Hello!
My M-B's served me well over the past 2 1/2 years. Actually, other than my truck, I've had the M-B longer than any other vehicle I've owned.
But, unfortunately, the car's not exactly a creampuff. The drivetrain works just fine, but the front suspension and steering system have serious issues, the body's got a few dents/dings (most recent just on Tuesday, thanks to my g/f not watching where she was going
), and the interior saw too many Texas summers before I rescued the car and brought it to CA in '02. In the wake of the last dent, the car's officially been degraded to "Beater" status, meaning that while I'll keep up with basic maintenance, her days are numbered and she's going to wind up driven into the ground. This also means that I'm starting to think about a replacement car, even though $$'s real tight.
This is why I'm posting on this board and not the M-B board. I'm thinking long and hard about replacing her with a TDi. The M-B OM617's a bulletproof engine, and I like both the W123 and W126 body cars, but I'm having trouble arguing with 50mpg, and for someone who's never owned a vehicle built after 1985, the idea of getting a "new" or "newer" car is very appealing. This is doubly the case since I'm almost exclusively a DIY, and it would be nice to have a daily-driver that I don't need to tinker with on a regular basis to keep on the road. However, it would be nice to be able to do my own maintenance...is that even possible?
I test-drove an '03 Jetta TDi 5 speed when they were new on the lot and was very impressed.
Only thing is, I don't know a thing about the TDi, other than the mileage numbers, the fact that you're much better off with a 5 speed than with an automatic (from power and mpg standpoints; this is good since I prefer manual trannies), and the aluminum head and timing belt. So, this gets to be my chance to learn.
First, do the head and timing belt become issues, other than needing to maintain the cooling system and replace the belt every 50K miles or so? IIRC, early VW diesels had head trouble; don't know if this carried over to the new engines or not.
Second, does the fact that it's a front-wheel-drive raise any issues with routine maintenance? I've been lucky enough to never have owned a FWD vehicle before.
Third, are there any year-specific vehicle or engine issues? Any particularly desirable year, or any particular year that should be avoided?
It'll probably be a few years before I could even get a chance to come up with the $$ (broke college student now; need a regular job before I can afford something like this), but better to start early than to play catch-up, right?
Thank you in advance!
My M-B's served me well over the past 2 1/2 years. Actually, other than my truck, I've had the M-B longer than any other vehicle I've owned.
But, unfortunately, the car's not exactly a creampuff. The drivetrain works just fine, but the front suspension and steering system have serious issues, the body's got a few dents/dings (most recent just on Tuesday, thanks to my g/f not watching where she was going
), and the interior saw too many Texas summers before I rescued the car and brought it to CA in '02. In the wake of the last dent, the car's officially been degraded to "Beater" status, meaning that while I'll keep up with basic maintenance, her days are numbered and she's going to wind up driven into the ground. This also means that I'm starting to think about a replacement car, even though $$'s real tight.This is why I'm posting on this board and not the M-B board. I'm thinking long and hard about replacing her with a TDi. The M-B OM617's a bulletproof engine, and I like both the W123 and W126 body cars, but I'm having trouble arguing with 50mpg, and for someone who's never owned a vehicle built after 1985, the idea of getting a "new" or "newer" car is very appealing. This is doubly the case since I'm almost exclusively a DIY, and it would be nice to have a daily-driver that I don't need to tinker with on a regular basis to keep on the road. However, it would be nice to be able to do my own maintenance...is that even possible?
I test-drove an '03 Jetta TDi 5 speed when they were new on the lot and was very impressed.
Only thing is, I don't know a thing about the TDi, other than the mileage numbers, the fact that you're much better off with a 5 speed than with an automatic (from power and mpg standpoints; this is good since I prefer manual trannies), and the aluminum head and timing belt. So, this gets to be my chance to learn.
First, do the head and timing belt become issues, other than needing to maintain the cooling system and replace the belt every 50K miles or so? IIRC, early VW diesels had head trouble; don't know if this carried over to the new engines or not.
Second, does the fact that it's a front-wheel-drive raise any issues with routine maintenance? I've been lucky enough to never have owned a FWD vehicle before.
Third, are there any year-specific vehicle or engine issues? Any particularly desirable year, or any particular year that should be avoided?
It'll probably be a few years before I could even get a chance to come up with the $$ (broke college student now; need a regular job before I can afford something like this), but better to start early than to play catch-up, right?
Thank you in advance!
