Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    ... please educate this person a little? Gasoline is flammable. Minor sparks or temperature spikes (the kind that bottoming out your rear shocks, or hitting the brakes real hard, or constantly on an incline would generate) would set it off, leading to a momentarily pretty but pretty painful fireball. And I won't even talk about the risk from having gas fumes hovering around your car all the time.

    Please, do yourself and your loved ones a favour and have this taken care of.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    And I'm gone for the weekend.

    Keep fumin'!

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I seriously would get that fixed if I were you too.

    Only this time, you go to the dealer yourself. See if he asks you what kinda underwear you have on. :)
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Anon: I would definitely get that fixed, it just isnt worth the risk.

    Vocus: The button to add more fuel should be there in your car, but I wouldnt recommend touching it. Basically, when you fill up the tank, the car leaves extra space in the tank to allow for expansion. Pressing the button vents the rest of the air from the tank, allowing you to fill that space (about 2 gallons). I do it all the time on my TDI, becuase diesel has little if any expansion due to heat. Gas on the other hand, does apparently expand quite a bit when you leave the car parked in the sun on a hot day, so it might overflow. Mmm, I like the smell of gasoline in the morning. ;-)
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    Hey all,

    Wondering what you all have paid for your scheduled 20k service at the dealer. At vortex, I have read a couple of posts where people are saying the dealer is charging like $250 for this, which I have a hard time believing. A car at 20k should still be considered fairly new, what costs this much money?

    Thanks in advance,
    HO
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    http://www.thayerauto.com/rta_parts_03.asp

    Check out the link to the service cost. Look at 20K service and you will see that the 20K for a TDI is $329 and gas $199. OH MY! $129 for synthetic oil. It does not take any more time or any more expensive parts for a 20K service on a TDI except for the synthetic oil. Then at the 40K gas and diesel cost about the same but the cost is double what the 20K service cost. For the diesel the 40K service is just about the same as the 20K but now it cost DOUBLE, and now regular oil is used. HUH? And a coolant change is listed when VW's have lifetime coolant. Something is very, very wrong at this dealer.

    If you are not technically competent then this dealer is waiting to scam you.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Mine went to Goodyear for the 20K service. Got a tire rotation and oil change for $31...
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    If you guys must pay for your service, then just take the car to an ASE certified mechanic that you trust and get the work done for 1/2 to 1/3 the cost. Get the documentation too that proves your mechanic did the work.

    And if you're unsure, call VW and ask. Your local mechanic can do the services and it will not negate your warranty.
  • chriswdtxchriswdtx Member Posts: 2
    I am looking at purchasing a 2003 Jetta GLS 1.8T and want gray cloth seats

    So far I am only able to find Gray cloth seats in the GL model

    Is cloth only availible in the 2003 GL models when it comes to the color Gray

    Also is the quality of cloth seats in the 2003 GL models the same as the 2003 GLS models
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The cloth in the GLS is different from the GL cloth. It's supposedly more upscale, and velour at that. I don't think grey is available as an interior color anymore though, but don't quote me on that.

    I have heard that the cloth seats are very hard to remove lint from. I had a loaner Jetta with velour inside, and it was awful to remove lint from. That alone made me glad I got leather. It's also nicer to sit on, comes with heated seats, and will wear better. All for only $1000 or something. Definitely worth the upgrade.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Will leather really wear better? Leather interiors on older cars almost always looked cracked and worn and did not wear as well as cloth on used vehicles when I was a car salesman. The exception was Mercedes. Whatever they do to the leather on a Benz it sure lasts a long time. I really doubt that the leather will wear better, but only time will tell.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    you don't have to have leather seats to get the heated seats though. i think the cold weather package is now standard on gls models.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    The cloth in the GL model is more like a regular cloth, while the GLS is a soft feeling velour. As far as I know, only the velour has the lint problem (I have to use a lint brush everytime I clean the car.)
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    On my 2002 GL I have cloth but it is not thew velour. It is the cloth fabric. I really like them. No problem at all with lint.

