Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

bora1 · April 2006

fedup88,

Please see my comment to 2004 Jetta-Transmission slips/jerks [phamo21] posted today.

I have fought and WON!!!!!

dancerman · April 2006

If the dealer won't fix this correctly with proper materials and paint then my suggestion is to get a plate you like and replaced the dealer plate. If you try patching and painting yourself go to an auto body supply store and ask them how to DIY. Good luck.

fish8 · April 2006

Just for clarification, bumpers are made from plastic, therefore rust will not be an issue.

fish8 · April 2006

Some states, as here in GA, front lesence plates are not required.

I am VERY anal about stuff like this and it would really piss me off if a dealer did this to me car.

crog · April 2006

What is a tranny???? Could it be a transmission ????

bora1 · April 2006

Yes... a tranny is a transmission...

misstarah · April 2006

My 1996 Jetta Trek had those same issues of hesitating and gurgling for about a week right before it stopped working and the "Check engine" light came on. I got it towed to the dealer, worried that it was the head gasket, but it ended up being the distributor cap (at 90k miles).

Apparently there is something that the mechanics can tell from the color of smoke, so tell them if it is blue vs. white and take a look at your coolant. If it is oily-looking or like chocolate-milk, don't drive it. Have it towed to the shop.

Hope this helps!

syzygy00 · April 2006

thanks everyone, i really appreciate all the feedback on what to do about this. Since it sounds like rust won't be a problem, I guess I'll just ignore it. North Carolina is also one of those states where you don't need a front license plate. Sure is ugly though.

joediz8 · April 2006

I was wondering if the 1.8t has any reliability or mechanical issues that other jettas dont have. Some people say they break down more, and are always getting fixed. Does anybody have any advice. Are they a good buy, or should i stay away from them?

Thanks

fish8 · April 2006

The 1.8t engine is a very relaible engine...AS LONG AS it is well maintained. These turbo charged engine require VW Approved Synthetic oil EVERY 5K miles. If the 1.8t Passat or Jetta) does not get a dose of Synthetic and had oil change intervals exceeding 5K miles, avoid it like the plague. I believe this engine was on Wards list of best engines a couple of years back.

bora1 · April 2006

The 1.8T engine is reliable...the auto transmissions are another story..... Better buy extended warranty and make sure the extended warranty company is NOT AutoShield.

jw81 · April 2006

I recently purchased a 97 jetta as a secondary vehicle. It's an auto transmission, the problem is when the vehicle is shifting between first and second gear it vibrates and makes an awful noise. Once the vehicle is past second gear it stops. The party I bought the vehicle from said that they took it to a mechanic for that very reason. The mechanic told them there was nothing wrong. The party I purchased the vehicle from appeared to be honest and provided me with service records otherwise. So I don't doubt that they the had the problem looked at. I doubt, however that there is nothing wrong. I know very little about volkswagens and car maintainence in general. I know that I need to have it looked at, but I would like to have more information before taking it in. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Unfortunately mechanics see me coming and I end up paying for it. Thanks

gillete · April 2006

I just bought a touch-up pen from VW shop. The buying part is easy. Just need to pay $10.35. The problem is the application part. Technically it is supposed to be easy as the bottle comes with a mini brush that looks like the brush for liquid wite-out which is convenient; however, on the top of the bottle, it ahs this red color thing that when I pulled out looks like a collection of mini metal brush which they called deruster. On the internet is said to move rust from the metal. But it's too hard for me. Does anyone do paint touch up before on your VW?
Btw, on my last post, I said that the rear of the car caused some tapping noise. I went to the dealer today to have my 10000 miles service and ask the service rep. He said that it is normal. That tapping noise is the vacuuming proses to take unnecessary air out from the fuel tank/line. So if anyone has the same problem, don't worry. It's normal.

fish8 · April 2006

Interesting, I have never heard of any widespread problems with VW transmissions.

gjsmith · May 2006

I cannot find any info on changing the fuel filter on my 2004 Jetta Diesel TDI. Does anyone have any suggestions?

bora1 · May 2006

VW auto trannys have been known to be problematic. Hopefully, they (VW) are perfecting them to alleviate this problem and rebuild their reputation. In my case, I replaced my transmission, on my 2002 VW Jetta, at 80K KMs. I could have had the "one-off" lemon, but that experience left me with a "bad taste in my mouth".

shadowman1100 · May 2006

Hi can you tell me what it cost to replace your transmission and what it was doing when it went out .
Mine is really slipping bad when i use reverse and it seems to be shifting slower going up through the gears. thanks for any help you can give me . Mine is a '02 Jetta TDi with 80,000 miles.

fish8 · May 2006

Sorry to hear you had transmission problems. But, your experience does not translate to "VW's trannys have been known to be problematic". Coil Packs and Window regulators is a different story though....

bora1 · May 2006

Shadowman1100,

Please see post # 4508 regarding my transmission woes. It did not cost me anything... Thank God, but the job would have cost me CDN $ 8,000 if i did not voiced myself.

bora1 · May 2006

Fish8.

