TDI would not start Friday night. Towed it to the dealer where two more TDI cars were being towed in at the same time as mine. Turns out it was this:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/announcement.php?f=&a=33

I just paid $1600 for the new parts that are supposed to fix the issue and the 60k service. Most of that cost was not related to the 60k service. This should have been covered under warranty but apparently VW likes to leave design defects in their cars and not fix them, then charge the customer to fix something that should have been a recall, only after the car fails to start and leaves the customer stranded. Fuck Volkswagen. Never again.

 

A intercooler caused your car not to start?

I just put Steve Petty Motorsports springs on the GTI. The front was an absolute bitch to do. Never again on jack stands. The rears took literally like 15-20 minutes.

 

The way they explained it, the intercooler is close in proximity to the EGR line. When it gets cold enough, the intercooler ices up, causing moisture in the EGR line to condense and collect in low points. This water can get sucked in the intake and cause it to run rough or even shut off. People on that board were also describing a hydrolocking condition in extreme cases. This collected water can freeze too, and ice can get sucked into the engine, causing catestrophic engine failure. VW has known about this for quite some time and hasn't done shit. Had this happened with 900 more miles on the car and had it destroyed the engine, I'd be facing those costs on a car I still owe 10 grand on. There is a revised intercooler package that is supposed to remedy the situation. Supposedly, they have decided to cover it under the 36,000 mile warranty but not the 60,000, which mine is still in. It should be a fucking recall item, the fuckfaces.

Oh, and this is not a problem in Europe because their TDI's aren't required to have the faggoty emissions systems that ours are. I shutter to think what else these faggot, hippie systems are going to cost me. I know the DPF is about 2 grand when they need replacement around 120k miles. Shit, for the cost of about five more incidents like this and I could have just deleted all of the emissions equipment and paid the $10,000 fine to the feds if I ever got caught.

I really need another running car though. Paying labor for something as easy as an intercooler install is not something I'd usually do. Had I had another car to run, I would have just fucking bought the parts kit and done it myself.

 

^^ This is why I've always had a beater / throw away car. Pay 1k-2k cash for something that runs and either rock it as a daily to work for the mpg's or simply let it sit as a back up if / when shit on the new car goes down.

 

I will soon have a beater for that very reason. I was gonna sell it and get an S2k or truck but I may just get the miata running or buy another miata that is in better shape. Selling it right now would be financially idiotic and I'd like to LSX swap the Z with the money I've been saving, not deal with other pricey cars. I think I've gotten myself to the point where I'm no longer furious enough to just dump it, but this car was my litmus test for VW. It hasn't been a particularly bad car and I'm not worried about its reliability for at least the next year or two, but their unwillingness to correct design defects and own up to their mistakes means this is the last one I will ever own.

 

The most infuriating thing to possibly break:
Right turn signal will now not cancel itself.

A tip to all: Don't hold the turn signal on while it cancels, wears out a tiny piece of plastic and you'll do impressions of geriatrics while driving.

 

Most of the time you can replace the cancel cam and you'll be less geriatric after that.

 

On the 3 it requires a new combination switch/flasher module ($80), cam is metal on the shaft and it's fine...

So it can wait a while. At least it still catches when switched on so I don't have to hold it.

 

I have this annoying ass squeak/squeal whenever I turn the steering wheel at low speeds. Sounds like a tire rubbing but that's not actually the case

 

Power steering or steering rack.