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My 2000 Volkswagen Jetta TDi
In March of 2003, I acquired a "canyon red" 2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDi. The gas mileage is phenomenal and I am quite pleased with the performance of the car overall.
I chose to go with the Jetta when looking for a new car based on the great reviews I had read about it along with the fact that I liked the way it looked. Once I found out VW made one with a Turbo-Diesel Engine I couldn't resist.
The car drives great, is currently averaging about 45MPG, and makes that great turbo "whirling" noise when accelerating.
Here are some general stats about the 1.9L TDi Engine (from Volkswagen):
- Displacement: 1,896 cc (1.9 liter)
- Horsepower: 90 hp @ 3,750 rpm
- Torque: 155 lb. ft. @ 1,900 rpm
- Design: Turbo four-stroke, SOHC, diesel engine, in-line design
- Bore diameter: 79.5 mm
- Stroke: 95.5 mm
- Compression ratio: 19.5:1
- Ignition system: Self-igniting
- Fuel system: Distributor-injection pump; EDC (electronic diesel control); turbocharger with charged air cooling
- Emissions control: OBD D; exhaust gas re-circulation plus Diesel Cat EC
I have done the following modifications to my Jetta:
- Euroswitch Mod
- EGR Adaptation
- Optima Red Top 34/78 Battery
- Dieselgeek Panzer Plate
- OEM 15'' Alloy Wheels
- Rear Foglight
- Boost Gauge and Boost Valve
- Hella E-codes Fog Headlights
- Larger Injectors (possibly ECU reprogramming)
- Heated Seats
- ASR Brake Mod
- Center Armrest
I'm by no means an amateur mechanic or a "car freak" of any kind, but the fact that this car drives like a sports car and still gets 48 MPG regularly made me have to put up a website so I could endorse it and recommend that anyone looking for a new car look for a TDI.
So to give ya'll an update on the current score in the war between Louisiana roadways and myself: it's now somewhere around 20 to 0 with the roads showing no signs of backing down or allowing me a scoring opportunity. Since my last post about how beat up my car was getting I've had:
- 1 flat tire
- 1 broken motor mount (which cost a ridiculous amount of $$ to fix and required towing to the dealership)
- 5 winshield cracks
- Paint from some fratboy's SUV all over my front bumper
One day I-10, I shall get my revenge....One day....
So two weeks ago the cheapo factory plastic skidplate on my car finally fell off. Counting the flat tire and windshield crack from earlier this year, that makes the score Interstate-10: 3, Lee: 0. So to make sure my oilpan isn't the next thing I have to sacrifice to Louisiana's sorry excuse for roads, I bought a Dieselgeek Panzer Skidplate. As a testament to how indestructable this thing is, dieselgeek.com shipped it to me with no packaging. That's right, they just slapped a label on the side of it and off it went. It was a pain to install, but I think it was worth it. It certainly beats the pants off of the factory plastic (worthless) skidplate. So bring it on I-10!
I forgot to post about my ridiculous encounter with the Sears Auto Center in Metairie a few weeks ago. The Jetta was in serious need of new tires and suspension, so I went to Sears. I have used Sears in the past when replacing the tires/shocks on the Bronco, and they have always done a good job and had great service. This past time however, I was not happy with my service at all. Click below to read the rest of my rant.
more...
For the last 3 weeks my car was making horrible noises anytime the engine was between 1800-2100 RPM. I finally took it to the dealership and (as I suspected) found out that the clutch needed to be replaced. I went ahead and had the clutch, throw-out bearing, and flywheel replaced. Now the jetta sounds more quiet than it's ever sounded and shifts very smoothly. Anyone who thinks they may need a new clutch in their VW automobile should take note and make sure that they really need it replaced however...new clutches/flywheels ain't cheap!
My old battery was slowly dying (it was taking 2 and 3 cranks to start every time) so I bought an Optima "Red Top" 34/78. The car starts on the first crank every time now and starts faster than ever before.
Whoohoo! I got 48.44 miles per gallon on my last tank of diesel. That's a new record for my car. If I had filled up right after I got back from Nashville instead of tooling around town for another 100 miles I probably would have been over 50MPG.
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