Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

bpeebles · October 2005

A CEL along with "lean condition" is most often the MAF (Mas AirFlow sensor)

The good news is that your 99.5 MAF is covered by an extended warantee for 7years 70,000 miles. Any VW dealership should honor that factory warantee.

They will have to hook your car up to their diagnostic computer and if the MAF is the problem... everything is FREE OF CHARGE. Obviously, if they find some other issue that is NOT the MAF, they will charge you for the diagnosis.

vwbytch202hp · October 2005

Ma'am I am an 18 year old female that just bought my first car. It is a 2003 Vw Jetta VR6. It has 202 horsepower stock. I so not see any problem with it being too powerful for him. A teenager can get a speeding ticket in any car since most top out a over the speed limit. I think a Jetta would be a very good choice for him. I have the automatic with triptonic option and it is very convenient, much better than being stuck with either a manual or regular automatic. I also have heated leather seats that came as a stock option. Coil replacement is something that I researched a great deal and saw no probelms with with I read but adjustable coil-overs are the better option because you can adjust the height for long trips if needed. I bought my car used with 4,000 miles and payed 21,000. I felt this was a reasonable price considering it is a very nice car for someone my age. I am also looking to sell my car for what i owe on it if you are intrested. Im not selling it becasue of any problems with the car, but because i am looking to buy a car for my younger brother.

inajoong · October 2005

I have an 02 Jetta and sometimes when the car shifts from 1st to 2nd(auto trans) i feel a SMACK in the rear end as if I just got rear ended by another car.

I think it might have something to do with the transmission, but am not sure....

I took it into a dealer and they said to rev the engine to redline once in a while. i did that and it seemed to have solved the problem, but then it came back!!! and the REAL PRBLEM is that my warranty has run out now...

Did anyone else have a similar problem?
What was the solution?

dancerman · November 2005

That's the most ridiculous thing I have heard. Find another dealer. What engine/transmission are we talking about?

steve64 · November 2005

Hi Everyone,

I am trying to solve problem with my 99 Jetta (new body style). The speedometer used to fluctuate over speeds 50MPH and gave an incorrect reading. Recently it failed completed and does not read anything. The OBD II code reads P0501 which is the Veh Speed Sensor A Range/Performance. I ran Vag-Com software on the vehicle and it reads that the vehicle speed sensor voltage too low. I replaced the speed sensor and problem still exists. The voltage thru the Vag-Com reads 2.48 at idle. Any ideas?

blufish · November 2005

I have a 2001 Jetta and I have the same problem, except my SMACK happens between all gears, but not all the time. If I take it easy on my acceleration, it usually isn't as bad. It also revs very high sometimes before it kicks into the next gear. When it first started, it seemed like it was low on transmission fluid. Since you can't check your own transmission fluid, I took it somewhere and the guy said it wasn't the fluid, but sounded to him like something else. Now this guy isn't a VW guy, but he said there were some sort of "bands" in the transmission that make it shift and he said the bands needed to be replaced. Now since this was a Tire Jockey, I took his advice with a grain of salt. I KNOW if I take it to VW, whatever the problem may be, they'll charge me $1500 and take 3 weeks to fix it. Anyone else know what's going on?

scheid15 · November 2005

When i start my car a loud rattling noise comes from the engine for about 15 seconds, then goes away. when it warms up the noise comes back when the car is idling under 1000 RPMs. i have been told this is my lifter. How hard is the lifter to replace, how much, and do you need any special tools like those darn brake compresion tools needed for Jettas.

bpeebles · November 2005

You do not have just one valve lifter. There is a hydrolic lifter for each valve in the engine. Typically, a 4-cylinder engine has 8 lifters. A 32-valve engine has 32 lifters.

Before you start to pull the engine apart, you may wish to try some "STP oil treatment" for about 1000 miles. Somtimes, a collapsed lifter will come back to life once the crud is cleaned out of it. Also, "Risoline" may be helpful in cleaning the crud from the lifters.

