Girlfriend just bought a TDI

[mrchaotica]

Hi, everybody! My girlfriend just bought a 1998 New Beetle TDI as her first car. It's black and has a manual transmission. It's also rather high-mileage, but the price was right and TDIs apparently aren't very common here in Atlanta (this was one of only three within 50 miles on Yahoo Autos, and the only stick-shift). She'll be learning to drive stick with this car; I'm glad it's reputed to be very forgiving because of the large quantities of torque.

So, I've been doing my research (particularly, this forum and the TDIclub.com FAQ), and I've put together a list of stuff to do in the short-term. Please tell me any additions or suggestions y'all have, because although I'm technically-inclined, I'm a complete novice to Beetles in general and TDIs in particular.

• Replace the timing belt. It didn't come with records saying when it was last done, and -- considering the fact that it's an interference engine -- that scares the bejeezus out of me. We drove the car home tonight, and I told her the very next place it ought to be driven is the mechanic.
• Change the oil. I already know (from the TDI FAQ) that it needs special diesel-specific synthetic oil.
• Fix the cracked driver-side mirror, which research indicates should be an easy-to-install, $30 part.
• Wash thoroughly and try to polish out the myriad surface scratches it's collected over the past 160,000 miles.
• Clean the interior, maybe figure out how to remove the few little stains on the headliner (how the heck did that get stains?), and replace/repair/paint a few shabby-looking plastic bits.
• Fill it up with B100 (my girlfriend works only a couple of miles from what seems to be one of the few (or only?) biodiesel stations in Atlanta -- what luck!) and then replace the fuel filter.

Anyway, is there anything else important I ought to add to this list? How much should we expect to pay for the timing belt replacement? I've heard that the timing belt can be upgraded with a post-2002 tensioner, which will result in a longer service interval; what are the details about that? Is the required fancy oil all that expensive or hard to find? Other than simply replacing the glass, is there anything interesting that can be done with the side mirrors? How quickly would the fuel filter get clogged once the B100 dislodges all the gunk from the fuel system, how urgent is it to replace it once that happens, and how easy is it to do so?

Incidentally, although it seems otherwise mechanically perfect, there is one problem with the shifter (and/or transmission): if it gets put into 5th gear, then it's very difficult to take it out again if it's going less than 30 MPH or so. When I put it in 5th while standing still, I had to shut off the ignition, pump the clutch a couple of times, and yank hard to get it back to neutral. The mechanic who looked at the car before we bought it, but who was not a VW-expert, said that it was probably a kinked shifter cable, and would cost no more than $500 (in the worst case) to fix. Is this a common problem with Beetles? Is it possible that it could be caused by something other than a kinked cable, that would be more costly to fix? Does it need fixing to begin with? Would it be cheaper if I got it done at the same time as the timing belt, since (maybe) stuff would only have to be taken apart once instead of twice?

I haven't had any time to take pictures, so I'm attaching the ones from the Yahoo ad. Of course, I'm sure you've all seen plenty of black Beetles and there's nothing special about this one... yet.

Oh, and another thing: the car doesn't have a "TDI" emblem. Was it supposed to have one (i.e., did that model year come with them)? I'd like to advertise the fact that it's a diesel by putting one on, but I've seen several different such emblems, with different-colored letters and stuff. Which particular emblem is correct for this car? Is it possible to paint the red versions for a unique look (and if I did recolor the emblem, would people think it tacky like they do with "Type-R" stickers on non-Type-R Hondas)? What is the correct placement location of it?

This Beetle has had a long life already, but I hope to keep it running for a long time yet to come -- to 250,000 miles at least -- and to keep it looking pretty while doing so. Who knows, maybe I'll even do some performance mods down the road (even though the GF doesn't care about that ). Wish me luck!

[Evanrude]

Sweet! Welcome to the family

You can buy new TDI logo's for $12.



http://www.aiwana.com/Merchant2/merc..._Code=Exterior

That website has a ton of nice little things for the car, including replacement pieces for "shabby plastics"

That is, door handle covers, etc.

