is ( http://www.rb.com ). To Joe from Fla.: It is normal for our diesel engine oil to become very black. My suggestion, as a professional aircraft mechanic of 23 years, is to change your oil regularly. Every 3,000 - 4,000 miles is best. Don't try to go 10,000 miles on a oil chan e. Changing your oil every 3,000 miles is the cheapest insurance you can buy. Trying to save $20.00 for oil & a filter change on a $20,000 car is stupid. Make sure you use a Diesel type engine oil with the CG-4 rating. I use Castrol Syntec Blend "Truck nd 4X4 formula" 15W40 ($2.10 @ Quart at Wall-Mart) and Volkswagen 068 115 561B oil filters ($8.64 at the dealer). Get a pocketful of Volkswagen drain plug gaskets while you are at the dealer p/n (N-013-849-2) @ $0.30, and you'll have enough to change oil or the life of the car. See Yall; Jerry Pope

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What experience has anyone had with fog lights? I am looking into buying a set that are functional, not just for looks. I am dealing with a lot of fog, and snow to come soon, and I want to see more than 10 feet in front of my car. I have heard that sel ctive yellow is the best color, but I have not seen any on the market. If you have installed aftermarket fogs please give me your $.02

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I am having problems with the power door lock button on the dash (cental locking switch). If I lean over the driver seat and use this button to lock the doors, then close the drivers door, all the doors will be locked and the alarm will not be enabled. f I am sitting in the drivers seat and do the same thing, the drivers door will not lock. According to the manual, I should not be able to lock the drivers door by using the Central locking switch. I'm glad I found this glitch as I am tired of hearing t e horn bleat every time I lock the car. Any one else notice this? Jon

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Hi Everyone! Just Bought a 96 tdi passat with 43,000 miles on it, im very happy with it. But i am very concern about the oil color is super black,i change it but turns black very quick(i mean very black!). I really appreciate any input on this!

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Hi everyone Ilike to know if the super black color from my car oil is normal in diesel engines. Thanks for any comments!

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The temperature dropped to -35C last night. The Jetta's block heater was not plugged in. So the glow plugs had to stay on longer than usual, about 15 seconds (cf. 2or3 seconds w block heater). The TDI started instantly without any fuss. This engine ca handle the coldest weather. Never feel worried about the TDI not starting in cold weather.

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I'd like to hear from anyone that has obtained performance numbers from their TDI powered autos. U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, where ever. If you have dynomometer tested, drag raced (speed and/or elapsed time), measured 0-60 (or 0-100km) times, maximum sp ed, whether stock chipped or aftermarket performance chipped, stopping distances, interior noise levels, anything that has been instrument measured related to performance. Borrow your friend's G-tech accelerometer if you can. I'd like to hear your numbers Please e-mail me personally rather than filling up Fred's site. Thank you.

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Oh,I meant to say I have read many oil consumption concerns regarding the TDI. I have had virtually no oil consumption. In 3000 miles the dip stick is down 1/4". I wonder if your dealers are using thinner oil. I know for a fact that mine uses 15W-40 as do I.

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Hey Ken, See my entries below. The glowplug issue is well known by VWoA. There shouldn't be any question that they will replace the relay. I love my NB-TDI, but have very serious concerns with VW's approach to customer satisfaction. If VW doesn't totally piss off it's customer base, they'll make a lot of money with their product, because their cars ARE appealing. Lexus is the standard they need to be keeping in mind. My $.02, Maaak

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John, I have noticed more engine noise inside of my car since we have finally had a cold snap. It's not the diesel clatter but all around engine and exhaust shound. I think it is simply the fact that the mounts for the engine and exhaust are of course ubber and stiffen up in the cold which causes them to transmit more sound to the body of the car. Still waiting to hear check engine light problems concerning GLOW PLUG RELAY. Still haven't returned to my dealer to have my car messed with.(it will be the third time!) I think I will try V.W. hotline again.

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Well I knew it was to good to be true. The day I went to the bank to payoff my VW loan a year early, It starts breaking down. First my door handle breaks ($206)due to lack of lube. What the heck am I paying close to $200 for a major maintance for? Do you ay extra for grease or lube? Next the lock on the ignition fails and now the steering wheel grinds under rotation with movement on the steering colum.No clue what happened there, but going in tomorrow to get looked at.Is it me or does the exhaust sound re l throaty as it's gotten colder almost as if it leaks? I looked at the exhaust, didn't see any holes or leaks, but there is seperation between layers of metal. I guess this is not a stainless steel exhaust. that would have been nice!Anyway one more thing, after changing my oil I noticed water coming out of the shaft on the water pump.I'll try to get that covered under 10/100,000 warrenty even at 104k. But I've got no sign of wear on my original brakes. There's still alot of meat left.There you have it. I guess not to bad,after 3 yrs. of no repair here it comes.Any comments or thoughts on these problems? How are your vehicles doin with similar mileage or age? I'd really like to know. I'll let you know how it turns out.

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Ric, there is an easier method to replace wiper blades. Trico makes a line called "Exact Fit", both blades and refills, that simply slide in with no adapters or modifications. Or, if you want slightly better quality, go with the Bosch blades or refills. p>

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Re: Wiper blades - I just changed my wiper blade inserts for the first time. I got a pair of 20 inchers and cut the passenger side one down about an inch of the plastic, and 1 1/2" of the rubber with a Dremel tool. I filled in the end with hot glue to k ep the rubber from sliding out ouf the plastic part. Yes, it is true that the blades must slide freely in the "prongs" for best windshield contact. My replacement ones were MUCH wider than the originals, so the prongs had to be bent farther apart to fit They work perfectly with 100% windshield contact, and next time the job will be much easier with no tweeking req'd.

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Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this page. Happy Holidays Oilburners!

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Hi, Are you changing the inserts with OE, or aftermarket inserts? I put aftermarket inserts in my OE blade arms and it's doing the same as yours. This is caused when the inserts are not allowed to slide freely through the blade arm's "fingers," which is ecessary due the finger's hinges. They must slide so that the blade insert can bend to conform to the windshield's changing (in relationship to the moving blade) curvature. I feel that buying an entire wiper kit (not just the replacement insert) will com letely eliminate this problem. Keep in mind that when you replace blade inserts you probably should replace them with the same brand of inserts as the wiper arm itself. The slight differences between brands/OE could effect how smoothly the insert slides ithin the blade arm. Take Care, Scott For "Bud": No one cares what someone who cannot post his/her name and stand firm with his/her comments has to say, especially when trying to speak for everyone.

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Has anyone else experienced any highs and lows in their windshield? I have changed my wiper blades twice the I still cannot get a complete sweep of the blade across the windshield. At the same two spots the wiper blade will not clear the glass. It will do this during rain or snow. I am not exactly sure if I am feeling a slight depression in the gkass at one of the small spots not being cleaned. Also is there anyone whose clutch doesn't feel like it is engaging the engine until the clutch pedal is just about at the top of release. I hope this isn't a problem, however I feel sometimes the car is going to stall especially if I am starting up a very steep hill. So far 48.5 MPG and going strong. Happy TDIing.

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Scott, we don't care if you are KE4WMF.

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Hi, It's good to know that our cars may start after a nuclear detonation. That way I can run to Walmart and pick up some SPF 1,000,000 sunblock. Just kidding, guys. Have a Good Christmas. Scott

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BOB- I agree that the 'modern' TDI's do have CPU's , but isn't the brain in that car mostly for the Turbo - well probably for the throttle as well. The injectors (correct me if i'm wrong, anyone) do still appear to be mechanically actuated (there are no e ectrical leads to them) and the fuel injector pump is also mechanically driven. An experiment is needed here: one could remove the cut-off valve and the ground strap on the battery and try popping the clutch. My guess is that a TDI would start and run, but would not accelerate (VW uses a potentiometer instead of a cable, now). Perhaps I'll try it... By the way, JASON, I wasn't trying to belittle your (our) issues regarding high Chicagoland diesel prices. There are many taxes that seem unfair in this area (Illinois tollways, for example). I say we assemble a non-for-profit co-op organization to produce biodiesel from recycled cooking oil and not pay any taxes (or fuel companies for that matter) at all (I'm completely serious by the way, just couldn't do it on my own). If you or anyone in t e are is interested, we should discuss it...

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Adrian -- The last part of my previous rant about the weird taxing and pricing of diesel was cut off. What it said, essentially, was that none of us in the US can complain too much about fuel prices -- gas or diesel -- since not only are oil prices at hi toric lows, but in the US our fuel incurs the lowest taxes of any other non-OPEC country I can think of. So despite my rant, I *do* keep perspective. ;->

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just for kicks---SOL, Like you I thought our cars would still be able to run after the "nukes" hit. But considering that our modern TDI's use numerous computers to run, a blast from a nuke typically releases strong EMP's which are thought to destroy the delicate CPU's in our cars rendering our vehicles useless (electric fuel pump, fuel injection system, etc...) Post modern diesels didn't have this technology, hence to shut off them one had to cut off the fuel supply to kill the engine. Physicist am I correct? I hope I'm wrong, but? Maybe Art Bell would know.... Later

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It sounds like some of you are paying a lot of taxes with the fuel. In New Hampshire diesel is around only 3-5 cents more than 87 Gas. (And there is no state income tax and no sales tax, including new cars)

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Hi Jason, Don't know what you are complaining about. My TDI just cost me £16.275 and diesel is around 61 to 63 pence per litre. Think yourself lucky that your cars and fuel are much much cheaper than in good old U.K. Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year all you TDI'ers.

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This is mostly repeated information but it's never been posted all together. Many TDites have expressed interest in gearing our cars taller (fewer RPMs for the same speed). Well, GIVE IT UP!!!! You can't do it unless you are adept at gear design and dr p forging (or whatever they do now-a-days). According to Sean at Kraftswerk, we have the tallest gearing VW makes for the 02A transmission. This is what we have;

1st- 3.78:1

 2nd- 2.12:1

 3rd- 1.35:1

 4th- 0.97:1

 5th- 0.76:1

 Reverse- 3.80:1

 Final Drive- 3.24:1

 If you multiply the Final drive by the gear ratio, you get the number of engine cycles/wheel revolution (if you divide this into 207.06, you get the MPH at 3000 RPM). The 020 tansmission has a 0.71 5th gear but that won't work on our cars. The only way o get taller is to use larger tires - as I said in a previous post the tallest we can use is 195/65-15. Lastly, I'd like to apologize for the fact that this post has nothing to do with which oil is best ;).....D'nardo

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So what, Sol? Well, I like my diesel as much as the next person on this site, but there are a few reasons that the high price of diesel merits a little more than a "so what." (1) The high price of diesel almost offsets the fuel-cost savings of the TDI, o that if I always purchased diesel in Illinois, or particularly in Chicago, it would cost the same to fuel my 45+ mpg TDI as it would to fuel a 25+ mpg GL. Since the TDI MSRP is about a grand more than the GL, this hurts. (2) There's no good reason for diesel to be so much more expensive than gas. I realize that lack of competition, low volume in city filling stations, etc., will add to the price of diesel in Chicago, but the differential is so high that I suspect other factors are at work. (3) Other actors *are* at work. Illinois -- perhaps with good reason -- taxes diesel at a very high rate. This may be an attempt to reflect the higher costs that might be imposed by many diesel powered vehicles, like heavy trucks (which may put more wear on roads bridges, etc.). But our TDIs don't impose these extra costs -- our TDIs impact roads just the same amount that gas cars do, and in fact, our engines pollute less than comparable gas engines do. Therefore, if the state really wanted to use fuel taxes to help internalize certain environmental costs, it would tax our diesel fuel at a lower rate than the gas that goes in your average passenger car. On the other hand, since we get such great mileage, perhaps the higher tax on diesel actually is meant to equ lize the amounts we diesel drivers end up paying per mile driven (i.e. so we're paying about the same fuel tax per mile driven as a gas Jetta). But I doubt it. Unfortunately, the diesel tax is a blunt instrument -- we're just lumped in with another clas of vehicles that people find it more appropriate to tax. But, since every driver in this country gets to externalize so much of the costs of driving (pollution, wear and tear on roads), and fuel prices across the board are at historic lows, Sol certainly is right that we don't have *too* much to complain about. p>

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Regarding IL fuel prices... So what, diesel fuel is more expensive, IT SMELLS BETTER THAN GAS! ...and you don't have to stop at the gas station as often. Plus, hey, if the nukes go off diesels will still run.

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To Darren A: You are entirely correct about the EC classification - however, you will not find any petroleum based 5w-30/10w-30 oils that carry either the CF or CH-4, API classifications for diesel engines. When the current "SJ" spec came out, the standa dized tests for gas & diesel engine oils diverged, so only synthetic blends (ie: Valvoline Durablend, Castrol Syntec blend (15w-40)) or full synthetics (Mobil 1) are rated SJ/CF or SJ/CH-4. The other choice is a HD diesel oil (ie: Shell Rotella T, Chevro Delo 400, etc.),in a 15w-40 grade, rated CH-4/SJ. There are some HD diesel oils available in lighter viscosity grades (Rotella SB synthetic blend), but these aren't widely distributed - your best bet would be truck stops for these products ....

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To Ted & Darren: My understanding is that the "energy conserving" moniker applies to any 5W-30 or 10W-30 multigrade oil. They are energy conserving simply because they have a lower viscosity (compared to say, a 15W-40 or 20W-50 multigrade, or a straight 30 weight oil). Being less viscous, these oils offer less resistance to moving parts, and also work better at lower temperatures. I don't think "energy conserving" is an actual API rating. However, I seem to recall that someone (the Dept. of Transporta ion?, Commerce?) sets standards for what oils can be called "energ conserving". Anyway, Darren is right -- they can be either synthetic or mineral-based.

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Oil consumption - This is not oil being burned by an engine with loose tolerances, its turbo shaft seal blow by.

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Paul Meyer of New York: 1/2 quart of oil consumption in 1500 miles, even after a vehicle is broken in, is completely reasonable and nothing to worry about at all. Having your engine messed with to attempt to fix the "problem" could do more harm than good My theory is: If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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Ted, I don't want to burst your bubble, but 'energy conserving' does not mean a synthetic oil. It is an API classification similar to that of CF or any other classification. Therefore, if your synthetic oil, in the starburst symbol, does not say 'energy conserving' or 'energy conserving II', then it is probably no more energy conserving than a mineral based oil of the same viscosity. A synthetic that is not labeled 'energy conserving' is also less efficient than any oil, of the same weight, that is labe ed so.

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Oil consumption has always been a problem on my new Jetta. It started out using about 1/2 guart in 1000 miles of driving. The dealer told me that since this was still being run in, I should wait. After 15000 miles of driving ( just ready for the 3rd oil c ange) it has improved to 1/2 quart per 1500 miles.On a tip from a diesel mechanic, I examined the input plumbing of the intercooler. The inside of the ducts was covered with so much oil that it dripped from my fingertips. The dealer will be replacing the urbo next month. For anyone experiencing high oil consumption, this is an easy test to make. All you have to do is remove the high pressure connection and examine the inside. There should not be any oil or liquid ( a film is ok).

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I've just turned 70,000 miles on my 96 Passat TDI. I have never sensed the need to use any fuel additives for better mileage, or better operation, or for water"dispersal". Does the dispersal of the water make it simply "go away"? Or does it blend it into he fuel whereupon it goes through the engine? Isn't the purpose of the separator to prevent any water that might be in the fuel from getting into the engine? My owner's manual recommends draining any water from the separator portion of the fuel filter eac 15,000 miles, and replacing the entire filter/separator each 30,000 (Your Manual May Vary). I have drained it each 15,000 and even out of curiousity drained the removed filters at 30 and 60k mi. I have likewise found no water in the separation chamber on any of the four occasions. I have either been fortunate that my selection of fuel stations, or maybe the amount of water is less than the additive vendors want me to believe. My mileage is still improving slightly in spite of choosing not to use any fuel dditives. I have owned the car for just over 53,480 of those 70,000 and a few miles, and I have consumed just under 1030 gallons of diesel fuel in travelling that distance. I have likewise felt no more need to pull the injectors to check the spray pattern that I have had desire to pull the connecting rods to check bearing clearances. If, and when, I notice a drop in mileage or performance, then I will look for the cause of the change. Until that time I'll continue with what works for me in my situation. Y u may continue with what works for you in yours. p.s. to Santa, I'll let you know the results of my 15,000 mile oil change interval with a by-pass oil filter.

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To Ken in Cleveland, re: TDI oil viscosities ... Ken, In the VW owners manual it states that 5w-30/10w-30, "energy conserving" (read: synthetic) oils may be used in all temp ranges. I run an SAE 10w-30, 100% synthetic in my 1997 Jetta and 1990 Audi 100 with excellent results yearround - the low pressure oil buzzer never comes on (the Audi has 147k miles on it, BTW). IMHO, you would be better off using a 5w-30/10w-30 synthetic diesel oil (CF rated) in cold climates - the CF oil will work fine as long as you are not running long drain intervals. You can alway have a sample of your used oil analyzed to see how it is holding up....The Mobil "Delvac 1" (CH-4/SJ) would be even better if you can find it.

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It seems everyone has their favorite fuel additive. Has any agency or magazine evaluated these additives to determine the best one or if they have any benefit at all. Also is there any concern that any of these could have an effect on the catalytic conv rter. I see on the Fuel Power website that there are three versions of their fuel additive. One is plain, one contains a lubricant and one called Total Power that lubricates and cleans injectors as well.

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A bypass oil filter is not needed.

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Does anyone have experience with the Amsoil bypass filter & synthetic oil setup on the TDI engine?

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This message is for Ken in Austin: I use FUEL POWER fuel additive and get similar results. I have used it for 100,000 miles in an Oldsmobile diesel and never had a drop of water when draining the filter. The car had 83,000 miles when I first bought it, nd over the first 5 or 6 tankfuls, the fuel economy increased quite noticeably, and smoking almost ceased. I now have used FUEL POWER for 30,000 miles on my Jetta, and I am now averaging right at 50 MPG. One $3.99 bottle lasts for about 12,000 miles, ma ing it a lot cheaper than what you are using. Try it!

