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VW Jetta TDI

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Comments

  • jtabaszjtabasz Member Posts: 6
    I have just started considering purchase of a Jetta TDI. I would probably buy used, somewhere between 02 and 06. In terms of the various changes made to the models over time, are there any years that are better than others? More or less problematic?
    I have been a Toyota owner for many years, so I will be very disappointed with a VW that falls apart quickly.
    Any feedback?
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    From what I've seen, '03 seems to have been a good year. But then again, my '00 has been better than the Camry it replaced and '00 was supposed to be one of the more problematic years.

    If you're not prepared to do your own maintenance and maybe even some/all repairs, you might just want to stick with Toyota. Toyota is not the greatest thing on the planet anymore (long-time Toyota owner talking here), but a VW will likely be more expensive to operate if you're relying upon the dealer for everything. Of course, I was willing to trade some reliability for the better driving experience and the fuel economy was icing on the cake. So far, no regrets althought I don't drive the TDI much anymore. My daughter (who I bought a Celica GTS back in '03) prefers to drive my TDI to school. Luckily, I don't travel much anymore so it's not a biggie.

    Now to the nitty-gritty...if you're really serious about buying a used TDI, I don't think the year has as much importance as how the vehicle was cared for. There are a lot of these on the streets that were purchased by folks that know nothing about diesels or VW's. VW dealers aren't known for understanding the TDI's and they tend to throw parts at them until the problem is fixed. So after an owner spends a ton on unneeded repairs or multiple warranty trips, they toss the vehicle. They probably performed minimal maintenenace, maybe the dealer didn't even do it right. Anything is possible. What you have to find is a private owner that knows all about the car, took care of it, and is selling for whatever reason (market is good, lost job, etc.). I'd be very hard pressed to buy one from a dealer unless I had access to all the history and maybe even the previous owner.
  • 2000tdi_tkfox2000tdi_tkfox Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 TDI with 80k and automatic transmission. I have had numerous problems: experienced every recall first hand, Brake light recall (can't get out of park, problem) has happened TWICE, ABS pump went out after 30k, numerous small parts breaking (side mirror adjuster, trunk latch, arm console compartment, cup holder...etc), and the worst of all: Dangerously slow acceleration...almost causing a wreck on the on-ramp, SLOW! I've changed fuel filters, air filters, very expensive transmission fluid, diognostic scans, you name it. I'm currently at 0-60 in well over 45 seconds. Help me. Only good thing: gas mileage. I could brag for days about the gas mileage. Only having to fill it up every two weeks is the only thing that keeps me from "accidentally" driving it into the ocean. Advice, support...I'll take anything. HELP! :mad:
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Has the MAF sensor been changed? That would be my #1 item to check first. If nobody has scanned for that yet...find someone new to work on your car. One easy way for YOU to try it is to disconnect the MAF sensor and see if any performance returns. There is a more technical way to diagnose the problem but that's where you can start.

    It also very likely could be a clogged intake. It appears you don't drive this vehicle all that much, or perhaps do a lot of city driving. That is an easy way to clog the intake. We have really bad diesel here in the US and in order to pass emissions some exhaust is recirculated into the intake. This builds up soot and restricts airflow which reduces performance.

