Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

ben222

Does anyone know where to get them to fit the holes on the front bumper (Jetta) when you remove the plate?

P.s. - it is legal for me in my state - I checked into it.

P.P.S. - Bumperplugs.com doesn't seem to have ones that will fit the Jetta.

bpeebles

(ben222) If you are suggesting plugging up the area below each headlight in the bumper.. I have one question...WHY?

Are you aware that the one on the passenger-side is the air-intake for the intercooler? (TDI and 1.8T engines) Plugging it is not wise.

jrct9454

No, our poster is referring to the holes in the bumper made to mount the front license plate.

I'll admit I don't understand the second sentence in the post - either you live in, or moved to, a state that uses one plate. I've never heard of a state that requires two plates where the front one is "optional". They may or may not vigorously enforce the requirement [in CA, it is widely ignored, but also a common ticket if you get stopped for anything else], but that's not the same thing as making it legal.

Anyway, the question is how to cover the holes made in the bumper to mount the front plate.

ben222

I live in a state where if you have a license plate that was issued before the law was changed to require a front plate, you can simply transfer it to a new car when you buy one without having to purchase a new plate. The old plate is designated by a different color, hence I will not be pulled over. This is perfectly legal and I don't know why more people don't do it.

Any advice about where I can purchase plugs large enough to fit the holes left when I remove the front plate will be appreciated. Thanks.

gadgetfiles

I am looking at buying a Jetta TDI. Wife is sold on the OnStar system as I will commute 120 mi a day w/ a 2 yr old in the car. Searched all near dealers (online inventory anyway) and my salesdork says none in his network have OnStar - and is suggesting that it's a phantom option. He thinks it might be available later in the year - but really gives me pushback when I suggest ordering a unit from VW w/ the option.

Does anyone have a VW w/ the OnStar - or have you seen them yet?

gadgetfiles

I am awaiting delivery on a Jetta TDI w/ the Monsoon system. My current vehicle has XM satelite radio and I really enjoy it. I know there is no factory option for XM on the VW - just wondering if anyone out there has installed an aftermarket and what they used. I would prefer to keep the Monsoon and just add a receiver w/ an FM modulator or something like that.

tonymro

Back in November of 2003 when I bought my TDI GLS wagon, finding EXACTLY the car I wanted was extremely difficult. Several dealers pushed way back on the idea of "ordering" the car I wanted. One broker called me to tell me that she had found the EXACT car I wanted, EXCEPT that it had OnStar, which I did not want. I turned down the car, because 1.) It had OnStar, and 2.) It wouldn't be available until January '04.

The broker told me that finding a car without OnStar was going to become extremely difficult, because almost every GLS was going to come with it. Ha! I have yet to see one. I ultimately found the car I wanted through a different dealer.

Frankly, I can't justify the monthly cost of OnStar, which is more than the cost of my cell phone service. I too have a 120 mi/day commute, but I figure a good cell phone, a GPS, and a AAA membership costs a lot less than OnStar. Just MHO...

tonymro

If you are thinking of keeping the Monsoon and adding the Delphi SkiFi XM rcvr, the standard auto installation kit comes with a cassette adapter to connect the SkiFi to your existing car stereo. Seems like a lo-fi way to connect to the Monsoon.

An adapter cable with RCA plugs is available in the SkiFi Home installation kit, to support connecting the SkiFi to the audio inputs on a typical home stereo. Hmmm, now if only there were a way to connect those RCA plugs to an RCA compatible input on the Monsoon...

Check out www.rcainput.com. They sell an adapter cable that converts the 12 pin connector for the CD changer (in the back of the Jetta) to an RCA compatible input. At $80, the adapter cable isn't cheap. I am considering connecting my iPod Mini to my Monsoon using one of these adapter cables, given that the audio quality using RF modulators and cassette adapters is subpar.

Obviously, if your car is equipped with a CD changer, this won't work. The other problem has to do with the location of the CD changer cable... it's in the trunk/back of the wagon, and I'm sure you'd prefer to control your SkiFi from the drivers seat. A set of shielded stereo RCA extension cables and a lot of effort to conceal them behind/under interior panels/carpeting/seats should solve that problem.

