What's the weirdest reaction you've gotten to your diesel?

[zyewdall]

In wyoming, filling up with diesel in my friends TDI, all the guys in giant dually trucks were coming over and gawking at a diesel car...  They knew all about diesels, but didn't know you could get them in cars....

[RAMMSTEIN]

zyewdall, it seems that lots of people south of the border don't know that.

Next year (2007), it will be 30 years of diesel by Volkswagen!!!!!

Here in Canada, we always had a diesel model. In the US, no VW diesel in between 92 and 96.

52horses, what a beautiful jetta!!!!

17 inches wheels on mk1 and mk2's are way too big.

15's are nice, 16's are border line.

Suspensions are addictive. I have Bilstein TC's, Neuspeed sport and a 28mm Neuspeed swaybar and would'nt live without them. Maybe a little bit stiffer...

To contribute to this thread:

Once the guy that made the bill at this garage (they do every brand there), wrote that I had a 2.0 gas engine instead of a TDI!!!! :shock:  

What a compliment. He said that it was very quiet for a diesel.  

[bhtooefr]

After the timing belt job (eight hours of which were spent changing the water pump  :shock:, and after which we found that my car needs new brake lines :evil:), MOGolf (from the TDIClub forums) remarked that my 1.6NA smoked less than some stock ALH TDIs he's seen!    

Now, THAT is pretty weird. I guess it's not the REACTION in itself, but my car being so good in that respect

[bhtooefr]

Hehehe.

Brake shop didn't know that (at least my) diesel has to be revved to get the alternator to work

[Traktor]

Hehehe.

Brake shop didn't know that (at least my) diesel has to be revved to get the alternator to work

Yeah, mine too, what's that all about, anyway?

[bhtooefr]

On a gasser and newer diesels, there's a field wire that the car puts 12V out on to tell the alternator that it's OK to charge, so that it doesn't put a load on the engine while it's starting

On marine alternators, and the alternators that VW put in our diesels, the field wire circuitry is located within the alternator. When it senses that it's being turned at such-and-such RPMs (I suspect around 2,000 or 2,500 RPMs - don't have a tach on mine), it sends a 12V signal across itself to start charging.

[52 horses]

mortskeg; 52horses, what a beautiful jetta!!!!

Thanks she needs a little more tlc with the paint but it is the original only has some spots... I am going to have to break down and have her painted but not yet.. I'm too busy driving it..

mortskeg; Once the guy that made the bill at this garage (they do every brand there), wrote that I had a 2.0 gas engine instead of a TDI!!!!

As long as he wasn't working on the engine and calling it a 2.0 gasser...

[BlackTieTD]

On marine alternators, and the alternators that VW put in our diesels, the field wire circuitry is located within the alternator. When it senses that it's being turned at such-and-such RPMs (I suspect around 2,000 or 2,500 RPMs - don't have a tach on mine), it sends a 12V signal across itself to start charging.

if you change out the voltage regulator for an adjustable one by transpo (about $20), it will excite the alternator and start it charging on its own. had one in my corrado, worked like a charm for $20

[52 horses]

bhtooefr; MOGolf (from the TDIClub forums) remarked that my 1.6NA smoked less than some stock ALH TDIs he's seen!

When I pulled into a store a motor bike pulled in behind me and stopped to say that it was almost a pleasure driving behind my diesel compared to others he has driven behind..  good thing I saw him and didn't floor the pedal or it would have been a different story... :lol:

[bhtooefr]

Giving it a little pedal after I start it: $0.000001 (it doesn't use much fuel to do that, after all )

Getting the alternator out, putting the VRM in (I'm assuming it solders down? I'm not great with a soldering iron, but I'm not too bad ), putting the alternator back in: $20, and plenty of my labor.

[BlackTieTD]

two phillips screws, no removing alternator, no soldering. i did mine in about 5 minutes when i was on lunch at work.

[moosiah]

I work in San Fransisco, and comute there from the valley of the moon every day, about 100mls round trip. actually, mostly I work on Treasure Island in building 2 where they used to shoot nash bridges........ the on ramp to the west bound Bay bridge from the island  has NO runup room, just a stop sign and your in 55mph traffic!!!!!!! ( did I mention that it's also Up hill to the center of the bridge?)  of course the engines always still fairly cold by the time I get there......... one afternoon I 'm on the way home, foot to the floor, rowing the shift lever to get up to speed , and some dufuss in a  porshe turbo pulls along side and starts yelling something out the pass window. he edges closer , now he's in MY lane still yelling out the side window.... I finally hear him : YOUR CAR!!!! IT"S SMOKING!!!!!!!!   I yelled back : HEY DUMB SH@#! IT'S a DIESEL!!!!!!!   then he slides back in the driver's seat were he should have been all along and floors it , cuts across 3 lanes to the far side of the bridge blowing blue smoke every where .............. Another time I was parked idling in front of the union office waiting for a bud when some dyky lookin girl ( short hair on one side of her head, a long braid on the other, 30 earrings ripped tshirt (no bra) nose ring heavy eye shadow plaid skirt w fishnets and redwing hitop work boots, nice hah?)( oops I forgot about the tatoos!!!!) rolls by on a skate board and starts making commets about how I'm a  :x BAD person for not taking good care of my car, why does it rattle so much bla bla :roll:  bla by now this vision of San Fran lovlyness has her face in my pass window :shock: ....... I said " it's a DIESEL , sheila,,,,,,, how bout a :wink:  kiss?? then I goosed the thottle and puffed out some black smoke and more rattles from under the hood........ She was GONE down the hill in a flash. bye bye!!!!! :lol:  :twisted:
And I've had to tell a few gas station guys " YO it doesn't run on Gas dude!! "  ( isn't 'dude' Norwiegen for hey stupid?)  :lol:

[firestorm13666]

Can anyone tell me more about the transpo adjustable  voltage regulator that you gusy are talking and maybe a link.Thanks

[HP]

:lol:  :lol:  I'm almost delighted reading this strange stories!     Because in Europe diesel cars are so common, no one gives a *** to the noise they make or find it strange about refuelling in the diesel pump.  :lol:
Actually, here in Portugal they are selling more diesel passenger cars than gassers (and I mean little cars with 1.3L, 1.4L... blocks, not only big TDI's or CDI's!)  

It's quite different, there from here.

[BlackTieTD]

Can anyone tell me more about the transpo adjustable  voltage regulator that you gusy are talking and maybe a link.Thanks

i found out about them through a corrado email list. try the rado guys and maybe they will know, i forget the part number. i will try to find it for you if you have no luck.
edit: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1429980
edit: http://www.digest.net/alfa/archive/v9/msg16819.html
edit: http://www.corrado-club.ca/forum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=2;t=001371
"You can take your alternator to a dive like Canadian Tire and they will test it for you for free. The voltage regulators on the G60 should put out at least 14 volts. It is recommended that you find a "Transpo Adjustable Voltage Regulator" (part number IB373A), settle for no other part. There are some with a close number but they won't work properly. I'm told you set this at 14.5 volts and the car is good to go." - that is essentially word for word what i did on my G60. never tried it on any other car.


last summer, had the back loaded with cinder blocks. about 25 of them. the ass was on the ground, front way up in the air... but you couldn't see the cinder blocks at a glance from the outside. got some weird looks that day... and when i pulled in to refuel the gas jockeys gathered around with great concern over what i had done to my car  :lol: