TDI left on a rollback
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1359473608.jpg

My confidence in the TDI has been shaken. I have read the horror stories of the HPFP and have convinced myself that is the problem. The car is still under warranty so we should get it fixed, but should I unload it?

The car started yesterday and shook violently then cut off. After repeated attempts it started again and cut off. Wife decided to leave it and drive something else. Called VW and they sent a rollback for it this AM.

I am pretty sure we will be in the market for something else.

Would help if you could explain what HPFP stands for, unless I'm the only one who has never heard that acronym before...

(Hey - I just figured out what LOL stands for... ;) )

-Z

High pressure fuel pump

What Fred said.

From what I have read it is a $7000 to $10,000 repair.

WOW. 10K for a fuel pump repair. Run Forest Run. Get it fixed under warranty and dump it.

Your post is timely & scary. I'm starting to look for a car to replace the Mercedes wagon. It's getting long in the tooth. A Jetta TDI wagon is where I keep looking. Ont of the guys in the local PCA bought one last fall (almost new) & has not had any issues, yet! But 10K for a HPFP !!!!! WTF??

From what I have read the Pump destroys the entire fuel system and everything must be replaced, including cleaning the tank.

Dump it, man. I'll offer $3k.

You can buy the whole car for less than that. 2001 Jetta? Think so. :cool:

I have been a long time German car nut, but slowly , and surely, I am turning back because of stuff like this. We used to buy german cars, because they were built like tanks, usually drove better, stopped, handled better, and usually looked far better than the american/japaneese stuff. And although they did cost more to service, they usually would go the long haul if maintained properly, Now , all it takes is a one component failure, and the cost to repair is more than ,or close to equal the cars value. I just spent the morning on the phone explaining a guys options when his trans went out on his XC 90. And I could tell he was frustrated, and upset. His expensive Volvo, which he has maintained to the hilt, is now basically worth the price of scrap.

Did you not bother to look at the photo of the Jetta on the rollback? It's a 2012 +/-

Yes it is the newer Jetta with the 2.0 TDI. I wonder if the Audi or BMW diesels are better. The Audi is supposed to be the same engine.

Maybe I am overreacting, the dealership has not had a chance to look at the car yet.

Denis probably looked at Peppy's sig (2001 Jetta TDI). I know I did, too, at first.

BMW has a similar problem with their HPFP's to the point that they have now extended the warranty period on them. Fortunately all that happens when they go out is the car stops. Unfortunately, they go out often.

BMW it happens with both gas and diesel

VW it happens with both gas and diesels

And it happens often

Here's 11 pages of first-hand documented failures on the 2009-2011 TDIs:
Offical list of HPFP Failures - TDIClub Forums

Eric that is what I have been reading and it scares the crap out of me, and I love diesels.

I guess we will be going to a gas engine car.

Thread on the TDI forum about it

FAQ-HPFP failures

CR High Pressure Fuel Pump "HPFP" failure FAQ - Updated 2/8/2011 - TDIClub Forums

Big issue with the gas 2.0 is the cam follower for the hpfp wears out and then it eats into the cam......
Big dollar repair.....yes I have done quite a few of them.......

That's essentially what is happening with the TDI pump, except it's a roller follower and it's lubricated with the diesel fuel itself.

Hard to believe that they cannot remedy this. Sounds like a fairly minor engineering challenge. It's not 1898.

I can barely make out a white vehicle in that distant cell phone picture. Going by his sig line.

Unfortunately, an extended warranty doesn't change the fact that your expensive new car could strand you multiple times. A local BMWCCA member had his go out three times on his 335i, enough so that he simply got rid of the car because he was tired of being stranded.

86,000 on mine..... 3 sets of tires, one set of back brakes.... excellent car IMO.... let VW service have a crack at it....

I have a Golf Tdi commuter, same year as your Jetta, it bothers me too.... some have had to fight the dealer hard to get this done, because they are quick to blame the diesel fuel quality and point finger to the gas stations... I've been keeping my receipts (all at the same station) just in case... This is the IMS/RMS of the VW world ;-)

Horseschit! If that is the case (lame excuse) then VW needs to build cars that will run on the fuel that is sold in this country. Do they want to increase their sales here or not?

