[Vwdiesel] bought a civic

[Lee Hillsgrove]

> Instead of buying a TDI I decided to  buy a 93 civic and keep my 85
> Jetta diesel.  The TDI is just too complicated.

 I don't think so. Working on them means just another set of skills to
learn. While my TDI won't continue to run after they drop a nuke, I guess
that will be the least of my worries. I can still crawl into the '85 Jetta
if need be.

The new VW TDI's are
> luxury cars,  nothing functional about them.  And look at the user
> reports on eopinions:  Power door locks, trunk hatch, turbos, MAF
> sensors, oil in intercoolors, the list goes on and on.

 Yes, there are some weak spots on the A4 series, but there are fixes and
workatrounds for all of them if you care to do so. Unfortunate that it
requires that, but something I'd be willing to do in exchange for the many
benefits of having the TDI over a Civic.
 Don't forget also that reviews on sites like that are often written by
people that have had bad experiences with the products. That's just human
nature to complain more often than to praise.


 One poor guy had
> oil in his intercooloer and the engine sucked it in to the cylinders
> causing the bottom end of the motor to fall out.

 Not TDI-specific, for sure.


 The cheapest A4; the
> beetle, has about 3" of ground clearance to an aluminum oil pan.


 As do the A4 Jetta and Golf. A steel skidplate is money well spent. Someone
is developing a lift kit for these cars, as well.



All
> this for cars that don't handle as well as a 1985 A2!  VW needs to do
> some soul searching and come back with a 2200 lb reliable TDI with no
> power windows/locks/AC that handles like an A2.


  Haha, wishful thinking. Unfortunately. People demand too many options
nowadays and the newer  crashworthiness standards require heavier vehicles
as well.



I know all theTDI
> technology is required for emmisisons but there is no excuse for not
> offering a TDI under 3000 lbs.  I think the ideal setup would be an A2
> Golf GTI with a TDI ,built in Vagcom on a 6" LCD screen, no EGR,


 EGR can be "modified" easily....



>and 2 MAF sensors stored in the trunk


 Get a replacement Pierburg originally made for a Mercedes and don't worry
about it. VW is also  replacing bad MAFs as long as there is less than, I
think, 100K on the car.


 Or, pick up a good used A3 or B4 series TDI. They're much more simple than
the current breed and especially so over the newest PD. Wastegated turbos,
bulletproof Pierburg MAFs, and generally more reliable window regulators. I
have a '98 Jetta TDI and love it! The addition of the Upsolute chips just
makes it that much better.

 When I bought my TDI, I thought I'd still drive my A2 Jetta frequently. I
was wrong. The TDI is so much nicer in every way - more power and better
economy and as was mentioned, much less noise. It's truly a win-win
situation. While the A3 will never match the nimbleness of the A2, it is
much more comfortable inside and seems to be happier cruising down the
highway at a generous clip than my A2.

 I guess I shouldn't rag on you for buying a Honda - different strokes for
different folks and all that. If you're looking for a plain vanilla
transportation appliance, you have made a good choice. The Hondas are good
cars for that role.


  Lee
  Oo-v-oO
  PP-ASEL
  KB1GNI