Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

1218219221223224248

Comments

  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Wow, that really sucks. I hope you at least have a rental, since you will have it for the rest of the summer it seems. Think of it this way, when you get your Jetta back, it will be a brand new car all over again on the inside! (just trying to find something positive in the whole situation)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (LanceL99) Chmeeee is correct, the 2002 Monsoon was mis-wired thus causing the speakers to be "out of phase". If you know anything about electronics, this means that the BASS is effectivly cancelled out.

    Here is the link to the "Monsoon Fix". It even shows you how to make the 'tools' to remove the head-unit.
    http://www.vwmkiv.com/monsoon.htm
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    my car doesn't have the Monsoon, but the factory did neglect to even pull speaker wire to the passenger door side speakers. the first owner of the car never noticed! i took it to the dealer, they looked at it, and just took the dash off, found the wire harness, and pulled it through to the door, and, viola, all set. lovely workmanship and quality testing, huh?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I know what you mean, thanks. I do have a rental, but with the coverage I have, I have to pay some tax on it as well as 10 or 20% of it (I forget which now), which comes to about $5 a day. One good thing is that State Farm is going to go over my rental limit, since they took so much time to investigate what actually caused the fire. They never did give me a straight answer either. They said it was not started by the car, but they don't know how, whom, or with what.

    I have a Lancer now. I want my car back really badly...
  • dancermandancerman Member Posts: 220
    Our 2002 Jetta has a Monsoon System. We have never been happy with it. After the first head unit failed, the dealer replaced it. But.... the sound quality has always been poor. It sounds weak and monotone. This is true only for the radio. When you listen to CD's, it's a very nice sound. I have asked about this wiring problem but the dealer says 'never heard anything about that'. Does my description seem to fit the wiring problem symptoms? I think I will try to pull out the head unit and at least look at the wires. This car is driven mostly by my wife so I don't want to mess it up. But short of looking at the wires myself, I don't think I'll get the dealer to fix it. Did ALL 2002 Jetta have this problem?
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Yes, as far as I know, all Monsoon equipped cars did have the problem. You would think when they replaced your head unit it would have solved the problem however, but I would definitely suggest taking it apart to check it out. Follow that link that bpeebles gave earlier, it has a full how-to with pictures.

    http://www.vwmkiv.com/monsoon.htm
  • dancermandancerman Member Posts: 220
    Well... the way I understand this Monsoon problem, replacing the head unit doesn't fix the wiring. Right? The dealer would have had to swap the wires and I am fairly certain they didn't do that. I will check it out. The vwmkiv.com link is pretty straight-forward.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Good point, I was forgetting that all the wires go into a wiring harness, not directly into the HU. Good luck, let me know how it goes. I still havent gotten around to fixing it on my car.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I went to see the car today after it's been cleaned out. Only the dash and the 4 door panels are in it still. No headliner, no seats, no carpeting, nothing. It STILL smells like smoke inside. Ugh.

    Day 33, parts still on order. Estimates still to be done. This is going to be a wonderful summer, eh?
  • kupper25kupper25 Member Posts: 30
    I would appreciate some quick help from the collective knowledge of the posters on this board.

    I am seeing some difference in front tire wear on my daughter's 2001 2.0 Jetta. The front passenger side tire seems to be wearing somewhat faster than the front driver's side tire. Brings up the question: is the front passenger tire the 'drive tire" on this vehicle, therefore subject to some additional wear? She is usually the only person in the car so it is not heavily loaded.

    Also, any comments about using forward or backward cross when doing the tire rotations on this vehicle? (She has the OEM Michelins on it which do not appear to be uni-directional.)

    Thanks.
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    In regards to tire rotation, the passenger or right side front has been known to wear faster.(you guessed the reason why) You can forestall the inevitable wear (or get the maximum wear, however you chose to say it) with a few options. (the more you do the better the less you do, worse, etc. If you don't care, don't worry be happy, its only money anyway :)) 1. accelerate slower 2. brake slower 3. corner slower 4. rotate spare tire into the front passenger side 5. Use a 6 tire rotation (use spare and buy one more tire) 6.Keep alignment correct 7. Keep balance correct. 8. Cross rotate tires. 9 Keep tire pressure at the highest psi, consistent with not being "over inflated" 10. Stay away from rough roads and or potholes and debris in the streets.

