listen its called VP type TDI there are more codes than ALH and most reliable is AGR with 90HP fuel mileage better than cycling and waste gate turbo, and also KKK made some turbos for theese engines
The myth about VW being unreliable was mainly spread by Americans who didn't give a crap to proper maintenance of the cars. Here in Europe i see Volkswagens and other VAG cars, such as Skoda on a daily basis with more than 300.000 km on the odometer, even the newer models. Let's not forget about 2.5 TDI, 2.0 TDI, 3.0 TDI, 1.6 TDI, 1.4 TDI first gen, 1.6 MPI, 1.4/1.2 tsi EA211 (second gen). I saw crazy mileages on each one of them
I own two ALH Jettas and my dad bought one new in 2000. He drove it a lot and did timing belt changes and other things himself. The vehicle is still on the road but its odometer stopped ticking once it hit about 630,000 miles. They are amazing cars and I enjoy working on them.
Fun fact, if you have VCDS you can dial the odometer back to keep it ticking and your ECU still reads after the odometer stopped so you can find out the actual mileage still. They stop at whatever 1 million KM is in miles.
@@nicholaslopez4170we do have a good amount of BRM 1.9 tdi cars here which are just as good as the ALH a bit more power can have timing issues after 100k+ but very good besides that
As someone who grew up in the US and Europe, I can 100% say, VWs “reliability” issues usually here come from piss poor routine maintenance, cost of parts being sky high so people put off said maintenance and shops that bend you over solely based off the fact that it’s German. I’ve circumvented a lot of these headaches by working on my own stuff and/or finding a reputable place but oversees, that’s all my family drives are Audi/VW.
@@CARTUNE.100%. I’m a VW tech in the US most of what I see is maintenance related. Older generation Tiguans are the worst. People get cheap oil changes done with the wrong oil, then put 87 octane gas in a vehicle that requires 91 minimum. Then complain that they’re burning oil at 70k, or need a timing chain at 60k or a carbon cleaning. Do the maintenance, use the correct fuel and drive the damn thing. You’ll go well over 100k miles before you need any of that repaired.
I bought a 2001 Golf TDI brand new and drove it for 18 years. I put 393K miles on it, and the only reason I sold it was the ridiculously low prices on mk7 dieselgate cars. the mk4 was easily the most reliable car I've ever had. It will easily go well beyond the mileage that I put on it. The interior was starting to degrade, but the body was still perfect on it. I miss it a lot, and sometimes regret selling it.
@@wmr.8.149 the mk7 has 98K miles and so far I’ve had to put a battery in it. Otherwise, it’s been rock solid. I’m starting to think about changing the timing belt as the car is 8 years old now. I still miss the mk4, but this newer car is very nice.
@@mattalki The Golf 4 (in fact all the cars on the PQ34 platform) were the last truly well made VAG cars and it is still an excellent all round platform, my daily is still a 1U Octavia VRS.
@@wmr.8.149 i have an MK5 and i changed the timing belt at 198k miles bought it new from the dealer, the only thing I did to the engine was one glow plug and alternator clutch pulley.
ive seen ALH go over 1.2M when regularly maintained and its still alive! stock everything, almost every part replaced due to failure except for the internals of the engine. fricking tank of a motor
The 1.9 TDI is by far the most iconic of the series. Most iconic and definitly the most reliable. Its a very tunable engine and ultra common here in europe. My Volvo has a 2.5 TDI. Basically and audi 100 Engine. It makes 140 horsepower stock. I bought my car for 1000€ and had to do oil changes, a timing belt service and the bosch pump was completly rotted out but it has been sitting for a few years before i bought it. Now it serves me well and it only has 250.000km. I am looking forward to keeping it on the road for as long as i can
My parents had a 1.9 TDI with 130hp Seat Alhambra. Sold it at 280,000km, the engine NEVER had any problems or anything replaced. Was a daily driver until they upgraded to a Škoda Superb with a 190hp 2.0 TDI
My parents also have a 130 hp 1.9 tdi seat alhambra but later they bought a new car so they took out the seats out the old seat alhambra and used it as a work van
I have a 2002 tdi manual wagon, no mods, 425k miles and still runs like new. Always used Mobil 1 and 10k oil changes. Planning on making it to at least 500k, best car I've ever owned.
I own , and still run everyday a 1999 1.9 tdi passat 435000 miles on it, still original turbo as well, bought it from new, waxoiled everywhere, still drives like a dream, I have everything here to rebuild it when the need arises!...I wouldn't part with it for any of the new cars around today!
Mobil One, the engine has never been apart. The only parts that have been replaced on the engine are, glow plugs, a/c compressor, alternator and the "O" ring in the injection pump.
My best friend gave me his 2003 Jetta Wagon, and this ALH is over 680K km(423+ mi). Still running strong and the car itself is still in pretty good shape. 👍🏻👍🏻
man that is a good friend those wagons for sale are rare as hens teeth, we have an 02 jetta sedan with around the same milage if you take care of them they will run forever
You forgot about one of its best features -- Filling the neck up another 8L or so to get another couple hundred K. Also, the amazing push out cup holders above the stereo.
Bro, old TDIs in balkans are more common then anything else. The car itself falls apart and is hold together just by rust, but the engine, after 20 years, work like a clock.
In Europe VW group moved to PD diesel (e.g. ATD) in 2000 so we have fewer ALH left. The early PD unit can be almost as reliable as "ALH" but the real problems started in 2005 with the Bxx engines which used cracked con rods which broke too often.
One of the first reliable engine that come to mind for me is the alh. Had mine for 10 years now. Have 320k on it. Just did the timing belt and water pump to it. About to throw some shocks on it to. No rust issue on mine except the common interior falling apart.
Buying the manual transmission versions are best, although what I learned that with the automatic transmission if you feel like you’re starting to have problems check both the valve body and torque converter, I changed both of those out and I’m up over 330,000 miles on the original transmission.
As well as the 1.9 TDI, the PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) 1.9 XUD is quite legendary. In modern times, the PSA 2.0 HDi is quite possibly the best 4 cyl diesel. I would be happy to take any of these three past 400k miles. I've had issues with the newer TDIs (both 1.6 and 2.0), but I'm back in a 2.0 HDi now and plan on keeping it alive for a very long time (currently only on 175k, very sketchy maintenance before me, but still runs as new).
The best 'MK4 Golf' TDi ALH was the Skoda Octavia 1U. Is a pity they were not sold in N.America. Better built than the Golf/Jetta/Bora. They were basically a Jetta/Bora in hatchback form. Very well factory sealed and they seem to have been built with very good steel, wings last a lot longer than on the VW. Front crash panel also a lot stronger than the VW and a good car to drive. Would love to see the reaction of American VW ALH fans upon driving an Octavia 1U in good order. The rear beam axle also stronger in the Skoda and the base 90PS ALH had rear drums which are not the same as the early Golf 4 drums, same as the Caddy van, that with a new backplates, spring kit and cylinders make them brake like a truck. The Skoda had the ALH up to late 2005 and I think onward in Taxi special order form. If an Octavia had to crash into a Jetta, I'd rather be in the Skoda. They were a typical 2000's taxi and as I heard a Taxi driver say, "you always walk away from an Octavia" As for performance, fresh gear oil with a drop of molyslip, they pull in 5th gear at idle. Change the radiator, re-seal the thermostat and the temp sensor to make sure no coolant leaks, which kill diesels, clean out the EGR tar from the inlet manifold and those engines will do a million miles. Skoda, whos laughing now?
We had Octavia Mk1 built in 97 and it had the older brother of ALH - the AGR...and that one is even more bullet proof, since it had turbo with fixed geometry and wastegate setup.
