Nothing against domestics but the point of this is the gas mileage savings. I think the deisel is the way to go. The bonus is that the TDi’s have a huge resale value so when the time came to get something else, it will have held it’s value quite nicely. FastAndCheapSex is right, the price of gas probably won’t dip down where it used to be in the good old days so…
I told you when you got the Outback to look at TDi’s…
FYI Autos get considerably less gas milage than the Manuals.
Spencer… try 55+ mpg as long as he doesnt get leaky injectors like I did.
Spurk on DITB regularily gets 60+mpg… I think he hit over 800miles on one tank.
The things to look for…
- MAKE SURE the car has been getting synthetic oil, AMSoil is the best for these cars… if it has been getting dino oil, or not regularly changed, you can run into a bunch of issues.
If its over 50k miles, try and find one where the turbo has been replaced. I blew mine, but it was covered under warranty luckily. I assume the previous owner didnt use synthetic forever, or he always drove uber conservative, which leads to VNT actuators sticking and overboosting.
I will PM you with more info.
another FYI, I could sell my car today for more than I paid for it, and I put 21,000 miles on it already.
not to mention youll love to smoke people when they are riding your ass
not to say that u wll mod it, but matt, hes on her ei think, has a tdi golf with 180whp and 300+tq and when he hits the gas just smoke everywhere…
lol but overall id take the jetta anyday, and even in buffalo FWD will suit you just fine if u dont drive like a moron
Well, I have considerably more time to look now that I have a car I take on trips. The Subaru was a last minute ditch effort since i had to give back my old man’s Jeep. Why don’t you come down with us, Tom and make sure we aren’t making a mistake.
i am going around spring time may be to fl… daytona area… spring break time.
greasecar kit FTW
WTF is that?
bio- fuel you will learn son… in all do time.
I gotcha now… It may be detrimental to my health. If I smell chicken wings when I am driving, it may just derail my efforts to not eat greasy food anymore. :ohnoes:
Then again, the money I would save on gas would pay for my bypass surgery… :lol:
Here is the latest buyers guide… most of it is overly obvious stuff, but it lists a lot of the stuff to look for.
Here is a start at an FAQ for buying a used car with a TDI engine. Please add and comment.
What to find out before going to see the car (e.g. from the VIN, you can check warranty and recall history, and title history).
Find out if the seller is a private party or a dealer (and if a dealer, what kind – new car dealer, used car dealer, mechanic selling used cars on the side, etc. – also whether the dealer is a VW or TDI specialist or VW franchised new car dealer).
Ask the seller if the car has the following:
owner’s manual
keys (2 master, 1 valet, wheel lock if applicable)
radio code (if applicable)
maintenance records
Note that missing stuff can be expensive to replace. Lack of maintenance records indicates a more risky buy, as well as immediate expense to do “catch up” maintenance. Lack of maintenance records increases the risk of denial of warranty service.
Ask the seller where s/he took the car for maintenance (and check the reputation of that shop with respect to servicing VWs – also some shops will tell you what maintenance was done on the car in their shop). If s/he is a do-it-yourselfer, ask what kind of oil s/he used. Write down the answer (brand, type, and SAE grade) to check against a list of suitable oils for that car’s engines (that will give an idea of how careful the seller was at reading maintenance manuals – note that many 5W-40 oils are suitable for use in ALH TDI engines, but very few 5W-30 oils are suitable; BEW TDI engines require VW 505.01 rated oil only).
Ask the seller if there has been any crash damage. If so, what kind of damage, and are there receipts for the repairs?
Get the VIN from the seller. Ask a VW new car dealer to provide the warranty and recall history on the car (will show only free under warranty service, not customer-pay maintenance), and do a title check with your state or province DMV and/or a vehicle title check company. Salvage or rebuilt titles issued when the vehicle was relatively new indicate a lot of damage, but when issued on an older car may have been due to relatively minor damage (but you’ll want documentation and receipts if you decide to go further on the car).
If possible, test drive a known good (or new) similar car so that you can tell if the used car you are test driving is driving properly.
Ask the seller if there are any modifications on the car. You may or may not like certain modifications, but be aware that warranty service may be denied on parts affected by the modifications.
If you live in a CARB emissions state, and the car in question was not available new in your state for emissions reasons (for TDI engines, this means beginning in 2004, likely until 2006 at least), be sure to check that the car has the minimum mileage and/or age to be registerable as a used car in your state.
What to look for on the initial inspection and test drive (for the average person, as opposed to a mechanic).
Check upon seeing the car:
General condition.
Verify keys, owner’s manual, maintenance records, etc. that the seller told you about before you saw the car. Verify that all of the keys and remotes work.
