1984 Volkswagen Jetta

Sedan

1.6L Diesel

Manual 5sp

wvwgg0163ew110168

Clear

Diesel

Experimental 1984 VW Jetta 4dr Sedan 5sp 1.6L Diesel 53 miles per gallon This Jetta was made in West Germany and the engine is a West German made 1.6L Diesel (Naturally Aspirated – non turbo). The transmission is a manual 5sp with a 5th gear ratio of 0.72. This is the 2nd best ratio that VW made and is excellent for optimizing the miles per gallon. The Jetta has 270k miles which comprise mostly of highway miles. It has manual steering and brakes. The AC does work but not super well. The cruise control did work when I bought the car and may still but I stopped using because I found that its operation reduced my mileage by 3 miles per gallon. The steering is very responsive and the suspension is firm with minimal body roll and minimal bounce. The car brakes well. The clutch performs well without chatter or slippage. All gears work well with the exception of 1st. First gear can be difficult to engage due to shifter bushing wear but works well when engaged. This can be repaired by installing a new shifter bushing kit. I have installed new diesel injectors and I replaced the stock injector nozzles with Monark nozzles. I took the time to balance the injectors to within 20 psi of each other (operating at around 1880 psi). A variation of 50 psi between injectors is considered very good. The engine ran smooth with the original injectors and after this injector upgrade it ran extremely smooth. This is a very worthwhile upgrade. At 210k miles I changed the transmission fluid and upgraded to Redline Transmission fluid. At 235k miles, I installed a new timing belt and adjusted the fuel pump timing to factory settings. I replaced the water pump and radiator at this time as preventative maintenance. I really do not like the smell of diesel and experimented with different fuel additives to improve the fuel burn to eliminate the smell. I have very sensitive sense of smell and with the right ratio of additives I cannot smell any unburnt diesel. As a bonus the additives also increased performance and mileage. This information is included with this auction. To improve winter drivability, I installed the following experimental equipment. I replaced the engine block heater. I installed a system to electrical heat the diesel fuel on startup. It also heats the fuel with antifreeze from the radiator. The same system also heats the air going into the intake. I installed a manual glow plug control so that the driver can control the time the glow plugs are on. This takes the place of the factory glow plug control system which gave the driver no control. With this total system I was able to run at temperatures down to 0 degrees F without gelling. I also noticed improved fuel millage as well. This system also replaced the factory style coolant thermostat and I installed a “Fail Safe” thermostat. This information and the complete setup are included with this auction. I have other ideas for running below 0 degrees F that I will share to the auction winner. I upgraded the stock alternator to a 120amp alternator. This upgrade is about 80% complete. I have solved the pulley alignment problems. The problem remaining is the alternator v-belt lasts around 6000 miles. I have ideas that I will share with the auction winner on how I would proceed to improve reliability. A new window shield washer bottle needs to be installed. The original one will not fit with all the experimental equipment installed. The driver’s side mirror needs repair. The interior of the car is in very good condition. The seats are not ripped with only a wear spot by the driver’s lower back and only a slight staining on the front passenger seat. See picture. The back seat is in excellent condition and the head liner is in very good condition without sage. The dash is un-cracked and is in very good condition. All the glass is in very good condition. The speedometer works. The carpeting is in fair condition. The running boards are rusted and have quarter size holes – see photos. The under frame looks to be in good condition due to good under-coating. The clear coat has sheeted off the car paint and there are large areas with deep surface rust around the bumpers– see photos. There are dents around the fuel cap area and the fuel cap flange was smashed by vandals. I really do not want to sell my Jetta. With fuel millage of 53 mpg it is incredible. The sad event that has brought it to auction is this: I was on a 100 mile trip. The engine was sounding good – transmission was shifting well. Then two miles from the end of trip the temperature gauge started to rise. Took the car out of gear and coasted downhill to the nearest place I could pull the car over. During this time the temperature gauge started to drop. I let the car sit until it had completely cooled down. The coolant fluid level was down but there was still coolant in the system. I added coolant to bring up the level. Started the car and the temperature started to slowly rise but now the exhaust was white (it had never done that before). I smelled the exhaust and it was completely odorless – no hint of antifreeze or diesel. I suspect that antifreeze was finding its way into the cylinders and the glycol was being burnt. I let the car cool and changed the thermostat and the result was the same. I think the head gasket has failed and is allowing coolant to enter the cylinders or the head is cracked. After sitting for two months it will not start (I believe it is due to lack of compression caused by failing head gasket or cracked head) and I am completely disheartened. I am looking for a buyer who will tow the car home and continue the experiment. The auction is for the car complete with all the experimental parts, the results of my experiments, and the information about the fuel additives \ oil additives. This car is not for the curious car buff but should be bought by a very serious VW hobbyist that will continue the experiment to improve fuel millage, improve drivability \ reliability and hand craft a daily driver without comprising safety. I will not take returns on this car. However the auction winner can decide after inspecting the car that they do not want it and I will cancel the auction. If there are no EBay fees, I will completely refund the winners deposit. If there are eBay fees, the deposit will be used to pay these fees and any leftover deposit will be refunded to the auction winner. When the auction winner pays for the car, I will talk them through all the upgrades and my experiments. The auction winner should bring a notebook to take down notes as we go through car. This way you start to make this experiment your own.