In the middle of August, I had my 2010 Jetta “fixed”. As I reported immediately after the fix, the car drove as well, if not better, than before the fix. Power delivery and responsiveness was improved. And, as predicted by VW, the engine was slightly noisier than pre-fix. This was especially noticeable on the highway.
Three months later things are pretty much status quo. Power and responsiveness are the same. Fuel economy seems unchanged. My commute is largely on surface streets and in greater Boston’s notorious traffic. As a result, my FE numbers aren’t like the hyper-milers you see on TDIClub. And I’ll admit I enjoy the TDI torque, and use it regularly. As a result, I typically have seen FE in the high 30s. My most recent full tank yielded 37 MPG. Pretty shabby compared to what some of the experts get, but unchanged since the fix was performed. Overall, the fix hasn’t had a detrimental impact on FE.
One notable aspect since the fix, is when I’m driving the vehicle in 2nd gear around 25 mph, the car seems to hesitate when requesting power. It’s a very subtle feeling and you really have to really be in tune with your car to notice it. But it’s there. Others have complained about what feels like turbo lag in CJAA engines, most likely caused by the lower fueling at low boost to reduce NOx levels, and also the high flow to the low-pressure EGR at low engine speeds. My guess is that these sensations are increased slightly post-fix. Not a big deal, but noticeable.
On a positive note, I just had the 120K timing belt service performed on my car by Dr. Volks, one of our local TDI gurus. And even in the short drive from his shop back to IDParts I felt the car was running more smoothly than before. Perhaps the newly set up belt system improved engine timing. Whatever the cause, it’s running better than ever.
But not good enough. Soon I expect to get the car tuned, regardless of the warranty risk. I recognize that tunes don’t get you the big power bumps they used to on rotary pump cars, but cars we’ve driven with tunes feel more responsive and often deliver improved fuel economy. That extra pull in 6th gear is a big plus. I’ll post another update with my impressions of chip tuning the “fixed” 2.0 liter Jetta.
If you have noticed anything different in your “fixed” car, let us know. We’d love to hear your feedback.
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Quite the opposite experience with my 2014 jetta sportwagen TDI. I actually stolled out leaving the VW dealer after the fix. Had a tune prior to fix. Tune from merchant not available after fix, still waiting. Decided to buy second tune meanwhile. Best decision ever. The car feels stronger with second tune with lots more miles than before. Getting close to 132,000 miles now. First tune gave me better mpg, but less aggressive.