Round 2: Beetle TDI

 Seriously?

Yeah, I got another one. It's a 2006 VW Beetle TDI with a 5 Speed.  After my experience with the TDI Beetle I had a few years ago, you'd think I learned my lesson and wouldn't do this to myself again.  But, here we are.  Round 2 it would seem.

Hello!

Why?

 I mostly blame my wife.  (Oh yeah, I got married last year.  True story.)

My wife is most of the way through her Graduate degree and recently started her clinicals.  Since then she's been using the Passat TDI to make the commute into town and I've been driving her Volvo C30 to get to work.

Which isn't really a problem because I like driving it, but I'm worried about hitting a deer or some other critter on my way home from literally the middle of a Kansas cornfield at o' dark thirty. I was told she wouldn't be upset if something happened to it, but I know she really likes it and would in fact, be very upset if I brought it home with a deer shaped dent in it..  

So, I figured maybe another car might be in order.

I wanted a TDI Wagon, like a Jetta/Golf Sportwagen or an Audi Wagon, but I was shot down by my wife.

"Absolutely not.  Station Wagons are hideous." 

"What about a diesel Bug", I shot back.

"Okay, that's fine." (Wait, what?)

So, I picked up another Bug from a coworker of mine.  Same color, and interior as the Oil Leaking 2005 I had before, and it's even straight piped like my old one.

So, we're off to a good start here. 😶

It's got a tick over 152K miles.  Pretty low for a TDI.  It's got a BEW "Pump Duse" engine, which means no CP4 HPFP shenanigans like on the newer Common Rail TDIs.  It runs and drives like it's supposed to and is a  solid 10 footer.

What's Wrong With It?

Typical Mk4 things.

The interior of the New Beetles is quite honestly a plastic, creaky mess.  There are a few things that are loose or missing, that need replacement or repair.

Broken Door Handles, Loose Glove Box, Missing D/S "Oh Shit" Handle and Non Existent Headliner will need to be addressed.

PO couldn't confirm if he knew definitively if the Timing Belt/Water Pump had been replaced, so that's first on the list.

Shift Linkage feels a little loose, so a DieselGeek Mk4 Shifter Bushing Kit will go on along with a fresh Oil/Filter Change to appropriate VW Spec Oil to try and mitigate the notorious Cam Wear the BEW engines are known for.

The Defrost was non existent on the drive home, so I suspect the HVAC Blend Doors are missing their foam, so I ordered a Blend Door Plug Kit off of Ebay to take care of that.  The Dash needs to come out to access the Blend Dorrs, so I can take car of the loose interior panels as well.  Or induce new creaks and noise, putting it back together, but trying to stay positive here.

Plans?

Reliability.

I want to get it tuned, and delete the immobilizer at the same time.  Clean out/Replace the Intake Manifold.

I picked up some 2 Piece BBS Wheels from a Wolfsburg Jetta, that I'm going to refurbish with polished lips for it.  Definitely plan on cleaning up the Exterior, Interior and other things as time allows.

Removed the Panasonic Head Unit for a Single DIN Power Akoustic Android Auto Head Unit. So, it'll get dragged kicking and screaming into this part of the 21st Century.

Maybe Smyth UTE Kit for it?  I dunno.  The idea of small diesel powered trucklet does have a certain appeal to me.

I'm just glad that I have an older TDI again, with a 5 Speed like the car gods intended.