Check that tires are the correct size and rating for the car, they are a matched set, and they have even wear with no strange wear patterns. Mismatched tires, or new front tires with partially worn OEM rear tires can indicate lack of tire
rotation (which is specified in the maintenance schedule as part of the services to be done every 10000 miles).
Check that the coolant reservoir has coolant of the correct color (pink or purple VW G12 for newer VWs, blue VW G11 for somewhat older VWs unless it has been flushed and replaced with pink or purple VW G12; brown indicates mixed coolant that must be flushed; other colors indicate incorrect coolant).
Check for coolant migration by unplugging the plug on the coolant reservoir and feeling if there is any liquid in it. If coolant migration has occurred, it may have damaged the instrument panel or other expensive electrical components.
Check the brake fluid. Clear is probably recently changed brake fluid, brown is probably a few years old, and black is way past the specified two year change interval. DOT 4 brake fluid is specified, but there isn’t an easy way to tell if the brake fluid in the car is DOT 4 or the more common DOT 3.
Check other fluids for the correct level.
Check for signs of repaired crash damage (e.g. bent rear license place, paint mismatch, missing emissions label or tire pressure sticker, plastic headlamp lenses where one side looks more faded (older) than the other, etc.). Note that theseller might not know about previous crash damage if s/he bought the car used, or it was damaged and repaired before being sold new. Receipts for crash damage repairs should indicate whether OEM, used, or aftermarket parts were used. Aftermarket parts have a worse reputation for fit, corrosion resistance, and bumper protection (and obviously won’t be covered by VW corrosion warranties). Heavy crash damage (as indicated by frame straightening or air bag replacement) can be more risky (in terms of future problems with the car) than minor damaged repaired by replacement of bolt-on parts.
On the test drive, it should drive well. Try to include varied conditions, such as a freeway on-ramp, in your test drive. If you have test driven a known good or new car of the same type, compare.
Check engine and air bag lights in the dash should light up and then go out when starting the car. If they don’t light up, assume that someone in the past is trying to hide an expensive problem in the car.
What the maintenance history should look like.
Maintenance schedules can be found at http://www.vw.com/spweb/pages/spweb/serv_maint_part.jsp , in the owner’s manual, or in the Bentley service manual.
Generally for a4-platform cars with the ALH TDI engine:
5000 miles: oil change (note, not needed every 5000 miles, just the first 5000 miles)
10000, 30000, 50000, 70000, 90000 miles: minor service
20000, 60000, 100000 miles: medium service
40000, 80000 miles: major service
every two years: replace brake fluid with DOT 4 brake fluid
every 40000 miles: timing belt change (ALH engine through 2001, old type belt and tensioner, automatic transmission)
every 60000 miles: timing belt change (ALH engine through 2001, old type belt and tensioner, manual transmission)
every 80000 miles: timing belt change (ALH engine 2002, new type belt and tensioner)
every 100000 miles: timing belt change (ALH engine 2003, new type belt and tensioner with larger roller)
The new timing belt began to be used late in 2001; the longer change intervals began to be put in the maintenance checklists in 2002. The larger roller began to be used in 2003. Note that the timing belt change also involves changing the tensioner (old / new type applies here also) and replacing some bolts (the bolts need to be removed to replace the belt; using new bolts is specified). TDI engines can suffer major damage if the timing belt breaks.
Some 2001 owner’s manuals had incorrect timing belt change intervals. They listed timing belt changes at 40000, 60000, and 80000 miles for TDI engines with automatic transmissions. The 60000 mile timing belt change should be for TDI engines with manual transmissions (the 40000 and 80000 mile timing belt changes for TDI engines with automatic transmissions is correct).
Very low mileage cars (under 10000 miles per year?) may need some services done by time instead of mileage.
Pre-2002 cars had the 5000, 10000, and 20000 mile services and the first brake fluid change free under warranty (so the warranty history available at any dealer should show these services).
What to look for if you are a mechanic or what to ask a mechanic to look for (in addition to the usual general inspection stuff).
Inspect timing belt condition (and if you know what the old and new types look like, note what kind is in the engine).
Inspect brake pad wear.
Use a scan tool to check any codes stored in the ECU. Note: if the car has an aftermarket radio, someone using a VW 1552 scan tool may be unwilling to scan the car. See http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/aftermarket-radio.html .
Common problems:
a3 platform Jetta:
all?: Odometer rolls over to zero at 300000 miles (instead of 1000000 miles that one may expect from a six digit odometer).
a4 platform cars with ALH TDI engine:
1998-2002: Window regulator clips may fail. There is a 7-year warranty extension available for repair.
all: Mass airflow sensor may fail. There is a 7 year or 70000 mile warranty available for repair on pre-2002 cars.
