RichC | December 31, 2008
Popular Mechanics offers a nice review of the new VW Touareg V-6 TDI. Our drive to Mexico and back in a Touareg V6 TDI required few fill-ups. In fact, after several hundred miles we still had nearly two-thirds of a tank of fuel left. If we maintained our 65-mph cruising speed while getting the indicated […]
RichC | December 16, 2008
Volkswagen announced the availability of its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system for the Golf TDI in Europe … but not in North America, of course. The drivetrain is exclusive to TDI models utilizing the manual-transmission variant of the 2.0L TDI clean diesel engine. The fuel efficiently is down about 8 mpg from the FWD only model, but […]
RichC | October 20, 2008
Although I’m a big fan of the new ‘clean diesels’ being produced by several companies, I’ve never like the idea that in order to meet emission standards that ‘some’ diesels require an AdBlue urea system. Basically the $4/gallon liquid is stored in a small tank and is slowly injected into the exhaust stream where it […]
RichC | September 9, 2008
During the TDIFest OH8, I put my daughter to work logging in names and tabulating times during the “timed drive” Road Rally. A fellow planner and friend gave her a new ‘red’ badge for her TDI which she installed this past week. She sent me a photo and I thought it looks pretty nice.
RichC | September 5, 2008
I stumbled across the first 2009 Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI that I’ve noticed in my area. Here are a few photos of the ‘sold’ vehicle in the FairfieldVW showroom. Sticker was just a bit over $25,000, but the car had that impressively huge moonroof. I could go for this 6-speed manual in black! Picasa Google image […]
RichC | September 1, 2008
I’m back dating a couple of blog entries so I can include a few photos and video from this past weekend — TDIFest OH8. Here’s a great video by TDIClub member “TeDeEye1” of the “timed drive” Road Rally: TDIFest OH8 Road Rally from Fred on Vimeo.
RichC | August 21, 2008
North Carolina TDIClub member “coolbreeze” may bring his new 2009 Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI to the TDIFest over Labor Day weekend – thread. If he does, it will be the first one most of us will have seen. Crossing my fingers that you can make it Bruce!
RichC | July 15, 2008
Although this is by no means a challenging milestone for Volkswagen diesel cars, it is a personal milestone for my daughter. Her first car, a 2001 VW Jetta TDI, has been treating her well for 100,000 miles now and she sent me an early morning photo from her Palm Treo Centro as it hit 100K. […]
RichC | July 14, 2008
The dealer demo TDIs have been slow to arrive to Cincinnati area dealerships, but today did get a chance to head over to Fairfield VW and test drive the new 2009 Jetta ‘clean diesel.’ Its basically the same body (A5) that has been part of the VW Jetta line up for a couple of years […]
RichC | February 28, 2008
Wired highlighted the new Audi TT 2.0 TDI, but can’t confirm if it will be available North America. Notice the comment “Roadster” below … might we see a TDI convertible? (LINK to full article) Behold the TT 2.0 TDI. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (pictured above), matched to a six-speed manual transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive, […]
RichC | December 30, 2007
Popular Mechanics has a great article in their January issue on the coming clean diesels noting “Hybrids beware!” The author Ben Hewitt points out that the new breed of diesels from companies like Volkswagen are capable of better fuel economy (74.3 mpg for the VW Polo TDI) and produce fewer greenhouse gases than some gas/electric […]
RichC | December 23, 2007
The timing belt replacement is the bane of Volkswagen TDI ownership — partially due to the complexity and cost of servicing, yet it needs to be taken seriously as in any zero-clearance engine. Understanding what’s included in changing timing belts of any car can help one better understand what should be included in this service. […]
RichC | December 16, 2007
Winter weather has arrived and many drivers ‘new and old’ are remembering how to drive on slippery road again. Having a teenage driver who is still learning to manage rain, ice and snow is a recipe for car repairs — few escape unscathed, from what I can tell? This weekend was the first for my […]
RichC | November 2, 2007
I don’t think I’m the only one who starts to salivate when looking at the photos and specs of the new 2009 Volkswagen TDI ‘clean diesel‘ Sportwagen being displayed at the Las Vegas SEMA Show. It is a really attractive small/midsize car that has is bound to have significant interest from Volkwagen TDI advocates. For […]
RichC | October 28, 2007
The Volkswagen Touareg has been impressive ever since its introduction back in 2003. It is a technology oriented 4×4 SUV that has developed an impressive pedigree over the last 4 years with races in Dakar, Baja, Pikes Peak and the unmanned DARPA competition. (race version of the Touareg2 to the right) The Touareg isn’t just […]
