The latest project vehicle in the Diesel World stable is this ultraclean 2006 VW Jetta TDI.
The latest project vehicle in the Diesel World stable is this ultraclean 2006 VW Jetta TDI.
Buying a Used TDI for Fun and MPGs
Many of us realize that fuel prices will likely never drop back down to levels we’ve enjoyed in the past. The problem is bad enough that some diesel enthusiasts are considering selling their diesel trucks in favor of smaller and more economical daily drivers. So, why can’t you have your diesel cake and eat it too? You can.
The Diesel Alternative
With on-road mileage hovering around 50 mpg right off the showroom floor, VW’s TDI lineup of cars is a great alternative to gas-sipping rice-burners. You can get a two-door Golf, four-door Jetta sedan or even a TDI Jetta wagon, all with a 1.9L turbo diesel powerplant and in either stick or automatic. And with all the new emissions equipment on the new models, the hot ticket is to find an earlier model that is a 2006 or older, since VW pulled them off the market after the 2006 models. They returned in 2010, fitted with more-extensive emissions equipment to meet new government standards.
Under all this plastic is a cool 1.9L turbo diesel engine. In stock trim, the car got nearly 50 mpg, even when loaded with people and luggage.
The TDI turbo diesel is no slouch. It’s a single overhead cam (SOHC), 1.9L turbo diesel, and inline, four-banger. It features an iron block and aluminum cylinder head and displaces 116 cubic inches. From the factory, the little diesel is rated at 100 horsepower at 4,000 (which are pretty good rpms for a diesel) and a whopping 177 lb/ft of torque at a low 1,800 rpm.
It isn’t a quarter-mile screamer with ETs in the 18-second range, but we’ve seen a few folks win the bracket racing-based diesel drags with them … and they had to leave promptly afterward before the angry mob of truck owners showed up.
The interior of this car was absolutely pristine for a car with slightly more than 90,000 miles on the odometer.
Best of all, there’s a growing market of performance parts available for the TDI. Many of the same performance mods you can do on the diesel truck motor, i.e., larger turbos and injectors and electronic upgrades, are all available for the TDI, even though the parts are a lot smaller.
Introducing Project TDI
After watching a TDI take the Street Class win at a diesel drag race with some of the most consistent bracket racing passes we’ve ever seen, we had to have one. As is usually the case with fuel prices, the cost of small cars rises in proportion with the fuel costs, so good used TDIs still carry a good price.
After scouring classified ads and online retailers, we found a 2006 four-door TDI Jetta with a five-speed manual for a decent price. The car was one of those creampuff, unmolested machines that was bone stock with just over 90,000 miles on it. Perfect. And the old adage, “You get what you pay for,” certainly applies to buying a used VW. After a quick and thorough test drive, we were hooked and bought the car.
Mechanical Evaluation
Even though the car seemed to be running great, we had a long distance road trip already scheduled as a shakedown cruise that would take us from the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area to New York City and then upstate New York.
So, being smart after just buying a used vehicle, we headed up to MF Automotive, in Knoxville, Tennessee, where owner Matt Ford and his crew of expert VW and Audi technicians would give our new ride the mechanical once-over.
The first step was a thorough test drive by a mechanic who would hear or feel any malady before we even noticed it. The inspection also included looking at the brakes, wheel bearings and tire pressures and checking for leaks.
The oil looked good, but technician Prince Malmberg changed it, as well as the filter, using high-quality 5W-40 Total synthetic oil that meets VW’s strict requirements for the Pump Deuce TDI engine. While our little Jetta hadn’t rolled over an obscene amount of miles, Ford and Malmberg felt it was best to go ahead and replace the timing belt—before it could give us trouble later on down the road. As is the case with other small, four-banger engines, a timing belt break can spell disaster with low-clearance engines—that is, valves meeting pistons.
Before getting into the belt swap, they decided it was best to verify the condition of the cam and lifters, because some of the TDIs have been known to have wear issues. Our Jetta had relatively low miles and was not showing any of the telltale signs of cam wear, such as rough idle, excessive smoke and noisy valve train, but several of the cam lobes and lifters were showing signs of wear.
Knowing that we would have to be inside the engine soon to change the cam and lifters, and seeing that the current timing belt showed no signs of premature wear, we decided to hold off on changing the timing belt. We would replace it and the cam and lifters all at the same time. We kept to our plan to drive the car on our New York road trip, hoping that the cam and lifters would hold up.
Before finishing the service appointment, Malmberg changed the fuel filter, found that the air filter had very recently been replaced and then replaced the cabin air filter (that had probably never been changed).
