Volkswagen MK4 TDI Buyer's Guide | 1998-2006 

Not a single wrong word is said here. Even in Germany, where they potentially rev at 4500 all day long, there's nothing to say wrong about that engine. The later dual mass flywheel... Yes. Gearboxes... Yes Gaskets... Yes But normally only after the car has been at least up to the moon. Invest a bit extra upfront: Pluck the engine out, change the distribution, the flywheel, clutch, and crank seal, throw it back in, use the right coolant and oil and you can drive all the way back from the moon, without any major issues.

My father was dailying one, then my father passed away. Really gunning it for his car man... that's the last thing I can keep around of him. I miss you dad and if I get that car it'll be the coolest trailer queen you could have imagined.

Jetta MK 4 even by todays standards is the most balanced beautiful designs ever conceived and has certainly stood the test of time with flying colours. The 2.0 l / TDI / limited edition VR 6 were and still are phenomenal.

My dad and I have been building alhs for close to 20 years. Loved it

I bought my 2001 Jetta TDI 8 years ago from the original owner, for $300. It needed a TB set, clutch, windshield, tires, injectors, and a few minor other things like an intake manifold cleaning. I put a new cam & followers in it too, just to be safe. It now has 634,000 km on it, and aside from another TB change, the engine has never been touched, and runs like new. I just can't imagine how anyone could build a better car, plus it's cheap to run, and a blast to drive. And everything on it still works perfectly.

One note about the transmissions - The 01M is in the ALH cars, a 4spd auto box that was also in the 2.sl0 gasser cars. The 09A 5spd "tiptronic" is found in the BEW cars, this is the same trans as the 1.8T auto's iirc. It is generally looked upon more favorably than the 01M, but the 3 pedal config is always the right choice. Especially on a car like these, the motor will outlast the auto trans 3 or 4 times, no matter how well you maintain the trans. That being said, to counter one of your comments, a TDI project with a bad auto trans and a good motor/chassis could be a great choice. Grab a 5spd (or 6spd from a GLI/GTI) and drop that in, saving a TDI that would have otherwise been scrapped/parted out!

One thing people should know/do is the need for a belly pan. I live in Alaska and ice dropped from vehicles in the winter can take out the oil pan as it is only 4.5" off the ground and it is the first thing hit. Also it's cast aluminum and it is very fragile. very good post

I found a bone stock 2003 golf a few years back, most amazing car ever! only thing done to it was a straight pipe, single mass fly wheel clutch, EGR delete with a stage 2 tune. I feel like this is all the modding this thing should get, super nimble and reliable car. GREAT video by the way!

I own a 05 Golf TDI and it's hitting 344k+. Engine is bullet proof!!! Drives like day one

Literally the best engine ever built. 1.9 TDI is peak preformance

Awesome Video, I’m still driving my black 02 Bora ARL 4motion Variant with 420k km on it. Thank you for keeping the spirit alive!

Stage 5 ALH running 28psi and I have 350k miles on it now. Bought it in 2010 for $500 with a broken timing belt. BULLETPROOF!

I had a 2000Jetta tdi that lasted 425,000 miles before it died in 2017. Loved it.

I have the 115hp 1.9 TDI manual 6 speed, no issues whatsoever, i drive it everyday

Great video! Here in Europe, TDIs are analogous to the venerable LS. You find them literally everywhere, parts are ridiculously cheap and plentiful and they will pretty much run forever. Plus, the diesel scene here is huge (on most europoor countries diesel usually costs about 1/2 to 3/4 of gas), they return great MPG even if tuned and you can easily double whp for under €1000 so they are a no brainer for those who want a bit of go-fast-action on a very tight budget. For reference, MK4 GTIs sell for about 6 to 8K and its TDI brother sells for 5K regularly. It's crazy haha.

Mine is a 2003 Golf five speed. It has egr delete, bigger injectectors, and a tune. I’m loving it, actually had it parked for about three years. It’s 20 years old and only 153K on it. Does three gear burnouts and gets 40+ mpg.

Bro! Mad Quality video! I was like 60 seconds in and subscribed just due to that quality! Keep it up!

I just came across your channel. I own an auto and 5 speed PD Jetta. The auto is my daily driver and has been through several timing belt changes. The 5 speed several since I’ve owned it. These cars are definitely for someone who doesn’t mind working on them themselves or has a knowledgable mechanic. The internet and enthusiast sites have been my friend on learning to do much of the maintenance myself. Regarding the 09A transmission one of the big problems was touting life time fluid. I’ve changed mine (need to do again) and is definitely recommended. A good engine tune will definitely liven up these cars up too. My 18 year old Jetta is still my daily driver and still performs well aside from the clear coat peeling, ac vent lining gone, window issues and door lock problems. Oh, yeah I’ve found these cars can have small gremlins they csn be very frustrating and cause huge drivability problems and will leave you scratching your head. Good times though.

Lots of good info in here, you really know your TDIs! I appreciate all the knowledge you shared in this video. Thank you. I owned a 12v VR6 Jetta (MKIV) that I bought new in 2001 and owned it until 2021, It was very hard for me to let that one go but it did end up going to the junkyard. 250k miles. It was plagued with electrical issues.

Great video man keep it up …. Very helpful I have a 2004 jetta tdi wagon and I love it

James, you hit this out of the park... I've changed 3 CAMS for other people. They all had over 150K miles.

Some time ago I acquired in my country (Mexico) a jetta tdi mk4 "classic" version, that had a redesign in the front and rear, the car is basically the same mechanically speaking. Mine had the 1.9 tdi engine but AXR code , it is very similar, and I can only speak wonders about this car, tremendously noble, economical in consumption, more than acceptable power, it never gave me a single problem, I bought it with 30k kilometers on its odometer, almost new and when I sold it it had 160k kilometers, it never gave any problems at all, just normal maintenance (brakes, oil and filter change, battery, etc) I sold it to acquire another vw, a jetta mk6 and also a tdi, I am delighted with it too, quieter and more refined in its handling, in addition to being very comfortable due to its 6-speed DSG transmission, they are highly recommended cars, the only thing they ask of you it is maintenance on time and quality parts, with that you can go and put a lot of kilometers on them without any problem, highly recommended cars👍

I found a manual 6-speed and kit from overseas (Dutch-something was the name) to replace my 01m when it went bad...but it never went bad. Running at 255,000 miles and the auto transmission still works great !

I found a stock 99.5 Jetta that was in good shape. Only to find out that when climbing up the mountain to where I lived at the time, it would lose power. During the test drive, I would hear a loud hissing sound. 🤔 guy said “it’s from the turbo”. I didn’t know much about cars at the time so I went with it. Thankfully, it was only a slight cut on the turbo inlet pipe. Bought a new one and it’s still running 16 years later with 290k miles. The engine itself has been great but the parts around it can’t compare. Turbo, DMF, AC box, things like that, do require some work but overall, the best car I’ve had!

fantastic video! I have always loved the VR6 the most but I learned a lot today =D

I agree. I have a small fleet of 4 TDI's. ALH 5 speed Beetle, BRM DSG Jetta, CJAA DSG Jetta, and 2015 Passat 6M. I also drive a 2015 F550 PS. Love your channel so far, just found it today! BTW My wife's from Thornville!

Very informative video! Great videography and storytelling, too. I'm looking into getting an ALH TDI to replace my Expedition EL on daily duty (16 MPG is getting old). Definitely earned a subscriber!

I love the way u edit your vids they remind me of top gear

I sold mine to a friend in 2019 and bought it back at the end of’21, I regretted selling it. I repainted it, stage4 Malone Tune, PP764 injectors, straight pipe w/resonator only, Air Dog unit, FMIC, VNT17, all new suspension, single mass flywheel, PTP turbo blanket, paint and body, new differential Peloquin LSD, extreme diesel oil bypass, Motul 8100 oil. Even with all the mods it still gets mid 40s around town and over 50 on the interstate. I highly recommend Malone. It doesn’t smoke or roll coal. Regarding stage4, it’s just a name. The stage 4 Malone tune I have and all the mods, I’m making about 150-160hp, 250 or so TQ. As long as you’re not hammering the throttle, it won’t hurt durability or fuel mileage.

