Buying Jetta TDI, what to look out for?

Chris Tobin said:
THIS is the real deal. You should pull the valve cover and look at the cam physically. If it has not been replaced odds are that it will need to soon. Colt makes a cam for it that is supposed to be stronger than the factory one. But these PD engines have a lot of load on the cam and they wear prematurely sometimes even when the correct oils are used. The lifters also need to be replaced and VW has improved them slightly and is now using a black oxide coating on the lifters...

The cam can be replaced when doing the timing belt and such but use it as a bargaining point to get another $1000 or so off the sales price as the cam replacement and timing belt service will cost you around $1500-2000 depending on where you get it done. Only go to a VW TDI specialist to get the service done as they are very finicky and an interference engine so a botched timing belt job can be VERY expensive down the line when something simple fails!!! Be sure to replace the water pump and all the idler pullies also there are several bolts that need to be replaced as VW uses one time use torque to yield bolts just about everywhere on the stupid car!!!

We did several articles on my '06 in Diesel World over the last year or so... They are pretty nice cars, but I am thinking about selling mine to get a Cruze Diesel. If you want one that everything is already done and is lowered on 18s with big Porsche brakes and tuned let me know. But you will need to talk the wife into driving a manual!

By '06 the automatic trans was much better but still expensive to service especially if it is the DSG which requires service every 40,000 miles or something like that.

Hope this helps.
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I really wish I had seen this two days ago. I guess all I can do now is hope for the best.

12vfleet said:
I always order any oil/filters I need for my cars from IDParts.com.
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Thanks, I'll look at them.

Billysgoat said:
I was averaging 560 miles a week on mine, it paid for itself the first year I owned it over the truck.
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I'm so excited. I make a 150 mile round trip to work. On a full tank and 165-170 miles I'm just now creeping up on the 3/4 tank mark. This fuel mileage is AWESOME!!!!
 
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