Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • jreed1jreed1 Member Posts: 2
    :shades: Hello there Sandman,

    1st: she looks at a car as an appliance and doesn't have the passion that I do! I am a she and need an appliance and also have passion.

    I just bought the new Jetta 2005.5 two weeks ago. I didn't buy the Value Edition but I am sure most of what you’re asking about applies equally.

    My car history includes VW Rabbit, Golf, and Honda Civic HX I have NEVER had any problem with any of them. Though I must say the VW have been late 80 and early 90 models. All bought new and never had any problems and all very good cars.

    Keeping this simple, as far as over all quality, handling, and personal initial satisfaction I have to say as of today this car is a winner. I love it, and everyone who I show it too, and if lucky.. I let drive, feels the same and are very impressed. One is actually going to call and talk to my salesman.

    As far as I am concerned, the NEW Jetta has raised the bar when it comes to a small sized luxury that has some pep at an economy price. Not to even mention the safety ratings to help keep your family well! Anyway, when deciding to purchase a new car, I drove Hondas, Mazdas, Chryslers, and many many others, only to come back without looking back to the Jetta. I really don't think you will have any problem with your life "HEATING" up any Sandman due to buying the wrong car if you choose the Jetta 2005.5

    I am a very happy wife when it comes to this car, with only one thing...I am a very unhappy wife but only because I can't keep the hubby's grubby little paws off the wheel and keep him from snatching this car ever chance he can out of the garage!!!! I knew I was in trouble when one the first day, he found his extra pair of sunglasses and asked me to put them in MY new cars glove box!! I knew this was going to be a problem as he never asked me to do that before. I feel so violated! LOL

    Anyway, on a bright note: He at present has a newer Saturn 200 and now thinking about trading it for a Jetta diesel when it becomes available. Whew!

    Anyway hope this helps a bit!
  • andiw1andiw1 Member Posts: 1
    :cry: I have a new 5.5 jetta (5 spd) with 1100 miles and have noticed several issues:
    1. when i start the engine after the car has been sitting for 4+ hours there is a rattling in the under carriage, which stops after about 5-10 secs
    2. Theres is a a "wizzing" sound when the car is 1-3 gears
    3. Also there's a"muffled, dragging" sound during acceleration
    4. ocassionally when Iet off the clutch, there's sometime a jerk
    I took the car to the dealer and was told this are common with the 5.5 model and nothing could be done at this point and may be VW will have sent out a techincal update for the issues when I bring car in at 4,000 miles there
    Has any one else experience the same problem with their 5.5?
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Thanks for the helpful information. Right now, due to my car accident in April, we have put the new car on "hold" as we see what the financial situation looks like and my health situation, which has taken a turn for the worse since last week. Luckily I have a government job (24.5 years) and had my workers comp claims...long story...both accepted. But I am not physically or mentally able right now to buy a car. I like to test drive "the" car before we buy, and I always do all the research and negotiations at the dealership. And since I'm not feeling to well to test drive, doctor says to not drive at all, or negotiate, we will have to wait awhile. She's free to do this without me, but she probaly will wait till I improve a bit.
    Glad to hear you like the car so much, as she has decided to go with the Jetta when I feel better. It helps to hear good ownership stories!

    The Sandman :sick:
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    1. when i start the engine after the car has been sitting for 4+ hours there is a rattling in the under carriage, which stops after about 5-10 secs

    From what I have been reading on vortex, the engine being noisy for a few seconds after a cold start is a normal feature of some VW engines. Not sure if you are hearing something besides this normal VW noise. Ours is noisy after cold start and I guess the noise could be described as kind of a rattling.
  • jreed1jreed1 Member Posts: 2
    Dear Sandman,

    I am sorry to hear about your accident :sick: and hope you are feeling much better soon. :) I am glad to help out and I am sure she will be a happy wife. If you have any other questions I can do my best especially after a couple more months in running.

    The noise others talk about from the cold start I have as well and was concerned initally, but I was told that with a 5 cylinder engine engine sound is know to be a lot different. All of the Jetta's I test drove and were at cold start had this very same sound.

    Again Get Well Soon!
  • flynowflynow Member Posts: 2
    Hey did the VW overheat get figured out. Iam the middle of the same problem with my son's Jetta IV 2.0L. Idle it will run 190 degrees. Dive off an the thing will bury the temp at the 250 temp mark. I have checked the fans. THe radiator switch I thought was bad I replaced this did Nothing. The lower radiator hose is cold when the upper hose gets red hot. I think the water pump quit or the thermostat gets stuck until. Any good way to check the pump without tearing the thing all apart? :)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    quick way to check the waterpump is to see if the small hose plugged into the side of the resevour is "peeing" while the engine is running. You should be able to see this thru the resivour wall without even opening it.