All you have to do is visit numerous VW forums, and you will see that their automatic (NOT manual) transmissions are known to be problematic. If you have a reliable mechanic who knows VWs in and out, consult him/her, and you'll get the same response. Auto trannys have been problematic. Manual trannys have ben ok.

bora1 · May 2006

Shadowman,

My transmission was slipping from 2nd to 3rd gear while upshifting as well as downshifting. Over time, this problem grew worse and worse. If you are still covered by warranty, you may want to insist to your dealer to replace your transmission before it completely goes.

nmrt · May 2006

hi. i recently purchased a new 2005 1.8T gti 5-speed. i know that gti's were known to have coil pack faliures in the earlier models. i was curious to find out whether vw replaced these problematic coilpacks or does my 2005 gti have the problem prone coil pack. thanks a lot.

jeffyscott · May 2006

I don't know if their automatics have been problematic or not, but do you know where they got their automatics from in the past? The new six speed automatic is from Japan and made by Aisan.

We have a problem with ours being fixed, but it does not seem that many others have had problems with this new transmission yet.

joediz8 · May 2006

Do you need to run premium gas in a 1.8t? Does VW reccomend it, and do you really need to.
thanks

kcesgay · May 2006

Yes you should use it. Like the vr6, it probly wont be bad but i would use it if i was you.

bora1 · May 2006

I'm not sure where the 5-speed auto transmissions were manufactured from.

What type of problem are you having with the 6-speed transmission?

bora1 · May 2006

I have a 2002 Jetta with the 1.8T engine. I usually fill it up with 89 Octane (mid-grade). Still runs very smoothly. Occassionaly, i do fill it up with premium gas.

wai · May 2006

Is the fuel tank door stated min. 91 Octane M+S/2?

jeffyscott · May 2006

Had rough shifting from 1-2 and 2-3. My understanding of what dealer said they thought is it was sort of going back and forth like maybe quickly going 1-2-1-2 instead of just 1-2. Dealer thought it was shifting too soon also. They replaced the valve body.

Just got it back yesterday and it seems to be fixed...shifting is super smooth again.

wpbacon · May 2006

Hey did u ever get that clutch cable out? I'm having the same problem with my 96 jetta and can't get the pedal side of the cable. If u have any insight into this please help wp_bacon@msn.com

fish8 · May 2006

To get the full performance out of the 1.8t engine, it is recommended you use premium. Why not pay the extra $.10 (over Mid grade) to get the full potential out of your engine? Is the $1.50 u save per fill up worth it??

whitgallman · May 2006

About to replace spark plugs in 2000 Jetta VR6 and need the torque value for the spark plugs. Any special tricks?

Plan to use Autolite platinum plugs. Any one have specific problems with these?

bpeebles · May 2006

In over 30 years of working on engines, I have never used "torque values" for sparkpplugs. Instead, they are usually speced based on the kind of "seat" they have.

If they have the metal-gasket...then then turn no more than 3/4 turn after seating by hand. (If re-installing them, the gaskets are already compressed so the turn is less than with new sparkplugs)

If taper-seat (no gasket) then turn no more than 1/4 turn after seating by hand.

IMPORTANT: Apply LIGHT coat of antiseaze to the sparkplug threads before installing!!

Why use "Autolight" sparkplugs? Did you know that Bosh actually INVENTED the first sparkplug and are made of MUCH better materials. (ie...nickle coated threads and high-purity ceramic insulators)

If you REALLY want torque values see this chart

Mr_Shiftright · May 2006

And keep in mind that any lubricant on the plugs might affect torque values.

wilco8976 · May 2006

I just bought a used 02 VW Jetta wagon 1.8T with about 60k miles on it. It recently started making a noise while driving around at low speeds, like when looking for parking. Its making like a metallic clicking or clanking when going over bumps. The noise is even more annunciated while easing the clutch up into 1st and 2nd. Its not loud, but you can definately hear it, especially when driving next to walls and other objects(sound bouncing back). Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

whitgallman · May 2006

There are a number of errors in the owner's handbook in the glove box like it says an oil change takes 7.5 quarts of oil, but if you put that much in, the dipstick level is way too high and the oil cap on the engine says if there's too much oil, you can ruin the catalytic converter. The dealer said oil change is 5.8 quarts (seems to be right).

What about the type of gas? Is the owner's manual wrong there too? It says use regular, the gas door says premium. Which is right? Don't want to pay for premium if it's not needed.

What other things in the owner's manual technical chapter have you found to be wrong?

dancerman · May 2006

I've always used premium fuel in 2002 VR6 because I believe you will get the best performance and gas mileage with premium. Somewhere I heard that not using premium fuel can cause carbon to buildup inside the combustion chambers. On the other side.... a VW service tech told me you can run regular fuel without hurting anything. Because I have had good performance with premium, I will stick with it. I have noticed however that some brands do not give as good MPG.