To answer your question more specificly. If you wish to attempt to replace the collapsed lifter yourslef, you will need at minimum the ability to R-n-R the timing belt. In many engines, the timing belt has to be removed in order to remove the overhead camshaft to get access to the lifters.

tommyl · November 2005

I have noticed that my coolant level has gotten low and need to buy coolant. Seems as if the coolant is not the normal prestone coolant, it is a pink colored coolant. Where can I buy this type of coolant?

bpeebles · November 2005

You have done the right thing by not mixing anyting else with your pink G12 antifreeze. Use ONLY the G12 antifreeze in your VW. Mixing with anything else is certain death for your cooling-system. (may gell-up and clog the cooling system...then engine overheats and goes into meltdown)

G12 is available from VW/Audi dealerships as well as foriegn-car auto-parts sellers.

jukim39 · November 2005

I have the same vehicle with same condition; was diagnosed by VW Service with MAF when my vehicle only had 51K miles(2003). The VW Service never told me about the extended warranty so I took it to an independent mechanic with MAF parts purchased from the dealer, replaced the MAF but didn't help me pass the smog check. Only after replacing the O2 sensor, I was able to pass. After additional 30K miles, after replacing the water pump twice in one year, I took the car to the dealer again, because CEL started flashing. They said it was due to the misfire in cylinder #1. They did a tune up again (even though I had done it only a few thousand miles ago), flushed and refilled the coolant (they told me VW uses special coolant and whoever changed my water pump did not know this), changed the MAF (at 79K - no warranty, bummers!) and cleared the codes. Since then my car's been running ok for year. From every now and then, the CEL comes on, flashes, stays on for a few days, then goes out on its own. Recently went to the dealer for free fall checkup, still has that misfire in cylinder #1. Guess that extra tune-up didn't help..

bpeebles · November 2005

There is DEFINANATLY an extended warantee on MAF (I found a copy on the internet and printed it out for my daughter to show to the dealership as a reminder)

Please tell me what a "tune up" is???? Back when cars had points-n- condensers, mechanical lifters, and carberrators... there was such a thing as a tune-up.

On todays automobiles there is no such thing as a "tune up"
I would be very curious to hear what they claim to do when they perform a "tune up"..??

If it were I, I would be focusing on the cyl. 1 misfire issue. That should be easy enough to isolate.

jukim39 · November 2005

There is an extended warranty on MAF until 7 years or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. O2 Sensor recall is not for all the Jettas; those included should've gotten a letter.

They tell me tune-up consists of changing the spark plugs. I hear that VW Jetta is more difficult to change the spark plugs, hence you can damage the wireset if not done carefully. That's what happened when I first had a tune-up done by an independent mechanic whom I trust. They messed up and told me I needed a new wireset, which I gladly paid for.

cyl 1 misfire has been diagnosed multiple times, except every time they do, they recommend another tune-up. beats me why VW services cannot pinpoint and tell me exactly what's wrong with it. However, I have recently put in a fuel injector cleaner (@ 92,000 miles) and the engine misfire has temporarily ceased. cross my fingers!

perrimcphee · November 2005

Hey, i'm very new to the VW world, i've always been a ford person, so i'm wondering if someone can help me out. I'm looking at a 2003 GLi and the dealer that i've been speaking with has told me that it is turbo-charged stock. from everything i have seen, the GLi is NOT turbo charged. Any clarification on this would be great! Thanks!

wai · November 2005

GLI only has 2.8L VR6 or 1.8L Turbo. 1.8L has 18 inches wheel
and is more nimble than VR6.

bpeebles · November 2005

The answer is "it might". VW offers 2 different turbocharged engines. (1.8t and 1.9TDI)

You need to open the hood and read the top of the engine cover. If it says 1.8t ...then YES it is turbocharged.

