Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Some argumentative posts have been removed.

    Someone who quotes the Membership Agreement to another member should keep in mind that agreement REQUIRES civility and respect in posted messages.

    A person who would like another person to stop posting messages addressed to that person is only going to achieve that goal by NOT POSTING to the perceived offender.

    IOW, be polite and just ignore each other for heaven's sake!!
  • saturnfreak01saturnfreak01 Member Posts: 134
    Well, with word of the 2005 redesign, I have decided to lease a Jetta (prolly a GL). I have to keep my car a bit longer unfortunatly to pay it off, but I expect to lease a 2003 in the early summer, would like to go for a 2 year lease so I can either. . (A) buy/lease a new redesigned jetta in 2005/2006. or (B) keep the 2003 Jetta if I hate the new styling of the 2005.

    Seems like a great car, I can't wait to get one. Thanks for the info btw
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    You might be right in an absolute sense, but we don't live in an absolute world.

    Also, wider does not always mean better. Tires have to be able to develop heat to attain stickiness, and if it is too wide, the tread will not heat up properly.

    I have been told this by several different SCCA racers, one of who I know to be a winner in his classes.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Glad you decided on the Jetta. Also, you will be able to have the option of the wonderful 1.8T engine in the 2003 GL model, for less than 2002s. Good luck!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    On the price sticker from my car (yes, I still have it!), the standard equipment list for the performance/handling section says "track correcting INDEPENDENT torsion beam rear suspension". I thought the Jetta didn't come with IRS? The stickers all say it does, it does on my 2002 GLS...
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Buying the first year of a design can be a problematic with any make of vehicle. Buying the first year of a VW model is asking for trouble. Heck, VW is only now in 2002 figuring out how to fix the power window problem on the current generation VW's. Don't get a short lease just be the first one on the block with a problem car.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I also keep all my window stickers for all the new cars I have had. I guess I get this from my Dad.

    Also, you are correct about the 1.8t....it is agreat engine.

    Moparbad: I agree about the first year make of a new redesigned model. My current Jetta lease ends spring of '05, which is the same time the new Jetta will be coming onto market. As long as I like the new redesign, it will be difficult not to seriously consider the new Jetta. I have had first year models of other cars ('97 Jeep Wrangler and '99 Mercury Cougar) and the problems I had with those cars were first year teething pains. Though my Wife's '98 Accord was flawless until the tranmission went at 84,000 miles ;-)......you got to love Honda quality!!
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    #7449:bluedotguy has it right also. The strut tower brace, connects the "strut" towers together, sheet metal to sheet metal, as you said, reduces body flex, reduction of body flex will decrease roll. Anti-roll bars, connect at the suspension and the wheels, in essence act like springs that control the body laterally. Shocks/struts & springs control the body vertically.

    tire size: I remember doing the same exact thing with my old 84 Corolla...made a huge difference.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i can safely say i saw a more beautiful Jetta than mine this morning. not my much of course :)

    it is new, a 1.8T sedan. the color was striking - i would call it slate gray. it looked excellent. it had bigger wheels than mine (most do these days), but not too gawdy.

    it was pretty. i want it. it had gray leather too. i heard that gray leather was no more....guess the idiot at VW was just uninformed as usual...

    the best looking Jetta I have ever seen.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    That was probably Silverstone gray, looks real nice. Between that color being added, the standard luxury package, and the optional ESP, I almost wish I had waited for a 2003.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    that color was da bomb!! haha.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have not seen that color yet, but I bet it's pretty. I am still stuck on the Tornado Red color.. :)

    And I calculated the price for the 2003s with the same equipment as mine, plus ESP. The darn car is like $400 LESS than mine stickered for! :( Almost makes me wanna go to the dealer in a month or so... :) Nah, just kidding.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    it would be nice to have, but i wouldn't REQUIRE it unless i was in a traction compromised RWD vehicle. comes in handy in the BMW :) that little "DSC" light is blinking quite often when i drive...

    do the new Jettas have in dash changers now?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    If you are describing what I think you are, it is not an antiroll bar, but a strut tower brace. That is not to keep anything from leaning, but to keep the unitbody from flexing.