Very informative video. Thank you for this. Will possible be looking for one soon.

Thanks for the video. My commuter and highway hoopty is a 5 speed swapped 2003 Jetta Wagon with a Stage 1 Malone tune and updated with rebuilt injectors with Italian 7 Diesel nozzles. An easy 40 mpg in city but I always drive too fast on the highway to know the max mpg. Ultra reliable and has been cheap to maintain. It was originally a TX car (first 10 years) and the body has no rust but the interior plastics are deteriorating and headliner is falling. But I don’t care with the excellent economy, good handling and fun to drive quotient of the torquey diesel. One of the few times VW produced an excellent vehicle.

Love the video man! We have the same car and truck!!! Keep it up, clearly you have good taste.

Wow, you do so good! Thanks for the info and great attitude! :)

Stock New Beetle April '98 1.9L here, and I still love it. Now, if only I could get it started again.

I have a 1993 Audi 80 avant with the first 1.9tdi, the 1Z engine. Still going strong at 367000 kilometers/228000 miles

Mighty engines, my first taste of them was my dads 2000 mk4 golf with an ASV code TDI. about 15 years later I've found myself reunited with another ASV TDI bolted to a 2003 SEAT Toledo, engines had a hell of a rough life with a snapped belt, porous EGR & a horrible idle shake but still refuses to lose that power.

Man that was super well done. 💪💪

Really cool, James!

I delivered parts to a customer today with two ALH cars that have a combined 910,000 miles.

Interesting video, 👍 made me subscribe, thanks. My 02 tdi manual wagon has 425k miles, all original, no mods. Alternator and A/C compressor are the only parts on the engine that have been replaced, even has original the exhaust system. Timing belt and water pump get replaced every 100k miles. Averages 50mpg plus all day long.

I'm still rockin' a '04 Jetta TDI wagon going strong at over 320k miles. Surprisingly not had to replace the camshaft yet (thanks 5w-40 oil) but had to replace some bigger items over the last few years like the suspension, throttle body, and tandem pump. Original clutch lasted to 210k 🤯Still need to replace the O2 lambda sensor to clear the CEL and get some pep back. Overall been a pretty solid car for so many miles but I'm definitely looking to upgrade sometime soon cuz I'm getting tired of expensive yearly repairs lol.

I’ve always loved how that engine sounded ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Great video.....love it

Great channel! Thank you

I put stock 1.8t flywheel, pressure plate and clucth disk in my bew. Its tuned and 15k miles later its still great!

