New '03 Volkswagen Golf TDI Owner

[DocDiesel]

Hey everyone, I drive a 2003 VW Golf TDI automatic and have never been interested in the powermods that are mostly talked about on the dedicated TDI forums. I bought the car for longevity and efficiency and was pretty excited to discover this site. I have owned the car for 3 years now and average 38.5 mpg combined.

I have just started changing my driving habits and switched to a better diesel brand and hope to see some tiny difference on the next tank. My next goal is to get a ScanGauge then start to work on some actual mods to improve vehicle aerodynamics and reduce rolling resistance.

Personally, I am currently a medical student in East Tennessee. I am married and live in a small cabin with my wife. We're regularly annoyed by our 5 hens and 2 goats who refuse to stop eating my garden..

I look forward to get to know everyone!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

If I would ever get a Golf, Jetta, or a Passat with the TDI, I'd probably try some homebrewed biodiesel, or even a WVO conversion (altough the older Volkswagen Diesel engines with indirect injection are more suitable to a single-tank WVO setup). Anyway, I have never seen a Golf TDI with the automatic transmission in Latin America.

[DocDiesel]

Hey rooster, unfortunately I could only find automatic TDIs when I was buying here in the Midwest. Sheer driver laziness I guess. I looked for 6 months before I found one in my price range so I settled for the auto. I would love to convert to a greasecar kit in the next few years, but as a student being forced to move around every few years, I can't really invest in fabriating a permanent prefiltering system for WVO or drop the cash on a kit.

[jcp123]

Congrats! As always, I am jealous of TDI owners.

I see a much higher percentage of TDIs with stick, but alas, automatic is still firmly in the majority. Nevertheless, you managed to snag my fav generation of Golf (or Jetta, or Passat, for that matter). Good luck! I think the ScanGauge will be a worthwhile addition.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by DocDiesel

I would love to convert to a greasecar kit in the next few years, but as a student being forced to move around every few years, I can't really invest in fabriating a permanent prefiltering system for WVO or drop the cash on a kit.

Indeed. Anyway, some older models were easier to work around a filtering system and an add-on tank heater, but with the newer direct-injection engines comes a higher degree of complexity. Anyway, if you would ever convert it with a 2-tank system to still retain the regular Diesel fuel for the cold-start, I guess you woudn't be so happy with the further reduction at the trunk capacity.

[DocDiesel]

Rooster, I would most certainly do a dual tank install but even with the trunk half full it's still bigger than my wife's MINI! Luckily, greasecar sells a heated tank that sits in the spare tire well so it shouldn't take up too much space. And your point about direct injection is well taken, I'm pretty sure I will just buy a kit rather than fab one myself and risk ruining the motor.

[bhazard]

I would gather parts for a manual transmission swap.

Those automatics are known to fail a lot.

[COcyclist]

Hi Doc, Welcome to Ecomodder. I just got almost 1,000 miles on one tank in my TDI. Check out my fuel log. These are great cars although I agree that the manual tranny is the way to go. Please don't subject your TDI to a WVO conversion. Buy an old Mercedes for that if you must. A reputable biodiesel blend seems to work fine in these cars though.

[DocDiesel]

Originally Posted by bhazard

I would gather parts for a manual transmission swap.

Those automatics are known to fail a lot.

Thanks for such a positive outlook. I have had my eye on a 6-speed manual swap kit for when it finally goes.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

A manual transmission swap is a good deal, but wait to do it only when your stock automatic gets trashed, so you wouldn't be decreasing any residual resale value on your car.

Originally Posted by COcyclist

Please don't subject your TDI to a WVO conversion. Buy an old Mercedes for that if you must. A reputable biodiesel blend seems to work fine in these cars though.

Some older Mercs didn't even have to be converted at all to run safely on veg oils. Regarding biodiesel, check if your fuel lines are made out of some material compatible to biodiesel before you use it. Also, it's always better to change from regular Diesel to biodiesel gradually, otherwise the filters are going to clog due to sediments on the fuel tank and fuel lines getting dilluted in a high biodiesel content.