1998-2001?: Relay 109 may fail. Shine a flashlight between the steering column and the lower trim panel to find a gray or black block with a “109” (or “601” – upside down) on it. The black ones are failure prone (but are not too expensive to replace with gray ones).
1998-2002?: Door latch switch (usually driver’s) may fail. This may result in odd behavior of the interior lights, alarm, and buzzer for headlamps left on. Warranty replacements may have used a newer type of door latch that is quieter when locked or unlocked.
1999-??? Golf / Jetta: Glove box door hinge may fail.
2002 Golf / Jetta: Double-DIN Monsoon stereo may sound bad. Some were miswired from the factory.
1998-???: Brake lamp switch may fail, causing the glow plug light in the dash to blink (even though the brake lamps may work). A recall was issued for some cars in April 2004, according to the NHTSA web site.
2001: Some cars had an ABS controller that can catch fire. There was a recall on it.
2000-2001 Golf / Jetta: Some cars have an airbag controller that self-destructs if scanned with a scan tool. See http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/vw_issues.html .
2000-2002 Golf / Jetta: Some cars have a hazard switch that may fail. This is under recall campaign VX.
2004-2005?: Some owner’s manuals incorrectly listed the motor oil type. The correct motor oil for the 2004 and newer PD TDI engines should be VW 505.01 rated oil only, but the incorrect owner’s manuals listed the spec for older TDI engines (VW 505.00, ACEA B3 or B4, or API CF-4 or CG-4). This may have caused a previous owner of the car to use the incorrect oil.
Year by year differences (other than those listed above):
b4 platform Passat with TDI engine sold in the US from 1996 to 1997:
1996: Passat with 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code 1Z) becomes available.
1997: Last year for the b4 platform Passat (engine code AHU for TDI engines).
a3 platform Jetta with TDI engine sold in the US from 1997 to 1999:
1997: Jetta with 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code AHU) becomes available.
1999: Last year for the a3 platform Jetta.
b5 platform Passat with TDI engine sold in the US in 1998 and 2005:
1998: b5 platform Passat introduced. 1.9L 90hp TDI engine is an extremely rare option before VW cancels sales of Passats with TDI engines in the US. Rumor is that two or four cars with TDI engines were sold.
2001 mid-year: New Passat with somewhat different styling (most obviously in the headlamps and taillamps) is introduced. It is still on the b5 platform.
2001 mid-year?: Side curtain airbags added as standard equipment. Note the “airbag” labels on the pillars.
2003: Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) becomes an option.
2004: 2.0L 134hp TDI engine becomes available as an option with automatic transmission only. Only VW 505.01 rated motor oil is to be used in this TDI engine. Not available new in CARB emissions states.
2005: Last year of the b5 platform Passat.
New Beetle with TDI engine sold in the US from 1998 to 2006:
1998: New Beetle introduced on the a4 platform. 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code ALH) with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission optional through 2003.
1999: Side turn signal behind front fender added.
1999: Antilock brakes become standard instead of optional.
2002: Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) becomes an option.
2004: Pump injector 1.9L 100hp TDI engine (engine code BEW), replaces rotary pump 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code ALH). Only VW 505.01 rated motor oil is to be used in the BEW TDI engine. Not available new in CARB emissions states.
2004: Optional automatic transmission is a 6-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) instead of a 4-speed.
2004: Front seat mounted side airbags changed to include head protection.
2006: Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) becomes standard.
a4 platform Golf and Jetta with TDI engine sold in the US from 1999 to 2005 (Jetta) or 2006 (Golf):
1999: New Golf and New Jetta introduced. The older a3 platform Golf and Jetta were sold early in the 1999 model year. The New Golf came in two door GL and four door GLS models, while the New Jetta came in four door GL and GLS models available with the 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code ALH) with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. GLS models through 2002 added power windows, power mirrors, center fold down armrest for the front seats, and velour cloth. Note: GTI and Jetta GLX models were not available with TDI engines.
2000: Immobilizer anti-theft system added. When new keys are made, all keys that you want to work with the car must be present when the car’s ECU is programmed to accept them. This programming must be done with a VW-specific scan tool. If the car is started without the presence of a key recognized by the ECU, the engine will turn off in a few seconds.
2001 mid-year: Side curtain air bags became standard equipment. Note the “airbag” labels on the pillars.
2002: Jetta wagon becomes available with the TDI engine (was available in 2001 with 2.0L and VR6 engines).