    Also, check if the heater can blow HOT air with the fan on high. A whimpy waterpump would not be able to supply a constant supply of hot water to the heater. (irreguardless if the thermostat is good or not)

    REMINDER: USE ONLY THE VW-SPECIFIED ANTRIFREEZE!! (lest you risk plugging up the cooling system with goo)
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    Hi what is the best way to bleed the air out of a cooling system of a 94 Jetta 2.0?? I know that since the radiator is lower than the engine, that it is a pain to get all of the air out. Also, under the radiator cap the hose pees in the resivior but not constanly. It sort of drips alot in, stops for like 1 second then continues in the pattern. Thanks, Nate
  • carisscariss Member Posts: 1
    Hey - am really frustrated with the "check engine light" issue. The light has gone on 3 times. So far have replaced the hoses, have replaced the catalytic converter, and after the last $1000, the check engine light is on again! Going back into the shop next week. Any advice - is VW doing anything about these problems??? I've read the posts so far and am ready to sell the car - it belongs to my daughter, its a 2000 Jetta GLS 2.0 liter automatic with 43,000 miles...
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Before you give up completely, stop by our "Check Engine" light discussion and see if you can find some help there...

    Best of luck to you.
  • glavinsologlavinsolo Member Posts: 12
    So I just got back from the dealership. I test drove a TDI 2005.5 Jetta. Styling inside and out is great and I am ready to buy. Until the salesman tells me that the 2006's are coming. Why he told me this I don't know. But now I am waiting for an 06. The head manager informed me that the 2006 will differ some from the 2005.5. I was wondering if anyone has any information on these changes because the manager either didn't know or was witholding.

    Please fill me in because I wouldn't mind getting a 2005.5 since it is here and ready. But if a 2006 will bring something I want then its a no-brainer.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    We're in the same situation here as well. If the arrival date will be soon, as in the next 2 months or so, we'd rather wait for the 2006. Since I can't drive, or am not supposed to... :sick: ...the wife can always use my car for awhile.
    Any help would be great. TIA all.

    The Sandman :confuse:
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I truly do not know how successful VW (America) has been able to implement any of the corporate improvement plans. It is a very long distance from the "handle of the bull whip (CEO) to the loud snap POPPER portion" or the business end, so to speak.

    I received a VT and VT12 recall notice in the mail for a 2003 VW Jetta TDI and called my local dealer to set up an appointment. The VT recall is on the 2003/2004 Jetta Sedan where both rear door lock rods are inspected repositioned and the plastic assembly aid is secured with one clip each. Then a VT (12) and out of spec plastic pieces are repositioned with an assembly aid as required. In my case, they installed one clip. This took app an hour from the initial intake (and subsequent new customer intake interview) to the time I was out the door and heading home.

    In almost 2 years and 56,000 miles, this was my first dealer visit. The car has performed flawless! The customer interface was handled very professionally. My antenna went up a bit when the person who jockeyed the cars chirped one other customers' tires, but other than that, the dealers environment was quite pleasant. I was more than relieved when I got the car back in one piece. I even got a chance to look at the new and used cars on the lot and in the showroom.

    The interesting thing was the discussion with another customer who had the exact same body style and color as mine, sans 2002 model and probably most importantly a GASSER model. I perked up a bit when she mentioned she did app the same mileage per year that I did.(she did app 26,000 miles per year 80k miles or so total) When I told her the 2003 was a diesel and performed flawlessly, she looked at me like I was from another planet. Her experiences were FAR different than mine. So to make a long story short, VW between years 2002 and 2003 managed to improve the litany of issues. The unknown is how that constant improvement program will bear on the 2005.5 or 2006 model that you happen to get! In her words, VW quality can literally be night and day. I sort of labeled it Dr Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. :(:)
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    From what I have read, the 2006s are supposed to start arriving in August. They will have a lot of differences in standard equipment and option packages. So depending on what stuff is important to you, the 2005.5 or the 2006 might be the better deal.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    All the wife wants is mats and keyless. I want door edge guards and wheel well mouldings...so we don't really want alot. Looks like 2006 will be it for us, as her birthday is in August and I don't want to pay for new plates and then repay when she buys a new car. Her a/c is almost gone on her Altima, so I guess she'll have some hot days ahead. I was ready to buy over the Memorial Day Weekend, but she wanted to wait a bit. Bad decision on her part...oh well!
    I haven't even driven one yet. Since my car accident in April, I don't drive much and I told her I would only drive the particular car she wants to buy...no matter what brand. She wants and likes the Jetta, but won't pull the trigger. Hopefully 2 or 3 days with no a/c in South Florida will help her decide. I learned long ago in married life not to push so I can't be blamed when things happen...pretty big on "personal responsibility" here...a valuable lesson I'm trying to teach my kids.
    She really likes the blue color, but I'm leaning towards the silver or white. Does anyone know if the white has the shiny clear coat?
    Thanks again for all the help guys. We don't buy cars that often and we want to be very sure about this!

