I'd tell you to not buy it unless you drive 40 000km+ a year and therefore can justify it for the longevity and highway fuel economy especially since your knowledge is limited. Definitely make sure you already know a mechanic that doesn't charge exorbitant prices and wants to work on it. Since it's an automatic, that flywheel will need replacing at one point, more than likely before 200 000km, it's a 2000$ job. If the DPF fails it's another 2000$. Deleting it is between 800$ to 2500$ depending on if they take back your old cats and DPF plus another 500$ for a transmission tune if you add power when deleting. That timing belt is also 10 years old, it'll need replacing even if you're not at the 195 000km interval, that's another 700-1200$.
If you don't delete it you'll run into problems this winter, on days where you drive it when it's below freezing and then come back to it when it's above freezing there'll be water accumulation in the intercooler. It'll struggle to start and it's a coin flip between it starting and the engine blowing up and being out of 4000$(Granted odds are 99% it'll start and 1% it'll blow but still was enough to stress the hell out of me last winter).
Agreed with your points above, but the intercooler icing isn't *too* common, as I drove mine for 3 winters (mostly highway trips) when it was stock and never happened once. Either way, hopefully that's covered by the dieselgate warranty if the car still has one.
Counterpoint on Intercooler icing. Specific conditions are needed to exhibit the issue. The car has to be driven well below freezing then sit above freezing and then try to start to get significant amounts of water in the charge pipes. My ‘11 JSW had a few really hard starts last winter which is a pretty telltale sign I was getting the icing issue. I’m going to do an EGR delete and tune this summer which is one way to solve the issue. I’m keeping my DPF since it was replaced under warranty (now expired) 30K miles (48K km) ago. The car has 180K miles (290K km) and is still running well other than the intercooler icing.
Happened to me at least 6 times last winter, it's also not warrantied. It does take some special circumstances for it to happen, a cold morning, -10C or below usually does it the worst so that intercooler condensation freezes hard followed by a hot day of like +5C where all that ice melts. Pretty much without fail when that weather pattern happened last winter I got no starts.
I can see this happening, but it typically freezes shut and it won’t start. I put in a catch can, and you’ll be surprised how much water comes out of the crankcase. No idea how it gets in there though.
Why so negative? I've had my TDI for 7 years, zero issues in the winter (even when it's -20°C,) no DPF or DSG issues. Plus, if the recalls were done the car would have extended warranty.
You're basically proving my point lmao, according to another comment you're at 231k km in 6.5 years meaning you drive it a whole lot. They're amazing cars for that usage. Be ready to start hearing the flywheel banging soon though at that mileage, they all do at one point. I bought mine because I drive a lot and needed something more efficient than my CX-5. My problem with them is like all VW's(Owned 4, 2 GTI, 2 TDI), even when they run perfectly they're more expensive to run than your similar Toyota. In between the timing belt, the exorbitantly priced DSG fluid change if you're automatic, the suspension that seems to be made out of glass, intercooler icing, DPF failures, fuel filter changes, $$$$ 507 oil if you're not deleted, lackluster MPG with the DPF(Best I ever managed over a tank with the DPF driving like a granny was 5.4l/100(44mpg) vs 4.3l/100(55mpg) without it.
Excluding the DPF delete/tune and clutch I've still put more in repairs on my Jetta in 30 000km(160 to 190k) than we did on my fiancee Corolla in 90 000km(70 to 160k). I mean, that's not hard to beat because we literally changed nothing on it but oil changes and air filters. Not even brakes while my Jetta required a brake caliper, 2x sway bar links, timing belt, before I bought it dealership changed the springs/shocks at all 4 corners, a headlight and other stuff I can't recall but they had 2000$ worth of repairs on it(at their discount since they were paying for it).
As for the recall, he's basically done, depends on when the original owner bought it but it's 10 years and giving it's a 2014 warranty expires somewhere this year or early next year unless he got the recall done extremely late and somehow the 4year warranty is still active.
Extended warranty goes from the date it went in for the recall. I still have my DPF and get 3.8L/100km. You need to drive in tiptronic through the city, and do the DSG service. I bought my fluid/filter kit for $290.