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To Ken in Cleveland re: 15-40. After three days of listening to my tdi rattle very loud at start-up for up to a minute, I replaced the Delo 400 15-40 I had just put in with Mobil One 5-30. The Delo 400 15-40 is the only H.D. diesel oil I can find in my town, and I am mystified why so any diesel owners would use that syrup here in the winter. The three days I used it the temps were mild, 30-35F, I would hate to use it when it gets cold. The previous week I had started the TDI at 0 degrees F with Castrol Syntec 5-30 with no rattle and no starting problems. It took about 15 seconds to "glow it up" but it ran perfect right away. I have the parts house looking into ordering Mobil Delvac One in 5-40 for me. The filter I used was Napa #1191. Jon

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I have a 1996 passat and while driving down the road yesterday the red dashboard lights came on and all power stopped. I rolled to the curb and the car hasn't started since. I have 90,000 miles on the car. I'm thinking bad fuel (although the first 7 gal ons worked fine), or air in the fuel line (although no obvious leaks or evidence). The car turns over and blows unburned white/grey smoke fuel out the tailpipe...and the battery is new and charged. Anybody got any other ideas where to look for the probl m? I'm going to get it towed home right now...so if you can share any info I would greatly appreciate it...thanks. Either email me or respond here.

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Tim @ Roanoke ----DIESEL FUEL ADDITIVE --- I have used Stanadyne Performance Formula for about five years. I recently had my injectors checked on my 90 Jetta with 125,000 miles and they were find. The Performance Formula also gives me the added power I eed. I started using it on my 99 TDI because I have yet to find the water separator. This additive will also help disperse the water in the fuel. When I have checked the water seperator in my 90 I have not found any water so it must be working. It cos about $5 a pint, however you only dump in 3oz per tank full which works out to over 2000 miles a bottle. For nearest location call 1-800-842-2496. Happy TDI'ing

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Martin -- Santa Clara FUEL GUAGE PROBLEM I have had similar problems with my fuel guage. Two out of the seven times I have filled up the guage has taken up to 15 minutes to reach the full mark. After that it always goes up within a second. I think it may be a sticking sending unit. I also am very concerned about having anybody look at it for fear they will screw something else up. I'm hopeing it will go away and if not I still have around 20 months of warranty left. Happy TDIing

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I finally sat down and calculated a conversion factor for using Mobil Delvac 1 (synthetic) in our TDI's instead of an 18-wheeler. First, let's say we compare to a typical 10 liter engine that typically runs at 2,000 RPM @ 70 MPH, and holds 48 quarts of o l. Second, the Mobile Homepage recommends 100,000 between oil changes. Next we factor in the total quantity of oil each engine holds. The factor then is (4.4/48) X 100,000 miles = 9,167 miles. After that we have an RPM factor which is (2,000/2,600) X ,167 miles = 7,058 miles. Lastly, we factor in the number of liters of the engines to which is (10.0/1.9) X 7,058 miles = 37,147 miles for the final oil change interval number. This final number is probably good for all quality synthetic oils such as AM OIL, Royal Purple, etc. Happy TDI'ing!

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Re: Oil change intervals. I too read the consumer reports article about cab engines having the same engine wear at 10,000 mi. changes as at 3,000 mi. changes. My concern is with sludge build up. Since cab engines are run nearly 24 hours / day they don't have oil baking onto hot engine parts at shut off like normal cars would also they don't have time to allow the oil to thicken and possibly begin to plug small oil passages like normal cars would. I hear that todays engines have much closer tolerences an clean oil is a must to keep them clear of varnish and sludge. I'll keep changing my oil every 3,000 just to be sure. I figure if an engine blows in five minutes with no oil I want to be srue that the oil that is in there is in the best condition possib e. I have a question however... My dealer uses 15W- 40 in there cars (even the gas ones, they are a VW/BMW dealer.) They claim that VW's and BMW's need the heavier oil to keep the oil light from comming on. Is this oil too heavy for winter use? They clai no but the manual shows 15W-40 to only go down to 32 degrees F. I can't find a diesel approved oil any lighter. Let me know.

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Check out this page for all kinds of info on oil, filters, recycling oil, etc. Lots of good info: www.comoindustrial.com/technical/technic/technic.htm

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Does anyone know what must be done to store the TDI for 1-2 years. I am moving overseas and will store the car if I do not sell it.

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in answer to several questions, first: the there may be a tdi model passat later in 1999, at this point it sounds like a v6 2.5l tdi, and my research suggest that it will not have any economic advantage unless one was already planning to buy a v6 passat g s witha n automatic trans. secondly; regarding the wheel size, the old passat had a 100mm 4 bolt setup just like any other vw, the new passat has a 5 bolt 108mm bolt pattern from audi, off course, since they designed thei entire suspension, and lastely th new vw jettas iv, use a 5 bolt 100,mm pattern which is consistant with the 5 bolt pattern used by the vr6's, so done just runout and change your wheels until you know exactly what you have. c.l.

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I would like to know if the Passat will be offered with the TDI diesel engin in the United States for the model year 1998?

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Jason, funny you should ask about pushing the envelope. I was talking today to the guy at Shine Racing about suspensions, and mentioned wanting to make my gearing taller (lower 5th gear ratio). He said some guy in a (you guessed it) TDI wanted to do the same. He couldn't find anything available for the transmission so he decided to install the largest tire/wheel combination possible. The answer is... 195/65-15. That gives you a 7.6% taller drive. Of course the speedometer will read 7.6% slower. Pers nally, my summer tires will most likely be 205/55-15 (2.9% increase).

 By the way, check the archives here. I recall someone writing about the gearing and saying that we could go slightly taller. I think it was September or so....D'nardo

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I was wondering if anyone has had problems with their fuel gauges. Sometimes the needle on mine will climb by almost 1/8 of a tank while driving, stay there for a while, then come back down. At first, I thought it was fuel sloshing around in the tank whil accelerating/decelerating, but I've seen this behavior while cruising as well. I'm a little concerned... I'd bring it back to the dealer to have it serviced, but at this point, I'm really skeptical about their skills.

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Mike - Diesel prices seem to be quite high in Illinoi sin general, which leads me to suspect that Illinois simply has high taxes on diesel. (Though I have no firm figures.) I drive to Michigan (via Indiana) on occasion, and find that diesel prices are $ .30-50 cheaper in both Indiana and Michigan than they are in Chicago. Part of that is, of course, getting out of the metro area. But gas prices are not correspondingly lower. (Indiana and Michigan also have tax-exempt vs. taxed diesel prices, which I d n't believe Illinois has. Even the higher taxed prices in IN and MI are much lower than in IL.) Before you give up hope on the TDI, take a vacation to Michigan, drive through Indiana and fill you tank with $0.88 diesel, and you'll feel better (and a day s drive will cost you about $10). Remember, too, that the diesel engine should save money in areas besides fuel (e.g. tune-ups, durability). Since I've had my TDI even less time than you have, this remains to be seen.

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Mike, you should have no trouble starting your TDI in the dead of winter. As far as fuel payback, it is unfortunate that fuel prices vary so widely from state to state and even within a city. You simply have to shop around. Where I (now) get fuel, gas s 92.9 and diesel is 101.9. If I go a mile down the road diesel is a whopping 129.9. I can't figure out how they can sell ANY diesel at that (Texaco) location.

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DOLLARS AND DIESELS...I'm beginning to wonder about the economic advantages of my diesel car. Where I live gasoline prices have dropped to $.90 per gallon while diesel stays the same at $1.18. Before the gas price decline I needed 59K miles to recover my initial diesel investment. Now, recalculating, the payback has jumped to 72K miles. Although I still like the diesel thing and it's uniqueness, I'm beginning to think that the money issue is o longer plays a significant part. I hope my TDI starts this winter as promised by VW. If not, I'm afraid I'll be going back to a gas car. Sorry, but I'm just that close to giving up on the TDI thing......Mike...Out...

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Tim -- Settle down! No need to do the ALL CAPS thing. It's hard to read. But I, too, would be interested in your question about 15" wheels. Simply using the 15" wheels that are available on, for example, the Jetta GLX, won't actually raise the chassis any higher off the ground, however. The "aspect ratio" or "profile" of the tires is different on those wheel/tire combos, so that the outside diameter of the tire is about the same as the TDI & GL's 195/60-R14. But I would like to know if anyone has pus ed the envelope on tire diameters on their Jetta. Has anyone used, for example, a 195/60-R15 ? I have no idea if this is a standard size, but what I'm wondering is this: The standard tires on the Jetta TDI are about 23.21 inches in diameter, of which 1 " is wheel, the rest tire sidewall. Through some combination of increasing wheel diameter and/or tire diameter, has anyone increased the diameter of their tires significantly. Say, to 24" or 25"? It seems that although this might have a slightly advers affect on cornering and gas mileage, as well as making the odo and speedo under-estimate distance and speed, the extra half-inch to inch of height might be useful for some folks who regularly travel over dirt roads or snow. The TDI engine, with its high torque, would seem well suited to the kind of half-hearted "SUV-ing" I'm describing, but perhaps in order to get extra ground clearance, one would need to revamp the suspension as well as the tires/wheels. Also, if too large, the tires my rub against the fenders. Anyone have any thoughts?

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GREAT WEB SITE. THE CAR IS GREAT TOO, JUST GREAT. FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED.....TIMMONS OUT IN CALIFORNIA HAS A EUROPEAN HEADLIGHT SWITCH THAT ALLOWS THE USE OF FRONT FOG LIGHT AND THE HOOK UP OF A EUROPEAN REAR FOG LIGHT FOR THE JETTA. ALL THAT IS N EDED FOR THE REAR FOG LIGHT IS TO DRILL OUT THE PLASTIC COVER IN THE REAR LEFT TRUNK LIGHT HOUSING AND RUN A WIRE FROM THAT AREA TO THE LIGHT SWITCH. PRESTO...A EUROPEAN REAR FOG LIGHT. THE SWITCH IS ABOUT $65. ABOUT THE OIL THING. CONSUMER'S REPORT D D A RESEARCH PROJECT YEARS AGO TAKING NEW YORK CITY CABS AND VARYING THE OIL CHANGE INTERVAL. THE CONCLUSION ESSENTIALLY WAS THAT THE OIL CHANGE INTERVAL DIDN'T NEED TO BE 3000 MILES AND THAT 10000 WAS SUFFICIENT. SO VOLKSWAGON IS RIGHT AS WELL, EVERY 1 K. ALSO I JUST HAD MY 10000 MILE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED BY THE DEALER AND I MUST SAY THEY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE CAR. I WOULD NOT ADVISE TOO MANY PEOPLE TO RELY ON THEIR ADVISE IF POSSIBLE. DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW IF THE PASSAT 15 INCH WHEEL HAS T E SAME LUG NUT PATTERN AS THE JETTA? MY MUFFLER DRAGS ON MY DRIVEWAY AND ALSO I LIKE THE SIZE AND STYLING OF THE WHEEL. ALSO PLEASE RECOMMEND ANY GOOD DIESEL FUEL ADDITIVES TO KEEP THINGS CLEAN. KEEP THAT DIESEL BURNING.

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The mini-FAQ oil change interval is based on the information in my 96 Passat's owner's manual. This interval is subject to change as are any of VW's specifications. Your manual has the information on your car. I personally changed mine each 5,000 miles, o about each 6 weeks. I have since added a by-pass oil cleaner and have seen an improvement in oil contamination levels at 5000 miles. I am waiting the results of a 15,000 mile analysis with the by-pass filter to decide if I will change to this interval. I will post results when I have them.

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The mini-FAQ oil change interval is based on the information in my 96 Passat's owner's manual. This interval is subject to change as are any of VW's specifications. Your manual has the information on your car. I personally changed mine each 5,000 miles, o about each 6 weeks. I have since added a by-pass oil cleaner and have seen an improvement in oil contamination levels at 5000 miles. I am waiting the results of a 15,000 mile analysis with the by-pass filter to decide if I will change to this interval. I will post results when I have them.

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Why all the confusion about oil change intervals??? READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL!!! It clearly states that after the 10K oil change, that the interval is TEN THOUSAND (10,000) miles. There is NO need to fall for the "quickie lube" shops that dupe the public into believing that they will damage their engine by following their Owner's Manual. They need the business! DUH!

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Oil Changes only every 10k miles? That's the first I've heard of that. The FAQ that Fred's got attached reccommends changing every 7500 miles. And even that seems like a stretch - seems to me I've heard 5K miles mentioned in more than one posting here. S rry that the topic keeps raising its ugly head - but perhaps we could get a final, definitive answer on the question: How often do we need to change our oil?

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About motor oil in the TDI: Since I've been reading this message board, I've read of people using Ansoil, Royal Purple, etc... I've been using Penzoil Longlife for diesel, but in my old diesel rabbit, I used HarvestKing. I saw an add for Mobil's diesel motor oil. What is the best for use in a TDI?

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James, the dealer is right. The first oil change is at 5k, the second at 10k, and every 10k thereafter. Changing the oil sooner than every 10k is totally unnecessary, unless you drive under extreme comditions, do only very short trips or use improper oi .

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The dealer told me that the 15K oil and filter change is not neccessary, and not cover under free maintenance. I may have to do it myself. Anyone has the 1st hand experience on this. Would you please share with me? Thanks.

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Hey all you TDI freaks! The Golf IV TDI are in Boston clearing customs!!!!! YaaaahooooEEEE!!! VWoA has been tight lipped about the release date but word has it that it will be after the Chicago auto show. Looks like we only get the 90 hp TDI version here in the US. Check out VWVORTEX.COM in the forums section. If you guys want to brag about fuel mileage check out the TDI Lupo - 95+ mpg!!! Keep on a chuggin! Mark

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This morning as my wife (in her car) turned south and I turned north I began stepping on my brake pedal to signal her (as we do every morning) I noticed something new. If you are pressing on the accelerator with the right foot and then you lightly (just enough to turn the brake lights on) press on the brake with the left foot there is no change, but if you hold that brake down a bit longer the engine will kill the input from the accelerator. This causes you to slow down until idle speed. Just to check hat there is no response from the accelerator I floored it, no response. I am not sure if that is a design flaw or good engineering, I would like to think it is the engineering. That was just FYI. With 16,670 miles, and 48 mpg I love my Jetta Ben

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Does anyone have any insight to wiper blades for the A3 Jetta/Golf??? One side measures about 20 1/2" long and the other measures 18 1/2" long.

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Russell mentions Amsoil products several posts below and seems pleased with them. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with either Royal Purple or Redline synthetic products. I have been using Redline 5W30 in my '95 Neon for about 2 1/2 years an am at 102,000 miles, trouble free and smooth as you can get (for a Neon SOHC). Redline does make a 15W40 especially for diesels, however, to my knowledge, Royal Purple is solely dedicated to diesels so they may be better. Any input?

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Re: TDi economy (or rather specific fuel efficency). I don't think holding your TDi at peak torque (1900rpm) will give the best fuel efficiency. The s.f.c. curve for t.diesels is usually a shallow dish with min. fuel consumption coincident with peak torque. However, I don't think this applies for part load conditions; so for cruising with max economy you might want some other rpm. Also into 'economy' you should factor in wear and tear - i.e. that would mean lower rpm for cruising. Also TDis need 10000miles to reach best economy; the fact that they cruise at such low revs might explain the length of running in required.

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Has anyone out there chip tuned a Jetta TDI? If so what have the results been? It is my understanding chip tuning will increase HP 25%

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Have had this vehicle for 7 mths and LOVE IT!!! As it's the only one in the near vicinity,it's great to see a website dealing with these great cars.Am getting 44mpg per tank and am hoping for better after the motor frees up a bit more.Used to have a 1990 Ti Golf but it was totalled last year.After driving a Holden for nearly a year, it was wonderful to get behind the wheel of a real car again.We also own two 76 golfs and a 77 twincab Kombi,which we use to tow the racing Golf to events(motorkhanas etc.,).T e Golf inevitably beats the **** out of the Datsuns and other Jap**** that turns up.Have been racing for 8 years and so far keep winning the championships.The VW is one of the few cars that doesn't have its' bonnet up during runs.We're a real VW family(ru ning a VW repair business) and wouldn't have it any other way.Hopefully Australia will import 1998 Tdi's but so far there's no word yet.Hope everyone keeps on enjoying driving their TDi's,they are the best.

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Has anyone ever heard a vibration metalic sound from the engine while accelerating. I do hear the normal turbine winding up or "whistle" through the RPM increase. I however also hear a grinding or vibration also for at the 2000 or 2300 mark. The car on y has 11k on it and I am careful to idle the car before I shut it down. Any input?

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Ref Oil Consumption. Here in the UK the first oil service is 10K miles. Mine is now due. I was assured that the high initial oil consumption would settle down and it has. It seems now to be nil. My advice is dont worry about unnecessary early oil changes, accept VW's advice and break/run it in before changing to superior oils. A well run in engine will give better power.

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Russell, I know you're shooting for the world record mileage for a passenger car. Well, I found it in the 1998 Guiness Book. Top honors go to a 1963 VW Beetle with 1.6 million miles. The clock was still going when the car was totalled in an accident in 1997. I don't know what kind of records the owner provided since the odometers back then rolled over every 100000 miles. That poor guy must've cried when his car died... especially if he was the original owner. I've found that if I average 16,000 miles per page in my little hard bound "TDI Log," it should last me 1.6 million miles. Let's see if I last that long... I'm hoping the car will. Take Care, Scott

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Another dealer gripe (although one with a --hopefully- happy ending): After 5 phone calls over the course of several days, I managed to get the dealer to answer the following question -- "When you changed the oil in my car, what kind of oil did you put i ?" [/Sarcasm on] I realize that this is one of those off-the-wall, whacky questions that no dealer or service person could be expected to know. I mean, how could someone evn know what kind of oil they were putting in a car, or even which person at a gar ge might be responsible for knowing that? [/Sarcasm off] Anyway, they finally told me they used Valvoline Durablend, synthetic-blend, 5W-30. (Actually, as you can imagine, the information above was provided in bits and pieces over the course of several phone calls -- starting with "Valvoline," eventually getti g to "5W-30" weight, then "CF rating," then "Durablend.") I recall that someone recommended synthetic blends as their "second choice" for TDIs. Any comments on Valvoline Durablend? Since I have to keep topping off the oil every couple weeks or so (I've only got 5K on the car, and so I imagine that this oil-burning/leaking period will continue for a while longer), would it be best to stick with Durablend (assuming I can find it at the local Pep Boys), or just switch completely to a full synthetic like Mo il 1?

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I know what your thinking, Lumina with a TDI?? I'm working on research at OSU to make cars more fuel efficient, and a VW TDI is a great engine for that purpose. I would like to know where I might locate a diagnostic computer for changing the various map in the ECU. I would like to modify them and experiment with different values. Thanks in advance.