    The Sandman :)
  • panthermanpantherman Member Posts: 1
    I had acquired a 1985 Diesel Jetta with a manual transmission. I had to have the clutch replaced after a short while so I took it into the shop, they later said that it was hard downshifting and the transmission was possibly bad, my question. Is there anywhere on the net, or any ideas locally where I can look, to see if there's a good used transmission for the Jetta, or some place that rebuilds them? I'd hate to have to junk the car, as the clutch replacement and other misc. things ran up $832 in parts that I'll otherwise not use.

    :cry:
    :sick:
  • hersheytx1hersheytx1 Member Posts: 13
    Just bought my 05.5 Jetta TDI this weekend. Got the Package 2 white with tan interior.
    As for waiting for the 06. It all depends on how highend you want this baby. The more stuff you want the more you are going to want the 05.5. A few things standard on the package 2 like power passager seat, side mirror turnsignals, tiptronic transmission. All of these things are giong away for the package 2 options. You will have to step up to the package 3 to get those and the Nav.
    I figured that I wanted the price (27,600) with all the options. I am being told the price will be going up for the same options in the package 3. I guess we will know in a few months if this is truth.
    As for the ride and drive. So far it has been wonderful. I am really impressed with the acceleration and criusing speed. It is very easy to top 80 mph without feeling it.
    I think I have a slight rattle in the passager door panel with the stereo speaker. When their is a lot of bass. Going to wait for a week before I decide if adjusting the stereo output fixes the problem. (May have to much bass)
    As for the gas mileage. First tank, lead foot....ya I think we can safely say that the mileage is not going to be great right now. Got a trip planned from Dallas to some beaches in Florida in 2 weeks. Will get some better numbers to post then.
    Jeff
    Dallas, Tx
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    The wife test drove this on Sunday while I sat in the back. All I can say is..."what a nice car!" The cloth is just so-so and I could see the tracks of the drivers front seat, as she sits pretty close to the wheel. She said the car handled very nicely and turns at slow speed were "very easy...easier than my Altima".
    We like the charcol color, so if she decides on the Jetta, they will have to find it. We both also liked the GL (?) model, the next level up, a bit better with the leatherette seating, though I preferred the 6 CD changer and the nicer alloy wheels, which she doesn't care for. She did like the feature that tells you how many miles left in the tank though. I will only test drive the final car she buys when she's ready.
    Hopefully, she will decide soon as the a/c in the Alty is almost gone...it was hot yesterday afternoon! Time will tell. She wants to try out the Mazda 6 one more time.
    Will keep y'all posted, but methinks we'll have a new Jetta in the garage by July 4th!

    The Sandman :sick:
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Speaker rattle is a known issue and dealer should have a fix for it.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Most VW dealers have inventory on-line. You can go to vw.com...and "find dealer". This will give you a list of all nearby dealers and their web sites. Most of the web sites will have list of inventory available. Have heard of dealers claiming car in color someone wants is not available anywhere, but when they looked for themselves they found another nearby dealer who had exactly what was wanted.

    The upgraded model of new Jetta with leatherette is called "2.5". "GL" etc. was used for the outgoing model. Alloys are part of option package 1 with sunroof, etc. Steel wheels with wheel covers are standard for 2005.5.
  • gatz84gatz84 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 97 VW Jetta GLX VR6. I recently bought this vehicle and when i had it my 6 cd player worked fine, until one day when it started showing E1 msgs on my stereo screen. I dont kno by that time i just inserted a new cd into the changer and ever since then everytime i try to use the cd changer it scans for a bit and then shows me an E1 msg... can anyone help me? or know whats wrong? i dont know whats going on but it scans the disc and when it goes to the track scan it then gives me an msg saying "-E1-". so please some1 help.
  • hivesenatedhivesenated Member Posts: 5
    Hey guys I own a 2004 GLS Jetta. I guess I have premium cloth seats fabric in Gray color. I hate them! They stain really bad. I recently had a gallon of water fall in my trunk so some water got to my back seats and now they are stained. Any little thing, even saliva will stain. I dont know if there is anything that I can clean them with. If anybody knows please let me know. I heard Windex works really well but Im scared of just adding more to the mess.