Also-- It sounds as if you are going into this "blind" (without doing much research) Make no mistake-- the 1.8t engine REQUIRES premium gasoline. (just like any other turbocharged gasoline engine)

blissful · November 2005

If you have a speedometer cable, replace it. Will probably fix the problem. If there is not a physical cable, then don't know.

icefire7 · January 2006

Can anyone help me out? I have an '03 1.8T Jetta. Just today, it overheated...all the way to the line. I noticed that the coolant has overflowed but goes back down with the car off as it cools down. I did notice that the fan isn't running. It overheats in less than a mile as soon as I try to drive it. Is this a thermostat problem?

- Joe

rennieee · January 2006

I have a Jetta 98' manual that has recently been shutting off by itself, and I know it is not because I am stalling out. It has 170K miles on it; and it shuts off when I'm in the middle of the road going at like 5 mph about to stop or in parking lots. I am very concerned, and I was thinking maybe it is the radiator? Has anyone experienced these problems or can help me out with this? And if someone could tell me how much the cost would be to repair a radiator? Thanks. :sick:

wooby12 · January 2006

Attention all of you lovely, knowledgable car owners:
Hi, my name is Cait. I'm nineteen years old and attempting to research MY VERY FIRST CAR. I don't need anything fancy. Just safe, economical, and under $15,000. I was looking into a used Jetta or Pasat, however I still have many unanswered questions. What are all these different "trims"? Do these models get good gas milage? How is the longevity of these cars? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated... :confuse:

pat · January 2006

Hi Cait, welcome! Different "trim levels" offer different features on the same basic car. You can research the trim levels of various used vehicles by starting here: Research Used Car Prices, Specs & Reviews. And as the title suggests, you can also find reviews and pricing information.

Also, you can spend some time looking through the previous postings here. The Search This Discussion feature may be helpful to you in doing that. (It's a box just above the first post and just below the last one.)

Good luck!

jwm5 · January 2006

Hello,
This is my first post and I was hoping someone out there could offer some help. I have a 95 Jetta GLS with a broken interior door handle. Happened today. The lever moves, but no longer opens the door.

I was wondering if anyone has repaired this on their own and how involved the task is. I know a dealer would probably charge a few hundred bucks for this. If it is not too complicated I was thinking of giving a shot myself.

Thanks.

bpeebles · January 2006

If you trully wish to try it yourself... you will have to pull the inside door trim off and then acertain why the mechanism is no longer working.

pedro_g · January 2006

Joe,

Had my tempgauge go high a few days ago. Water pump seized yesterday...

Hope this isn't your problem - not sure how you could diagnose it??

-Pete

kyleknicks · January 2006

hi everyone.. a recent mystery has recently surfaced on my gf's 2001 jetta ... her brake lites would come on in the middle of the nite.. after she had parked it for hours and made sure it was off when she first parks it... one time, it drained her battery completely..

anyone have any ideas?? the mechanic has put in a new parking lite switch and it still does it... i'm thinking, but not sure, that her petal is losing brake pressure?? so the petal is pushed down?? i know, wild guess.. but anyone think its something else? or have any insight? thanks!!

bpeebles · January 2006

brake lights draining the battery is a KNOWN issue. The switch on the brake-pedal has been recalled because of it. Dont PAY to have a recalled item replaced. Some VWs have 2 switches on the brake pedal. The correct one has to be replaced. (One is for the brake-lights and one is to allow for shifting out of park)

As for your thought of the pedal "losing pressure". There IS NO PRESSURE in the systm when the pedal is not pressed. There is a SPRING that keeps the pedal in the extended position.

kyleknicks · January 2006

argh!! first off, thank you bpeebles!! for that info... what my gf forgot to tell me was.. (she forgot too) that she bought her car in 2 yrs ago and got the light switch replaced after the recall... after i mentioned to her that there's a recall.. her response: "oh yea".. LOL..

i guess VW put in an defective switch even after the recall.. just like what they do with coils..

austingilmore · February 2006

Apologies for this cross post with the wagons board but I'm on a tight timeline with this one.