As an Octy 1U ALH owner, i can say that it is built like a tank. I've had it for three years now, I've done 45k kms with it(which is a lot for European standards), and all I've had to do is regular oil and filter changes, brakes, new shock absorbers and that is pretty much it. Also i had to change the fenders, because mine were a bit rotten. Its a solid car, easy to drive, it can give you driving joy if you know how to push it properly, and gets great economy. Ive had it down to 3.5l/100 km. And the trunk space is huge. Great for long journeys.
I recently got a PD150 ARL that is eco mapped believe it or not, extra 30bhp and it does 60-65mpg on motorways. Cannot get over the amount of torque the baby has. ARL I’ve been told is the crème of the crop of those PD TDI engines, really good reliability, performance and efficiency!
I had a mk4 pd130 asz golf many years ago, sold it with 160,000 miles on it, to this day I still wonder if its still on the road it never failed me. Today I drive a mk6 golf gti but I'm considering going back to diesel lol
The ALH is by far the most economical of the bunch. It was my 1st TDI. I put 150,000 km on it before the TB snapped because the fuel distributor locked up for some reason, it was a great car. I'm on my 4th one now.
One of the mounting ear on the block snapped and the engine tilted so the timing belt got stopped by some part of the chassis and after repairing all this (and people trying to crank it like this without knowing) we repaired everything and it runs still. They are extemely tough engines
Awesome! I own a UK Passat b5 1997. Dad offloaded it to me in 2004. It's still going strong. 225,000 miles. Economy driving on motorway (60mph) get me 60 ish to the gallon! You're right about other parts falling off tho 😆 I see you have the SE trim like me 🙂 I enjoyed the incongruous steel drums music too
I drive a '06 golf plus. Nothing fancy. But with the 1.9 TDI it's got plenty of power for towing and pullig itself across any road. Also, not a single speck of rust has touched my small working machine!
I bought a wagon ALH 2003 last summer for pretty cheap, did a couple of repairs, nothing crazy (wheel bearings, brakes, glowplugs, coilsprings) The body is in pretty good shape, I just had to change the rear hatch. Diesel is crazy expensive right now over here but I still love that thing, I got 335k's on it, changing the clutch next summer and she'll run as new 😁
I got an 01 tdi manual, love it to death and do all the work on it myself. very easy to work on and incredibly reliable, I putting a veggie oil conversion kit on it soon so I can get 300mpg lol
At least someone on TH-cam appreciates budget cars and mods. You don't need 500HP to have fun and get up to speed. Everyone can have a good time with what they have.
I used to own a 2003 ASZ too, ~130K miles on it so not that high but it's still going.. EGR valve replaced but otherwise, all healthy. Remapped now to ~165hp.. pulls well.
A big must for vw diesels is using Quantum oil! They will go til the body rots away. My BJB 105hp is at 189000 miles, in second gear box, third turbo, straight thru exhaust and K&N air filter goes really well and gives back 36-45 mpg !!
My dads Skoda Octavia 2003 has 1.9 ALH and it STILL runs like a dream. He has around 450k miles on it and an average mpg of 62. Sure, it has rust here and there, but it NEVER failed him. He will drive it until it dies.
I have a Volvo V70 -98 with the 2,5 TDI engine in it (they only sold in Europe what I know) and it has rolled 580000 kilometers (360395 miles) a friend of mine had one that had 970000+ km (602730) on it and was running flawlessly and with optimization box on it we had it down to half a liter to 10km. Absolutely amazing engines
Loved the video and I can confirm everything. I have a 1st generation Škoda Octavia from 1999 with AHF (81kw version) TDI. It is currently at 395 000km and counting. That car has never let me down even though it is a definition of a beater. It ran in our family for 11 years and 200 000km without a single engine issue. Only the EGR was clogged so that was blanked out when I took over the ownership. Still after 24 years it passes emisions with flying colors although I didn't believed it would pass them. Unfortunately as you said everything around the engine starts to fall apart. That laundry list of issues ranging from bad interior seals to busted suspension and shot syncros in transmission haunts me every day. I have a lead foot and still never managed to get over 6l/100km (39 US mpg / 47 UK mpg) however fast I went and however much I revved it which is just astonishing. With a lighter foot and longer routes mainly on highways and higher speed roads I got around 4l/100km (58 US mpg / 70 UK mpg). VAG rotary pump diesels are the best workhorses or daily drivers. Absolutely bulletproof whatever you do to it and mpg to be envied by every auto maker. I'd go as far as to say that there is no better diesel from that period in europe (unfortunately no cummins for us...) and it can be seen on the roads. Every time you see a milenium VAG car in these lands there is a 80% chance it is a diesel with that engine. I love that car but time goes on and a new vehicle is on the horizon, hopefully it will life to see at least those 400 000km under my brothers ownership.
@@SY-ml5nl i use a 5W-30 full synthetic oil. What's important is it has to meet or exceed the 505.00 or 505.01 vw norm, and of course, not buy the cheapest oil.
@@SY-ml5nl AGR, similar to the AHL, but with a wastegated turbo, previous version, i think, but it is the same engine aside from that. I have read somewhere the tdis with cam failure are the PDs, the next gen without rotary injection pump.
Almost 900.000 km here with an AFN.. which is weaker and older tech than an ALH, but still on vp37. At 887.000 my afn (on torsen t2 trans) broken cylinder one, BUT.. runing 225bhp and 420nm for last 2 years of his life. Now had a new afn block (from scrapyard), machined arl pistons, arl spray, forged "snapped style" conrods, all around 12.9 bolts, same heads made by my own ideas. Runs much stronger, probably for many years to come (one year from rebuild)
I own one! It is an auto and a 5 door car, but those were my only options (such is life). The motor has done 85,000, but the car also did over 150,000 miles with an earlier engine before a cam belt blew that one. And as a bonus, it's not rusted out! I might post something on my channel some day. Thanks for the good video! Subscribed.
As an owner of Golf mk4 1998, 1.9TDI 81kW (450k km), I approve of this video ! I do my maintenance and mods by myself except when it needs to be lifted. It's as simple as it gets, so even a self-thought nobody can fix it. And that's a great feature. It took me a while to find one that was not corroded (miserable technically, but perfect chassis) and I am slowly taking care of the technical stuff up to today I have changed and fixed almost all the driving-necessary features and parts (needs an engine-head change, possibly micro-cracked by previous owner, but still drives ok, just sometimes, rarely overheats). my whole interior is currently custom (except door panels) and I have a list of mods I am about to do I love the car, named it Rebecca Soon I am about to make a brand new paintjob, so Rebecca is shiny-new and all pretty. it's still semi-stock, but drives great. I quite recommend. And if you're in EU, the parts for this car are CRAZY CHEAP in comparison to anything else. (And you can find spare old parts basically everywhere)
I have owned several vw’s and even several diesels. Just bought my first ALH and managed to find a golf with 95k original miles. Needs some paint work and some interior stuff fixed, but I’m glad I bought it. Drove over 300 miles on half a tank of fuel. Can’t wait to get it tuned.
I myself daily an Audi A3 8L with the 1.9 TDI AHF which is very reliable + the body does not rust, because its galvanized so its basically a Golf Mk4 without the rust.
Loved that car. A brand new 2003 Jetta w/ 5 speed and last run of ALH engines. Sold it due to a growing family in 2016. Really miss that car. The next owner got a mint, well maintained, stock car w/ only 200,000 miles. Now have a diesel-gate Touareg. Great car but insanely more complex and problematic.
Years back i bought a cheap mk4 golf pd130 (with the unit injectors) with 150,000 miles and good service history and receipts etc, did the cambelt an w,pump, mapped it to 160hp and fitted a better intercooler, drove it everyday for 7 years quite hard, although i serviced it regularly, an sold it with 230,000 miles, with still factory clutch, turbo an stock internals never changed, best car i've ever had, and the six speed gearbox is the best ever.