    Um, no. The swaybar keeps the chassis from leaning. I know as I've got the blasted thing on my car. I corner far flatter now as the chassis stays level with the rear wheels. until I hit a bump with one rear wheel, then the car has a tendency to hop.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    "track correcting INDEPENDENT torsion beam rear suspension".

    BEAM being the operative word. Look under your car, man, it's one long beam connecting everything.

    BTW, that gray slate is darn sexy. i loved it on the Beetles. If only I didn't long for a larger, more luxurious car...
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    just single disc CD player & tape player.

    The Premium VI radio carried over from mid 2002 MY
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i know it is hateful, but i am mad that these new Jetta buyers can have that gray color. i don't want them to get an in dash changer too! haha.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "... in a traction compromised RWD vehicle. comes in handy in the BMW :) that little "DSC" light is blinking quite often when i drive..."

    I thought that FWD was the compromised traction vehicle. At least they are when trying to accelerate out of a corner, or powersteer around a corner.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    You mean the Jetta does not come with an antisway bar as standard and it still has the audacity to call itself sporty?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    There is an in-dash changer available somewhere, I saw one for sale a couple of weeks ago on the Vortex. So I know there is one available. I don't know if it comes from VW or not though.

    Also, the ESP would be a nice thing to have, but not a requirement like you said. My co-worker has the new GLI, and she said she had the system kick in a couple of times in the month that she has had the car.

    I have seen that grey color on the NB, and think it looks pretty nice. Having the car painted that color rather than trading would be alot cheaper though...
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    anonymous - i am talking about traction in real world conditions. like yesterdays "monsoon" we had here in DC. FWD, in my experience, has always gotten me through with more confidence than RWD. try accelerating thru/out of a corner on a rain slicked road in a FWD car. easy. then try it in a Mustang or Miata without ESP. gets a little tricky. at least my driving skills aren't up to it anyway....

    vocus - i would never have a car painted. it is never good quality. i learned the hard way after my last accident. i am not getting rid of my Jetta for a third Jetta though. my luck is bound to run out, right? i just might get a rattle-full one if i got another one.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Your luck might change. :) I would be willing to go for another one, because then I would have to have good luck with the next one, right? :)

    Seriously though, everything stopped with my Jetta. It's been fine for the past 5-6K miles. I don't know what happend to it, but as long as it stays quiet I will be happy. :)
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    I have seen an OEM VW in-dash CD changer. Its cool because it says VW on it and matches the other stereo and climate controls. Its actually been around for 2 years or so. The trick is I saw it in a VW catalog, it was black, had 7 buttons along the bottom of the unit and had the white VW logo in the upper left hand corner. It must have been an option for a European model and just slipped into a VW catalog over here?
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    You can get it repainted better than the factory paint if you want to spend the money and if you don't mind not having your car for a month or two. My uncle had his 63' vette painted for $10K (not including the glass body work) and it is better than any factory job except maybe Ferrari etc. Of course, it should be for that kind of money. Factory paint always has a little bit of orange peel (that you probably won't be able to notice) because the paint is baked on. Justin is right on this one (oh my God!), it isn't worth it.
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    Actually I found a pic of it on Vortex, very cool.


    http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=198551

  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    http://www.pgperformance.com has them


    Problem is, for mid 2002 GLS/GLZ Golf/Jetta/GTI, the stereo is a double-din unit.


    The 6-disc in-dash is a single din unit, perfect for pre-2002-mid year and current GL Jetta & Golf models.

