Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Soooo... your sayin that anytime you need a fillup, you will take it to the nearest VW dealership for a "fillup" so they can attempt to duplicate the problem?
    LOL 8-)

    Seriously, I am not sure I know what you mean by the guage "jumping". It seems to me that , under warantee, they would just replace the fuel sending unit. It is easilly accessable from underneath the rear seat and would make the dealership look good by actually TRYING to solve your problem.

    WHO CARES IF THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE??? That is a totally irrellevent statement. Did they really say that? Their job is to MAKE THE CUSTOMER HAPPY... not recall if they have seen a particular problem before.

    As long as you MADE SURE that your problem was documented... they are under the gun to fix it AT ANYTIME IN THE FUTURE.
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    Haha, good point, never looked at it like that before. I haven't mentioned about it not filling up all the way. Does your VW give you a rental car? mine won''t. Have you ever heard of this whole gas problem thought before? anyone?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Yes! My VW dealership provides a "lonar car" if I make appointments at least 2 weeks in advance. One time, the "lonar car" was being used and they sent me to a nearby car-rental agency (all costs prepaied).

    I also have to say that I travel 80 miles to get to my dealership (and drive past 2 other VW dealerships along the way)

    They even have offered to COME GET my car and leave a loaner in its place. (but there is a fee for that service)
  • dancermandancerman Member Posts: 220
    My 2002 gas guage behaves strangly at times. It will indicate 3/4 full and a few minutes later indicate 1/2 full, then in another few minutes back to 3/4 full. This happens infrequently and only cycles one time. I always reset the mileage odometer at fillup so I know the truth. It never goes above the "F" at fillup (usually slightly below the "F" mark).
  • jtchilds11jtchilds11 Member Posts: 1
    Thinking about buying a used 2000 jetta and wondered if anyone has had major problems with that year or later.

    Also, for anyone located in Atlanta; I am looking for a reliable mechanic to look at possibles and to maintain.
  • jettagirl79jettagirl79 Member Posts: 5
    There is some test that the service and tech managers told me about. The did it on my first 2005 and on the second one when I brought it back screaming about the gas issue the day after I bought it. I guess they hook it up to something and it tests how the gauge is reading. The needle is supposed to jump all the way to empty, all the way to full, then rest at the half mark. With my first 2005, it would never go completely to any mark. With the 2nd one, it goes all the way to empty, all the way to full, to the half, then drops slightly below the half mark. Someone this test proved that everything else is the fuel system is functioning properly but it's just the gauge that's off. Everytime I brought either car in, they always take it to the gas station themselves to fill it up. Half the time, they even pay for the gas. There were a few times when they couldn't duplicate the problem, but they kept the car there and worked on it until they could find the problem. They don't have loaner cars, but instead have an Enterprise attached to the dealership and provide me with a rental free of charge everytime I go there. (Even if I'm going in for something minor like an oil change now). You must insist that the dealership correct this problem and give you some type of explanation. And if they claim they've never heard of it, tell them to call the service department at Autobarn Ltd. in Evanston, IL. Those guys basically dissected my first 2005 trying to get to the bottom of the problem. Or, have them call the Tech Line. There's no way they don't know about the issue...no way!!!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    My fuel guage will change based on wether the vehicle is pointing UPHILL or DOWNHILL.... (most vehicles exibit this phenomena to some degree)

    I assume you are not talking about that?
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I live outside of Atlanta and I take my car to Gossett VW. Though, my Passat only has 14,000 miles on it so it's still under warranty. I see a place off of Peachtree Industrial Blvd that services VW's. I think they are called german Autoworks. I have never taken my VW's there so I'm not sure how reputable they are.

    Personally, I would be nervous to buy a 2000 jetta. VW had many pronblems with Jettas, especially early model years (ie: 2000). For various problems on Jettas.

