Hello,
so I am in the process of buying a diesel car because it gives much, much better mileage. I have never owned a diesel before (its also manual transmission, something else I have never owned). What do I need to know about maintenance? Oil changes, tuneups, etc. Also I was recently at a shell that had 2 grades of diesel. Huh? I didn’t even know this existed. Does it make any difference? Thanks.
It depends on what you are getting. Some older diesels have glowplugs that require a short pre-heat before ignition - these occasionally require replacement. Other than that, they generally require less maintenance than a petrol engine. The diesel grades can make a difference to mileage - I get 4-5 (55mpg vs 50mpg) mpg more on BP Ultimate diesel in my VW Passat (on motorway driving) compared with standard - I think the extra cost is worth it, and they claim it keeps the injectors cleaner.
Si
What kind of diesel are you getting?
I’ve got an '06 Jetta TDI, and like si_blakely said, it generally requires less maintenance then it’s standard gasoline brother. The dealer recommended oil changes every 7,500 miles, although the oil changes do have to be done at the dealer rather than the cheapy oil change places.
I bought my diesel to be environmentally friendly, so I go out of my way to get a biodiesel blend. One place close has 11%. I do notice a decline in performance and gas mileage if I use biodiesel, however. On 11%, I get about 48-50 mpg on the highway. Standard diesel, I get 55. So really there is no benefit to be had by going to 11% biodiesel, since my gas mileage decreases about 10% while using it. I tend to stick to standard diesel.
I drove a Jetta diesel for 12 years, and it was great–excellent mileage, and probably saved money overall on not having to pay for tuneups (even including replacing the glow plugs during that time).
One important factor for you, in the Tranna area: diesel will “gel” at very cold temperatures; that was almost never an issue for me here in Victoria. There is an additive that you can buy in Canadian Tire (before it gets too cold!) that will help stop gelling. If you have heated indoor parking, then you should be OK in the mornings…
Living in Canada you need to speak with some local diesel drivers about fuel gelling, and how best to avoid it. Also, if the vehicle does not come with an engine heater (Diesels often do) then install one. Diesels are much more sensitive to cold starting problems than spark engines, and they heat up much slower, so if you want heat and defrost to work the first 5 miles of your trip, you need to use the pre-heater. For the same reason, diesels are not the best choice if you makes lots of short trips.
This is all good advice, but remember, VW TDI Diesels are pretty high-tech and do not suffer from a lot of these problems. First of all, I’d recommend stopping by Fred’s TDI page It’s really a great source of info. Now I haven’t owned a car for a while now, but my last one was a TDI manual transmission. Since I don’t know what type you are getting, I’ll assume that you are getting a newer one. It’s all I could help you with anyway.
As for gelling. I never lived in a climate where it was a problem. I’m pretty sure that the fuel is changed to winterized diesel and I don’t think it will gel as quickly as the normal number 2. The TDI has a special fuel filter that warms up the fuel with heat from the engine meaning that it works in almost any climate. It was designed to operate without a block heater in any climate. Kevbo is right though. If you want the heater or defrost to work for the first 5 miles you’d need a heater. I would seriously check with the TDI page on that though as I remember plenty of people from up North loving them though.
Glow plugs? They usually only stay on for a second or two, even in the coldest of weather. Congratulations on getting a manual transmission though. If your car is like mine, it’s probably the easiest car to learn on. Diesels have lots of torque, which means they are harder to stall out than a standard petrol engine.
As to two grades of diesel, this Ultra-low-sulfur diesel - Wikipedia might have an insight for you.
http://greasecar.com/ You also have this option.
I’ve never heard this before. Unless there is some special tool needed to get the oil pan plug out, or to get the filter off, it seems to me you’re wasting your money by paying the dealer an inflated cost for the change.
That said, diesels will die a horrible death without oil, so it is important to ensure you’re always topped up.
-Tofer
With regard to Volkswagens, it is not true that oil changes must be done at the dealer. However, warranty coverage requires that higher-spec synthetic oil be used which is difficult to find in North America outside of VW dealers. Because this oil is not very common, it is a good idea to document oil changes that you do outside the dealer, so as to prove you used the proper oil if in-warranty repairs are required.
Sorry for the leaving the car type out. Its a 2003 VW Jetta TDI. Thanks for all the helpful hints!
This seems not to be a problem any more, at least with the current VW Jetta. My SO and I had wondered about it, so on the coldest Saturday we could find last winter (about -30°F), we headed to the VW dealer first thing in the morning, and asked to see a car they hadn’t started yet. A short wait for the glowplug and it started right up.
If you live in a cold climate, get the seat warmers on the VW’s. I did a lot of research into the TDI and this was echoed by everyone that suffered through cold winters.
Apparently the TDI engines create very little heat at idle, so warming up your car on cold winter mornings is quite hard to do.
I have a 2004 Golf TDi.
With regards to the sulpher grade of diesel, I found out the hard way that using a lower grade/high sulpher content diesel might eventually clog up the EGR valve, which is a pricy replacement (about $1000-ish).
We’ve never had problems in the winter (Calgary) but we get it winterized every year, including additives in the fuel. In cold weather, we cycle the glow plugs a few times before starting it and it’s always been fine. We also put on a pan heater, and it’s also helped for the -30 or more winter days.
Fluid/maintenance is less often, but costs more.
I get fantastic mileage. I can drive from here to Van on one tank (just like the
This is very true. I love the seat warmers. You have to be driving the car to get it warm, it doesn’t idle warm like gas cars do.
When you break down on the side of the road and roll into an old country garage, make sure you punch the jerk that is telling you that you need new spark plugs.
Learn the trick to being able to blast black smoke out. It was one of the joys of driving a diesel. If you have someone tailgating you, you can blast them with a huge gust of black smoke…environmentally irresponsible but deeply fulfilling.
I miss the smell of diesel fuel.
Okay, how do you do it?
I hope to have a diesel someday, and deep fulfillment sounds great.
You also need your battery to be in good shape. Diesels demand more from a battery
It’s been almost 20 years since I had a diesel. I believe it involves over-revving the engine after switching to a lower gear. Trust me, if he’s never had a stick shift or a manual, he’ll have it figured out before he rounds the block.
Yeah, diesel batteries are much bigger.