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I'll second Bryan re: dealers' knowledge of the new Jettas, especially the TDI. When browsing at a dealership recently, I suggested to the sales rep who was shadowing me that the Jetta VI was almost nice enough to give me second thoughts about having bou ht my Jetta in June, but that I had gotten a TDI -- and the dealership didn't have a Jetta IV TDI right now, so perhaps I made the right choice anyway. (Never mind the fact that mine was $4K less than it would be now.) Professor Sales then tried to dem nstrate his knowledge of that "really neat" TDI engine, saying that they've made all sorts of najor improvements in the (TDI) engine for the Jetta IV -- for example, now it has 155 hp. Anyway, perhaps I'm wrong, but I thought the engine in the 99.5 TDI was essentially identical to the 97-99 TDIs. And VW specs show it's still cranking out a whopping 90 hp. Anyone who knows different, or could rattle off the changes they've made to the DI engine, I'd love to know. (And in a way, I can't blame Professor Sales -- sometimes the TDI *feels* like 150 hp. But Bryan is right -- don't trust the sales droids to give it to you straight.)

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60 MPG FROM YOUR TDI ENGINE? I wanted to update everyone on my quest for better mileage. My Tdi has 29,000 miles, I use the Amsoil synthetic 15W40 oil for diesels and the Amsoil diesel fuel modifier. I have so far been able to obtain 55.39 MPG highway riving. My mileage was 8-10 mpg less with petroleum oil and no fuel moidifier. Tire pressure was kept at 35psi. I am going to continue to apply different techniques to get to the 60MPG mark. I believe that this engine is capable of around 65-70MPG wit some other modifications. With a few internal engine modifications the 75MPG plus range can be expected. The most inportant is to keep the engine in the "fat" portion of the torque curve 1900 RPM. I do most of my driving at highway speeds and will con entrate on tire and gear combinations that will keep me closer to the torque curve at the normal speed I drive. I would love to hear from people that have real life stories with this engine and the improvement in mileage that occured from your different ideas. E-mail me with questions, suggustions or just stories, also who has racked up the highest miles on their iesel product? Anybody out there with over 500,000 miles? HAVE A GREAT TDI DAY!!

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60 MPG FROM YOUR TDI ENGINE? I wanted to update everyone on my quest for better mileage. My Tdi has 29,000 miles, I use the Amsoil synthetic 15W40 oil for diesels and the Amsoil diesel fuel modifier. I have so far been able to obtain 55.39 MPG highway riving. My mileage was 8-10 mpg less with petroleum oil and no fuel moidifier. Tire pressure was kept at 35psi. I am going to continue to apply different techniques to get to the 60MPG mark. I believe that this engine is capable of around 65-70MPG wit some other modifications. With a few internal engine modifications the 75MPG plus range can be expected. The most inportant is to keep the engine in the "fat" portion of the torque curve 1900 RPM. I do most of my driving at highway speeds and will con entrate on tire and gear combinations that will keep me closer to the torque curve at the normal speed I drive. I would love to hear from people that have real life stories with this engine and the improvement in mileage that occured from your different ideas. E-mail me with questions, suggustions or just stories, also who has racked up the highest miles on their iesel product? Anybody out there with over 500,000 miles? HAVE A GREAT TDI DAY!!

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For those with squeaks and rattles: The body to door upper weatherstripping can make noises as you drive along. My Dealer did a field fix by putting clear mylar tape on the inside top edge of all doors where the weatherstrip meets the door. Much quiete . I'm still getting 42/43 MPG and now have driven 39K miles. Tires look good to 50K. Brakes are good for some more miles. Loving every minute driving this car!!!!! I hate riding in my carpool when it not turn for me to drive! Lights on the A/C and Recirc switch assembly have gone out twice. The first one lost the orange Recirc light, the second the orange A/C light. First they glow white then nothing. The bulbs are not available separately the dealer has said. Anyone know therwise? I have driven the gas 1999 new Jetta. Sweet car. More front headroom. Less rear headroom and slightly smaller trunk. Very tight and quiet. Watch those ill-informed dealers. They'll mess you up real quick if you don't watch out.

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Can anyone supply me with either addresses,phone numbers, and or e-mail addresses for VW in the US and Germany.After many useless and frustrating calls to VOA I need to pusue a bad problem higher.Anyone know Dr. F. Peche e-mail?

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After over 18 months of waiting for the TDI Passat and then for the A4, I've taken the plunge. Simply stated it was worth the wait. Took delivery of GLS TDI on 12/2 and filled the tank. The car is a total blast to drive, wonderful road feel, good seat , great headlights and the blue dash lights are very pleasing to the eye. Fit and finish are marvelous - Those of you concerned about the "built in Mexico" label should not be. My wife has a '95 gas Jetta assembled in Mexico, and both of these vehicles ere deliverd with zero defects - the only two new cars I've ever seen to fit that category. Brakes are awesome and pickup is fantastic to someone who's been driving VW diesels since 1978. Those of you used to burning gas may not be as imprssed with acce eration, but I find it more than adequate. I had hoped to better the EPA 49 mpg, but wasn't prepared for what happened when I topped it off (right to the brim, at the same pump where I filled it on the day of purchase. I went 536 miles on 8.8 gallons wh ch comes out to about 61 mpg - and that's US gallons! Yes, there might have been an air bubble in the tank, but considering that the gauge was showing more than 3/8 of a tank left and that I filled up exactly the way I did the first time, I tend to think the figures are accurate. Any other A4 TDI owners out there with mileage reports? To anyone on the fence about this new car, I'd recommend that you buy it - unless, of course, you're waiting for the new Golf. P.S. This car loafs at 55, only 1900 rpm; at 65 she's turning a hair over 2200. At 65 my old jetta tells me "OK you got it to 65, but you're going to have to work to keep it there, especially if you come to a hill." The new one says, "C'mon, let it out a little, the cops won't bother you, let's go." Oh the temptation!

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Bought a 98 Jetta TDI in July. It has been in the shop every month since we got it. The auto locks went out. The battery leaked. The power steering reservoir developed a leak and leaked the fluid everywhere. And more. However, two problems are of more pressing concern, and my dealer is not very helpful. One is that the gas (er, diesel) mileage is nowhere near the rated mileage figure. This does not seem to be related to driving speed or diesel source. And, two, the heck engine light will not go off. We have taken it in five times with the check engine light problem. The guys in the service bay hook the computers up to it and each time we get a different story. First, it was a "not very descriptive problem code that probably meant nothing. Go ahead and drive it and see if it doesn't go off on its own." Next was that the gas/diesel cap was not on tightly, and in a "closed evaporative system" this can cause the heck engine light to come on. Third was the "maybe you aren't waiting 'till the glow plug light goes off on the dash panel before starting the engine." We are religious about waiting for the glow plug light. Fourth was "maybe you aren't getting enough PMs before shifting gears." My wife drove for the service manager and he said she was shifting well. And, most recently, the fifth time we have had the car in for the engine light, they said that they were getting the same error code again that they had gotten with the glow plugs and were ordering a new sensor. What strikes me as odd about this is that we had no check engine light before they worked on the car to fix the locking mechanism (I believe they replaced several components including the "vacuum pump") and the power steering fluid reservoir. And, the on y time the light has been off for any length of time since then was for about a two week period following the 5000 mile scheduled maintenance. Their response to the low diesel mileage issue is that "we have been hearing that a lot." But, my wife knows a lady that has a '98 Jetta like ours that she says is getting the rated mileage. Now that I have seen many of these posts, I am going to check into the oil issue. I will let everyone know if it makes a difference. I am at the point of desperation. I have called VW Customer Relations and am pondering filing a formal complaint against our dealer. Since our vehicle does not yet comply with the requisites for "lemon laws" in our state, I don't know any other course o action. I too am a VW enthusiast, and love our car outside these issues. However, I am concerned enough about the lack of care my dealer has shown and their inability to fix and address these issues that my enthusiasm is waning. E-mail me with any information you have that can shed some light on these issues -- your help will be greatly appreciated. --Ron

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Who can me tell more about the upgrade from a golf tdi 90 hp (66kW) to a 110 hp (81 kW). The advantages and disadvantages? Send a e-mail to: Tom.Lagaeysse@village.uunet.be. Greetings from Belgium.

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To Jason Gull, this may be of interest to you, since you aren't sure about what oil they used in your car. (I have some older posts if you want to check how all this started)

I had my 5K service done at a local dealership and tried to confirm with the service manager what oil they were using. I called the service department and the customer service rep at the dealership. None of the service folks even knew what the oil's API r ting was. The customer service rep on the other hand ordered the service manager to call me, and even he didn't know the API rating.

I pointed out that he ought to make it a point to know what the rating was, so he promised to call VW and find out. The next day, when we spoke he told me that they did put SJ oil in my car, and would perform another oil and filter change with CG oil for ree. Apparently a bunch of the dealerships are getting a good deal on bulk oil from VW, which buys it from Castrol. The service manager claims VW did not inform them that the bulk oil was inappropriate for diesels until he called them with my query.

So it seems that some dealerships are aware of the details for servicing the TDI's, but some aren't. Calling the service department was pretty futile for me, but calling the customer service rep seemed to help. I made it clear that I was very unhappy with the dealership, and pointed out that VW had not yet called me for the service department survey. (I had warranty work done and I was supposed to be called about the quality of service.) That seemed to motivate her to get this resolved.

Hope this helps!

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This morning as I walked to my car, I saw another Jetta TDI for the first time since I bought mine in June. (Ontario plates -- shoulda figured it was a Canadian.) I haven't had any trouble starting my TDI yet, but we've been blessed with mild temps so f r, so I will be interested to see how the TDI handles cold starts. Anyway, I just had my 5K service done (basically, just an oil change). Unfortunately, I can't seem to get anyone to tell me what kind of oil they used -- and I certainly made it clear wh n I dropped it off that I wanted diesel-grade oil. Anyway, I'm wondering, since I assume there's no way to tell what kind of oil they used just by looking, whether it would behoove me to spend the cash and have the oil changed again to make sure C-grade il is used? A couple comments on the interior (in response to some recent posts, and just FYI): Like some others on this board, I am 6'4", but I don't have trouble fitting in the driver's seat. I don't even have to crank the seat all the way back -- I just lower it w/ the height adjustment. I have the sunroof, too. Interior height isn't as good as Volvos I've driver, or my friend's Honda CR-V, but it beats the heck out of the Honda and Nissan sedans I looked at last summer, and ties the Subaru. For those having t ouble fitting, I suggest playing with the height-adjuster. That may solve the proble (or I'm just short-waisted). I saw the new Jetta IV when I took my car in for service. It looks to be a bit bigger, and the GLS model I saw was significantly more "polished" inside than the Jetta III. But it's so expensive that none of us with 96-98 TDIs should kick ourselves for n t waiting. (E.g. the 15" alloy wheels are nice, but as an option they cost more than buying a complete new set would cost -- $1095! The only true innovations in the interior are (1) a real cupholder, (2) extra space for a CD player, (3) a folding armres , and (4) an improved glovebox.) Speaking of interior improvements, I bought and installed the Husco/VW armrest (see http://www.husco.com or the VW Store VW's site). It's not that great -- it only adjusts forward/backward, doesn't have a storage compart ent, and the cup holders that slide out (1) are flimsy and too small, and (2) sort of get in the way of the shifter. But it's nice to have an armrest. It comes in black only from VW dealers, but Husco says it will trade you a different color pad for $6 hipping. Many dealers wanted $150+ for the armrest and another $70+ for installation. VW sells it retail on it website for $120. I got it from a dealer for $100, and installation is simple, even for the non-mechanically-inclined -- it can be accomplish d in less than an hour with a screwdriver, a drill, and a pencil. Anyway, for those lamenting the lack of an armrest and cupholders, it's an OK option. Now if only they made a replacement glove compartment ... Sorry for the length of the post, but since everyone here seems to love the engine, while many complain about the (Jetta) interior, I thought I'd mention it.

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To Paul Tillotson: Sounds like you got a LEMON. My Jetta has almost 30K miles with ZERO "rattles and squeeks" and ZERO defects so far. The quality of this vehicle is phenominal.

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To Gordon Acorn, I have noticed wind and splashing as well. I'm 6'4" so the seat is all the way back. My golf is a 4 door so I notice it more in the golf due to the stupid B pillar at my ear. I also have a 2 door BMW 323i, and I do not notice this as much as the B pillar s set further behind the seat and head. Nothing really to worry about, open your window at speed and feel the pressure on you head when the seat is all the way back... this pressure is not there in the BMW. When the window is closed the air is hitting the B pillar and the gap between the front and rear doors. If you running a petrol turn the Music up. If you're running a Diesel turn the the music way up! Marko

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Great webpage Fred - Thanks! Like you we waited far too long for the TDI to become available, and ended up settling for a gas powered Jetta. Volkswagen doesn't seem to have it together when it comes to marketing their product. We were promised the TDI wou d be available in Canada "soon, soon" and that ended up being years later.The Passat was available in '96-Far too expensive. Our Jetta is a very loveable car, but I must admit that I'm a little envious when I pull up next to a TDI, and hear that wonderful diesel clatter. There are a few things that I hope they improve upon with the new Jetta: I HATE the fact that it takes over 7 cranks to lower/raise the windows-(I understand that power windows arre an option, but onre must order the dreaded power sunroof! I HATE the fact that the lovely power sunroof makes the front passenger seat uninhabitable to all but the vertically challenged. And last of all, I am a little sceptical of the build quality. Our car is only 19 months old now, and there are a miriad of r ttles and squeaks.Perhaps the new Jetta will address all of these complaints. I hope so, 'cause I want a new TDI!

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Would like to know if There is a CD out there that will fit the VW Jetta 98. The last time I tried to buy one it had the wrong plug in the trunk? Have they changed that yet? Thanks

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Still waiting for an automatic TDI!!! When will it ever come out? My mom is driving a Peugeot Turbo diesel 505 and the body is going pretty soon so she needs a new diesel!!!

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Hi Everyone, I thought you might be interested in a new article on my webpage. It was transcribed from a VW brochure I picked up in 1997. It's a report about a Jetta TDI that raced in the One Lap of America. Check it out. Just go to my homepage (link above) a d select the Volkswagen link. About 2/3 of the way down, you'll see a link called "TDI Diary." That's it! Enjoy, Scott

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Al wie mij iets kan vertellen over de upgrade van een golf tdi 90 pk naar een 110 pk met behulp van een elektronische chip, E-MAIL MIJ! Alle reacties zijn welkom! Geef uw mening! Zijn er nadelen aan zoiets verbonden?

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You can push-start manual gas cars just as easily.

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An earlier message stated about getting the injector pump timed after replacing the timing belt at 60K miles. Is the injector pump still mechanically timed or does the ECM have marginal control over injector timing? If so, does this mean that if the ECM goes bad, the engine will not start? Earlier Rabbit and Jetta diesels had no ECM for engine performance, and relied on mechanical timing. So, if your battery was dead, you could push start the car. Do we still have this capability with the new TDIs? T at was one luxury that diesels in the past had over gasoline. Please email me if you know per fact about the extent of the ECM control. Oh! Before I forget. Does anyone know the wiring for adding a turbo timer to these TDIs?

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To Gary re: Golf 4 TDI Here is an e-mail I recieved from VWNA in August: << Dear Allen, Back on July 3rd you stopped by our site with interest in a Golf TDI. Well Allen, the good news is that in 1999 the Golf TDI will now be brought to the US and Canada. Thanks to comments like yours the Golf TDI will be available. We hope you will stay tuned later this year for exciting updates Allen.. Mark Volktalk>>

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The new Ford Focus is to use a new, direct injection diesel engine. This will compete with the Golf TDi for economy; it has 89bhp at 4000rpm and 148ft-lb at 2000rpm, it doesn't have anything fancy like common rail and appears to based on the old IDI block (8v). Surely if it's a Ford it should be available in the US market?! A lot of old diesels never really made sense in the UK market because of the higher initial cost/servicing costs,inferior refinement/ performance and only marginal benefits in fuel economy. That's changing now all major manufacturers are going the direct injection turbo-charged route. I bought my Ibiza for the way it performs, not economy (which is just a bonus). If economy is your concern, then choose carefully: depreciation is the biggest cost, unless you want a car to 'drive into the ground'. The mkIV Golf TDi scores thanks to percieved quality and should have v. low depreciation (in the UK).

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To Gary Pieper, look at my previous posts on this page regarding CD changers. If you still have questions, email me.

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I read a question about V8 engine...if you meant a TDI engine i know Audi will produce (or present) in October 1999 his new A8 TDI V8, with arguably a displacement around 4,000 cc. and a max power higher than 200 hp. This car will be in a market competiti n VS BMW 740d (common rail V8, 4000 cc., 230 hp and more than 500 Nm torque) and Mercedes S 400 CDI (common rail V8, 4000 cc., 240 hp). There will be a great "Top-Diesel" battle, with cars able of 142/150 mph and with a lot of torque!!! Have a nice TDI!
 

12/09/98 02:44:50

Name: John	My Email: Email Me
City: Louisville	Province/State: KY	Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '98 Jetta TDI

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I've read where VW and Porche have just agreed to jointly build an SUV. Although the Porche will have a V-8, the VW version will only have a V-6. I'm pretty sure I've read that they plan to make a luxury car within a few years that would have a V-8. Si ce Audi already has V-8s, I don't think it will take too long before they eventually stick one in a VW.

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I've heard nothing about a V8, but have seen an article in a recent Car and Driver about a W18, a strange little engine indeed.

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I've had my Beetle TDI for 15000 miles and am so happy with it, I wonder when VW will produce an 8 cylinder for larger vehicles, such as a medium size truck or SUV. Anyone heard anything?

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The lower pan seems to eliminate belt slippage in wet weather. If you like hard steering in the rain or low batteries on the older Diesels, remove it as my mechanic did :) Note: use visitors pass 00459ras when visiting my web site !!

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I am still waiting for VW of America to get off dead center and make the Golf TDI available here in the States. I've been driving my Ford Escort with the Mazda 2.0 liter diesel for nearly ten years. ford's support for this model has been getting worse a d worse -- thank God I haven't needed any major repairs. All of us diesel fans sould start a write-in/email/phone in campaign to get the diesel back in our driveways again.

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Just thought I'd check in. Purchased car used in April 98, now has 46K miles. Consistently gets 44-48 mpg, even cruising @ 80 mph fully loaded with family of 4 and 1 dog. Just love the car. Question for others: Is there an aftermarket CD changer that will use the built in controls? VW changer is a bit pricy. Anyone willing to part with their VW CD changer? Also, has anyone tried the PowerBox chip tuning? Interested in hearing from PowerBox users. Has anyone found a top speed governor in the engi e control? I've been to 105 mph and still climbing but had to back off for obvious reasons. Happy Holidays - Gary

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Hi TDi fans! Got a question for all A3 Jetta owners, not just diesels, about a problem I'm having. I just got my windows tinted recently, and aside from them doing a crappy job, I have noticed a lot of wind and road noise around the drivers and passenge (front) windows where the glass and the door panel meet. I don't remember it being like that before the job, but I can't see anything wrong (that is obvious). Does anyone else notice this from either stock or tinted windows? I get noticable wind noise starting at 50 km/h up, and if the road is wet, I hear water spraying. It almost seems like they removed some weather stripping or something. Anyways, I must say I really love the TDi, especially for highway driving. Fast, quiet, and low consumption. am getting around 6 l/100km around the city, and about 5.4 l/100km in mixed driving, with only 4400 km's on the clock. So far I have used 1 liter of oil, and expect to likely use more before the first maintenance. Something useful I have found to get t e engine to warm up more quickly when cold, is to turn the heater down to cold and leave the fan off. It warms up much more quickly like this, and then you have full heat available. Of course, having the heated seats helps with this as well! I have a p etty short commute as well, and I am kind of concerned that I am doing damage to the engine. It gets up to full operating temp before I am half way to work, but am I doing extra harm by not having a longer commute? Any comment are appreciated. Thanks.
 