    Where are you considering buying this car from?
  • dancermandancerman Member Posts: 220
    Assumed correctly. The guage will change position when running at constant speed on flat highway. This is a rapid change in indicated level.
  • jettagirl79jettagirl79 Member Posts: 5
    That's not the issue that my 2 have had. Even when the car is on no incline, the gauge never reads completely full, but rather somewhere between full and the first 1/8th tick mark (usually closer to that than full).
  • jrosasmcjrosasmc Member Posts: 1,711
    I know the New Jettas are built in Mexico. But when the New Golfs come out for '06, will they continue to be made in Brazil, like they already are?
  • gman14gman14 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 Jetta 1.8 turbo. I have 122,000 miles on it. The transmission just went bad, I have had to replace a mass air flow sensor, two oxygen sensors, and variouus plastic interior pieces. A total of about $1300 in one year, not counting the trans. The dealer, Jim Ellis of Marietta, said it would cost $3500. The next day I had the trans. fluid replaced by a different shop and it seems ok now. Do not go to Jim Ellis if at all possible. They lost my keys while it was being worked on. Go to Heritage instead. Get an extended warrenty if you are thinking of buying a VW.
  • gman14gman14 Member Posts: 2
    I had to replace two oxygen sensors on my 2000 Jetta 1.8 Turbo. I have found numerous web pages that said VW recalled this problem, but VW says it is not true. Does anyone know how I can get my money back?
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    The wife is at the dealership here in Coconut Creek Florida looking at GL model in the old body style as I type this messege. I'm a little unsure about all the "quality" issues of VW's, as we've been Toyota and Nissan owners since the late '80's, but she wants something completely different. Mid life crisis I guess.
    Are we making a mistake here? Our Alty and Sentra have been great, with my Sentra only having 1 trim piece come loose and 2 warranty issues fixed in a very timely manner.
    Any advice would be great. Cause if she likes ethe GL, we might have a silver/charcol one in the garage at the end of the week. With the dealer cash , we were quoted $15,724 plus t, t &l, as there is $500. dealer cash back. Any thoughts or comments...? Be brutally honest here guys...PLEASE!

    The Sandman :)
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Well, the Jetta will not be as reliable as your Nissan's. But, since this model year is the last of the old style, VW most likely got the bugs worked out over the 6 year span. If you do purchase the GL....buy an extended warranty. Good luck!!!
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    go for it but spring for the 1.8t engine. better gas mileage and performance. there are no guarantees, but WV appears to be finally getting on top of their reliabiltiy issues with this car. their assembly quality and high grade materials used have always been their.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You are confused about what a "Recall" is.

    A "Recall" is most often a SAFETY related item that the federal government has FORCED a auto-manufacturer to fix. Somtimes, a "Recall" may be an EMMISSIONS related item.

    Lets not forget that the FEDERAL EMMISSIONS WARANTEE covers the O2 sensors. (not the normal VW warantee). For the year 2000, I beleive the FEDERAL EMMISSIONS WARANTEE is for 10-years 100,000 miles.

    My suggestion, READ YOUR FEDERAL EMMISSIONS WARANTEE booklet that came with the automobile.
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    hi is was wondering if anyone knew the stock thermostat temp for a 94 jetta 2.0...and if you put a higher thermostat if it can overheat????? thanks nate
  • extremeproaudiextremeproaudi Member Posts: 5
    Re: hi is was wondering if anyone knew the stock thermostat temp for a 94 jetta 2.0...and if you put a higher thermostat if it can overheat????? thanks nate

