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Vw Tdi

17K views 61 replies 16 participants last post by  Shainer 
#1 ·
does anyone on here own a TDI? i just bought a 2000 and it seems real sluggish and i didnt know if it was suppose to be.
 
#3 ·
this thing is really slow. when driving it back i was doing 80 and started climbing a hill and it dropped to 70. it just seems wierd like something is wrong. i understand it isnt no drag car but i thought it would be better that what it is.
 
#4 ·
my dads 04 is kinda the same way sorry for possibily stealin your thread but i know there is a guy on this forum who claimed to get 900 miles on one tank in his does anyone know this guy???? i tried searchin the forum but couldnt find anything
 
#8 · (Edited)
I know all about VW TDI's. Yes there are guys getting crazy mileage with them, and they are not slow...

So your issue is probably a plugged intake/EGR. The solution is to throw the damn thing out. Hmm sounds like what the new Cummins guys are doin!


www.dieselgeek.com Product List

Next issue is how many miles are on it? If it's around 80k you need to get the timing belt changed ASAP. You break that and you are looking at pistons and cylinder head work. Let me know if you have any questions. Mine is far from stock ;-)
 
#11 ·
I had one that would get 45mpg, had powerplus 502 injector nozzles, 2 1/2" kerma dp into 3" catback, intake, and kerma tune (i think they called it a AK1 or something lol its been a year or two). It gave it decent power for a car that had 90hp from the factory it would blow a little black smoke which in a car could be embarrassing. If I were you I would go to kermaTDI.com and look at what they have to offer. I wouldn't buy a chip have a tune burnt into your computer.
 
#23 ·
KERMA is where it is at. Great turbos, and programmers. I would not pull your chip to send it in. KERMA has a programmer that he can write custom tunes and email them to you. That way down the road if you change injectors or down pipe, what ever. He can change your tune to match, with no downtime.


When you have your ECM tuned you can have them turn the egr way down so it rarely opens and dosent throw codes.
Anybody with VAG-COM can turn down the EGR

how do you get these tunes?
KERMA
 
#13 ·
Dang... sorry for the ginormus pics guys. I'll resize them in a minute. I'll post a link for the intake cleaning too. I can't seem to find it at the moment.
 
#14 ·
the first thing i want to do is get it running rite if it is suppose to run better that it does. does anyone know how or where to get to the egr to check if i have the same problem as the pic above.
 
#15 ·
I have a 03 Jetta wagon, 5sp. The automatics do not have the performance the 5sp does. With that, I put in a Upsolute chip, man, what a difference! The tires will chirp in 2ed gear. Mileage will hold @ 41-43, going 75-80. I can go up the steepest hill, 4 adults + luggage, hold 70+ in 5th and I can still accelerate. 125,000 on it, no problems, best car I have ever owned. Simply rocks!
 
#18 ·
I have an 01 alh straight piped and it gets 45-50 mpg at 70mph. Its not a race car but it helps me to be able to play with my truck. BTW I paid 1000 for the car and 1400 for a used motor and it will pay for itself in less than a year (actually July I think). Nozzles, then turbo then computer tune. The chips you can buy are not worth it. When you have your ECM tuned you can have them turn the egr way down so it rarely opens and dosent throw codes.
 
#19 ·
There are two main issues with power in the VW TDI's.

1. Failed MAF. You can try running with it disconnected and with it connected. If it runs better with it disconnected then the MAF has moved on to greener pastures. You can also punch it while in neutral. If the MAF is struggling it will have a very hard time getting to redline.

2. Plugged intake. You can check this with a VAG-COM, but it is just as easy to pull the intake apart and have a peek.

I think Comcast is messing with my connection right now, so I can't get to tdiclub.com to get you direct links... That is a great forum to get information for the VW TDI's.
 
#22 ·
ive got a 2000TDI Jetta and ive done a couple but yeah with the number of miles on it i would bet that if the intake manifold hasnt been cleaned its close to plugged and is probably best to have it glass beaded or shot to clean it out good, ull need good degreaser and hot water. do not clean any of it or disturb the grime with the manifold on the car, pieces will move onto the valves and bad things. if u had the TB replaced thats a goo place to start, but the timing needs to be checked with the VAG COM, computer afterwards. if your gonna keep the car block off the egr system with a plate and go into the comp and disable the valve.
Check all the vacumm lines!!! "this is very important to to", lost of problems occur from leaking vaccum lines and these cars have a bunch of them, they dry out or leak ever so little and cause all sorts of problems and for 15 dollars u can replace them all. Check the wategate on the turbo, these turbos dont usually last past 130k or 150k, take your hand and move the arm around couple times. make sure the booster didnt fail or the N75 valve is ok. make sure the intercooler is clean, make sure there is no oil in it as well, sometimes it collects in bottom. but u got the manual trans so maybe throw some tips in it or get the programmer for it.
unplug MAF if it runs better than the sensor went south. check snow screen for obstructions. you can try to degrease the mirror surface make sure there is no grime on it.
VAG COM be nice tho to watch all the parameters while u take it for a ride to see whats going on.
these cars can be very tricky sometimes.
 
