Heh...heh. Or convert that Quantum TD to TDI
That may be a better bet.
Honestly, TDI's themselves are fairly fault free. Now, the body that they are sitting in could lead something to be desired, especially when it comes to MKIV's. However, keep up on the recalls (misc things...brake light switch, heated seats, etc...) and the maintenence and you are good to go.
Things to look out for...
Make sure you check the maintenence records...make sure oil changes and filter changes were done as well as timing belts, tensioners, etc. That is a good indication.
Run the VIN through VW to check the status of recalls on the car...if its certified, all recalls that are out should be taken care of...
ALH cars and the way the EGR system is setup and A3/B4 TDI's for that matter too are prone to the intake manifold "clogging" up because of the EGR system and the soot/carbon that gets collected in the intake manifold. This can lead to a variety of economy problems and even more so....power problems. Cleaning the intake isn't hard but does take some time. A good investment to look into or DIY if you get one yourself. Especially anything with more than 80-100k on it I'd imagine. My 1z motor I got from a b4 originally (now in the mk1) had 126k on it and the manifold was probably close to 50% blocked with soot!
With an ALH car (MKIV) check the condition of the VNT15 and its acutator as they are prone to rusting out...and failure...
Look for the normal things....smoke, nasty rattles (beyond a diesel rattle), poor power, etc.
Lets see...what else. Hmm...PD's are picky about their oil requirements and have much tighter tolerances on the engine in general. there have been "problems" out there but many of them have come from oil problems, owners using the wrong oil, etc. PD's also reported haven't done as well MPG wise compared to the VE pump cars. Reportedly...don't quote me on that.
Honestly, I haven't been happy with the VW line up as of these later years. The MKV is an improvement over the MKIV, but in general VW itself has become more difficult to work with (we have a certified pre-owned MKIV 1.8T jetta GLS) warranty wise, etc. and it really depends on your dealership experiences as well. For instance...the closest VW dealer to me is Bill Cooke's in Ithaca (45min) but I will gladly drive the car to Autohaus of Orchard Park in Buffalo, NY (2hr) just for the true, all "VW" dealership experience vs. Bill Crook's Toyota/VW/Audi/Scion/Subaru etc. service shop. I've gotten to the point where they finally changed managers at his place and its a "bit" better, but they still don't treat each customer "the same" or go above and beyond like Autohaus does. So...my words there...shop carefully when looking for a car...especially from the dealership. Go for a full VW/Audi one if possible. My other suggestions looking for a TDI in general are for buying on the market or the private market as well.
It also helps and maybe check TDI club for this...if when you go look at a car to have a well versed TDI person come check it out with you. There are alot of guys that do this on TDIClub and i've done it for a few in this area as well. It goes a long way!
I think the best bet is to keep with old reliable if you have the time, the body is in good shape and if your of the utilitarian minded...maybe save towards a swap. That is if you have the time too! I personally out of the TDI's if I were looking for one would look for...
B4 Passat TDI Wagon (96-97)
or
MKIV Jetta TDI wagon
The nice thing about doing a swap into the older platforms is that once you have done it...its "done". Parts are easy to find for the older cars and don't cost you an arm and a leg. They are also more simple in the means of creature comforts...but that takes some hassles away as well (like recalls on seats that catch on fire...though b3's also had a problem there) and the misc. stuff you get into with major car payments, etc. TDI cars hold their value and currently even though swap prices are still fairly expensive...you can "swap" a car to TDI for a lot less than it would cost to buy one.
Anyways...don't know if that gives you and good insight or what have you...but they are some ideas.
I currently have a Mk1 that I built a crazy mTDI motor for and I am starting in on another swap into my 91 Passat wagon...another mTDI based on a 1z (b4 passat) motor. It is such a rock solid and reliable car and is just "that easy" to find parts and buy parts for since it shares so many with other platforms.
Joe
Topic: Buying a TDI, what should I look for? (Read 11280 times)