    i believe the stock is a 120 degree... an auto parts store will have a proper listing in their books. As far as putting a higher degree thermostat than what was factory, I would advise strongly not to. If you want more performance and reliability, I would even go lower than what was stock - Unless you live in a cold climate, where it may affect your interior heating.
  • ebh7279ebh7279 Member Posts: 1
    :sick: I have a '02 Jetta and the radio just died. We opened up the fuse box but couldn't tell just by the pictures which one it was. Frustrated. Any answers?
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    hi is was wondering if anyone knew the stock thermostat temp for a 94 jetta 2.0...and if you put a higher thermostat if it can overheat????? thanks nate....i dont think 120 is the right temp it seems low
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    hi i have a 94 2.0 jetta...i will be driving and put on the heating fan and the car will bogg down and pick back up and i can keep driving...while i am still i turn it on or off and the car stalls out....does anyone know about this problem thanks...
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    i have a 94 jetta and i just put a thermostat in it ......where should the temp needle be during normal opperation i had a lower thermostat in it before and i dont know the normal temps for the stock thermostat.....also how far over should the needle go before you can say its overheating???
  • galogvigalogvi Member Posts: 41
    Fuse #42. Just remember to leave it out for about a minute before reinserting it. I've had to do this at least twice since I bought my car back in Feb. '02. Worked both times ;)
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    Welp i drop off my car tomorrow to see if they can get this problem fixed...Wish me luck. I'll keep you updated on the situation.
  • mariahjetta02mariahjetta02 Member Posts: 3
    we have a 2002 jetta 1.8t tiptronic ...it is my daily driver for the kids and I....the car will not go above 30 mph with out rev'ing really high like it can not go into gear. (kind of like if you were drving a stick and the car is in nutral but you are pushing on the gas) i DO NOT use the tip thing just the auto. josh ( hubby) is speculating all kinds of things and has searched all kinds of forums but no recalls??? i found one with jetta 2002 's electronic componate could that be it or do any of you have any thoughts on it????? sorry for any spelling mistakes i have this to handle on top of the house and kids
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    i would take the car to your nearest VW dealership especially if you're still under the warranty. the powertrain warranty is covered up to 60K miles.
  • jbrodiejbrodie Member Posts: 1
    I have just replaced the head gasket on my 1992 deisel jetta.
    I refilled the cooling system but after running for about 5 minutes the low level warning comes on and a short time later it boils.
    I refilled the system and was watching the reservoir and for the first few minutes the return to the reservoir was peeing back to the reservoir but it would stop for a short time then spurt for a little while then stop again.
    What do you think the problem is?
    Is it the water pump?
    I have not done a bleedown test-should I before I go any further?
    I have already replaced the thermostat while I had everything else apart.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Sounds like your Coil Pacs may be the culprit.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    you have air in the system. Make sure you have the heater turned on full (fan is not needed) Somtimes, it takes several heatup/cooldown cycles to burp all the air from the system.

    Check it often and keep it topped up. It should eventually work all the air out of itself.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    We've only owned Japanese cars since the late '80's, but the wife likes and wants the new Jetta. I'm a bit skeptical.
    Please help with any suggestions. She really wants it, but I'm not quite sure about the realiability and prefer the Mazda6 or the Accord.
    HELP!
    TIA folks. Got a price from the local dealer, if they remain true to their word, for the Value Package Jetta for $18,595 plus T, T & L from the floor salesman and $18,999 from the internet guy. I did specify that we had to have automatic tranny, mats & keyless entry. Think they are playing with us...the internet price is usually cheaper! We should know if we buy soon, as she said she will decide between now and the July 4th weekend. Waiting for the wife to tell me to go in and negotiate, as she needs a final test drive. I will only drive the particular car she wants to check for any alignment/tire issues or radio problems etc. It's her car, her decision, her $!

    The Sandman :confuse:
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    So i got my car back today. They were able to fix the "needle not touching the full mark" and where unable to see my gauge move, like it always does for me. I drove the car around tonight with friends and after putting 50ish miles on it, the needle still points to the FULL mark.....is this about right?? (1.8T 04 Jetta) They said they "adjusted the fuel sender gauge" and now everthing will be ok. Anyone who reads this, and is looking at VW's, don't let this worry you. Driving the car is what makes you not even care too much about these problems, especially having the 1.8T, its sooooo much fun to drive. (fast)
  • waiwai Member Posts: 325
    Have the dealer fix the rear door lock also as this is a recall item I just received yesterday in the mail from VWOA? Do you think your brake is good enough for a fast car (1.8T)? My 04 GLI has no gas gauge problem but I need to mix up the regular gas (87) with premium gas (93) to save one dollar per tank of fuel. Also I will replace a better braking pad to increase braking power.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Please tell me your not serious about mixing gas grades to save $1.....
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    That $1 per gallon you're supposedly saving may end up costing you big time in engine-related problems - especially in a turbocharged vehicle. IMHO, if you do not like
    paying for premium fuel, then you should consider trading the car for a naturally-aspirated car that runs on regular fuel.

