I use mine often offroad. Havent had any issues from offroading.
realistic off road option for expedition remote areas?
hey guys. I had a 04 v6 and found nothing but issues with the sensors, infact 1 time after driving the highway for 3 hours in Canada in the winter I pull into the motel. let it wind down for about 2-3 mins then shut off. the next day I have a error, and shows all 4 wheels with fronts turned. couldnt change gears. had to flat bed it due to a sensor. How common is this sort of bad luck in touaregs? I want something that I can take in to very remote areas and far from any chance of being flat bedded. best would be a 4x4 tow out. and thats asking alot with the weight of these things. I have been looking at the tacoma, 4 runner xterra and raptor( more like drooling) but a tdi would be nice for the range. I would be in mud, dirt rock mostly, some sand if I run to tierra del fuego afterall, but at least in the to yukon NWT and alaska, etc and down to panama at the least as well Any advice on the Touaregs? I love them but feel all the electronic gizmos
1 - 20 of 20 Posts
nice... do you ever get sensor or other sorts of issues that would strand you if in like alaska back country with no chance of a flatbed? I do love the touaregs. hows the aftermarket scene for them?
2004 model year (US) were bad news ---- lots of problems. I had the exact same thing happen to me two weeks after I bought my '04. Turned out to be a stepper motor failure.
There's a reason that you see the same few vehicles out in those areas. Stick to one if that's what you're planning to do. Every vehicle has a chance to have major failures in those conditions, and the important part is the few resources around you being likely to have parts available to fix it. Even things like Raptors are going to be bad news, because parts are going to be rare and expensive.nice... do you ever get sensor or other sorts of issues that would strand you if in like alaska back country with no chance of a flatbed? I do love the touaregs. hows the aftermarket scene for them?
KISS is the golden rule in scenarios like that. Keep it as simple as you can and carry spares for things that are known to be weak. Any modern Touareg, TDI or non, is far too complex with far too much electronics to be what you want to be in way out in desolate country in conditions that will kill you if you get stranded.
thanks. I was thinking that too. I love the touareg but I wish they had a feature that could disable all the sensors in case of an emergency or something. maybe a code you enter and its in your manual or something. I wonder if the military version sin germany have the same sensors as the street ones we do, or if they and knocked down a little
I have been in some remote places in both of my Touaregs and no way a flat bed was getting to any of them to get me. That being said I was not afraid of it either. Things can happen to any vehicle. Even a relatively simple Jeep. If you are that concerned about breaking down in the middle of no where then it may not be a good idea for you to do it at all.
I have been on a few of the past Rallies we used to do in CO and not once do I recall anyone having any issues aside from slicing a sidewall on sharp rocks, myself included. The 04 you had was the worst year imo for the Touareg. I personally had no issues with mine at all.
If you do plan on buying another Touareg for the use you described I would not buy a 2011 or newer since they are lacking some of the better off road features the previous gen ones had here in NA. Look for an 07-10 with air suspension if you can find one.
I have been on a few of the past Rallies we used to do in CO and not once do I recall anyone having any issues aside from slicing a sidewall on sharp rocks, myself included. The 04 you had was the worst year imo for the Touareg. I personally had no issues with mine at all.
If you do plan on buying another Touareg for the use you described I would not buy a 2011 or newer since they are lacking some of the better off road features the previous gen ones had here in NA. Look for an 07-10 with air suspension if you can find one.
Thanks Yeti. Im not worried about breaking down as much as when the system completely locks my drivetrain and I cant shift out due to censors hehe. Im used to ADV riding motorcycles. I just had some rough experiences with mine and am curious if I should be expecting that as a more common thing or not. Seems many are agreeing that the 04 wasnt that great. Do you know how the aftermarket scene is for T's? Is there much out there or mostly generic stuff?I have been in some remote places in both of my Touaregs and no way a flat bed was getting to any of them to get me. That being said I was not afraid of it either. Things can happen to any vehicle. Even a relatively simple Jeep. If you are that concerned about breaking down in the middle of no where then it may not be a good idea for you to do it at all.
I have been on a few of the past Rallies we used to do in CO and not once do I recall anyone having any issues aside from slicing a sidewall on sharp rocks, myself included. The 04 you had was the worst year imo for the Touareg. I personally had no issues with mine at all.
If you do plan on buying another Touareg for the use you described I would not buy a 2011 or newer since they are lacking some of the better off road features the previous gen ones had here in NA. Look for an 07-10 with air suspension if you can find one.
After market as far as off road gear, no since there is not enough interest for them to invest the time and money to make stuff specific for it. There are a lot of people who have them and will never know what they are truly like off road. When I first took my 04 off road I respected it as a great vehicle on road and after the experience I had a whole new level of respect for it. When I got my 10 TDI with air suspension I had higher level of respect for it and what it can do.
