Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

cards28

I just got back from a 60 mile R/T and all miles were on an expressway. Man...it was hard trying to keep under 60 mph. Just about everyone was driving like crazy at high speeds. I wonder if I drive like that when not breaking in a new car. I was on a entrance ramp and a huge semi was in the right lane. He was coming on strong and had to be going 70 - 75. There were cars behind, so I couldn't slow down and had to go into after burners to stay out of trouble and got up to 80 mph in a blink. The Jetta said, get me out of here. After a few seconds the semi seemed to get smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror. Of course, I backed down to a slower speed, but like someone said earlier, you really have to watch it closely or you'll get up to 90 in a flash. I think I'll name my red Jetta, FLASH. It now was a few miles over 200. You can't drive slow anywhere here. No complaints so far, though.

cards28

Forgot to mention the roll sensation on curves. I don't have the sway bar yet, but the rear half seemed to twist and lean more than the front. Will the sway bar take care of that? Is that what you experienced? Since reading all your posts, maybe I was looking for some lean. I'll just continue to drive it for a few hundred more miles before I get the bar. Hopefully, there will be another GB from SSP soon.

adg44

Yup, that's what you're feeling.

Glad you're enjoying your car!

vocus

The car leans more than I like. I just got H&R sport springs in the mail today, and am trying to get a set of Bilstein shocks to go with them. I will try the sway bar before any of that though, to see if that solves my problem.

Anakin

The sway bar will make the biggest difference in body roll. The spring and shocks will help, but they will do more to counteract the "floaty" feeling of the stock suspension.

cards28

Does anyone have a source for scale models for VWs? Not the plastic kind that you have to assemble, but they are made out some cheap alloy. Walgreens has some hit and miss, though. I have 2 red beetles and 1 blue Jetta. Of course, I would like to have a red Jetta. I'll have them around the shop on display so customers can ask questions about them. If you know, let me know. Isn't this fun??? Thanks with a :-)

bszeto

To all 12-valve VR6 Jetta owners: What is the correct maintenance schedule for the 12-valve VR6 engine? I got two different answers, both from reputable Volkswagen dealerships. As I mentioned in an above post, I'm contemplating taking over the lease of an early-2002 Jetta VR6 with 24k km and would like to know the maintenance pattern as one of my considerations to lease or not....

Answer 1: Maintenance every 16K km (10K mi)link:

http://www.arbourvw.com/en/service/entretien.shtml

Answer 2: Oil change every 8k km (5k mi), then oil change and maintenance 8k km after that):

http://www.sarniafinecars.com/Service/maintenance.htm

Also, is there an in-dash CD player in all 2002s?

bszeto

adg44

According to the VW owners manual, the oil should be changed at 5k mi, 10k mi and then every 10k miles after that, however when I had mine, I changed it every 5k mi, even with synthetic oil.

The very early 2002 models didn't have in dash CD players, although most by the end of 2001 did have double din in dash CD players. In my opinion however, the double din head unit is crap, and the single din one with an easily installed in dash CD player from VW is much superior.

- Anthony

gregthomp

I love my new '03 GLS 1.8T Wagon, but I'm finding the front seats very uncomfortable for lack of thigh support. I know this is a complaint about many cars' back seats, but I'm experiencing it upfront.

I'm 5'8" and weigh 165 so my body shape isn't particularly bizarre. Possibly I have the seat adjusted incorrectly. Given the variables of seat height, lumbar, back angle, and the back-forward adjustment, can anyone suggest what combo might give more support to my thighs? I've got the leather seats, by the way.

Great car in every other way, though. Kicks my '98 Civic EX's butt (as it should, being much more expensive!) Quiet, fast, and a beautiful interior and nice detailing throughout.

Greg T.

vocus

You have to do "trial and error", unfortunately. I adjusted my seats 10 million times when I first got my car. I finally found a comfortable position, and now it's fine for me. The heated seats also help a LOT on cold mornings, and when you have back pain.

vocus

I have H&R sport springs (they came on Friday), but don't wanna spend $400+ for sport shocks. I was thinking about just doing the rear swaybar, the only "cure" I want is for the body lean in high speed turns. (I think the Neuspeed bar helped Blueguy alot in this respect, BTW.)

