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Comments
On non-turbo Jettas, there's a plastic shield in front of the lower air vent under the bumber on the right side. On turbo models, this shield must not be installed at the factory as it provides additional cooling to the turbo unit which sits just behind. Sometimes the factory screws up, not knowing which motor is going in, and incorrectly installs the shield on a turbo model.
The lack of air caused the secondary interchanger air valve to burn out, affecting the catalytic converter (hence the MIL light).
It didn't damage or overtax the turbo at all, even though intercooling wasn't optimal. So they removed the shield, and told me I should see an increase of about 8 hp and better gas milage. We'll see. Roads were wet so I really didn't stomp on it on the way back. I've been getting 25-27 mpg in mixed driving so a few more will make me happy!
They had to order the valve, and will install it next week. Car will run fine, but MIL light may or may not come back on until the new valve is in.
So, if you have a turbo, look/feel for that shield. If you see it (black plastic, about 2.5 by 12 inches) have the dealer remove it.
Incidentally, the shield is stamped "made in Mexico" which is perfectly fine by me because it really means "made in Mexico from German design under the supervision of German foremen." Just glad it wasn't made in China!!
Another friend with a chipped 1.8T Passat did it a few months ago. Loves it.
Both guys did Neuspeed (Nuespeed?). I've heard good things about GIAC's chips too.
As for the warranty. Every test drive I took in a Jetta the salesman mentioned getting a chip for more power and that chipping the engine will NOT result in a voiding of the warranty UNLESS it can be proven the chip caused the damage. Every salesguy insisted their mechanics deal with chipped cars daily and say nothing of it. Yes they could be lying, but why would four different sales guys at four different dealerships all lie about the same thing?
Dealer: Pitcairn VW, Philadelphia, PA
I took a friend in my new Jetta to see a car for him. The sales associate sees the "BORA" emblem on my car and is puzzled. FYI, a relative from UK gave me that emblem (the Jetta is called BORA worldwide, except US) to personalize my car. He says that does BORA mean that the car is a "BORE". What a jackass. My Jetta is a VR6, leather, luxury, alloys, monsoon, sunroof, the works. And a VW sales dude calls is BORING????? Is he nuts or what? Also while clinching the deal, he came down to calling it just a tin of metal on wheels (while we bargained on the price.) Needless to say that he was just a "car salesman" and we bought a car at a good price after we used the Ricart-in-Ohio method of crass haggling.
Dealer: Byer's Imports, Columbus, OH
We go in to buy my new Jetta and we find that we know more about the car than the salesperson. Not only did we bully her over the engine options and horsepower, but she was totally null on the difference between a fully loaded VR6 GLS and a GLX. (She claimed it was just the wood trim). The fun was hen I asked her if the Jetta had a V5 (which is offered in Germany). She said that she would have to check on the manager for that.
Dealer: MAG, Columbus, OH
The experience is great, the showroom great and the salesperson, who even knows that the trash receptacle in the back seat is RED. But the dealership's damn liar. He claimed that a Silver Arrow with Black leather was rare and refused to sell the car at nothing but the MSRP. Pitcairn has 6 of the "rare", Byer's has "5", Princeton VW has a host and I have 7 right here in my office parking lot. (Hence the need for BORA). The sweet-looking ex-cheerleader finance consultant makes a "mistake" on the tax calculation and charges almost 8%+.
General comments: VW has a College Grad Program that offers 6% interest with no credit history. Only MAG told me about it (though they lied about the rate on the PASSAT). The others refuse to accept its existence. Given the "culture" promoted by VW as being heavy on the design aesthetic with their cars, advertisement, attitude; it is a shame that such moron's sell cars here.
Bottomline: (This needs to be verified) A randomly contacted dealer in the UK even knew who designed the Bettle, Jetta, Passat, Audi A's, the Ford Focus, and the new Thunderbird. Chances anyone in the US knows?
If 90 HP is out of the question then you have to be referring to the TDI which has 90 HP and 155 lb-ft of torque. The 2.0 have virtually the ame 0-60 times (10-11 secs.) and the TDI has better driveability due to max torque available below 2K RPM.
So you are left with the 1.8T and VR6. Are you sure you do not need a sports car for your 71 year old father?
