Eco-Modding and diesels?

[worthrj]

The Chevrolet Cruze diesel has a shiftable 6 speed automatic. Seems like a rich mans manual transmission. How does an automatic transmission become shiftable? I'd wonder if the tranny is even reliable?

[Hersbird]

Originally Posted by worthrj

The Chevrolet Cruze diesel has a shiftable 6 speed automatic. Seems like a rich mans manual transmission. How does an automatic transmission become shiftable? I'd wonder if the tranny is even reliable?

That is nothing new, every automatic is shiftable. Some have the up and down gear selection mode. What would be more modern is a manual with a computer controlled clutch. I bet the Cruise uses a plain old automatic.

[UFO]

I have no issues with my TDI engine, Frank Lee is right, the rest of the VW is crap.

[Frank Lee]

Just like back in the diesel Rabbit days. Some things never change..

Originally Posted by PremierSprinter

...and the good/efficient diesel cars are VWs which have an unjust stigma of unreliability around them because VW owners tend to not do the maintenance that they are supposed to and just let them fall apart.

BS

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Just like back in the diesel Rabbit days. Some things never change..



BS

Agreed. All the complicated stuff on the mark4 1.8t is just fragile.
It seems like the early, mid 1990s stuff is just more reliable. Then at some point it seems like VW wanted to be more like audi and that other even more expensive one that no one can afford.
Right now I am driving a barrowed 1996 jetta TDi and it goes great. I offered to buy it several times over the years buy our friends don't want to sell it.

[Baltothewolf]

Idk about reliability, but diesel is .60-75 cents less than gasoline in California right now.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

Idk about reliability, but diesel is .60-75 cents less than gasoline in California right now.

Yes, the prices seem to have inverted again here in Colorado too. Go figure.

[Ecky]

Here's a model-by-model breakdown:

Untitled

Overall it looks like VW has relatively few engine failures, but can't make a transmission worth a damn and/or has other powertrain failures. The Jetta has a sample size of almost 10,000 and scores a 30/100 on overall reliability, or "well below average", while the Beetle might be the second-worst vehicle that site tracks overall (next to Mini Cooper). The Rabbit actually gets a fair score of about 60/100, which is (slightly above) average.

[PremierSprinter]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Agreed. All the complicated stuff on the mark4 1.8t is just fragile.
It seems like the early, mid 1990s stuff is just more reliable. Then at some point it seems like VW wanted to be more like audi and that other even more expensive one that no one can afford.
Right now I am driving a barrowed 1996 jetta TDi and it goes great. I offered to buy it several times over the years buy our friends don't want to sell it.

I have owned and worked on VWs all of my life. The automatic transmission aren't great. The rubberized coating on interior buttons start to come apart after five or so years. The newer direct injection motors had some metallurgy issues with injector lobes. The 1.8t motors had carbon issues with very high mileage. Most problems that VW has get an actual recall, even for body rust up to 12 years old. TDI motors, especially the ALH are insanely reliable. Plenty of TDI owners proudly drive around with 400,000 miles on them with the confidence to go across the country. Once you actually learn them well, you'll realize that the people who think that they are unreliable either have never owned one, bought one used after somebody else trashed it or bought one new having a common problem which is now covered under a recall with updated parts.

[PremierSprinter]

I should add that almost all VW "electrical issues" fall back on the sunroof drains clogging. Cleaning them is part of the VW 40k mile service that nobody did.