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VW Golf

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Comments

  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    The 2.0 oil consumption issue, as far as I know, has been fixed for most '02 and '03 models. The 2.0 engine was NOT designed to consume oil. It was a problem with (I think) a part within the engine that was installed incorrect. This caused the oil to "burn" faster than normal. Newer models do not experience this. My 2.0 with 20K miles has not consumed any oil since I bought the car. People that are considering the 2.0 should not worry about this problem.
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    hi micweb, what car is your 2.0 engine in the golf or the jetta? iam considering a golf over thejetta cuz they are built in brazil not mexico, so they might be a bit
    more reliable. have your windows dropped yet? i love the 8 speaker monsoon sound system and the night time lighting within
    the dash and interior. just for these reasons alone i like the car. how do you like your car?
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    ...with the exception of the headlamps, one burned out at 30,000 miles and the other about 4,000 miles later. The bulbs are cheap if you can figure out how to put them in yourself.

    I have a "made in Germany" two door GL Golf. That year there wasn't enough demand for the 2 Door, Five Speed, so they imported them from Germany.

    I will check with my dealer about the oil consumption. I always assumed they all did it...so many people complain about it here. It's never affected performance and oil is cheap.

    I have 45,000 miles on the car now. The only service money I have put in it, was $500 for the 40,000 mile service (the 20,000 mile service was free that year).

    I highly recommend it for the solid, safe way it drives. Stock tires are good. Stock suspension is a little soft (but may have been changed by now? Mine is a 2001).

    In the stick shift version, the RPM's are fairly high, which makes it a very responsive freeway car, but the engine drones a little. Not horribly loudly, but thrums a little. Test ride with the radio off and the salesman off too and see how it sounds to you.

    The 2.0 is a way underrated car. The horsepower is either higher than stated, or the torque makes a big difference, because the car is a lot quicker than the stats would indicate. It's way too easy to exceed 100 mph if you get frisky.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    From Edmunds' coverage of the 2003 Frankfurt International Motor Show: 2005 VW Golf.

    image

    Thanks for your comments! ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • pskilespskiles Member Posts: 2
    I have had my 2003 Golf GLS for a couple of weeks and I noticed a something funny about the windshield. I was wondering if anyone knew what was up. When I am driving directly into the sun, there is an optical effect that makes it difficult to see through the glass. It is like there are millions of microscopic pits and when the sun is coming in horizontally it reflects the light strangely - making it hard to see. I constantly feel the need to clean my windshield when I am driving west in the early evening even though it would have no effect. I always thought this came with time from dirt and things hitting the windshield, but this is a brand new car. Is this just a result of the way the glass is made, so it breaks properly in impact? It is like this on all the windows, but obviously I notice the most on the windshield. I thought I would check if anyone here knew before spending time bringing it in to the dealer. Thanks for any info!
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Do you wear glasses or contacts? I have a 2002 Golf and have driven 1999-2003 Golf and Jetta and never noticed any problems similar to what you are describing.
  • pskilespskiles Member Posts: 2
    Nope, no glasses or contacts. It would be nice if it were that simple, though! It is definitely in the glass. :( I guess I will take it in to the dealer and have them check it out since it is still under warranty. As the days grow shorter my commute home will soon fall into the "driving into the sun" category. Thanks!
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    hi skiles, how do you like your golf gls?
    besides the windshield, how do you like the car over all? iam considering a golf gls as well, or the jetta, i just think that they are among the best bang for the buck out there.infact, i just returned from my vw dealership and sat in a golf gls with the motor running and it was very`quiet,ac very cool, and the monsoon stereo sounding nice. i will be going back for a test drive soon.
  • dcgolfdcgolf Member Posts: 2
    Looking at a new 2003 Golf GLS (automatic). MSRP is $19,575. Offer is $16,800 + tax, freight, etc (basically, $20k out the door). How does this compare to what other people paid?
  • mitikomitiko Member Posts: 1
    $16.8k for an 03 auto is an excellent price. Friends of mine got an '03 manual for $17.6K.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    VW Golf Experience? What's that about...

