Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #31  
Old 11-24-2015, 05:22 AM
JB3 JB3 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RI
Posts: 7,246
Quote:
Originally Posted by mannys9130 View Post
All you need to do is cruise Craigslist a bit and you'll see how "gracefully" VAG cars age... The proof is in the pudding.
Thats true, there are quite a few decent looking 250k TDIs out there to be had at a good price. I just received the comment the other day that my 230k 15 year old mk4 was "like a new car" inside for how well the interior has held up.

That model does have a specific fender rust issue, but the car has held up very well and still looks decent with no special treatment

__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 11-24-2015, 05:51 AM
JB3 JB3 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RI
Posts: 7,246
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mölyapina View Post
VWVortex might be a good place to ask... I would assume that there would be a lot of people there with experience. That said, they might be a bit biased .
I would avoid the vortex. Way too many insecure 17 year olds and hellaflush discussions, not a lot of diesel knowledge.
Great VW diesel forums are the mentioned tdiclub/fredstdipage and vwdiesel .net for the pre TDI engines
__________________
This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 11-24-2015, 09:44 AM
gmog220d's Avatar
There is Life After VW!
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Posts: 947
The main thing I've heard from people I know who run VW diesels, TDI and NA, is to avoid overheating them as the aluminum head does not tolerate the heat and will warp allowing the gasket to blow in short order. This seems true for any engine that has a cast iron block and aluminum head.

Yeah, I know that no engine should be overheated, but some engines, like all cast iron designs, "tolerate" it better than others, and the VW diesels definitely don't.
__________________
- Greg -
1973 220D, The Prodigal Benz
1974 240D
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 11-24-2015, 11:21 AM
1985 190d
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: canadian border vermont
Posts: 518
My wife had a 2012 tdi.

That's had. It never started below zero even in the garage. The battery kept going dead.
The dealership replaced the battery twice, and offered no other remedy other than it was our fault for not locking the car. After the warranty expired, we tried to change dealerships but found there was no record of our complaints, and hence no remedy.

We dumped the car and went back to Honda.
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 11-24-2015, 11:59 AM
fahrvergnugen's Avatar
Yeah, THAT guy...
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Olathe, CO
Posts: 692
Because you didn't lock the car? Was there trouble with the door locks, IE a fault in one of the door sensors in the door latch?
__________________
---------------------------------------------------------------

1998 VW Cabrio
2001 Audi SomeRoad A/T (no air suspension)
2003 Audi DeadRoad M/T (no vroom, for later)
2002 Audi NoRoad A/T (nothing under the hood, being rebuilt)
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 11-24-2015, 12:32 PM
1985 190d
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: canadian border vermont
Posts: 518
Dealership maintained that because we didn't lock the car regularly, it was always on standby. So we tried locking it every night. Still drained. I ended up having to go out the the garage every night when the temps were below zero
and turn on the heater.

The dealership treated my wife pretty badly-- I wasn't monitoring the situation or there would have been a paper trail. They blamed her, and she took the bait.

Now we see that VW seems to have a bad attitude in general. I'm reporting here that it runs down through some dealers.

We loved the car for performance and comfort but no way would we have a brand new car that needed to have a battery pack available at all times, as well as a second rate dealership to support it.

We're not complainers, so we just walked off and won't come back. Their loss.
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 11-24-2015, 02:54 PM
mannys9130's Avatar
Ignorance is a disease
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,251
I'm a big fan of Honda. Working on Hondas is a pleasure and they are quite robust vehicles. Honda catches a lot of flack because of the car guys that put obnoxious mufflers on them, but the engine and chassis design is phenomenal.
__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 11-24-2015, 03:00 PM
mannys9130's Avatar
Ignorance is a disease
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,251
Quote:
Originally Posted by JB3 View Post
Plenty of guys that fix them love them. Love them so much there are numerous specialty shops out there. You have a not entirely realistic hatred of the brand.
There are specialty shops for one reason. There are a few people who can stand working on those cars and because of that they can charge a premium labor rate for those customers who are unfortunate enough to need their services. Sure, I could specialize in VW, but you couldn't pay me enough to work on such miserable vehicles every day. My hatred is well founded and authentic. I just call it as I see it. VAG cars are the worst of the German automobiles, Nissan is the worst Jap brand, and Dodge is (was) the worst American brand. All of my opinions come from putting a wrench to those cars and immediately wanting to throw it through the windshield.
__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 11-24-2015, 03:15 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 407
Quote:
Originally Posted by mannys9130 View Post
I'm a big fan of Honda. Working on Hondas is a pleasure and they are quite robust vehicles. Honda catches a lot of flack because of the car guys that put obnoxious mufflers on them, but the engine and chassis design is phenomenal.
I am as well, in fact I have a newer Honda. The gripes I have are: somewhat wimpy A/T in some of the V6 models (mine included), some of the 4cyl and 6cyl 3.7 Acuras drink oil like it's going out of style, tight spaces on some parts (others have excellent access and are a breeze), and SOFT METAL. I swear the bolts/screws/fasteners/etc. on my Honda AND newer 4runner are made from some kind of metal-lard hybrid alloy; they certainly round and strip far easier than those in my CLK or W124 diesel.