I was also thinking about getting the Eibach ProKit, but don't know if you can use the stock shocks with these and not have any trouble down the line. Anyone care to elaborate?

chmeeee

You can use the prokit with stock shocks, but you will have problems down the line. Do the H&R lower the car too? Anything that lowers the car will cause greatly accelerated wear on the stock shocks.

ezshift5

50 highway MPG be a fact.....

My '82 Rab Diesel PU has 275k on the clock; runs fine (but the rest of the vehicle is slowly fading.......after 20+ years......

Wish the VW TDI Jetta came as a pickup.......

vocus

The H&Rs lower the car 1.5 inches, compared to 1.2 inches for the Prokit. But my question is this: VW sells the Eibach springs over their parts counters, and you don't have to get new shocks with those, right? The Prokit springs are pretty much the same as the VW/Eibach springs (both lower 1.2 inches).

Also, I have the factory sport suspension. Does that change the shocks any? I know the suspension is only 5% stiffer (what a waste of $$ that was!).

8u6hfd

Yes....I have a 02 Golf TDI 5-speed. I average 54 mpg

chmeeee

You don't have to upgrade the shocks, you just will want to in about 30k miles, or thats what I have been told anyways.

8u6hfd: How on earth do you get that kind of mileage? Do you cruise down the highway at 55 all day? My average thus far has been 46, with a high of 51.

8u6hfd

Fuel economy: In a work week....27 miles or 70 mph & 7 miles of stop and go (one-way). I normally shift at 2000 rpms.

Shocks/Struts: Might want to get new, firmer ones with the lowering springs. Even with the VW/Eibach springs, Eurotuner and other VW mags recommend new dampers (that are firmer) to control the ride and handling better. Plus the stiffer springs will wear out the OE dampers quicker. You'll spend more in labor if you choose to get uprated dampers later (basically the same labor rate as the spring install)

vocus

Thanks for your input. I might just get the rear swaybar and call it a day. I don't have the time or cash to be worrying about springs and shocks and wearing and all that stuff right now.

bpeebles

(ezshift5) I agree with you. I LOVED my rabbit pickup. The loading height was nice and low. (about knee-high) I could load my snowmobile all by myself by just lifting the front skiis up on to the tailgate.

It would go anywhere I pointed it in the snow since all the weight was over the front (drive) wheels.

The only thing close to it today is the new Subie that looks like a PU in the rear. (but it is not a VW)

dutch4505

Looking to purchase an used 2002 Jetta TDI. Love the way it handles. The car has a stock AM/FM and I believe cassette unit. I know for sure that it does not have a CD player. Salesman advised that they could easily put a 6CD changer in the trunk.

Is this adviseable? Should I go with a MONSOON system instead? Does the MONSOON system involve changing or adding speakers as well? What is the cost (or value) of a MONSOON system? Does the MONSOON unit include a single cd player in the dash?

I know that the salesman could answer these questions, but I wanted to do some "homework" before negotiating a final price.

Any suggestions in regards to the sound system would be great. My wife will probably think that the existing stereo is ok, and that there is not need to upgrade. I however, figure on keeping the car for at least 5 years, and do not want to be stuck with a poor sound system.

chmeeee

All later 2002 cars should have a CD player, Monsoon and base systems, so you will just have to make sure that you are getting one with a CD (although Monsoon will guarantee you a CD player in the earlier cars). Basically, the only difference in the Monsoon system is a very nice 200 watt AMP in the trunk, I am pretty sure the speakers are the same.

I like the option myself, some others don't think that its worth it. I would just play with both and make up your mind, maybe bring along a favorite CD or something.

The CD player is something you can do at anytime, the car is prewired for it and has a compartment on the left side of the trunk, if you look, so depending on how profient you are, you could always grab one off eBay and do it yourself for cheaper.

Good luck, and good decision on the TDI!

8u6hfd

the speakers might be different...

the driver's gear catalog has upgraded speaker...and in fine print...something like "not for monsoon systems"

target3

I have heard (second-hand) that the cd changer is about $300, but then the dealerships are charging another $300 for install, even though everything is supposedly pre-wired, etc.