    I remember when they made a new VW Golf topic a few years back, but they spelled it Volkswagon and had to shut it down and then this was created, but with only VW. ;)
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    adg44 - Yes, you're correct about the title edit. Just trying to inspire some thoughts here. So do you or Vocus have any experiences or information about the VW Golf you'd like to share? Do you know of any upcoming changes for 2004? ;-)

    Revka
    Host of Hatchbacks & Wagons
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    :)

    From what I understand, there aren't any signifcant changes for 04 for the Golf.
  • dkexplorerdkexplorer Member Posts: 6
    I have been experiencing some strange noise. Every time I have one rear window down (while all other 3 windows are close) I hear some noise like "popopo" and it is very loud. I bought the car to the dealer and the guy told me that was just wind noise caused by difference air pressure and ALL GOLF DOES THAT. Can anyone please confirm that. Do you experience the same noise ?

    Thanks
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    I had a Golf that did exactly that. Just open another window a bit and the noise will go away.

    My Toyota Echo does the same thing and it is very annoying but it goes away opening the opposite window (s) slightly. It is just the wind creating a certain harmonic vibration of the air inside the car and it happens to be low frequency and quite loud.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Every car I have ever owned had that noice. Whether it was my '93 Corolla or my wifes 2002 Tahoe.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    I had to drop $440 into my 2001 Golf yesterday, to replace an oil pan at 45,000 miles - the bolt was stripped. Since VW dealers are always overbooked, I have been taking my car to oil change centers for the oil changes.

    At first I blamed the oil change centers for overtightening the drain bolt - which may still be the case - but also I found out at the VW dealer that they replace not just the washer, but the entire drain bolt, at every oil change (the bolt is about a $3.00 item at the parts counter; the washer is snug to the bolt and won't slip off the threads. The bolt has a special surface treatment, anti-seizure.

    I guess I am going to revert to 5,000 mile oil changes again (so I don't have to replace as many drain bolts - I bought 5) and count on the fact that I will be adding two quarts during that 5,000 miles to take care of the oil issue (the crankcase holds 5 quarts, it's not like one of those 3.5 quart Japanese crankcases). I will run conventional oil (SL seems pretty decent these days) not synthetic. Let's see what happens. I am definitely going to tell the oil shops to go easy on tightening the bolt and will get back the old bolt each time. I may even get a torque wrench and carry it around (the service rep said 22 ftpounds is the magic number).
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    Just make it snug.... it's a 19mm also.

    The one time I let the dealer do my oil, Fairfax VW tightens it so much it is torn to shreds, and then tells me to get lost and make me pay for a replacement oil pan.

    You are just best doing everything yourself. Luckilly I got a hookup on a new oil pan and it only cost me about $200 installed.

    Gotta be careful with those aluminum bolts though.

    Good luck.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That's in all VWs. You open just the back windows of any VW on the highway and your ears are guaranteed to bleed. Trust me, it's really bad. Totally normal though, funky aerodynamics. :)
  • cordialteacordialtea Member Posts: 2
    Hey All,
       I bought a 2003 VW GLS in April I have liked my car up until 3 weeks ago. Lets see My rear emblem on the Trunk/hatch the rubber seal started to crack. It was replaced at the dealership but they scratched the paint. One week ago I was showing my friend my car and I opened the hatch and I had massive water droplets on the two metal pieces in the truck, turns out my rear windshield wiper has a leak around the motor so they had to reseal it. Next my doors when opened then closed in a heavy rain allow water droplets to come in and drip down onto my door handles inside my car. My car is suppose to be water tight! I live on the west coast of Canada where we get alot of rain this shouldn't be happening. I was told at the dealership that the rubber above my door jam is flawed a defect from how the car is made and I'll have to live with the rain dripping in. My car is going in tomorrow for them to have it again to deal with this whole water issue and the doors. Lets just say if they can't fix it VW Canada will be getting a massive earful over this.

