[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Hello everyone,

One intention in starting this thread is to initiate or assess any interest in some local Oregonian meet ups. However, I'll also be introducing myself a bit and expanding on my interests in the diesel world. All fellow diesel enthusiasts welcome!

To start, I've just moved to the Portland area after two years in the high Rockies. I'm here to start working towards a BS in Diesel technology. I'm still unsure about after the BS, but have been looking into thermal dynamics. I would love to get some input, from any of you, on the routes taken into advanced diesel engineering.

I started with a MKVI TDI a few years ago, and have since added the 335d. I drive over 45k miles/year, mostly for enjoyment, which is in part why I've decided to shift to a career that I can be passionate about. I've been lucky to get some pretty varied experience in my work, but none of my jobs have ever sparked any genuine enthusiasm, for the sake of making them a career. This is an exciting time for me.

My 335d has about 110k miles on it and I recently got the CBU cleaning done, while on a 20k mile road trip. I don't notice much of a difference other than improved highway cruising economy, but I haven't really had a chance to see what it can do with all of the extra road trip luggage unloaded. Unfortunately, an SES popped up right before I got here, so I've been taking it easy. I can hear a slight sound, which I think might be related to some belt.

Aside from my love for diesel torque, considerable amounts of my time are spent developing ever more quadricep power and endurance for skiing and biking.

I'm looking forward to being a part of the discussions here and not just watching from the bench. And I would really like to meet up with anyone in the area, who shares any of these interests.

[Yozh]

Welcome. There is a member on here from Portland. I'm sure he will come and introduce himself.

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

To start, I've just moved to the Portland area after two years in the high Rockies. I'm here to start working towards a BS in Diesel technology.

My wife and I moved to the Portland area in June 2014 from the Annapolis MD area. Was somewhat active in the local chapter of the BMW CCA, and did a couple of HPDE track days at Summit Point while there. You've come to the right place for diesel BS. There is a lot of it here in this forum. The CCA club here has some interesting socials and events. https://www.facebook.com/bmworegoncca?fref=ts

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

I started with a MKVI TDI a few years ago, and have since added the 335d.

I owned an '86 Jetta diesel for twenty years and 280k miles. Sold it to an Air Marshall before moving to Singapore in 2006. Great car it was.

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

My 335d has about 110k miles on it and I recently got the CBU cleaning done, while on a 20k mile road trip. I can hear a slight sound, which I think might be related to some belt.

Mine has a measly 43k miles on it, seventy percent of which was on long road trips around the country, including from MD to here. There was an AC belt SIB a couple of years back to deal with the AC belt squeal. If you haven't had that done, it is SI B64 08 11 - AC Compressor Squeal.

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

Aside from my love for diesel torque, considerable amounts of my time are spent developing ever more quadricep power and endurance for skiing and biking.

Well, I have always been a jock myself, but most of the jock components have worn out now, and so I just try to make sure I awake in the morning and am breathing, as I am probably old enough to be your grandpa. But still hit the streets, weights, and pull-up bars. Haven't skied in a couple of years, but will probably give it a go next winter. Most of my skiing was in Austria, Switzerland, and France a few years back.

[cschmelz]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

My wife and I moved to the Portland area in June 2014 from the Annapolis MD area. Was somewhat active in the local chapter of the BMW CCA, and did a couple of HPDE track days at Summit Point while there. You've come to the right place for diesel BS. There is a lot of it here in this forum. The CCA club here has some interesting socials and events. https://www.facebook.com/bmworegoncca?fref=ts


I owned an '86 Jetta diesel for twenty years and 280k miles. Sold it to an Air Marshall before moving to Singapore in 2006. Great car it was.


Mine has a measly 43k miles on it, seventy percent of which was on long road trips around the country, including from MD to here. There was an AC belt SIB a couple of years back to deal with the AC belt squeal. If you haven't had that done, it is SI B64 08 11 - AC Compressor Squeal.


Well, I have always been a jock myself, but most of the jock components have worn out now, and so I just try to make sure I awake in the morning and am breathing, as I am probably old enough to be your grandpa. But still hit the streets, weights, and pull-up bars. Haven't skied in a couple of years, but will probably give it a go next winter. Most of my skiing was in Austria, Switzerland, and France a few years back.

I'm in Yakima, Washington with a 335D with 41k miles, so at least in the neighborhood roughly.

[command_liner]

We are from north Benton County. West of Albany and north of Corvallis. I cannot see Lane County from my driveway but can put a rifle shot into south Lane.

My sig shows lots of mechanized bits. For a short while I was an track day instructor at Willow Springs (big track). My wife is a naturally gifted driver and has deflated a lot of egos on the track.