Can't win 'em all.
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 11-24-2015, 03:47 PM
tbomachines's Avatar
ಠ_ಠ
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,364
Counting all cars within a brand to determine worth is silly IMO. Each one has its quirks. My most reliable car (including MBs) was a dodge stealth. Not terrible to work on either if you have half a brain and a multimeter yet you'll see people foaming at the mouth at their reputation. The mk4 vw we (family) have is far and away the most reliable car we've had.
My GTI was already starting to show wear at 20k. All luck of the draw. YMMV. Worked on all of them and the worst car has been a 2004 explorer.


In this thread you have numerous owners of vw diesels, mostly happy but one cautionary one. Ymmv. You're shooting like 90% positive odds based on anecdotes and personal experience alone.


Sent from an abacus
__________________
TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth
Reply With Quote
  #41  
Old 11-24-2015, 03:49 PM
mannys9130's Avatar
Ignorance is a disease
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,251
Quote:
Originally Posted by thatguy View Post
I am as well, in fact I have a newer Honda. The gripes I have are: somewhat wimpy A/T in some of the V6 models (mine included), some of the 4cyl and 6cyl 3.7 Acuras drink oil like it's going out of style, tight spaces on some parts (others have excellent access and are a breeze), and SOFT METAL. I swear the bolts/screws/fasteners/etc. on my Honda AND newer 4runner are made from some kind of metal-lard hybrid alloy; they certainly round and strip far easier than those in my CLK or W124 diesel.

Can't win 'em all.
I place the J series up there with the 617, non-14 603, and Buick 3800 on my list of engines that are incredibly robust. The 2000 V6 Accord coupe in our family has 201,000 miles (my 190D only has 189,XXX) and it runs great. It doesn't use oil at all. I love that car. If it was a 2000 VW I'd have sent it to the junkyard already.
__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 11-24-2015, 04:09 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 407
Quote:
Originally Posted by mannys9130 View Post
I place the J series up there with the 617, non-14 603, and Buick 3800 on my list of engines that are incredibly robust. The 2000 V6 Accord coupe in our family has 201,000 miles (my 190D only has 189,XXX) and it runs great. It doesn't use oil at all. I love that car. If it was a 2000 VW I'd have sent it to the junkyard already.
Definitely, I have a J-Series in mine (3.0) and it's great. Great mileage (although it still can't touch my OM606 W124 in that regard), uses zero oil in 8k changes, SMOOTH as silk, bonechilling A/C, and has great power. It's such a joy to drive on the highway with that V6, passes effortlessly. I just wish that car was AWD, it has lots of torque steer.
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 11-24-2015, 04:11 PM
fahrvergnugen's Avatar
Yeah, THAT guy...
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Olathe, CO
Posts: 692
"There are a few people who can stand working on those cars and because of that they can charge a premium labor rate for those customers who are unfortunate enough to need their services."

You are becoming ridiculous. There is No Way to support this argument, none without hyperbole and personal experience being the foundation.

" My hatred is well founded and authentic."

Ah, okay. Hatred/anger are secondary emotions, and once had, don't evaporate without careful exploration. Hatred and anger are also closed doorways to learning. I'm not attempting to criticize you, just offer what I've learned in My life. If I Hate something, there is an underlying reason that isn't necessarily fair to the item/person in question.


