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Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • jh1968jh1968 Member Posts: 2
    I just started having the same problem in my 2001 Jetta TDI. What happened with yours? My dealer says it's the differential & they want to charge me $5K to fix it. I found TSB 370102, but they said this was not for the issue I'm having.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You may be asking for troubles by having them "open it up" and perform surgery on your differential. For $5K - Perhaps it is not really a "problem" and you can live with it.

    My Jetta still humms a bit somtimes... but it works just fine and that is the main thing.
  • jimmydent1jimmydent1 Member Posts: 4
    im having the same issue, did you find out how to remove the huge plastic engine cover?
  • jimmydent1jimmydent1 Member Posts: 4
    im new to this forum thing, but where are the answers to all the questions? or do i wait and see if anyone has an answer to my specific question??
  • preludesi0080preludesi0080 Member Posts: 1
    hey!! my mom has a 2003 Jetta and her car was making a humming noise when she turned too!! We had to add some power steering fluid to the car and the noise stopped. try that...or at least check your power steering fluid. If it's low then add some.
  • whatyeyahokwhatyeyahok Member Posts: 1
    my car is doing that right now.. yes, a 94 vw jetta 3. its so aggrivating, it hasnt stalled out since ummm, proabbly three months ago and it has been working good.. normally it will vibrate when raining until it dries a bit but now it wont catch gear or will just stall out now. i dont know what you to do about it.. there was corrison or something in the sockets.. fixed that.. but i dont know what else we can do about it.. any ideas? :sick:
  • tony117tony117 Member Posts: 5
    i own a 99 wolfsburg edition and i've managed to put 220K on the odometer with only minor repairs but now i think i may have a couple of more serious problems.

    when i accelerate hard, my engine does a stutter kinda thing and shakes the whole car. my cat conv needs replaced badly but i don't know if that would create the kind of back pressure that would cause that.

    the other issue is just yesterday my car became very difficult to start and again this morning. i have to crank it for two or three mins before the engine catches. once it has been running, i don't have anymore starting issues. one other thing...if i run thru a puddle, my engine stalls and it is an absolute pain in the butt to start again.

