[Vwdiesel] sudden TDI death

[Shalyn Shourds]

>I have no hands on experience with VW 2000 TDI ,  but I read your thread  carefully
>with some interest.  I saw the word that cost was important.   --- You might as well start
>your DIY operation NOW.  The Bentley is worth every penny over time.With that and this
>forum you are sure to win in the long run.
>  
>
Well, I've benefitted from the wisdom of this forum since its creation 
and I have a well greased Bentley for my '85 TD, but by the time I add 
up the VAG-COM and the new Bentley, that's about $300 US.  A little 
steep at the moment.  Still on layaway at the plasma centre.  I'm trying 
to get by on the cheap using the TDIclub.com archives. 

>I am almost finished making a "NIFTY" belt tension tester , that assures the belt is close
>to VW specs.Will post when finished.
>  
>

For the TDI, apparently, there's a pair of marks on the tensioner that 
takes the guessing out of it.  Not sure whether the shop knew that....

>Q:  Was injection 21 BTDC ? or what for sure. 
>
Memory best recalls 21 BTDC.   It was limping with no smoke. 

>Why do you have to remove PAN ? ----  IMHO  all you have to do is use timing mark on
>flywheel and remove # 1 glowplug to make sure # 1 piston is compression top.
>
>  
>
You have to remove the plastic belly pan to get to anything really.  If 
it had a steel oilpan, I'd throw the stupid thing on a bonfire and cook 
up some toxic hot dogs over its smokey flames.  I had pulled it off 
before I got in that wreck and the shop put a new one on.  Sure wish 
they'd called me, I would have told them to leave it off so I could put 
one of those steel skidplates on.  I have to remove that so I can remove 
the side covers and then turn the crank.  yippee. 


>By the way I am NOT a mechanic ---but I am good at analytical troubleshooting ---if you know
>Boolean logic you will understand.
>

Myself, I'm a pretty good microbiologist, cook, fencer, and literati.  
Not sure where that intersects mechanicking, but hey. 

>indeed be careful not to blame them too
>fast. A good relationship is important if you by chance found a good VW shop.
>Stealerships do a good job ----but very expensive.And few can be trusted.
>

I will still buy my parts there and all, but I have awful luck when 
other people work on my cars.  I mess up too, but I don't want to pay 
other people to mess up my car.  I can do that at home.   I only went to 
a dealer once.  Stupid, stupid, stupid idea.  That dealer was so crooked 
VWOA came with some car carrier trucks and hauled off every car on the 
lot and shut them down.  And, they messed up my car to boot.  I think 
the only difference between the dealer and a random shop is about 
$35/hr.  I will continue to cherish the relationships I've developed 
with mechanics I trust, but all trust needs to have an intellectual limit. 

Tomorrow, I go in. 

-Shalyn