Not a big offroader, but have done some amazing stuff in my 07. My thoughts are the largest concern is having an accident out there, or heart attack or something non-mechanical in other words. These are (in my opinion) the higher risks of being so remote. Get an amateur radio license (can reach anyplace in the world and monitored by many on emergency bands), a GPS, and be prepared with extra bits and food / supplies.
I recall someone (on here) being stranded in a remote area with a center bearing failure and making a makeshift bearing out of a rubber house and bailing wire (or something like that). Having this fix anything with what is available attitude and know how will help too.
Just my thoughts...
EDIT: My 2007 has been pretty rock solid...only issue being center bearing, power locks, and dash blower motor over 90k miles.
My 2008 has been good too.
My personal opinion (I am sure others will disagree vehemently) is that the 3.6 VR6 is the most reliable motor for what you are looking for. No turbo, no add blue, no potential cold start issues. Also VW has made (and continues to make) this motor for many years now...that shows parts availability and reliability.
I recall someone (on here) being stranded in a remote area with a center bearing failure and making a makeshift bearing out of a rubber house and bailing wire (or something like that). Having this fix anything with what is available attitude and know how will help too.
Just my thoughts...
EDIT: My 2007 has been pretty rock solid...only issue being center bearing, power locks, and dash blower motor over 90k miles.
My 2008 has been good too.
My personal opinion (I am sure others will disagree vehemently) is that the 3.6 VR6 is the most reliable motor for what you are looking for. No turbo, no add blue, no potential cold start issues. Also VW has made (and continues to make) this motor for many years now...that shows parts availability and reliability.
Not disagreeing vehemently, but the V6 TDI has been around longer then when we finally got it here in NA. I would much rather have the TDI for off road in high elevations due to it being affected less then the 3.6 gas with power. Much better engine braking while in low gear too. I am speaking from experience here so not making this up at all. I have never driven the 3.6, but guessing it is not much different then the 3.2 I had when it came to decent at altitude. That motor did not have enough compression and wanted to run unless you were on the brakes.Not a big offroader, but have done some amazing stuff in my 07. My thoughts are the largest concern is having an accident out there, or heart attack or something non-mechanical in other words. These are (in my opinion) the higher risks of being so remote. Get an amateur radio license (can reach anyplace in the world and monitored by many on emergency bands), a GPS, and be prepared with extra bits and food / supplies.
I recall someone (on here) being stranded in a remote area with a center bearing failure and making a makeshift bearing out of a rubber house and bailing wire (or something like that). Having this fix anything with what is available attitude and know how will help too.
Just my thoughts...
EDIT: My 2007 has been pretty rock solid...only issue being center bearing, power locks, and dash blower motor over 90k miles.
My 2008 has been good too.
My personal opinion (I am sure others will disagree vehemently) is that the 3.6 VR6 is the most reliable motor for what you are looking for. No turbo, no add blue, no potential cold start issues. Also VW has made (and continues to make) this motor for many years now...that shows parts availability and reliability.
I have a line on a v10 tdi right now in the 07 to 09 range as someone mentioned earlier. I may go for it... will let yas know. its a hometown guy so Ill pop by tomorrow if possible to see it. Im in Canada, but anyone know whats a good price for a clean one with 142,000 kms or about 88,000 miles?After market as far as off road gear, no since there is not enough interest for them to invest the time and money to make stuff specific for it. There are a lot of people who have them and will never know what they are truly like off road. When I first took my 04 off road I respected it as a great vehicle on road and after the experience I had a whole new level of respect for it. When I got my 10 TDI with air suspension I had higher level of respect for it and what it can do.
You can't just 'turn off sensors', etc for a modern ECU controlled engine, trans, etc. There's a big difference between what Yeti and co are talking about doing like 'excursions' where you generally aren't alone and it's an occasional thing, people knowing you'll be gone for a period, etc. What you described sounds more like you spend majority of your time living/working in areas like that. Big difference.
The Touareg, Raptor, modern anything are complex electronic systems. If you really work/live in remote areas, it's good to have a more mechanical system. A Jeep or older Toyota drivetrain can break just the same, but mechanical breaks leave a lot of room for on-site mechanical fixes. The center bearing is a good example - which is someone getting really lucky. If it were the TCU instead, you're just done and you're going to need to be pulled out.
The emergency transponder / amateur radio is also wise. Again if you really live/work out in it, a more advanced emergency phone system and beacon is probably even better.
But again, what does everyone else in the area have?
The Touareg, Raptor, modern anything are complex electronic systems. If you really work/live in remote areas, it's good to have a more mechanical system. A Jeep or older Toyota drivetrain can break just the same, but mechanical breaks leave a lot of room for on-site mechanical fixes. The center bearing is a good example - which is someone getting really lucky. If it were the TCU instead, you're just done and you're going to need to be pulled out.