@@SY-ml5nl The PD's cam is a weak point, but mine was ok cos i changed oil frequently, i think i used 5w 30 full synthetic, never paid for oil or filters as i worked for a truck company which ran vw/audi engines lol.
@@gavinsmith9022 thanks for the info. Could you please tell me how many miles after I should change my oil? I too am using 5w30. I'm really worried about the cams! An obviously you'll have the best info thru experience!! Thanks
@@SY-ml5nl Yeah mate, the single cam has lobes for the valves and unit injectors, the cam does run in bearings like a crank so is pretty good if you change oil, i know darkside developments do loads of tuning parts for the PD lump and uprated cam etc. I used to change oil every 3000 miles on mine, but like i said i got my oil an filters free, also oil change very important for turbo as well, i stripped a few PD lumps down out of fork trucks, and any damage to turbo, cam, hydraulic bucket tappets was down purely to bad servicing. Also V.N.T actuator for boost control on turbo can stick creating overboost fault code, I was lucky with my engine cos had original good service history, i just carried it on, only things i did was cam belts an waterpump and uprated intercooler, plus another 30hp and drove like new even at 200,000 miles.
I have a 99 golf tdi,its 110hp stock,I have it over 5 years and it's really good car,but like the video said,you have to maintain it,body wants to rust,so it needs a paint job every now and then,but its worth it. I live in europe and I have converted it to us spec,20th anniversary look,so my is the only one like that in my city,love it and recommend to everyone!
I own an 98 A4 with an AFN engine. I removed the EGR valve and cleaned the intake manifold when I bought it at 260000 km. Now it's at 390, and I often pull a trailer with it. Never had any repairs myself and according to the log it only got a new turbo once. Before this I had an Audi 80 with an 1Z engine. Only repair on that was new return pipes on the injectors. I dumped it at 480000 kms, but the engine was running perfectly.
My first and still only car is an '03 VW New Beetle TDI MT with the ALH in it. Nearing 200k miles on it and only major thing to go on it was the OEM suspension after 13yrs of driving which got replaced with a full Bilstein kit to liven it up a small bit. Haven't bothered messing with internals but I figure once it comes time to fully rebuild the engine in the usual maintenance cycle, that's when I'll build it to the edge and then back it off a bit to salvage any bit of reliability as I'll likely have a new daily driver sorted out by that time.
@@SY-ml5nl I used the recommended oil from vw which I think was 501 5w30. No camshaft issues. Only things ever changed were cv joints, track rod ends and camshaft positioning sensor. This was the most reliable car I have ever had. IRS a shame that current vw vehicles are not well made as my mk4 golf
Got a September 1999 Skoda Octavia SLX TDi (110 bhp) estate which I've owned from new. It's got the ALH engine surrounded by a good car body. The car was part galvanised panels from new and 'wax oil' impregnated to all box sections, doors, etc. no rust visible any where. It's been unused in the garage (run and moved periodically) for many years. Got all the parts(cam bely, etc) to put it back on the road, just waiting for warmer weather. The best part, it's only done 49,000 miles from new.
I have a Audi A4 avant 1.9 tdi AFN engine and it has 360 000km on it it is tuned to 140 hp and has no problems. Just change oil regularly. Lots of power
@@OzzieMozzie777in reality No! The engine in the video is a 1.9tdi ALH now that engine is the same TOTALY THE SAME as the ASV (i own an asv in a golf4) ALH and ASV are euro3 engines but there are 2 other engines that are similar to the asv and the alh but not euro3 motivation becuase these engines are almost unknown have been replaced by asv and alh now the difference beetwen asv and alh are in the horsepower asv is starting on 110hp and alh like in the video 90hp (asv have a better acceleration and torque) to reach 110cv on an alh is complicated u need to use asv injectors to reach on both engine 300hp is a stage 4 tuning to go up is a possible thing but not healthy to reach over 500 hp is a thing no one have documented on this engine a very small small percentual of people have done this why? First of all asv and alh 1.9tdi are not diffused engines respect the engine u have see the British guy the other motivation is the injection system working on a VE Pump is complicated not all people know how to do a performance upgrade on those pump is not an totaly elettronic pump but a miscelaneous of old school mecchanics and elettronics and the last thing to reach that power u need a biturbo system (generaly) "easy" to do in a 1.9tdi PD engine but not in the asv and alh (ve engines) the difference beetwen ve and PD is the fuel system 1.9tdi VE use the pump showed in the video is a BoSCh VE Pump / 1.9tdi PD use injectors pump so basicaly every single injector is a pump itself so Much easier to custom with a ECU map and are even better in the pressurization of the fuel PD work a very high bar even higher than the common rail system used in the diesel engine now so the guys in the (british video) yes the engine have almost 600hp but is fa 1.9tdi PD not an VE like the motor in this video
I had 2 TDIs, a 13 passat CKRA and an 01 golf ALH, 5 speed manual. The passat ran pretty good despite its random issues it's had, and my alh came from auction so I'm in the process of fixing its front end damage, I've driven it a few times and it's a tank.
Not only the ALH, also the AHF/ASV are very reliable, if not equal. But yes, you can also use old oil in a 1:2 mix with fuel and drive it completely normal without any harm, so it's definately the best engine in my opinion. On my ALH, I now have 480k, on my AHF, only 390k - both without any problems except rust, which is quite common in Austria.
They are quite literally the same engines, no difference at all. If you compare 90hp ALH vs 110hp AHF or whatever was its code name, the only differences you're gonna find is the turbo is wastegate instead of VNT on the ALH and the injectors are smaller than the ones on AHF
I love how they went we need to build an engine as simple as the bug's boxer i have a 1.9 tdi van no matter how long it's sitting you just throw the battery in and it starts with no problem
I have a seat toledo 1.9 TDI ALH. It has 440 000km. Sadly the oil pan got hit and i didnt notice until the oil presure lamp light out. Run without oil 400km. The best engine ever made
Just bought a 2002 ALH one owner with 48k miles 5 speed. It’s a base model with manual windows and paint isn’t in best of shape. But just bought it to daily drive
I bought a 2005 Golf mk5, 1.9 TDI for 3050 EUR in August 2021. Man this car is fun. Will stage 1 tune it soon to get that little extra oomph out of it, but generally it has not needed much. Swapped the Timing belt and water pump for a new one as soon as I bought it as I didn't know when the one it had was put in, costed only $140. After it shut down on me while driving (luckily close to home and my trusty mechanic) it meant that the original fuel pump had finally given out, so I got that replaced also fairly cheap, for $240. It runs like a dream, fairly economic only half a tank of diesel a month. Can't recommend this car enough.
Here in the uk we got the mk1 Ford galaxy. 1.9 tdi which had this engine was at 520000miles still ran sweet when it was retired as a taxi. The engine had never been split
I did not want it, did not like it first, But my mk4 golf tdi it was the most reliable car i have ever owned and probably ever will, the amount of cost to run is so minimal that puts even the most economical modern cars to shame, really did not want to sell it in the end
In the uk I believe we have diff engines to what you get we get the pd130 and pd 150 asz and blt Stage 1 on the pd 130 takes u to 170bhp no exhaust mods needed Pd150 stage 1 takes it to around 210 again no exhaust mods needed A lot of people have put hybrid turbos in with front mount intercoolers making over 250 for every day use have a look at darkside or just search 1.9 hybrid turbo
I just bought a 03 Jetta with the ALH non-running rust free because you can rarely find them here in South Florida and if you do they’re very expensive with a little bit of rust. You only really find the BEW‘s down here
I work at a VW in the service department and the amount of water pumps and heater cores we have changed since I started 3 months ago is insane. I love VW and always will, but there are some things they seem to never learn. Water pumps have been a problem for over a decade on most if not all VW vehicles. That being said, the info that has been documented about the faults on their vehicles is so readily available it is pretty easy to be ready for when these items fail and get it replaced before it happens.