12/08/98 16:45:55

Name: Sol	My Email: Email Me
City: Berwyn	Province/State: IL	Country: USA
Your VW/Audi: '98 Jetta TDI

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Well, I told you last week that my TDI lacked power and that the dealer said the 'fuel regulator' needed to be replaced. Since a had never heard of a diesel 'fuel regulator', I called the mechanic to inquire. He corrected himself telling me that the probl m was in fact the fuel cut-off valve. Having replaced the cut-off valve in my old '84 Diesel Rabbit, I decided to remove it to see if it in fact was the problem. After taking off the body of the part, I noticed the O-RING seemed to be STUCK TO FAR in and hen I re-assembled everything my car ran fine! My only explaination is that the o-ring was actually restricting fuel flow... Does anyone have any ideas why it worked??

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Further to Adrian Floyd's comments on the mk4. It really is a superb vehicle in all respects. It is a huge improvement over the mk3 Golf. And it is a stunning looking car. The build quality is supreme and the interior is that of a far more expensive car. have to mention the blue illumination. Sorry, but its amazing. In the mk4 form, the TDI is a far more capable car. I'm not sure what they've done to it but it seems a lot quicker.

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Nice page, didn't think I'd find one to do with TDIs but there you go. I'm on the same webring with a page about my previous car, a VW Corrado. Then I've changed that for a Golf TDI. May seem like a weird turnaround, but I have to say that I don't have an regrets about buying a TDI car. The power is superb and the economy is brilliant. It even sounds nice (well once its moving, bit truck like when idling, but who cares)

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Just an interesting observation: On a level road, you can start out in 3rd gear with your foot OFF the accelerator, gradually release the clutch and get going with little or NO lugging. Try doing that with your Jap import!

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Hi Fred... Love your stuff on the VW,s... You also do a super job on the site layout !! Have 212,000 miles on my 91 Jetta diesel, hasn't skipped a beat. I am taking delivery of a new (blk)99 Jetta GL TDI on Thursday and will keep you informed. Note:to visit my webb site requires visitors pass # 00459ras. Let me know if I can be of some help!!

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Thought that I would mention that Robert Bosch, Inc. has a website at www.boschservice.com, unfortunately it is primarily for licensed diesel mechanics who log on with a password for info on injectors, etc. One good thing about it for those who are not pr fessional diesel mechanics is that you can check their map listing for authorized Robert Bosch Diesel mechanic shops by each state (in the USA) and many of these shops have URL's with their own websites containing good information and or email questions. heck it out, it may be of assistance to you sometime or another!

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Hi,I don't know about other countries, but cruise control is standard on TDIs in the US, probably in Canada, too. Take Care, Scott

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CRUISE CONTROL ON TDI Somebody told me TDI cars are prepared for cruise control because of the electronic engine management system. Has anybody installed cruise control on their cars so far? Please inform us about this operation. Tin

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I am drunk....but I would love to have a TDI VW someday. I hate filling up the tank. 700 mile range sounds get to me =).

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As I mentioned in a recent comment, I put an order in for a new Jetta GLS TDI w/alloys and sun roof. I am selling my 1998 Jetta TDI, black/black with sun roof, 10,000 miles no scratches or dings 14,000 miles or 17 months left on factory warranty. I may co sider using one of my frequent flyer airline tickets for a serious buyer who submits a contingent deposit. $14,000 firm sticker $18,300. New Jetta GLS w/options over $21,000 as you can see this is a great price for this vehicle. Serious inquiries page me oll free at 888-444-6827. Best regards, Leonard

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I've been waiting for the new body style to come out and it finally did. I have a black Jetta TDI with gray interior. It's a 5-speed. I like the 15" wheels, the roof-mounted antenna, the pep that it has, and the new blue and red colored dash night ligh s. So far, I'm glad that I traded my '96 Jetta GLS in for it. The down side is that the dealerships do NOT want to back off of the MSRP, as they are not doing with the New Beetle either. I've traveled approximately 460 miles and still have about a thir tank of gas left. It really is a classy looking car and I hope to get many miles and years of service. Brent

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My TDI does not have the power it used to. I thought that the turbo was broken, but the dealer said that the FUEL REGULATOR needs to be replaced (about $300). Does anyone know if this is a fair price? I have done some repair on my old diesel rabbit, could I replace this part myself?? Also, I enjoy the car, but not the payments! If anyone is interested in buying a '98 JETTA TDI, red, w/ 27k miles - let me know.

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Ok guys....here is my little story...My car as just arrived at 7000 km, and i changed the oil at 5000 km...with the factory oil my car was "drinking" more or less 5,7 l/100 km (with my drive) and the temperature of the oil was ± 94°C stable at 80-120 km/h The oil that i choose for the first change was Castrol RS 10w60 API SJ/CF tottaly synthetic and with the 505.00 VW approval test...which means that the oil can be used at this kind of engine... But, after i changed the oil, at noticed that the temperature at stable velocity (80-100 km/h) was higher ± 98°C and the car as also arrised his comsuption of fuel ± 6,4 l/100km....it was very stranged, because i didn´t change my driving manners !! so i s art to think that the oil was the guilty for this problem ! So at ± 6000 km i changed the oil again...and this time i put the semi-synthetic Shell Rotella diesel 15W40 API-CF 505.00 VW and...surprise !! the car start to consume less fuel and the temperatu e went to ± 94°C at 80-100 km/h I made ± 1000 km with the Castrol oil and the values that i noticed were always the same (98°C and 6,4 l/100km) So..as you can see, the oil that we put i our engines must be wisely choosen. From know on i will put only the oil that are only for diesel engines and not for gasoline/diesel engines. In fact, i´am a fan for synthetic oils (like Mobil 1) but i think that for this kind of engines the best oils are those with the traditional "15w40" but appropriate specially for diesel cars !!

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I have posted remarks about a harmonic that begins at 2400 RPMs or 65-67 MPH. Several people wrote back with good ideas and some just stated to "get use to it, it's a 4 cyclinder engine". I use to be a ASE Master Mechanic and know that 4 cylinder engine are balanced and generally run smooth, not to say that all do, but in this case VWs in general have been. It turns out the Turbo was out of balance and it showed up when the turbo began leaking oil from the shaft seals. I constantly drove the car in th t state of harmonic distortion in hope the problem would expose it's source. It did, by wearing out the turbine shaft seals prematurely. VW replace the turbo and now the harmonic is gone. It runs very smooth and quite at the speeds stated previously. ood luck and happy TDIing!

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Mark: I'd imagine you would sent letters to the customer service dept. Here is the address to VW: Volkswagen AG 38436 Wolfsburg Germany Fax: 011 49 5361 92 82 82 email: devw1vww@ibmmail.com this information from the letters reveived from VW/Germany. Hope this helps, derrik

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Went to a dealer and test drove the new Jetta TDi GLS (no alloys or sun roof). I like the 15" 4 disc brake wheels and style. I also like the power windows so much that I put an order in for a GLS with alloys & sun roof which should be out by spring. This means I am putting my 1998 Jetta TDi up for sale. The vehicle has 10K miles, sun roof, cruise, power locks, custom tinted windows (rear pass. and rear window), black on black with not even one scratch or ding., 14,000 mile or 17 months remaining on actory bumper to bumper warranty, may even consider providing one of my frequent flyer round trip airline tickets to serious buyer with deposit. $14,000 no haggle price. Here's a chance for a TDi fan to get into one of the most impressive vehicles I've ha the pleasure of owning (barring the dealership experiences) and at a price that can't be beat. Best regards, Leonard

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Great Web Page. I am so glad I ran into it. I've been having trouble with my TDI almost from the first day I bought it. The problem has been a hesitation problem that no one seems to understand. Not only that, but it smokes terrible, especially when leaving an intersection, up until I get into 5th gear. But besides that, the hesitation problem really bugs me especially when passing another vehicle. There seems to be some rhythm to it, in other words I get the hesitation when accelerating then the smoke, a power period, the hesitation and smoke again ( I can almost time it). The dealer here (Byers Imports Columbus, OH) isn't any help and doesn't want to be. I was there tuesday this week and of course their computer documents all the times I have been in with this problem. The service advisor recommended that I go see a diesel mechanic as they don't have the proper equipment to find out what is wrong! I read through your web page and now think it may be the ECM. My neighbor who is a diesel mechanic said he thinks that is the problem and is planning on looking at my car this saturday. I would appreciate any help you could give to me in this area.

As a footnote: I bought my car early July '96 and the salesman said that they had it since april. And I believe that they got it from Cincinnati prior to that. So, I probably have the defective ECM but I have no way of knowing. Also, I am in sales (the reason for buying a diesel) and spend a lot of time on the road. I now have 105,000 miles and am wondering if the warranty is up even though there records show that I have been having this problem for a long time.

Lawrence Hettinger
 

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Has everyone tried biodiesel? If so, how much does it cost? I know there is a company in Lakeland, FL which manufactures and/or sells it, and I'm thinking about getting some.

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I am a member of the VW club--for the second year in a row, actually, and I don't know why. It is definitely NOT worth $30. All you get is a silly coupon book full of coupons for things you'll never want or buy. The first year I got a t-shirt, but the nd year, the level of prizes definitely dropped off--a NB stick pin (which I wear all the time, NOT!) and a chintzy license plate bracket. You do get 15% of VW stuff, but how often do you buy stuff like that? In my case, not very.

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Nathan, Could you post the mailing/email address for VW offices in Germany? I've been meaning to do this for a while. I've documented my experiences to date, so it would just be a matter of forwarding the info. They should be advised, I agree. Thanks, Mark

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I know that the majority of VW service Dept. are completely incompetent. So, I would suggest that if you have to deal with these idiots that you document it and send a letter to VW of North America. If enough of us do it, it may make a difference for future VW owners. I would also suggest sending your frustrations to VW of Germany. I have done this several times and they have always responded plus I have received some very cool freebies from VW of Germany. All of my letters have been in English only.

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Does anyone belong to the VW Club? Is it worth the $30 per year?

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Hi folks, here's more on my engine oil story -- VW's Customer Relations line suggested I try pestering the service manager to see if their oil has the CG rating. I placed phone calls to the dealer today and spoke to both a service advisor and the service anager. Both of them had the same answer -- the oil they used was Castrol GTX. Neither one of them knew what the API service rating was -- the service advisor offered "10W-30" as the answer to that question. The service manager said that they bought the o l in bulk from VWoA, and so they assumed it was okay for use in all VWs. Could I document this sort of thing somehow so that if my car breaks down in x number of years, I can get the work done for free?

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My hatch release mechanism has come loose for the 2nd time this means replacing the complete panel that holds the number plate, it is held in place by duct tape at the moment. VW paid for the first failure but say I will have to pay this time . Any commen s . My dealer is Johnson VW in Guelph , Ont

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Hi Gary from the UK! Nice to meet another Ibiza owner! Mine is a basic version with no ABS or Air conditioning...the only features are assisted steering, elctric windows and double airbag. The car is 1 month old and with 5000 km (3,100 miles) on the count r...It's white with special wheel-covers and the front is always covered by insects (a "velvet" front bumper with white background...lol). What's your Ibiza model? I recently read here about the speed of a TDI model at 2250 rpm: my Ibiza scores 107 km/h ( 6.48 mph) when the engine runs 2250 and 130 km/h (80,78 mph) @ 2750 rpm. I think that the tachometer error is about +5%. Bye Gary! Bye all! Ciao! Have a nice TDI!

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Darnit, hate it when I do that! Nancy, what kind of mileage? I'm consistantly getting 42 MPG average. Jonathan, I believe it's called resonance frequency. Four stroke engine with four cylinders = higher vibration levels.

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Hi. I took a trip to the VW parts dept for a little price checking. First item was the $50 fuel filter. The parts guy said I shouldn't have to worry about that for quite some time since they last 60,000mi. I think he's full of it, but replacing it at 20,0 0mi (VW recommended interval) seems a little early. Has anyone waited later to change the fuel filter? Second, I decided to see up close what all the hoodah is over the oil filters. I once mentioned that the dealer has been putting the #068 115 561B ($6. 5) in my TDI. Lots of people insist on the #068 115 561E ($14.95), since that's the new filter presribed for TDIs (smaller for easier removal/installation). Now that my dealer has them, I held both filters side by side. The gaskets and openings are identi al. The only difference is that the case is about 3/16" smaller on the "E" filter. If the "B" filter fits and does not leak, is there another reason (mechanically) that it should not be used, especially since it costs half as much? Thanks, Scott

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I believe it was in this forum that someone asked if the lower engine cover was really necessary as it made oil changes more difficult. I am not a professional mechanic but after reading a book on diesel engines one reason for keeping it on during drivin comes so mind. The author states that the tolerences in the diesel injection pump are so small that they are measured in wavelengths of light. Also, if the owner wants to wash the engine they should wait until the engine has not been operated for somet ing like 12 hours to let all the metal cool and equalize in temperature. I would not want to be driving on a slushy road and have a healthy dose of very cold water hit a very hot (and very expensive) injection pump. When I get done with doing the mainte ance on my future (and first) VW, I think I will put the cover back on, at least the bottom one. I don't know if this reason is valid, just my two cents Steve,

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oops -- this is a US dealership I'm at, not Canadian... I must've overtabbed into the Country field...

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I posted here some time ago about my (new!) Jetta burning oil -- thanks to all who replied! I'm about to make an inquiry about something that's been discussed here previously -- my apologies if I'm treading old ground.

I've been warned by quite a few folks here about the dealers putting in motor oil that's certified for gasoline engines, so when I went to have my oil topped off, I pestered my service advisor a bunch of times to put in diesel-service oil. He assured me t at they used diesel-service oil in TDI's and that was that.

Unconvinced, when I came in for my 5000 mile service, I tried to do what another poster suggested: ask them to fill the engine half a quart low, and leave the remaining oil in a bottle for me to use. (I believe it was Scott who suggested this?)

The reply from my service advisor is that they use a bulk Castrol oil for ALL VWs so they couldn't let me have a bottle. 10W-30 SJ oil. No mention of a CD or CG rating. The service advisor claims that this is what VW recommends for the Bay Area's climate all year round, but an email inquiry to VW got me the response: "The recommended oil for our TDI Diesel engines is: API Rating- CG4 Diesel Oil- Penzoil has this available."

I'm not sure who to believe in this case. Is it possible that while VW recommends the diesel oil for all cases, it is okay to use the SJ oil in some climates? Thanks in advance for any input.

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Gary from the UK posed a question about the smoothness of the Lupo TDI with a three cylinder engine. An inline, three cylinder, four stroke engine is inherently better balanced than an inline, four cylinder, four stroke engine, despite the "missing" power impulse. At several points during the crankshaft's rotation, pistons are at top dead center (TDC) or bottom dead center (BDC). At this point the piston is not moving up nor down, but has instantaneously stopped moving before changing direction. In an in l ne four cylinder, four stroke engine, with a 180 degree crankshaft (180 times 4 cylinders is 720 degrees), there are several times during crankshaft rotation when two pistons are at TDC, (one at the end of compression, the other at the end of exhaust), an the other two are at BDC (one at the end of intake, the other at the end of power. The rotating mass of the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons is reduced because the pistons (and the top of the con-rods) are not moving at these points. After 90 degr es of crank rotation, all four pistons are moving at their fastest speed, either up or down. The rotating mass now includes the crankshaft, connecting rods and the pistons which are moving. This change of rotating mass contributes to engine shaking and le to the introduction of "balance shafts" to compensate. The power pulses occur at evenly spaced 180 degree intervals, but the rotating mass varies. A three cylinder, in line, four stroke engine with a 240 degree crankshaft will have power impulses each 240 degrees of crank rotation (240 times 3 is 720 degrees). But unlike the inline four, at no time are all all of the pistons at TDC or BDC. The powe impulses occur at less frequently at evenly spaced 240 degree intervals, but the rotating mass does not change. Having an even number of pistons is not an indication of "smoothness", an inline, 5 cylinder, four stroke engine is even and balanced provided it has 144 degrees of crankshaft rotation between power pulses (144X5=720). Vibration in the Lupo's 1.2 triple s ould be less than the 1.9 four.

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HI ALL! aNY INFO ON IMPROVING MILEAGE? My Jetta is definitely not getting the 49/40 promised. Just curious. Got it in the end of June and as of now have 8500 miles on it (i've been slacking off) Thanks all!

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I've had my TDI since April of 1998 and so far it has 11000 miles on it and runs great! It's the best car I've owned yet and would highly recommend it to anyone.