    Some background would help to visualize. Most VW OEM tires come with 360 rating and 11/32 tread. Legally bald is defined as 2/32 of tread left, so the usable tread is 9/32. The tires usually have a reasonable wear factor or "warranty" of 50k so per 32nd in of wear the mileage is 5,555.55 miles. So the concept is to put the tire with the most tread left on the front and also on the side with the most wear. (passenger or right front side)

    First of all, the weight distribution is 60 front/40 rear When the vehicle is under hard acceleration,hard braking and/or hard cornering, the ratio shifts even more to the front (70-80 front/30/20 rear) and side to side (depends if you tend to do more left or right handed turns).

    The technical data (both CD Bentley's service manual and VW owners manual calls for front to rear and rear to front rotation. It also calls for 10,000 mile rotation. The long term result is that only one or two tires at most need replacing, ie giving the appearance of saving money.

    Cross rotation is covered by a tire seller www.tirerack.com. It is worth understanding the information.

    How do you tell over inflation? After a good operational run put your precise heat sensing hand across the tread. If it is warm the entire width of the tire that would tend to be the correct range of psi. If it is hotter in the middle that would tend to indicate over inflation. If the inner and outer sides are hotter then that is usually an indication of under inflation. A point of departure would be 35 psi front and 33 psi rear.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    That is odd that the passenger front tire wore faster. On my GTI and Jetta (both 01 models) the drivers side wore faster - and this was logical because there is always a driver in the car, so a little more weight is on the left.

    The first thing I would do is check the alignment. The front right could be out of spec and that could be causing your problem right there.

    Only rotate the tires front to rear. Remember 92 lbs/ft of torque for the wheel bolts.

    - Anthony
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    With modern radial-ply tires, there is no reason to keep them spinning the same direction. (unless they are MARKED as being directional)

    When radial-ply tires first came out, the steel belts had a tendancy to come thru the sidewalls. (picture a wire brush sticking out of the tire all around the circumfrence of the sidewall) That was over 20 years ago!

    Pick any rotation pattern you wish to use and make sure your mechanic is aware of the pattern you are using. (Otherwise the tires may end up back on the same corner of the vehicle after 2 rotations.) This way, all tires spend time on ALL 4 corners of the vehicle.

    I keep a small hand drawn picture of the rotation pattern I am using in the glove compartment and use that pattern every time. All 4 tires wear very evenly.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    On the vehicles with 17" tires, you can ONLY do front to rear as they are directional tires. I had someone at a tire shop tell me that when I had my 17s on.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    That is what I said in my second sentence... "With modern radial-ply tires, there is no reason to keep them spinning the same direction. (unless they are MARKED as being directional)"

    Perhaps I was not clear on what "MARKED as being directional" means....

    Directional tires will be clearly marked on the sidewall with an arrow pointing in the direction of rotation. Obviously, this type of tire needs to spin in the manufactures intended rotation direciton.

    If there is no marking on the sidewall for rotation, then make sure the tires get some miles on all 4 corners of the vehicle.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    as of today i no longer drive a jetta. i traded it in for a new accord ex v6 sedan. My insurance went up a whopping $0.50/month. i'll let you know if i start to miss my VW, but i don't think i will.

    maybe my next car will be the next generation jetta.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    What'd they give ya, if ya don't mind me asking? I'm 6 weeks into trying to sell mine and it's still sitting around. :(
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    blueguy, have you asked about pricing in the Real-World Trade-In Values discussion on the Smart Shopper board?

    If not, it's worth a try.

    Let us know what happens.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    you trade as much as i do! you should have never got a VW - they just aren't in your blood. congrats on the new Accord. did you notice that Honda pretty much stole the BMW 3 and 5 series side mirrors and put them on the Accord sedan?

    are you worried about the odd shape of the radio? what if you ever want to put in an aftermarket unit? how would that work?
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    2002 Red/Beige GLS 1.8t 5 speed auto tiptronic with the cold weather package, monsoon sound, alloys and moon roof. just over 17k miles. trade-in was $14,800. the car was considered in excellent condition. kelley blue book had it listed at $14,025, so i was pleasantly surprised and glad i kept my mouth shut about what i was looking for. take into consideration the tax savings ($814) with the trade-in i don't feel too bad about what i got.

    the accord will be the first car i ever had with leather seats, so i hope you're right that they last forever.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    if you're going to copy somebody, it might as well be from the best.

    radio sounds pretty good to me so i have no thoughts about replacing it.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Venus: Congrats on the new car. Finally, someone who trades cars more than I do! :) I actually drove an Accord EX V6, but thought the price to be a little steep. The interior was nice though, and the ride was Lexus like in its quietness. The car handled well, but not as 'spirited' as the VW is.