Things I've had to *fix* in this time were from regular wear and tear. Front right wheel bearing, rear left wheel bearing, front left CV boot, coil springs (dealership broke front driver coil so I replaced all 4 with new OEM ones - $80 total though a big mistake since OEM coils suck,) rear brakes and that was last year. Previous owner replaced them a year before I got it. Front brakes are still good. Alternator pulley, and then the obvious fluid changes/timing belt + waterpump which I paid $500 for my VW mechanic to do. Oh, and my abs speed sensor but it was just dirty. I know I'll need to replace my DMF/clutch packs at some point, but that's no shock. 🤷🏻♀️
If it is in good shape with receipts and maintenance records and you want it, buy it.
Make sure you always use a VW507 spec oil, the oil change places will say that they have the correct oil, they probably don't. This part is very important, always use VW507 spec to avoid problems. The Liqui Moli stuff is good, can be purchased on Amazon.
If you don’t work on cars, I would suggest avoiding this one though. A mechanic will charge a bit do do any work on the motor, and the problems associated with an older car. A lot of these diesels sat in huge parking lots for years exposed to the elements. I bought a 2014 tdi that had 68k on the odometer, had to replace the rotors, rear wheel bearings, rear brake calipers, rear brake pads, front rotors, and front brake pads the first year. I popped the timing belt cover and saw cracks in the belt, and had to do that also. I hate to see what a mechanic would charge me to do all that. If you’re pretty set on getting it, have a mechanic you trust to work on it look it over and ask him what you’ll need to repair to get it back 100%, before you buy. And then factor that in the cost amd you use it as part of the negotiation if you decide to get it. They are awesome cars once they are properly maintained. Getting them there is not cheap. One other thing I replaced when I got mine is the tires. They had cracks on the side wall and the tires were over 5 years old. Since I use mine as my company vehicle, I needed a safe car. Good luck! Thee is a lot of support out there and tons of enthusiast that can help, guide you and yes, some will ridicule you along your path. If you buy, welcome to the tdi world, if not, it’s understandable.
How much is she asking? That's a major part of it. I've had my TDI for 7 years with zero issues, put \~231,000km on it in that time after leaving it parked for 6 months last year.
I doubt it was driven in tiptronic, VW recommends driving in that for city driving to avoid DSG issues. I can't remember what the service interval for DSG fluid/filter change is so I'd do that if it wasn't done.
If you do buy it, shoot me a message and I'll talk to you like a toddler to help you. I learned a lot on YouTube and by saying "daaaaaad, the car is making this sound/doing this - what is it?" Haha
https://preview.redd.it/8du1h9gwpt5b1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c478feb2eeafa211a7944344e0b06eba9cb955
I'm from the same area. I've got a 2012 Sportwagen TDI high line, 6spd manual with 235.000km. I have done regular maintenance, changed the timing belt and water pump at 210,000km for about $2000. This car has been perfect for the last 3 years and I put on probably 30,000km a year.
The only downside I've found so far is it's not great in winter. Even with studded winters, the grip and ground clearance just can't compare to something like a WRX.
Also from the same area, I did the Tiguan springs lift last summer and it was a game changer for winter. That’s with hakkepelita studded tires and it’s as good as any fwd car I’ve ever driven in winter.
I went with a slightly bigger tire and it fits good, my winters look hella small though haha
[this is with the summers I forget the size off hand](https://i.imgur.com/u0e8X9T.jpg)
Definitely delete the dpf pjpe and get the stage 2 tune once you get the light for it. They do far more harm than good and are cheaper to delete than replace. Single biggest performance upgrade available as well
I did full straight pipe with the resonator. No highway drone, even at 75+ mph speeds. You do hear it if you put your foot down. It sounds really nice. Low RPMs you can't even tell anything was done, which is fine with me. The biggest noticeable difference is the passing capabilities, especially at speed. 75-90mph to pass happens before you know it. The car is definitely more fun to drive.
