06 - 09 Jetta 2.0 TDI questions

[wokwn]

Wokwn.. when you say it takes long to heat up.. are we just talking about the fan ?
What if I have the AC turned on max heat? Will that will warm up the car on a cold winters day quickly?

Your heat comes from the engine coolant. Putting the climatronic at 23 degrees, 30 degrees or 'hi' won't make any difference if your coolant is cold. Just like, turning up the knob on the toaster won't cook your toast any faster.

If your car coolant is hot, you get heat instantly (e.g. parked for less than 4 hours).

Once your coolant is hot, yes it has heaps of capacity to heat the car. Bear in mind that the climatronic system in VW tries to supply 'gentle heat or cooling'. People often complain that the aircon isn't cold or the heater isn't hot as the air coming out of the vents isn't specifically hot or cold but if they put a thermometer in the car they find that the climatronic is maintaining the set point they selected. If you put it on 'hi' or 'lo' you get searing heat or icy cool.

For an example, today it was 3.5 degrees in Thomastown VIC where I live. I drove from there to the Melbourne CBD which took around 45 minutes. I had warmish air blowing in 4 kilometers (approx 10 minutes including traffic lights). By that time the coolant was up to 50 degrees.

It didn't reach normal temperature (90 degrees) until about 1km before I reached my destination, but I got useful heat in about 10 minutes. Not face searing heat but useful warming heat.

Also my short trips are to pickup and drop off mrs from the station.. thats about 1km away, 5 -10 mins round trip including waiting time. Too short?

Not useful having a diesel for this. It won't use more fuel than a petrol doing these types of trip but you won't save much either. Make sure you go for a long drive at least every two weeks to get everthing nice and hot and evap all the condensation out of the oil. Definitley do not idle the diesel while waiting for wifey's train.

Also note that they won't really heat up much if you start it and then idle it for 10 mins before driving. This is actually bad for the engine as it causes cylinder glazing.

The think about a diesel engine is that it is so efficient. It is the waste heat from an engine (up to 60% of an engine's output in the case of petrol) that is used to heat the cabin of the car. Diesels don't produce as much waste heat and the engine is physically denser (i.e. more metal to heat up too) so you don't get as much heat out of them. Exhaust temperatures are way down on a petrol which leads to longer turbo life as well.

Work is about 15 mins drive, 7kms away, but i take the "scenic" route cos i like my driving and cornering..

Thrashing a diesel does it good. By thrashing I mean high power output in the main torque band. Don't rev it too hard (which is pointless as they get breathless at high revs due to the slow diesel burn time) but working it hard does it a world of good.

Bizi - Im wanting a manual not only to avoid cost of DSG servicem but because i love clutch/shifter action and blipping the throttle as i drive.
Looking at a Diesel's narrow torque band.. im guessing no one blips / heeltoes on these cars?

Its hard to heel/toe on a VW as they have a cutout. If you press the throttle and then the brake, the throttle is cut out. If you press the brake and then the throttle, a 3000RPM rev limiter comes in to effect on the petrols, not sure on the diesels. These are a legacy of the Audi 'unintended acceleration' problem in USA in the 80s. Similar to the recent Toyota stuck throttle problems and is intended prevent that sort of situation from happening.

You look at the narrow torque band from the point of view of a petrol engine that can rev to 6000RPM. sure, 1750 - 3000 is small for an engine that can rev out to 6000, but your diesel engine red lines at 4500. So as a percentage, that torque band is actually most of the rev range and also the area people usually drive petrol engines as it feels 'comfortable'.

Your problem with spirited driving in a manual will not be the narrow torque range (except in first gear), it will be preventing wheel hop in 1, 2 and 3rd gear (and 4th when raining) when the torque suddenly comes on and your left hand is busy with both changing gears and using the indicators. Unless you live in Victoria where indicators are optional at all times.

AND DAMN its hard to fine a Manual TDI!!
On car sales theres like 3 in sydney, none close to me, all not the color I want.. i gues thats the pain with buying used
Looks like theres nothing to check out this weekend.

Well yeah, a manual gearbox on a diesel in crawling traffic would not be fun. People usually buy a diesel for economy and the DSG actually gets better economy than the manual.

[jettapilot]

All I have to say is I'm extremely happy with mine. It's stock.
I don't drive like the boys here but I do drive a lot - 38,000kms in 18 months -- so diesel works for me.

[li21]

Okay so I FINALLY drove a TDI today..
in fact my first time I've ever sat in a diesel... was a manual TDI

My observations:

* Turbo lag was terrible. Its ever more evident that I was imagining.
* The torque certainly doesn't feel 320nm worth. The pull comes on at the beginning at the torque band nicely.. but i feel like it SHOULD snap my head off but doesn't.. sorta becomes more about power by that stage, in which it doesn't have enough of. The 220nm in my parents old Mercedes C180 Kompressor seemed more usable. (and quicker)
* Its very noisy, I guess not as bad as other diesels, but its still very noticeable to me, but my mrs couldn't tell..
* Handling was fantastic for a non sport model. Every corner was fun in the short drive I had. I felt I even had some controlled oversteer/tail out at one point
* Quality was good.

Only thing it was missing was a sunroof.. and black shows up marks very easily.

Final thoughts: Despite my negative comments above, its still the car to get for me Definitely needs a remap to unlock more potential.. wonder what it will feel like after.

Still shopping!