I have not yet worked up the nerve to try this on my own Jetta wagon, but I have come across a couple of web sites that describe this very process for connecting an iPod to the Monsoon. If it works for an iPod, it should work for the SkiFi.

Check out http://www.nebulight.com/iPod/iPod.htm for an example.

gadgetfiles

Finally talked the wife out of OnStar - biggest reason was that, in looking at the Onstar website, I discover that it is using the old analog cell frequency which will only be supported through Feb 2008. They say that select GM cars (means caddies) are getting dual band analog / digital in 04 - but it won't be until 05 before the dual bands will be available in numbers. Which means this $700 option will be worthless in 3 years. One could argue that the cell carriers will keep the old towers alive, but you have to believe that if the Feds have to mandate support through 08 - there will be little profit in keeping the towers alive - or repairing broken ones.

In addition, some of the key features like remote engine diagnostics won't work on non-GM cars. So my On-Star? AAA, AT&T wireless and a spare key.

Or you could try the TrunkMonkey.....check out
www.suburban-trunkmonkey.com - it's a hoot.

fish8

I am taking my Jetta into get an oil change, tire balance and rotation, and the 2 yr brake service. How much have you all paid to get this done and what do they actually do?

gadgetfiles

Took delivery on my 04 Jetta GLS yesterday. Love it. In negotiating with the dealer here in Nebraska, I got a huge song and dance about how they can't keep the diesel Jettas in stock - they sell them off the delivery truck - it's a sticker price sale blah blah blah.

Ended up talking them down about $900 from sticker. BUT...when I got home, I went through the owner's manual. In there is a maintenance manual where they stamp and date the various service entries that are recommended. And the first stamp and date? The delivery inspection when the car arrived at the dealer.

My inspection date? 12/4/2003. So the car that sells as soon as they get them - had been sitting at the dealer for 4 months!

Pretty good information to have before negotiating. I recommend checking that date during your test drive.

fish8

Good information....unfortunately, most people do not have access to the owners manual prior to signing on the dotted line. But, you can look on the sticker in the door jam. It will tell you when the car was built. For example, my car was built in Dec of 2001 and I bought it in May of 2002.

ruking1

There are definitely reasons why VW is reporting record dismal sales and profit declines!

gadgetfiles

Why wouldn't you have access to the owners manual before buying? I didn't look but wouldn't it be in the glove compartment? At the very least, you could ask to review the owners manual before. I doubt they would know that you were looking for that piece of information.

jrct9454

...do not have any of the manuals in them. They are given to the buyer as part of the closing transaction. I agree that if you want to test that kind of supply/demand assertion, all you have to do is look at the manufacturing date on the federally required placard on the door jamb.

Our '02 MB C240, purchased in Sept '02 at $30k [against an MSRP of $34.5], was built in Bremen in January of '02, and discounting transit time, had been in dealer stock at least 6 months when we bought...but no one at the dealership was claiming it was precious metal, either...

uga91

Yeah, the ole "You'd better hurry and buy this one right now because they're so hot that they fly off the shelves" is an old sales pressure tactic that salesmen use in all sorts of different fields. It could be under 6 inches of dust, but they would still tell you it'll be gone if you come back tomorrow because he has 3 other people who are on their way down to buy it tonight. Don't worry about the sales games and enjoy your new Jetta!

fish8

Anyone have any experience on getting out of a VW lease a little early and into another VW car? I just was curious on how strict VW is with their leases.

pat

fish8, it's entirely possible that someone here can help you out, but if I were you I'd also post in Lease Questions - Ask Here which is over on our Finance, Warranty & Insurance board.

fish8

Thanks Pat! I was just wanting the input of other VW owners and their experiences.

klbrmb

My husband and I have a 2002 1.8T Jetta (manual). We took delivery in October 2002 and have had the following issues.
1. Windows falling in doors
2. Ignition Coil failure
3. Radio failure
4. Purge value failure
5. Check engine light illuminates multiple times and stays on without them being able to determine why.
6. Vibration/Humming noise when driving at highway speeds.