    NOW other than all the above my car have some great points, heated seats, fun to drive, hugs the road like no tomorrow, sporty looking etc...

    Here's hope the above gets resolved in a timely manner and I don't have anymore problems with this car because I bought it with the intentions of keeping it for the next 10-12 years.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Excellent car (this is my 44,000 mile summary report) with low maintenance.

    During my ownership (all 44,000 miles since new) I had very few issues with the car:

    1. Disc brakes are a little "grabby" but you quickly get used to moderateing your pedal pressure, and they are ABS so there is no skid risk anyway.

    2. The engine revs very high on the freeway. This may impact gas mileage (the EPA ratings are low) but in reality I got 30 mpg very consistently, except on interstate runs at 80+ mph where it could drop to 28 mpg or even as low as 26 when I was being a really bad boy. The plus of having the engine in the rev range, is that it is incredibly responsive on the freeway, no downshifts required! Good passing power on the mountains, despite the theoretically low 115 horsepower rating.

    3. Even with 3,000 mile oil changes, I had to add a quart of oil between changes. This is normal I am told, and it never bothered me. Guys are used to checking oil levels, which is ok, but women buying this car need to learn new habits.

    4. Stock suspension is too soft. Added Tokico shocks. No good - too hard, not worth the slight improvement in handling. Also at one point had Eibach Pro Kit springs on together with the Tokico, and it handled great, but knocked the fillings out of my teeth (I elected to keep the Tokicos and ditch the Eibachs, but may have been better keeping the stock shocks and the Eibachs).

    5. Interior is outstanding. However, it is less spacious than the Focus ZX3 and my right leg kept bumping into the center console. These issues will probably be resolved with the 2005. Hopefully VW will leapfrog over the excellent Focus ZX3 instead of just catching up.

    6. Stock tires are outstanding (Goodyear LS). Don't believe what you read. Dunlop Sport A2's, added at 25,000 miles when I changed struts, DON'T perform any better and squeal on mountain curves.

    7. OUTSTANDING storage room under the hatch.

    8. I thought the "pop up" seat feature - for rear access in the two door - was very nifty at first, but practically speaking the headrests limited the ability of the seat to flip forward so it isn't really much better than the normal type of stays down, seat back flips forward entry.

    9. Adjustable seat heights on both sides OUTSTANDING _but_ the forward/rear slide increments - how far you have to move the seat when adjusting it before it "clicks" into a slot - are too far. With a stick, I couldn't get a good fore/aft set up so I could both use the clutch easily and the accelerator pedal. Maybe the set up on the pedals is responsibly. I don't have this problem on my Focus ZX3.

    10. Cabin is quiet, but motor drones - either the converter or the muffler - at speed. The drone is annoying.

    11. VW finally installs CD's. Mine is a cassette - in 2001! Dark ages...

    12. VW could learn dash layout from Honda. It's not intuitive where the air conditioner button is, ditto on other controls.

    13. The angle on the windhield makes this car very prone to rock chips on the windshield. But maybe I just had bad luck....

    14. Daytime running lights are great.

    15. Did I mention the interior is really classy? The body color, heated outside mirrors?

    16. BIGGEST DISLIKE: impossible to get decent dealer service appointments. Overloaded dealer service. VW "shrank back" during the horrible 80's. In the 90's their cars improved, sales skyrocketed, and they didn't do a damn thing about the overwhelmed service departments.

    17. The Platinum Extended Warranty is a great idea, since VW's are rated worse than American cars in running gear glitches (they will run forever, if you are willing to work through the glitches - they are solidly made, just poor quality control). However, the VW Platinum Warranty will only kick in when the car is actually dead. In my case, with check engine light on, car missing - but won't reproduce the missing for the dealer - sorry, wait until it breaks down! Shocking...