I bet you that the water pumps you’ve been changing are the mk7 golf (and other vehicles of the same year) diesel ones. They fail because they are partially electronic and get stuck closed, and over heat. The water pumps on the older ones are generally reliable, and only get changed at same time as the timing belt as a precautionary method. Same for the heat exchangers too, mk7 golf and onwards. Poor design of the cooling system and they get blocked up and you get cold heating on drivers side
Metal housing and metal impeller were the designs VW needed on their turbocharged vehicles. I can’t believe none of their vehicles came with that factory design.
I got an automatic 2003 Jetta wagon earlier this year (I was hoping for a manual but couldn't find one and my mom was annoyed that I was using hers so I settled for an automatic lmao), has been great so far! working on a stage one tune, eventually probably gonna put a stage 4 on her once I swap the automatic for a manual. that's way in the future tho :3
The ASV is also a legend for its reliability with the only cloud over it being the VNT turbo and even better was the original AFN with the separate water pump.
I had a 06 1.9 tdi jetta had 353k before I got rid of it and still ran good I currently have a 2013 passat 2.0 tdi I brought with 82k in 2017 I now have 249k on it no issues still runs new I did do a egr,def and dpf delete from Rawtek wit stage 2 tune that's it I love mines
Have owned several VW's the 1st 2001 Golf TDI still have coming up on 300,000, a set of Bentley manuals and do all maintenance. 2007 GTI for about a year traded in for 2009 Jetta SW TDI and 2010 Golf TDI. Diesel gate came and sold the Golf back to VW and bought a 2004 Golf TDI BEW fixed it up and gave it to my parents. Dad told me son wish you'd done this long time ago, he averaged 43mpg with it. The MKIV's / MKIII's get the best MPG highway driving have gone over 800 miles on a tank with my 01. Only upgrades being a cold air intake and an .068 5th gear, planning on a 3bar map.
Many many years ago in the previous century, i bought a 110 hdi Citroen, over 17 years i drove it 504,000 miles or over 800,000 km. We poped the head off to take a look inside, see if it needed anything. All was good.
I’m driving a MKV TDI with the BXE motor. 320,000 km just replaced the starter motor brushes and glow plugs. The DSG transmission is superb and I haven’t touched it. I don’t think you should recommend manual for high mileage.
@@Ngcarson1337 That's a good question. I have a single GTB2260 turbo, so peak boost is close to 4k. I've never dyno'd it. I'd say high 400's maybe? I am concerned with the stock 02J 5 speed though.
@@Ngcarson1337 No videos that are any entertaining. It was my daily driver until the turbo failed. There's a bit of a backlog on Garrett turbo parts right now.
Love my 05 Golf tdi with 342k miles, stage 4 tune for Kermatdi. Next I want to add thier 3" complete exhust system, can't wait!!! I love the sound of Diesel. I got lucky with the interior being nearly perfect. I bought it with 314k from 1 time owner and he took really good care of it. He used it as a daily to work, about 60 miles round trip everyday, all highway miles.
ive got a Fabia VRS with the 1.9TDI PD130 engine, its around 130bhp and pushing nearly 300nm standard, stage 1 there at around 180bhp and nearly 400nm and you can do that on stock internals, with a simple induction kit it will do fine on a stage 1 map.
I have a 2000s VW Golf 4 1.9 tdi 4motion (AJM engine). 115hp factory, around 150 tuned stage 1. Still rocks with 420.000 km on the odometer. My first car, but i have it since 2017 and just don't want to buy a new car.
Thank you for watching!
I agree.
My ahu 1.9 Tdi had 300,000 when I got it …
In 2010
The reason you never see mileage over 650,000 miles is the ecu tracks mileage and only has memory built for 1million km.
The car happily keeps going.
Just bought one it giving me a ton of problems the guy screwed me is it worth fixing its an auto with 200k
just curious, what program or website did you use to calculate the estimated hp and tourqe for each stage. Thx
listen its called VP type TDI there are more codes than ALH and most reliable is AGR with 90HP fuel mileage better than cycling and waste gate turbo, and also KKK made some turbos for theese engines
The myth about VW being unreliable was mainly spread by Americans who didn't give a crap to proper maintenance of the cars. Here in Europe i see Volkswagens and other VAG cars, such as Skoda on a daily basis with more than 300.000 km on the odometer, even the newer models. Let's not forget about 2.5 TDI, 2.0 TDI, 3.0 TDI, 1.6 TDI, 1.4 TDI first gen, 1.6 MPI, 1.4/1.2 tsi EA211 (second gen). I saw crazy mileages on each one of them
TDI and the flywheel was a nightmare
I own two ALH Jettas and my dad bought one new in 2000. He drove it a lot and did timing belt changes and other things himself. The vehicle is still on the road but its odometer stopped ticking once it hit about 630,000 miles. They are amazing cars and I enjoy working on them.
Fun fact, if you have VCDS you can dial the odometer back to keep it ticking and your ECU still reads after the odometer stopped so you can find out the actual mileage still. They stop at whatever 1 million KM is in miles.
@@WaxScum I've got the VCDS cable but we never figured it out, maybe i should give it another shot.
itll pick up when it gets to 630.000 again ;)
@@WaxScum 621,371.2 miles.
@@WaxScum not possible with vcds, you need vagtacho for that
I dunno what you’re talking about, in the UK Volkswagen are the most reliable engines you can buy.
I wish the US had as many diesel cars you guys get
@@nicholaslopez4170we do have a good amount of BRM 1.9 tdi cars here which are just as good as the ALH a bit more power can have timing issues after 100k+ but very good besides that
The pd engines are bullet proof and even the Peugeot 2.0 hdi engine is a good one
As someone who grew up in the US and Europe, I can 100% say, VWs “reliability” issues usually here come from piss poor routine maintenance, cost of parts being sky high so people put off said maintenance and shops that bend you over solely based off the fact that it’s German. I’ve circumvented a lot of these headaches by working on my own stuff and/or finding a reputable place but oversees, that’s all my family drives are Audi/VW.
@@CARTUNE.100%. I’m a VW tech in the US most of what I see is maintenance related. Older generation Tiguans are the worst. People get cheap oil changes done with the wrong oil, then put 87 octane gas in a vehicle that requires 91 minimum. Then complain that they’re burning oil at 70k, or need a timing chain at 60k or a carbon cleaning. Do the maintenance, use the correct fuel and drive the damn thing. You’ll go well over 100k miles before you need any of that repaired.
I bought a 2001 Golf TDI brand new and drove it for 18 years. I put 393K miles on it, and the only reason I sold it was the ridiculously low prices on mk7 dieselgate cars. the mk4 was easily the most reliable car I've ever had. It will easily go well beyond the mileage that I put on it. The interior was starting to degrade, but the body was still perfect on it. I miss it a lot, and sometimes regret selling it.
How is the mk7 holding up?
@@wmr.8.149 the mk7 has 98K miles and so far I’ve had to put a battery in it. Otherwise, it’s been rock solid. I’m starting to think about changing the timing belt as the car is 8 years old now. I still miss the mk4, but this newer car is very nice.
@@mattalki The Golf 4 (in fact all the cars on the PQ34 platform) were the last truly well made VAG cars and it is still an excellent all round platform, my daily is still a 1U Octavia VRS.
@@wmr.8.149 i have an MK5 and i changed the timing belt at 198k miles bought it new from the dealer, the only thing I did to the engine was one glow plug and alternator clutch pulley.