    anyone have any advice? besides buying a new car? i love my car and i love having no payment even better.
  • purdysjetta99purdysjetta99 Member Posts: 2
    I JUST BOUGHT a 1999 jetta with a 2.0 liter motor and 98,789 miles on it runs great no smoke or any problems..was that a good deal for 6,000 dollars
    color is silver
  • tony117tony117 Member Posts: 5
    the motor is awesome, like my msg said, i have 220k on mine, and am just now running into some glitches. the price i'm not sure about. i got mine with 120k on it for 2000.
  • jh1968jh1968 Member Posts: 2
    It turned out to be the right front hub & wheel bearing. Thanks.
  • gtrumandgtrumand Member Posts: 3
    2001 Jetta 1.8 Turbo: All of a sudden one day multiple instrument panel warning lights and sounds appeared. Basically the ABS on, the ASR on, the check engine symbol and the word "brake" in red blinking along with the oil can symbol in red blinking. Occasionally the EPC would light up and the tachometer was not working or intermittent along with all instrument warning lights flickering or going on or off at random. Wow! what a nightmare. Car driveable but ABS system disabled. Looked at master cylinder fluid level indicator switch but tested ok. Cleaned battery terminals. Recently installed a cd player/radio in place of factory audio. Do you think this installation would have any bearing on problems. This device installed two weeks prior to this problem, it was installed by a local audio vendor. Would like some advice on what course to take. Thanks!
  • cburke5cburke5 Member Posts: 4
    my vw jetta has been in the shop for almost 3 months. i ran over a dead deer and ripped the o2 sensor off. had it towd to a shop that works on vw. the O2 sensor was the only thing to show up on the computer but now after having it replaced as well as the cam sensor, ignition coil, cam pack? oh and my computer had a couple fried modules there is still some mystery problem.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I hope your insurance covers "Acts of god". I know somone who had an accident because a bee stung her while she was driving.... it was covered under the "Acts of god" clause. I know somone else who hit a moose on a foggy night while traveling 65MPG on the highway.... this was also coverd under the same insurance clause.
  • revmarketrevmarket Member Posts: 48
    Buy a new ignition coil from your dealer and install. After about 5 years they start to arc b/c of age. Don't use after market part b/c it will not stand up to the requirements of a VW.
  • revmarketrevmarket Member Posts: 48
    Sit and wait to get an answer. Sometimes right away or sometimes never. To find previous questions that may be related to your new question search the old questions.
  • mnscott14mnscott14 Member Posts: 2
    I'm not sure what the problem is, but my 03 Jetta 1.8t has the EXACT same problem on cold days. I thought I was the only one. I am getting it checked out at the dealer tomorrow. I'll let you know what they tell me and maybe it will help you as well.
  • cburke5cburke5 Member Posts: 4
    i got one used from a junk yard. it was do that for $80 or dealer for i think $600. did i do it wrong? i have a guy working on my car but i am getting nervous becouse it keeps going from 1 thing to the next. i am starting to think either he has no idea and is just replacing things trying to get it to work or my car is that messed up.
  • cburke5cburke5 Member Posts: 4
    i took my jetta to the dealership to have it checked out. running rough, not wanting to start. they told me they could find nothing wrong with my car. then 2,000 miles later warrenty up and i ran over the dead deer. does anyone know if i can make the dealer fix the ignition coil after warreny ran out because i was trying to get them to do something before it ran out and they wouldn't. at the time i didn't know that my car had the syptoms of a bad ignition coil but i am sure they did.
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    The brake light switch is more than likely the culprit. There is a recall on this for the 1999-early 2005 Jettas, so I would have the dealer check for this recall, and other Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) for your Jetta.

    A faulty brake light switch will affect the ABS, ASR, and cruise control functions. I had the switch replaced on my 2003 Wolfsburg Jetta 1.8T.

    HTH...
  • pmaddockpmaddock Member Posts: 1
    Instructions provided with parts tell even idiots like me how to do a brake job on the Jetta but they omit information on HOW TO ADJUST THE PARKING BRAKE.

    Help?

    pmaddock
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Assuming you "wound down" the internal guts of the rear calipers using the proper tool -
    Adjust the parking brake, using the following procedure. (car sitting still!)

    1) Pump up the footbrake until it is solid. (remove 'slack' from calipers by seating the pads to the rotors.)
    2)With foot off of pedal, apply and release the parking brake lever about 7-10 times.

    The above should set the internal guts of the rear calipers so the parking brake is adjusted correctly.

    NOTE: If the rear calipers were NOT wound down correctly to reset the parking-brake mecanism.... most likely the rear calipers are now junk and need to be replaced.
  • gtrumandgtrumand Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the feedback. I am in the process of making an appointment as I send this reply. Some other issues plague this car and if you have an answer it would be appreciated. !. No significant shift from 3rd to drive. 2. Air bag warning light on since purchase. 3. Check engine light on and off since purchase. I think the O2 sensor is involved with the check light, goes out when refueling with premium. Other than that all else seems ok. And again, thanks for your input.
  • tony117tony117 Member Posts: 5
    It only doesn't want to start when i'ts cold. Do you know of a way to isolate the ignition coil to see if its bad?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    With engine idling, hood open, engine-cover removed... Use spritzer-bottle to slightly moisten the coilpack(s) and ignition wires. If engine stumbles at all... your coilpack or ignition wires are leaking high-voltage. (Causing sparkplug(s) to misfire)

    Same conditions, In the dark. (no spritzer bottle this time) Look for arcing/sparking under the hood near the ignition components.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Answers:

    1) Use VagCom to isolate problem
    2) Use VagCom to isolate problem
    3) Use VagCom to isolate problem