    You could have a combination of both problems going on here which might put you at the performance level you describe. These are really easy things to diagnose. Do a search in these forums and there will be more details on what to do about this. The intake can be cleaned out fairly easily, although to REALLY clean it out can take a couple hours. The MAF is a breeze and shouldn't cost more than $100.
  • 2000tdi_tkfox2000tdi_tkfox Member Posts: 2
    Thank you. I will look into those suggestions. I am so glad I found this forum thing. Everytime I tell a mechanic that my car is slow, they look at me like I want it to run like a porche. My first car was a 1995 Ford Taurus and it had more pick-up and acceleration than my jetta does now. I may be a girl/car-idiot, but after driving the same car for 6 years, any person can tell you that something isn't quite right with it anymore. I appreciate the help. I'll post with the results. thanks
  • pruzinkpruzink Member Posts: 112
    You might want to search tdiclub.com to see if there are any experts in your area. One of the down sides of owning a TDI is that it is often difficult to find a mechanic even at a VW dealership who really knows and understands the finer points of these engines. Telling a mechanic that it takes 45 seconds to go from 0-60 mph should be a very definite sign that something is wrong with your engine. All of the things that you mentioned (transmission fluid, filters were unlikely solutions to this problem). It could be something very simple like a cracked hose to the valve that controls the vanes to your turbocharger. The intake manifold being plugged is a likely candidate if it has never been cleaned. MAF sensor is a possibility too (some people just unplug it to see if the car runs better without it to confirm this). If you find a guru near you that has Vagcom, they can easily confim the health or lack thereof of your MAF (these have a relatively hi failure rate on VWs, just had my daughter's 2001 Jetta replaced under an extended warrranty). Your car is at 80K miles. Have you had the timing belt replaced? (If so, did this problem start after doing so?) If you need to have the timing belt changed, I would definitely search tdiclub for a local guru. There are things you really want to do like replace the water pump, idler pulleys, tensioner pully, replace all motor mount stretch bolts, if the intake manifold needs to be cleaned that would be a great time to do it (I would also replace the serpentine belt and tensioner). Because this engine is an interferance engine, there really is no room at all for doing the timing belt incorrectly if you need to have that done. Good luck.
  • mm450excmm450exc Member Posts: 37
    Can you mount a class 3 hitch on a Jetta?
  • vwtomvwtom Member Posts: 6
    Twice I have had this experience with my 2006 Jetta tdi.
    I drove a short distance during daylight and turned the car off and went into places to eat. When I came out I found that one of the headlights and turn signal lights were on. Only one. One time it was the driver's side; once the passenger side. I did not have the headligts on; only the drl lights. I was able to turn the renegade lights off by starting the car and turning the light switch on and off. The dealer acted like I was nuts. Has anyone else had this experience?
  • sugarfoot406sugarfoot406 Member Posts: 1
    I've had the same problem several times but believe that I've solved it. After turning everything off, when exiting the car, I've bumped the turn signal indicator. It turns on one of the lights.

    Returning the indicator to "neutral" solves the problem - at least for me.

    It is annoying and I can just see myself doing it some cold winter night and waking to a dead battery the next morning.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    i believe the behavior is by design and is required in some Euro countries when parking on the tiny streets. Germany for example.
    your battery should by fine if you do use this functionality overnight.
  • jack4954jack4954 Member Posts: 1
    Hey All,
    I am VERY NEW to the VW's, so please be patient w/ me. I have a 1981 Jetta, w/ I think a 1.6 diesel engine. I am experiencing overheating. We (me paying, my mechanic working) have replaced the radiator, water pump, had the head completely redone and its still overheating. Mechanic says it seems to have excessive preasure in the cooling system. The mech. thinks the excessive preasure may be due to a cracked block.
    Has anyone got any imput on this.
    One more thing. If it is a cracked block, what do you all think my best option is? Trying to get a new short block, and if so, where is the best place to get one, or getting a complete replacement engine, or cut my losses. Right now I have $1,100 in it.
    Thanks so much. I really appreciate any imput you all have, as I'm kind of a duck out of water on this. I just got the car because of the increase in gas, and when school starts I'll be putting at least 80 miles a day on the road, and my truck only gets about 19MPG.
    Thanks again & Blessings to All,
    Jack
  • vwtomvwtom Member Posts: 6
    I have not been able to get the car to do it if I try. It seems to randomly do it, but I will be sure to look at the turn signals next time it happens. Hopefully it won't.
  • billinncbillinnc Member Posts: 10
    I had my turn signal on and pulled into a parking space but did not get the wheels straingtened out to cancel before turning off the engine. When I came back, I noticed the turn signal was burning but not flashing. I reset the turn siganl lever to neutral and all was well. I can't tell you if the same is true of the headlights since I did not have them on.
  • dragnbarondragnbaron Member Posts: 11
    Was wondering what the best way to break in a new diesel was.... i have about 4k miles on it, but i wanted to break it in well to get better gas mileage because i'm getting about 35 mpg right now in city, but i do drive like a maniac. I'm hoping to get more highway miles on it soon going back and forth for work, but i wanted to know if there was any 'good' way to break it in while in city.
  • nikolaynikolay Member Posts: 7
    For some reason I missed 5K oil change. Was sure it needs to be done at 10K. So I changed it at 9K. Any problems I can get in a future because of that? Any ideas?
    Thanks! :cry:
  • nikolaynikolay Member Posts: 7
    For some reason I missed 5K oil change. Was sure it needs to be done at 10K. So I changed it at 9K. Any problems I can get in a future because of that? Any ideas? :cry:
  • deryllderyll Member Posts: 7
    Try Hidden Hitch, I have one on my 06 Jetta TDI and it works great the only problem is the wiring for the lights. You need a special box to do it with.
  • a_shiftera_shifter Member Posts: 3
    02 TDI turbo failure at 53,000 miles! Yup. 3000 miles over warranty coverage and VW isn't going to do a thing. Technically, they don't have to, but you'd think they'd want to avoid this kind of publicity.
    I love the car, but VW's Customer Service (or lack thereof) is notorious.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Get another opinion. VW dealers are notorious (your word!) for misdiagnosing turbos. They usually swap them and also later find a sensor or such that also happened to be bad. True turbo failure is pretty rare.
  • 50mpg50mpg Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a brand new 2006 TDI and the first time I opened the hood with the engine running I noticed that the entire engine was shaking or vibrating as the car idled. Is this normal? Only the engine is shaking, the car itself is fine while driving. I know that the diesel engine idles more loudly than non-diesel engines but this does not seem like a good thing, since other components close to the engine are picking up vibrations from the engine. Any help here?
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    it's normal.
  • ssandrolinissandrolini Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the Tip.