  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    $490 is not a bad price for that. The Protege I had before had this option, and they wanted $550 for it. You could do the changer in the newer models if you found an "old style" radio. I am sure it would fit. But who would go through all that trouble if you can just get the trunk changer? :)

    I wish I had not looked at that PGPerformance page now. :) I want that aluminum trim REALLY bad! I might take the extra car payment VW paid for me and get it, but we shall see...
  • dtown1dtown1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Jetta. In cold weather, the windows in both doors rattle and creak. I've had it back to the dealer three times, but as luck would have it, it never seems to show up when I take a technican for a test ride. Has anyone solved this?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    cold ...hot...temp fluxes seem to make my car rattle. That's been my experience. I just ignore it now as I know it'll go away.
  • ferricfootferricfoot Member Posts: 8
    Couple of questions...

    1. I have the 2002 Jetta. Where do you folks keep your cds?

    2. Hate to open a wound, but is it possible to put in Xenon headlights after the fact?

    Thanks.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    my car did that too. my dealer installed "foils" around all four door frames. basically, thick scotch tape.

    not a peep since.

    have they done that? it is a known VW "fix"....
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    CD's go in door pockets in a little case.

    xexon? aftermarket? not sure....people steal xexon lights from acura TL's to put in ragged out Accords, so i bet you can find an aftermarket maker of Jetta xexon's. maybe try vwvortex.com.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Xenons in a Jetta are pricey from what I've seen on Vortex. You're talking at least $800-1000 for legit HIDs. Of course if you want the blue-tinged wannabes those are just aftermarket bulbs.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    In my experience, the Xenon bulbs (the fake ones anyway) really suck when you drive in the rain. They really reduce visibility. I don't have them in the Jetta because of that.

    I have a CD case that I bought, fits right under the back edge of the passenger's seat, neatly out of sight when not used. :)
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Holy Acronyms Batman!

    I have a 48 CD case that fits perfectly in the drivers map pocket. Its the soft style that has pages that hold two on each side.

    HIDs are something that I would love to get, but can't so much afford right now. The legitimate ones come from Europe, as they are an option over there. I have seen them for sale for between $950-$1150 on the Vortex.

    As for the tape thing, I might ask my dealer about that. My right rear door seams to kind of creak when I go over bumps, and especially out of driveways and funny angles (frame twisting?)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My back windows produce this "tick" sound sometimes when you lower them. I wonder if that means the regulators are going to go soon? I hope not. But mine is a 2002, so it should have the improved ones. I can't think of anything else that would cause this particular sound though...
  • amandaw33amandaw33 Member Posts: 4
    The gray is actually Platinum Gray, not silverstone. I got one with black leather a little over 2 weeks ago, and i love it! I also love that I haven't seen another in that color yet.


    :)

    no hating allowed.


    Pics:

    http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=468400

  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    That color brings tears to my eye.
  • donnabgooddonnabgood Member Posts: 37
    Hey Amanda, very nice ride.. the color loks rich and I like the color combo you chose. Is it a 1.8T?

    I have a black Jetta 1.8T with beige leather which I still love (2002) but might've taken a good second look at your color choice had it been available.

    Happy driving,
    Donna
  • amandaw33amandaw33 Member Posts: 4
    yea, it's 1.8t auto, w/ leather & monsoon...

    I'm loving it. I applied Zaino to it, and I hope to keep it looking just as good as the day i bought it.

    I liked the black as well (if not more), but was worried about swirl marks.
  • 00tahoels00tahoels Member Posts: 13
    I have a used '00 Jetta VR6, and I can't tell if the car's A/C is supposed to be back-lit or not...Because it isn't :P Anyway, I am interested to know if this section of the dash was not meant to have the same neat blue-n-red back-lighting as the rest of the car. Thank ya much
  • donnabgooddonnabgood Member Posts: 37
    yes black does have problems with swirl marks, so do all cars really, just so noticable on black..but a good wax job twice a year solves the problem so far. I tend to hand wash my car and every other week go to the car wash, and every 6 weeks get the hand wax for 25..the car was detailed when I bought it in late June, so I will have to spring for a detail myself in Jan..I find carwashes only last a day and a half, hand wax a week and a good detail only a month and a few days if I'm lucky..I have to park outside all the time..but when you go to Vegas and see all the neon shining and reflecting perfectly off your car it makes it all seem worthwhile.