Slightly off topic but I am curious about the etymology of the tow vehicle. Here in Ontario (and maybe the rest of Canada) that's a "float" truck. Is "rollback" a regionalism? Or is "float"?

I hope you don't think I was defending them, I certainly am not.

That's a flatbed tow truck in SoCal.

Nope, sorry if it came across that way. Just another data point to reinforce your post.

I was this close >< to buying a 335i but thankfully I did not. The HPFP problem was just starting to show its ugly face and of course BMW was saying it was just a bad lot and not really an issue at all. That was multiple modified part numbers, a recall and an extended warranty ago:/

I know its expensive to admit a problem (ask Toyota, Tacoma frames) but when you are seeing steadily increasing numbers of failing products, do they really think "deny everything and hope it goes away" is the best road??

As an '09 TDI owner, what do I need to do to prevent this HPFP failure from happening?

Gezz, I'm really disappointed to hear this and sorry your wife got stranded. Never a pleasant or convenient experience. Personally, I was finally narrowing the field to replace our 13 year old XC70 and now this. I thought having to shell out $3000 to fix a fuel pump solenoid on the XC was bad, I guess think again. Didn't spend that crazy money because thankfully it would start, just go through batteries more frequently and at least it doesn't just stop, although I keep waiting for the started to burn out (now 7 or 8 years since I first had the problem). Thing about a diesel is the supposed longevity of the engine, means I would hold onto to the car way past its warranty extended or not. I had a Rabbit & Dasher diesel followed by a Volvo turbo diesel (block made by Audi) and they were terrific if not a bit under powered, but great MPG and they all lasted well over 250k miles with very few issues. Simpler times I guess. As it stands now after hearing about this issue, the only way I would even consider buying a VW TDI is if it had a lifetime warranty. Maybe I'll wait for the Mazda 6 diesel? Any known issues with them? These manufacturers had better start fixing these issues in real time rather than waiting until the next model redesign or blaming the next guy. With a over populated auto market we as consumers have a wider range of offerings than ever before. I guess they'll get the point when sales dry up. I already nixed the Ford Focus because of their trans issues. Maybe not a $10k fix, but depends on how many times you would need to replace it? Had considered a BMW too, so guess not now. Maybe I'll just go back to buying a decent used car with less computer capabilities and fewer know problems. Not sure what that would be, but there has to be something out there better than having to fix a $10k fuel pump.

I believe this fuel pump issue is covered under the 60k mi. power train warranty?

Just curious. My plan on my TDI is to part way at 5 years / 60k mi. ;)

G

Float is regional. Rollback is pretty common term in the US and picks up any type of truck that rolls cargo on/off from the rear with a tilt-function. Be that a tow truck, where the bed rolls back/down, and the car is pulled on, or something like a trash bin truck where the bin is a big box that is moved by rolling on/off the truck.

In this country, when you hear the term "float" for a truck, it's usually associated with a flatbed and more commonly heard in the south than other areas. By flatbed, I mean the type with a fixed bed, where you would back up to a loading dock or forklift the materials on/off. Not a commonly used term in the US.

angela

This is absolutely horrifying to me... :eek:

Seriously, this is horrifying like naked clowns with chainsaws.

angela

interesting reading here:

dweisel's HPFP Analogy of a Failure - VW TDI forum and Audi TDI forum - myturbodiesel.com

Cliff notes:
design flaws and/or bad fuel lead to HPFP piston bore scoring (lubrication issue) and aluminum shower for the system also making the cam/cam follower falsely appear to have been the start of the issue.


Will try to find more.

I would double-check this. I was over on the TDI forum reading up on this HPFP issue and some of the owners were stating that the fuel system is NOT covered by their 5/60 warranty, but falls under a separate 3/36 warranty. The 5/60 appears to be very specific and the fuel system is not mentioned.

Uh.Oh ....not good

No word from the dealership today. Maybe they will look at the car tomorrow.
The car is a 2011 with 34000 miles.

I swore off VW long ago. 2 trips to the stealership in 2 months, $800+ each trip, I was done.