If you remember the reg see if it's still around
ive seen ALH go over 1.2M when regularly maintained and its still alive! stock everything, almost every part replaced due to failure except for the internals of the engine.
fricking tank of a motor
My 2002 ALH just hit 300,000 miles. Plenty of parts available and they're generally cheap. Easy to work on and TONS of enthusiasts out there
The 1.9 TDI is by far the most iconic of the series. Most iconic and definitly the most reliable. Its a very tunable engine and ultra common here in europe. My Volvo has a 2.5 TDI. Basically and audi 100 Engine. It makes 140 horsepower stock. I bought my car for 1000€ and had to do oil changes, a timing belt service and the bosch pump was completly rotted out but it has been sitting for a few years before i bought it. Now it serves me well and it only has 250.000km. I am looking forward to keeping it on the road for as long as i can
My parents had a 1.9 TDI with 130hp Seat Alhambra. Sold it at 280,000km, the engine NEVER had any problems or anything replaced. Was a daily driver until they upgraded to a Škoda Superb with a 190hp 2.0 TDI
1.9 pd engines 130 is a great engine
My parents also have a 130 hp 1.9 tdi seat alhambra but later they bought a new car so they took out the seats out the old seat alhambra and used it as a work van
I have a 2002 tdi manual wagon, no mods, 425k miles and still runs like new. Always used Mobil 1 and 10k oil changes. Planning on making it to at least 500k, best car I've ever owned.
I own , and still run everyday a 1999 1.9 tdi passat 435000 miles on it, still original turbo as well, bought it from new, waxoiled everywhere, still drives like a dream, I have everything here to rebuild it when the need arises!...I wouldn't part with it for any of the new cars around today!
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
Mobil One, the engine has never been apart. The only parts that have been replaced on the engine are, glow plugs, a/c compressor, alternator and the "O" ring in the injection pump.
@@yodasbff3395 many thanks for that info, which Mobil 1? What grade /code etc? Regards
Is yours a pd tdi or a non pdi? Thanks
We are at 250,000 miles on our 2002 Golf MK4 TDI with a 5 speed manual. Love this car.
My best friend gave me his 2003 Jetta Wagon, and this ALH is over 680K km(423+ mi). Still running strong and the car itself is still in pretty good shape. 👍🏻👍🏻
man that is a good friend those wagons for sale are rare as hens teeth, we have an 02 jetta sedan with around the same milage if you take care of them they will run forever
@@stephensmith7404bew or alh?
You forgot about one of its best features -- Filling the neck up another 8L or so to get another couple hundred K.
Also, the amazing push out cup holders above the stereo.
My AHU/1Z Passat got 985 miles on a tank of fuel
Bro, old TDIs in balkans are more common then anything else. The car itself falls apart and is hold together just by rust, but the engine, after 20 years, work like a clock.
This video is top notch! The narration with pristine English, the music mixing, the clip editing, and accurate information... its a masterpiece!!!
In Europe VW group moved to PD diesel (e.g. ATD) in 2000 so we have fewer ALH left. The early PD unit can be almost as reliable as "ALH" but the real problems started in 2005 with the Bxx engines which used cracked con rods which broke too often.
This only affects the BLS
As far as I know lots of 1.9s use cracked conrods... My AVF has them too and they are not the problem... It was more a material quality problem...
My A4 (BLB) pd140 tuned and straight pipe E.G.R/block off is doing great at 300 000+ km
We got the 2.0pd in the Passat here in the states.
I kept the one from my wife's 04 Passat TDI in hopes of swapping into a mk1 that has a Tdi-m
2004 PD130 ASZ, 215k miles, 245bhp and 500/520nm. 35-40mpg having fun, 50-60mpg driving normally. Absolutely love them.
Turbo upgrade ?
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
One of the first reliable engine that come to mind for me is the alh. Had mine for 10 years now. Have 320k on it. Just did the timing belt and water pump to it. About to throw some shocks on it to. No rust issue on mine except the common interior falling apart.
Buying the manual transmission versions are best, although what I learned that with the automatic transmission if you feel like you’re starting to have problems check both the valve body and torque converter, I changed both of those out and I’m up over 330,000 miles on the original transmission.
I drive a Golf mk.2 with the mk.3 AFN 1.9L TDI. It makes about 130hp. The car is also fully painted with Raptor Pickup bed liner
Mp 1.9 TDI Polo is over 300 000KM i decided to do a full recon on the engine and it should last another 300 000 km easily but its a awesome car
I have a 1.9l in my toyota pickup with a stage 4 tune! Lots of power at 150whp but mine needs so much work. Never left me stranded though!
As well as the 1.9 TDI, the PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) 1.9 XUD is quite legendary.
In modern times, the PSA 2.0 HDi is quite possibly the best 4 cyl diesel. I would be happy to take any of these three past 400k miles.
I've had issues with the newer TDIs (both 1.6 and 2.0), but I'm back in a 2.0 HDi now and plan on keeping it alive for a very long time (currently only on 175k, very sketchy maintenance before me, but still runs as new).
FUCK PEUGEOTS 2.0TDI
My dad has one and we have spent on the engine ½ of the whole cars price
The best 'MK4 Golf' TDi ALH was the Skoda Octavia 1U. Is a pity they were not sold in N.America. Better built than the Golf/Jetta/Bora. They were basically a Jetta/Bora in hatchback form. Very well factory sealed and they seem to have been built with very good steel, wings last a lot longer than on the VW. Front crash panel also a lot stronger than the VW and a good car to drive. Would love to see the reaction of American VW ALH fans upon driving an Octavia 1U in good order. The rear beam axle also stronger in the Skoda and the base 90PS ALH had rear drums which are not the same as the early Golf 4 drums, same as the Caddy van, that with a new backplates, spring kit and cylinders make them brake like a truck. The Skoda had the ALH up to late 2005 and I think onward in Taxi special order form. If an Octavia had to crash into a Jetta, I'd rather be in the Skoda. They were a typical 2000's taxi and as I heard a Taxi driver say, "you always walk away from an Octavia" As for performance, fresh gear oil with a drop of molyslip, they pull in 5th gear at idle. Change the radiator, re-seal the thermostat and the temp sensor to make sure no coolant leaks, which kill diesels, clean out the EGR tar from the inlet manifold and those engines will do a million miles. Skoda, whos laughing now?
Mk4 never had drum brakes in USA
Only disk all around
Had my octavia since 2002 with the ASV 110 VE unit still going strong I think the USA didn't get the ASV 110 motor.
Ugly as all hell though
We had Octavia Mk1 built in 97 and it had the older brother of ALH - the AGR...and that one is even more bullet proof, since it had turbo with fixed geometry and wastegate setup.
As an Octy 1U ALH owner, i can say that it is built like a tank. I've had it for three years now, I've done 45k kms with it(which is a lot for European standards), and all I've had to do is regular oil and filter changes, brakes, new shock absorbers and that is pretty much it. Also i had to change the fenders, because mine were a bit rotten. Its a solid car, easy to drive, it can give you driving joy if you know how to push it properly, and gets great economy. Ive had it down to 3.5l/100 km. And the trunk space is huge. Great for long journeys.
I have a 2005 Passat wagon B5.5, 96kw tdi + power box instaled and it drives like a rocket. its over 360000km
I have a PD150 (ARL) at stage 1 (200bhp and around 320nm torque) and even with a leaky intercooler I still see 47mpg.
I recently got a PD150 ARL that is eco mapped believe it or not, extra 30bhp and it does 60-65mpg on motorways. Cannot get over the amount of torque the baby has. ARL I’ve been told is the crème of the crop of those PD TDI engines, really good reliability, performance and efficiency!
I had a mk4 pd130 asz golf many years ago, sold it with 160,000 miles on it, to this day I still wonder if its still on the road it never failed me. Today I drive a mk6 golf gti but I'm considering going back to diesel lol
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
Mines a 2008 1.9TDI had it since 2009 and it’s only got 54000 miles, still going strong
The ALH is by far the most economical of the bunch. It was my 1st TDI. I put 150,000 km on it before the TB snapped because the fuel distributor locked up for some reason, it was a great car. I'm on my 4th one now.