    I have the 15 inch wheels too on my car. Do you regret at all that yours are 15? So far the car seems tall enough for me. My previous car was a Lincoln Mark VIII which had a neat feature of lowering when it reached highway speeds, turning the whole car into effect as a spoiler. To be going 70 in this car and still standing tall is a little hard for me to get accustomed to.

    OOta: The AC should be backlit in red..just as the ac vent knobs are backlit in red too..
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Yes, the AC controls should be backlit. My lights behind the AC went out too, as have some other peoples' I have talked to. They just have to replace the lights behind there, and you will be good to go.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    Anybody out there have a new GLI? If so, I'd be interested in your impressions so far. And what you paid?

    - Mark
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    I am in Virginia now. My car is at Dover VW in Dover Delaware. Not sure what is wrong, but an Amoco in Rehoboth said that the "coil something on cylinder 2 is bad". Engine light blinking. Car smells like rotten eggs. Won't go over 20mph without sputtering. Was advised that I should not drive the car. VW has not officially diagnosed the car though.

    I will keep you guys posted. The tow truck guy said that he has not towed any Jettas in recent months, but that he tows plenty of Audis. I wonder if the Audi's are the 1.8T like mine.

    Hmmmmmm. Driving the lovely Mercury Sable from Delware to Virginia makes me realize just how much I can't live without my car. I thought my bad luck ended with my last Honda! :(

    Vocus - I will especially let you know what happens with VW Customer Care. I have called them about reimbursement for rental car and gas station diagnostic.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    OEM Xenons from the Bora, tend to be pricey.

    A retrofit for the 9007 bulbs elminate your high beams.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Oh man, that really sucks. How many miles do you have? I have almost 21K now, and no mechanical problems yet (knock wood).

    Hope VW works in your interest. I used their Roadside Asssitance once, and they were very nice on the phone. It took them 3 hours to get to me, but that was more the trucking co's fault, not VW.

    Good luck with the car.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    It seems since I got my Jetta back in November, they have been popping up left and right. I saw a load of them this morning, walking to my car (I had to park a block away last night, because I live in the city and park on the street). Anyway, here's what Jettas I saw walking with that 1.5 blocks:

    2.0 GLS in Cool White
    VR6 in dark blue (GLS)
    VR6 wagon in dark blue (GLS also)
    2.0 GL in tornado red
    2.0 GLS in bright green (ooh, what a color!)
    GLS 1.8T in a bluish-grey color (2002)
    2.0 GLS in dark green (this one has alloys)

    Funny, none of the Jettas have the alloy wheels but one, and mine. And I have the 17s. The Jetta surely has gotten popular rather quickly though...
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    the dealer called. the car is done. they had to replace two coil thingamajigs. something to do with ignition on two of the cylinders...blah blah.

    VW customer care had a tow truck to me in like 20 minutes. the dealer fixed the car in two hours. they said that passats and jettas with that engine have had that problem with certain "engine batches" produced.

    luckily, a couple of friends were just leaving the beach, so they are heading to Dover to get my car and drive it home. i can turn in my rental to natl airport in DC instead of driving it to Dover. VW said they would pay....

    could have been worse I guess....knock wood that the car doesn't break on whoever is driving it home for me, haha.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    That "thingamajig" is more than likely the coil pack. It has something to do with ignition timing, if I am not mistaken. It can also affect fuel economy.

    Good luck with the repair and the car. Also, when was your car built? I bought mine 11/01, built 9/01. And how many miles? I hope I don't have to go through this. I am going to tell VW to check my coils when the car goes in again, just to be safe, if it's a specific batch.

    Glad you had a good experience with VW.
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