Quandry. We need a wagon for the kids. I'm looking at an 02 TDi Wagon with 52K on it and regular maintenance v. an 04 2.0L gasser with 6K on it. Both GLS. The 02 is under a 2 year extended warranty. 02 is only about $1000 cheaper at this point.

From a cost of ownership standpoint/reliability standpoint, which one of these is the keeper? The TDi may not loom as large as for some of you since we're only driving 7-10K a year.

thanks for whatever insights y'all can provide.

kupper25 · February 2006

Well folks, it is time to leave the VW family and I just wanted to write the epitaph. Maybe this will be of use to new poster Cait above who is looking into used Jettas.

I just traded in a 2001 GLS 2.0L manual 4 dr sedan, black with no options, after 59,300 mi. The car was what my college daughter HAD to have at the time of purchase. She used it at school for 3 years and then it was the wife's daily driver for the last 1.5 years.

Looking over the records I spent $1760 in maintenance over tht time for about 3 cents/mi. Most of that came between 42,000 and 59,000 mi with new brake pads & rotors front and rear and new tires. As with other Jettas I have heard about, the rear brakes went first (surprising for me) and their rotors had to be replaced -- no depth left to grind them.

We were free of the dreaded 2.0L engine "above average oil consumption" until 42,000 mi, but after that it started to need an extra quart every 6-8 weeks depending on driving conditions. DO NOT BUY a 2.0L Jetta if you are not willing to check the oil once/month and keep a spare quart of 5W-30 in the trunk for the times when you will need it -- you will. Oil consumption was at its highest when there was a lot of higher speed Interstate driving and lowest when we were just jogging around town. Having said that, however, while bothersome the need to keep up with oil is not that expensive or time consuming once you are in the habit of doing it -- it just leaves you wondering what else might go wrong that won't have such an easy fix.

Two biggest drawbacks to this car were the standard interior cloth seats ("Format" cloth that year, i.e the "mouse fur" interior - and in black no less - which picked up every piece of lint in the county and held on to it for dear life), and the VW dealer system. All the VW dealers in our city (three) were uniformly below average in attitude, knowledge and service orientation. Makes you want to stay away from them the minute your free services are up -- although as you can read in the above posts there can be some dangers from abandoning them entirely for independent garages. I could understand that the dealers were bad in the 90's when they had poorer product to sell, but after the introduction of the New Beetle/Jetta/Passat lines over the past 8-10 years there is no longer any excuse at all. VW is a fascinating case study of a company who has been greatly successful in turning around the attractiveness of its products but a woeful failure in turning around the dealer system that provides the critical link between the end consumer and those same products.

Still, the black Jetta was sharp looking (after the multiple treatments of Zaino & 3M Swirlmark remover I gave her), pretty reliable, generally comfortable, and certainly economical. Just stay up on the oil consumption in a 2.0L, avoid a 2001 "Format" cloth interior like the plague, find a good independent garage so you can stay away from the awful dealers, and hit the best VW web forums so you can learn from others what might be coming at you. This is not a car for "passive" owners but can be OK for an informed owner who is willing to put in the time.

lerxt · March 2006

Hey Folks, just wondering if anyone has come across a problem with their tail lights not working. That is, my Jetta's brake light burned out and I replaced it with an after market bulb. After that, the tail lights wouldn't work when the headlights were on and the car was in drive. The brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights all work. This isn't so bad during the day, but at night I fear that someone won't see me (not to mention the potential tickets I may get). If it helps, one of the license plate bulbs is also burned out, but I don't think that would be the cause, would it?

Thanks in advance.

reddog74 · March 2006

I have recently noticed the same faint knock/rattling coming from the transmission or clutch area that 'redline21' mentioned (post #490 awhile back) in my '01 Jetta 1.8T w/ manual trans w/ approx 50k miles. As you described in your post, the sound will go away when the clutch is depressed and reappear what the clutch is released. I am curious if you were able to determine the source of the noise?