    Also I was wondering ...

    what if I just bought new seats? I really wanted black one's so ... if that were the case ... How much would that run for? And where could I find these seats?

    My seats are great, really comfortable, but I just cant deal with the color. Anything can be seen on them. It really makes me car look bad. Help!
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Go to an auto detailer and pay them to professionally clean the seats and detail the interior. Then go to you local Pep Boys, Auto Zone, NAPA, et al and buy some fabric protectant. READ AND FOLLOW the instructions and it should eliminate the staining.

    Good Luck.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    Try Scotchguard on the seats after you get them cleaned. Whenever I buy a new car, I always have a fresh can ready in the garage and spray the seats the 1st night. By morning they're all dry. I will even do a second coat within a week. Has always worked on the previous 6 cars that we've owned.
    Good luck and hopefully it'll work out. I sat in the new 2005.5 Jetta while the wife drove it and was not that impressed with the charcol cloth in the Value Package. Hopefully she'll opt for the model with the leatherette seating surfaces.

    The Sandman :sick:
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    The Leatherette is nice. I have it in my Passat and it looks and feels like leather. No leather scent though!!! :cry:
  • grove4grove4 Member Posts: 95
    I saw a new jetta parked next to a "newer" corolla and I had to stop and stare for a second.Wow,they are almost too similar especially the tail end.I couldnt believe that it didnt strike me before.Now I am wondering what the corrolla cost loaded b/c I think tou get more power in the corolla,not sure though ,but its close.
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    I test drove a Corolla over the Memorial Day Weekend and was not impressed. The brakes were as "mushy" as the 2 Camry's and 2 Corolla's we owned in the '90's. Drove a Camry with abs and it also had that "mushy" feeling. For that reason alone, we took Toyota off our list.
    The wife drove the new Jetta last weekend and said the brakes had good modulation and pedal feel with the abs. The Value Edition comes with 6 airbags and traction control, ESP, or something like it. All she needs to do is decide on what Jetta she wants and then she'll buy. We both prefered the leatherette seating surfaces, so I think she'll get the mid level model, or the old "GL".

    The Sandman :sick:
  • ruking1ruking1 Member Posts: 19,826
    I think that VW Jetta (TDI) is actually an incredibily quality made vehicle. If the Germans could get the reliability and price points right, (for our markets) that would be dyno mite!

    After living with a 2004 Honda Civic VP and 2003 VW Jetta TDI, side by side 12,000 and 56000 miles respectively, I can say that Honda (Toyota) does a much better job selling an inferior quality vehicle with greater reliability and price points than VW does with a higher priced, higher quality vehicle and some nagging reoccuring problems and nit picking, drive you crazy type issues. Best of luck in your choices!
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    Hi can anyone tell me what the common symptoms are for an ECU failure. thanks also how much would it cost to rebuild it or a new one
  • jackrabbitjackrabbit Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 2000 Jetta VR6. At first the 'check engine' light came on once every few tanks of fuel. After 6 months, it comes on every tank of fuel. I changed gas caps and refuel the car accoring to the manual ( I don't top off the tank).
    Disconnecting the battery every tank of fuel to reset the light is getting old......
    Has anyone had this problem and what's the fix?
    Thanx, JR
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I'd go and get the code read to see what the problem is for the CEL. Autozone reads them for free and will tell you what's going on. Then you can decide how to proceed.
  • nike8nike8 Member Posts: 8
    I have a 04 jetta auto,115hp engine.I was changing my oil(engine) when i realized i drained the wrong oil.The oil i drained is located on the opposite side of the engine oil pan (drivers side).It looks like regular engine oil.What oil did i drain and how and where to i fill it back up.
  • natewins11natewins11 Member Posts: 29
    you drained your tranny oil. just put the plug back in a get auto tranny oil. look for the tranny dipstick under the hood and just fill it up to specs
  • nike8nike8 Member Posts: 8
    After talking with 2 VW dealers they both said it must be filled using a special
    machine.They said the tranny oil never has to be changed and you must you VW
    trans fluid to refill.I could not find any dipstick or anything in the manual about tranny oil or to be changed.I checked with my mechanic and said they could be telling the truth.He had no info on his computer about replacing trans oil.
    So after dishing out $238 to refill the transmissiom oil for my stupid stupid blunder
    hope it doesnt happen to you,but if does keep this info in mind.
    By the way i am still not positive if i was robbed or not,but couldnt wait it was saturday i had it towed and they returned it the same day they even washed and
    vacuumed the car.Good service.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Newer VW transmissions are "sealed" and their maintenance schedule does not call for any fluid changes. The fluid is an expensive synthetic in these units...because it has to theoretically last "the life of the vehicle".