One of the mounting ear on the block snapped and the engine tilted so the timing belt got stopped by some part of the chassis and after repairing all this (and people trying to crank it like this without knowing) we repaired everything and it runs still. They are extemely tough engines
Awesome! I own a UK Passat b5 1997. Dad offloaded it to me in 2004. It's still going strong. 225,000 miles. Economy driving on motorway (60mph) get me 60 ish to the gallon! You're right about other parts falling off tho 😆 I see you have the SE trim like me 🙂 I enjoyed the incongruous steel drums music too
I drive a '06 golf plus. Nothing fancy. But with the 1.9 TDI it's got plenty of power for towing and pullig itself across any road. Also, not a single speck of rust has touched my small working machine!
I bought a wagon ALH 2003 last summer for pretty cheap, did a couple of repairs, nothing crazy (wheel bearings, brakes, glowplugs, coilsprings) The body is in pretty good shape, I just had to change the rear hatch. Diesel is crazy expensive right now over here but I still love that thing, I got 335k's on it, changing the clutch next summer and she'll run as new 😁
Got my first golf 4 tdi 1.9 4motion with 100hp and has about 300k but drives like crazy well maintained imported from austria
A close brother to the ALH , is the ARL . It has 150 hp 320 nm (236 ft) stock . They reach 190 hp 410 nm (300 ft) with just a stage 1
And on an eco remap you gain 30bhp from stock and I’ve been getting up to 65 mpg on big roads
Got this in a 2003 seat Leon
Really like it
ALH and ARL are different engines, ASZ and ARL are very similar
ARL is PD. ALH, AHU, AGR have the VE pump.
ARL injectors fail though, not reliable
I got an 01 tdi manual, love it to death and do all the work on it myself. very easy to work on and incredibly reliable, I putting a veggie oil conversion kit on it soon so I can get 300mpg lol
In the summer I run my PD150 on just vegetable oil straight in the tank
"veggie oil conversion kit": = You'll be sorry.
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
At least someone on TH-cam appreciates budget cars and mods. You don't need 500HP to have fun and get up to speed. Everyone can have a good time with what they have.
I have a 2003 pd TDI. ASZ engine.
And still running since 2003.
19 years ago was first started and still going.
I used to own a 2003 ASZ too, ~130K miles on it so not that high but it's still going.. EGR valve replaced but otherwise, all healthy. Remapped now to ~165hp.. pulls well.
Yep, have 317,000 miles on my 01 Beetle that I bought new. Due for timing belt and water pump service.
A big must for vw diesels is using Quantum oil! They will go til the body rots away. My BJB 105hp is at 189000 miles, in second gear box, third turbo, straight thru exhaust and K&N air filter goes really well and gives back 36-45 mpg !!
My dads Skoda Octavia 2003 has 1.9 ALH and it STILL runs like a dream. He has around 450k miles on it and an average mpg of 62. Sure, it has rust here and there, but it NEVER failed him. He will drive it until it dies.
I love them so much, I started a company MountainTDI.. I dimple the pistons, cerakote heads, pistons, manifolds and turbo
all 5 tdi's ive owned have almost if not well over 300k miles, current tdi has 322k on it. All of which ran amazing
I swapped a 1.9 TDI from a beetle into my 82' Caddy- LOVE IT!!!
I have a Volvo V70 -98 with the 2,5 TDI engine in it (they only sold in Europe what I know) and it has rolled 580000 kilometers (360395 miles) a friend of mine had one that had 970000+ km (602730) on it and was running flawlessly and with optimization box on it we had it down to half a liter to 10km.
Absolutely amazing engines
Love Volvo never had a one but I see plenty of them here in England they great cars that I’ve heard
Loved the video and I can confirm everything. I have a 1st generation Škoda Octavia from 1999 with AHF (81kw version) TDI. It is currently at 395 000km and counting. That car has never let me down even though it is a definition of a beater. It ran in our family for 11 years and 200 000km without a single engine issue. Only the EGR was clogged so that was blanked out when I took over the ownership. Still after 24 years it passes emisions with flying colors although I didn't believed it would pass them. Unfortunately as you said everything around the engine starts to fall apart. That laundry list of issues ranging from bad interior seals to busted suspension and shot syncros in transmission haunts me every day. I have a lead foot and still never managed to get over 6l/100km (39 US mpg / 47 UK mpg) however fast I went and however much I revved it which is just astonishing. With a lighter foot and longer routes mainly on highways and higher speed roads I got around 4l/100km (58 US mpg / 70 UK mpg). VAG rotary pump diesels are the best workhorses or daily drivers. Absolutely bulletproof whatever you do to it and mpg to be envied by every auto maker. I'd go as far as to say that there is no better diesel from that period in europe (unfortunately no cummins for us...) and it can be seen on the roads. Every time you see a milenium VAG car in these lands there is a 80% chance it is a diesel with that engine. I love that car but time goes on and a new vehicle is on the horizon, hopefully it will life to see at least those 400 000km under my brothers ownership.
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
@@SY-ml5nl i use a 5W-30 full synthetic oil. What's important is it has to meet or exceed the 505.00 or 505.01 vw norm, and of course, not buy the cheapest oil.
@@RGV2300 thanks. What engine do you have?
@@SY-ml5nl AGR, similar to the AHL, but with a wastegated turbo, previous version, i think, but it is the same engine aside from that. I have read somewhere the tdis with cam failure are the PDs, the next gen without rotary injection pump.
@@RGV2300 thanks for reply, but the pd needs a special oil due to the camshaft. So I need another oil. But many thanks for your help anyway
my 2003 Mk4 jetta tdi is chilling at 369k miles
Almost 900.000 km here with an AFN.. which is weaker and older tech than an ALH, but still on vp37.
At 887.000 my afn (on torsen t2 trans) broken cylinder one, BUT.. runing 225bhp and 420nm for last 2 years of his life.
Now had a new afn block (from scrapyard), machined arl pistons, arl spray, forged "snapped style" conrods, all around 12.9 bolts, same heads made by my own ideas. Runs much stronger, probably for many years to come (one year from rebuild)
I own one! It is an auto and a 5 door car, but those were my only options (such is life). The motor has done 85,000, but the car also did over 150,000 miles with an earlier engine before a cam belt blew that one. And as a bonus, it's not rusted out! I might post something on my channel some day. Thanks for the good video! Subscribed.
As an owner of Golf mk4 1998, 1.9TDI 81kW (450k km), I approve of this video !
I do my maintenance and mods by myself except when it needs to be lifted. It's as simple as it gets, so even a self-thought nobody can fix it. And that's a great feature.
It took me a while to find one that was not corroded (miserable technically, but perfect chassis) and I am slowly taking care of the technical stuff
up to today I have changed and fixed almost all the driving-necessary features and parts (needs an engine-head change, possibly micro-cracked by previous owner, but still drives ok, just sometimes, rarely overheats).
my whole interior is currently custom (except door panels)
and I have a list of mods I am about to do
I love the car, named it Rebecca
Soon I am about to make a brand new paintjob, so Rebecca is shiny-new and all pretty.
it's still semi-stock, but drives great. I quite recommend. And if you're in EU, the parts for this car are CRAZY CHEAP in comparison to anything else. (And you can find spare old parts basically everywhere)
I have owned several vw’s and even several diesels. Just bought my first ALH and managed to find a golf with 95k original miles. Needs some paint work and some interior stuff fixed, but I’m glad I bought it. Drove over 300 miles on half a tank of fuel. Can’t wait to get it tuned.
I myself daily an Audi A3 8L with the 1.9 TDI AHF which is very reliable + the body does not rust, because its galvanized so its basically a Golf Mk4 without the rust.
