Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:06:43 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: New VW Rotten Unvieled // TDI?
In-Reply-To: <47B2515D.9964.1502736C@vwdiesels.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
To Mark on the cost of new vanagon parts like an ECU - yep, very expensive.
So is a tdi ECU.
They seldom are a problem. I have several vanagons ecu's can get subaru
ones easily enough.
Sure that's an 800 to 900 dollar part, but given that they normally run
totally indefinitely without failure..........used ones are just fine.
Hey........well here is a bad one ! ........the control unit behind the tail
light for a 2.1.........almost 400 claims at the dealer I believe !
On these other jettas here. If you are doing your own work, or most of your
own work..........that is just Not at all comparable to a person who has to
depend on professional shops.
Professional shops don't spread the money around for the best benefit, like
you do working on your own cars. You know what can still run for a while,
you usually figure out 'the appropriate repair' to best take care of your
wallet, your car, and your safety.
Professional shops don't do that.
What most of them do is identify justifiable repairs that are profitable.
If I sort of needs a deluxe clutch job and a starter and front axles while
they're looking into the clutch.........if the repairs are
'justifiable'............they tell the person that they must have all these
parts replaced.
They imply that there's no other choice. They are not about to say
......well, these 3 of this 10 part system are shot, and 3 more are still
ok, and one choice is just to the first 3 now, and the others in the future
( and the right thing to do is 'advise' on the best choice. They don't do
that very often ) ..............they don't even advise you that could be a
choice..........
They act like your front end that's a little tired, needs a full-max
rebuild, and there's no other choice, plus an alignment, plus shocks, plus
front axles. What could be a maybe 500 dollar 'take care of the most needed
things for now, and save the rest for another visit < like at the dentist >
..................they don't do that usually. They say it's $ 1,600 , you
must have it, then they do the job as fast as they can. Or close to that.
My point is, YOU taking care of your car are a 'Keep it working safely
and well for the most reasonable cost' Machine.
Most professional car shops are money-getting machines. A whole other
world.
You could have taken car of her car is efficiently and practically as you
did yours,
So, not comparable Charlie !
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Shawn Wright
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 6:10 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: New VW Rotten Unvieled // TDI?
Yup. I was very lucky in the 8 years I drove my Westy with the 2.1L, as most
of the parts had
already been replaced by the PO! :-)
However, a friend bought a low mileage '90 gas Jetta last year, paid 50%
more than I paid for
my '85 diesel Jetta (albeit mine has 2x the mileage, but with a mint body).
In the first 3
months, she had spent more on parts for her gas Jetta than I've spent in 4
years and 70k
kms on mine. Mine has 330k kms, runs great, and gets a steady 52mpg
imperial. If she
hadn't sold her Jetta, at ~35mpg, she'd have used about 400 gallons more
fuel over the
same period/mileage, and probably spent even more on parts, tuneups, etc.
On 12 Feb 2008 at 13:20, Mark Drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> Sure, but have you ever priced a new ECU, or AFM, or idle valve, or ICU,
> or OX sensor, or fuel pump, or..........
>
> Lots of expensive parts we read about failing here every week on a
> gasoline Vanagon. Not so many on a diesel.
>
> Mark
>
>
> Scott Daniel - Shazam wrote:
> > Yes and when your injection pump needs rebuilding I will cost the
equivalent
> > of 250 gallons of fuel to get the whole job done, something a gasoline
car
> > doesn't' even have at all. Nor does a gasoline car have a comparable
> > expensive fuel system part that is a predictable major expense like a
fuel
> > injection pump rebuild.
> >
> > Fuel cost is only one part of the equation.
> > Diesels cost more to get in the first place, and are often more
expensive to
> > repair. 'really fantastic fuel mileage' is just the short term immediate
> > benefit, and not the whole story at all. I will grant you though, that
> > counting all expenses from new purchase to say 200,000 miles the diesel
will
> > probably come out ahead on cost per mile compared to the gas car, but
not by
> > any astronomical amount like 60 % less over all or anything like that.
Maybe
> > 25 % less over all long term, as a wild guess.
> >
> > Tell me about this 'diesel fuel is less than gas in the summer'
> > .............
> > I've noticed the fluctuation ( diesel in southern Oregon is more than
> > premium gas right now, as it often is ) ........but not that is was less
in
> > the summer than gas. When did you first notice that, And why is that ?
scott
> >
> >
> > -
Shawn Wright
http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels
'88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed
'85 Jetta Diesel 1.6NA
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