    My actual repair issues were minor, plus one heartbreak. I needed two headlamp bulbs, one side marker light wasn't water tight. That's it - except I had to replace the oil pan, because since I couldn't get my car in for service, I had Walmart change the oil and eventually they stripped the bolt/pan. Turns out VW actually recommends replacing the oil pan bolt AT EVERY OIL CHANGE - the whole bolt, not just the washer - so maybe Walmart wasn't solely responsible. Keep that in mind if you don't get dealer services.

    Secondly, at 20,000 miles I had a total power interruption while driving 70 mph - like someone switched off the lights, then right away back on. No check engine codes. Dealer couldn't do anything.

    At 42000 miles, right after the 40000 major tuneup, I started having power loss at high altitude. I thought it might be vapor lock.

    At 45,000 miles, at ground level, the car started bucking and missing - the check engine light came on. I took it home, parked it all week, and took it to the dealer on the weekend. They confirmed a multi cylinder miss, and a miss on the third cylinder, but checked the plugs, wires (I think it was a cursory check) and claimed they couldn't find a problem, and the Platinum warranty wouldn't allow them to just swap in a new ECM (engine control module) for example to try to isiolate the problem.

    Disgusted with the inability of the dealer, after arguing with them, to fix the car, I traded it in on another car a couple of weekends later. I hated to do this, but while I don't mind glitches, I do mind not being able to fix them. I am sure if I were driving to the mountains or 200 miles between cities on the interstate, or even in the commute traffic, and the car totally failed (which I believe was what would eventually happen), I wouldn't be a happy camper.

    I will still look at the 2005 when it comes out, although given VW's general quality control problems over the years (I had a 67 - zero defects; an 83 GTI - a Fiat in disguise, in terms of glitches; and an 86 - engine knocking problem), I wouldn't feel comfortable buying during the first year.

    So, in my humble opinion, VW is THE small car in terms of design and drivability, but could benefit from better mechanical quality and certainly needs better dealer service and a better response from VW corporate when major issues like the over-spark plug coils on the turbos started failing....
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Cordialtea said: "Next my doors when opened then closed in a heavy rain allow water droplets to come in and drip down onto my door handles inside my car."

    I had this problem too, the dealer was in denial about it, but it didn't recur all the time - only in torrential rain. But then I live in sunny California.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    You forgot to tell us what you ended up buying??
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    ...but its American, not Korean, and cost under 11k with a 5 speed and air and cd.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Chevrolet Cavalier????
  • pulgopulgo Member Posts: 400
    embarassed about. The Cavalier is an inexpensive, fairly reliable car. You can find parts for it everywhere and they are cheap. There is also the pleasure of having low monthly loan payments. What's not to like?
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Hmmmmmmmmmmm....where do I start.

    Only kidding. There is allot to say about a low monthly payment. Also, GM sells tons of Cavaliers, so for those in the market for a cheap, fairly reliable car with a plentiful supply of parts....this car fits the bill.

    Though it aint no Jetta!!!!!
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    A 2004 Cavalier!!!! I actually think that a fairly good looking car. For the price you got.....you couldn't go wrong. Someone I work with bought their daughter a 2000 rental Cavalier. I have ridden in it several times and it does seem a little crude to me as far as NVH goes. But, overall I think its a solid car.

    I hope you enjoy your new ride.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The Cavalier is a nice car if you wanna save alot of cash. I would have probably have gone for a Neon, only because it's a newer design. The Ecotec engine is nice in the Cav though, and the parts are pretty cheap to boot. It ain't no VW though, but still a nice basic car.

    Good luck with the new ride!
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Thanks Fish8. I think it looks much better this year. Like you all said, its no VW, but there are a lot of dealers. NVH is significantly higher on acceleration, but lower at cruise (3000 rpm vs. 4000 rpm at 80 mph). The engine is much stronger.

    Obviously the 2005 Golf is going to be the test. I wasn't that happy with the 2.0 when I bought the car - turned out to be a strong performer, but quite frankly 115 hp and 8 valves isn't that impressive these days. Neither is the rated mpg (I beat it, getting 30 mpg consistenly, except on insterstate runs when it dipped a couple of mpg). The Cav is delivering around 35 mpg consistently.