RichC | October 3, 2007
It has been a rare vehicle that has charmed me the way my 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI has … but all good things eventually come to an end; today I sold my car. I’ve spent the last year trying to solve a sore leg/hip problem that has been aggravated by my regular four hour trips […]
RichC | August 29, 2007
Speedway in Brimfield Ohio is still selling 500ppm LSD In a previous post I commented to the effect that maybe my 2003 VW Jetta TDI’s fuel economy might go down after purchasing new tires with a more aggressive all-weather tread. After two tanks of fuel, one B-20 (20% biodiesel and 80% Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel), […]
RichC | August 10, 2007
After skating around on the wet pavement yesterday, I called a local Goodyear tire store where I’ve purchase several sets of tires over the years and worked a deal for 8 tires. My daughter heads back to Med school and the last thing I want is for her to slipping around in NE Ohio this […]
RichC | July 2, 2007
A bit of immaturity to start off the month of July and the lazy couple of days preceding the 4th of July Wednesday holiday. (Its really a week I should have scheduled a vacation, but then again about half of America will probably be doing that?) Remember the television series the A-Team? Here’s a little […]
RichC | June 26, 2007
No big deal … but this weekend’s graduation trip took me to western New York in my little diesel Volkswagen and my TDI turned the odometer over to the sixth digit … 100,000 miles. As far as modern cars go, the 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI has treated me very well. It has operated pretty much […]
RichC | June 19, 2007
My wife has admired the Volkswagen EOS ‘retractable hardtop’ convertible ever since it appeared in 2006. She is attracted to it first because it is a convertible, second because its not a soft-top convertible and third because it drives like a sporty VW (we did test drive an EOS with the DSG and turbo 2.0L, […]
RichC | May 8, 2007
The Green Car Congress posted that the new Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen that has been displayed at autoshows (see previous post) will also be heading to the US with a diesel option … eventually. The wagon model of the New Jetta is anticipated by VW TDI buyers who find the added versatility and cargo carrying capability […]
RichC | March 26, 2007
Volkswagens are often considered a ‘driver’s car,’ a vehicle that most car buyers can afford, unlike many European cars imported to the U.S. The engineering built into these vehicles is exceptional although they are not without their small quirks. Many go unnoticed until well into ownership or only when a problem occurs. One such quirk, […]
RichC | March 7, 2007
Oh-la-la — gimme this in a diesel and I won’t even ask for 4-motion! I spotted these photos on the Cars.com blog from the Geneva Auto show and thought a couple readers would like to navigate over for more. I like it even though the folks at Cars.com commented that “the front and profile seem […]
RichC | March 4, 2007
Hey that’s my car! DieselBlog is featuring rotating headers on their website and has a photo of my Volkswagen Jetta TDI filling up at the Mt. Gilead Ohio biodiesel pumps! 😀 The site is a very informative site which includes updates on news relating to diesel vehicles and the technology which is making them superior […]
RichC | February 27, 2007
According to the Treehugger website, the Discovery Channel will air a FutureCar episode on Wednesday, February 28th … it might be worth recording. One of the cars worth considering is the Opel Eco Speedster. Its a concept car, but shows just was a sleek high performance diesel is capable of doing. The powerplant is a […]
RichC | February 21, 2007
The fog didn’t really disappear until about noon today during my careful drive up I-71 — no comments Tim. Thankfully by the time I was to exit 151, between Columbus and Cleveland Ohio, the sun was almost out and fog about gone. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the fog while driving since I […]
RichC | February 10, 2007
Martin Winterkorn, former head of Volkwagen Audi division who is now CEO of Volkswagen AG, proposed the “design and development of a new, very small, model below the Fox.” He described the car as an affordable everyday car that would be attractive and aimed at markets worldwide. Winterkorn commented that unlike DaimlerChrysler’s Smart, the new […]
RichC | December 26, 2006
Christmas has been hectic as usual around our house. We’ve been entertaining and enjoying the festivities including time with our extended families. (which isn’t going to end until after the New Year!) This year was special for my son as you might have noticed above; Santa brought him a ‘car’ … I’m not sure how […]
RichC | December 20, 2006
I finally pulled some 3 month old VW TDI “How-To” footage off the camera and encoded it last night before going to bed. I haven’t had a chance to put fresh eyes on it or even watch it through, so before I post it to the CinciTDI video section, perhaps a couple Volkswagen TDI oriented […]
