13 VW TDI

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Mar 9, 2012
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461
Well my search is over. I bought a 13 Jetta TDI 6 speed manual earlier today has been maintained and has all the service work done on time. Has 133k on it and it's in great shape. I need to be educated on the TDI for sure so please inform me of what to look for things to do to keep it running etc. Definitely feel like TDI are my weakness which made me nervous to purchase but also exciting to grow my knowledge and get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I feel like I got lucky with this has all the Bells and whistles including the fender premium radio option. I paid 9400 for it which I think is fair. Not a screaming deal but reasonable.
 

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I had a 2009 that I put 80K miles on until I sold it back to Volkswagen as part of Dieselgate. Replaced it with a 2013 BMW X5 turbodiesel. My recommendation is that you pick up a Scangauge so you can monitor exhaust temperatures for Diesel Particulate Filter regenerations. Plugs into your OBD2 port. In the BMW, I am now using the latest and greatest Scangauge 3.
 
I had a 2009 that I put 80K miles on until I sold it back to Volkswagen as part of Dieselgate. Replaced it with a 2013 BMW X5 turbodiesel. My recommendation is that you pick up a Scangauge so you can monitor exhaust temperatures for Diesel Particulate Filter regenerations. Plugs into your OBD2 port. In the BMW, I am now using the latest and greatest Scangauge 3.
Is scan gauge the only way to do that? I have obd11 would that work? Also what should the temps be?
 
Normal driving, exhaust gas temps are around 500-600 degrees F. During a DPF regeneration, they go above 1000F

There are devices other than Scangauge that will display exhaust temperatures, but Scangauge is the only one I have owned and used.
 
Had one of those before, make sure to use the correct oil in it. Good quality OEM equivalent filters, not parts store brand ones. Watch what you put in the fuel because it will affect everything from the fuel pump to the DPF and other emissions equipment. Also do all of the scheduled maintenance when it is due, even if it looks fine.

Those vehicles love to be babied and if you are mean to them, they will reward you with very big repair bills. Everything on those is specified for a reason. Also get the oil out of there ASAP because you have no idea what is in there and it is 99% likely not to be the correct stuff, just whatever bulk oil with a Chinese filter.
 
Normal driving, exhaust gas temps are around 500-600 degrees F. During a DPF regeneration, they go above 1000F

There are devices other than Scangauge that will display exhaust temperatures, but Scangauge is the only one I have owned and used.
Ok, so what am I watching the temperatures for? What is therm purpose I guess. Probably a dumb question but I really do not know much about the system at all.
 
Had one of those before, make sure to use the correct oil in it. Good quality OEM equivalent filters, not parts store brand ones. Watch what you put in the fuel because it will affect everything from the fuel pump to the DPF and other emissions equipment. Also do all of the scheduled maintenance when it is due, even if it looks fine.

Those vehicles love to be babied and if you are mean to them, they will reward you with very big repair bills. Everything on those is specified for a reason. Also get the oil out of there ASAP because you have no idea what is in there and it is 99% likely not to be the correct stuff, just whatever bulk oil with a Chinese filter.
Any filter brand you would recommend?
 
Use Mann filters and a VW 504/507 approved 5W30. Napa company owned stores usually have the proper oil in stock. ECS Tuning has all sorts of OEM and Euro brand aftermarket parts which are of higher quality than what you'd typically see for at a parts store.
 
All depends on which one you want and where you look. I always aimed for the OEM equivalent brands like MANN, Mahle, Meyle, Purflux (great zigzag media), Beck Arnley and of course OEM VW. They are built much better and you can truly see a difference side by side with the cheap stuff. Interestingly enough they aren't necessarily more expensive, just harder to find.

RMEuropean.com is a great place with good prices, but I think you have to pay shipping there. You will have to familiarize yourself with the VW sites that have everything available. Like Cascadegerman.com, IDparts.com, RMEuropean.com, FCPeuro.com, Authausaz.com and there are others. When I need something, I just look across all of them and see who offers the best deal. Their stuff should be correct and of good quality.

Another thing that you REALLY need to look into is getting your timing belt replaced. They are due by time and miles WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. If yours hasn't been replaced, it is way overdue. Most of the time there is no way to tell, so it needs to be done. If that belt breaks, it is over. Also fuel filter needs to be done at the correct intervals, those fuel pumps are very expensive and you don't want to stress them out or let dirt in. Also the oil you are looking for is a VW 507.00 spec oil in 5w30. Most places don't have this.

Edit: for additional info.
 
All depends on which one you want and where you look. I always aimed for the OEM equivalent brands like MANN, Mahle, Meyle, Purflux (great zigzag media), Beck Arnley and of course OEM VW. They are built much better and you can truly see a difference side by side with the cheap stuff. Interestingly enough they aren't necessarily more expensive, just harder to find.