1.8T and VR6 both require premium 91 octane fuel.
Reliability of the motors is a question that will only be answered over the next few years and all of the choices come with 10/100 powertrain warranty so I would say have your father drive the choices and choose what he likes best.
Not choosing the TDI 90 HP engine because it only has 90 HP is ignorant. It has performance equal to a higher HP gasoline motor, it starts in the winter, does not smell, is quiet at highway speeds and only somewhat louder at city driving speeds, and obtains 40 MPG plus using a fuel that is cheaper than gasoline.
BTW, I've heard nothing but wretched things about the 2.0 L engine. Most of the mechanics I've spoken with have said it's the reason VW has a bad reputation right now. Personally, I know it's anemic and even when mated with a 5 speed it can't get out of its own way. Just a thought.
Contrariwise, in europe many salespeople are "car" people - they love cars. They drive rather than commute. They really work their engines rather than yap on the cell phone. People who sell cars do so because they *like* cars and really KNOW their cars (and others' as well). There, it is a "profession" rather than a job. Even average europeans know a lot more about cars than average americans. Here, when someone asks "what kind of car was s/he driving?" I often hear the response: "A white one" or "A truck thing."
Americans commute. Europeans drive. My favorite is in Germany on a 2 lane road when the driver pulls out to pass with an oncoming car in sight. The car being passed and the oncoming car simply "make room" for 3 cars (at 60+mph) so the passer can pass. No big deal. Here people often wont even go past a truck or bus next to them (i.e. 2 lanes going in same direction) because it is too scary.
I was at the dealer the other day looking at my new WE. A dude started asking me questions. "Wolfsburg models are made in Germany, right?" I explained that was not the meaning, then all the cars' attributes. He turned to leave and said, "you know a hell of a lot more than the guy I talked to yesterday."
Sad, huh?
Any reccomendations or suggegtions would be extremely helpful.
Thank you!
I agree about salespeople - I've always known more than they do, and you can't rely on things they tell you, because they lie - "No, you can't get a sunroof in this trim line," when the da*n brochure says you can. They just don't have one on the lot is all! I'd think one would be much more successful in sales if they only took the time to research their product. For VW, it's easy, only five models!
I have it installed in my Jetta. It is about the easiest mod you can do. I ordered 2 from a dealership and put one in my car and one in a friends. Here is a link to the part numbers and pictures. Make sure to order the part number for the right color/car.
It is great- just use the original screws that are currently holding the "oh s**t handle" with the sunglass holder. The two screws that come with the sunglass holder are too short.
http://www.reimundez.com/vwmods/sunglassholder.html
They go for like $18.
Gregg
The space in the dash board bothers me...
I have a CD Changer in the trunk, so I don't want an in dash as well...
DOes anyone have any ideas as to what to do with the space?????????????
I gave them the part number and sure enough, it's there. I ordered one for $16.80 plus tax.
Part No. 1 JO-875-465-Y20
It's amazing how little toys for us big boys bring so many joys!!
1J0-857-465-Y20 (Grey for Golf IV/Jetta IV)
1J0-857-465-3PT (Beige for Golf IV/Jetta IV)
1co-857-465-y20 (Grey for Passat/New Beetle)
1co-857-465-8ys (Beige for Passat/New Beetle)
Gregg
As regards the 2.0 liter, my son has a 1999 Golf GLS with 26,000 miles, and it is trouble free. There is no excessive oil burning, engine ring problems, or any other malaise. The "bad rap" is rumor mongering, and nonsense. At his college, there are MANY V'W's--it is the car of choice for young people. All of them are extremely happy with their cars, and have NO complaints.
Enjoy your VW's--they are "Beemer lite--" 30% less price, 30% less pretetentiousness, and 30% less expensive repairs for 98% as much car.
I don't know much about it and that is why I'm asking anyone here to help me out.
Does anyone here know?
Milutin
Is there an in-dash multi-CD changer that can be installed in the Jetta? I've seen a few models available, such as the Pioneer CDX-PD6. Do any of these work with the CD changer controls in the stock Casette unit?
Thanks for any info.