    Do you have any Idea if you hit the key and engage the starter (without starting the car) will the fuel pump run any longer then when you just turn the ignition on?
    My cummins diesel will run for 30 seconds if you engage the starter. I do this twice before starting after a fuel filter change.

    Sandro
  • ssandrolinissandrolini Member Posts: 3
    When you go to the pump Remember to put in DIESEL not UNLEADED. Please..
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    It is completely normal for an engine to "move around" inside the engine compartment. The engine-mounts are designed and "tuned" to allow the engine to move around instead of transmitting the vibration to the car body.

    Would you prefer that your entire car vibrated at idle? ;-)
  • makotomakoto Member Posts: 6
    tkfox - have you had any luck with your problem? i just bought a 2000 tdi golf last year. i just hit 80k, and i'm having all the same problems you're having (brake light, broken latches, knobs, etc - everything except abs). and the SLOW problem is really pissing me off. i've had the turbo hose replaced, the MAF replaced, and then cleaned (because replacing it didn't fix it), my fuel system flushed and checked, my filter changed multiple times, but STILL i'm having the problem. same as you describe 0-60 in 45 seconds (or more). is yours intermittent? every time i take it into the dealership they tell me that they don't find anything and that it drove fine for them. it's driving me insane. i can't drive it anywhere because it's SO SLOW and dangerous (especially when getting on freeway or turning accross multiple lanes of traffic). if you've had luck fixing it, PLEASE tell me what you did. every time i think it's fixed, it just starts doing it again after a couple weeks.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    Has the intake been cleaned? A low mileage car like yours (in terms of annual use) is prime to have a lot of build-up and will greatly reduce performance. Pull the intake pipes and use a mirror/flaslight and look down in there. Here's a pic of a somewhat bad one: image I've seen them a lot worse...just a penny sized hole which will give performance like you're experiencing. ">
  • makotomakoto Member Posts: 6
    Yeah - i had the intake decarbed. the shop said that it was "pretty bad" but not as bad as they've seen.