Browse around there

I've bought from them and they are very reliable and trustworthy.. I dropped a few hundred bucks with them so far

[mrchaotica]

Evanrude: Yeah, I already know the emblems exist; what I want to find out is a) what the colors mean (i.e., which engines/cars did VW use the all-silver, red-I, red-DI, green-DI, and all-red emblems on) and b) if any Beetles ever did come with TDI badges where did they go, or if they didn't where do people usually put them (e.g. under the VW badge, off to the side)?

In my continued reading of the forums, I've come across this thread about cleaning out soot buildup in the intake manifold. I haven't noticed a lack of power like the guy in that thread, but then again I have nothing to compare to. I would assume that after 160K miles, my GF's Beetle probably has at least some soot buildup too. Should I add that to my list, and would it also make particular sense to do it at the same time as the timing belt?

[QQQ]

Because her car is a 98, it probably has the 90hp TDI, as is mine. Around that time, VW used the silver badge, which is what I have and I got it for about $5 from ebay.com. Maybe a little bit more for shipping, I can't remember. VW added colors as they developed more HP. See here:

http://tdiclub.com/TDIFAQ/TDiFAQ-2.html#a

It's safe to say the following:

All silver TDI: 90HP
Silver TD, Red I in TDI: 110HP
Silver T and red DI in TDI: 115HP
All red TDI: 150HP
As for green, I think some use that because they use biodiesel. Not sure.

If you have stock HP, you should use the all silver badge. I have a silver badge and when a TDI owner sees it, they know what type of motor it is. However, I have made changes to mine (bigger SMIC and nozzles) and I think I'm at silver TD and red I. And I'm not done yet!

As for soot, yeah, it's quite straightforward to clean the intake. I have a pressure washer that I used but it makes more of a mess than not. I suggest getting a long thin brass/steel pipe brush. Another suggestion is to take it to a auto shop and pay them to soak it in their solvents. I haven't done this but I hear it's the best way to clean it. Anyway, some experts have done it in about 4-6hrs. It usually is an all day process for me.

[ghostRder1]

More pics!

BTW, welcome.

[scarabY2k]

One sweet TDI...And I saw it in person. It was great meeting you and your little lady

[gforce1108]

Until someone informed me on this site, I wasn't aware that VW didn't put TDI badges on the Beetles. Mine has one and I assumed it was factory.

You are one step ahead of most new TDI owners since you've been reading up on tdiclub.com. Just as important and getting the maintenance done is who you have do it. Make sure they know what they are doing. So many shops will tell you they can do it, but don't have the proper tools or the VCDS (or equivalent) to do the job right. You probably already know this, but get one of the full 'kits' with all the rollers, tensioner, water pump and all the stretch bolts.

Doing the intake at the same time as the TB would make sense. I did mine with a MAP gas torch and a air gun (search youtube for videos of it being done!). It was wild!

Her Beetle is a twin of my wife's. Mine had 181k and a seriously blown motor when I got it last summer, but it's flying along now.

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by scarabY2k

One sweet TDI...And I saw it in person. It was great meeting you and your little lady

Same here Jack, it was great meeting both of you Saturday. I have a question tho. Was the flattening of the paint finish intentional?

[Libanass]

manual tdi's are very easy to learn on!!

It's good to hear that people in the US are learning more and more to drive stick it rocks!!!!!

[BEETLETHIS]

im sorry to hear that. it sucks when things like this happen to good people.

[Yello_jellybean]

mrchaotica,
It's great that you have fixed up the poor TDI. It just needed a little love and care from someone like you. Good Luck. It looks like a great car.

Also, I didn't catch a name in this post. Have you named it yet?

[mrchaotica]

Originally Posted by Yello_jellybean

Also, I didn't catch a name in this post. Have you named it yet?

I'm not big on naming cars, but Nicolia likes to call it "Blink."

(Incidentally, her dad has called it "Bigweld," but he doesn't count.)