The emergency transponder / amateur radio is also wise. Again if you really live/work out in it, a more advanced emergency phone system and beacon is probably even better.
But again, what does everyone else in the area have?
You should never be 4 wheeling by yourself, anyway. Failures can happen on ANY vehicle. I'm sure there are just as many new-fangled sensors on the new Jeep Grand Cherokees, too.
As with any vehicle, Jeep or VW, just make sure everything is in good condition before you head out. Any problems that you have with on-road driving are going to be an extreme liability offroad. Get them fixed!
I have heard a storie where someone lost a fuel pump on Black Bear road in Ouray, CO (USA). Since they were with a GROUP of friends, one ran into town to get a spare part and brought it back to them. They R&R'd the fuel pump and they were good to go. Same thing could have happened with a VW vehicle, too.
And I've heard of stories where a Jeep has been disabled so badly that it had to be towed back to the trailhead and then flat bedded home. It can happen to anyone with any vehicle. Be prepared, bring spare parts of easy to replace items (surely you're not going to R&R a transmission in the field) and travel with friends.
As with any vehicle, Jeep or VW, just make sure everything is in good condition before you head out. Any problems that you have with on-road driving are going to be an extreme liability offroad. Get them fixed!
I have heard a storie where someone lost a fuel pump on Black Bear road in Ouray, CO (USA). Since they were with a GROUP of friends, one ran into town to get a spare part and brought it back to them. They R&R'd the fuel pump and they were good to go. Same thing could have happened with a VW vehicle, too.
And I've heard of stories where a Jeep has been disabled so badly that it had to be towed back to the trailhead and then flat bedded home. It can happen to anyone with any vehicle. Be prepared, bring spare parts of easy to replace items (surely you're not going to R&R a transmission in the field) and travel with friends.
We live on the east end of Long Island, NY. Nothing too crazy out here. But, we have put our '08 base V6 though some fairly tough stuff. Beach cruising, mudding, some trail riding. Some of the areas we've been we're technical enough to get us stuck w/o the ability of having a flatbed or tow truck recovery. But, I feel our Treg would not have done as well if it had all the electronic bells and whistles.
I disagree. You have some serious 4 wheeling right in your backyard. Potholes on the LIE can be a nightmare!!!! LOL!
Yeah still unclear on the OP's intent. If you're just going out wheeling, no biggie. If you basically live in a place where people go wheeling, you take a more conservative approach.
in this thread:hey guys. I had a 04 v6 and found nothing but issues with the sensors, infact 1 time after driving the highway for 3 hours in Canada in the winter I pull into the motel. let it wind down for about 2-3 mins then shut off. the next day I have a error, and shows all 4 wheels with fronts turned. couldnt change gears. had to flat bed it due to a sensor. How common is this sort of bad luck in touaregs? I want something that I can take in to very remote areas and far from any chance of being flat bedded. best would be a 4x4 tow out. and thats asking alot with the weight of these things. I have been looking at the tacoma, 4 runner xterra and raptor( more like drooling) but a tdi would be nice for the range. I would be in mud, dirt rock mostly, some sand if I run to tierra del fuego afterall, but at least in the to yukon NWT and alaska, etc and down to panama at the least as well Any advice on the Touaregs? I love them but feel all the electronic gizmos
http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f...e-assist-workshop-error-messages-96305-2.html
about halfway down is a picture of my broken wire, and an explanation of why you can't get out of park when it's broken - I had the same "wheels turned" picture on my dash, I'd bet you had the same issue - in a pinch I'd run power from some other circuit to power up that side of the fuse box - NEXT TIME. In fact - a how-to on just that would be a good idea for me...
anyway - I also had the dreaded "center carrier bearing failure" when I was driving remote - in this thread:
http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f43/drive-shaft-replacement-18176-5.html
Keep some fuel line or power steering hose in back with the spare tire, with a hand full of zip ties - you can do the same fix if needed. There are a couple ways to do this:
http://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f67/drive-shaft-bearing-failure-49135-51.html
So - expedition - sounds like you drive in remote Canada - like I do in Alaska. Well - when I had that wire break, it was pretty stressful. That took me a LOT of digging to find. Now that I know about it, and how it works - I'd drive the Denali Hiway in the Touareg I think. It's not any more "sensor" equipped than a lot of vehicles (modern ones) - there is a camshaft sensor on a Ford Powerstroke that knocks it dead when it goes - there are other little things on a lot of rigs. Most of them have a limp-mode when sensors fail. You want to avoid sensors you have to avoid modern cars. My 1987 Suzuki Samurai has a mechanical VW Turbo-diesel in it - it only needs a little bit of electricity to run
But it's a primitive machine.....1 - 20 of 20 Posts
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