    For your question #3 - I suspect the MAF is the problem.
  • tony117tony117 Member Posts: 5
    thanx, i preciate it. that'll help alot. where is the coil pack at? i have no prob finding wires and distributor cap. is the coil where the center wire from distributor goes to?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I am not sure your 99 VW has a distributor. In any case - follow the ignition wires from the sparkplugs. Wherever they emminate from is the source of the high-voltage (the coil)
  • mnscott14mnscott14 Member Posts: 2
    I didn't realize the date of your post so I guess it's probably fixed by now. Oh well, I just got my car fixed with the same problem. It was the electrical portion of the ignition switch.
  • amacdamacd Member Posts: 1
    I stupidly put on my wipers before removing some heavy snow. They stopped functioning. I pulled the fuse out and saw that it was blown. I replaced it, and as soon as I turned on the electrical system, the fuse blew again. What should I do next?
    Thanks
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You can try unplugging the wiper-motor and see if the fuse blows again. If not... the problem is the motor - or the moving-parts are sticking.

    The 'rotor' where each wiper rotates is known to get corroded. Your 1998 is right on schedule to need some lubrication.
  • jdrdsdjdrdsd Member Posts: 3
    I have a 99 Jetta 2.0 engine99K miles I had a shop install a new timing belt and now I have a large oil leak I have taken the car back twice and still have a leak the shop stated that the cam seal has no spring inside like the crank seal. Do any of you know of a fix for this

    Thanks Jerry jdavis790@carolina.rr.com
  • jdrdsdjdrdsd Member Posts: 3
    no
  • gtrumandgtrumand Member Posts: 3
    Just wanted to inform you that the brake light switch was the culprit and it was a recall item that the dealer replaced and now good to go.
    Thanks for your help, and all others who replyed with input.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    replace the seal
  • jdrdsdjdrdsd Member Posts: 3
    the seal has been replaced twice the shop said the seal has no spring inside
  • shwnduganshwndugan Member Posts: 3
    I have an 03 jetta with the same issues. The only difference is the wheel does not lock per se but I do smell what I thought was rubber burning from driver rear wheel. I got new tires on it and now the smell is worse. I looked at the rotor and pads and they appeared fine. Let me know what you find or how you fixed the problem if you can. Thank you.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Ignore the spring (or lack therof) as long as the proper seal (from VW) is being installed, then the spring is of no cocnequence.

    If proper seal is being installed, then suspect there is a burr on the sealing surface which is damaging the seal causling leakage.

    Also, this may seem like a silly question..... are you aboslutely certain that the leakage is from the seal? (Perhaps the leak is from elsewhere)
  • syzygy00syzygy00 Member Posts: 11
    Dear Forum,

    Occasionally my brakes seem to shudder or stutter when applied. It was pretty rare (I have owned it since March 2006) but seems to be happening more often (about three times in the last month). I think it might be affecting my breaking speed just a little bit.

    It is still under warranty but unfortunately the places authorized to do to warranty repair in my area (I just moved to San Francisco) have extremely bad and numerous customer reviews online. I found a couple of places that have great reviews but since they are not authorized, I would have to pay for repairs.

    Any information about this weird braking problem be much appreciated. I checked previous posts but did not find any information about this. I wish I could contribute back with some helpful answers to some of the other questions on this forum, but I don't know anything about cars.

    One last thing -- also, in the last month, antifreeze warning light has started to come on when I first turn on the car in the morning. If I turn off the car, then turn it on again, warning light does not come on again.

    Thanks!
    Janice
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    On the antifreeze, have you looked at the level in the resevoir under the hood? If not you should check that when it is cold. Do not add anything other than water (prefeably distilled) or the proper coolant, which should be G12 (unless you or a previous owner flushed the system and replaced it with a lesser coolant).

    The braking issue couldn't just be the ABS kicking in, could it?

