VW diesel enngines

[elvis christ 451]

I'm tired of gas prices. I've been reading about the veggie-oil conversion on diesel engines, and have been considering buying a VW golf or something similar and doing the conversion. From what I understand it's not very difficult, I already have the basis of my plans mapped out.

 

Does anyone have any experience with these engines, ie maintenance, longevity, ease of repair, etc? It seems like a VW small car would be better (economically) than say, a diesel truck or a benz, or whatever.

 

thanks.

[Navy87Guy 1]

I have a 2003 VW Golf with about 105,000 miles on it. It runs like a champ, although I've been pretty religious about getting the factory-recommended maintenance done every 5000 miles. It's rated at 49 MPG, but even the way I drive (usally 75-80 MPH), I still average 42-44 MPG.

 

I haven't looked into the bio-diesel conversion yet -- but I might at the rate gas prices are going!

 

Jim

[nalioth 405]

I suggest before you guys start tearing into your cars guts, you look at the treatment you can give the used vegetable oils so ti can be used w/o any mods to your car.

[acercanto 6]

My mom has a diesel Jetta, and it's rather cute, and gets almost 50 mpg highway. Downside is that most of the parts are considered disposable, like the transmission, it's sealed, and when it breaks, they just drop it and pop a new one in. $1500. Good thing it was under warranty.

 

My $.02,

Acer

[Juggernaut 11,054]

I'm holdin our for Mopar Muscle someday.....

 

This IS STILL AMERICA after all........

[elvis christ 451]

Well, I don't know a lot about diesel engines, but I have a basic understanding of them. I don't believe I will have to "tear into my cars guts" to get it to run on vegetable oil. Basically, as I understand it, I will need a separate fuel tank to store the oil, a valve to switch between diesel and oil, a system to heat the oil to achieve required viscosity (which I have narrowed down to either A: running a "T" off of my coolant lines and diverting coolant from the engine back to the tank, where it would run through copper "S" lines in the tank, or B: an actual electric heater, similar to an engine block warmer, that I could run off of 12V power supply), and lastly some sort of on-board filtration system, which I believe will be the most difficult part. Other than that, the car will theoretically run on oil with no other modifications.

 

I've been looking at the TDI VW's, and they are neither cheap or easy to find, so that poses the most immediate problem. As far as replacing disposable parts, I'm cool with that, I do almost all the work on my own cars, and some work on other peoples cars, if something needs to be replaced (not repaired, transmissions are voodoo magic in my book) I can more likely than not DIY.

[nalioth 405]

Well, I don't know a lot about diesel engines, but I have a basic understanding of them. I don't believe I will have to "tear into my cars guts" to get it to run on vegetable oil. Basically, as I understand it, I will need a separate fuel tank to store the oil, a valve to switch between diesel and oil, a system to heat the oil to achieve required viscosity (which I have narrowed down to either A: running a "T" off of my coolant lines and diverting coolant from the engine back to the tank, where it would run through copper "S" lines in the tank, or B: an actual electric heater, similar to an engine block warmer, that I could run off of 12V power supply), and lastly some sort of on-board filtration system, which I believe will be the most difficult part. Other than that, the car will theoretically run on oil with no other modifications.

 

I've been looking at the TDI VW's, and they are neither cheap or easy to find, so that poses the most immediate problem. As far as replacing disposable parts, I'm cool with that, I do almost all the work on my own cars, and some work on other peoples cars, if something needs to be replaced (not repaired, transmissions are voodoo magic in my book) I can more likely than not DIY.

Adding auxiliary tanks and fuel line "T"s sounds like modding your car to me. There are techniques that 'crack' and filter the used vegetable oil to make it more'dieselly' so no extra tank or any of that stuff is necessary.

 

There are also folks who just run their used veggie oil though some filters and pour it in the tank ( If you are in LA, you should not need a heater of any kind [unless you get somebodies used fryin' fat which isn't gonna run very well in the car])

[Juggernaut 11,054]

I got to admit... it would be kinda sweet to have your car's exhaust smell like french fries......

[buckandaquarterquarterstaff 5]

Several members of my family owned a diesel VW dasher that was built in 1978. It lasted 683,000 miles before I crushed the bottom of the engine taking it down a snowmobile trail in the summertime (yeeehaa). It limped home, but needed too many parts to be worth sticking any money in. Traded it for some motorcycle parts to a guy who used it as a parts car for his rabbit diesel.

 

Slow as all hell. Topped out at 63 mph on the highway, 57 if the air conditioner kicked in. Something like 43 horsepower when it was new, and quite a few less than that by the time I got it handed to me.

 

I'd be a little careful on those conversions. Be sure you have a source for the veggie oil in bulk first as diesel is running about $.80 more per gallon than gasoline in my neck of the woods. You could easily lose more than gain.

 

Personally, I've been getting 37mpg with my old chevy prism (work beater). Even at $5 per gallon, it would have to be damn efficient to be worth the purchase price less gas savings vs my old beater. It's not all bad driving a piece of shit, park it where I like, parts abound, and I can leave the windows open in the summer so she's nice and cool.

[elvis christ 451]

Adding auxiliary tanks and fuel line "T"s sounds like modding your car to me. There are techniques that 'crack' and filter the used vegetable oil to make it more'dieselly' so no extra tank or any of that stuff is necessary.

 

There are also folks who just run their used veggie oil though some filters and pour it in the tank ( If you are in LA, you should not need a heater of any kind [unless you get somebodies used fryin' fat which isn't gonna run very well in the car])

 

Yeah, it is a modification, but running a new line is not that big a deal to me. I'm pretty sure I could do the whole conversion in a day. I've done more involved shit in less time in the past. As long as it doesn't involve dicking with the computer or actually taking something complicated apart, I'm good.