During our epic journey, our new Jetta performed flawlessly. The car averaged around 45-46 mpg on the entire trip. The best segment was just over 50 mpg; the worst segment was stop-and-go traffic in New York City. Nevertheless, we still averaged 40 mpgs. It was cool that we could drive more than 500 miles on one tank of fuel, (13.5 gallons)—with some left over.
The ride was comfortable for a small car, and handling was excellent, even with the load of people and luggage on board. Honestly, the car felt more like a 5-day-old car than a 5-year-old car with nearly 90,000 miles on the odometer.
Next month, we’ll dig into the engine and replace the cam and lifters in hopes of eliminating those issues for good. At the same time, we’ll also replace the timing belt and change the oil once again. We also want to strap the Jetta to the dyno to get some baseline performance numbers before we start modifying it. As true diesel enthusiasts, we all know nothing stays stock for long.
If you’re looking for an economical alternative to an 8,000-pound-plus pickup for a daily driver, any one of the TDI series of cars is a great place to start. And from 2006 back, there are plenty of performance parts that are available to boost both performance and mileage. Stay tuned as we show you how much fun you can have with a TDI—without breaking the bank.
Source
MF Automotive
Dept. DW
5611 Washington Pike
Knoxville, TN 37918
865.523.7676
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- The latest project vehicle in the Diesel World stable is this ultraclean 2006 VW Jetta TDI.
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- Under all this plastic is a cool 1.9L turbo diesel engine. In stock trim, the car got nearly 50 mpg, even when loaded with people and luggage.
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- The interior of this car was absolutely pristine for a car with slightly more than 90,000 miles on the odometer.
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- After his test drive and getting our Jetta on the lift, Malmberg pulls the dipstick to check the oil level and also make sure there is nothing in the oil that would indicate internal engine problems.
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- He also removes an amplifier power cable installed by the previous owner that actually went underneath the car, rather than through the interior.
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- The air filter was recently replaced, so Malmberg reassembled the air filter assembly with the current filter.
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- MF Automotive even has the techs check and top off windshield washer fluid. Ours was a little low.
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- After lifting the car, Malmberg inspects the wheel bearings and suspension components on all four corners of the car for wear or excessive movement.
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- Even the CV boots looked to be in good condition on our little red Jetta. It is important to inspect your CV boots often so that in the event of a failure, you can replace the boot before damage is done to the expensive CV joints.
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- Next, the lower engine cover is removed to inspect the lower side of the engine and transmission. There appeared to be some minor oil leaks that we’ll track down and repair later.
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- Next, the lower engine cover is removed to inspect the lower side of the engine and transmission. There appeared to be some minor oil leaks that we’ll track down and repair later.
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- The inner CV boots also seem to be in good shape with no leaks or tears. The lower engine cover must be removed to inspect the inner CV boots.
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- The VW/Audi technicians at MF Automotive use a set of color-coded feeler gauges to inspect brake pad wear on every car that comes into the shop for service. Ours checked out fine. Malmberg also checked tread depth and tire pressure on all tires, including the spare, before continuing with the service.
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- Even when draining the old oil, Malmberg was careful to make sure there were no problems hidden within the old oil.
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- The crushable aluminum drain plug washer on our Jetta was in sad shape, so it was replaced with a new one that would seal properly. Most cheapie oil change joints never replace those washers anyway (FYI).
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- The crushable aluminum drain plug washer on our Jetta was in sad shape, so it was replaced with a new one that would seal properly. Most cheapie oil change joints never replace those washers anyway (FYI).
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- To check our car for the dreaded Pump Deuce cam wear issue, Malmberg removed the valve cover. If you are doing this yourself, be sure to disconnect all the hoses and connections so that nothing is damaged when removing the cover.
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- Unfortunately, a few of our cam lobes showed signs of wear, as is indicted by the arrow on this photo. This could have been due to improper oil, poor maintenance or just a part failure. Without a mechanical history on the car (i.e., service records), we will never know what caused this issue.
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- Fortunately, the timing belt looked to be in great condition, so replacing it will wait until we change the cam and lifters.
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- Of course, Malmberg also changed the oil filter while servicing the car.
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- As is good practice when buying a used vehicle, it’s always smart to change all the filters, including this fuel filter.
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- Malmberg connected the car to a shop laptop to read any potential trouble codes that were stored in the car’s ECU.
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- To finish the service appointment, he replaced the cabin air filter under the dash on the passenger side. And, judging by the amount of dirt, dust and crud that was in the filter, it had probably never been changed. The replacement slid right up into place and will have us breathing easier.
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- To finish the service appointment, he replaced the cabin air filter under the dash on the passenger side. And, judging by the amount of dirt, dust and crud that was in the filter, it had probably never been changed. The replacement slid right up into place and will have us breathing easier.
Tags: diesel, Jetta, TDI turbo diesel, VW, VW TDI