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Alan Bruce Sieling 46? ???????? Wichita, Kansas 6721? Home Phone (316) ???-???? Email bsieling@feist.com September 15 1998 Clive Warlow Volkswagen of America 3800 Hamlin Rd. Auburn Hills, MI 48326 Dear Clive: I would like a few minutes of your time to let you know how your company’s business is conducted in Wichita, Kansas. I have driven Volkswagens for thirty years now. I presently have a 69 camper, a 70 Karmann-Ghia, and a 78 bus. This summer, when I decided to buy a new car, Volkswagen was my first choice. Sat, August 1 I went to Donovan Pontiac, Cadillac, and Volkswagen. I talked to April Williams, and took a 99 Jetta TDI for a test drive. I liked this car very much however its red with a sun roof . I asked if she could find another color without a sun roof. She didn’t know and didn’t bother to find out. I left frustrated. Sat, August 8 I returned to Donavon’s and met with Ms. williams again. She tells me they haven’t received any other Jetta DTI’s. Sat August 15 a repeat of august 8 Sat, August 22 (see august 8 and 15) Monday, August 31 This is not getting me any where so I call Donavon’s and ask to speak to the owner. He is not in so I leave my name and number. The person I am talking to introduces himself as LeROY Nicholson, sales manager and asked me if he can help. I explain my problems with Ms. Williams and am told she doesn’t work here any more. Mr. Nicholson say he will get on the tube first thing in the morning and find a car for me. I tell him that I would like a 99 Jetta TDI, black with air, stereo and nothing else. He promises to call tomorrow. Tue, September 1 no one calls. Wed, September 2 I called Mr. Nicholson and ask him why he didn’t call and he gives me 5 or 6 excuses but the good news is that he found a car exactly like I wanted on the dock in Huston and the minute it is delivered to the Dealer in Lawrence, KS he will pick it up and sell it to me. He quotes me a price of $15,400 and I tell him I will take it. Finely I am getting somewhere. Sat, September5 I took my wife to drive the red 99TDI on the dealers lot. She liked it so upon returning to Donovan’s , Mr. Nicholson pushes us off on a young sales man to fill out the paper work. He started to fill out a bill of sale with my name, address, phone, VIN# of the car, the equipment, and the price. He excuses himself and says (I’ll be right back.) We set there for 5 minuets, 10 minutes, 20 minutes. My wife is getting fed-up so we leave. Sat, September 12 I went to the dealer to see if they have any information on my new car. Mr. Nicholson tells me (That other dealer sold that car right out from under us but we will find you another one and call you on Monday.) Monday, September 14 No call. For seven weeks now, I have tried to buy a new Volkswagen from your dealer. Not once have I received a follow up call from my regular Saturday visits. I still have not received a call from the owner of this dealership and I still don’t have a car. It would be quite an understatement to say that I am very upset. Today I bought a 98 Mazda Protege. Its not the Volkswagen Jetta TDI I wanted but it will be setting in my drive way tomorrow and I am sure it will give good service. You lost a sale to day, and since this is the only Volkswagen dealer within 200 miles, you have lost a customer for life. That my friend is the way your companys business is conducted in Wichita, Kansas. Sincerely: Bruce Sieling

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Hi, I've just bought a new TDi and I'd like to know about the care I must take during the running in period (first 1000 miles or so). I've been told new cars come ran in from factory, and the care people should take in the past (limited highest speed and rpm) isn't anymore necessary. Is this true? Isn't there the risk of getting the motor 'lazy' if we don't push the car during the running in? Are the TDi's different from the petrol cars, about this?

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Greetings TDIers. After reading Sparky's entry, and so many others before it, all I can say about taking our cars to VW dealers is "Defend yourselves (and your cars) at all times." I'm sure it's probably occurred to many of you that we know more about o r cars than these so called experts at the dealerships.. Gees if I only had the equipment I'd try doing a lot more of my own maintenance because it certainly sounds as if many dealers are in the dark. I know that every dealer I visit, I mention this site in hopes that some of them will begin regularly reading owner's comments and thereby improving service. Happy trails.

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has anyone had problems getting into the VOLKSWAGEN web site? i have tried everything and no luck..hey i love my jetta but i wish that i had the brand new 99 jetta, they have the look and it looks like there is more head room in them

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Aston had the same reasoning I did: go for the lightest TDi to give the highest torque/weight ratio. I prefer three doors because it looks better, saves weight, gives better performance/ fuel economy, better torsional stiffness and structural integrity, bigger doors and bigger front electric windows, better security. Actually I'm making some of these up - but they sound plausible, don't they? In 1999 Seat are bringing out the Ibiza with the 115bhp TDi - promising a ridiculous torque to weight ration (current car weighes 1050kg). But this is not the lightest TDi. That honour must go to VWs new Lupo which uses lots of weight saving materials and has - get this - a three cylinder 1.2 litre TDi. It has an intercooler and variable geometry turbo and over 100ft-lb of torque low down the rev range - more than many gas competitors in this class (where drivability counts more than flat out performance). It promises 94mpg and more if you are trying. I only hope they've sorted out the vibration - four cylinder TDi's are characterful enough, but three cylinders at idle must be really weird. They should also sort out the ridiculous time TDi's take to warm up from cold. BMW diesels use an oil/water heat exchanger, for example. I think the Skoda Octavia has an electric immersion heater, though from what I hear people are still left shivering.

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Fred, I could tell that you were grinning from ear to ear with that article you posted on the VW Vortex forum. It sounds like your baby has finally arrived! Congratulations!

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I wonder if my gearbox oil is "syntetic" or "mineral"in my Golf -96. Please answer /// Tony

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Hi again TDI people! I've read about a new Audi TDI! It's the evolution of the famous V6 2.5 TDI that will be available next year on restyled A4 and on A6 with the huge power of 170-180 HP!! I hope to see and test it in 1999 spring (or early...). Do you k ow something more...? Let us know! Bye, Ciao!

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After 18,500KM's my New Beetle is still fun to drive and be seen in. I have experienced two problems. 1)The glow plug tempurature sensor has failed causing the engine check light to remain on. The dealer ensures me the car is still driveable. So far he is right. The new sensor(with the correct ec level) has just arrived. I should know if this fixes the problem early next week. 2)the driver's side front disc brake caliper seal went. This resulted in the lose of brake fluid to the point where the brake fluid indicator light came on. There was know noticeable lose of braking power. The caliper was replaced on warranty. Hopefully t is one will last. I have tried to find a concensus on whether diesel fuel additives are required for the '98TDI engine; so far I don't know. If anyone has info on this I would appreciate a response. thks...happy motoring!!

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I believe the lower pan serves two purposes. The first, as mentioned, is for noise reduction. The second is for aerodynamics. It looks like they spent some time making our cars a little more slippery through the air.

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to chris thomas the v6 tdi is an audi design. it has 4 valves per cyl and a very high pressure inj system. 24,000 psi+. it was designed originally for the A8 and A6 but is also avail in the audi A4. the test infor i have indicates it is supplied with either 6spd manual or 5spd automatic in the audis. with the manual it is rate about 55 imp mpg highway. with the automatic the consumption goes way up, expect no more than 45 imp mpg heres the latest poop. vw has recently made the v6 tdi available for delivery in europe in the passat with automatic transmission only. if the germans won't get a passat with 5spd we shouldn't expect it either. i had a passat tdi 90hp cancelled by vw in jan 98, and have not purchased anything else hoping that it would all work out. this latest information has allowed me to make a descision, and we will be going with a 4cyl gas 5spd. no price is availabel for the v6 tdi but you cn bet it to cost more than a regular gas v6 then add the automatic and there is no reason to even want to buy one c.l.

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I,m desperate to have more info on the new 2.5 litre diesel offered by Audi in Europe. Is there anyone out there who can provide specs etc and good accurate info as to the possibility of seeing this engine in a Passat with a 5 speed transmission

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Re: lower cover. I live in a slush/sand/salt zone and the lower cover keeps the engine bay nice and clean which will make working on the car much more pleasant. A good reason to keep it. Re: sexist bastards from C&D. Kaitlin, if you had been along, they would have added the kind of funnel that female pilots use to the TDI's restroom setup and you would be all set.

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Regarding oil changes/bottom engine cover: 1) It is unrealistic to expect no oil addition between oil changes (especially 10,000 mi. intervals) in ANY vehicle. 2) The pan is only for noise control- keep it of if you like.

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Hi, I found a glitch in my webpages that was forcing me to use "Home.html" instead of "index.html." It's fixed now. The counter works now, too. So if you bookmarked the other site, please change it to: http://members.aol.com/ke4wmf. Sorry about the m x-up. Take Care, Scott

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Let's just start with "I love my TDI - PERIOD"! HOWEVER: I have been using 100% synthetic oil ever since the free oil change service from VW ran out. I have always had to add oil between oil changes on this car. VW say's this is normal for the TDI's. I am reluctant to take their word on that though. My prev ous (gas) VW's never used oil between changes. Even after hundreds of thousands of miles. Any comments? Also, changing the oil in this car is a pain. Would it be easier (or prudent) to remove the plastic pan under the engine compartment (and leave it off). Does this pan serve some important role, other than get in my way for changing the oil? Love this Website!! Will bookmark it and return frequently. Please email me with you sugestions. Happy TDIing.

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Hi People, Glad to hear so many of you across the water are into TDI's instead of those big gas guzzlers. Try to get the New mk4 Golf as your next new car. So much improvement over the Mk3, ie ABS, disks all round, galvanised body etc. Can anyone help with a problem. I have an ultra- sonic alarm fitted as standard. There is a switch at the bottom of the door pillar to de-activate alarm from the inside, if you need to leave an animal in the car when you lock it. VW say this switch should have an LED which comes on for 3 seconds to indicate that you have deactivated ultra-sonic sensors when pressing switch. When I press switch the LED does not come on. My local VW dealer says that the LED should not light and that pressing switch should deactivate alarm within the car. Does anyone else with the new Mk4 notice whether the LED comes on at the door pillar switch. Thanks in advance. Great web site Fred!!

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Is it just me or do all jetta diesels or just some buck at 1400-1900rpm under certain cool conditions if car is not let warm up first. Its not a big deal I usually drive above 2000rpm anyways. Raced a Jetta GLS gas the other day and wasn't far behind. One word for the 90hp tdi diesel is wicked

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Scott, nice page, dude. Try 256 colors and max compression. Use Photoshop to do it. Ric, I believe it had something to do with the mass air flow sensor moving. I twist my pipe from the MAF a little to give it tension.

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Saturday morning, when I first started out, my TDI started "bucking" for the first time. Up to now, it had always run PERFECTLY. There was nothing unusual about the weather, and I was well into the tank of fuel. The problem ceased fairly quickly, and it has not happened at all in the 300 or so miles since then. What's the deal with this? I recall similar problems reported a couple months ago on this website. What was the fix?

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Hi TDI People! My little TDI, a subcompact 3 door spanish car, weigh about 2,400 lb (1,100 Kg) curb; my question is: is this the lightest TDI car ever? what's the weight of your cars? I think it's really fast and sporty with such a good lb/hp ratio! I rea ly love it and sometimes i dream of the 110 hp version...it must be a Diesel rocket! Have a nice TDI driving! Aston

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Great engine, super power and it's funny to drive. I don't regret my choose. Is there any other Homepage about Golf TDI or TDI engines? Bye Bye

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Russell- good idea to make a TDI club. I just have a couple of issues. First, as for "longevity", I never tell anyone my age :) Second, if you're thinking of the kind of TDI "endurance" cannonball run like Car & Driver ran, count me out. They sealed two g ys in a car like mine for three days. Sexist bastards drilled a hole in the car floor, plumbed in plastic piping and and made 'em pee into a tube that dribbled out onto the road. I'm afraid that rig wouldn't work too well for me. Now if you were to run a ore civilized version, that's another story...

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Hi, Just returned from a couple months at sea. It's nice to be "feet dry" again. I've finally finished my website... the link is above. It's not devoted to VWs, so some of it will bore you. Of particular interest are two articles. One is a transcription o EC's "The Hassle-Free Diesel," a review of the 1998 Jetta TDI. The other article is a supplement (not a compliment :->), written by me. It provides amplifying information (good and bad) from the perspective of someone who actually OWNS a TDI. Hope you li e it. Just follow the VW link at the bottom of the Home Page. PS: I think the pages DL a little slowly. Can anyone recommend the optimum compression ratio for JPGs that will provide the best balance between file size and image clarity? Thanks! Scott

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Jack Kavorkian for Whitehouse Physician!

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Tri-City VW in Louisville had no new Jettas Friday, but today they had three, one of which was a TDI. I went there Friday for the 5,000 mile service. I asked what oil they intended to use and they proudly drug out a quart of Pennzoil 20w50, saying that VW said that was a good all-weather oil for this part of the country. Aside from the fact that it is t tally out of season (the owner's manual says 20w50 isn't good below zero F, which we get several times each winter here), it of course had no API CD (or higher) rating. I told them to use 10w30 and that it was supposed to be rated for diesel, but I'm pre ty sure they just thought I was being a pain in the ass. I called VW customer service today to see how big of a deal it is, since I'm sure they just put in regular 10w30, and naturally, they never called back. Incindentally, when I went Friday, I asked hem to fix the steering wheel (off center since new) and the clutch (works its way closer and closer to the floor until I pull it back up with my foot), and they said they couldn't get to it, despite the fact they were open for seven more hours. I was to d to bring it back today, which I foolishly did. Even though I was in before 8:00, it sat untouched until 11:30, and then the guy told me they wouldn't be able to get it today either. They don't do appointments--it is on a first come-first served basis, unless you want one of Mr. Goodwrench's 29 minute oil changes, and then you get whisked right through!! I hate these shitty dealers and VW customer service hardly better! I tried to call another local dealer, but never got through to the service departm nt. After being on hold for an eternity and then being thrown back to the operator, I told her to just forget it--if the service department was too busy to answer the phone, they probably didn't have time to fix my car!

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I just saw the new 1999 Jetta IV TDI at Central VW in Dallas. Pretty Cool! Sticker on it was $19,XXX. It looked every bit worth it. I liked it better than the Accords and Camry. The pictures do not do it justice! The cover over the engine is cleaner looking along with the placement of the different components. The fuel filter drain is still a @#$!! to get to, but just the shear elegance of it is worth it. The Interior and quality of all the mechanisms make our 98 Jettas feel like the "After Sale sp cials". I see why they call it the "Passat Junior".

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Tdi club? Would any body be interested in joining a Tdi club? I have been mulling over the idea of putting one together. We might even put together an annual "cannonball run" or something like that. We could put together a newsletter with tips and longetivity reports. I need to see if people are interested, if so e-mail me. PS It would be open to all owners on the planet!

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Tdi club? Would any body be interested in joining a Tdi club? I have been mulling over the idea of putting one together. We might even put together an annual "cannonball run" or something like that. We could put together a newsletter with tips and longetivity re orts. I need to see if people are interested, if so e-mail me. PS It would be open to all owners on the planet!

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Re: Bob Grant's adive (to look for a 98 if you're interested in a TDI, because the new Jetta IV is so expensive). I recently spoke to my dealership (North Shore) about my 5K service. The sales person I dealt with there, who refers to me as "Diesel Dude" told me they had been sold out of the TDIs for quite some time, and got a couple calls a week from all over the midwest asking about their supply. He didn't expect new (IV) TDIs until spring '99. He said they should have a decent supply of gas Jetta IV soon -- although he, too, commented on how expensive the new Jetta is. (I said that it would have been nice to have the 15" alloy wheels and nice Michelins that come on the new Jetta, and he said those were $1000 options -- about what it would cost to b y them new aftermarket.) I also picked up an armrest for my Jetta (from another VW dealer) this weekend, and they didn't have any of the new Jettas on the lot. They were expecting new gas Jetta IVs in the next week or so, but no TDIs until spring. The aleswoman said they, too, got regular calls asking for Jetta TDIs, but they hadn't had one in stock in months. So, I guess if you want a TDI, you can either (1) call around to find one now, or (2) wait until spring (or (3) get a NB, since I think the TDIs are now easier to find in the NB than in the Jetta). However, unlike the situation last summer, where VW deal rs seem to be discounting the Jetta TDI in anticipation of the new body style or because diesel sales were slow (plus, there were some factory incentives), the current demand for TDIs appears to exceed the supply, so you may not be able to get the kind of great deals that were available last summer.

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Sparky, I've noticed a harmonic also (kicks in at 2200 RPM on mine) and it is annoying. I try to stay on either side of 2200 but it's not always easy. Any idea what it could be? Have any others run into this? I've not seen mention of it before. I'm planning o get under the car and check the exhaust (hangers, etc.) It appears to me to come from the left rear. rob

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Regarding engine revs at certain speeds, I've rechecked this morning and jotted results down rather than trying to remember. My results are actually more aligned with Ric's findings (sorry, Peter!): 2000 57 2250 64-65 2500 72 3000 haven't been there yet! (haven't felt the need!) rob

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My little buddy now has 15k miles on it and appears to holding together pretty well. I tend to baby it a bit hoping to get 300K miles out of it. Sunday I found an oil leak from the bottom of the turbo. Has anyone else seen this kind of leak so early in the turbo's career? Also, I have had it in the shop twice for the tremedous harmonic that kicks in around 2400 RPMS or 66MPH. Everytime it goes into the shop, they leave something lose and rattling. Not to mention any names, but I think Central Volkswa en might want to consider getting qualified help! I know, it sounds like complaining, but I hope to hear some success stories out there and hear how they accomplished it. Have a great day!!

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i just checked the german vw website, they are now listing a passat available with the 2.5l v6 tdi engine, unfortunately it is only offered with an automatic 5spd, it has nearly the same fuel consumption as the 4 cyl gas, and has high emission level, and vailability on this side of the pond is still unresolved. I really wanted the 4cyl tdi, but have no interest in paying a premium for a car that isn't going to get at least 30% economy, and have no choice about the shift, i think vw is breathing through t e wrong orifice... anyone else got more info please file me in c.l.

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Good day!! i'm all most sure that i'm going to buy a 97 golf tdi, but... is there any body out there having problems with their golfs? any info would be usefull. Thanks. Pete

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My apologies Rick from Quebec, my '93 golf is a "td" . I'm new to the veedub scene, and had wrongly thought that when the newer golf body style came out in '93, so too did direct injection technology. I can't imagine how much more of an improvement a tdi" is because I am very pleased with my "td" as it is. "Kudos to Kanadians" , Ryan.

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To all those faithfully waiting - your prayers are being answered. Saw, sat in, and looked under the hood of the new A4 Jetta GL TDI today at Heritage VW in Baltimore area. White with black velor interior. I'm holding out for a GLS. Visited my son this vening at Univ. of Md and stopped in at College Park VW to see what they had, salesperson informed me that no diesels would be in until the spring of '99. I didn't tell her otherwise - but this is yet another example of dealership personnel not having ac urate information about product shipping dates. Seeing is believing! I have been making the rounds of local VW dealerships and as of five days ago was aware of at three TDIs which were supposedly in port (Wilmington) - The one I saw today was the first t make it to the dealership. Incidentally Heritage is a pretty big dealership and when I stopped by this past Tuesday evening they had not received their first new Jetta or any promotional literature as yet. Price of new Jettas are higher as noted in a r cent posting on this site - but so is standard equipment level. AC, side air bags, 4 wheel disk brakes, ABS, remote side view mirrors (not power remote on GL - but I think all are heated), tilt and extendable steering wheel are all standard on the GL. T I comes in GL or GLX trim. Scott VW web page has sticker and dealer invoice pricing (US prices) information which is not yet on Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com)or Edmunds (www.edmunds.com) web sites. Happy dieseling - Oh, the '89 will go to my son when I g t my new TDI. It has been a fantastic vehicle and still has lots of life left after 180K miles.

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To all those faithfully waiting - your prayers are being answered. Saw, sat in, and looked under the hood of the new A4 Jetta GL TDI today at Heritage VW in Baltimore area. White with black velor interior. I'm holding out for a GLS. Visited my son this vening at Univ. of Md and stopped in at College Park VW to see what they had, salesperson informed me that no diesels would be in until the spring of '99. I didn't tell her otherwise - but this is yet another example of dealership personnel not having ac urate information about product shipping dates. Seeing is believing! I have been making the rounds of local VW dealerships and as of five days ago was aware of at three TDIs which were supposedly in port (Wilmington) - The one I saw today was the first t make it to the dealership. Incidentally Heritage is a pretty big dealership and when I stopped by this past Tuesday evening they had not received their first new Jetta or any promotional literature as yet. Price of new Jettas are higher as noted in a r cent posting on this site - but so is standard equipment level. AC, side air bags, 4 wheel disk brakes, ABS, remote side view mirrors (not power remote on GL - but I think all are heated), tilt and extendable steering wheel are all standard on the GL. T I comes in GL or GLX trim. Scott VW web page has sticker and dealer invoice pricing (US prices) information which is not yet on Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com)or Edmunds (www.edmunds.com) web sites. Happy dieseling - Oh, the '89 will go to my son when I g t my new TDI. It has been a fantastic vehicle and still has lots of life left after 180K miles.

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Ric, just thought I'd start something, here. My TDi is also turning 2250RPM@70MPH. Does anybody else' car do this or is there another, shorter geared, 'box that some of us got? Could it be that Robert's and my gearbox is taller than normal? My car's t rning 62MPH@2000RPM.

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Regarding Ryan Daiber comments : How could that be a << 1993 Golf TDI >> Are you sure that it's a TDI ? In 1993 these were only regular Turbo Diesel engines not direct injected ( at least in Canada ). If so where does it come from ? Maybe an engine swap ? ** Speaking of Rpms vs Speed, my 92 Golf Diesel(with an 84 Rabbit Diesel Transmission) goes 2500 Rpm at 62 MPH, 700 Rpm less than with the original tranny ! ... and 61 Mpg (imperial gallon) Happy TDIing !

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The prices that VWoA is listing for the new Jetta is quite a bit higher than for the old model. If you were looking at getting a TDI Jetta, I would try to find one of the 98 models unless you just love the looks of the new model so much that you are willing to pay extra for it. By quite a bit higher, I mean around 12 to 13 percent higher.

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This town might now have the greatest per capita concentration of Passat TDIs in the nation. Sterling is not a large town and there are at least two Passat (and at least one Jetta) TDIs. And I thought it was a scarce model!

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This comment is for Robert: 2250 RPM @ 70 MPH??? My Jetta goes 60 MPH actual/62 MPH indicated at 2250 RPM. Regarding fuel filter water draining: I've always used FUEL POWER diesel additive. In 100K miles on an Oldsmobile diesel, I never had even 1 drop f water when draining filter. FUEL POWER disperses water, so you never have to worry about it. It also keeps fuel injectors very clean and increases your MPG.

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I bought a low mileage 96 TDI a month ago and am very pleased overall with the car. I'm quite impressed with the power, not to mention the obvious great mileage. What I'm happiest about is its tall gearing, something I've always wanted in a car - just can't beat 2250 RPM at ~70 MPH. Having just completed my first oil change, I'm not so happy with the accessability of filters, etc. but then I remember how much harder just getting the pan off is on the EuroVan. I am wondering how people actually get their hands in position to drain the water from the fuel filter. Do you lift the filter up or move other things out of the way first? How many turns do you turn the plastic drain fitting and how do you catch what comes out? Any advice on that, or getting the air filter box cover off (there's a piece of foam wedged between the fender and air filter cover that just won't budge) would be much appreciated. Thanks, rob

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Just wanted to say how great my 1996 Passat TDI is. I am glad I bought it when I did since it seems as though the new Passat Diesels are severely delayed. The only maintainance I have done is to replace the timing belt/idel tensioner pully and all belts at 60K. Plus the assorted fuel filters, oil changes etc which I do myself. Just a fantastic vehicle...

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Well, hello again TDI fans. I just had my 10K service performed. Some of you may have remembered my previous comments, but one in piticular was regarding how impressed I was with my dealer showing me the Chevron Delo 400 15W-40 upon my inquiry when I firs purchased the car. Well, I pull up in the service drive and was greeted by the service mgr. and I confirm with him not to forget about the Delo 400. So feeling confident I decided to hop on through the parking lot to have a cold one or two. When I came ack over to the the service bay where my car was I noticed the technician was cracking the cap on a gallon jug of Valvoline Syn. 15W-40. I screamed nooo!! They probably thought I was crazy! The service manager came over and apoligized but told me "look, his oil is certified for Cummins engines". I told him I wouldn't accept that oil in my car so he sent one of the grunts out to find my oil. To make a long story short after about an hour of trying to locate my oil I told the svc. mgr. that they will have o drive me to my house (about 20 minutes away in brutal traffic) so I can get a couple jugs to complete the service. This situation really enforces my belief that you must be very careful at any dealer when it concerns our TDIs. It's really a shame but th t's life in the big city. If it was'nt for the official stamps they put in our service books I swear I would do all servicing myself except for maybe the timing belt at 60K. I wish all a safe and happy holiday season and be diligent. Regards, Leonard

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Hey, What up!!! Great site. I am so impressed with how many people are hardcore diesel fanatics. Right on! I purchased a '93 TDI only two weeks ago and I am very happy with it over all. But perhaps one of you guys can help me out. I bought the car ith a performance flow exhaust, and find that because the tip points out ward (instead of downward like stock units), my rear end of the car gets 'ashed' with exhaust debris. Is this the trade off for going for performance and looks? Most importantly, I was wondering what are relatively inexpensive ways to boost the horsepower on this vehicle, without using a chip ? How about an aftermarket air filter like K&N? Keep up the good work. And remember : " Being Canadian rules, but as for drinking Canad an, German beer is best ! "

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Just traded in my wifes' 1995 Chevy Blazer for a new 1998 New Beetle TDI, what a great change! This car almost feels like my old 2002 BMW that I drove for over 20 years -> powerful, quiet, and great handling. Really appreciate this page alot as there is l ttle to no available information out there concerning the Volkswagen TDi engine, knida like my KTM 640 Rally motorcycle from Austria -> absolutley no information available in North America describing this most excellent technological achievement. Too bad or most Americans who haven't had the opportunity to visit Europe to see what automotive engineers have accomplished over there. So far we've had no hassle with the Beetle TDI and have logged up to 55 mpg mileage so far, plus the torque and smoothness are simply awesome. For the highways and byways, this Beetle TDI will be eating alot of tarmac. For the off-road adventure touring, he KTM 640 Rally motorcycle can not be beat.

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Can someone please provide some feedback on approximately what mileage you had to replace you first break pads?

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Yesterda my tdi worked very wrong, it only worked with 1400rp and the electric-driver(actor) for the injection pump died. Did anyone had the same problem? what to do! it seems to be a very expensive repair (1500$).

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I'm thinking of changing my Peugeot for a 94 to 97 Passat TDi estate (wagon in US). I drove a 94 petrol saloon and found that the steering wheel seemed a bit too far away (maybe I have long legs). Do other Passat owners find this? Could a spacer of some kind be put being the wheel to bring it a bit nearer? Is it easy to get the wheel off? or does the airbag stop you? Thanks for any advice, Philip Christian.

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Attention Automotive and Business Editors:

Volkswagen Group becomes the third largest automaker in the world

AJAX, ON, Nov. 16 /CNW/ - The Volkswagen Group has catapulted to the position of the third largest automaker in the world. Today the Volkswagen Group includes eight car and commercial-vehicle marques: Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, which ensures that the company is represented in almost all categories, with a versatile and attractive model range from practical small cars to luxury models and 22-ton trucks. The Group is the third largest motor-vehicle manufacturer in the world and has around 290,000 employees. More than half of these work in Germany, where Volkswagen has a market share of nearly 30 percent.

The announcement was made by Dr. Ferdinand Piech, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG who said ``The further improvement of sales figures, particularly on the North American market, is a decisive basis for us to retain the third place in the world league of the automobile industry on the long term''.

Volkswagen's post-tax profit from January to September rose by 76.9% to approximately 900 Million US dollars. From January to October the Volkswagen Group delivered approx. 3.8 million vehicles worldwide, representing a 6.3 percent increase.

Volkswagen Canada Inc. is posting strong sales with 31 902 vehicles sold year-to-date, representing a 54.3 percent increase over last year's 20 675 units for the same period.
-0- 11/16/1998

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Autoweek 11/16/98 says that the new Golf should be out in January and is being built in Wolfsburg, NOT Puebla. They don't mention the TDI, unfortunately.

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Hello, my name is Mac, I'm from Baltimore, Maryland. After reading your stuff I believe you and I have alot in common. I too am a crazy over these German cars. The Audi that I presently own is in excellent condition (one of a kind), but you may have heard alot of people disdain these Audis due to there high cost maintenence. Anyway I'd love to stay and write but I have to go now. But nice knowing you. BUY!!!

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Hello, my name is Mac, I'm from Baltimore, Maryland. After reading your stuff I believe you and I have alot in common. I too am a crazy over these German cars. The Audi that I presently own is in excellent condition (one of a kind), but you may have heard alot of people disdain these Audis due to there high cost maintenence. Anyway I'd love to stay and write but I have to go now. But nice knowing you. BUY!!!

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The VOA web site has the specs on the new Jetta: it has the 90hp. 1.9 litre engine as the previous Jetta and Passat. No word yet on whether there will be a Passat TDI (I would like to have the Passat TDI wagon). If the Passat isn't here by June, I'll be forced to make a choice between the new Jetta or doing some major work on my '87 Nissan Sentra.

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I am very excited about the new gerneration of TDI vehicles. I'm holding out for the new Golf IV TDI hopefully to be delivered in about two months from Puebla, Mexico. My greatest hope is that the new TDI's will come with the 110hp engine which I would then convert to 140hp with a new chip. Does anyone know the status of this? The VW of America representatives will say they know very little about this. Thanks and happy touring, Kevin

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I had my Golf in for service today at Johnson VW in Guelph, Ont., and had the opportunity to test drive a Tornado Red 1999 Jetta IV TDI. Very nice car. This one was basically the base model with air as the only option. Very well equipped even as a base model. Smooth and quiet. You'd hardly know it was a diesel. Price (on the road)with taxes and such is $28 186.00 (ouch!) For you Americans, this works out to be roughly $18 300.00 US when converted from Canadian dollars (at 65c on the dollar). If only I had the money....

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JUDGING BY THE POSTS MANY HAVE NOW SEEN THE NEW JETTA! MY DEALER HAD BOTH CARS SIDE BY SIDE - A BABY PASSAT!!!RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!! IT EVEN HAS REGULATION SIZE CUP-HOLDERS THAT YOU CAN PUT IN SOMETHING LARGER THAN A POP CAN IN.IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE THE HEAD IGHTS WILL BRING OWNER'S MORE SAFETY (ALTHOUGH OPPOSING DRIVER'S WILL PROBABLY HATE THEM). THE TDI'S WERE IN, SO SOONER TO BUY RATHER THAN LATER. I ALSO TOOK THE PRECAUTION OF PUTTING A DEPOSIT DOWN ON A 2000 PASSAT TDI 5 OR 6 CYLINDER SAID TO BE ARRIVING THEN. THAT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE TIME THAT MY BABY WILL HAVE TO BE RETIRED. HAS ANYONE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT CHIPS LATELY?? CATCH YOU ALL LATER - SO MUCH SNOW - GOT TO FEED THE DOG'S SO I CAN HOOK UP DOGSLED IN THE MORN...

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JUDGING BY THE POSTS MANY HAVE NOW SEEN THE NEW JETTA! MY DEALER HAD BOTH CARS SIDE BY SIDE - A BABY PASSAT!!!RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES!! IT EVEN HAS REGULATION SIZE CUP-HOLDERS THAT YOU CAN PUT IN SOMETHING LARGER THAN A POP CAN IN.IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE THE HEAD IGHTS WILL BRING OWNER'S MORE SAFETY (ALTHOUGH OPPOSING DRIVER'S WILL PROBABLY HATE THEM). THE TDI'S WERE IN, SO SOONER TO BUY RATHER THAN LATER. I ALSO TOOK THE PRECAUTION OF PUTTING A DEPOSIT DOWN ON A 2000 PASSAT TDI 5 OR 6 CYLINDER SAID TO BE ARRIVING THEN. THAT IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE TIME THAT MY BABY WILL HAVE TO BE RETIRED. HAS ANYONE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT CHIPS LATELY?? CATCH YOU ALL LATER - SO MUCH SNOW - GOT TO FEED THE DOG'S SO I CAN HOOK UP DOGSLED IN THE MORN...

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Thank you Craig Thomas for that info on mounting the cd changer. I still haven't bought one yet, anybody know the "best" deal around for a changer (late 98 model with rectangle plug in trunk)is it a panasonic? Great site Fred!, thanks to everyone who contributes to the dialogue on this medium. later..MCDRF

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I am going to get my new Audi A4 Avant TDI 110 HP in January 1999. It will be my first diesel car. What will be important to know during the first 1000 kilometres ? Thanks a lot in advance for any hints. Peter

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Well, We test drove the Jetta TDI Sat. and am very impressed with the car. Although my opinion of car dealers has NOT changed. The car we tested is the '98 body style, but they call it a '99, now the "new" body style is a 99 1/2. It's to new to get a "dea " on it so we went for the "old" '99, not many left, in TDI anyway. This TDI we tested seems built very solid, typical VW. The new style is really a sharp looking auto, but good luck on getting one at a reasonable price.

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I just returned from 2 wks. of business in Europe and thought I'd pass on a little report. In my 3 days in Munich, I was completely jealous of their cars. The Golf IVs are really nice - a definite step up in quality (not necessarily value). The Bora looks good too, although every 4 dr in Europe looks ike the new Jetta. The most common new VW I saw was the Passat TDI (110 hp). If you want one, start contacting VWoA! The Audi TT is AWESOME! The photos I've seen don't do it justice. Although I wouldn't buy the TT, I did want to bring home the Smart (m de by Swatch!). If this car is 6' long, a professional wrestler could be elected Gov. of MN ;) It's the newest member of the city car class (Ford Ka, Cooper Mini, Reneault Twingo ...) Anyway, I was in car heaven! I have a car mag. with pictures of the Smart. I plan on scanning them soon so email me if you want one....D'nardo

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I test drove a new 1999 Jetta GLS last night. The car is incredible. It is truely a junior Passat in every detail. The dealer only had the one on the lot and they weren't going to sell it until they recieved another shipment. They didn't know if and when hey were going to get any TDI's in.The car is very quiet and handles quite well compared to the Jetta A3, which I thought was too soft compared to the A2. The interior is heads and tails above the other Japanese and American cars in it's price range. This car is a winner! (as long as VW can maintain consistant build quality in it's Mexican plant). All of you TDI drivers have got to go to your dealer and check this car out. Then bug the he-- out of them (and VW of A) to let us have this car in a TDI config ration-and preferably in GLS trim.

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My response is slow, but MCDRF had requested info on how the CD changer is mounted. There are two sets of brackets. The first set of two bolt directly to the changer - these can be installed in various positions depending on whether you want the changer vertical, or lying flat, or at some other angle. I mounted it standing vertical on the drivers side of the trunk between the wheel well and the rear light assembly. The second set of brackets (two) consists of a plate with two holes and two threaded stu s. The idea is to mount these two brackets to the body, and then the changer brackets are attached with nuts. the kit comes with double sided foam tape. I used the tape to attach these brackets to the floor of the trunk under the carpet. Then four sl ts are put in the carpet for the threaded studs to protrude, then the changer gets attached. I did have to cut down the size of the mounting plates so that it fit close enough to the outside wall.

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TDI MOTORS CAN ENJOY THEIR OWNERS MANY YEARS BECAUSE YOU CAN DRIVE THEM VERY SPEEDLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!APPROXIMATELY 210KM/H

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the service writer at the dealership said my excessive exhaust smoke could possibly be remedied with the replacement of the timing belt???? my VW has 60k miles , he said the recommended service intravel for this belt was 50k . is he full of it ! (like most service writers).also, i have changed a timing belt on a mazda 4 cylinder gas engine . is this tdi much more complicated?. what are the be t do it yourself manuals? is the turbo or the diesel differences from a standard engine involved with the timing belt?

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You actually saw a '99 TDI??? Hmmmm, I read that they weren't coming out until later in the year. You saw the new redesigned TDI?? I'm gonna go bother a dealer then!

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I have owned my TDI for one year. I have 25,000 miles on it. I have had absolutely no problems with the car. I was wondering when most of your front Brake pads had to be replaced? Also how long did the original tires last?

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Greetings TDIers, Stopped by the dealer this morning and got to see a beautiful bright red '99 Jetta TDI. Very nice! If it runs as good as it looks, VW's has a winner. They've relocated the radio from high up on the center console to down near the gear shifter. Also, t e glove box has been redesigned and it appears that it might actually be functional this time. The car sits on Michelin MXV4 Energy + 15" tires. Overall the car looks squat and muscular. Can't wait till I need to trade in! Happy trails.

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I love my Beetle!! All of you with Jetta or Golf TDI's must test the NB to see how well they have supressed noise and vibration in it. I test drove a Jetta before I ordered my beetle and thought the noise level in it was fine, but was super suprised when I got my beetle. It is quieter than many four banger gas engines from inside the car. I'm sure the new Jetta and Golf will be just as quiet. I think it is due to the fact that the bodies are stronger with the new design than the old ones. I do have on problem that keeps popping up... The glow plug relay!!!!! I am tired of my car being the guinea pig at my dealership as they don't know what is wrong. Does anyone actually know what is happening with this fault? The car runs fine, the glow plugs are o erating correctly, etc... I think it is just a computer glitch. Help me!!! Also, I got 51 mpg on a trip from Cleveland to Indianapolis this summer. I also did the round trip on a single tank with city driving included once there. I also did this on o e tank of fuel and I only have a 14.5 gal tank.

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Since November 6, 1998, I have joined the TDI-Family. It is my first car with a Diesel-Engine. My comment: Very good performances.

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Alex, hate to disappoint you, but the only thing your spoiler is good for at high speeds is slowing you down.

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This message is for Jose: In my view, tires are like wine and women... the cheaper the better! No, but seriously, I have always had good luck with the cheapest tires I can find, namely "economy radials". When I am due for tires, I will switch to the cheaper size of 185/70-14. I can get tires in that size for only $29.95 each, and they usually have a high tread life rating. I never had a blowout or tread separation in the several sets of these "economy" tires.