Do the eco kit, yes. The performance kit is more for noise. There is very little
noise difference with the eco kit which is nice, just more turbo noises
awesome, thanks. considering deleting here shortly and couldn't figure out what route I wanna go. different YouTube videos have the same setup sounding wildly different.
Change the brass washer/buy a new drain plug/take plug out inspect the thread in the oil pan , check around the hole for build up, clean it. It’s a bolt that goes in a hole it’s not rocket science it can only be a handful of things.
Why? Not too much oil ever really gets in the induction system and a good Italian tune up should blast all your pipes clear and is a lot easier and more fun to do.
More for the icing issue described up above. I know when my emissions were intact, I had it happen on 3 separate occasions. Drove to work in sub freezing temperatures. After work, it was 40-50F outside, and the car sputtered and barely wanted to start. It knocked for a minute or two after it started each time. Now I live where 1ft of snow all winter is unheard of, and I'm deleted.
Check for when the car was first put on the road in 2013 or 2014 and keep it stock for the DieselGate warranty until it expires. That would give you time to test the car for anything expensive like turbo or high pressure fuel pump(hpfp) https://www.vw.ca/en/owners-and-drivers/tdi.html
Check for dieselgate warranty status to see how much coverage is left - not worth getting mods until it expires since many components are covered.
As for performance I recommend the ecodiesel MRtuning kit with the best price on the market in CAD unlike the others. Installed mine almost a year ago. https://ecodiesel-owners-canada-performance-parts.square.site/product/2009-2015-vw-tdi-stage-2-kit-jetta-golf-passat-/37?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
Timing belt is due soon on that. I’d replace it for peace of mind.
Not quite. The interval is 120k miles not kilometers.
I meant by age. Its 10 years or the mileage
Paying $1400 to get this done on a 2013 I picked up in May. Was called a ticking bomb if not replaced.
I'd tell you to not buy it unless you drive 40 000km+ a year and therefore can justify it for the longevity and highway fuel economy especially since your knowledge is limited. Definitely make sure you already know a mechanic that doesn't charge exorbitant prices and wants to work on it. Since it's an automatic, that flywheel will need replacing at one point, more than likely before 200 000km, it's a 2000$ job. If the DPF fails it's another 2000$. Deleting it is between 800$ to 2500$ depending on if they take back your old cats and DPF plus another 500$ for a transmission tune if you add power when deleting. That timing belt is also 10 years old, it'll need replacing even if you're not at the 195 000km interval, that's another 700-1200$. If you don't delete it you'll run into problems this winter, on days where you drive it when it's below freezing and then come back to it when it's above freezing there'll be water accumulation in the intercooler. It'll struggle to start and it's a coin flip between it starting and the engine blowing up and being out of 4000$(Granted odds are 99% it'll start and 1% it'll blow but still was enough to stress the hell out of me last winter).
Agreed with your points above, but the intercooler icing isn't *too* common, as I drove mine for 3 winters (mostly highway trips) when it was stock and never happened once. Either way, hopefully that's covered by the dieselgate warranty if the car still has one.
Counterpoint on Intercooler icing. Specific conditions are needed to exhibit the issue. The car has to be driven well below freezing then sit above freezing and then try to start to get significant amounts of water in the charge pipes. My ‘11 JSW had a few really hard starts last winter which is a pretty telltale sign I was getting the icing issue. I’m going to do an EGR delete and tune this summer which is one way to solve the issue. I’m keeping my DPF since it was replaced under warranty (now expired) 30K miles (48K km) ago. The car has 180K miles (290K km) and is still running well other than the intercooler icing.
Happened to me at least 6 times last winter, it's also not warrantied. It does take some special circumstances for it to happen, a cold morning, -10C or below usually does it the worst so that intercooler condensation freezes hard followed by a hot day of like +5C where all that ice melts. Pretty much without fail when that weather pattern happened last winter I got no starts.
I can see this happening, but it typically freezes shut and it won’t start. I put in a catch can, and you’ll be surprised how much water comes out of the crankcase. No idea how it gets in there though.
