Little harsh to the OP, don't you think? I wouldn't have known that risk either. (Last time I let my wife drive the Treg . ) I'd give the guy or girl a little more kindness facing a $10-15k repair on a vehicle that's worth about that much.
Yeah, that's the problem with common rail pumps. No fuel or bad fuel, no lubrication for the fuel pump.
Remove rails, tubing and injectors for cleaning.
This forum is a great learning resource. I just bought my first diesel and it had less than a 1/4 tank. The dealer offered to fill the tank when I came back to finish the paper work. I asked him if there was enough fuel and he said sure. No problem. I drove it down to where it said Range 10 miles and he filled it with 25 gallons of diesel. He had no idea of what you are talking about or he would have filled it BEFORE letting me take it home.
Running out of fuel on a diesel is the worst possible thing you can do. Even before the HPFP technology, running out of diesel meant significant expense in re-priming the fuel system.
Run out of diesel on any modern diesel of any make is a $10K++ mistake. FWIW running the GM and Ford diesel trucks dry will run you $1500 an injector (8 of them) plus the pump (5 grand).
If running out of fuel is such a serious problem and expense, I would think VW engineers would set it up that if the fuel level reached a certain point the engine would shut off. This seems to make so much sense...
If running out of fuel is such a serious problem and expense, I would think VW engineers would set it up that if the fuel level reached a certain point the engine would shut off. This seems to make so much sense...
I'm not even sure how it's possible to run out... When mine comes on I usually have a displayed range of 120-150km until empty.
There was this one time on a road trip there were no open diesel stations around and It went to 40 kms before I found a station. TOO close for comfort.
There was this one time on a road trip there were no open diesel stations around and It went to 40 kms before I found a station. TOO close for comfort.
Funny you mention this, when I tow with my pickup I always keep a 5 gallon fuel jug with me. Sometimes you just can't make it to the next stop with the fuel you have (in some remote areas.)
I've used this site in the past to help plan fuel stops. You plug in your origin, destination and fuel range and it'll give you the refuelling options along the way..also gives you a google earth view so you can see what its like to get in and out of the station (very important consideration when towing)
The issue with bio isn't lubricity of the diesel, but the quality of the diesel. Bio has the tendency to absorb water, so if there isn't a high turnover of fuel, excess water that has been absorbed into the fuel, in the tanks can damage the pump.
Generally speaking though, good bio would increase the lubricity to the point you don't need to worry.
Good to know. I am able to get non-bio diesel near me but I sometimes get bio at a high-traffic place, Speedway or Thornton's, but only when I need to go there.
Yes, it's the residual ethanol in the transesterification of the biodiesel (% varies tremendously as to producer) that is extremely hydrophilic, which first absorbs moisture, then evaporates, leaving the water in the fuel. This water which will cause the micro-seizure failure of the diesel HP fuel pumps (which are of the "perfect sliding fit", zero clearance, steel on steel, positive displacement type.
2011 Touareg 25K miles - the tank has never been less than 1/4 full, all regular maintenance is up to date and only buy name brand Diesel, this car is babied....experienced HPFP failure today at 60 mph on the highway, the entire car just shut down, we were lucky we could pull off to the shoulder and out of traffic.
Also lucky that we could find a VW dealer with service open till 8pm on Saturday.
Problem: High Pressure Fuel Pump fail, with metal sprayed in fuel system. Seems to happen frequently, warranty will cover this, but thinking maybe I shouldn't keep this car - any advice?
Ask the VW dealer to talk to the VW rep on your behalf. You would like to keep the car but you are concerned about VW safety and reliability. I would push to get the best VW extended warranty available at a good price. I wouldn't ask for it free, but I would expect to get it at least at dealer cost.
Thanks. Fortunately, I have the extended warranty and this is covered as drive train. It seems I got lucky.
I would highly recommend always having some extended warranty.
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