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Ric, I also had to let go of my Goodyear stock tires. I tossed them out after 11,000 miles and replaced them with Nokia Hakkapelita 1’s, which is a Winter tire made in Finland and was recommended to me by a fellow Wisconsin VW fan. I mounted the winter set on the original VW aluminum wheels because I don’t like the factory wheels, so they will be sacrificed to the salt and slush of Wisconsin and Minnesota. After the winter’s gone, I’ll mount new 205/50/15 Dunlop DA60/A2’s tires on new 15" wheels. I hose the Dunlop’s because of their price ($81 at www.tires.com), durability, and performance on Dry/Wet roads (Consumer Reports rated them as Number 1 with a threadwear of 320). I used Dunlop’s before on my older (now retired) Nissan Maxima with no comp aints. I chose a low profile tire to increase lateral stability on cornering and evasive maneuvers. The lower profile and wider track should enhance the breaking distance too. I'm still thinking about using 225/50's instead of 205/50's on the 15" wh el to preserve the overall diameter, but I have not decided that. What do you think? IMO, width of tire does not necessarily imply the tire is more susceptible to hydroplaning. It’s a matter of the tires (thread) design which aids in directing water/s ush/snow from the footprint (tire contact with the road), to the sides of the tire. I did check the Michelin X-one’s at a dealer in my town but did not like the price at $140 a tire for a tire that I could not use during the winter season. The salesman swore the X-one is the ultimate All Season tire with a threadwear of 620!!!! I always thought that tire’s features were a tradeoff when compared to other desirable features. That’s the reason why the X-one is a TOURING tire that offers All season capabi ities and long threadewar, as opposed to a PERFORMANCE tire like the D60/A2 tire that offers above average Wet/Dry handling and lateral stability at the expense of a lower threadwear

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You can use a Purolator PureONE part number PL20252. It has the smaller outside diameter, just like the "genuine" VW one (for ease of installation/removal), has more pleats than a standard oil filter, has an anti-drainback valve, and cost only $4.99. I et them at Discount Auto Parts here in Florida.

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Nice Page..I really enjoy going through the helpful comments. I do have a question about where I can get The 06815561E oil filter. The dealer list this as the only available filter for the TDI. The dealer sells these for $16.23 each. Can someone email me ith information on any parts houses/ dealer supply houses or dealer’s that sell these at reasonable cost. Please email me at adrais@hotmail.com Thanks…. Scott

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Ric, if they have alot of straight spokes with a center cap that's got one big circle with four smaller round 'cutouts' covering the lugs, then you have Corrado G60 rims. VW only had one vehicle with 15 inch rims and 4 lugs (I think) and that's the Corr do. If that's not what you have, then you have some Audi rims. You might want to check www.wolfsport.com. They're a VW/Audi/BMW dismantler and they list most VW and Audi rims from older models. They don't list the Corrado rims, though (too rare). Hop this helps.

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FYI: The official VW site www3.vw.com has got the new Jetta(IV) on it. I read on VW Vortex that they're supposed to go on sale tomorrow.

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Hi John. I have a 98 TDI, bought it in April, and I hve put well over 20000km on it since. I have driven it under many different conditions. If you drive it at the speed limit you get a whopping 1000km plus per gas tank. I like to drive a little faster every now and then on the 401 (192km/hr in 5th gear with four adults) brings you down to 780 km/tank. I tend to average 800-900 though. I do find it rides better now at 20,000km then at first. A few thoughts though. The tires Goodyear Eagle GT are great on dry pavement, but as soon as it gets wet, you lose traction, way too much! For that reason I seariously recoomend getting either Dunlops for summer tires or Toyo obs. for winter. The goodyear GT should be taken off! I did not know this when I bought my car. Had I know I would have made them switch right away. Here are the options I put on my car: Fog Lamps Winter package (heated seats, mirrors, water nozzles) Spoiler (a must if you drive above 120km/r) and it looks great Sunroof (I did not want one at first, but I love it now!) Electric doors and windows. Aluminum wheels You can easily bring down there price by 800-1200$ when negotiating. I got 1200$ off what they we asking. I had to "stand up and start walking out a few times" but they finally gave it to me. Watch out for those sales tactics! I can write a book on that! If the salesman gets up to talk to the "Manager" to see what he can do, it is a sales tactic to throw you off, and keep the price higher. Over all, the TDI is excellent, hadling is amazing (on dry pavement only with Eagle GT tires "YUK"). It keeps up to the gas engines Jettas very well. The only place where you'll like the TDI less is when you want to pass on the highway. It takes a little getting used to to accelerate quickly at certain speeds. But it will climb to at least 192 km/hr. I had alot of room left. I am positive it will do 200km/hr because I was going slightly uphill when I hit 192. Now I am looking at how I can increase my HP. They should make it a 110 HP Diesel standard! Period. That little extra omph, would be perfect. P.s> the trunk space is huge John!

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TDI owners, E-mail correction for John is gleneden@nexicom.net sorry,and thanks John

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TDI owners help needed...My wife and I are looking at a 99 Jetta TDI this weekend. Honestly, I don't know much about the VW TDI engine or if there a reliable car. Any help with pros and cons of this car, don't need the wife stuck out in Ontario farm count y. E-mail me! Thanks very much, John

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The other day, my brother picked up a set of four (4) fairly new VW aluminum wheels at a garage sale for me. They have a 4-lug pattern, but unfortunately they are 15". Does anyone know what VW uses 15" wheels??? Anyone want to buy them?

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IT'S NICE TO SEE OTHERS LIKE YOU BRIAN WHO'VE EXPERIENCED THE MICHELIN'S GAELIC(READ:FRENCH) RIDE.IF YOU'VE EVER RIDEN IN A PEUGEOT OR CITROEN YOU MIGHT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND. THE SOFTNESS OF THE SIDEWALL IS SUCH THAT THE CAR SURE SEEMS TO "HANG" ON PRETTY WELL. THE CAR - ALTHOUGH LEANING - DOES NOT FEEL LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL OFF THE RAGGED EDGE. DRIVING HERE IN EDMONTON TO GO TO THE STORE TO GET MORE WHALE OIL FOR THE IGLOO YOU ENCOUNTER MORE THAN A SKIFF OF SNOW. THE FIRST WINTER SEASON (AND MAYBE THE SECOND) IS OK, BUT FOR SAFE PERFORMANCE SNOW GRIPS ARE THE WAY TO GO. DON'T GO GOODYEAR, IF THEY ARE ON MY NEW JETTA - THEY WON'T MAKE OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT!!

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Thanks for posting the pour point information Fred. I hope this demystifies a little what guidelines are used for winter fuel. Ok everybody, after you filled up your car, please, DO NOT ask the clerk working the counter if he/she knows if the fuel was bl nded to the ASTM pour points. I have yet to find a manager who knew what I was talking about, let alone a clerk. I do get some great looks form these people. To Mary: My Bentley repair manual states the timing belt should be changed at 60,000 miles/100,000 kilometers. The belts usually do not break but rather they slowly stretch until the belt tensioner cannot keep the belt tight any more. If this happens, hen the belt can jump a tooth on the cam or fuel pump gear. When this happens the gears will tear up the belt. Most car companies recommend the timing belt to be changed around that 60,000 mile/100,000 Km interval. This is the only annoying and expensi e routine maintenance item on our cars. To Ric: My car always had hydroplaning problems too. It was the type of tire, not the width. The Goodyears have a hard tread compound with few sipes. I really noticed the wet weather performance drop off when the tires were worn about half way. Last m nth I finally wore them down to the wear bars at 47,000 miles. I replaced the Goodyears with Michelin X Ones and it made a huge difference. I have a lot more traction on wet roads and the tires are a lot, lot, lot quieter and smoother than the Goodyear As ever were. The only difference in the way the car handles is when I'm cornering hard. The car leans a little more due to the softer sidewalls of the Michelins, but most of my driving is droning down the interstate with the cruise control so it's not big deal for me. Michelin X Ones come in 195-60-14 and 195-65-14 so take your pick. I went with the 65 series because to me the 60 series looked like the car had little black donuts for tires. The 65s fill out the wheel-wells better. Yea, I know, now my speedometer is off and I will not be able to calculate my mileage to the 0.0000000000 MPG. I almost can't wait to see how the Michelins do in the snow, almost. The Goodyears were useless as a winter tire in my opinion. Happy and safe driving everybo y.

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My diesel has 175k miles. Use the cheapest 10-30 oil I can buy. But change it regularly. Use Fram filter. Changed fuel filter twice and timing belt twice. On my second set of front brakes. Original exhaust & clutch. Third set of tires Second set of strut cartridges. Also replaced one set of glow plugs. Car runs great and still gets me low to mid 40's mpg. By the way, the body is still rust free and I live in Minnesota where salt is the norm when winter rolls around.The original AC is still working great. Hope to drive for many more miles.

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Brian Kmetz wrote: >The attachment is a table of the ASTM pour point temperatures for
>winter diesel from the ASTM D-975 standards for diesel fuels in the US.
>It is left up to the local fuel supplier how to meet the pour points, either
>by additives or blending or both. Canada has the same thing but I cannot
>find the maps.
>
>I thought you could post this on the FAQ page for all the newbies.
>

It is now online at (http://users.uniserve.com/~fred_v/mini-faq/ASTMPP.htm). I'll add it to the FAQ shortly...

Fred

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In response to Mary's question regarding timing belt replacement, please read my previous posts. After having mine done at 79,000 miles, I can only offer that my old belt **looked** OK. However, this should be taken with a grain of salt as looks can be eceiving. Most mechanics I have spoken with have stated that you could be "rolling the dice" after 60K miles - but they have a vested interest in doing the work. A German friend of mine with a TDI has put an inquiry into VWAG regarding this issue. I wi l post the answer on this forum. So, I have personally concluded that the belt is more than likely good for 100K miles. However, I would make sure you know what the warranty covers before you decide to extend your service interval.

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TO RIC WOODRUFF: I AGREE WITH MR. CHEUK'S ASSESSMENT THAT THE BEST SIZE IS PROBABLY 185/60R14. GOING UP TO A 65 SERIES TIRE WILL GIVE YOU MINIMAL PERF. CHANGE OR INCREASE, GAS MILEAGE NOT WITHSTANDING. THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS OF YOU TRAVEL OVER REALLY ROUGH (UNIMPROVED) TYPE ROADS - THEN MAYBE THE 65'S WOULD BE A LITTLE BETTER. MY 1997 IS MY 15TH VOLKSWAGEN AND I HAVE HAD MORE THAN A FEW DIFFERENT BRANDS OF SKINS ON MY RIMS! I HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A LITTLE IMPRESSED WITH THE NEW MICHELIN X - ONE. I HAVE NEVER HAD ATIRE THAT HAS PERFORMED SOOVERY WELL IN SUCH DIFFERENT ROAD SURFACES ANYTHING FROM NEW PAVEMENT TO REALLY CRAPPY, MARBLELY GRAVEL. HYDROPLANING HAS BECOME A ISSUE NOW THAT THE TREAD HAS WORN TO THE POINT THAT THEY SHOULD BE SOON REPLACED. RIDE QUALITY IS COMMENTED ON BY PASSENGERS QUITE OFTEN, AN UNUSUAL OCCURANCE FROM TI ES PAST. THE LAST AND BEST THING IS TH WARRANTY IS 6 - YEAR UNLIMITED MILEAGE, THE FIRST 3 HAVING NO PRO-RATION AS TO WEAR. I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR HUNT, BUT MICHELINS ARE GOING BACK ON AGAIN!! TODAY I SAW THE NEW JETTA 4 BROCHURE (READ: BABY PASSAT) SIMPLY GORGEOUS - I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I NEED MY NEXT CAR

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TO RIC WOODRUFF: I AGREE WITH MR. CHEUK'S ASSESSMENT THAT THE BEST SIZE IS PROBABLY 185/60R14. GOING UP TO A 65 SERIES TIRE WILL GIVE YOU MINIMAL PERF. CHANGE OR INCREASE, GAS MILEAGE NOT WITHSTANDING. THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS OF YOU TRAVEL OVER REALLY ROUGH (UNIMPROVED) TYPE ROADS - THEN MAYBE THE 65'S WOULD BE A LITTLE BETTER. MY 1997 IS MY 15TH VOLKSWAGEN AND I HAVE HAD MORE THAN A FEW DIFFERENT BRANDS OF SKINS ON MY RIMS! I HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A LITTLE IMPRESSED WITH THE NEW MICHELIN X - ONE. I HAVE NEVER HAD ATIRE THAT HAS PERFORMED SOOVERY WELL IN SUCH DIFFERENT ROAD SURFACES ANYTHING FROM NEW PAVEMENT TO REALLY CRAPPY, MARBLELY GRAVEL. HYDROPLANING HAS BECOME A ISSUE NOW THAT THE TREAD HAS WORN TO THE POINT THAT THEY SHOULD BE SOON REPLACED. RIDE QUALITY IS COMMENTED ON BY PASSENGERS QUITE OFTEN, AN UNUSUAL OCCURANCE FROM TI ES PAST. THE LAST AND BEST THING IS TH WARRANTY IS 6 - YEAR UNLIMITED MILEAGE, THE FIRST 3 HAVING NO PRO-RATION AS TO WEAR. I WISH YOU WELL IN YOUR HUNT, BUT MICHELINS ARE GOING BACK ON AGAIN!! TODAY I SAW THE NEW JETTA 4 BROCHURE (READ: BABY PASSAT) SIMPLY GORGEOUS - I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I NEED MY NEXT CAR

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Oops, got so excited, almost forgot. Look in the 'Forums', 'Golf & Jetta IV', 'Jetta IV Has Arrived!'.

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I just saw on the VWVORTEX(.COM) site that in Toronto, they've received delivery of the first Jetta IVs. Of special interest to us TDi fans is that they've received a TDi with 90HP motor. They list prices and such, and, surprise, a GL as well as a GLS T i! Can't wait to see one in the states.

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Can anyone tell me the recommendation for changing the timing belt on the passat tdi? My husband says the dealer told him 100,000 mi. I thought it would be at 60,000. Not a word about this in the owner's manual. Thanks for any help. I enjoy reading th posts!

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Its the best engine i have never drive. I am fallen in love with Tdi.

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Ric, 13" rims simply won't fit over your 10.1" front brake rotors. Okay, the rotor's only 10.1", but the caliper sticks out and that's what's in the way. As far as tires go, 185/65-14 might be a way to go. IMHO, good rain type tires in the original siz may be your best bet.

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I really love my car, especially the gas mileage and warranty. I've put about 30,000 miles on the car in about 9 months, so a good warranty was essential. Recently however, I had a problem with my ignition switch (it broke). My car was technically out of arranty at 24000 for this part but the people at VW customer service authorized it to be fixed under the warranty. Thank god, it was going to cost over $400. to get it fixed. After this happened I became concerned that maybe the vw jetta TDI wasn't such a great car. I have had no other complaints, but if any one else is having problems with their jetta TDI, I would be interested in hearing about them. Thanks.

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I've noticed that my Jetta hydroplanes/skids more easily on wet roads than any other vehicle I have owned. I believe that this problem is due to the fact that the tires are simply much too wide for for the size/weight of the vehicle. Has anyone gone to narrower tire for their Jetta? When I am due for new tires, I will definitely get away from the trendy "low profile" tires that they seem to be using these days. The only question is what is the optimum size to go to? Since my speedometer reads 62 mph t 60 MPH actual, going to a larger outside diameter tire will not only bring indicated speed closer to actual, fuel economy should increase, RPM's will go down, and tire cost will go way down. I am considering either going to a 185/65R14 or a 185/70R14. I am even thinking about buying new rims to go to 195/70R13. Any comments or suggestions would be helpful. Thanks.

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Hi everybody. I thought I would drop in to answer a few questions. To Art: VAG says we have to use its pink G-12 coolant. We do have to use the new pink coolant but it does not have to be VAG's G-12. We can use any DEX COOL type compatible coolant in our cars. I am going to let a big secret out here. Texaco makes G-12 for VAG and DEX COOL for GM. Texaco sells its DEX COOL type coolant under the Texaco and Havoline names. I do not know if there is any difference between the two products. The reason the other brands that make a DEX COOL compatible product use an orange color is because Texaco has the red color as part of its patent on the DEX COOL formulation. All this means is the other brands have to change the chemistry of their coolant/antifreeze a little to avoid legal stuff with Texaco and GM. The only problem I see is that somebody will market a DEX COOL type coolant and keep the green/blue color of the old generation coolants. This would confuse any mechanic/dealership working on our cars as they would think we put the wrong product in our cars. The good news is that more and more manufacturers will switch to the new technology coolants and there will be less confusion. All we have to do is make sure we use a DEX COOL compatible product. Texaco has a lot of information on DEX COOL type coolant/antifreeze on its web-site. I'm not sure VoA knows Texaco is the OEM supplier for its G-12. VAG called its older green/blue type coolant G-11. There was nothing special about G-11, it used the same chemistry as all the other green/blue type coolant/antifreeze. To J. Banister: IF you are getting air bubbles in the fuel line you should be able to see them. The fuel line from the fuel filter to the fuel pump is clear for that reason. A few small bubbles are normal. If you are sucking air in, check the fuel return line where it fits on the fuel filter. There is an O-ring on the fuel filter under the plastic tee. If the O-ring is damaged or if the return line was not put back on tight, air could be sucked into the fuel system. To Gary: The turbocharger wastegate is controlled by the engine ECU. So is the EGR valve. It's hard to see the wastegate plumbing because of the EGR valve. The EGR valve can serve the same function as the wastegate, in a backwards sort of way. If you think about it, the EGR valve is bypassing exhaust gasses before the gasses go through the turbocharger. The only difference is the exhaust gasses go to the intake manifold for pollution control instead of the exhaust manifold. It all depends on what the ECU needs the car to do. To Greg: There was a recall on most 96 Passat TDIs for smoke problems. Did you have the work done? Here a post I found from the back messages: It's been about 5000 miles since I had TSB 97-02 performed on my '96 Passat TDI sedan to correct the smoking. I strongly urge anyone that still has a smoking TDI to check to see if this TSB applies! Tech. Service Bulletin (TSB) 97-02 (supercedes 97-01 of Jan. 28, '97) Date: Feb. 19, 1997 Subject: Exhaust Smoke, Intermittently Visible Models: Passat with engine code 1Z, 1996, Turbo Direct Injection (TDI) Condition: Visible smoke from exhaust system when accelerating (e.g., taking off from a stop or when shifting gears). Replace Engine Control Module (ECM) with Part No. 028 906 021 GQ Replace injectors 1,2, and 4 with Part No. 028 130 202P Replace injector No. 3 with Part No. 028 130 202Q Replace injector sealing washers Part No. 046 130 219A Transfer ECM data via scan tool. Start engine, check for leaks, road test. As usual, several VW techs didn't know their own product. "All diesels smoke". "What tech bulletin?". "First I heard of it". Even the VWOA customer service folks were behind the curve by about a month (They only knew of TSB 97-01). TSB 97-02 seems to be THE fix to get. '96 Passat TDI sedan (Storm Grey) Brent Claffey - Saturday, August 09, 1997 at 10:02:55 (PDT) To everybody: Just my opinion, I never tow anything with a front wheel drive car. I don't think the tranny, clutch, and drive axles are that strong to begin with. I wouldn't tow with a front drive Cadillac. I'm of the opinion that all FWD powertrains are light-duty. When I tow I use a RWD vehicle. I have no idea why VAG says we can tow with a Passat and not a Jetta. It's that time of the year again that winter fuel will be the hot topic. All diesel fuel is blended on a month by month basis by geographic location. In the US, fuel is blended state by state. Blending season starts in October and ends in March. The ASTM has pour point maps that fuel suppliers have to follow. I'll try to send Fred a table I made from the maps and maybe he can post it somewhere in the FAQ page. Take care TDI fans.