I do have the Monsoon system and it sounds great.

vocus

I had a loaner without the Monsoon, and missed the sound quality. I am not much of an audiophile either, but it was noticeable to me. Monsoon definitely worth the money.

And not ALL 2002s have CD players standard. The GL models didn't. Also, the CD player was added around September or so on the production line. There was an 02 in Blue Lagoon that I wanted before I got my Cool White one, and the blue one didn't have a CD player. I went with the white one, because I figure why not get the CD player for pretty much free.

Also, adding Monsoon wouldn't be extremely easy. The AMP, I would think, would be the big deal. You can, however, get a double-DIN radio (with CD player) and add it. That little cubby storage area pops right out, and the new radio would take the entire space up in the dash.

justin

Just got back from my hour and a half long wait at the dealer. driving this morning, coils died. they replaced #3 and #4, and the plugs. one H coil failed, and my new #4 J coil failed as well. The tech said that the J coils are supposed to be better, but that a bad H coil can mess up other coils, including J's, by putting strain/stress on them. Is that a bunch of baloney or what?

They also tried to tell me that VW is looking at VW area gas to see if our gas is bad. I was like, how does that explain the WHOLE COUNTRY having coil problems??

Anyway - they have J's in stock - $35 a pop. Once my real estate transactions are all finished, I am getting the Miata. Sure, no trunk room or FWD, but they start and run a bit better I think!

vocus

It makes sense that the old coils would put stress on the new ones. They crack when going bad, so cracking would imply stress, right?

Gas has nothing to do with it, that is a BS line.

The last time your coils went, mine went not too far after. I hope that's not the case again.

And if they are $35 a pop, why can't they let everyone buy the new J coils and replace them? Backorder still probably, though I have heard the backorder is no more.

fish8

I have a 2002 GL and it came with a Monsoon. I had the CD player added on.

vocus

How did you get a GL with a Monsoon radio???

Anakin

I haven't had any trouble with my coils.

Do you guys live in colder weather? Would that affect it?

justin

you can buy coils where i was. as many as you want. the J ones. i wouldn't recommend it though. why buy faulty parts? sure, one or two as a spare might not be a bad idea if you were stranded somewhere, but could you install one anyway? i couldn't. i won't. i will drive the car like i did this morning. if the engine explodes, it is on VW, not me

blueguydotcom

and I live in that frigid climate you might have seen on TV Sunday...Super something. Oh yeah, the Super Bowl.

Darn cold here.

BTW, I have a feeling my engine is missing a beat right now.

fish8

Not sure......the car was ordered from another dealer and it came with the monsoon. My rep did not even realize it came with the Monsoon. She said I was lucky...

justin

for the fast few mornings, my car has acted up. maybe an indication of coil issues coming soon? the only way to explain it is:

it feels like the emergency brake is on. i can give it gas, but it is "holding back". last for a few minutes. kind of sputters. not sure if it is coil related or not...

vocus

Sometimes when I first start my car in the morning, it feels like it's trembling or something. I have to take the car to the dealer anyway for body repairs, so I might get them to look at it while it's there for the coil problem.

adg44

I had the monsoon in my GTI, and the jetta has the regular stereo. I honestly like the regular one better, it handles more bass.

The early model 2002's didn't have an in dash CD player.

As for a CD changer, it takes 10 mins to install. All you need to do is screw the braket into the trunk in the space they provided, and then plug it into the harness that is prewired to your trunk.

I was at the dealer this morning and had one of my J coils replaced too. They aren't a solution, they are just a better crappy part. Oh well, luckilly I'm still under warranty.

- Anthony

vocus

So I wonder what they deem a replacement? Will it ever come along? VW can't possibly afford to have all these customers in loaner/rental cars, and all this labor time devoted to this problem.

Did your coils fall under the basic warranty, or the powertrain warranty? I was wondering that. Mine's covered for 50K, but I know the old basic warranty was only 24K.

Another thing I hate with VW: I hate how they make changes in the middle of the year. They put the new rear 4Motion valence on the back of GTIs and Jettas, but the rest of us who bought early 02 models paid the same price and didn't get it. Same with CD players. The color I was originally going to get would have been the same price as one with the in-dash CD standard, but I would have had to pay $4-- extra to have the CD player put in.