RichC | December 19, 2006
Its about time for my 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI to receive her new timing belt. As I close in on 100,000 miles the recommended services is to replace not only the timing belt, but the serpentine belt, the idler rollers and the water pump. Thankfully the later models come from the factory with a long […]
RichC | October 29, 2006
The repair to my daughter’s VW Jetta TDI tallied at about $700, acceptable considering the initial body shop estimate was $1530. (see prior post) We were able to avoid a clear coat repair paint job by picking up a closely matching door at the highly recommended Brim Import Auto. (15363 County Road 140 East, Kenton, […]
RichC | October 27, 2006
While watching the end of game 4 of the World Series (9th inning), I noticed that there is a new Volkswagen sales campaign call V-DubsRock. The marketing approach is reminiscent of the “buy a car, get a bike” gimmick, but this time it is an FirstAct electric guitar. Nevertheless since the commercial has high-speed motion […]
RichC | October 21, 2006
A Google video clip is over due … and this one is a trifecta as it includes aviation, automotive and diesel topics in one 4 minute clip! Alan McNish, a celebrated Le Mans driver in his spectacular Audi R10 Le Mans TDI diesel takes on a Harrier Jump Jet in the United Kingdom — sounds […]
RichC | October 5, 2006
It was a sad day for my daughter and her 2001 VW Jetta TDI after an Audi bumped into her door in a parking garage. Needless to say she was not happy and neither was the Audi driver; the door of the Volkswagen was no match for the Audi’s bumper. While stopping to see her […]
RichC | August 1, 2006
Here’s an update on Maurice O’Reilly’s high speed record attempts with a Volkwagen Jetta 1.9 liter TDI diesel. On Saturday and Sunday (July 29 & 30th) he set four records at Goudies Road in Rerewhakaitu New Zealand according to reports. The previous diesel record for this run was topped by 40km/h and is now Mr. […]
RichC | July 26, 2006
I’m posting this particular Volkswagen TDI “How To” video clip here before I send it to Jim at DieselGeek or post to the CinciTDI website in hopes to have a couple extra eyeballs checking it out. I’m not all that concerned about filmmaking criticism (my ego can’t take that), but I want to make sure […]
RichC | July 21, 2006
Correction: On September July 29th New Zealand’s car owner and driver Maurice O’Reilly is going to attempt to show just what is possible with a diesel tuned for perfomance. He will attempt to break a speed record for a 1.9 liter turbocharged diesel in a 2001 Volkwagen Jetta TDI. The car is coupled to a […]
RichC | June 28, 2006
An article in Edmonds.com tickled some Volkswagen diesel lovers with new information on the 2008 VW common-rail diesels. As most VW TDI (diesel) fans know, Volkswagen will not be producing a 2007 diesel model for North American. (link) Although they have dropped the Jetta and New Beetle TDIs for 2007, the article is encouraging for […]
RichC | June 14, 2006
I know several readers of this blog are also Volkswagen TDI owners that come from a variety of diesel and biodiesel groups. The local club, CinciTDI, that I participate continues to create “How To” video clips that help with TDI related maintenance and modifications. I’m sitting on couple new “how to’s” and need to get […]
RichC | May 30, 2006
Although we have been hearing about it for sometime, I’ve still been hoping that the news of Volkswagen not having US diesel in 2007 was not true. Unfortunately I’m not able to bury my head in the sand any longer after reading Mark Phelan’s Detroit Freepress article. I kept thinking that the “German engineering” (see […]
RichC | May 27, 2006
This is going to be a very quick Saturday morning update as the ‘honey-do list’ takes priority today. I’ve had a chance to run the battery down in the Palm Treo 700p yesterday after coming home with my new ‘toy.’ (yes I suffer from “gadget addiction”) The photo above is from the new and improved […]
RichC | May 6, 2006
Car and Driver Magazine has a “Short Take Review” of the 2006 Volkswagen Jetta TDI written by Tony Quiroga this month which does a fair job of detailing VW’s only current US diesel. To be fair, the photos posted were taken by Nick Say and are also displayed in a slide show fashion in Car […]
RichC | April 24, 2006
I spotted a Volkswagen Jetta advertisement that reminds me of the Volvo ads … stressing safety.An accident can happen at anytime and that selecting a car that is light and fuel efficient might not always be the wisest choice. Realizing just how much I spend on insurance “just in case” … perhaps a few dollars […]
RichC | April 23, 2006
Mark Groves had another great VW TDI GTG on Saturday. The central location just 30 minutes from Columbus, the great weather and the many helping hands of experienced owners helped to make this “Spring Dust Off” an enjoyable event. Mark and his wife’s hospitality was appreciated by all; what a great host. (too many things […]