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I keep seeing things about towing with the Jetta My 96 Passat book states class 1 or 2 hitch .since the passat is a bigger car why would the Jetta not be able to tow the same weigh

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Re: Jbanister, Seems to be like a fuel starvation, I've encountered similar symptoms after changing the fuel filter ( air in the system ) and in sometimes due to fuel gelling ( freezing ) it happened a couple of times to me uphere in Canada in real cold weather . And also the most obvious or least obvious ... running the fuel tank to the last drop ... But on a TDI mores causes could be involved, ECU ? Happy TDIing !

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Recently my VW began to emmit excessive light colored smoke from the tailpipe.I know a nominal ammount of exhaust smoke, during acceleration, is normal for any diesel,but this has caused other drivers to wave me down it is so bad.ALL required maintenance has been followed.Any suggestions?

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I was doing a search for tdi and vw in yahoo and came across an interesting thread on a forum somewhere (http://www.bluewave.co.uk/calleva/wwwboard/messages/535.html) that said that VW never certified the Jetta TDi with DOT for towing. That's probably wh the owner's manual says that the Jetta TDi can't tow for 'technical reasons'. Of course this is just hearsay. Has anyone heard of anything similar?

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Had my oil changed today. I provide oil & filter to my local garage ( VW filter, Delvac 1). This is a lot more easy than making an appointment with my VW dealer, dropping my car off at 7AM and picking it up at 5PM and not getting diesel rated oil!! I am c ncerned since the shop added antifreeze to the resevoir. Checking the owners manual teaches you that you must use only VW antifreeze; obviously I did not!! My local shop used DEX-COOL (orange) coolant. Was this a mistake? You hear many warnings about mixi g uncompatable coolants!! Can anyone shed ny light?? All replies much appreciated

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Cruising home from work yesterday my TDI would not accelerate beyond 2200 RPM. Normal to 2200, Then nothing,foot flat on the floor produced just a snails pace increace in speed. It was like that all the way home but went back to normal the next day. No se vice light came on. Anyone have any clues? It seems like air in the injection system ussually gets the blame for unexplained glitches.I was going to have the dealer look at it but since it went away I think I'll wait until the next oil change.

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I'd have thought the TDi wastegate was controlled by the ECU. On an older TD i used to drive you could get an exhilerating 'whooshing' sound after flooring it in 2nd gear, just as you dump the clutch to change up. At this point you always got the sense of the diesel engine spinning like the clappers with it's higher-reciprocating masses; the combination of high-torque/accleration and 4000rpm power limit meant you often got flustered without time to change up to 3rd. I always thought this whooshing sound was the wastegate dumping the charge of air through the exhaust. I've yet to notice this on the TDi.

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Okay, okay, I made a mistake. I'm only human (someone PLEASE tell my wife that!). I didn't see a wastegate when I had the belly pan out from under the car (staring up at the turbo - nose to turbo outlet) and I rationalized that because the boost comes i early and dies off as revs rise, that the engineers designed the wastegate out of it. In other words, I ASSUMED, and we all know what happens when we assume, don't we? So, to everyone I apologise for the assumption. With that said, does anyone know if there's another chip available for our cars other than the Wetterauer? I'd love one but can't see paying six Franklins for one. Garret says that they've got the code, just need a guinee pig to test on. I volunteered, but I guess I live too far (email w nt unanswered). Superchips isn't even developing one, according to an email they sent me. That leaves Neuspeed. Their website is under construction and I don't have an email address for them. Anyone else out there know of any others?

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I developed a problem in my new beetle today. Were having cooler temperatures in my area, but it's just a little chilly. When I accerate I hear a whirling or heavy wind type noise. Also told by a friend that every time I accelerate there is a large bla k cloud of smoke. No check engine light. Don't know if it could be a relay problem, turbo problem or air intake issue. I'm concerned since it only has 9000 miles on it. Any input would be helpfull so I can decide who and where to take my car to. Being w thout a car is an issue for me.Thanks, Michelle

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Hello everyone. I have an amuseing story I'd like to share regarding VOA and their habit of changing their minds. This past July I told my brother who is from out of state I had 1300 VW points I would never use scince they decided they no longer would off r them with their credit card purchases.My brother agreeded to accept my offer and he purchased a 98' NB. VW said they could not accept these points scince he and I don't live in the same household.Fine if that's how they want to be..I then said i would p t my name on the title to make it legit.When I went to pick up the car for my brother, the dealer said he had papers to transfer the points onto the deal and only my brother would be on the title. They called the credit card people and they gave the deale an authorization number for the transaction.The dealer minus that amount from the price, I gave the dealer the balance, and I drove away with a sales order that said paid in full...Four months later this dealer is calling me back to say they no longer ar honoring those points,and I owe $1300.They also have not applied those 1300 points back to my account either. Ok now that you've all stopped laughing, any comments legal or otherwise you would recommend.This is both comical and frustrating to hash out

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About turbo wastegate: The TDI actually has a wastegate for the boost pressure. The control unit is mounted next to the diesel filter on the right inner wing. Tin

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Hello all. I just wanted to pass along an interesting development in the "low speed, cold engine bucking" that some of us are experiencing. Here's the story... My car developed it about 10,000 ago with what I 'thought' was a vacuum leak very shortly after. There was an audible 'whistle' sound that occured simultainiuosly with the bucking. It turns out that th vacuum leak was just the accordian like intake boot vibrating. The vibration was right next to the where the boot connects to the air filter box. I tried removing/re-arranging the boot and the vibration went away but came back after a day or two. About a month ago I completely removed the air filter box and intake boot. After the reinstallation, the vibration & low speed bucking disappeared!!! I'm guessing that the vibration was upsetting the mass air-flow sensor (any other thoughts?). Perhaps the bucking I was experiencing is something totaly different from what the others are experiencing, the symptoms are identical though. All I know is that the vibration/bucking disappeared after removing & installing the intake components. It's bee a month or so since I did this and all is well. I hope this 'is' the problem that the others are having, it's an easy fix. Clay

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Re: Turbo wastegate, previous turbo diesel used to have wastegates that limit the boost pressure to 10.4 psi (0.72 bar) and this is according to Robert Bently's service manual for 85-92 page 7-25. I can't figure out how they can go by without it even on a TDI. More insight ? Happy TDIing !!

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About towing and TDi's. I thought the reason VW does not want us to tow was because our engines are turbocharged, without wastegates. As load increases, so does boost pressure. Towing increases the load, which in turn increases the boost, which means t at our engines are under increased stress, maybe even overboost (?), and our turbos are spinning above their designed speed. Towing a light load should be okay. Can anyone pick this theory apart? Just my 2 cents.

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Excellent cars, these VW TDI's. I can stay in 5th gear in West Virginia mountain passes which used to necessitate a downshift to 3rd in my '83 Rabbit diesel or my '68 Beetle. I have owned a Mazda Miata and a Toyota MR2 Turbo in the past, but this Jetta turbodiesel is the most overall satisfying ride by a large margin. The combination of power in the RPM range most of us use, the smooth and quiet interstate cruising ability, the great handling, and the EXCELLENT mileage (47 mpg overall so far) cannot be found anywhere else in the USA at any price. Speaking of NOT "in the USA", check out the 2.5 liter V6 DOHC Audi TDI at http://www.audi.de/mod/a4/car/frames/ef_mot.html Incredible! 150 horsepower at 4000 rpm, with torque at 220 ft-lbs from 1500-3200 rpm. In the A4 (the VW Passat equivalent) the 0-60 time is 8.8 seconds. It even comes with a 6-speed transmission, giving highway cruising engine speed of less than 2000 rpm. Mileage is 45 mpg highway, and 35 mpg European combined driving. Little hope of seeing anything like this in North America, unfortunately.

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Hi, folks. I really appreciated all of the messages relevant to "do-it-yourself" maintenance operations on the VW Tdi family. Has anybody got any idea about where it is possible to find some sort of maintenance/repair manual for European VW Tdi 110 engine , in order to overcome those nice situations in which half an hour of home work could save ten-day in advance bookings and hundreds of Euros (that's to say of Dollars) bills? I'm quite surprised of the common report of high oil consumption figures, I' ve run the first 10.000 Km. on my Ibiza (with oil checks each 500 km.) and I' ve not had to add more than 1 liter of CF4 oil. Maybe I've been lucky. Greetings to everybody. Ciao

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I have to change the coolant in my car. I am replacing it with VAG approved coolant addictive G-11. I do not know whether other here who are using this type of coolant. I had my radiator fan motor replaced and in the process I had to let the coolant out i order that we remove the front. The coolant quantity for this car is supposed to be six liters at least not more than 60% of this should be water. My confusion here what kind of water should be added to the coolant. Ordinary water from the household taps distilled water or distilled and de-ionized water. Has any body got some ideas to share. Please share it with me.

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IHave had trailer hitches on all my VWs 1 78 Rabbit Diesel 1 80 Rabbit Diesel 2 Jettas 96 and now my 96 TDI passat the hitch is made by Uhaul .installed 159.$ it works well i have no problems towing in the mountians between Maryland and Tn. 5th gear mos of the time on cruise control . all my cars have gone 200000 miles or more without problems . we all make our own choices on how or what modify our VWs.

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What is all the fuss about Jetta seats??!!? I spend two (2) hours a day, 5 days a week in my Jetta, and find the seat very adequate. I have had back surgery a few years back, and find the Jetta seat quite back supportive. Enough of the Jetta seat bashin , already!

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Just came back from Mexico where I saw the new Pointer sedan, wagon, and Pick Up models. It’s a new VW tin can made in Brazil for sale in Latin America. The outside is cool looking with a huge VW disk emblem on the drop-down tailgate, but the inside is ypical VW looks (very disappointing indeed). Size wise, the Pointer is a tad smaller than the Jetta and the rear seat (in the sedan) looked just as cramped as in my Jetta (4 inch leg clearance with the seats all the way back). I looked under the Pick Up ox and saw no ladder-type chasis frame. It looked like a conventional car, with independent suspension arms and coils with shocks (explains the low payload capacity--no axle and springs). The nice touch in the truck is the standard bed liner on the box You can check them out at www.vw.com.mx (home page) or the Pointer Page at www.vw.com.mx/room/pointerpick.html (Prices??? The Pick Up was $11,000 USD, 10% to 15% cheaper if you have all cash)

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Bought the Jetta January 31, 1998 so far (11/2/98) have racked up 26,000 miles without a single problem. This is the 15th automobile I have owned, and 2nd diesel, and is hands down the best! My only complaint is those cheap seats. Think maybe I invest gate on putting a pair in from a Jetta GLX. The suspension could use some heavier sway bars to reduce body roll. The car is using Amsoil 15w40 synthetic for diesels and I experienced about 2.5 mpg better mileage switching from regular oil. The noise lev l is also much reduced. I am averaging about 47 mpg combined city and highway driving, and I drive the car pretty hard. I average 70-80 miles per hour on the highway. The one large item I want to do to the car is swap out the 5spd tranny and put in an a tomatic from a gas Jetta. I drive over 80 miles every day in the awful Atlanta traffic and my knee is getting worn out If anybody has any info on this I would be appreciative. We all need to write VOA and let them know that they need to bring over their omplete line of 'diesels' and bring back the pickup truck the rest of the world gets to enjoy. Anybody have any good stories about the tdi or any questions feel free to e-mail me. Happy driving!!!

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To Bob Chambers: The first dealer I went to was also too busy to see me about the check engine light, so I immediately drove to another dealer, who was able to see me RIGHT AWAY! I felt that since my car was brand new, with only 1000km on it, I didn't w nt to take any chances with making anything worse. Turns out that it was the glow plug relay (VW has issued a service bulletin for this problem), which is on order from de fatherland. Three weeks later, I'm still waiting! They told me it's ok to keep d iving...only difference I've noticed is that there's a bit of diesel smell in the morning when it's cold.

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Also had the "check engine" light come on a few weeks ago on my GL. Called the 1-800 number, and was told to take it to the nearest dealer when time allowed. Turned out to be a loose wire on an oxygen sensor. I was told by VW that the check engine ligh has to do w/ the emissions. Hopefully, nothing to big on your Beetle. As far as pulling trailers w/ a TDI, never had a problem when living in Germany. Pulled a little trailer now and then w/ my GRD, and once in a while w/ my Peugeot(also a diesel). My u cle drives all around Germany for his business, pulling a good sized trailer full of junk behind his Audi TDI. The question of it being harmful to a TDI engine never came up. People over there just put on hitches and go on pulling. derrik

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OK, let's cut to the chase on trailer hitches. The owner's manual recommends against towing with a TDI for 'technical' reasons. These reasons are not due to unibody or chassis differences with the gas versions (the unibody is exactly the same, and the c assis 99% similar), but instead due to powertrain differences. Specifically, the lack of horsepower, one of the few sacrafices TDI owners must make. Now, I know I have opened a can of worms, and everyone will post comments relating to the TDI's relative y high torque, but it is horsepower that is the issue. I'm not saying that you shouldn't tow with your TDI, do with it what you will, but as for my TDI (and therefore my hard earned dollars), I will not tow. Now I'll get off my soapbox.

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Re: TRAILER HITCHES I recently sold my auto aftermarket business a big part of the business was hitches. We did 1 installation on a TDI Jetta. No problem. A very clean install. The hitch brand name was Hidden Hitch. Canadian company for those that don't recognise the name. T p quality product. I believe that it can be purchased via JC Whitney. Or check your yellow pages for the nearest dealer. If I remember right the hitch was a Class 1. I can't remember if it had a 1500# or 2000# rating. It is possible that it may even have een de-rated to 1000#. Worth noting is that the installation of the Hidden Hitch does NOT require any cutting of the lower fascia. Some other brands do. The class 1 Hidden Hitch also has a removable draw bar.

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The "Check Engine Light" on my Beetle has come on at 6200 miles. Lots of smoke at cold startup, anyone have this problem? My dealer is too busy to check it out, scares me more than the warning lite.

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For thos interested in timing belt changes, I've collected some interesting data. For one thing, prices vary widely for this service between dealers and other mechanics. Also, I have found you must get exact details on what's being done at the service f r a good comparison. Dealers in the US Tischer VW - $620 for timing belt and tensioner!!! I told these people they were asking $250 more than another dealer, but the person I spoke with was obviously not a mechanic and really didn't care. College Park - $366 for same service. They quoted me $196 in labor and $170 in parts. Fitzgerald VW - $373 (#290 labor, $83 parts) Annaptown Imports - My local mechanic quoted me $527 with a 60K service included. He also said this is a max price and includes changing the cam, crank and fuel pump seals if necessary. If these seals are good, the price drops a bit. Two Canadians gave me these recent quotes (thanks!) from their dealers: Vancouver, BC, Canada, CDN $350 ($250 US)to replace the timing belt new beetle (not clear if tensioner was included) Cambridge, Ont - All prices in CDN $: 2.5 h labour @ $65/h = $162.50+timing belt, tensioner, and new accessory belts ($200.00 roughly)= $362.50 + taxes (15%) = $416.00 or about $270.00 US. So, I guess it really pays to shop around and get as much information as you can. Any further data would be appreciated!

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reference trailer hitch: My owners manual says NO trailer hitch - "For technical reasons, it is not possible to tow a trailer." I have asked VWoA, and they said to contact local service manager. As expected, they didn't have a clue - I asked two. I was wondering if maybe there is some physical difference between the TDI and the gas version as to how the hitch might attach (maybe the exhaust system is in the way?). Am considering buying a hitch thru JC Whitney for a SMALL trailer (3-1/3 x 4') for hauling a clamshell type luggage carrier, or bike rack. Also have been unhappy with the comfort of the seats - no lumbar support. Last night I cut out a piece of carpet padding - 7/16 x 12-1/4 x 16-1/4". Greatly improves the comfort when placed in the lumbar region. Haven't done any long distance driving wi h it, but it feels good sitting in the garage.

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For anyone interested in a project, on Justin Welty's VW site;

http://members.aol.com/VWNUT99/welcome.html

there is a complete tdi motor from a NB for sale. Look in the 4 sale section (Nov 1) Could be fun to drop one in an A2 Jetta....D'nardo

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Great Site. Has anyone found a good set of fog lights that will fit into the bumper of our TDI Jetta's? I was wondering if VW did any prewiring for the fog lights being there isn't much difference cosmetically in the TDI vs. Trek vs. GL. Can the VW fog lights be purchased and installed with having to do a hack-job? I like to keep the car as clean and stock looking as possible without having things like an ugly illuminated rocker switch mount somewhere on my dash. Thanks for the input. Joe

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hi, I've noticed that my nb doesn't have a higher "idle speed", like on most gas engines. should the cold idle speed be faster? thanks!

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to: Kaitlin, "Jim Bob", "Lucifer", I am to new at this to have even considered "flaming" anyone. I have as much "glass" in my house as any one else. to: Everyone else, This forum appears to have become a clearing house for a lot of information on the TDi ehicles. Visitors check in from around the world to share insights, ask questions, and clarify points of view. I have found the concise, brief comments to answer my own questions with out wading through what I consider nonsense. I have tried to do the sam to those who have asked questions which I could answer. If this forum is too "dry" and humorless, and the trend is towards more jocularity and kidding, then this forum will evolve in that direction. The evolution of this forum, whether towards more factu l, colorless quantifiable detail, or towards a happy time, feel good club, chat room will happen in spite of my own opinion on the direction desired. You, too, can determine in which direction it goes. Your attitude towards other contributors and readers s apparent in the form of your posts. If you want the forum to change, write and reply in the way you want it to be influenced. My apologies to all, I've taken up too much of your time with this rant and I won't waste more of Fred's space spouting my own rivel. My e-mail address is valid. Write (or "flame") me directly. Jonathan Bartlett
 

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