    Question is what I do in 2006 (after the version 5 Golf has been seasoned one year). Will the "base" model be a steal? Or will the turbo GTi be tempting? Where will VW be in terms of sales and reputation? GM quality is rising (but perceived as lower than it is) while VW has taken some blows (lack of readily availalbe dealer service, the turbo spark plug coil fiasco).

    Without a doubt though, in interior and exterior appearance, the VW is the "gold standard."
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I am in the same position as you pretty much. I bought an 03 PT Cruiser because my 02 Jetta was totalled and I wanted something that was cheap to work on and buy (want to focus my spending on housing right now) and pretty comfortable to drive. I miss my VW though, but not its problems and the crappy customer service that went with the vehicle. I might give VW another chance with the MKV cars, but I will definitely be watching forums like this one and reading Consumer Reports very closely to make sure I don't make another mistake.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    My problems with my Golf sound inconsequential compared with what Time magazine says this week:

    http://www.time.com/time/globalbusiness/article/0,9171,1101031124- -543826,00.html

    Here is an excerpt:

    "Jones was lured to the Jetta by its stylish looks, elegant interior and solid road handling, which made it seem worth the $18,900 price. But a few months after bringing her new sedan home in 2000, she returned it to the dealer because of an oil leak.

    Then a door lock broke. Then a spring popped out of a seat. By the time she had put 50,000 miles on her Jetta, it already felt sluggish, says Jones, 28. And what especially disturbed her were the grim faces of fellow VW owners whom she encountered at her dealership. "The majority of them weren't there for basic service" of their cars, she says, "but because of some defect."

    Ordinarily, Volkswagen might be able to argue that Jones received a rare lemon. But in the latest survey of three-year depend-ability by J.D. Power & Associates, American consumers ranked VW-brand cars 34th, ahead of only Suzuki, Daewoo, Land Rover and Kia. Consumer Reports, which recommended three VW models in the late 1990s, keeps only the pricey Passat on its list of recommended cars. That's quite a tumble for the Volkswagen Group, Europe's largest automaker, which turns out 5 million units a year under brands including Audi, Bugatti, Seat and Skoda."
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    "Will such moves be enough to lure back customers like Jetta owner Ann Jones? A few weeks ago, she became fed up with her car and traded it in for a new Honda Accord. It's a testament to VW that she did so grudgingly. "I will miss the Volkswagen style, and I was saddened to leave my Jetta," she says. But her Accord provides her with something her Jetta never did: "I have more peace of mind.""

    I can echo "missing my VW style" and "saddened to leave my Golf." Especially for a Cavalier! But while it lacks the panache of a VeeDub, the Cavalier has been well built so far... I will keep you posted. (It'd better break down, the Cav is way down on the food chain. If it doesn't break down, then shame, shame on VW.)
  • rwarrickrwarrick Member Posts: 4
    Anyone having this problem or know how to resolve? Twice now, my wife's new 2003 GL 2-L has had a problem with the ignition. Once, the key would not turn at all. Next time, the key turned and a few dash lights came on, but not the starter motor. Both times, car was towed to dealer, whereupon it started right up, allowing the dealer to shrug it off.

    It's nice to know we can always start the car by having it towed to the dealer, but I am hoping there is an easier and more permanent solution.
  • jonnykujonnyku Member Posts: 2
    What are the normal service interval for most VW's and GOLF's in paricular. I havea 2 door GL golf. I thought the intervals were 5,000 then 10,000.

    But my dealer had me bring it in at 7,000 to do all the maintenance you would get a 10,000 miles. that is rotate tires, flush brake oil, replace engine oil, check window washers etc. Cost me $80. Then my next service is due at 10,500 according to the sticker on my car. Am I getting ripped off?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (jonnyku) The owners manual will answer your basic quesitons... but I sense that you are looking for somthing else.