Any information is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

mzjetta · March 2006

my '01 jetta coolant light comes on and when i refilled the tank about 3-5 minutes later it comes back on. i have been told to ride with the heat on to keep it from overheating. but how does this help the coolant from leaking out. i would appreciate any suggestions. i have been told it could be the thermostat, i truly don't know.

bpeebles · March 2006

On some model years, there is a known issue of the "EGR cooler" leaking antifreeze into the intake plenum. It comes out the exhaust as a whisp of steam so you may not see it happening.
The result is that the coolant-level will slowly go down with no visable leakage being seen.
I am not sure if the 2001s had this issue.

A bad thermostat is unlikely to cause loss of coolant.

BTW: Make absolutely sure you are using the correct G12 antifreeze. (Pink color) If you use the generic "green" stuff, you risk ruining your engine.

bluejetta02 · March 2006

Hi,
I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8T with 50,000 Miles and I need to get new tires. I currently have the original Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires.

What tires would you all receommend?

The Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus got ok ratings on tirerack.com
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Energy+MXV4+- Plus&partnum=965HR5MXV4EPL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&place=2#Survey

I was considering getting the Michelin PIlot Exalto A/S they got good ratings
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=Pilot+Exalto- +A%2FS&partnum=965HR5EXAS&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&place=0#Survey

I'd be interested in feedback/opinions from anyone on good tires to get for a Jetta.

Thanks!

I found

wai · March 2006

I happens to have my Taurus wagon install Exalto A/S at the rear and the MXV4 plus at the front, riding is very smooth and OK, very quiet and but steering response and handling is not that good. If you want better grip and cornoring, I think Pilot Sport A/S or Pirelli P Zero is the best option. If you only need to drive very few in snow, I think Dunlop Sport SP9000 high performance summer tire is very good ( right now they are on sale at Tirerack) with 280 treadwear rating and very good hydroplaning resistance and very comfortable ride and good handling.
I have them installed on my 2004 VR6 to replace the Goodyear RSA at 13,400 miles (which is a junk tire, not good at any surface) I happens to drive SP9000 once in the light snow this winter, which is OK.

angsmith · April 2006

I am thinking about buying my son a 1997 Jetta and want to get some opinions from owners. He is 16 and it will be his first vehicle. I want to make sure it will be reliable.

bpeebles · April 2006

You did not ask a question so I am not sure what the intent of your append is.

There is really no way to "make sure it will be reliable" besides take good care of it and hope for the best. All vehicles have their own individual problems to contend with.

For my daughter, her 1st car was 1989 VW golf. She drove the wheels off that thing and learned a lot about car ownership in the process. She sold it at with over 150,000 miles on it and it was seen on the road for several years after that. For may daughter, I liked the SAFETY that VW offers. The Jetta/Golf have been leaders in SAFETY for a long time.

pegrob · April 2006

I have a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta VR6. It apparently takes a long time to start except on warm days. The dealer checked both started and alternator and both were good. The battery is a Goodyear Battery so they claim its an after market one so I got a Volkswagen battery. Still has a hard time starting, mostly in the morning or night not after each used. Unless it sits for 6hrs or more. Any ideas on what it might be? They changed the coils and plug wires but not the plug..Anything would help.

bpeebles · April 2006

It sounds to me as if your VW service folks are taking you to the cleaners.... so far they sold you a Battery (obviously not needed), coils and hi-tension wires.

Now that they have sold you a bunch of expensive stuff, they send you on your way no better off than when you started.

It should be trivial for them to use their computer hookup to log and diagnose the conditions when the problem occours. WITHOUT selling you any parts. (Of course... they are TRAINED to sell parts even if they are not needed)

It sure sounds to me as if the cold-starting conditions are not operating properly.

pegrob · April 2006

Well according to them they did hook it up to their computers and found no type of power drainage. That's why they claim it was the battery which was at that time 4 months old. I explained at times my light would dim then get bright again so they changed my coils...Could it be faulty coils?

bpeebles · April 2006

your starting problems could be attributed to a LOT of things... but i doubt it is the coils.