    BTW, brakes may not be covered by warranty if it happens to be just worn pads/rotors.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    If this is happening under hard braking in the rain (which you've had a lot of lately) that could very well just be the ABS system doing its job. If it occurs during light braking on dry pavement, then you might have warped rotors IF you can feel it in the steering wheel.

    Visiting Host
  • syzygy00syzygy00 Member Posts: 11
    Thanks for the replies JeffyScott and Mr. Shiftright. You are right that it was just the ABS kicking in, so hooray, no repairs. I just took it to a mechanic right now. It happens in dry weather. I do not feel it in the steering wheel. My experience is that it is happening in the front bottom of the car.

    I checked the coolant level a few times over the last month and it's always at the right level and the engine doesn't overheat. So I guess I will just ignore that light.

    For those of you in the San Francisco area, I had a good experience with Advanced Audi Volkswagen repair on Michigan. Owner is Aaron.

    Thanks again,
    Janice
  • syzygy00syzygy00 Member Posts: 11
    Thanks for the replies JeffyScott and Mr. Shiftright. You are right that it was just the ABS kicking in, so hooray, no repairs. I just took it to a mechanic right now. It happens in dry weather. I do not feel it in the steering wheel. My experience is that it is happening in the front bottom of the car.

    I checked the coolant level a few times over the last month and it's always at the right level and the engine doesn't overheat. So I guess I will just ignore that light.

    For those of you in the San Francisco area, I had a good experience with Advanced Audi Volkswagen repair on Michigan. Owner is Aaron.

    Thanks again,
    Janice
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    That sure sounds like the ABS system kicking in to me. If you apply the brakes too hard on slippery surface (snow/sand) then the brake-pedal will kinda "vibrate" as the ABS system does its thing.

    The antifreeze light is common when the coolant level is right on the cusp of being too low. When coolant is cold, it contracts and the sensor sees it as "too low".... as the coolant warms up, it expands and the level goes up so the antifreeze light extinguishes.

    To fix that problem, add about 1/4 cup of DISTILLED water. (If you need to add any more liquid than that... MUST use proper VW antifreeze.)
  • asalleeasallee Member Posts: 3
    2001 Jetta 1.8 is flashing engine light and running rough on acceleration. It also has a rotten egg smell. ???
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Something is overloading your catalytic converter. You need to take it in right away and have the codes read. I think you are running rich, or the catalytic is plugging up.

    Don't delay!
  • asalleeasallee Member Posts: 3
    Thx so much for your speedy reply. Made a date with the man with a computer and program for this car. On another note, just finished doing a clutch change on this 2001 jetta. I must by into whips and chains and didn't even know it! Not wanting to do that job again!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    little tight in there ain't it? ;)
  • pbasilepbasile Member Posts: 3
    My 2001 Jetta with 51000 miles has been making power steering noise in the morning when it's cold. How do you check the fluid? and what's it cost to replace one. Any one else with this issue...Paul
  • syzygy00syzygy00 Member Posts: 11
    Hi bpeebles, Thanks for writing back and explaining about the anti-freeze light. I have to take it in for 40,000 mile service soon, so hopefully, that will take care of it. Thanks again, Janice
  • imp66ssimp66ss Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1999 Jetta IV VR6 and I need to replace the ECM. Can I just get one from a used parts place? I understand that I might have to get it "reflashed". Does that meen that the car won't start with the replacement? It would seem to me that there must be a battery in the ECM to hold the memory or it is an EPROM chip, holding the info. I know that you would need to load the VIN number of the car, along with the milage.
    I am planning on getting rid of this car shortly but I won't get much with the check engine light on and the ABS light on, and the break light flashing, which is why I don't want to spend the $1500 for a new ECM at the dealer.
    Isn't there an easy way to solve this problem?
    It would seem to me that someone should have an adapter cable to plub your laptop into the ECM plug and redo your required information. Sure you could change the milage, but on other cars, you can change the speedo, so what's the biggie?
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