 

I've heard (from a guy with an F250 diesel) that you definitely need a heater, and probably want to do an on-board filter system just in case.

 

 

Several members of my family owned a diesel VW dasher that was built in 1978. It lasted 683,000 miles before I crushed the bottom of the engine taking it down a snowmobile trail in the summertime (yeeehaa). It limped home, but needed too many parts to be worth sticking any money in. Traded it for some motorcycle parts to a guy who used it as a parts car for his rabbit diesel.

 

Slow as all hell. Topped out at 63 mph on the highway, 57 if the air conditioner kicked in. Something like 43 horsepower when it was new, and quite a few less than that by the time I got it handed to me.

 

I'd be a little careful on those conversions. Be sure you have a source for the veggie oil in bulk first as diesel is running about $.80 more per gallon than gasoline in my neck of the woods. You could easily lose more than gain.

 

Personally, I've been getting 37mpg with my old chevy prism (work beater). Even at $5 per gallon, it would have to be damn efficient to be worth the purchase price less gas savings vs my old beater. It's not all bad driving a piece of shit, park it where I like, parts abound, and I can leave the windows open in the summer so she's nice and cool.

 

I'm totally cool with not going fast. I just want to save money. I don't see this fuel situation getting better in the foreseeable future (foreseeable future = next 10 years), so I'm pretty sure I can make the car save me some money in the long run. I work part time at a chinese restaurant when I get off work at my real job, so I have a steady supply of used oil. I could even get it before it goes in the grease trap, thus reducing the level of necessary filtering.

[micah360 6]

My Mom still drives an 83' diesel Rabbit. The thing is so loud she has to wear freaking ear plugs and she's hit like five deer in it (they live on a farm in the middle of Kansas).

 

But, the point is it's still alive and kicking. I quit asking what the mileage was about 100,000 miles ago. But, my Dad still brags that it still gets over 40 MPG!

[dancapostagno 0]

i also own a 2003 VW Golf TDI.

 

A-mazing car! Completely hassle-free to own and operate: good quality materials and tank-like build quality for such a small car, and damn near everything i own can be crammed into the ass end of that thing. Yes, they are about as hard to find as a friggin' leprechaun, but you're just as lucky if you do. The mileage is amazing, but the best part with modern european diesels is that they've refined the concept so that, unlike an electric car or hybrid- they are not a "penalty purchase" (you aren't sacrificing performance or fun because you feel bad about all those homeless penguins.) In fact the thing that is most remarkable about it to me is just how damn fun it is to drive. It is no frills: no moonroof, no leather, no power seats or any of that nonsense- just an economical diesel that just so happens to produce twice as much torque as it has horsepower, plus a turbo, plus THE best manual transmission i have ever operated.

 

with the addition of a good stereo, it has become one of those vehicles that i can never see myself getting rid of. yes, one day i may become rich enough to be utterly pompous and indulge with a cushy saloon, but the TDi will always be in my garage, and most likely outlive me. it's that good.

 

more often than not, you can get a relatively good deal on the fuel, but its economical enough that you really only end up refueling it once in a blue moon.

p.s. -as i've always understood it, it's almost already set up for biodiesel, all that's needed is a different type of gasket.

[soberups 1]

I have a 2003 VW Golf with about 105,000 miles on it. It runs like a champ, although I've been pretty religious about getting the factory-recommended maintenance done every 5000 miles. It's rated at 49 MPG, but even the way I drive (usally 75-80 MPH), I still average 42-44 MPG.

 

I haven't looked into the bio-diesel conversion yet -- but I might at the rate gas prices are going!

 

Jim

If you want to run biodiesel in your car, no mods are necessary. Pour it in and go. All VW's made since about 1996 have Viton fuel lines which are compatible with biodiesel. Your only concern is that pure biodiesel can gel at lower temps, so in the winter you need to blend it down with petroleum. I own a 2006 Jetta TDI and I have been running biodiesel in it since it was new.

Biodiesel and cooking oil/waste oil/vegetable oil are NOT the same thing. If you want to run cooking oil in your car, modifcations are necessary. You need heated fuel lines, and auxiliary tank, a purging system etc. It takes a certain amount of time and dedication to do it right. Taking "shorcuts' WILL lead to engine damage. A lot of people choose to manufacture their own biodiesel instead of modding the car to run on cooking oil. Making biodiesel isnt that complicated, but you do need access to large quantities of methanol.

Even though diesel is more expensive, it is still cheaper to operate due to the higher MPG. I can easily get 40MPG or more with my Jetta, and it has as much power and smoothness as a gas car getting 20 or 25MPG.

Edited April 19, 2008 by soberups

[G O B 3,516]

For more info on this subject go to Mother Earth News. They have as much info on Bio-deisel as this site has for Saiga's.

[patriot 7,197]

Mother Earth News also has all you would ever want to know about growing large plants indoors with NO outside light, and how to maximize certain compounds in those plants prior to "consumption". Keep that in mind when you research you bio-diesel. Always get confirmation from MULTIPLE sources.

[elvis christ 451]

I've been looking at mother earth news (almost typed MEN as an abbreviation, but it sounded ultra-gay ), and have been reading a bit about propane conversion. Supposedly it's about 15% less than gas, and gets about the same performance, mileage, etc. That's not that much of a price difference, but I could do it to my civic that I currently own.

 

FYI, I put gas in the civic today, $10, and was shocked to see that gas has gotten so expensive that $10 didn't even get me 3 fucking gallons. I was pissed.