RMEuropean.com is a great place with good prices, but I think you have to pay shipping there. You will have to familiarize yourself with the VW sites that have everything available. Like Cascadegerman.com, IDparts.com, RMEuropean.com, FCPeuro.com, Authausaz.com and there are others. When I need something, I just look across all of them and see who offers the best deal. Their stuff should be correct and of good quality.

Another thing that you REALLY need to look into is getting your timing belt replaced. They are due by time and miles WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. If yours hasn't been replaced, it is way overdue. Most of the time there is no way to tell, so it needs to be done. If that belt breaks, it is over. Also fuel filter needs to be done at the correct intervals, those fuel pumps are very expensive and you don't want to stress them out or let dirt in. Also the oil you are looking for is a VW 507.00 spec oil in 5w30. Most places don't have this.

Edit: for additional info.
Is 507.00 5w30 and 5w40 either viscosity is acceptable? Timing belt was done 2 years ago at 102k. I remember seeing on another mk6 TDI a few weeks ago it has the fuel filter housing and then the oil filter cartridge and a other cartridge on the bottom side of the engine. What is that?
 
Pretty sure most of the 507.00 oils we get here are 5w30. If there is a 5w40 that you can find, I don't see that being an issue. The 5w30 oils we get here are just about a 40 weight anyway, that is part of the spec. There is the fuel filter housing up top behind the passenger's head light, the oil filter housing on the front of the engine and if yours is automatic, the transmission has a filter housing as well over towards the driver's side. The transmission also has a filter insert like the engine does. The auto transmission service has to be done every 40k and is a bit of a project, but very necessary. Of course it doesn't take normal fluids and you have to get the correct stuff.
 
Is 507.00 5w30 and 5w40 either viscosity is acceptable? Timing belt was done 2 years ago at 102k. I remember seeing on another mk6 TDI a few weeks ago it has the fuel filter housing and then the oil filter cartridge and a other cartridge on the bottom side of the engine. What is that?
VW504.00/507.00 come ONLY in 0/5W30. If you want feel warm around heart and go thicker oil, go VW511.00 oils which are XW40 version of VW504.00/507.00. My vote either Mobil1 ESP 0W30 or 5W30.
Filters? Any of these
OE
MANN
MAHLE
HENGST.

OBD11 over scangauge. Scangauge is simple, no any other use. With OBD11 you can code stuff. @TiGeo is guru for that.
 
I had a 2009 that I put 80K miles on until I sold it back to Volkswagen as part of Dieselgate. Replaced it with a 2013 BMW X5 turbodiesel. My recommendation is that you pick up a Scangauge so you can monitor exhaust temperatures for Diesel Particulate Filter regenerations. Plugs into your OBD2 port. In the BMW, I am now using the latest and greatest Scangauge 3.
In BMW you really need Carly or ProTool to watch that if you want, but to code stuff too.
 
Pretty sure most of the 507.00 oils we get here are 5w30. If there is a 5w40 that you can find, I don't see that being an issue. The 5w30 oils we get here are just about a 40 weight anyway, that is part of the spec. There is the fuel filter housing up top behind the passenger's head light, the oil filter housing on the front of the engine and if yours is automatic, the transmission has a filter housing as well over towards the driver's side. The transmission also has a filter insert like the engine does. The auto transmission service has to be done every 40k and is a bit of a project, but very necessary. Of course it doesn't take normal fluids and you have to get the correct stuff.
Maybe thats what it was. We had a Jetta TDI in the shop a few weeks ago. We were doing an alternator on it. The tech we hired is new to the industry. She's a total sweetheart we are very lucky have found her considering techs are hard to find! But she's right out of tech school and she learned what "service mode" meant. 🤣🤣🤣 Have to pull the whole front of the car forward to get the alternator out. Anyway that car has a oil filter housing on top and then another cartridge underneath I didn't look closely but noticed it when it was in the air and thought to myself "hmmm what's that's" being an auto trans filter makes sense. We don't see many VWs in our area and even less TDI so I haven't had hardly any experience with them.
 
VW504.00/507.00 come ONLY in 0/5W30. If you want feel warm around heart and go thicker oil, go VW511.00 oils which are XW40 version of VW504.00/507.00. My vote either Mobil1 ESP 0W30 or 5W30.
Filters? Any of these
OE
MANN
MAHLE
HENGST.

OBD11 over scangauge. Scangauge is simple, no any other use. With OBD11 you can code stuff. @TiGeo is guru for that.
Any brand of oil superior over another?
 
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