Maintenance of a used Volkswagen Caddy 2.0 SDI and 1.9 TDI (2004-2010)

Volkswagen Caddy

When buying a used Caddy, the buyer should pay attention to the condition of the turbine of the 1,9-liter TDI, the condition of the oil cooler of the two-liter diesel atmosphere, and the condition of the electrical connections in the headlights. Although most of these vehicles have traveled an extremely large number of kilometers, their simple and proven construction, with regular visits to authorized service providers, enables them to have a long service life, even after they exceed 500.000 kilometers.

These cars are certainly intended for continuous exploitation, so buying a used specimen poses a kind of economic risk that could turn into wasted money.

                                               

 

 The most common Caddy drives are the two-liter atmospheric SDI engine and the 1,9-liter TDI engine. The durability of these engines is beyond question, which is why the Caddy has the smallest drop in value, even after a very long period of use.

The most popular versions of the second-generation Caddy, manufactured from 2004 to 2010, were certainly those powered by diesel engines. Interestingly, Volkswagen was transitioning and transitioning from the previously irreplaceable 1,9-liter diesel engines to the new two-liter engines. Thus, this car can be found in versions with the legendary 1,9-liter TDI, but also with more modern two-liter diesel engines. The market has shown that by far the most popular versions have become those powered by a 1,9-liter 105-liter TDI engine, but they are also followed by models powered by a 69-liter two-liter SDI engine. Caddy's low maintenance costs, simple engine construction and other assemblies on the car have made Caddy the most desirable business partner.

It is not unknown that these kinds of cars travel more than half a million miles. The basic elements in the interior withstand the exploitation, but there are clearly signs of wear after so many miles.

He maintained the status of the most desirable during exploitation, as he was regularly maintained in top form, which can be monitored even when he has traveled half a million kilometers. Specifically, Volkswagen did not experiment too much on the Caddy. It simply utilized the Golf 5's extremely grateful construction and adapted it for commercial use. So, for example, the entire front suspension of the Caddy is faithfully reproduced from the Golf, while the rear is nevertheless equipped with a slightly stiffer (more durable) leaf spring system adapted for commercial use. This design method makes an excellent compromise between reliability and usability. The repairers of such vehicles have also confirmed the status of an extremely durable car, however, they also listed the basic technical problems that you may encounter on a used Caddy.

Volkswagen has designed two types of suspension. Models with lower load capacity have only one leaf spring, while more capable versions get two leaf springs.

Coincidentally, the legendary status of the 1,9-liter TDI engine in such Caddies is not exactly at the level it was in older models. Namely, since 2004, turbocharger suppliers have been supplying partially reconstructed turbines to Volkswagen. The reconstruction referred to the point of view of savings in materials, which resulted in a shorter working life. The services note that there have been cases when the turbine did not last more than 150.000 kilometers. Of course, somewhat more careful driving and regular visits to the authorized service extend the service life. After all, it is also the only problem that is directly related to the engine. On the other hand, the simple construction of a two-liter atmospheric diesel engine does not know any standard problems. The service technicians were also acquainted with the examples that covered more than 500.000 kilometers, and on which there were no interventions, except for the usual maintenance.

One of the few problems that has been expressed under the hood on dual-liter diesel versions has been related to inadequately conducted electrical installations. Specifically, a sensor that measures engine speed is connected to a central computer with two electrical conductors. The conductors are supported by an alternator, which damages the conductors by constant vibration, and which eventually, due to vibration exposure, burst. Damaged conductors cannot transmit engine speed information to a central computer, which prevents the engine from starting. The problem is solved with a thirty minute service intervention. In addition, a number of interventions on the oil cooler were recorded by an authorized service center. Namely, the damaged oil cooler leaks engine oil into the engine cooling system, thus mixing the oil with coolant. This problem is typical only for models with two-liter SDI engines, and a service intervention that involves changing the oil cooler, changing the engine oil, changing the coolant, and flushing the entire cooling system.

However, one of the problems that bypasses almost no Caddy until the 2008 redesign is related to the physically incompatible "throat" of the direction indicator lamp and headlights. Practically, this means that the direction indicator lamps can never be properly fitted in the headlamps. In the most serious cases, this results in high transient resistances, which, due to the high temperature, begin to melt the plastic in the headlights. In such cases, the damaged headlamp must be completely replaced.
In any case, such standard problems are revealed by a simple overview. They are characteristic of both passenger and delivery models, which are essentially indistinguishable. With a minor redesign from 2008, Volkswagen has corrected most of these problems, so in this case, it is best to choose younger models, manufactured since 2008.

 A Caddy on the one hand can be a working machine, while with accessories it turns into a true luxury passenger car. The two extremes are essentially the same, with travel being significantly more expensive.

Mladen

Hi there, I am Mladen and I am an auto enthusiast. I started this blog years ago to help like minded people share information about latest cars, car servicing ideas, used car info, exotic cars, and auto technology. You will find helpful articles and videos on a wide variety of cars - Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Porsche, Volvo, BMW and much more. Ping us if you have anything cool to share on latest cars or on how to make older cars more efficient, or just want to say hi!