Loved that car. A brand new 2003 Jetta w/ 5 speed and last run of ALH engines. Sold it due to a growing family in 2016. Really miss that car. The next owner got a mint, well maintained, stock car w/ only 200,000 miles. Now have a diesel-gate Touareg. Great car but insanely more complex and problematic.
Years back i bought a cheap mk4 golf pd130 (with the unit injectors) with 150,000 miles and good service history and receipts etc, did the cambelt an w,pump, mapped it to 160hp and fitted a better intercooler, drove it everyday for 7 years quite hard, although i serviced it regularly, an sold it with 230,000 miles, with still factory clutch, turbo an stock internals never changed, best car i've ever had, and the six speed gearbox is the best ever.
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
@@SY-ml5nl The PD's cam is a weak point, but mine was ok cos i changed oil frequently, i think i used 5w 30 full synthetic, never paid for oil or filters as i worked for a truck company which ran vw/audi engines lol.
@@gavinsmith9022 thanks for the info. Could you please tell me how many miles after I should change my oil? I too am using 5w30. I'm really worried about the cams! An obviously you'll have the best info thru experience!! Thanks
@@SY-ml5nl Yeah mate, the single cam has lobes for the valves and unit injectors, the cam does run in bearings like a crank so is pretty good if you change oil, i know darkside developments do loads of tuning parts for the PD lump and uprated cam etc. I used to change oil every 3000 miles on mine, but like i said i got my oil an filters free, also oil change very important for turbo as well, i stripped a few PD lumps down out of fork trucks, and any damage to turbo, cam, hydraulic bucket tappets was down purely to bad servicing. Also V.N.T actuator for boost control on turbo can stick creating overboost fault code, I was lucky with my engine cos had original good service history, i just carried it on, only things i did was cam belts an waterpump and uprated intercooler, plus another 30hp and drove like new even at 200,000 miles.
I have a 99 golf tdi,its 110hp stock,I have it over 5 years and it's really good car,but like the video said,you have to maintain it,body wants to rust,so it needs a paint job every now and then,but its worth it. I live in europe and I have converted it to us spec,20th anniversary look,so my is the only one like that in my city,love it and recommend to everyone!
I own an 98 A4 with an AFN engine. I removed the EGR valve and cleaned the intake manifold when I bought it at 260000 km. Now it's at 390, and I often pull a trailer with it. Never had any repairs myself and according to the log it only got a new turbo once.
Before this I had an Audi 80 with an 1Z engine. Only repair on that was new return pipes on the injectors. I dumped it at 480000 kms, but the engine was running perfectly.
My first and still only car is an '03 VW New Beetle TDI MT with the ALH in it. Nearing 200k miles on it and only major thing to go on it was the OEM suspension after 13yrs of driving which got replaced with a full Bilstein kit to liven it up a small bit. Haven't bothered messing with internals but I figure once it comes time to fully rebuild the engine in the usual maintenance cycle, that's when I'll build it to the edge and then back it off a bit to salvage any bit of reliability as I'll likely have a new daily driver sorted out by that time.
I had the arl engine with 150bhp from factory. Its was very very good and never went wrong. Also 40 mpg minimum. Fantastic car, mk4 golf.
Any camshaft failure? What oil do you use?
@@SY-ml5nl I used the recommended oil from vw which I think was 501 5w30. No camshaft issues. Only things ever changed were cv joints, track rod ends and camshaft positioning sensor. This was the most reliable car I have ever had. IRS a shame that current vw vehicles are not well made as my mk4 golf
Yep I have the same arl 150 pd sitting outside right now, won't ever sell it even though Ulez is coming to me tomorrow
Got a September 1999 Skoda Octavia SLX TDi (110 bhp) estate which I've owned from new. It's got the ALH engine surrounded by a good car body. The car was part galvanised panels from new and 'wax oil' impregnated to all box sections, doors, etc. no rust visible any where. It's been unused in the garage (run and moved periodically) for many years. Got all the parts(cam bely, etc) to put it back on the road, just waiting for warmer weather. The best part, it's only done 49,000 miles from new.
I have a Audi A4 avant 1.9 tdi AFN engine and it has 360 000km on it it is tuned to 140 hp and has no problems. Just change oil regularly. Lots of power
In europe this engines they tune over 500whp
Over 500 is a huge stretch, more like 300/350hp
@@grymbathym635not a stretch at all, just go look up 500 horsepower VW golf TDI and you'll find a British guy on a dragstrip running closer to 600
@@OzzieMozzie777in reality No! The engine in the video is a 1.9tdi ALH now that engine is the same TOTALY THE SAME as the ASV (i own an asv in a golf4) ALH and ASV are euro3 engines but there are 2 other engines that are similar to the asv and the alh but not euro3 motivation becuase these engines are almost unknown have been replaced by asv and alh now the difference beetwen asv and alh are in the horsepower asv is starting on 110hp and alh like in the video 90hp (asv have a better acceleration and torque) to reach 110cv on an alh is complicated u need to use asv injectors to reach on both engine 300hp is a stage 4 tuning to go up is a possible thing but not healthy to reach over 500 hp is a thing no one have documented on this engine a very small small percentual of people have done this why? First of all asv and alh 1.9tdi are not diffused engines respect the engine u have see the British guy the other motivation is the injection system working on a VE Pump is complicated not all people know how to do a performance upgrade on those pump is not an totaly elettronic pump but a miscelaneous of old school mecchanics and elettronics and the last thing to reach that power u need a biturbo system (generaly) "easy" to do in a 1.9tdi PD engine but not in the asv and alh (ve engines) the difference beetwen ve and PD is the fuel system 1.9tdi VE use the pump showed in the video is a BoSCh VE Pump / 1.9tdi PD use injectors pump so basicaly every single injector is a pump itself so Much easier to custom with a ECU map and are even better in the pressurization of the fuel PD work a very high bar even higher than the common rail system used in the diesel engine now so the guys in the (british video) yes the engine have almost 600hp but is fa 1.9tdi PD not an VE like the motor in this video
Revolutions per second huh? RPS. I just learned a new acronym!
I have owned 5 ALH in both Golf and Jetta. I easily miled up to and over 400,000km. Great car for the highway.
I had 2 TDIs, a 13 passat CKRA and an 01 golf ALH, 5 speed manual. The passat ran pretty good despite its random issues it's had, and my alh came from auction so I'm in the process of fixing its front end damage, I've driven it a few times and it's a tank.
Mk4 1.9 tdi ASZ 131 hp automatic 2002 year of production.
Fast as hell and now has 389.000 km same engine no issues at all.
got a pd130 1.9tdi awx 2004 in my audi a4 b6! that engine is rock solid!
Not only the ALH, also the AHF/ASV are very reliable, if not equal. But yes, you can also use old oil in a 1:2 mix with fuel and drive it completely normal without any harm, so it's definately the best engine in my opinion. On my ALH, I now have 480k, on my AHF, only 390k - both without any problems except rust, which is quite common in Austria.
They are quite literally the same engines, no difference at all. If you compare 90hp ALH vs 110hp AHF or whatever was its code name, the only differences you're gonna find is the turbo is wastegate instead of VNT on the ALH and the injectors are smaller than the ones on AHF
I love how they went we need to build an engine as simple as the bug's boxer i have a 1.9 tdi van no matter how long it's sitting you just throw the battery in and it starts with no problem
I have a seat toledo 1.9 TDI ALH.
It has 440 000km.
Sadly the oil pan got hit and i didnt notice until the oil presure lamp light out.
Run without oil 400km.
The best engine ever made
I have owned several of these cars. When my first one roted to oblivion the engine was transplanted into my pick up. TDI ranger now
I have a Polo 6R with 75HP and this thing pulls like a beast till 70mph no problem even after 240.000 miles. And it is very very good on gas.