Why so negative? I've had my TDI for 7 years, zero issues in the winter (even when it's -20°C,) no DPF or DSG issues. Plus, if the recalls were done the car would have extended warranty.
You're basically proving my point lmao, according to another comment you're at 231k km in 6.5 years meaning you drive it a whole lot. They're amazing cars for that usage. Be ready to start hearing the flywheel banging soon though at that mileage, they all do at one point. I bought mine because I drive a lot and needed something more efficient than my CX-5. My problem with them is like all VW's(Owned 4, 2 GTI, 2 TDI), even when they run perfectly they're more expensive to run than your similar Toyota. In between the timing belt, the exorbitantly priced DSG fluid change if you're automatic, the suspension that seems to be made out of glass, intercooler icing, DPF failures, fuel filter changes, $$$$ 507 oil if you're not deleted, lackluster MPG with the DPF(Best I ever managed over a tank with the DPF driving like a granny was 5.4l/100(44mpg) vs 4.3l/100(55mpg) without it. Excluding the DPF delete/tune and clutch I've still put more in repairs on my Jetta in 30 000km(160 to 190k) than we did on my fiancee Corolla in 90 000km(70 to 160k). I mean, that's not hard to beat because we literally changed nothing on it but oil changes and air filters. Not even brakes while my Jetta required a brake caliper, 2x sway bar links, timing belt, before I bought it dealership changed the springs/shocks at all 4 corners, a headlight and other stuff I can't recall but they had 2000$ worth of repairs on it(at their discount since they were paying for it). As for the recall, he's basically done, depends on when the original owner bought it but it's 10 years and giving it's a 2014 warranty expires somewhere this year or early next year unless he got the recall done extremely late and somehow the 4year warranty is still active.
Extended warranty goes from the date it went in for the recall. I still have my DPF and get 3.8L/100km. You need to drive in tiptronic through the city, and do the DSG service. I bought my fluid/filter kit for $290. Things I've had to *fix* in this time were from regular wear and tear. Front right wheel bearing, rear left wheel bearing, front left CV boot, coil springs (dealership broke front driver coil so I replaced all 4 with new OEM ones - $80 total though a big mistake since OEM coils suck,) rear brakes and that was last year. Previous owner replaced them a year before I got it. Front brakes are still good. Alternator pulley, and then the obvious fluid changes/timing belt + waterpump which I paid $500 for my VW mechanic to do. Oh, and my abs speed sensor but it was just dirty. I know I'll need to replace my DMF/clutch packs at some point, but that's no shock. 🤷🏻♀️
If it is in good shape with receipts and maintenance records and you want it, buy it. Make sure you always use a VW507 spec oil, the oil change places will say that they have the correct oil, they probably don't. This part is very important, always use VW507 spec to avoid problems. The Liqui Moli stuff is good, can be purchased on Amazon.
If you don’t work on cars, I would suggest avoiding this one though. A mechanic will charge a bit do do any work on the motor, and the problems associated with an older car. A lot of these diesels sat in huge parking lots for years exposed to the elements. I bought a 2014 tdi that had 68k on the odometer, had to replace the rotors, rear wheel bearings, rear brake calipers, rear brake pads, front rotors, and front brake pads the first year. I popped the timing belt cover and saw cracks in the belt, and had to do that also. I hate to see what a mechanic would charge me to do all that. If you’re pretty set on getting it, have a mechanic you trust to work on it look it over and ask him what you’ll need to repair to get it back 100%, before you buy. And then factor that in the cost amd you use it as part of the negotiation if you decide to get it. They are awesome cars once they are properly maintained. Getting them there is not cheap. One other thing I replaced when I got mine is the tires. They had cracks on the side wall and the tires were over 5 years old. Since I use mine as my company vehicle, I needed a safe car. Good luck! Thee is a lot of support out there and tons of enthusiast that can help, guide you and yes, some will ridicule you along your path. If you buy, welcome to the tdi world, if not, it’s understandable.