Lets see if I understand your situation;
*)Cold starts are very difficult
*)runs just fine once it does start
*)Once warmed up, it starts and runs just fine

If I have this correct, This sure seems as if the "cold start system" is not kicking in like it is supposed to.

Your car needs to be connected to a computer with a COMPENTENT operator at the helm.... not somone that just runs diagnostics. The cold-start system needs to be verified that it is enguaged when the engine is cold.

jetta1818 · April 2006

well if you have the code and the stock radio then you should be able to put in the code using the numbers....hit the first button to change the first number onece you have done all four numbers then hold the scan button till it beeps....i think that works thats what i did with my 98 vw jetta tdi

wai · April 2006

Is the code written on the owner's manual under the stereo booklet section? Mine is blank at that section.

splarryl · May 2006

Hello. I have an '04 Jetta 1.08T sedan. I am having an "interesting" time trying to connect a recently acquired trailer to pull my Yamaha V-Star Custom (motorcycle).

Two questions:

1) The combined weight of the bike and the trailer is about 750 lbs. According to the trailer manufacturer the tongue weigh should be 10-12% of the towing weight, or not greater than 90lbs. With the maximum adjustment to the trailer, the tongue weight is about 130lbs. Anyone have ANY idea if it is safe (for the vehicle) to pull a 750lb load with a 130lb tongue weight?

2) When I connected the electrical I blew the 10-amp turn signal fuse (repeatedly), with the trailer lights connected directly to the turn signal wiring. I belive I'm going to have to power the lights by wiring directly to the battery. If anyone can has any experience or helpful hints about trailer wiring, I will be very happy to hear them.

Thanks,

-Larry

2002jetta · May 2006

Hey,

You'd be more than safe as the Jetta is rated to tow up to 1,000lbs. Remember, the 1.8T is very powerful and is used to power to much heavier Passat. The tongue weight shouldn't be a problem because we've all loaded up our trunks with 100-200lbs of stuff with no problem.

--Daniel

1064 · June 2006

Hi guys! I have an 04 Jetta that came with 15" rims. I have recently installed 17x7 chrome rims (Eagle brand) with some 215/50 R17 Hankook HR II tires. Ever since I have had them installed, I have had a bad vibration noticeable in the steering wheel. It is especially bad over 50 MPH and gets worse with increased speed. The dealer that I bought them from has given my Jetta 2 front end alignments and has computer spin balanced my tires 3 separate times, unable to fix the problem. I then took my car to another reputable tire dealer and they also checked the tire balance and told me the tires were in perfect balance. They did tell me however that with Volkswagens when you instal aftermarket wheels you need hub rings to make the vibration go away. I contacted the dealer that installed the tires and told them what I found out and they contacted Eagle. Eagle said the rings would not matter but sent the dealer (sentrifical?)hub rings to put on my car. The dealer installed them but the car still vibrates. I am clueless as to what to do next.

jeffyscott · June 2006

I guess I'd ask for a refund on the wheels and tires that seem to have created the problem. Either what they sold you is defective, or they can not figure out how to properly install them.

sossowski5 · June 2006

How do you install a turbo timer and a blow off valve on a 2003 VW Jetta 1.8 Turbo

bpeebles · June 2006

Those are "loaded" questions. 8-)

I would be very surprised if there is not already a BOV. It has to be there so when you "lift off" the throttle, the turbocharger is unloaded.

As for the turbo-timer -- why do you think you need one? Like all other turbocharged engines, you should idle the engine for about a minute before shutting down. This cools the turbocharger bearings sufficently by flowing oil thru it.

Besides, you should be running 100% synthetic oil that will not succomb to the heat in the turbocharger.

sossowski5 · June 2006

I want a louder bov also i just got an oil change and they did conventional oil is that a bad thing

Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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