[Transporter]

Okay so I FINALLY drove a TDI today..
in fact my first time I've ever sat in a diesel... was a manual TDI

My observations:

* Turbo lag was terrible. Its ever more evident that I was imagining.
* The torque certainly doesn't feel 320nm worth. The pull comes on at the beginning at the torque band nicely.. but i feel like it SHOULD snap my head off but doesn't.. sorta becomes more about power by that stage, in which it doesn't have enough of. The 220nm in my parents old Mercedes C180 Kompressor seemed more usable. (and quicker)

Final thoughts: Despite my negative comments above, its still the car to get for me Definitely needs a remap to unlock more potential.. wonder what it will feel like after.

Still shopping!

Well, I'm sure that after while when you get more used to that diesel power and how it comes on you wouldn't think that it has to much of the turbo lag. Did you try one with the DSG?

[li21]

Well, I'm sure that after while when you get more used to that diesel power and how it comes on you wouldn't think that it has to much of the turbo lag. Did you try one with the DSG?

haven't tried with DSG yet, but i really would like to stick to manual.. too used to manual .. i know DSG its much easier to manage in a TDI.. but i like to be difficult

[wokwn]

* The torque certainly doesn't feel 320nm worth. The pull comes on at the beginning at the torque band nicely.. but i feel like it SHOULD snap my head off but doesn't.. sorta becomes more about power by that stage, in which it doesn't have enough of. The 220nm in my parents old Mercedes C180 Kompressor seemed more usable. (and quicker)

Yes, it comes on quite smoothly on the stock map. It is, after all, not sold as a performance car.

Get it chipped and it becomes a bit more agressive (and comes on earlier) but still very comfortable. Remember also, that the car weighs 1.55 tons.

[anthony]

Jettas are fantastic,you will not regret getting one.

[li21]

can someone tell me whether the top MFD in the dash should be on all the time of can it be turned off?
the one i test drove had sorta to squares.. the bottom one was lit with the ODO etc.. but i figured the top should have the trip computer but it was blank no matter what steering controls i pressed?

[wokwn]

can someone tell me whether the top MFD in the dash should be on all the time of can it be turned off?
the one i test drove had sorta to squares.. the bottom one was lit with the ODO etc.. but i figured the top should have the trip computer but it was blank no matter what steering controls i pressed?

The one with two squares (midline) has the trip info in the bottom and a bunch of lights in the top section.

MKv's (up to MY0 that had factory nav had a full height screen that allowed the user to change car settings without Vagcom/VAS tools.

From MY08 onwards, I think all Jettas got the full height screen.

For the half-height screen, the menu button on the steering wheel does nothing, but the arrow up and down change the trip meter display and OK does a few different things depending on what screen you are in.

For the full-height screen, the menu button changes pages on the screen (audio, nav, settings, trip; what you actually get depends on your car options).

[li21]

So after searching long and hard for a Jetta that meets my criteria (manual, leather, sunroof) .. I come across 2 at the same time.

Both will end up costing the same (give or take a few hundred)

Car1 : Black, Custom Beige Leather, Sunroof, Sat Nav(but only a MFD2, not RNS510.. but i will change it anyway) - 06 with 71,000kms (nice looking custom seats and door trims.. but misses out on heated seats)
Drove it today. Felt QUICK comepared to every other TDi i've driven. Good cond with a tiny tear in the leather.

Car2: Silver, Leather, Sunroof, 07 with 48,000kms. Interstate buy, but the deal say immaculate

----

Car1 Looks better, drives well, but obviously older and misses out on the heater in the seats. But I have the comfort of a 5 year warranty and knowing ive driven and inspected it.
(photo is not the exact car, but a similar color scheme)

Car2 has to come from interstate and although nice, i find it might be a bit less exciting in terms of body color and standard grey leather.. but i don't doubt its in better condition and has the heated seats..

Tough choice...
What you think peoples?

Another question.. how many people have forfieted their used car warranties so they could service their car closer or at place of their choice?



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[anthony]

Thats a hard decision.
You have to deceide which one you will LOVE better over a period of time,and then GO FOR IT.

Let us know your thoughts,and GOOD LUCK with it all.

[li21]

Okay.. So I decided on the Black one with beige leather, no heated seats.
Not sure if it was the wise choice, but definately the better looking one.
Coming wednesday


Question for other TDI drivers... I noticed when test driving that the instantenous consumption was always around 9-12.9/100kms.. is that normal for stop start traffic? Of course it would be lower while cruising, but seemed a bit high everytime I looked at it.

[Brendan_A]

Question for other TDI drivers... I noticed when test driving that the instantenous consumption was always around 9-12.9/100kms.. is that normal for stop start traffic? Of course it would be lower while cruising, but seemed a bit high everytime I looked at it.

That's pretty normal for start stop traffic, and if you put the boot in a lot it will use just as much fuel around town as a petrol car. Get it out on a highway drive and you'll see low 5/100kms. Good choice of car mate and enjoy it.

[anthony]

Post pics up ASAP,and CONGRATULATIONS.

[li21]

Okay Finally got it today!
I'm really enjoying it.. much better than my MK3 GL which I've been driving for a while now.
(Its for sale now!)

The lag isn't a real issue in this particular car it seems.. feels like a torque monster .. I actually enjoy the lag now.. then the rush!
So much more practical than heaps of power and no torque..

Here are some bad pics from my phone..




Question... Is the sunroof supposed to open fully? Mine seems to only open about 4/5 of the way .. when you look from the outside, looks more like 3/4 open?