    This Sat I get my 5K mile service. How many of you get your tires rotated and balanced per VW recommendation (every 10K) I am debating whether to get them rotated at 5K or just wait until the VW recommended interval. Thoughts?
  • AnakinAnakin Member Posts: 410
    How much would a tire shop charge you to rotate your tires? I know my local dealership charges an exorbitant amount... around $40. I keep wondering why it should cost $40 to take 5 minutes to switch some tires around.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Sounds about right. I know they charge aroung $8 per tire. But, the place I get mu wife's done at provide a lifetime balance and rotation after the fist initail visit.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The dealer will charge alot for your service as well. I take my car to Goodyear for its oil changes. They "upcharge" me because of the turbo, but it's still only $31, and that includes a tire rotation. Can't beat that...
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I got into the car this morning, and my coolant light came on! The weird thing is, I was parked in the same exact parking space as last time the light came on. I talked to the service guy this morning, and he said the turbo will cause evaporation of the coolant, which I think is a crock. But anyway, this parking space leans a little into the gutter (on a city street), so maybe the "tilt" of the car makes the coolant sensor think the tank is low. It makes sense now, since the coolant light came on both times with the car parked in the same space.

    I am still going to be looking for stuff under the car. The last time the light came on was 1t 18K miles, and I am at 22K now.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Will leather really wear better? Leather interiors on older cars almost always looked cracked and worn and did not wear as well as cloth on used vehicles when I was a car salesman. The exception was Mercedes. Whatever they do to the leather on a Benz it sure lasts a long time. I really doubt that the leather will wear better, but only time will tell.

    In my experience leather wears 1000 times better than cloth. Cloth fades, stains and wears. There is no way around it. Leather simply requires a little treatment and it will last and last. This is the reason I'm still annoyed we couldn't get leather on the Wolfsburg in 2001.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    My local dealer (from what I am told) only charges around $23 for an oil change. I will find out Sat when I take my car in.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I would advise you to call ahead of time, because Saturdays can be pretty busy at dealerships. Why sit there all day when you don't have to?
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    A shop near me does an oil change for $9.95!!

    Of course, that was only for Hondas/Acuras. I guess it was a gimmick to get their business for other work.

    He used genuine Honda filters, and a good brand name oil (which I like, but can't remember...Monday).

    Too bad I can't find this deal for VW's and Jeeps!

    The local Ford dealer does it for $21, which is a good deal, and where I go in the winter. Otherwise, I just do my own for like $9.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    Most of the stuff you can do yourself and do it for a fraction of the price.

    oil changes...since VW recommends 5w40 (5w30 if you can't find 5w40), which is synthetic only (VW charges about $70 for synthetic oil change)...if you don't want the hassle for locating Delvac 1, head to Wal-Mart and buy the Shell Rotella T 5w40, or try the Mobil 1 0w40.

    With the filter, you can do the oil change for about $30 with synthetic oil.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Thansk for the advise. I did call and have an appt at 9am.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I don't know if I posted this before, but someone at the VW meet that I went to had this vacuum thing to suck the old oil out of the engine, then change the filter, then put new oil in. And you didn't even have to get under the car. I was just wondering how much oil it left in the engine though? I was thinking about getting one of these, but I don't have anywhere to do the required tire rotations. :(
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Also, I forgot to answer but the tires should be rotated every 5K miles. Actually, it's 7500 but since the service interval for the car is 5K, you might as well do it then.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I just performed my 10k service myself, and I am going to rotate my tires this weekend. According to my manual, the rotation is part of the 10k service, not the 5k though. Then again, from now on I am every 10k miles on the TDI, so that might affect the timing of other things, I dont know.

    Vocus: I use a vacuum pump system on my car and it gets about 4.25 quarts of oil out of the car, which is about as much as you could ever expect from either way, given its 4.5 quart capacity.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Why would VW recommend rotation every 10K, when it is common knowledge that it should be done every 5-7.5K?
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    For the TDI, after the initial 2 oil changes, every oil change thereafter is 10K, thus it's just extended to 10K....if you want to take it to the dealership every 5K, by all means.

    All it takes is a jack (OEM) and a jack stand to do the tire rotation.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I prefer to use a hydraulic jack, the combination of it being easier to use and feeling less like it might collapse at any moment make me happier. :-)
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    I bent some sheetmetal using my florr jack...got nervous and went back to the OEM jack. Maybe when I get to a machine shop, I'll make an insert for my jack.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I tried using the OEM jack once when I got a flat tire. I never did figure out how to use the darn thing, even having the owner's manual right in front of me. Thankfully, a nice passerby helped me, and she had a hydraulic jack in her car that we used.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    that jack is a funky looking thing.

    Swivel plate on the ground....you sort of need to crank the jack up then place it underneath of the car...and go from there.

    I learned that from installing the splash guards
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "All it takes is a jack (OEM) and a jack stand to do the tire rotation."

    Don't forget the torque wrench and the other jack stand.

    "I use a vacuum pump system on my car and it gets about 4.25 quarts of oil out of the car, which is about as much as you could ever expect from either way, given its 4.5 quart capacity."