#24 ·
Can anybody give me a quick overview of the TDIs? Are there certain years or models are better, simpler, etc.?

Do any of them have a bulletproof mechanical version that would be similar to a 12V?

I'll check out the tdi forums too, but I trust you guys and value your opinions. :thumbsup:
 
#25 · (Edited)
Jimbob - which county in PA are you located in? Just trying to figure out how far away you are from our shop. We currently have about 8 TDIs in stock so we are very familiar with them. If you are close enough I would be more than happy to take a look at your car and help educate you.

You also said you guess the timing belt had been replaced at 112,000. This is something you need to make sure of. You do not want to break the timing belt. Many of the previous post have been well informed and are correct in their information. My best guess as to the power problem would be one of that already mentioned (MAF - Mass Air Flow sensor, EGR problem, turbo trouble)

Jazzman - Before the TDI was the 1.6TD (early 90's) which can be best compared to the first gen diesels with their mechanical operation. Next came the first TDI to the US in '96 which had a displacement of 1.9l. These TDIs became computer controlled and allow for plug in upgrades. These can be compared with the diesels in the second gens. Some changes were made to the TDIs from '96 through '03, but basic operations remained the same. In '04 vw introduced the 2.0l PD (pump duece) which is based of the same design as the 3rd gen 6.7l common rail motors.

Everyone has their opinions on which is better with these engines. The early 1.6l didn't have an EGR system so that was a plus. They also had a mechanical injection pump that could be turned up for 'free power'. Then the 1.9l TDIs became computerized, more efficient and easier to tune. And now the 2.0l TDIs are quieter and a little more efficient. All of them are pretty much bulletproof. VW makes a strong diesel that will run as long as a cummins and just as strong for its size. There have been many people who have gotten more than 200whp out of a 1.9l which translates to over 600whp for a cummins engine.

Thats all I can really think to say now, hope that helped.
 
#26 ·
Jazzman - Before the TDI was the 1.6TD (early 90's) which can be best compared to the first gen diesels with their mechanical operation. Next came the first TDI to the US in '96 which had a displacement of 1.9l. These TDIs became computer controlled and allow for plug in upgrades. These can be compared with the diesels in the second gens. Some changes were made to the TDIs from '96 through '03, but basic operations remained the same. In '04 vw introduced the 2.0l PD (pump duece) which is based of the same design as the 3rd gen 6.7l common rail motors.

Everyone has their opinions on which is better with these engines. The early 1.6l didn't have an EGR system so that was a plus. They also had a mechanical injection pump that could be turned up for 'free power'. Then the 1.9l TDIs became computerized, more efficient and easier to tune. And now the 2.0l TDIs are quieter and a little more efficient. All of them are pretty much bulletproof. VW makes a strong diesel that will run as long as a cummins and just as strong for its size. There have been many people who have gotten more than 200whp out of a 1.9l which translates to over 600whp for a cummins engine.

Thats all I can really think to say now, hope that helped.
That was great information. Thanks!
 
#27 ·
i live in mercer county. im right beside pym lake. it seems like i bought a car with too many things that can go wronge with it. last night i unplugged the plug that goes into air intake hose right after the air box and it seemed to run better. im going to take it for a longer ride here today.
 
#30 ·
Your MAF took a dump. They do that. Cheapest place for parts is TDIParts.com - Shop TDI Parts, VW Parts, Diesel Engine Parts, Volkswagen Performance & Aftermarket Parts, Lubricants, Fluids, Additives at great prices!.

The EGR/Intake issue is exactly what the new Cummins guys are experiencing... well not exactly because it has more to do with the crank case vent gumming up the intake, but still very similar. The good news is there are permanant fixes for everything. They cost next to nothing to operate too...
 
#29 ·
normally they run great... hills shou'dnt be a problem, just like all turbo diesels, they make good torque, so yours is plugged lke mentioned above. my buddy at work has one that 's over 300k miles and runs perfectly!
 
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