And the list goes on with cosmetic problems (rattles, paint, etc.) The last issue of vibration can not be identified by the dealership and they have attempted to fix the problem four times now with no resolution. They replaced a bearing (2 times, one in each front wheel), the entire tranny, and now the drive axles. We contacted the customer service line for VW and also the dealership GM re: arbitration since the car is a lemon. We have had it beyond one year but it only has 14,000 so we have a definite argument as the issues started last summer (w/in the one year period of the lemon law in our state.

Have any of you encountered these issues? Have any of you gone through the arbitration process or know of someone who has? This is new to us and are not sure what to expect.

Thanks for your help.

KLB

pat

Hi klbmrb - we have indeed talked about some of those issues. You might try the "Search This Discussion" feature on the page bar for various terms while you are waiting for responses.

jwebamg

Hi,

My 16 year old daughter is looking to buy a 2000 or newer Jetta. She'll be using it to tool around town, to school, etc. Although I've owned VW's in the past ('81 Jetta, '79 &'87 Westfallia camper vans)I'm leery of the Jetta's reliability record.
What should she look for and look out for? Are the gas turbo's reliable? She can't afford the VR6.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks in advance!!

vwrules

I bought a new Jetta 1.8T GLS a month ago. Today I noticed a small 1/8" piece in the hood where the paint had peeled off. I have noticed this in other Jettas and also on my 98 Jetta.

Is this a widespread VW problem? Will VW do a touchup under warranty?

bpeebles

My daughter reciently got a 2001 Golf. She really LOVES it. This is her third vehicle. (After a 1987 golf (125Kmiles) then a 1989 Prelude which she drove the wheels off with 240K miles)

With the array of airbags (front, side and in the seat) the VW is one of the safest small cars on the road. (This makes my wife and I happy too.)

The only "problems" she has had with the 2001 golf have been blown headlight and a squeeky drivebelt. (both of which I fixed in the driveway)

She is working 2 jobs and paying her way thru college and needed some reliable transportation because of the VERY high milage on the Prelude. I accompined her to look at used vehicles and the VW was the obvious choice. There is no other small car that even comes CLOSE in the way of quality materials, safety, and longevety.

Although she wanted the 1.8T, I steered her away from that because of the need for PREMIUM fuel. (she cant afford to feed that beast and insurance costs more too)

colorado_kid

bpeebles: I have the squeeky drive belt "annoyance" as well on my VR6. I have tried repeaditly to quiet it down. Really, it is only bad when the car is cold, just after startup. Drive for 5 minutes and it typically quiets down. Anyway, how did you fix it? I have tried a few things myself on my car with no luck yet. Any advise? Thanks! Mike

fish8

http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=8433

jrct9454

Here is a tried and true, oldie: take a small bar of soap, and with the engine running, place the soap against both edges [separately, of course] of the belt. Let it run on each edge long enough for the belt to make several revolutions. This does away with residual oils that can cause the slipping, which is what the noise is about. Failing this, you may have a pulley that is slightly out of alignment...different problem.

CAUTION: Watch where you put your hands and fingers when doing this - make sure you're not wearing a tie, gloves, long sleeves, or anything that can get caught in there. Be very careful, but having said that, this has worked for me more times than I can count.

azorglub

I'm the unhappy owner of a 98 Golf GL, which has given me nothing but problems starting around 50k miles (up to 118k now). While I promised myself never to buy another VW, I can't find any other appealing car in the Golf/Jetta segment. Anyhow, I'm thinking about a Jetta 1.8T, but before I'd take the plunge, I would like to know what kind of long term warranty exists for this car. Is there any 6-7 year 100k miles warranty out there from VW, and how much do they cost?

Thanks for your input.

bpeebles

My daughters "new" 2001 VW had that squeeky-belt-when-cold syndrome.
This was due to the additional "load" that the alternator puts on the belt immediatly after starting (to recharge the battery)
This added load, combined with some splashed oil or other substance can cause a "slippery" area on the belt that squeeks as it passes by the alternator pulley.