    now i think i'm going to try disconnecting the MAF and driving around and see if it does it again. from what i've found, it sounds like disconnecting the MAF causes the ECU to run on a "default" air/ fuel concentration. i just had it replaced like 2 months ago, so if that is the prob, i'm going to be pretty irate. it better be covered at teh dealership.
  • kitty9kitty9 Member Posts: 6
    I too have a brand new 2006 VW Jetta tdi and have had the same problem with the lights on one side or the other remaining on when I exit the car. Stopped at the dealer to report, and the tech said he'd never heard of it. Said to bring it in for full electrical system check. Haven't had time yet. However, will try putting the turn signal in neutral position to see if that stops it.
    Otherwise am very pleased with the car. Wish the trunk would open at the trunk latch instead of with the key or interior button. Only getting 35-36 mpg with first few tankfuls. But better than 19 mpg I was getting with MB C320. Keeping fingers crossed.
  • sebring95sebring95 Member Posts: 3,241
    By any chance are you using an oiled air filter? That seems to destroy these MAF's in quick order. It's possible you got a bad MAF, as they're not the most reliable units anyway. Yes, unhooking the MAF can increase performance if the MAF is very bad.
  • a_shiftera_shifter Member Posts: 3
    New to thread: sorry if this has already been pointed out: if that's an intermittent problem, it sounds like you're having boost spikes that are causing your car to go into limp mode.
    Mine did that a couple times before the turbo seals blew catastrophically with only 53k miles.
    according to everybody I have spoken to, VW dealers have no freaking idea what to do with TDIs.
    Check out TDIClub.com and this link. Top of the page, look for "Trusted TDI Mechanics by state"
    http://forums.tdiclub.com/forumdisplay.php?f=43
    Only one in my state, but he lives close, so he's helping me out. What an awesome resource.
    If interested, e-mail me and I'll tell you what ends up happening.
    Good Luck!
  • a_shiftera_shifter Member Posts: 3
    Hey, Sebring95, thank you for your reply. Yeah, I took it to a local guru (referred by TDIClub.com) and sure enough, seals blown. Oil pouring out of intercooler pipe.
    Dealer wanted $1120 for the crappy VNT-15 replacement turbo, didn't even ask how much to install.
    Solution: upgrading to VNT-17 with all gaskets, hardware, adapters etc (KermaTDI.com). Paid $1170 this morning. Local guru's installing for about 300.
    Will letcha know how it goes if interested.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Yes, please do post here how it goes. That would be a lot better than discussing it via email because more folks will see it and learn! ;)
  • makotomakoto Member Posts: 6
    yeah i've been to the tdiclub before. unfortunately, there's only one "trusted" mechanic in my state, and he's about 45 miles away - so i can't exactly just drop in anytime. i did take it to him to do the intake decarb and 80k fuel check and flush and they said they didn't see anything odd with the fuel system, but a week or so after getting it back it started doing this again.

    what would cause "boost spikes" and what would it act like? i'm thinking it's the MAF because when it started doing this months ago, the dealer finally found an error and said that it was bad and replaced it - which fixed it for a little while, but then it started happening again, to which they said it was the intake valve of the MAF which was dirty - they cleaned it, but again, only fixed for a week or two. (but youre right, dealers don't know crap about tdi's). the first time it started doing this intermittently it turned out to be a cracked turbo hose, which i replaced (and fixed the problem for about 4 months).

    i unplugged the MAF and drove around yesterday. it was sluggish, but not nearly as bad as it gets when i loose accelleration or power.(just before i unplugged it, i had NO accelleration at all). i plugged it back in and now it's fine. intermittent = sucks [non-permissible content removed] to troubleshoot. i know a "failed" MAF would cause the problem all the time, but a "failing" MAF might be intermittent, which is what i'm thinking now.

    other ppl have suggested the injectors are getting clogged or other problems in the fuel line, but i don't know - i can't seem to nail down anything consistent when it does it, and i've ran bio-d and other injector cleaners, which don't seem to make a difference. it's seriously driving me nuts. this is my first experience with a tdi and a vw, and so far it's not exactly stellar.
  • vwtomvwtom Member Posts: 6
    Please let us know if you find a cause as this occurence has me concerned that there may be an electrical problem lurking down the road.
  • tchoulatchoula Member Posts: 3
    I had power problems also. N75 - turbo control solenoid/valve was the main problem. 1998 TDI Beetle.
  • sandman52sandman52 Member Posts: 36
    This appears to be a normal electrical fluke in the new Jetta. I also have had the experience of accidently having the turn signal on when I parked and shut off the car.
    A co-worker mentioned to me a little while later that I had one tail light, and one headlight on, and that turned out to be what the problem was, so it doesn't seem to be peculiar to your vehicle.
    Also there is a key lock back at your trunk, just look up into the top portion of your rear license plate mounting area. It's hidden up there, but it seems like that would be a lot less convenient than using one of your remote buttons.
    Your MPG should increase with time, as the engine get broken in, and loosens up, but I was getting mid 40's even when my 05.5 new Jetta with a manual transmission was new. If you have the automatic transmission you will most likely get about 5 mpg less.
  • kitty9kitty9 Member Posts: 6
    You are correct about the turn signal needing to be in neutral position when shutting off the car. Was able to remedy the situation when it happened again. Odd little thing, eh?
    MPG seems to be improving by one MPG with each fillup. Perhaps I'm not driving the manual conservatively enough. Like to drag it out a bit between gears.
    Never noticed the key lock at the trunk before. Glad you mentioned it although guess the remote button is still better. Isn't the hook/hanger that comes down in the trunk neat for bags, etc.? Huge trunk. LIke the simplicity of the dashboard after a cluttered one before. All in all, it's a pretty cool car for the money.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    i think that turn-signal-when-car-turned-off/one-side-parking-lights-stay-on behavior is by design and is required in some Euro countries such as Germany when parking overnight on narrow roads.
  • pokey63pokey63 Member Posts: 1
    Classic Relay 109 failure, I replaced already 2 of them in my 99 jetta. Relay 109 is located underneath the steering wheel slighly to your left, there are 2 screws et voila
  • wrightflyerwrightflyer Member Posts: 9
    Had same issue with my 06 TDI and dealer said was a safty feature. :)
  • kitty9kitty9 Member Posts: 6
    Re parking lights staying on one side when engine off: through this forum learned to put turn signal in neutral position to turn off lights. Just for heck of it, sent email to VW asking why. Rec'd phone call next day from VW. Phone person said she had never heard of it. Interesting. VW tech at dealer said the same thing. How come I could find out on Internet in 60 seconds and VW is clueless?
  • tommyltommyl Member Posts: 6
    I am the original owner of my 03 Jetta TDI, I have been keeping up to date w/ all maintenance but have lately realized that my gas mileage has been dropping off. I was thinking about adding a fuel injector cleaner during next fill up but I am not quite sure which one to use. Can you recommend one to me? The car has 40,000 miles on it, I drive to the city 9 days a month typically all highway and the rest of my driving is typically short trips. Any ideas what else to do? Could these possibly be from all the fuel additives being added due to environmental issues. Have heard some people are getting there manifolds cleaned due to build up from short trips. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
  • makotomakoto Member Posts: 6
    if you're around 40k, then you're intake might be getting restricted by carbon build-up. that would affect your mpg.