RichC | April 8, 2006
John Neff and Chris Paukert talked at length today on their podcast about a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) vegetable oil conversion. (See Autoblog Podcast) John met with the owners in Lorain Ohio and spent some time checking out their vehicle. The two brothers, Chuck and Tom Norton, had their car converted to run on […]
RichC | April 1, 2006
It’s been a long week and before I run out of steam I wanted to get this clip posted for April 1. Its ‘no joke’ and amazing these guys walked away uninjured. Click the Quicktime clip to watch the ‘rollover’ from three different angles: driver-cam, spectator video and the car mounted camera. It does makes […]
RichC | March 21, 2006
Volkswagen is one of those companies that seems to get a tad ‘edgy’ in it advertising campaigns. From the “Vee-Dub” and “German Engineering, ya-man” ads mentioned a couple weeks ago, to the latest Hispanic targeting ads featuring the cartoon mouse ‘Speedy Gonzalez.’ I posted a comment a week or so ago on the CinciTDI group […]
RichC | March 17, 2006
I took advantage of warm oil after a long drive tonight to do an oil extraction (change) in my Volkswagen Jetta TDI tonight. I thought I would included a photo of a couple of appropriate filters with the plastic oil dam inside since I happened to have both the OEM VW brand (from the dealership) […]
RichC | March 16, 2006
A fellow Volkwagen TDI driver emailed me a question about my fuel mileage, and in particular if I “noticed a change in MPG when I switched to the Sprint 520s? What about smoke?” He’s talking about the fuel injectors that I originally put in my Volkswagen Jetta TDI to increase performance. I answered basically “No” […]
RichC | March 9, 2006
The 2006 TDIClub and CinciTDI DVD is nearly ready to ship. The ‘teaser’ video clip is being posted here before being sent to the groups video pages. This is primarily to test the H.264 recorded ‘teaser’ clip in hopes to get a little feedback. Most Quicktime 7.0 users with relatively fast computers shouldn’t have problems […]
RichC | March 1, 2006
For those of us interested in diesel powered small cars, we enjoy the exposure the RallyVW team gives to not only to our Volkswagen TDIs, but biodiesel as well. The 2006 Rally-America season is preparing for the third race of the season as the end of February marks a finish to the 100 Acre Wood […]
RichC | February 23, 2006
No, the new diesel SUVs are not here yet … even if you can cost justify them. I’ve been monitoring the diesel options soon to be available from the likes of Mercedes (Alabama build SUV GL-class above), BMW and Audi as they have all commented that more diesels will be available in the United States […]
RichC | January 17, 2006
Don’t you just love that new car smell??? Well from the looks of it, Dick Gilpin’s best friend loves it too … let’s just hope the keys aren’t in it! I know Dick’s been waiting a long time for his new car to arrive and from the looks of it … its a beauty. He […]
RichC | October 15, 2005
October 14, 2005 was the day the US Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program and the 80+ community-based coalitions celebrated the displacing of one billion gallons of petroleum across the nation. Kim Lahman (photo right), Tri-State Clean Fuel Network’s Coordinator, organized the local Cincinnati area event with many key participates at Cincinnati’s Ault Park. (what […]
RichC | October 7, 2005
The excitement in SW Ohio is already starting for the Cincinnati Bengal faithful. After a stellar 4-0 start the fans are anticipating great things from this confident group of players. A huge credit has to go to the outstanding performance of the defense; they have never had an offensive killing defense capable of generating turnovers […]
RichC | September 19, 2005
Bernd Pischetsrider in a quote from today’s WSJ stated that after so many years of enjoying 50% growth through the 90s, particularly in US demand for the VW Jetta and New Beetle, that VW management really wasn’t listening to what the customer wanted. VW’s new policy will be to ask the question: “how does it […]
RichC | August 22, 2005
“The morning after” the great CinciTDI “Intake Cleaning” GTG, or party depending on your perspective, sort of left me melancholy. The August GTG day is now gone after a long time in coming, and was even more successful than I envisioned. The real THANK YOU goes to Bruce for the mechanical aptitude and ‘nuts and […]
RichC | May 1, 2005
I spent Saturday, April 30 at with a bunch of TDI owners at Jon Hamilton’s tuning session, driver for team rallyvw.com. The event was scheduled as a fundraiser for the race team around chip tunning by Jeff (Rocketchip) and injector nozzles from Charlie (KermaTDI). It was a busy day as there were 9 sets of […]
RichC | April 29, 2005
Since my digital Canon S50 comes with a limited ‘video’ mode I thought I would try it out and include a short video clip without audio below. What is noticable is that the trunk opens slowly when one triggers the trunk release and that the capacity is huge. Over 16 cu. ft. which is larger […]