I've had an ALH Jetta for a while now. My first big scare was the knocking noise that it started to make about 2 years after I got it. I thought it was throwing a rod. It was just the duel mass clutch/flywheel gizmo. It got pretty loud & chattery. A single mass replacement worked well, I used the heavy one. My second big scare was a loss of power due to the turbo not spooling up. That turned out to just be a split vacuum hose. Vacuum controls turbo response in that engine. I had issues with the injection pump leaking. A seal kit was cheap enough, but then I needed to get Vag Com software & a dongle to talk to the brain so that I could set the injection quantity back into the correct range. MPG went from 47/39 to 51/42 highway/city. I've had to replace some door latches & put a repair kit into a door lock cylinder. I just got a full coolant hose set for it after the one on the bottom of the reservoir failed. I also just replaced the oil dipstick tube which got brittle from age & broke easily when I leaned against it. It was only a $10 part from some suppliers, but the local guy with one on the shelf wanted $25. Still not too bad. It was a 2 minute change. The thermostat was done recently. I was able to reuse the old housing, even through the tangs were broken off, so the housing would not hold the thermostat during installation. I had to put the O-ring & thermostat in place first, then carefully place the housing over it. The first AC problem was the classic blend door failure due to the foam material deteriorating. Several hours of disassembly/learning, & 10 minutes with some aluminum flue tape, solved that issue. A couple of years ago it got a new AC compressor & condenser. The aftermarket condenser fittings needed some hand fitting. The receiver dryer that came with the AC kit was trash. I ended up getting another from NAPA that was better quality. The new orifice valve from the kit is out of cal, it blows about 25 degrees F, which means that I get some icing in the evaporator after an hour or so & I then need to shut it off for a few minutes so that it can melt. OEM AC parts are better. I'm probably going to put the original valve back in when I get around to it. I've replaced a serpentine belt & tensioner. I recently replaced a tie rod end. I've replaced the alternator, which was a very tight fit & much more difficult to change compared to most other motors. I get about 5 years out of a set of tires, 2 years out of a battery, & 4 years out of a set of brakes. I went looking at new cars recently. I could not find anything that performed as well to replace it with, so it's getting refurbished. Right now, it needs a head liner & some plastic door parts. The head liner is looking to be a hassle. The car is also going to get a timing belt soon. Then I think I'll be good for a few more years. I'm at about 230K miles now.

Huge vw fan. Glad I watched this video

Good advice on the timing belt . I use the tools and the vag com .. i appreciate the video

We have a 2002 Golf TDI with the ALH and manual transmission. Consistent 45 mpg and is a blast to drive. 230,000 miles and counting.

I had a '04 bone start TDI absolutely love that car tell a deer ruined it that car had great highway miles and felt sporty as hell thanks for all that torque/turbo. Would buy again

I have an 06.5 MK6 TDI, it has had both the camshaft and dual mass flywheel replaced. They really made a great upgrade to the transmission with the DSG. I normally drive 70mph and see mileage in the 40+ range. Love my TDI. Great video

I have both now a bew and alh car, the bew I bought from my neighbor with a blown auto trans and swapped in a 5 speed. Well worth it since I had a parts 5 speed car. It now has 320k on it and still runs perfectly fine.

The design of the car aged very well 🔥

Such a underrated channel🤙

I have an 05 BEW wagon with the five speed. I bought it for $2k with 271k miles on it about 4 years ago. I changed the timing belt right away and now it has 382k miles on it and is ready for a timing belt replacement again. It has basically given me zero problems. I’ve replaced the brakes, starter, and glow plug harness and plugs. I love the car but the cancer is really bringing it down now which really sucks! I’ll probably replace the timing belt one more time.

Had one crashed it but it was the smoothest first car I driven. Though it has breaking issues and leaks with rust in places that one can expect and a spoiler mod plus it was automatic.

Weird enough with my 02 ALH, the flywheel rattled like crazy at idle but It shifted like absolute butter and revved up so smoothly at any rpm. Now I have an 06 BEW (wagon) with a non rattling flywheel and it shifts more clunky than the 02. Probably new gearbox oil would help since after changing it in my 02, it made all the difference

I have an ASZ 96kw in one car, an ARL 110kw in the other. Awesome Tdi PD engines!

Vw needed you to come back to the dealer!!!

I have a 2001 Golf tdi with the automatic transmission, I changed the torque converter and the valve body and haven’t had any problems with the transmission. I’m sure regular fluid and filter changes also help.

Awesome video! I'm trying to buy my first car and looking at a jetta/golf tdi, this video helped quite a bit, I'm from Canada but cant really find a tdi without less than 300km on the dash or hasn't been modded by some guy, what kind of tips do you have to find a bone stock one?

Probably the best car IVE EVER HAD! ALH was a great engine!

We bought a 02 golf from a junkyard with 224k on it. Figured the auto tranny had went but to our surprise it runs and shifts flawlessly

My VW bora is at 192k miles, still going strong, of all of the cars I've owned and driven, this is my baby

I cant believe how informative this was for such a short video. Im planning to buy a 2009 A3e here in Australia which is the equivalent to the Blue motion Golf with 5 speed. You mentioned VW suggested the "wrong oil", can you please explain more or can i contact you for advice?