    Justin: How are you liking the Cabrio thus far? Do you miss the turbo power? I have a Mitsu Lancer rental, and I surely miss my 1.8.. :(
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    Blue/Tan with 16,000 some miles, perfect condition, Eclipse Head Unit, Blitz Turbo Timer, and sunroof package (5 speed) for $15,500.

    - Anthony
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    That must have been awhile ago. They're selling them at dealerships cpo for under 14k now.

    maybe CA is just a bad used market for Jettas. Oh well. This weekend I have to visit LA so I'm gonna take the Jetta and visit Car Max.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    Fair price for that car around here....
  • plaaaaaneplaaaaane Member Posts: 32
    I wondered why two SUVs nearly ran me off the road until I was out of the car and listened to the horn. Its sound has not changed since new, but its sure not loud enough to get thru a SUV with music and highway noise.

    I bought a 12 v 130 db horn from Whitney & would like to parallel it with the factory horn. Factory horn seems to be elusive, though. I've tracked it to the front left fender but it seems to be inside. Is it hidden in a plastic or metal bubble? That would sure muffle it.

    Can anyone tell me how to get at it?

    Dave
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    If you think the horn on a Jetta is crappy, try driving a Mitsu Lancer! I nearly got ran off the road 2 times this past weekend, because the offender didn't hear my horn.

    I know there are options, but don't know what they are off the top of my head. I would check out VWVortex.com for more answers.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    ...are generally in the can right now thanks to all the rebates and low financing for new ones. I just did a search on a site called getauto.com here in MD, and found 02 Jettas from $14,16k with a mileage range of 11-30K miles, so it seems that values are in the can everywhere for now.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Yep. I just had my car appraised at Carmax in LA. I didn't notice it then but the guy doing the appraisal didn't mark Wolfsburg Edition on my car's estimate. He came back at me with a price of 11,500!!!! Whoa. Edmunds is showing the car at 12,700, and KBB at 12,600. I'll take 12,300 and walk away happy!

    BTW, private party rates for KBB and Edmunds are totally cracked out - both claim near 14. ROFL. as if.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    hi there. yep, the Cabrio is still a blast. and while i wish i had the turbo power, i do not miss the 5 speed automatic at all. the old style four speed unit in the Cabrio actually downshifts when you slow down! i love seeing the tach jump up when i apply the brakes coming to a stop sign. it is truly "adaptive"....i think the turbo (lag) in my Jetta, coupled with a car that had many gears to pick from, made things too "busy" when i look back. always hobby-horsing around in the Jetta, squat and dive. the cabrio is really solid and stable. the lack of power only really bugs me with A/C on passengers in the car. i have learned there is NO reason to floor it, past 4500 rpms, it just makes more noise, but doesn't get you anywhere any faster, haha.

    how is your Jetta? coming along?
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    You think the Lancer's horn is wimpy?? My Lancer has one of the loudest horns I have ever heard. It actually still uses a dual horn low and high note setup (right in front of the radiator where God intended them to be), unlike most cars (Honda, Mazda, and Toyota come to mind). I just tap it and people look all around to see who is in the big SUV. In fact I have honked at a cutie 4 lanes and a median over and got them to look :) Maybe one of your horns is disconnected or burnt out? Or maybe you just prefer a more baritone horn hote, whereas the Lancer's is a bit higher pitched. Anywho, just thought I would throw that in. Hope you get your Jetta back sometime this summer....
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    interestingly enough, i have found that VW horns are always the loudest horns around. even my Cabrio has a loud and non-"beep-beep" toned horn. small cars from Japan always seem to have horns that say "please would you move out of my way" where the VW's seem to say "you WILL move or i will cut you!! haha"
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    There will be no more Jetta. All electricals in the dash are fried, the smell is still there after 5 cleanings. State Farm totalled it today. I have a week to find another car, because then I lose my rental vehicle.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    congratulations! now you can get that big check. just think how much money state farm could of saved by just declaring the car totaled from the beginning.

    any thought about what your next car will be?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Congrats? I lost my most favorite car (out of 6) that I ever owned to a vandal. I am a little relieved that this is all over, but still upset a bit.