[mrchaotica]

Originally Posted by CyberGreenBaby

edit: and i reported his thread to the MODS and Admins.

How do you do that? I looked for a link or instructions, and couldn't find either. The only other thing I could think of was just remembering the name of a mod and PMing him.

[AmyJane]

Originally Posted by mrchaotica

How do you do that? I looked for a link or instructions, and couldn't find either. The only other thing I could think of was just remembering the name of a mod and PMing him.

See the yellow triangle in the upper right hand corner of each post with the exclamation point? You click on that on the post you want to report and then leave a little note as to why you're reporting the thread

[Yello_jellybean]

Blink is a great name, I like it. I suppose,you don't have to name it though, it's not like a requirement or anything.

[vwgary]

Originally Posted by mrchaotica

Yep! I have a thread about it.

By the way, I now understand what you meant about your wheels, after seeing them in person. Also, I was really impressed by your engine bay and I love your spoiler.

Yeah, I'm glad I wasn't in the position to dispose of them. Then you'd be hating them like me Thanks for the props on the engine bay. Now I'm off to check out your paint thread. Really nice to have met the both of you as well. Hope you do the TOD with us in May.

[hestersu]

Maybe I missed it in your original post, but I would also change out the fuel filter (and all the filters really), verify you have the right fluids besides the oil (pink stuff in the radiator, whatever is correct for the power steering) and double check the brakes (everything).

The manual tranny is forgiving. I would have the mechanic service the transmission. As you say, you have no records so there are probably some things that need to be done. Set a priority (safety first then everything else).

I would hold up on the B100 until you have everything about the motor done to your satisfaction. Biodiesel has a tendency to clean up stuff in the lines. Start with clean filter before you run your first tank through and then see how it goes. Just my 2 cents worth.

This looks like a pretty good car. Good luck to your g/f. I hope she enjoys her new to her car.

[MichelleRoze]

Love the flat black look! I wasn't sure at first but after seeing your bug in person, LOVE it! Very cool. Me however, can't do it in silver and I love to shine I think it's great. Also helps that your car is fast too!! I need to find a chip that'll work with mine. Being an automatic wont' be as great as yours, but I can try right?

[mrchaotica]

Originally Posted by hestersu

Maybe I missed it in your original post, but I would also change out the fuel filter (and all the filters really), verify you have the right fluids besides the oil (pink stuff in the radiator, whatever is correct for the power steering) and double check the brakes (everything).

The manual tranny is forgiving. I would have the mechanic service the transmission. As you say, you have no records so there are probably some things that need to be done. Set a priority (safety first then everything else).

I would hold up on the B100 until you have everything about the motor done to your satisfaction. Biodiesel has a tendency to clean up stuff in the lines. Start with clean filter before you run your first tank through and then see how it goes. Just my 2 cents worth.

This looks like a pretty good car. Good luck to your g/f. I hope she enjoys her new to her car.

You know, the vBulletin people really ought to make the post timestamps more prominent...

It's been running B20 for the past 16 months without incident (no B100 because I didn't find a supply until this winter, and now it's too cold). Didn't clog the fuel filter either, but it was changed anyway at the normal maintenance schedule a couple months ago.

Good call on the coolant; I don't think I've ever checked that!

Let's see, what else has been done over the past 16 months:

• Timing belt
• Brakes (they broke! )
• Fixed most oil leaks (one very minor one left)
• Mirror/bodywork/paint
• Replaced headliner, but did a poor job of it and am waiting on the fiberglass one
• New (upgraded) clutch & G60 single-mass flywheel due to imminent dual-mass flywheel failure
• Rocketchip ECU tune (RC2)
• Bosch .216 injector nozzles

Still to do:

• Wheels and tires (next weekend! Woohoo!)
• Suspension
• Shifter linkage (the specific 5th gear problem from a year ago went away, but it's still sloppy and annoying)
• Upgrade to RC3 and adjust for smoke reduction
• Boost, EGT, etc. gauges

[BEETLETHIS]

you guys have been very busy but were are the pics?????