We might show up at the track event at PIR. Our Titanium Silver 2009 335d has about 63K miles on it, but has been dead since Feb. 8. In theory it will be up and running by this coming Wednesday.

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by command_liner

We are from north Benton County. West of Albany and north of Corvallis. I cannot see Lane County from my driveway but can put a rifle shot into south Lane.

My sig shows lots of mechanized bits. For a short while I was an track day instructor at Willow Springs (big track). My wife is a naturally gifted driver and has deflated a lot of egos on the track.

We might show up at the track event at PIR. Our Titanium Silver 2009 335d has about 63K miles on it, but has been dead since Feb. 8. In theory it will be up and running by this coming Wednesday.

I haven't been to PIR yet, and haven't decided whether to dip my toes in the water again. So I don't really know much about the venue at all. Sounds like you could give me some cut-rate (as opposed to cut-throat) instructor advice. I'm not sure I want to spend the money to get it ready for the track, but who knows. The only shortfall that I am aware of now is I am no longer running PSS but have some decent Nitto Motivo tires on. I think my suspension and brakes are in decent shape. I guess I won't be racing your wife.

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by cschmelz

I'm in Yakima, Washington with a 335D with 41k miles, so at least in the neighborhood roughly.

I'll have to take a road trip up that way sometime so we can swap lies about our cars.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Had my car checked out today by Niles at Portland Motor Works(PMW). First, I'd like to say that he was very professional, straightforward, and does not charge a diagnostic fee. He put my worry to rest about any issue with a belt and tensioners- no issue. He pulled the codes and advised me that they were likely caused by the great variations in temperature and elevation that the car was going through over my recent 20k mile road trip. Cleared the codes, but told me to go ahead and come back if they pop up again, while he would do his own research into any other possible issue related to the codes. I took a spirited drive on my way home and had no SES. The codes were:
4D16 DeNOx system efficiency
4D32 Reducing-agent active-tank temperature sensor, plausibility
4687 Throttle-valve actuator
46F9 Reducing-agent active-tank temperature sensor, signal

Looks like the SCR and DPF getting pissed. Maybe the car heard about Stage II and is trying to give me a wink.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

There's a diesel get together going on in Bend on June 13. One guy might be bringing his '85 Samurai w/ ALH TDI swap(pretty cool I think). Seems like a rad group... Bbq, wrenching and just general diesel bs'ing. It's over on the tdiclub regional section, if you want to check it out.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Been driving around the area a bit now and Oregon driving is a little weird to get used to. The freeway speed limits are practically medieval....55 mph is pretty slow compared to the rest of the country, but I can get used to that. What kind of irks me is how fast everyone drives through the residential areas. 45 mph limits(people going 50-55) on roads where children are playing within one block. It seems like the suburbs are expanding fast all around the countryside with these older thruways becoming main residential streets. I mean, I like driving quickly....but not around pedestrians. I really don't like being tailgated through school zones. I feel like some of these areas could really do with some adjustments. I can't believe I'm even writing this stuff....I'm supposed to be the young hoonigan, complaining about there being too many speed zones around.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

On the plus side, my fuel economy is way up......getting close to 40 mpg in the 335d and close to 50mpg in the JSW TDI. That'll go down once I get my new brakes on though, I'm sure.

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

There's a diesel get together going on in Bend on June 13. One guy might be bringing his '85 Samurai w/ ALH TDI swap(pretty cool I think). Seems like a rad group... Bbq, wrenching and just general diesel bs'ing. It's over on the tdiclub regional section, if you want to check it out.

It's late so I probably missed it, but I went to the TDIClub forum and saw reference to the Bend event, but not where exactly it is or what time. I did see some of your posts in the event thread.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

It's late so I probably missed it, but I went to the TDIClub forum and saw reference to the Bend event, but not where exactly it is or what time. I did see some of your posts in the event thread.

Good point- I only set aside the date and hadn't logisticized the trip completely. I sent the guy a PM, since it's at his shop. I'll let you know.

By the way, "logisticize" is a word not yet fully in diction, but it is in the process of becoming a real word in the English language. I typed it(it makes sense, right?), then doubted, then googled and found this out...Supposedly, there are about 4000 words added to our language every year. Fun stuff...I hope this one catches on...

I should be sleeping...

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

By the way, "logisticize" is a word not yet fully in diction, but it is in the process of becoming a real word in the English language. I typed it(it makes sense, right?), then doubted, then googled and found this out...Supposedly, there are about 4000 words added to our language every year. Fun stuff...I hope this one catches on...

My graduate degree was in Logistics Management.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Originally Posted by 335dFan

My graduate degree was in Logistics Management.

