I still hate timing belts with a firey passion. Give me a chain.

I think the whole timing belt thing is to save fifteen cents per car, and give the dealer network a good source of extra revenue.

Have a great day,

Be patient. VW is to resume selling the Passat with a TDI engine next model year. Word is that it will be a 2.0L version with an honest to goodness real timing CHAIN!!!! (keeping fingers crossed)

All your TDI questions can be answered here: Fred's TDI Forums

For the record, mine has 75K miles and the engine is holding up beautifully. However, the interior is falling apart - like just about every other new car on the market.

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Rick Miley
2014 Tesla Model S
2018 Tesla Model 3
2017 Nissan LEAF
Former MB: 99 E300, 86 190E 2.3, 87 300E, 80 240D, 82 204D Euro
Chain Elongation References

Yeah, I hit the TDI forum on a regular basis. I'm kind of scared by the number of electrical problems they seem to have. I guess that has to be qualified by the large number of VW's they actually sell (relative to MB's). But, they do have a following that is very similar to our MB's.

Diesel Power, I'd be suprised if any company goes through the trouble of trying to EPA certify any Diesel car until they decide what kind of fuel they are going to offer and where the EPA standards are going to go. Maybe an SUV, but it's just about impossible to sell a Diesel car in the US.

But one can only hope.....


Sholin

__________________
What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

I have a 2002 5-sp./leather Jetta. No problem of any type as of 18000 mi. - power, 50-/+ mpg, great little car.

That is really amazing that you can get 50 mpg in a car that is reasonably fast and not just a microcar. I've also always liked the new VW style--they have the clean Audi look--but I like the Passat more than the Jetta.

One of the women in the office has a bright blue Rabbit Diesel that is still running. She also gets 50 mpg, but it isn't nearly as fast as a new TDI.

Of course I get 40-ish in my '84 190D, but it's going to be sssllllooowwwww by comparison to a newer TDI.

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

they are great little cars.

My 98 New Beetle TDI is up to 91K.

Chipped/Gutted intake/Straight pipe - VERY quick and....

48mpg lifetime average. My best was 62, low of 39.

VW has apparently already gone through the process of certifying the Passat. VW sells every TDI that they import without advertising, or special incentives. It does look more and more like diesel will be making another stab at the US market with VW expanding their lineup (Passat TDI, and eventually Toureg V10 TDI), Mercedes finally bringing us a CDI stateside, as well as Jeep putting a diesel in the Liberty. Let us all hope, pray, and keep fingers and toes crossed that every one of 'em sells out as quickly as they hit the lots.

VA Dude,

A JDM ZC ? Please enlighten me.

I think that the way it works is that a Diesel running on our higher sulphur fuel cannot meet the EPA standards for passenger cars. It can now barely meet the EPA standards for light trucks (which are more lax) and heavy trucks. The EPA will be requiring low sulphur fuel in 2007, but until then, the technology doesn't exist to meet passenger car emmission standards in all 50 states.

As far as the Liberty and Toureg, those are SUVs, so they do not have to meet the passenger car standards.

I think if the CARB would have to conform to EPA (national) standards and not create a different set of standards just for California, it would be alot easier. I also agree that teh EPA should take a look at what the NOX standards have done to take away our choice in Diesel engine cars.

I think the main advantage from a fuel strategy of having Diesel's in the fleet is not so much that you get more Diesel from a barrel of oil but you burn less and can also burn bio derived fuels. From the barrel of oil refined, if making gasoline, you aren't wasting the balance of the barrel, it just be comes less gas and more other products. Still, a high percentage of Diesel vehicles means we use less fuel and can substitute biodiesel in case of an oil shock.

As far as whether we get more Diesel CARS in the next 4 years, I'll believe it when I see it. My feelings are that MB and VW will introduce new models that may only last 1 model year, but we will see. If they can't meet the EPA standards on the existing fuel, they can't sell them--unless they make a pickup version of the E320CDI.

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

Emissions reasons are only part of the problem, and that is mostly smoke, literally. Seems the Eco-Nazis (as opposed to real environmentalists, I find there is a difference) think ALL diesels look like an overfueled 1975 Mack -- huge clouds of inky black smoke.

Turns out that gassers produce considerable particulates, too, that are worse than diesel soot.

Since that discovery, the real reason we don't see more diesels is that on one wants to buy them. MB gave up, not for emissions reasons, but because they couldn't get customers to even look at them. The fuel costs in the 80s prompted Yuppies to buy diesels so they could flaunt their money and still afford to drive them. Eco-friendly was "cool", so long as it cost a bunch, now it's not (we are worse resource pigs than ever, using twice the electricity we did in 1973, and more imported oil), so it's much better from a social standpoint to buy a 600 that burns tremendous amounts of fuel, or a Chevy Suburban rebadges as a Caddy that gets 6 mpg.

Another major fuel disruption, and the diesels will be back, trust me!

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

I work for VW and for 2004 Jetta, Golf and Beetle the new 1.9TDI produces 100HP. Passat get the all new 2.0 TDI with 135HP and hopefully Touareg V10 TDI (with 313HP and 550FT of torque) will show up here by the end of 2004.

I still unmistakenly love my 300TD!!!!!!!!!!

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1984 MB 300D Turbo Diesel W123 Sedan 132K
1987 MB 300D Turbo W124 Sedan 295K
1983 Porsche 944 104K
1989 Audi 80 Quattro 180K
2002 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro Avant 49K (Wife's car with warranty )

http://banners.wunderground.com/bann...inneapolis.gif

IZELJIC,

I'm glad to hear someone on the inside that can confirm we are going to get more VW Diesels here.


PSFRED, I'll agree with that, even if a company certified a Diesel, the total demand is low.

Sholin

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What else, '73 MB 280 SEL (Lt Blue)
Daily driver: '84 190D 2.2 5 spd.

But with Vin Diesel wowing the extreme movie set, and Diesel jeans conforming to the tight bun crowd, perhaps diesel engines will reap new-found cache .

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'91 300D 2.5 Turbo 330K
'00 VW TDI Golf, 190K
'67 BMW R50/2
'73 Norton Commando Interstate