Thread: TD5 vs TDi reliability???

ok its is a bit hard to compare realy.

Most TDI 300 are now or are close to the age\ mileage where some major work will be needed. my experience and what i am hearing is the TDI when getting close to 300K is going to need some work, head gasket or even soft head, P gasket. leaking vacuum pump. clutch brakes serpentine belt and idler would all have been done by this time at least once. in addition more TDI 300 would now be maintained by Home spanner welders or smaller independent mechanics. IE you are not going to see many TDI 300 in at the dealer.

The TD5 seems to start giving problems around the 150K mark, or you see them in the shop heads off at or just before the 150K mark.

but as i said its hard to compare

Originally Posted by Grockle

No problems as such with our tdci,well no more then the td5 we had.better to live with than the td5.

Yes well, we all know that you have a new one

Originally Posted by clean32

ok its is a bit hard to compare realy.

Most TDI 300 are now or are close to the age\ mileage where some major work will be needed. my experience and what i am hearing is the TDI when getting close to 300K is going to need some work, head gasket or even soft head, P gasket. leaking vacuum pump. clutch brakes serpentine belt and idler would all have been done by this time at least once. in addition more TDI 300 would now be maintained by Home spanner welders or smaller independent mechanics. IE you are not going to see many TDI 300 in at the dealer.

The TD5 seems to start giving problems around the 150K mark, or you see them in the shop heads off at or just before the 150K mark.

but as i said its hard to compare

All too true in my case and add alternator, water pump, PAS pump and injectors.

So why does the Td5 have head problems?.It can't be lack of maitenance if there is so many with the same problem. Pat

Both are susceptible to cooling problems, IMHO the Td5 somewhat more so, but that's just gut feeling and I am by no means an expert and qualified to make an informed statement.
The problem with the early Td5 was that the dowels that locate the head on the block are made of composite material that may deteriorate over time, with the result of the head ever so slightly getting out of alignment. The more recent examples of the line (from 2002 or 2003) have steel dowels that don't allow for any head movement, hence minimise the risk for head gasket failure.
Tdi gaskets usually go after overheating, so keep an eye on the coolant all the time. And the temperature gauge, of course .

Cheers

Both the Tdi and Td5 are both as reliable as each other, it is the maintenance and treatment of them that counts. (The Isuzu however is in a class of its own)

I have Tdi's that have 500K up with no major faults at all, and others with broken crankshafts at 180K. Td5's perfect at 300K and others with new heads and turbos at 110K. I really think the main question here should be that IF you were to experience a problem with any of these engines in remote outback areas, which one would you prefer to be driving?

JC

ive had 2 td5s, never had any head dramas, a mate has had one done, little bro bought a cheap 300tdi disco cause it had a dead head, one of the discos next to us at cooma was a 300tdi with a dead head....
its just the luck of the draw i reckon

cheers phil

ps unless you names edd130

Originally Posted by justinc

Both the Tdi and Td5 are both as reliable as each other, it is the maintenance and treatment of them that counts. (The Isuzu however is in a class of its own)

I have Tdi's that have 500K up with no major faults at all, and others with broken crankshafts at 180K. Td5's perfect at 300K and others with new heads and turbos at 110K. I really think the main question here should be that IF you were to experience a problem with any of these engines in remote outback areas, which one would you prefer to be driving?

JC

Interesting observation, I would like to add that if people do a research of which it is the prefer engine to tour in Africa and remote places the Tdi is a winner 100 to 1 just because the simplicity in repairing the vehicle.

If we like to compare both vehicles in this poll I would suggest comparing the 1997-98 Tdi300 with the 1999-2000 Td5 because they are closer in age