Awesome video. BEW camshafts made of taffy: NO THANKS!!! I just got a 128k ALH for $200 an a 144K ALH two days later for $125. My current black battle beast Jetta is at 362K and going strong. I cannot wait to stuff one into a motorcycle!

Just got a 2005 BEW 354k miles 5 speed wagon. Going too do everything you said.

Very well said! I have a 04 tdi GLS drove it across Canada twice bought it in Vermont at 165K miles, now at 220K miles just changed the clutch. stills runs great but i feel the rack and pinion starting to go

Mine is in NE SD. 400k plus some rust runs good. Needs glow plus sensor, comes with Diesel geek timing belt kit, has a short in the fuse box. I disconnect battery everywhere I go putting on ebay in the spring. Its ALH stick. 03

I've got 2001 Passat b5.5 with avb pd100 TDI engine. Got 484k km on Odo. Still going strong, but flywheel is start to get noisy. But still satisfied with the car. 💪 About your video, yes, you got it right. Old engines are stronger and more reaible. I know few owners That got almost 1 million km on Odo with AHL engines and car is Still going great.

Awesome man I really miss my 04 tdi Jetta traded it in on an 06 automatic then the transmission took a dump so then bought a 2019 gas that my wife drives and she just really wants a diesel again

I love my 1.9 tdi mk4 golf and it’s a gti diesel fitted with a ARL pd engine and 6speed with 223,000 miles on and still feels good but needs some tlc

I'm a testament to the 1.9 TDI motor I almost have 310,000 on a 01 beetle with its original motor and automatic transmission

1996 I loved both of my 96 sedan and wagon.

I have VW Bora for well over year now(Eu version of Jetta mk4 in the US) in the variant version with 96kW (130HP = PD130) 1.9TDI and 6speed manual transmission and its really really good daily driver, i have it like 25kilometres to my job and like 55kilometres to my parents house, more like half of it is on the highway, and I must say, the 6 speed is so good, I hope i will have that car for much more years, its really cheap to maintain and even more cheap to daily drive it despite gas/diesel prices..

Picked up a 03 Jetta wagon with 158k for 2k, gave it an oil change and 2 front tires, drove it 8500 miles around the country, only problem it had was the exhaust falling off from rust. Now it’s at 178k and climbing

1.9 TDI's really solid units , with periodic change of oil and filters , and running premium diesel from time to time , they could last forever mostly built like truck engines . There is another slower brother for TDI which is called SDI , you cannot kill that engine it could be like a zombie if the chasis is destroyed :))))

Driving one now 01 tdi golf, she rolls! Been using 10% bio fuel for a while now runs like a top

very informative, own 3 alh engines 2 in golfs and never knew this lol

The VE pump cars had a weak spot which was the injector tips, don't go over 150k miles on a factory tip or your risking the tip disintigrating and destroying the piston. Maybe some aftermarket tips that are DLC coated could go a lot longer safely. Would be worth checking into. The PD cars weak spot was the tandem pump on the side of the head, don't go over 100k miles before rebuilding the pump with a new seal that keeps the 110 lb fuel pressure from getting into the head and diluting the engine oil. That's where a lot of the cam and lifter wear came from. Also the cam lobes were a little narrower than the VE cars which didn't help either. So the answer is forged steel billet cams and change the tandem pump seal fequently. The factory injector tips were much more durable than the VE cars, I think they had about double the life. And you can get aftermarket DLC coated ones in oversises that are better yet.