 She also reported that it sqeeked in rainy weather. (water makes the belt more slippery)

To fix this, I removed the belt, filled the bathroom-sink with hot water and added some dish-detergent. Using a scrub-brush, I thoroughly got the bristles in all of the little groves. Then used a sink-full of hot rinse-water and the brush to remove all soap-residue.

I also used some brake-degreaser spray on the pullies to ensure that there was no residue on them either. I turned the belt inside-out before reinstalling. This put 'new' surface area against the pullies.

(Only turn inside out if your belt is 'ambedextrous' and is identical on both sides.)

My daughter has reported that there has been ABSOLUTELY NO SQEEKING AT ALL since I did this.

I found that removing/installing the serpentine belt on the VW to be the absolute easiest of any vehicle I have ever worked on. There is a little "tab" on the belt-tensionor that accepts a wrench. Then you just take the tension off the belt by moving the wrench a couple inches. While holding the tension, use your free hand to remove the belt. After removing belt CAREFULLY release the tensionor.

CAUTION: Make sure you know the routing of the belt before removing it.

fish8

I am sure that VW offers an extended warranty to fit your needs. The standard warranty is 4yr/50K miles. One of the best warranties in the business / segment. I have a 2002 Jetta and have been VERY happy with it. I have 1 year left on my lease and will lease a new Jetta/Passat within the year. I have had 0 mechanical problems with my car. Also, since the Jetta is in its final stages, most of their quality issues have been fixed (for the most part). There are also incredible deals out there. Good luck.

colorado_kid

For the advise on the belts... I appreciate it! Regards -- Mike

mn_pat

does anyone know how to get the radio out of "SAFE" mode. Iknow the code, i just dont know what buttons to push. my car is 98 jetta gl

mn_pat

I figured it out. hit the ">" seek button to the right of the presets after you put in the code.

A co-worker has a 2000 beetle, i looked at his manual.

colorado_kid

Works on squeaky belts. Bar of Dove soap that is... I gave it a shot today and it seems to have worked like a charm! Tomorrow AM will be the true test, as the squeaking is most noticable after the car sits cold overnight. Again, much thanks! MK

bpeebles

(colorado_kid)I wonder if the application of soap to the belt just stops the sqeeking *SOUND*. (The belt is still slipping and may be slipping even WORSE now.)... you just cant hear it.

Being trained in engineering and working in a VERY technical field (manufacture of computer chips) I often find that NON-technical folks are happy when things *seem* OK. I often wonder if it is a blessing or a curse to actually UNDERSTAND these things and know when things are is *NOT* actually working right.

jrct9454

Being from a "very technical" field myself, I'm reasonably certain about the difference between a band-aid and a real fix [I've also led "system-down" problem-solving sessions at 2 am, with all the vendor's "trained techs" leading us in the wrong direction. After awhile, no reasonable idea ever gets rejected by me].

I said, when I suggested the soap solution, that there is always the possibility that something fundamental is amiss...however, in MY rather extensive experience, most often it's just a little oil that has gotten on the belt. Get rid of the oil, and the micro-slippage stops, along with the noise.

The more serious possibility is that one or more of the pulleys is misaligned - but the consequences there are usually pretty self-evident [i.e. the belt starts to shed linguini-like shards], and the symptoms are actually quite different [moaning or whirring noises, rather than something high-pitched]. If the idler/tensioner is not working properly, of course, then squealing is indeed a symptom, and needs to be looked at....but then, the soap wouldn't work, so the problem would be obvious.

To Colo: Keep an ear on it, and if it comes back, see a professional. Or get your soap out again - your choice. The problem is that the environment under the hood is anything but sanitary, and it is not unusual for the drive belt to get some crud on it that causes the pulleys to slip just enough.

Kirstie_H

Don't forget tonight's member-to-member chat - it's open mic night, so come and discuss whatever's on your mind.



http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

colorado_kid

Thanks again for the soap tip. The whole story with this squeak is that VW and my independent mechanic both looked (and listened) to the belt and said that absolutely nothing was wrong with it and there wasn't anything they could do for the squeak... short of replacing the belt and tensioner, at the low, low cost of ~ $400. Yikes, no thanks. A $1.99 bar of soap and 5 minutes did the trick. That was a great tip for sure...