    running a couple tanks on biodiesel would clean out your injectors and what-not (or fuel injector cleaner, if you can't get bio-d where you are, but from what i hear, they're usually not as good), which may help, but intake de-carb is pretty pricey, if that's what's happening.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Plugged up intake manifold should not really affect MPG all that much. It usually affects accelleration and power delivery at high RPMs.

    You should have your Injection Timing checked/adjusted.

    I use PowerService fuel additive at EVERY fillup in my 2003. (last tankful was over 700 miles) PS is available in Wallmart. Use the GREY bottle in the summer and WHITE bottle in the winter. About 6oz is enough for each tankful.
  • vwinvavwinva Member Posts: 71
    Where do I find these on the ALH engine? Do they generate the same error code as the engine glow plugs?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    coolant heaters are on the DRIVERS side of the engine. WITHOUT removing the engine-cover, they stick up - each with one wire connected. There are several coolant hoses connected to the manifold where the coolant heaters are screwed in.

    Manual xmission has more of them than the automatic due to the fact that the automatic xmission wastes power as heat thus heating up the engine.

    As far as I am aware, since the coolant heaters have virtually nothing to do with the emissions, then they may not throw any errorcodes if they are burned out.

    Do not forget that most of the "errorcodes" are dictated by federal law to tell the driver when engine is out of emissions tolerance. Thus, if somthing does not cause emmissions issues, it may not light up the CEL (Check Engine Light)

    There are SOME errorcodes that will not light up the CEL an example of one would be when an electric mirror heater is burned out. As long as you keep your electric-mirror controlknob not in the center position, they will not burn out anyway.

    It is easy as pie to check coolant heaters with an ohmmeter. Checking the combustion-chamber glowplugs is almost as easy. (need to remove engine cover to get to them)
  • pstakempstakem Member Posts: 5
    When I have the turn signal lever in the up or down poasition,
    engine off, and open the door, I get a chime. 2006 (late)
    TDI Jetta.

    I recal that my 70's Mercedes actually had a feature on
    the headlight switch where you could turn on eith the left
    side or right side parking lights.

    ..pat
  • sean9sean9 Member Posts: 82
    What....? I was told on my 06 Jetta to keep the mirror controlknob in the middle position, as this is the off state. Neither heating the mirrors or in the position to make any mirror adjustments. If this is not true what does the middle position do on the 06'? And what position should a guy keep it in then??? :confuse:
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    The information you were given regarding your mirror adjustment settings is correct. On older models the middle position was the heat position.
  • sean9sean9 Member Posts: 82
    Winter is not that far away, starting to think of getting a set of winter tires for my 06 Jetta TDI. Any good suggestions on what kind to get? Also does anyone know if VW came out with a winter front for the 06 model or is the pipe insulation still the best trick?
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