The VW owner manuals have lots of errors. Double check the facts in them.

wai · May 2006

My 2004 GLI(VR6) owners manual and fuel door stated min 91 Octane is required.I used to put 93 Octane (because most gas station did not have 91 gas) but now I try to mix 93 & 87 to obtain 91, performance wise and mileage wise doesn't have any difference under aggressive driving mode for 91 or 93.

pdk1 · May 2006

Looking into buying a new car soon. Went to the local dealership and got a listing price on this new car. I want the package 2 and the MSRP is $25,480. I have never bought a VW before and i'm concerned with the price and a price to offer the dealership. any answers a suggestions feel free to respond thank you.

jeffyscott · May 2006

Well, you can get the invoice price and "TMV" here on edmunds.com. You can also get a selling price from carsdirect.com.

You can contact a number of dealers and ask them what their price is for the car you want.

Most VW dealers have inventory on line, so if you know exactly what you want and they have it in stock, you can just ask what they will sell it for. That worked well for us.

Just be sure to ask for the "out the door price" including all fees. Some dealers add on a big processing fee, I've read of fee as high as $500.

eo19xx · May 2006

WELL I JUST BOUGHT A 2006 VALUE EDITION JETTA. WHEN I START IT IN THE MORNING IT MAKES THIS REALLY HORRIBLE LOUD SOUND, BUT ONLY FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS IS DUE TO?

jeffyscott · May 2006

The cold start up noise is normal and is mentioned in the owners manual (boooklet 3.1, page 94...at least that is where it is in the 2005.5 manual). It says that it is noisy until oil pressure builds up in the hydraulic valve lifters.

(and turn off your caps lock)

bora1 · May 2006

The noise is normal. I get the same noise too on my 2002 Jetta. For only a few seconds while the oil pressure builds.

bpeebles · May 2006

I agree - I think that is just the camshaft noise while the oil-pressure builds up.

This is one reason why the pumpe-duse TDI needs that special engine-oil. The camshafts are not only working the valves.... they also operate all 4 fuel pumps.

Using the wrong oil in the pumpe-duse TDI has been known to destroy the camshaft.

rbongirl · May 2006

You may want to call a couple of VW dealerships and see who can give you the best price. We did that for one of the bigger services. Started at $800 and the same dealership went down to $400 after hearing what some of the other dealerships were offering ($600, $500, $450). Took some time on my behalf to call around, but we saved 50%.

Kel

bpeebles · May 2006

You guys are paying WAYYYY too much for the scheduled service intervals. I just looked thru my "Jetta" file to verify what I have been paying. I have never spent more than $200 for ANY of the scheduled maintenance up thru the 50,000 one.(which was $80)

The most expensive ones are those which include wheel rotate and balance. (Which is expected to cost more anyway)

Now that I have replaced the tires, the tire shop (of course) offers FREE rotate and balance as long as I own their their tires.

I also have to admit that I own the TDI engine and supply my own oil when I take in for service. (The TDI engine has lower maintenance costs as well as 56 MPG econmey)

Personally - I cannot see why ANYONE would want anything besides the TDI engine 8-)

HINT Dont EVER just tell them to "do the xxx mile service" - that is like telling them to do whatever they think they can get away with charging you. Instead, you should look at the owners manual and make a list of things you want them to do... and ask for JUST THOSE ITEMS.

If you can check your OWN tire-pressire, Add your OWN windshield-washer and change your OWN windshield-wipers - why the heck would you have them do it at $65 per hour labor rate?

jeffyscott · May 2006

The TDI engine has lower maintenance costs

Hmm, the coupons for 20,000 mi and 40,000 mi service from local dealership say "diesels slightly higher". The 40,000 mi service includes replace spark plugs...that is probably where the higher cost comes in, I think it's a lot tougher to replace the spark plugs on a diesel

.

bpeebles · May 2006

Ahhh -- but you forget that the TDI uses SPECIAL OIL that VW charges about $7 quart ..... that is why I bring in my OWN diesel oil to have them use. I can get VW-approved oil for less than $7 quart.

You may be correct that changing the sparkplugs adds to the price of a gasser engine... I have replaced the sparkplugs on my 2 daughters VWs - it is time-consuming to access the center 2 plugs. Again- I would not pay $65/hour for somomne to do work I can do myself.

Most people dont dont have an alignment machine nor a tire-balancer...so those are items most of us pay to have done.

On the TDI engine, the fuel filter is almost $50. That is the "extra cost" they may be alluding to to 20K and 40K service.

jeffyscott · May 2006

I would not pay $65/hour for somomne to do work I can do myself.

And I'll gladly pay someone $65-95 an hour, for someone to do work that I can do myself but don't want to do.

Prices vary. My 10,000 mile service...oil change (full synthetic) and tire rotation/brake inspection was about $73. The synthetic oil and filter would have cost me about $35 (6 quarts). Another local dealer wanted $120 for this.

bpeebles · May 2006

$120 is still a lot better than $400-$800 that previous appender was complaining about... How can the service-folks at those dealerships sleep at night knowing they are stealing from their customers like that?

I guess that is why I dont have my own personal buisness... I am too honest. 8-)

I have had discussions with my VW service manager about the pricing-policys of other VW dealerships. He made it a point to say that his shop ONLY charges the actual cost (parts + labor) unlike others that tend to have a preset charge for each service-interval. Mebbie that is why I drive past 2 other VW dealerships to get there 8-)

Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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