    If the owners manual is not followed... then the warantee may be affected. Obviously, more frequent maintenance sould be benifectial to the longevity of your Golf.

    You have to decide on the 'happy medium' that suits you. Ask yourself quesitons like "how long am I planning to keep this car?" and "Am I prepared for more frequent 'problems' if I pay for less maintenance?"

    I have owned VWs for many many years (starting with a 1979 Scirocco) They have all traveled over 120,000 miles and were still running when I got rid of them. I have ALWAYS followed the factory-recommended serviece intervals. (Never changed oil sooner than recommended.)

    Keep in mind that it is mostly the QUALITY of the oil that you use. VW recommends 10,000 mile oil changes because their engineers have recommended a SPECIFIC oil specification.

    You need to read the "TIRE WARANTEE" that came with your vehicle to determine the rotation schedule for them. The tires are NOT waranteed by VW.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    Since you have GL, you have a 2.0L engine.

    The service intervals are every 10k miles.

    At 10k they rotate your wheels, change your oil, etc.

    At 20k they change the pollen filter, and a few more things.

    At 40k they change the spark plugs, in addition to the other services.

    Your dealer is taking you for a ride. As bpeebles said, check your owners manual under the maintenance section, and it shows you the intervals I have described here.

    - Anthony
  • jonnykujonnyku Member Posts: 2
    That's what I thought too! I twas suppose to be 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K 30K according to the manual. But I thought because I"m leasing my car I was suppose to do more. I guess I"ll bring it in at 10K as usual, but probably have them do less work on it, since it already got it's 10K service at 7.5K miles.
  • flamer2flamer2 Member Posts: 1
    Manufacturer: Volkswagen Golf
     Kilometers: 227000
     Year: 1994

    Interior and exterior in black
    4 doors
    227,000km, most of it on the highway, last 3 months of heavy city use
    Blue light conversion for the Gauge Cluster, instead of the OEM green one
    Clear tails
    clear side markers
    Added the turn signals, like the mkIV have
    Manual 5-speed
    5% tint on the back windows and the trunk window. 50% tint on the front windows (legal limits)
    Placed the antenna on the roof, more in-line with the mkIV's
    Radio XtremeSound, which plays mp3's and cd's
    a jensen 600 watt subwoofer, and the amplifier
    New muffler, front to back
    New radiator
    Never accidented
    New front disk brakes put in around 4 months ago
    Non-smoker
    No rust
    Already wired for a subwoofer in the trunk
    No known problems with car mechanics. Doesn't make any funny sounds and runs very smoothly.
    comes with almost-new 14 inch winter tires with rims.
    tune up recently done, new oil, filled up all the prestone, got new bolts for all the winter rims, balanced.

    price 3300 Canadian

    What problems am i expected to run into since the car is 9 yrs old? How is it when compared to a 1995 honda civic hatch back ?
    Your help will be greatly appreaciated.
  • adg44adg44 Member Posts: 385
    But it will have mor character! :)
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    I've owned two Golf TDI and one Civic Si in recent years and the Golf's were much more reliable than the Civic with the exception of the window regulators in my 01 Golf.
    The 02 Civic Si that I purchased experienced poor assembly quality issues and component failures. I expected it to be trouble free. It was fun to drive, but I sold it since it was so very frustrating to spend so much time in the shop.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Lets keep in mind that systems such as these have been controlling airplanes for a long, long time. When a pilot of a jet fighter moves the "stick" or the pedals.... they are actially asking the COMPUTER to adjust the control surfaces of the aircraft. It is the COMPUTER that keeps these things in the air. No human could make the 100s of decesions per second that
    are required to make a jet fly.

    Granted there is room for failure. (there is no such thing as perfect machine) On our automobiles, it is not the gloom-n-doom that you suggest.

    BTW: ESP is not "programmed for specific situations" , instead it 'knows' where the steering wheels are pointed and the direction that the vehicle is moving... the COMPUTER makes the decesions that a human could not and reacts.

