2004 Volkswagen Golf

GLS Hatchback

1.9L 4 Cylinder Diesel Fuel Turbocharged

Manual

9BWGR61J644036360

Front Wheel Drive

Diesel

Power Windows

This is a 2004 Volkswagen Golf turbodiesel, in good condition, with plenty of mileage left. The original owner took the car into the dealer for routine maintenance (records available), and I've been taking good care of it for the last 4+ years. I'm a mechanical engineer by training, and am very easy on my cars (keep maintained myself, drive slow over speed bumps, don't redline the car, keep it garaged, etc.). I bought the car in 2007 because I wanted a car that could run on biodiesel, and the Golf is the most efficient diesel available. I just bought an electric car, to go even greener (I buy wind power). That's the only reason I'm letting this car go. It's in real good condition, and should serve someone else well for many more years. This model is the GLS, which is the trim package with extras. It has sun/moonroof, premium sound and alloy wheels, ESP (traction control for slick roads), and heated seats. The tires are Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S models. It has the usual set of cosmetic blemishes, associated with a 2004 car: scratches on mirror housings, bumpers, rims, windshield pits, wear on floormats, etc. But, the car runs as well as it ever has. I just had the timing belt changed last summer, which is the biggest, most expensive maintenance item the car has. It also just had an oil change, so it's ready to go. Other recent upgrades you'll benefit from are new battery, new alternator, new coolant pump, and new brake pads (all summer 2011). The replacement alternator I bought was also a higher-rated (more amperage) model than what comes with the car. You'll benefit from this, because diesels require more battery juice than gas engines to get started. The new alternator, and new battery will keep you starting quickly, even in the cold. For those of you who don't know much about biodiesel, you should understand a few things: 1) No modifications were made to this car to run biodiesel. For a 2004 TDI, it's biodiesel ready out of the factory.2) Biodiesel is not the same thing as waste vegetable oil. Biodiesel is an ASTM-approved fuel. Waste veggie oil is not Waste veggie oil requires an add-on kit installed in your car, and under certain conditions, it can "gunk" up your engine. The opposite is true with biodiesel. Biodiesel is a really strong solvent, even stronger than normal petroleum diesel. So, rather than gunking up an engine, biodiesel actually keeps your engine and fuel system cleaner. This is good for you!3) My past use of biodiesel in no way commits you to using it. Biodiesel and regular diesel can be used interchangeably, even in the same tankful. You can pick whichever fuel you like (just not gasoline!).4) If you do want to use biodiesel, you should know that this vintage of car is the best to have. Older diesels (1980s) had natural rubber fuel lines, which biodiesel degrades. New cars come with synthetic rubber fuel lines. Newer TDI diesels (2009+), however, added a new feature, called a diesel particulate filter (DPF). Although DPFs can ideally work fine with biodiesel, the ones being used have been "tuned" to the properties of regular diesel, which some people think will cause problems if used with biodiesel. So, if you want to go bio, this car is better than both old diesels, and new diesels. If you are local to the Seattle area, you can stop by for a test drive. You can also see the complete maintenance records from me, and the original owner. Anyone who buys the car will get the full original records delivered to them, with the car. For anyone who knows VWs really well, I also just replaced the latch and hinge on the center armrest that always break. I put in the better-than-original kit from AA Rodriguez. Now for the best part. Fuel economy! I ran this car on an average of 85% biodiesel (you need to add a little petro diesel in the winter when it freezes), and got a combined average of 43 mpg! I drive probably 60/40 city vs. highway. Diesels are much more efficient on the highway. I also live in a hilly West Seattle neighborhood, which cuts down on fuel economy. If you run on normal petroleum diesel, you might get 4 or 5% more per gallon. I've gotten 48 mpg on road trips before. Whether running on biodiesel or normal petro diesel, this car is a nice reprieve from sky high gas bills! Finally, I've got 100% perfect feedback on eBay. Bid with confidence! P.S. License plate frames not included (will be removed). They're alumni plates for my alma mater, so it doesn't really make sense to keep them on the car anyway.On Feb-26-12 at 14:42:01 PST, seller added the following information:One last note on my use of biodiesel: biodiesel actually has better lubricity than normal diesel, too, so all else being equal, this engine should be in better shape than an identical Golf driven on normal diesel. I've driven the car for half its mileage, and used 85% biodiesel. The previous owner used a combination of regular and bio (precise blend unknown).On Feb-28-12 at 17:55:00 PST, seller added the following information:I posted a video of the car in the garage, running. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvO5Cx_aMA) I'll try to get out in the next couple days and make another one of the car driving (need a friend to safely hold the camera while I drive). Please check back for more later.On Feb-29-12 at 17:14:28 PST, seller added the following information:I posted another video, this time showing the car driving in reverse, at low speed, braking, and on the freeway. The cruise control and wipers are also demoed. Find it on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7goQs525h48.On Mar-02-12 at 18:48:39 PST, seller added the following information:Reply to question I had about clutch work, and recommended clutch replacement (didn't Reply All): "I haven't had any clutch work done, and don't see any in the 1st owner's (very well-kept) records, either. If you look at this (https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/display/tech/Maintenance+Schedule+-+2004+-+Jetta,+Golf,+GTI,+Jetta+Wagon,+R32#MaintenanceSchedule-2004-Jetta%2CGolf%2CGTI%2CJettaWagon%2CR32-2004VWMaint), you see there's no recommended interval for clutch replacement (for the 1.9L TDI Golf). I work in software, but am a mechanical engineer by training, so here's my take. Unlike many maintenance items, it's almost impossible for a manufacturer to predict clutch failures. They have very little to do with the number of miles driven. If you drive lots of freeway miles, in little traffic, you're hardly going to be shifting at all. Stop and go traffic might involve a lot of shifting. Novice stick drivers also probably are hard on clutches. Similarly, if you live in San Francisco, and are constantly having to start on uphill slopes, that's going to be hard on a clutch. As for me, I always buy sticks, because they get better fuel economy than automatic transmissions (if you drive efficiently, and keep RPMs low, as I do). I'm a fuel economy freak. So, I'm certainly not a novice stick driver (I'm also 37 years old). I know how to shift properly, and don't put excessive wear on my clutch. Similarly, although my neighborhood (Alki Beach in West Seattle) is hilly, there's no place where I actually have to stop and start on the hill. So, the scenario of starting uphill while the car wants to roll backward isn't something I have to deal with. The transmission feels great to me. I love the crisp shifting on my Golf. But, as to when it would need clutch replacement, I simply could not say. If you are good at driving stick, I would guess that it would be a long time, if not maybe something you never need to fix. But, that would only be an educated guess."On Mar-03-12 at 14:20:43 PST, seller added the following information:One last note in response to some questions I've received. If you're considering an automatic transmission Golf, you should know that this is an entirely different vehicle. An automatic transmission uses a computer to decide when to shift gears, based on average conditions. That has a huge (negative) impact on fuel economy. The EPA estimates for my manual Golf were 38 mpg City, 46 mpg Highway (see photos). The EPA estimates for the automatic Golf were 32 mpg City and 43 mpg Highway. That's a huge difference! Also, since the Golf has a small engine, with an automatic transmission, you're going to feel like it's a lot less peppy. It's not a race car, but with the option to gear down with the manual (when you need to accelerate quickly), you'll effectively be able to get a lot more zip out of your car. If you're interested in the Golf to cut down your fuel consumption, the manual is the only way to go. The only reason to buy an automatic is if you don't know how to drive stick (in which case, please ... buy the auto ... I shudder to think that someone might grind my little car's gears :).On Mar-03-12 at 18:38:13 PST, seller added the following information:Alert! Some users are reporting that when trying to access the Full Vehicle History report, eBay is giving this error message: We're unable to locate a history report for this vehicle. Please check with the seller, nscan, to see if the VIN is valid The VIN is valid. I have a photo of the VIN in the listing photos. This is eBay's fault. I just spent an hour on the phone with their bumbling tech support clowns, and they could not reproduce the problem. I wholeheartedly encourage anyone encountering this error to email eBay tech support. Not sure what else to tell you. The VIN is correct, and the report runs just fine for some people. On Mar-03-12 at 19:29:30 PST, seller added the following information:Another update on the Full Vehicle History fiasco. If you copy the VIN number from this page, and go to carfax.com, you can paste it in. They won't give you the whole report for free, but you can at least see that the VIN is for this kind of car, so you know I didn't put in some bogus VIN. eBay really owes you and me the full history report, but at least by using carfax, you can verify that I'm not trying to swindle you with a phony VIN. Three final videos posted: Youtube video of the heating and cooling. Youtube video of a suspension check. Youtube video closeups of scratches.