    I purchased a 2003 Wolfsburg 1.8T Jetta brand new almost two years ago knowing that it requires premium fuel. So that's what I use.
  • waiwai Member Posts: 325
    My VR6 only requires 91 octane, so I can mix 3 gallons of regular (87 Octane) with 7 gallons of premium (93 Octane) to get a minimum Octane of 91.2. May be I thought 1.8T only requires 91 Octane. I will save only $1.00 per tank and not $1 per gallon. So far I cannot hear any engine knocking. I need to be cost saving because my driving style only gets 20.5 miles per gallon.
  • extremeproaudiextremeproaudi Member Posts: 5
    Re: i have a 94 jetta and i just put a thermostat in it ......where should the temp needle be during normal opperation i had a lower thermostat in it before and i dont know the normal temps for the stock thermostat.....also how far over should the needle go before you can say its overheating

    Sorry... The stock thermostat is 195 degree. normal operating temp should be the center of your gauge. If it's operating past 3/4 of your gauge, I would have it serviced soon. Possible culprits of overheating may be air in the system, bad radiator cap, or your motor running lean.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Hey guys,
    Anyone have this car and how do y'all like it? We've always been Japanese brand buyers and thinking about going over to VW. It's basically between the Mazda6 i and the Jetta VE.
    Any posts would be helpful to get me over my hesitance to go with VW, as I've heard and read horror stories about problems. We've been very lucky with our past Nissan's and Toyota's, and I want to get her a "reliable" car that's cheap to keep and will be a good "appliance" for her, as she looks at a car as an appliance and doesn't have the passion that I do!
    Since the car is for her, I am staying out of it, as any husband knows..."if she ain't happy...your life will be hell"! It's really hard to do this, but I don't want to be blamed for her buying the "wrong car".
    So, let me hear some good things about the new Jetta to ease my mind.
    Thanks all!!!

    The Sandman :confuse:
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I do not have any experience input on the brand new model 2005.5 Jetta, but have some starting at new to 55,000 miles on a 2003 Jetta.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Are you aware that gas stations that sell the "middle grade" are ALREADY mixing the hightest and lowgrade fuels? Think about it.... the gas-delivery trucks ONLY CARRY 2 GRADES and there are ONLY 2 BELOW-GROUND TANKS!

    Also, do not forget that there are trade-offs when you start to consider different brake-pad materials. Case-in-point, the "hi performance" pads that have superiour braking power NEED TO BE WARMED UP before they start to work... that is not a very good choice for a family-car.

    Some brake-pad material is so aggressive that your rotors will be trashed in short order. Other pad-material will create MASSIVE amounts of black dust that makes your wheels look aweful.

    Personally, I prefer CERAMIC-based pad material because of the low dusting and long-wearing performance it offers
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    You must be nuts.... anyone that feels the need to save $1 per TANK needs to reconsider their priorities. The extra time you spend at the gas station is worth more than $1. Do the calculations... compare how much you earn per minute at work and then multiply that by how many xtra minutes you spend messing around trying to save a $1.

    Personally, I want to spend AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE filling the tank on my car. I fill to the bottom of the filler neck and can travel about 650-700 miles till I need to stop for fuel again. Stopping to get fuel before it is near empty is simply a waste of my precious time.

    I used to think that I would save $$ by heating my home with wood. The firewood is cheaper than burning oil and installing a wood stove would only cost a few thousand dollars.... YA RIGHT... I am soooo glad that I thought it though. After more calculations, it was obvious that my TIME was worth much more than what it takes to cut, split, carry, stack...etc. I found it was much more efficent for me to work a few hours overtime per week to help pay for the fuel-oil to heat my home. Besides, I prefer to NOT have to get dressed and go outside when it it -18F at 2AM just to get some firewood for the woodstove.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    My wife loves hers only had it about a week. Some of the things we liked are:

    comfortable seats (Mazdas, like most, we find to be too small) include height adjustment for both.

    safety...lots of air bags, ABS, great 4 wheel disk brakes, good crash tests (overall top rated by IIHS), ESP (optional on our VE), weight (all else being equal heavier is safer)