" VAG cars are the worst of the German automobiles,"

You mean BMW; garage Queens. Lovely to drive, hard to maintain, and the Cost of Parts... And Dodge is still the worst US brand, bar-none.
__________________
---------------------------------------------------------------

1998 VW Cabrio
2001 Audi SomeRoad A/T (no air suspension)
2003 Audi DeadRoad M/T (no vroom, for later)
2002 Audi NoRoad A/T (nothing under the hood, being rebuilt)
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 11-24-2015, 04:27 PM
fahrvergnugen's Avatar
Yeah, THAT guy...
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Olathe, CO
Posts: 692
"Dealership maintained that because we didn't lock the car regularly, it was always on standby. So we tried locking it every night. Still drained. I ended up having to go out the the garage every night when the temps were below zero
and turn on the heater. "

Absolutely BS, no mechanical rationale for that, as you learned when you tried it and it did the same thing. Sounds like your dealership is suspect...

Sad thing is, this can happen anywhere. A 2nd VW dealership came into our town after I left my VW dealership who had had a monopoly since the late 80s when VW was struggling here. In the states... Anyway, a good friend of mine, fellow car enthusiast, got a chance to be a service writer there. He was doing well, and a second car friend came to see him for trouble with his TDi Mk4. The car came back worse than it arrived. Lots of back and forth, lots of it, and over time, a story became clearer of what Actually happened. This new dealership had hired a kid not long before my second friend brought this car in, said he thoroughly understood diesels. He did not. He installed the new turbo as he was told, but didn't drain the intercooler of blowby oil, it went runaway, destroyed itself, and they ended up rebuilding it wrong... On and on with this. Now, the service writer friend? He stood behind the dealership Instead of our mutual friend, made all sorts of excuses, the worst of which was that there was a 250 dollar charge to check the resistance on one electrical plug on the 3rd injector. Really? The point of all this? That service writer is now the Service Manager of a growing dealership, and I am sorely disgusted with him. I have yet to confront the man, but if I ever do, it won't be pretty.

Suffice it to say, people are *******s, and that *******ness influences many folk away from any of a number of things; car brands, religion, politics, what have you...
__________________
---------------------------------------------------------------

1998 VW Cabrio
2001 Audi SomeRoad A/T (no air suspension)
2003 Audi DeadRoad M/T (no vroom, for later)
2002 Audi NoRoad A/T (nothing under the hood, being rebuilt)
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 11-24-2015, 05:27 PM
mannys9130's Avatar
Ignorance is a disease
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,251
Quote:
Originally Posted by fahrvergnugen View Post
"There are a few people who can stand working on those cars and because of that they can charge a premium labor rate for those customers who are unfortunate enough to need their services."

You are becoming ridiculous. There is No Way to support this argument, none without hyperbole and personal experience being the foundation.

" My hatred is well founded and authentic."

Ah, okay. Hatred/anger are secondary emotions, and once had, don't evaporate without careful exploration. Hatred and anger are also closed doorways to learning. I'm not attempting to criticize you, just offer what I've learned in My life. If I Hate something, there is an underlying reason that isn't necessarily fair to the item/person in question.


" VAG cars are the worst of the German automobiles,"

You mean BMW; garage Queens. Lovely to drive, hard to maintain, and the Cost of Parts... And Dodge is still the worst US brand, bar-none.
My friend has a BMW E90. The car has 65k miles on it and is extremely reliable. E90s have proven reliable.

Everything is personal experience... If you couldn't support an opinion without somebody's personal experience you wouldn't have an opinion. I believe you are becoming ridiculous. If I have serviced the cars with no bias either way, why is my opinion invalid? If anything, since I'm disinterested and only take everything at face value, my technician's outlook is to be given more weight than your outlook. Fanboys tend to be blind to everything negative about their precious brand, and often warp reality to suit their argument. I have never owned a VAG automobile, but due to my first hand experience fixing them, servicing them at regular maintenance intervals, and observing how they age, I will never consider owning one as long as I live. It's not just me; my in laws own a 2008 VW Jetta Wolfsburg special edition. The car has had problems for a long time, and it isn't due to lack of maintenance.

If you want a car that's cheaply built but sold at luxury price because it's German, get a VW. If you want to go to the dealer for service and repair EVERY TIME you need something fixed, get a VW. If you're just going to lease a car and beat the crap out of it and get rid of it before it falls apart, get a VW. If you want a quality car that is designed well, built with quality materials, and made to last over a decade, DO NOT get a VW.

__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page