I actually ended up with the Monsoon and Sport Pkg. on my car, and the payment only went up another $10 a month compared to a 1.8T without this stuff and the dealer-installed CD player. So for all the features, I figured why not splurge. I was also able to take delivery that day of my car, and not have to wait a week for them to put in the CD player as well as bring the other car from another stealership.

cards28

Now that I'm spending more time in my Jetta, there doesn't seem to be very much storage space. The center arm rest can't hold more than an extra large candy bar, and the glove box isn't much better. The owner's manual doesn't even fit well. You almost have to slam the door to keep it from falling out, let alone anything else.
The front door pockets, well, what can go there? Whatever could fit there might fall out or rattle around when the door is closed. The front seat back pockets, maybe an old newspaper or a couple maps and maybe, your cold hands.
Where do you keep your CDs (didn't get the changer cause it cost too much) and garage door opener??? Or, that little extra cash that you don't have to pay for bad parts. What about repair orders, there must be a lot of those that need a place to rest?
Oh, did I ask, where can we put our "Stuff"? <:-(

vocus

In my center armrest, my sunglasses (clip-ons - I wear glasses), gum, candy, mints, and some papers fit. In the glovebox, cellphone charger, assorted papers and one or 2 CD cases. In the door pockets, papers and junk mostly (like ATM envelopes and stuff), My right door pocket holds my owner's manual. Nothing in the seatback pockets, no one rides in the back hardly anyway. I put my cell phone in the ashtray when I am in the car, as I don't use it for smoking (don't smoke in my car). I find it has about the same amount of storage space as my Cavalier (96) and Proteges (99 and 01) did.

You have only had the car for a week or so, so you will definitely find a place for everything eventually.

With the CDs, I bought a soft case that holds them, which lays on the floor behind the passenger seat. I can't use the cases for them, but that's cool.

blueguydotcom

I think my center armrest has a pen, registration and a Costco card. Glove box might have the owner's manual but I can't say for certain as I don't remember when I last opened it. Um, side pockets = empty. Back of seats, if there is someplace to put anything on my Wolfsburg is devoid of materials. My center console has some change and I think my ashtray has a few ID cards for various places and keys to different people's homes. That'd be it.

Storage space, like cupholders, is wasted on me as I don't keep anything in the car.

vocus

I think the seatback pockets are only included on cars with leather seats...

Anakin

I have lint seats with seatback pockets. That's where I keep my road atlas.

pat

"lint seats"

:-D

cards28

Vocus,
I tried to get to the BG site, but couldn't. Is there another link?

vocus

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/026/auto/No_easy_fix_for_failin- g_ignition_coils_in_Audis_VWs+.shtml

vocus

Thought they only came with the leather. Guess not. Well the WE has sport seats, maybe the pockets don't come with those??

blueguydotcom

I just checked my seatbacks and I have pockets back there. Huh, go figure.

chmeeee

Left side pocket: Soft 48 CD case, fits just right.
Right side pocket: All my road maps.
Glove box: Owners manual in owners manual holder place up top, papers, receipts, etc in the rest (its about 1000 times bigger than the miniature one in my old car)
Armrest: Sunglasses, gum, pens, gas receipts.

I think this is plenty for me, everything else goes in a milk crate in the trunk.

cards28

Chmeeee,
I tried putting the manual on the shelf that you described, but wouldn't fit, it's too big. The manual is a loose leaf binder about 2" thick x 8" wide. Do we have the same manual??? Mine is a 2003. Maybe VW changed the manual in size.
Thanks for your input. :-)

cards28

Vocus,
Thanks for the heads up piece in the BG. It only mentioned years up to 2002. Do you suspect that a more reliable coil was put in the 2003s??? If this problem started in prior years, don't you think VW would make a better coil for the 2003 models???
Royal Ford dropped a hint about a class action suit. It's too bad that everyone would have to go to that trouble. :-[

chmeeee

I just removed the maintenance, warranty, and safety equipment sections and filed them with my other car stuff. I figure I shouldnt need that while actually driving the car, and then the manual fits where it should.