    You sound a bit like the people that were skeptical about:

    1)AUTOMATIC CHOKES.
    2)AUTOMATIC XMISSIONS
    3)TUBELESS TIRES.
    4)POWER STEERING
    5)ELECTRONIC IGNITIONS.
    6)FUEL INJECTION.
    7)ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION.

    In many of thecases above, I know folks that yanked out the 'offending technology' that they did not understand and replaced it with what they were comfortable with.

    In the case of the guy that replaced his ELECTRONIC IGNITION with 'points-n-condenser', They called me over to their house to get the engine running. I had to byte my tongue about what they were doing... I got it running with the points.

    In the case of the guy that yanked out his FUEL INJECTION and replaced it with a carberater. The next week, with the family in the car on vacation 200 miles from home... the engine totally siezed up from running too lean.
  • jmegjmeg Member Posts: 7
    I am a student who recently lost one of the VW Flip keys to a 99 Golf. The cost of replacing these keys at the dealership is more than my budget can take!! They gave me 2 options: the flip key (with remote lock, unlock and trunk features) with a "coding" process totalling nearly $240 OR an old fashioned key--without remote features for about $120. Has anyone come by a cheaper way of having VW keys replaced?
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    VW's are delivered with 3 keys. Two remote and one valet. The loss of one will still leave you with two. To obtain another key at lower cost than dealer there are a few options. Determine the part number of your key by separating the remote into two pieces. The part number is on the remote portion with the buttons. The remotes are available on online auctions for less cost than dealer. Also they are available from online VW parts stores. Once you obtain the remote portion you will still need to obtain a key blank and have it cut by a dealer or a locksmith with a special cutter. Not all locksmiths have this cutter. The key remote will require programming after the key is cut.
    Your best bet is to check other dealers for a better price. $240 is quite high.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Top Rated by Consumer Reports:
    Small sedans: Honda Civic EX, Volkswagen Golf TDI, Volkswagen Jetta GLS TDI

    40 plus MPG and a recommended rating by CR. What is not to like!
  • canoenutcanoenut Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone had the experience that the front seats are uncomfortable, with the side bolster causing pressure on the thigh? My wife finds it extremely difficult to find a comfortable position even on short trips. It's to the point that we're considering a change of vehicle.
  • micwebmicweb Member Posts: 1,617
    Not so much with the seat, but with the wide center console - I didn't have much room for my right leg, and it made me wish for cruise control.

    Seats are very subjective. This is a narrow car, with narrow seats, and a real "bucket" with high side bolsters. You may wish to look for a car with "flatter" seats. Oddly enough, the MINI comes with either high bolster or flat seats, you can see the options on the MINI website.

    Otherwise you could try a wider body American car.
  • menilorac3menilorac3 Member Posts: 2
  • menilorac3menilorac3 Member Posts: 2
    I was driving my Golf in the rain the other day and ran over a puddle. The car stalled within 15 seconds. I had to wait over 5 minutes before I could restart the car. Luckily for me I just got off the highway. If this happened on the highway things could have been ugly. Did anyone else experience this? What kind of problem is this? What should I do?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    (menilorac3) Although you did not mention it, I am assuming that your alternator indicatior light DID NOT come on between the puddle and the stall. I will also assume you have the 2.0L engine.

    Given that, you should assume that your problem is a simple ignition issue. The insulation on the ignition parts, subjected to the underhood heat tends to deterioate. A splash of water in the "wrong" place will provide a pathway to ground for the high-voltage that the sparkplugs need to ignite the fuel. Somtimes, just a buildup of crud on the ignition components can contribute to the susceptibility of water.

    After your engine stalled, it took some time for the heat of the engine to dry off the water.... then you engine will start right back up.

    If you are handy with tools, there are a number of things you could do to improve the situation.

    Certainly, new sparkplugs and wires would go a long way towards helping. pay careful attention to applying silicone grease to help seal water out of the plug-wire boots.

    In any case, stay away from the water puddles It is never good for your engine and suspention parts to be spashed like that.
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