Thread: 300 tdi what to look for

Looking at a 97 tdi on saturday to replace sons v8.Have never driven a tdi and dont know much about them.Can the brains trust help with what to look for particularly regarding engine.Has supposed to have new head and cam belt done 20000 kays ago.What do i look and listen for?Its a manual.Iknow it will be slower than the 3.9.

they're a good engine... unless they overheat.

I'd be asking why the head had work and to what extent:
- was the head replaced? (good)
- or was it skimmed? (... bad depending on the state the old one was in... 300tdi heads are alloy and can easily warp if overheated and as a result develop "softsopts" which are prone to give you problems in future)

if it was replaced due to head gasket failure (which can also mean overheating) its a good idea to look at what has been done to cooling system: was the radiator rodded/flushed or replaced? does the owner know about waterpump state, thermostat and coolant replacement?

run it -- and listen for distinct "unhealthy" sounding ticking noises (can be anything form tappet clearance needing adjustment to more major issues) - although... it WILL sound very different to your V8 running - it is a diesel after all...

Also have a look at coolant overflow tank (front drivers side) the old ones are black, replacement ones are white -- black ones are prone to crack & leak, so I'd be replacing it if you're going to buy it.
Also a note on the overheating should you decide to buy a 300tdi (and... they are a good little engine... I have mine as a daily driver & offroad toy -- great fuel economy and great offroad performance!!) - I would recommend getting an engine saver which has a low coolant and overheating alarm (much more precise than the factory fitted ones) - best insurance ever!

Ok. Other than that, check for the usual leaks around the engine itself and auxillaries:
-injector pump (.. mostly expensive fix)
-fuel lift pump - no big drama easily replaced if needed
-brake vacuum pump... can be expensive (replacement pump) but easy to fit

make sure you get it into diff lock & low range easily as the linkages can cease when not used for a while

and listen for unusual / unhealthy sounding whining noises which can be the diff.
check that you get easily into every gear -- mostly I think the second can show signs of difficulties - can be as easy as a change of gearbox oil

a bit of start up smoke and smoke under load is "normal" but excessive smoke on idle or normal drive could be anything from dirty fuel/injector blockage to injector pump issues

lastly don't be alarmed, they do have A LOT less power than the v8s -- and due to the turbo the gears like being changed relatively late --- 2500 - 3000 revs, gets you most power & least smoke.

Hope this helps....
Good luck!!