Just bought a 2002 ALH one owner with 48k miles 5 speed. It’s a base model with manual windows and paint isn’t in best of shape. But just bought it to daily drive
I bought a 2005 Golf mk5, 1.9 TDI for 3050 EUR in August 2021. Man this car is fun. Will stage 1 tune it soon to get that little extra oomph out of it, but generally it has not needed much. Swapped the Timing belt and water pump for a new one as soon as I bought it as I didn't know when the one it had was put in, costed only $140. After it shut down on me while driving (luckily close to home and my trusty mechanic) it meant that the original fuel pump had finally given out, so I got that replaced also fairly cheap, for $240. It runs like a dream, fairly economic only half a tank of diesel a month. Can't recommend this car enough.
Here in the uk we got the mk1 Ford galaxy. 1.9 tdi which had this engine was at 520000miles still ran sweet when it was retired as a taxi. The engine had never been split
Don't forget the previous 1Z, AFN and AHU engines
I did not want it, did not like it first, But my mk4 golf tdi it was the most reliable car i have ever owned and probably ever will, the amount of cost to run is so minimal that puts even the most economical modern cars to shame, really did not want to sell it in the end
I’ve got a pd130 and it’s a joy to drive 240bhp 500nm
I have a 2000 golf TDI. I rolled it and totaled it but it still runs and would drive if I could get in it 😂 definitely an indestructible engine 💯
My Volkswagen engine broke down at 230000 kms só average😊
I have a 2014 Audi Q5 TDI with 125,000 miles on it. Still going strong.
In the uk I believe we have diff engines to what you get we get the pd130 and pd 150 asz and blt
Stage 1 on the pd 130 takes u to 170bhp no exhaust mods needed
Pd150 stage 1 takes it to around 210 again no exhaust mods needed
A lot of people have put hybrid turbos in with front mount intercoolers making over 250 for every day use have a look at darkside or just search 1.9 hybrid turbo
I just bought a 03 Jetta with the ALH non-running rust free because you can rarely find them here in South Florida and if you do they’re very expensive with a little bit of rust. You only really find the BEW‘s down here
Yk what also is pretty reliable. The 5 bangers and the 2.0 slow. Not alot of power but they run smooth
I'm not sure if this is covered for the mk4s but VW does have a rust penetration warranty that applies to the rocker panel issue
I work at a VW in the service department and the amount of water pumps and heater cores we have changed since I started 3 months ago is insane. I love VW and always will, but there are some things they seem to never learn. Water pumps have been a problem for over a decade on most if not all VW vehicles. That being said, the info that has been documented about the faults on their vehicles is so readily available it is pretty easy to be ready for when these items fail and get it replaced before it happens.
Just changed my water pump 😂
I bet you that the water pumps you’ve been changing are the mk7 golf (and other vehicles of the same year) diesel ones. They fail because they are partially electronic and get stuck closed, and over heat. The water pumps on the older ones are generally reliable, and only get changed at same time as the timing belt as a precautionary method. Same for the heat exchangers too, mk7 golf and onwards. Poor design of the cooling system and they get blocked up and you get cold heating on drivers side
Early plastic blade water pumps couldn't take the heat, later ones "may" be better but a metal pump impeller is best.
Metal housing and metal impeller were the designs VW needed on their turbocharged vehicles. I can’t believe none of their vehicles came with that factory design.
@@scott4207interesting
I got an automatic 2003 Jetta wagon earlier this year (I was hoping for a manual but couldn't find one and my mom was annoyed that I was using hers so I settled for an automatic lmao), has been great so far! working on a stage one tune, eventually probably gonna put a stage 4 on her once I swap the automatic for a manual. that's way in the future tho :3
2.5 tdi ACV here. 353,000km and still pulling hard.
Bro I remember when I was a kid my father bought a 2001 diesel Jetta and now I’m driving it (2024)
I drive a 1.9 TDI ALH Bora (european variant) just changing oil and fuelfilter.. this car runs since 5 months above 30k kilometers.
Best
The ASV is also a legend for its reliability with the only cloud over it being the VNT turbo and even better was the original AFN with the separate water pump.
: D I love AFN ( AFN was even in Mk3 Golf 81kw in passat B5 audi + Idk if it was in mk4 golf. Btwn mk4 and mk3 have same fuel pump
@@gpubenchmarks7905 I am just building an ASV to go into a 1U Octavia L&K, should be in and running this week.
We had golf III 1,9D for 13 years, every day on the road, changed oil maybe 3 times, 1 battery and many light bulbs. Das auto.
I had a 06 1.9 tdi jetta had 353k before I got rid of it and still ran good I currently have a 2013 passat 2.0 tdi I brought with 82k in 2017 I now have 249k on it no issues still runs new I did do a egr,def and dpf delete from Rawtek wit stage 2 tune that's it I love mines
Have owned several VW's the 1st 2001 Golf TDI still have coming up on 300,000, a set of Bentley manuals and do all maintenance. 2007 GTI for about a year traded in for 2009 Jetta SW TDI and 2010 Golf TDI. Diesel gate came and sold the Golf back to VW and bought a 2004 Golf TDI BEW fixed it up and gave it to my parents. Dad told me son wish you'd done this long time ago, he averaged 43mpg with it. The MKIV's / MKIII's get the best MPG highway driving have gone over 800 miles on a tank with my 01. Only upgrades being a cold air intake and an .068 5th gear, planning on a 3bar map.
Many many years ago in the previous century, i bought a 110 hdi Citroen, over 17 years i drove it 504,000 miles or over 800,000 km. We poped the head off to take a look inside, see if it needed anything. All was good.
in the UK that engine is designated 1.9 TDI PD the PD means pump duece
I’m driving a MKV TDI with the BXE motor. 320,000 km just replaced the starter motor brushes and glow plugs.
The DSG transmission is superb and I haven’t touched it.
I don’t think you should recommend manual for high mileage.
I made a hotrod ALH with Rosten rods, girdle ARP head studs, etc. I believe I spent under $5000 on parts. Now I'm good to 340hp
Jesus, are you nearing 500ft/lb torque as well? That’s wild.
@@Ngcarson1337 That's a good question. I have a single GTB2260 turbo, so peak boost is close to 4k. I've never dyno'd it. I'd say high 400's maybe? I am concerned with the stock 02J 5 speed though.
@@erikkovacs3097 oh absolutely- you’d probably benefit from a custom transmission built for your power.
Any good videos of her on the drag strip?
@@Ngcarson1337 No videos that are any entertaining. It was my daily driver until the turbo failed. There's a bit of a backlog on Garrett turbo parts right now.
I got Škoda Octavia 1.9TDI 66kW but AGR and no smoke at all :D Only when its cold its smoking a little but otherwise no.
Love my 05 Golf tdi with 342k miles, stage 4 tune for Kermatdi. Next I want to add thier 3" complete exhust system, can't wait!!! I love the sound of Diesel. I got lucky with the interior being nearly perfect. I bought it with 314k from 1 time owner and he took really good care of it. He used it as a daily to work, about 60 miles round trip everyday, all highway miles.
ive got a Fabia VRS with the 1.9TDI PD130 engine, its around 130bhp and pushing nearly 300nm standard, stage 1 there at around 180bhp and nearly 400nm and you can do that on stock internals, with a simple induction kit it will do fine on a stage 1 map.
Just got a mk4 golf tdi with 412k on the clock. $1700 for a commuter. Hopefully she stays legendary
It's not sdi
I have a 2000s VW Golf 4 1.9 tdi 4motion (AJM engine). 115hp factory, around 150 tuned stage 1. Still rocks with 420.000 km on the odometer. My first car, but i have it since 2017 and just don't want to buy a new car.