The address is now edited into the first post of that thread.

[335dFan]

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

The address is now edited into the first post of that thread.

Good. I'll see if I can work it into the overall schedule. I have a fraternity brother in Bend that I have been meaning to visit. At least there might be at least two 335d vehicles present. Mine needs a little exercise anyway.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

So I've been trying to figure out the fueling options here in Oregon, since we seem to have quite a variety of biodiesel blends.

"The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has determined that Oregon's in-state biodiesel production capacity has reached at least 15 million gallons on an annualized basis. In compliance with Oregon's Renewable Fuel Standard [Ref. Oregon Revised Stature (ORS) 646.921 and ORS 646.922], effective April 1, 2011, all diesel fuel sold or offered for sale in Oregon must contain a minimum of 5 percent by volume biodiesel, creating a B5 biodiesel blend, except for 1) railroad locomotives, 2) marine engines and 3) home heating applications."

Additionally, there are stations offering b20(Space Age Fuel, specifically). Apparently, there is no road tax on this b20, hence its price point being 10-15 cents cheaper than unleaded.(about 20-30 cents cheaper than the normally taxed b5)

From another forum:
"As the owner of a Shell station, I can tell you that those stations selling B20 rather than B5 diesel are doing so on an individual basis, and for no other reason than an opportunity to increase their profits. Many of the Shell stations in particular that recently switched to B20 are owned by a single Portland based company. The current incentive given by the State of Oregon to sell B20 is that there are no state road taxes paid, thus a reduced price for the consumer. If you tracked fuel prices you would see that most stations now selling B20 have not lowered their price by $0.30, typically they have dropped their diesel price by 20-22 cents, allowing them to make an additional 8-10 cents per gallon. This may not sound like much, but it nearly doubles their profit margin on diesel. How long will the State continue to artificially lower the price of B20? I have no way of knowing, but I certainly don't believe they will give up the 30 cents forever. "

I'm still trying to figure out whether I want to try out using the b20, as there's a lot of information out there for and against. Seemingly, one would need to be ready to change the fuel filter after a fill up or two, after the bio blend clears out the gunk in the system. BMW doesn't recommend over b7, but I'm not finding factual conclusions to support their recommendation.

I'm still going through some articles and other information, provided by Tdiwyse and Pierre Louis, over on Bimmerfest. Good stuff.

For now, I'm sticking to Shell's b5. Also, I'm not sure about the offset of not paying road taxes. I like having maintained roads and bridges, and it seems that some of the new and replacement infrastructure around here is favoring the cheaper route. There are some really neat, but aging bridges here.

[335D Alpha Pappa]

Originally Posted by Thisonegoestoeleven

Had my car checked out today by Niles at Portland Motor Works(PMW). First, I'd like to say that he was very professional, straightforward, and does not charge a diagnostic fee. He put my worry to rest about any issue with a belt and tensioners- no issue. He pulled the codes and advised me that they were likely caused by the great variations in temperature and elevation that the car was going through over my recent 20k mile road trip. Cleared the codes, but told me to go ahead and come back if they pop up again, while he would do his own research into any other possible issue related to the codes. I took a spirited drive on my way home and had no SES. The codes were:
4D16 DeNOx system efficiency
4D32 Reducing-agent active-tank temperature sensor, plausibility
4687 Throttle-valve actuator
46F9 Reducing-agent active-tank temperature sensor, signal

Looks like the SCR and DPF getting pissed. Maybe the car heard about Stage II and is trying to give me a wink.

I took my d in for a SES light and it came back with the 4D16 (P20EE) code. That was 7 weeks ago and I am still waiting for it to get fixed. There may be other codes but it is not done yet.
This problem came after the extremely cold Feb/March and driving it in -30F weather.
According to the SA, the urea system dumped the whole tank into the SCR and plugged it up. Waiting on the SCR replacement and there are zero worldwide.

[Thisonegoestoeleven]

Originally Posted by 335D Alpha Pappa

I took my d in for a SES light and it came back with the 4D16 (P20EE) code. That was 7 weeks ago and I am still waiting for it to get fixed. There may be other codes but it is not done yet.
This problem came after the extremely cold Feb/March and driving it in -30F weather.
According to the SA, the urea system dumped the whole tank into the SCR and plugged it up. Waiting on the SCR replacement and there are zero worldwide.

I cleared those codes and haven't had any problems, except that the 4D32 came on one more time. I was told not to worry about it. I'm out of warranty though, so if you can get yours replaced, no harm I suppose. I'm also in a warmer climate now. I've never dealt much with dealers with any of my cars, but I would at least be annoyed at that much time out of commission. I hope it goes well for your replacement.