Thanks for the "lesson" in understanding all things technical bpeebles. Amazing how things have to be so over-technical and analyzed in this day and age.

Sometimes the simplest solution is really the best one, and can be right under your nose... ;-)

Later
Mike

uga91

"The whole story with this squeak is that VW and my independent mechanic both looked (and listened) to the belt and said that absolutely nothing was wrong with it and there wasn't anything they could do for the squeak... short of replacing the belt and tensioner, at the low, low cost of ~ $400. Yikes, no thanks. A $1.99 bar of soap and 5 minutes did the trick. That was a great tip for sure..."

Now, I'm no mechanic, but this does not seem right. This guy may be right; but, it seems to me that the soap trick is just a "band-aid" on a bigger problem. You may have cured the symptom (the squeak), but you did not address the cause (what was making it squeak). As much as the $400 repair may suck, you knew going into your VW transaction that VWs are famous for being high maintenance vehicles at high owner cost. Fixing the problem will be the best way to go for long term vehicle function, IMO.

I'm looking forward to the new Jetta next Spring. We have a 2003 Saturn ION that we are not as happy with as we were with our previous Saturns. My wife's first 2 cars were Jettas and we like them very much. We will check them out when they come out net year. Good luck to you all!

azorglub

As a follow up to my post, I got a quote from some online warranty provider (7 year-100K miles on a Jetta, $1325) and from the dealer ($2k).

I figured I'd pass along the info.

pete14

Just make sure they are reputable. Also if it is not through VW then you may still have to pay for the repair and wait to get reimbursed. With the base warranty being 5/50, what are you really getting for the $.

Just my 2 cents

fish8

The only suggestion I can give is: DO NOT PURCHASE FROM an online warranty company. I have heard nothing but bad things about these groups. The only place I would purchase an extended warranty is from 1) Original manufacturer or 2) Your personal insurance company. I have heard these 3rd party insurance company's are prone to closing their doors and going out of business.

azorglub

Thanks for your advice. That is my gut feeling too, but at $2k, this is clearly way too high, and I think I'll just skip VW altogether. My current experience has been so deplorable that I would not buy another VW without LT warranty, but at that price it's not worth it. I'll probably end up getting a Honda. It's not as fun, but it'll probably be lighter on my wallet.

fish8

Whatever car you purchase, good luck and have fun!!!

fish8

Has anyone seen the new survey? For Initial Quality VW ranked second to bottom only behind Hummer. Industry average is 110 problems per 100 cars and VW had 164 per 100 cars. Something has to change!!!! I consider myself lucky to have had 0 mechanical problems with my 2002 Jetta.

justin

that could be a broken cup holder or coat hanger....doesn't mean the end of the world, just yet anyway!

uga91

I saw that. I don't know what surprised me more than seeing VW so low. The fact that Nissan and Mazda are right there with them (with scores of 154 and 157 respectively); or, that Kia beat all three of them. It is amazing.

fish8

Very true, but the same criteria apply to all cars, not just VW.

bpeebles

That is pretty meaningless.
FIRST: Oone has to understand how JDPower is financed. (What motivates their surveys?)
SECOND: Initial quality says very little about REAL WORLD things such as QUALITY OF MATERIALS or RELIABILITY or LONGEVETY. (It is more a reflection on build and test procedures on the assembly line)

BESIDES: Initial quality is covered by WARANTEE anyway. The Warantee period is there to work out the kinks.

Volkswagen still has the very best QUALITY MATERIALS throughout which are wayyy above other vehicles in the same category.
*)A KIA will rust into oblivion long before a VW even THINKS about starting to rust.
*) The choice of materials in a VW are designed to last a very long time. A KIA is designed to be cheep.
*) Even the coveted HONDA will rust out before a VW would start to show it.

I have owned all of my VWs to well over 120K miles. We have had a few other makes in the family and they all rusted terribly after 6-8 winters of salt-laden roads.

ruking1

We have had a few other makes in the family and they all rusted terribly after 6-8 winters of salt-laden roads.

The difference being galvanized steel vs "whatever steel." While I do not know the exact price difference, I would assume that galvanized steel probably costs more.