    seems spacious for its size

    ride is a nice balance between handling and comfort

    power is adequate for us and is there right away...good torque at low rpms

    six speed trans coasts at about 2200 rpm @ 70 mph

    I don't know that this is the car to buy if you want an "appliance" though. It does come with a 4 year 50,000 mile warranty and 5 year 60,000 mile power train warranty.
  • dancermandancerman Member Posts: 220
    If you are concerned about saving dollars then change your driving style. You should get around 27 mpg with normal mixed driving. That's nearly 100 miles more per tank. :D
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    OOOOOK. So my gauge is still acting up. So now i need to be car less again. For how long? who knows, until they figure out (which i think its the fuel sending unit) what the problem is. Why can't this just be a simple fix??? this is my 2nd time trying. ugh.
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    So wait, what was the final conclusion in resulting to the problem???
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    What is ESP? Have no idea. I do think she likes the ride and interior of the Jetta much better than the Mazda6 i, and maybe the change will be good. My 2 daughters in college think it's a "cool car" and my son will be home from prep school on thursday and we haven't discussed it with him yet. But as he got his license this past August and hates his Moms Altima and prefers my Sentra, I think he will want to drive the Jetta even more once he see's it in the garage. He leaves for summer classes at Stanford on the 18th, so he'll probaly get to see it after his 8 week stay. Why would a senior in high school (Phillips Exeter Academy) want to go to Stanford and take college credit coures is beyond me. I'd rather stay home, find a part time job, and use one of our cars whenever he could to be with his"buds" and special girl...but it's his life.
    We are leaning towards the dark blue color, though I like the charcol color, as she has it on her current Altima. Car never looks quite as dirty as some other colors and she does not take car of her cars...has never washed 1 yet. She leaves me to get them detailed and cleaned out and take it for any service. Luckily, the VW store is about 2 miles away, it's a nice loooong walk, but doable if they give no loaners for warranty work. Will definitely inquire about loaner cars when we buy it.
    Am pleased to hear that your wife loves her car. Let mine read the write ups in "Motortrend" and "Car and Driver" last night to help her in her decision process and to really see the dash at night with that "cool" blue color.
    We plan to buy before the July 4th weekend eventhough there are no current incentives on this brand new model. Would rather wait on a 2006, we will just have to wait and see, as I want to put no more $ into the Altima at this point.
    Thanks so much bud for the positive response...it will help me with my "issues" about the reliability and all.
    Thanks again!

    The Sandman :)
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    Is the car still under warranty? If not, and if you are handy with tools, the sending unit can be replaced using the following instructions:

    1) Purchase the fuel sending unit, and if your car has high mileage (> 130K) purchase a new fuel pump (the sending unit and fuel pump are installed in your car as a unit). While you're at it, purchase some small hose clamps (the kind where you use a screwdriver to tighten - for hoses anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter) - the clamps used in the sending unit hoses are more than likely to be clips that are rendered useless after removal. www.germanautoparts.com is a good place to purchase the sending unit and/or the fuel pump. The clamps you can pick up at any auto parts or hardware store.

    2) Once you have purchased the unit, disconnect the battery (make sure you have your radio's activation code handy before doing so - you will need it to take the radio out of "SAFE" mode when you re-connect the battery).

    3) The fuel sending unit can be accessed by lifting the carpeting in the trunk and locating the fuel access panel (usually black in color and secured by 3 phillips screws). Remove the access panel.

    4) Disconnect the wiring harness from the fuel sending unit.

    5) Remove the two hoses from the sending unit and position them out of the way. At this time you will want to replace the hose clips with the hose clamps that you purchased.

    6) Unscrew the large plastic nut (kind of like a hollowed-out jar lid) from the top of the sending unit.

    7) You should now be able to remove the sending unit/fuel pump assembly.

    8) Installation is the reverse of these steps.

    Hope this helps... :)
  • waiwai Member Posts: 325
    I agreed with you that saving $1 is not worth that much time of a professional. But for me, every penny count. I only need to swipe the credit card one more time (takes 2 minutes at most) Have you notice that the gas station which post 0.05/G
    less during a specific day has more customers to fuel up their cars?
    Also I believed every grade of gas has a different ingredients ( not just Octane cotent), how can the gas wholesalers mix up two grades of gas and get the exact octant content for 89 Octane and 93 Octane? These different grades will be produced in the refinery factory before distributing to the wholesaler.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    bpeebles is correct.....When the gas tanker arrives at a gas station they only carry the 87 and 91 (93) octane fuels. To get the mid grade they mix the 2 to get 89.

    "Have you noticed that the gas station which post 0.05/G" difference in the cost of gas. I understand you are on a budget and thats a good thing, but lets look at this LOGICALLY.....$.05 is a savings of only $.70 per fill up.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    ESP is electronic stability program, which is VWs version of stability control. If you do not know what that is, you can read about it at: http://www.esceducation.org/

    My wife liked the Graphite Blue also, and that is what she bought.
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