    If you put the wrong fluid in you would ruin your transmission,according to what I have read on another forum.

    When I was researching maintenance costs for a new Jetta we bought recently, a dealer told me that the fluid would only be changed if there was some problem with the trans. But if it did need to be done it was expensive...like $200-300.

    But why would there be a drain plug in these :confuse:
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The drain plug is there to allow it to be drained if the need arises.... and it cannot POSSIBLY be 200-300 dollars to drain-refil the tranny.

    BTW -- are we talking AUTOMATIC or MANUALL transmission here?
  • ricomanricoman Member Posts: 1
    Sorry, to ask such a simple question, but where is the low pressure charge valve located on a 2000 Jetta 2.0. You would think is would be clearly marked. Thanks.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Okay, so the person who just paid $238 actually did not do so...and two different dealers lied to me about the cost too, I guess...
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    perhaps there is another reason.... its called RIPOFF.

    BTW...please tell us MANUAL or AUTOMATIC xmission.
  • nike8nike8 Member Posts: 8
    my first message #12542 indicates automatic transmission.(bpeebles)
  • gabe02gabe02 Member Posts: 1
    I have 1995 Jetta and while replacing the air filter I noticed that there was oil in the tubing................IS THIS NORMAL???????????? If not can anyone HELP ME?????
  • sandman46sandman46 Member Posts: 1,798
    We decided to buy a Mazda3 S instead of the V W. Wife just liked the Mazda overall better. Plus we got a real steal on the car as it was the end of the month and we had $800. worth of coupons from Mazda and our dealer.
    Thanks for everyone's help in making our decision. It's greatly appreciated.
    Zoom Zoom!

    The Sandman :)
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    I really think VW killed some potential Jetta customers with this new one. :(
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    I really think VW killed some potential Jetta customers with this new one.

    You can say that about any car. Some will like it and some will not. My wife and I considered the Mazda 3, took about 3 seconds to decide we would not want one. Different buyer have different vehicle preferences.

    They did at least apparently did sell slightly more of the new Jetta in June 2005 than they sold of the old one in June 2004 (8007 vs. 7912). In addition to the 8007, they also sold 1120 leftover old Jettas in June 2005.
  • bklynjettabklynjetta Member Posts: 4
    Can anyone tell me how to remove the wire from the spark plug on a 2002 Jetta 2.0 Automatic? There is like a metal casing and I am unable to just pulled the wire off the spark plug. Thanks
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Oil in the intake is not unusual. The oil gets sucked out of the top of the engine at high RPM. The PCV system has an "oil seperator" plugged into the top of the cam cover. If it gets overwhelmed with oil (high RPMs), it may allow oil into the intake.

    The biggest problme this may cause is to ruin the MAF (MassAirFlow) sensor.

    This has been somwhat 'normal' on the VW inline 4 cylinder engine for at least 20 years. I encounterd it on My 1979 VW Scirocco with 1.6L engine.. It happened on my 1981 VW rabbit-pickup with the 1.8L engine. I saw it on my daugheters 1989 Golf with 1.9L engine.It also happens with the 2.0 L engine
    (all of these engines are based on the same design)

    You can reduce this phenomina by careful oil selection and keeping the PCV system uyp to par.

    Also, a plugged snowscreen can easiily cause excessive oil to be sucked into the intake. The showscreen should be cleaned AT LEAST once a year. (I am not sure if the 1995 has the snowscreen)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The metal casing is PART of the sparkplug wire. do not pull on the wire. There is a special tool (looks like pair of pliers) designed to pull that metal casing off the sparkplug.

    The special tool is not required... you should be able to get it pulled off with careful use of pliers. MAKE SURE YOU YOUR SILICONE GREASE ON ALL BOOTS when re-assembling. This will make later removal much easier.

    To get at the sparkplugs beneath the intake plenum, the plenum may need to be removed. (metric allenhead screws hold it on)
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    I'm looking into buying a roof rack for my jetta. It will be used to put my skis/snowboard onto this winter. any suggestions?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The VW rack system really fits well and has many options. (snowbaord, skiis, bike, general-purpose...etc.)

    It is expensive, perhaps you can locate a used one.
  • tommyltommyl Member Posts: 6
    I own a 2003 VW Jetta TDI does anybody know how many quarts are supposed to be used while performing oil change? It doesn't state it in the manual....my buddy says four quarts, I think 4.5 quarts.

    Please respond ASAP...THANKS
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