[Vwdiesel] Might buy

[Lee Hillsgrove]

>I have a line on a 2000 GTS TDI, loaded for 14,500.
>Any major problems with the 2000 jetta?


  They do have some quirks, but let's face it, they all do. They are able to
be overcome, though.

 Power window regulators are problematic but VW has announced that they will
repair them for free with an upgraded replacement, even back to '96 or so
vintage, I'm not sure what the exact years covered are. This is not
restricted to TDI versions.

 The EGR system combined with the crankcase vent conspire to clog the intake
manifold with sludgy goo. Once it has been cleaned, you can alter the duty
cycle of the EGR valve to a bare minimum via software or disable it
altogether with hard modifications if you so chose, and install a CCV
separator to eliminate the oil vapor which coats the intake tracts and
intercooler. Problem solved.

 If the intake is gooed up, the anti-shudder valve can stick shut, causing a
no-start. Not really a problem as long as you are aware of it, and if your
intake is clean you won't have any problem to start with.

 The VNT style turbos used on this family of engine are somewhat more
fragile and can more easily be harmed, especially at high altitude and/or in
conjunction with a performance chip which raises boost pressure. As long as
you are aware of the shortcomings and respect them, you should have no
problems. Most of the people experiencing turbo failures are chipped or
otherwise modded and live at higher altitudes. Even this can be worked
around if you chose to go after more power. If it's just used for daily
driver duty, you can consider it pretty much a non-issue.

 Synthetic oil is, IMHO, a must. One of the best is Mobil Delvac 1 5W40,
which costs about $20 a gallon, in cases of 4 gallons. It is not available
everywhere, but can be mail ordered if necessary. There are other good oils
availble, but that's what I use because I can pick it up at a distributor
about an hour's drive from my house, by the airport in Manchester. On the
plus side, you can run 10K drain intervals with no problem.

 You might find one with an old-style relay 109. It is a close approximation
to the load-reduction relay on an A2. If it fails, the car will die on the
spot and will have no idiot lights showing. It's easy to replace and pretty
cheap, too.

 Mass air flow sensors are a weak point. As I had mentioned in a previous
post, our list owner sells them at a pretty good discount. Not much you can
do to get around that problem, it seems to be a design issue. Gassers have
the same problem, it's not diesel-specific. Some have adapted the earlier
style sensors with good results but it requires a little tinkering with
signal levels.

 Some of the fasteners used are torque-to-yield. There have been reports of
engines falling out when the motor mount bolts were re-used and failed.
Something to keep in mind when doing maintenance! The A4s mount the engine
differently than earlier chassis, it hangs from a "pendulum" mount.

 A computer program called Vag-Com should be considered a necessary tool for
the do-it-yourselfer. I know of one person in Richmond, ME with a copy
should you need assistance, but at $200 it's a screaming deal. You'll need a
laptop, too.

 I guess the glovebox door hinges and cupholders are kinda cheesy and break
easily. Not TDI-specific, again.

 Rear disk brakes wear out abnormally quickly, at least with the stock pads.
Aftermarkets should take care of that.

 That's all I can think of off the top of my head. You can use this list to
check out prospective purchases. Hope I didn't scare you away! Of course,
the best source of info is Fred's TDI forums, and this is where I have
learned most of what I relate. I own a '98 which is a different chassis and
uses a slightly different variation of the TDI. It's in some ways less
sophisticated but more reliable. Isn't that always the way?


  Lee
  Oo-v-oO
  PP-ASEL
  KB1GNI


P.S. I've heard it's best to stay away from the Morong dealerships......  I
got mine at Seacoast in Portsmouth and was treated well. If you'd like,
E-mail me for the salesman's name I dealt with, he owns a Golf TDI and is an
enthusiast!