One thing you missed with the auto trans in mk4s the beetle with the bew had the dsg instead of the 09a like the jetta and golf

Makes me regret selling back my mk6 Golf. Miss the diesel clatter and that amazing torque!

very funny guy - love it love it

I had a 06 wagon tdi, best rig I owned has 500k kms when I sold it. Still running

I love the more boxy look of the 04 than i do my 06 Jetta. The headlights just bring the word "bubbly" out of me when i look at the 06. Love my 5spd TDI though. Talking about the car itself outside the engine. The interiors do not tend to hold up well in humid enviorments. The radio began to peel very quickly and while its been ridden hard and put away wet, the "leather on the doors began peeling and the roof cover began sagging. Its going to take some doing, but id really like to attempt to restore it as close to "like new" as i can.

I have an audi a4 b6 pd130 tdi 2004! rock solid engine in that thing!

This video rules!

Checking out a golf 06 gls tdi with about 143k on it tomorrow. I’m not a mechanic but still know some things, what would I need to look out for in terms of camshaft wear ? From what I understand it’s not the alh engine anymore but this video has helped a lot understanding the differences. Thanks!

You should do a video on the GM Cruze Diesel (s) I've heard good things but they are stupid expensive right now.

Bought a 2005 Golf 1.9tdi with 300 000km's, sitting now at 390 000 and goes like stink. The oil and filters are changed every 6000km, cambelt etc, goes like crazy. Don't buy planned obsolescence, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd still stay with the same car, hands down!

I owned an ‘04 Jetta BEW with a manual trans- it was an excellent car. Sold it 9 years ago with 240k miles and I really wish I still had it. Currently I’m considering a 2001 ALH auto in rough shape with 275k miles with the intention of driving it until the transmission fails and swapping the ALH into my Cherokee…

Just bought my buddies car that Eurowise built, its impressive for a diesel.

Also the injector orings should be changed the same time as the tandem pump seal, at least by every timing belt change, to be sure fuel doen't get into the oil. Factory interval on the PD cars was 80k miles but it depends a lot on how you drive it. If a person is driving flat out on the German Autobahn on a regular basis, at near redline, then the sooner the better. It costs a lot to drive fast!

They are ALL projects at 20 plus years old bud!!! My 03 TDI is at 300k miles and runs great after new turbo, vac lines, and injectors! Need to fix locked rear caliper, airbag light stuck on, headliner falling out... Typical 20 y/o VW stuff :-D

I bought a 2005 golf BEW. $1000 335k miles. It's a shitbox cosmetically, BUT, has a vnt17 turbo, kerma intake and full exhaust, 3 bar map, "stage 2 clutch", and a dieselgeek shifter. Well I've crested 350k and only have had a glow plug light come on. Now also has 20th anniversary gti brakes, knuckles, Calipers, EBC rotors and pads, r32 bushings, 034 motor mounts, GTI seats, TT fat fives with summer tires, solowerks coilovers, H&R sway bars, and more. Best shitbox ever. The BEW has never let me down.

over here we have the a type engines like asz, arl etc and the blt as a b engine the b engines over here are just cleaner in terms of emisions but for the most part the same. i have a seat ibiza with an 1.9tdi asz with no egr and stuff, bigger turbo, fmic and a tune on stock injectors it runs like a champ on 2.2 bar of boost. they are great! greetings from the Netherlands btw i still have the dual mass fly wheel, i have converted it back from a single mass. just put a new one in and a sachs race presure plate, runs really well that way otherwise u have the risk of destroying the second gear in the 6 speeds. and i run about 500nm no problem lol, yeah they go much sooner than a single mass but my gearbox is worth more..

I'm thinking about buying a 2002 PD130, in really good shape and without any mods. Is it still a good car to buy in 2022 since there's more cars at the same price and not as old? Also is the PD130 a good engine? Thanks :)

Oh, now you have me worried that my flywheel is gone. I thought the problems started when I replaced the dogbone and I was missing the other mounts. Maybe time for the 6speed and a LuK flywheel?

im on my second 2004 mk4 bew , first one was a golf and now a jetta

I would buy a diesel in a heartbeat, but unfortunately there are no new ones. And I’m too old for used cars ! Thanks again, RickGTI….. 🌴