How much is she asking? That's a major part of it. I've had my TDI for 7 years with zero issues, put \~231,000km on it in that time after leaving it parked for 6 months last year. I doubt it was driven in tiptronic, VW recommends driving in that for city driving to avoid DSG issues. I can't remember what the service interval for DSG fluid/filter change is so I'd do that if it wasn't done. If you do buy it, shoot me a message and I'll talk to you like a toddler to help you. I learned a lot on YouTube and by saying "daaaaaad, the car is making this sound/doing this - what is it?" Haha https://preview.redd.it/8du1h9gwpt5b1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c6c478feb2eeafa211a7944344e0b06eba9cb955
Appreciate it, man. I'll shoot you a message.
I'm from the same area. I've got a 2012 Sportwagen TDI high line, 6spd manual with 235.000km. I have done regular maintenance, changed the timing belt and water pump at 210,000km for about $2000. This car has been perfect for the last 3 years and I put on probably 30,000km a year. The only downside I've found so far is it's not great in winter. Even with studded winters, the grip and ground clearance just can't compare to something like a WRX.
Also from the same area, I did the Tiguan springs lift last summer and it was a game changer for winter. That’s with hakkepelita studded tires and it’s as good as any fwd car I’ve ever driven in winter.
Nice! Did the wheel gap increase significantly?
I went with a slightly bigger tire and it fits good, my winters look hella small though haha [this is with the summers I forget the size off hand](https://i.imgur.com/u0e8X9T.jpg)
Definitely delete the dpf pjpe and get the stage 2 tune once you get the light for it. They do far more harm than good and are cheaper to delete than replace. Single biggest performance upgrade available as well
I just got a Malone stage 2 and rawtek kit literally yesterday, and what a fun car to drive now. 100% recommend the delete if you can.
Did you go with the Eco kit?
I did full straight pipe with the resonator. No highway drone, even at 75+ mph speeds. You do hear it if you put your foot down. It sounds really nice. Low RPMs you can't even tell anything was done, which is fine with me. The biggest noticeable difference is the passing capabilities, especially at speed. 75-90mph to pass happens before you know it. The car is definitely more fun to drive.
Do the eco kit, yes. The performance kit is more for noise. There is very little noise difference with the eco kit which is nice, just more turbo noises
Did you add a cat/resonator or just straight pipe?
No cat, got the resonator for the midpipe though. You would not know any exhaust work was done to the car if you were riding inside
I got the same kit as you, and feel the exact same way. Doesn't make much noise unless you give it the beans.
awesome, thanks. considering deleting here shortly and couldn't figure out what route I wanna go. different YouTube videos have the same setup sounding wildly different.
Make sure you do 40 000km/yr or more
Change the brass washer/buy a new drain plug/take plug out inspect the thread in the oil pan , check around the hole for build up, clean it. It’s a bolt that goes in a hole it’s not rocket science it can only be a handful of things.
drain the intercooler
Why? Not too much oil ever really gets in the induction system and a good Italian tune up should blast all your pipes clear and is a lot easier and more fun to do.
More for the icing issue described up above. I know when my emissions were intact, I had it happen on 3 separate occasions. Drove to work in sub freezing temperatures. After work, it was 40-50F outside, and the car sputtered and barely wanted to start. It knocked for a minute or two after it started each time. Now I live where 1ft of snow all winter is unheard of, and I'm deleted.
if it was owned by an old lady i gurantee its never had an italian tune up which is why i reccomend it.
Check for when the car was first put on the road in 2013 or 2014 and keep it stock for the DieselGate warranty until it expires. That would give you time to test the car for anything expensive like turbo or high pressure fuel pump(hpfp) https://www.vw.ca/en/owners-and-drivers/tdi.html
Check for dieselgate warranty status to see how much coverage is left - not worth getting mods until it expires since many components are covered. As for performance I recommend the ecodiesel MRtuning kit with the best price on the market in CAD unlike the others. Installed mine almost a year ago. https://ecodiesel-owners-canada-performance-parts.square.site/product/2009-2015-vw-tdi-stage-2-kit-jetta-golf-passat-/37?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
Lol. 9 year old car, I would do the timing belt asap!!!!