    I don't know what's next, but I know I have a week to choose it until my rental coverage runs out.
  • tusstuss Member Posts: 11
    Consider yourself lucky--state farm will probably give you more than if you had tried to sell the car on you own, so in the end, you should come out a bit ahead. Look at blueguy--he hasn't even been able to sell his jetta. i'd take advantage of the used car market, for if used car sales are in the can, take a look at a 2002 a4 or a 2001 3 series. You should easily be able to get in the low low 20's for one of those if you look hard enough. Still under warranty, great cars, and from what i'm seeing, dropping in value pretty quickly, albeit, as I'm a 3 series owner, that doesn't make me too happy.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    i meant that if your car is this damaged, you're better off this way then attempting to have the car repaired. it didn't seem like your jetta would get back to where it was.

    are you going to get another jetta?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Right now, I don't know. I will probably get something cheap, then see how the MKV is since it's right around the corner.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Sorry to hear about your car but in a way you're probably in better shape - you had gap insurance i imagine. so in the end you probably walk away even, which is tough to do in this market. lol

    If emotion won't govern the purchase, I'd go with the idea of getting some reliable and reasonably priced. and used. so many quality used cars out there.

    good luck and keep us posted on what you end up buying. heck justin isn't a jetta owner, yet he's still here. i'm barely a jetta owner (it rests in my driveway waiting for a good home), yet I still come here. vw gets in your blood. :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Thanks. :) You're probably right. Even the insurance guy said the car had a probability of never being right again after what happend to it.

    I do have GAP insurance, so at least I will break even. According to the insurance guy though, I should walk away with some cash. We shall see tomorrow when he and I speak again.

    I am getting a used car actually. I wanna go back to school and do some stuff to the house before having a new car again. My first home improvement: A parking pad out back!
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Good luck with your car shopping!!!! Let us know what you end up getting.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i can't help but be in here. no one posts in the Cabrio forum :( so i have to be in VW area somewhere, and i don't want to hang in the Passat area, no way, haha. seriously, having owned 2 MK4's, someone might ask a question one day that i can help with. BLUE - maybe you should KEEP the little blue gem. i dreamt about my Jettas the other night. i still miss the "machine gun" locking mechanism when you first start driving. my car doesn't do it.

    vocus - congrats! just what you always wanted (kind of). lets see, you need something big, but something reliable. maybe a used 02 Altima. the interior will be kind of crappy, but you are in a Lancer currently, so it won't be too bad of a change.

    let us know!
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Sorry, the ole Blue Gem is not very comfy for me. I've gotten used to my supportive sports seats and perfect driving position. I feel like I'm driving a truck when I'm in the Jetta now. :(

    My drive to LA the other day was a bear in that car. I can only dream of what it'd feel like to drive my 91 stanza now.
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    Vocus, the way I see it this is a "win win" situation for you. You can step out of your current commitment (which if I remember you were upside-down on) and have total freedom to "GO CAR SHOPPING", you gotta love it.

    I only wish that happened to my Passat, I would love to upgrade to the GLX which I would do in a second if I wasnt upside-down on my financing on my GLS. The deals on new cars right now have been better than they ever have been, good luck to you.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I just got to the point where all the little niggling problems were ironed out and I really liked the car. It was upside down a little (with this used car market, I think everyone is a little upside down), but I didn't plan on getting rid of it any time soon.

    Car shopping when you have one week, not alot of cash on hand, and 2 jobs to work around isn't as fun as it could be.

    The only reason I am happy is because I knew the car would never be right again and would cause headaches for the rest of its life. I pulled my tags today, and seeing the huge pink SALVAGE sticker on the passenger window about turned my stomach.
  • dgluthdgluth Member Posts: 50
    Right now all they have is the low APR, I am hoping for them to give some rebates or the manufactorer to dealer support. Does anyone know or suspect if the incentives will be changing soon? Looking to buy at end of summer or early fall.

    Thanks
    Dennis P.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    ..is over for now. I got my new car tonight. No more rental, thank God!
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    What did you get? Tried to e-mail you but it got returned as undeliverable.

    The Sandman :-))
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    03 PT Cruiser Limited Edition in Cranberry.

    I work for Chrysler, so I got a helluva deal ($250 below invoice, 1.9 APR for 72 months), so I am happy with it. My car payment went DOWN $125 a month, and insurance went down about $10 a month.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Very cool car. Down here in the Ft. Lauderdale area, there are lots of those puppies running around and the cranberry color is really sharp!
    Congratulations on the new ride and hopefully this one will be with you for the next 5 or so years!
    Cheers!!!

    The Sandman :-))
Sign In or Register to comment.