    Sounds like you get all of the oil out with that pump. I'll bet the other 1/4 quart is in the filter. Matter of fact, I'm pretty sure the filter holds more than a 1/4 quart, so your engine may have been overfilled if you are getting 4.25 out of the sump and there is a 4.5 quart capacity.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i did not take the car in this morning. taking it in on Wednesday now. i did call Dover VW and they looked up my invoice. they confirmed - they replaced TWO coils. not the whole set. they also confirmed that my heated seat switch is bad. they have seen the problem before.

    so, at least i can TELL my guy at my dealer what needs to get done. i like him - he takes direction well. :)

    question (maybe stupid one):

    when they say a "switch", do they mean the actual seat dial, or some sort of electric component behind the dash or in a fusebox? the guy at Dover also said that the new switch will make it so that #5 setting isn't so lethal. he said one customer with my problem actually burnt herself. crazy! i think she must have been passed out drunk. if something hurts, you turn it off. not sure why she didn't...
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    the switch dial for the heated seats
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    What do you mean by the other jackstand? I always use 1 to hold up the front left corner while the other tires are being rotated. Also, the 4.25 quart was an estimation, all I know is that it is a bit more than 4 quarts. Also, I use the hose on the pump to suck the excess oil out of the filter sump area.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My seats do get pretty hot. I can only stand "5" when it's like 20 degrees outside and I just get in the car. Within 2 minutes, the dial is on 2 or 3 (sometimes 1). A friend of mine rode in the car, and forgot about the heater being on (he never rode in a car with heated seats before). He was like, "damn, I could turn these things on in the morning and heat my oatmeal while I drive to work!". That's why he will never drive my car alone. :0
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    My friend drove my car this weekend, because I left it at his house and he brought it to me. He only got to drive it like 15 miles, but he said he liked it alot. One thing: He was pretty confused by all the controls. He said he managed to find the window buttons and the headlight switch, but that was it. He tried to adjust the side mirror, but thought it only controlled heat from the icon there. He said everything lit up so bright, he felt like he was in a fighter plane or something. Too funny! :)
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I don't get what you are saying. Do you use 1 jackstand and then use the jack to hold the rest of the car up? I don't see how you could rotate your tires using only one jackstand. Is your jacking point in between the front door and back door so that it holds up one side of the car? I use two jackstands, one at the rear jacking point and one at the front so that one side of the car is completely off the ground. I guess you could use one, but I wouldn't.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    Yeah you can, if you to the front-back rotation, you do one side at a time.

    If you prefer the X-pattern rotation....then you would need 4 jack stands (purchase 2 sets), you really can use 3.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I don't know the jacking points on the Jetta, but on my Protege, there are two jacking points on each side of the car (one behind the front wheel and one in front of the rear wheel). In order to rotate front to back, you have to get one whole side of the car off the ground, therefore you have to use both jacking points. Does the Jetta have one jacking point on each side of the car?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I started the car this morning, only to see the temperature light on the dash flashing like crazy, and the beeps from the message center. (I had to look in the manual before, but I now know this means the car is low on coolant.)

    I stopped and checked the coolant, and it was fine. Then I thought about something. I was parked in the same exact space this time as I was last time when the sensor went off. I was parked on the street, where the gutter slants a little more than usual to the right side. Maybe the coolant was just low because of the way the car was sitting. Weird.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    I usually do the X-pattern technique, so I jack the front left corner up, put it on the stand, take the wheel off, and then move to the back. I jack the rear left corner up, switch the tires, and move to front right, rear right, and back to front left.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Yes it does. And there are even little "indicators" in the rocker panels to tell you exactly where they are. Nice touch for a dummy like me who doesn't know alot about that stuff... :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I didn't think you were suppose to do that? I asked the guy at Goodyear and he said they used to do the X pattern, but now only do front to back. He told he this because I told them only to do front to back on my car, which has directional (the 17s) tires.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    2 jacking points also on each side, like any normal car
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "2 jacking points also on each side, like any normal car"

    So, technically, you should use two jackstands when rotating front to back, unless you count the jack as a jack stand.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    That's what I do. If I were to do something underneath the car, or something that takes longer than 5 minutes to do....then it would be all jackstands.
  • chmeeeechmeeee Member Posts: 327
    Yeah, thats what I would do if I had directional tires, but I just have cheesy 15" steel wheels with the Michelin All-weather tires, which as far as I know are not directional. Besides, I seem to take a lot more corners to the right at high speed than the left, so this should even out my tire wear! (Mmmm, entrance ramps)
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