92 Diesel purchase...advice ?

676 Views 6 Replies 7 Participants Last post by tdimeister, Feb 12, 2002

JF

Discussion Starter · Feb 6, 2002

Hi,
I am looking at a used 92 Turbo diesel, 205 000 km, $3990, tax included, 1 year guarantee on powertrain...
Questions:
1) What should I be looking out for ?
2) I live in Quebec, where it gets real cold sometimes in the winter. I do not have access to a plug, as I park my car on the street, so I can't plug my car. Will this be a real issue ?
Thanks,
J-F

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swaggon

· #2 · Feb 7, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (JF)

see about borrowing it on a cold night or something along those lines, as for a powertrain guarantee on a car that cheap, you cant ask for anything better, go to tdiclub.com, there seems to be some folks there with lots of info on the older diesels. I wish I was getting a diesel.

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janb

· #3 · Feb 7, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (JF)

think I would want access to a plug-in in your climate. price and warrantee sound good for '92. If it is an ECO-Diesel, they are a bit rare and have unique turbo and injection pump. otherwise parts will swap with early IDI's
for more info go here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Audi-VW-Diesels/messages

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SoTxBill

· #4 · Feb 8, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (JF)

cold starting will tell a lot... it should start almost imeadiately... and smooth out in 5 to 10 seconds...
of course bad glow plugs will affect this.. so
starting warm or moderately warm should be instantly or within 2 to 3 seconds... and after about 5 seconds warm,, no smoke at all and smooth running on all 4 will indicate good compression...
if it starts hard cold,,, could be completely worn out, too slow cranking or bad glow system.
it it starts hard warm,, its worn out or too slow cranking... asuming it run ok past that..
bad glow systems can be fixed, slow crankers can be fixed.. but low compression and worn out is a different story...
older diesels can have a blown head gasket if ever over heated..
check the water resorvoir for an oil ring (simular to a bathtub ring).. low water or bubble in water tank after reving the engine.. all are bad signs of blown gasket and probably a bad head.. usually if driven with a bad head long enough,, the radiator will also show signs of weeping due to the extra pressure... if you vent the pressure cap on the resorvoir .. then start the engine.. for a few minutes.. then revent and notice any pressure , you also have a blown head gasket.. this means $600 worth of repairs...
dont mean to scare you.. but just some things to look at..
a one year drive train if its honest will certainly help.. to avoid any problems but who stands behind it and how big are they??
if you chose carefully you will drive it for another 150,000 miles... good luck bill

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DeeBee

· #5 · Feb 9, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (SoTxBill)

Your best bet is to have the compression tested. Low compression usually means the head gasket is out to lunch!
I had oneof these, a '91 with 198,000 that I sold for a TDI. It started up quickly unless it was brutally cold.
You should show up and ask to start it on a cold day. If it does not start up after one glow plug cycle, ask to have the compression tested. As for the warranty, that's better than most people will offer for the milage on the vehicle.
Good Luck!

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Fahrvergnuugen

· #6 · Feb 12, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (DeeBee)

Take the oil filler cap off with the engine running and see if it blows your hair back

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tdimeister

· #7 · Feb 12, 2002

Re: 92 Diesel purchase...advice ? (JF)

Checking the compression and ensuring that the glow plugs and battery are all top notch are vitally important if you want to get your car started in Quebec winters. There are many such cars in Quebec; last I was in Quebec City, there were a lot of VW Diesel taxis. A block heater would definitely, definitely help. If the compression is low, look elsewhere or low-ball the price and start thinking about another engine.
Look for low coolant level, or contamination in the coolant reservoir that might be a sign of a blown head gasket. The 1.6 TDs are very stout engines, it seems only the 1.9 had more issues with the head gaskets. Also check the oil dipstick, again for low level or moisture contamination.
Other items: water pump, exhaust, wear items... that's all I can think of.

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