2002 mid-year: Double-DIN stereo includes CD player as well as radio and cassette. Replaces dash pocket above single-DIN stereo (in older cars, a single disc CD player was an option that could be installed by the dealer or owner). A six disc CD changer mounted in the trunk is an option that could be installed by the dealer or owner for both the single-DIN and double-DIN stereos.
2002: Four door Golf GL became available (previously, Golf GL was only available in two door). This is the only a4-platform four door Golf with manual windows.
2003: Different wheel covers and aluminum wheels replace the styles used until 2002. Golf and Jetta use different aluminum wheels (previously both shared the same design for the 15" aluminum wheels).
2003: GL trim line adds power windows. GLS trim line adds aluminum wheels and moonroof, which was formerly the luxury package option.
2003: Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) becomes an option.
2003: Cupholders move to the center console.
2003: Last year for the two door a4-platform Golf TDI in the US.
2004: On Star Telematics becomes an option
2004: Pump injector 1.9L 100hp TDI engine (engine code BEW), replaces rotary pump 1.9L 90hp TDI engine (engine code ALH). Only VW 505.01 rated motor oil is to be used in the BEW TDI engine. Not available new in CARB emissions states.
2004: Optional automatic transmission is a 5-speed Tiptronic instead of a 4-speed non-Tiptronic.
2004: Jetta is cosmetically altered, with different taillamps, more chrome trim, and spoiler lip on the trunk lid.
2005: Last year of the a4 Jetta sedan in the US; the a5 New Jetta sedan was introduced in the middle of the 2005 model year.
2006: Last year of the a4 Golf in the US; the a5 Golf is expected to be available in the US in the 2006 model year.
Touareg with TDI engine sold in the US in 2004 to 2005:
2004: Touareg becomes available with 5.0L 313hp V10 TDI engine as an option. Only VW 505.01 rated motor oil is to be used in this TDI engine. Not available new in CARB emissions states.
2005: Touareg TDI engine is not available this year.
a5 platform Golf and Jetta with TDI engine sold in the US from 2005 (Jetta) or 2006 (Golf):
2005 mid year: a5 platform New Jetta introduced in the US. 1.9L TDI engine with 100hp will be available, but not in CARB emissions states. Only VW 505.01 rated motor oil is to be used in this TDI engine. The a4 platform Jetta is sold during the early part of the 2005 model year.
2006: a5 platform New Golf 4-door will be offered in the US. Probably the same TDI engine as the Jetta. The a4 platform Golf is sold during the early part of the 2006 model year.
2007: Rumored introduction of 1.9L 130hp TDI engine, based on the availability of diesel fuel with <= 15ppm sulfur in the US. Possibility of availability in CARB emissions states.
Great info Tom!! Thanks!!
no bio, its just a dual fuel cell setup to run veggie oil.frygrease
With the TDI costing you $364 a month at the worst, thats $139 more a month. Witch blows your $800 savings in gas that you could get and jumps your payments $1668 a year in payments. So with that you still end up paying $868 ($1668-$800 in gas savings) more a year than what you do now. Plus youll be starting over with car payments. I say take the extra cash you where willing to pay a month on the TDi and put it toward your current car loan to pay off the subaru faster.
yea… i was just about to post that. Different injectors and some line changes needed as well.
keep in mind that the market has dropped out from under the outbacks… a year ago they were selling for big money, but now they have dropped substantially. The TDI will hold its own…
You should be able to find an 02 with under 50 for 13-15 if you look hard enough.
good point. The TDi’s deffenitly hold value. I just think he should shop around and not have to spend alot more a month on car payments.
i have an upcomming post from a friend of mine in roch who built a 500 gallon pumping station in his house… when I get the pics I’ll share more (car is an 81 mercedes)
A TDi will hold it’s value, but from the math you’re showing you’ll be upside-down for another 5? years if you go through with this. I’d say stick to where you’re at and you’ll be out from under a little before you’re done paying for the outback, which should be sooner than the above route.
Saving money on gas should set things off, but I doubt you’ll use if for extra car payments.
X…
I’m going to mill it over a bit and see what happens. My financial situation may be different by the spring time anyway…
TDI all the way. pretty much the only reasonable car id trade my audi for (i found myself hugging the steering wheel the other night traveling the 400 thanking it for comming back to life)
personally, i would do bio over a grease car modification. the club i was president of at school has made biodiessel 2 years in a row now. we ran a 1 cyl faymann-diesel engine on it. it ran better on it than the dino diesel.
this gives diesels a huge advantage. when something horrible happens in the world and petroleum becomes hard to obtain, u can still get around on plant based oil. just something to think about…