Hope this helps.
oil before shut down is probably just a good thing...And, all I am talking about is 20-30
seconds for normal driving; longer as appropriate...
hcorner
While you are waiting for some answers, you might want to use the "scroll up 20 messages" link at the top of this page a few times to find some discussion on the 1.8T.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
One problem, no CD player. Some people have mentioned a Panasonic trunk changer. Anyone know what model numbers slip right into the slot in the trunk? The car's a lease, so I don't want to seriously mess with the wiring.
BTW, I drove the VR6 and I felt it was extremely nose heavy even with the sport suspension. The 1.8T's fun but my WE seems to lean a tad too much in the corners. I may have to swap out my current set up for something more sporty.
Anyway, great car!
Karl Flaig
editor@blue-guy.com
As for the changer, I just bought the Panasonic CX-DP610 from LogJam electronics for $195 + $49 for the interface cable, no tax or shipping charges. I hope it fits in the trunk cubby, but I'm not sure. If someone here has that changer (and I know some of you do!) could you briefly describe if it fits in the cubby, and if not, how/where you installed it?
I also ordered a 1 1/4" draw-tite receiver hitch from Hitch-Web.com to carry my bike rack.
I cant stop driving this car. I have had it 8 days and already have 160 miles on it already! Of course, I live in Houston and in 1 week it has almost been flooded out twice already (tuesday - 12 inches rain, friday - 28 inches rain). I figured I could activate the 8 airbags and the darn thing would just float!
-t
The stereo hook-up is pretty easy. The hard thing is to hook up the interface cable to the pre-supplied jack in the back there, by the harness. You have to pull the plug out of its holder, then BE SURE to pull out the dummy plug at the end of it. THEN plug the interface into it and you're set.
But first, do you have the brackets from the dealer? Go to your VW dealer and get a pair of the CD-changer brackets. Screw those onto the changer's body, then the changer just slides right into the harness. There's also a trick to getting the MIX function on the HU to work on all the discs and not just one. It's in the owner's manual, but let me know if you need help with it.
I've had my VR6 for about three weeks now (and, for the record, it handles just fine) and I put the Panasonic in the trunk the second day I had the car. It sounds good and everything, but it does skip a little more often than I thought it would. I had read that it would only skip on massive, teeth-shaking potholes, but in my experience it skips when I hit bumps and smaller potholes. It's not a massive deal, and it's really great to have a 6-disc changer. That said, the changer isn't infallible. (Then again, I live in Chicago, where the potholes are deep enough to house a family of 12.)
-Plugbug
Thanks for the install info you gave, I will try to get some brackets tonight.
- t
This guy has a complete set of instructions.
I found a place online that sells the DP610 for 177, and Al & Ed's Stereo claims they'll match it. If so, that's a nice deal. Although Logjam could be cheaper if the shipping is free and no tax is charged.
The extra cartridge is on back order, and they contacted me to see if i wanted the changer and cable sent first, and await the extra magazine. They only charged for the two items until the cartridges arrive. The email notification was prompt and friendly. So far I have good impression of LogJam, but I'll report more after I get the items and see if they are "intact" and not recovered from a crashed plane ro something.
Thanks for the instructions!
- t
With the dealer brackets, the changer fits into the harness in the back cubby-hole. It fits right into the slot that's there, and you just screw it into the brackets you get from the dealer after you attach them to the changer.
And blueguydotcom is right -- that step-by-step installation guide he listed is really helpful. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
Incidentally, I'm wondering what other people think of the Panasonic DP610. As I mentioned before, I've found it skips more often than I thought it would. Anyone else find that, or do I have a less-than-perfect unit?
Plugbug yes that guide seems very helpful, I didnt understand the "bracket" thing until I saw the pics, I am glad it will slide into the cubby. I might take pics of a Jetta install as I do it, and see if that guy will post them to his website since he shows a GTI install (I dont know how to make web pages
When I do the install (18th is when my changer arrives) I think I will add a bit of foam padding and bubble wrap strategically to provide a bit of buffetting. I did that once on a CD install in a Blazer and it helped a lot. I will let you know if my planned padding fits, and how much skipping I get - Houston roads should provide an excellent test. My last car was an '88 Mustang 5.0 with a positively gut wrenching ride, I had a Sony in dash CD. That thing NEVER skipped, even 9 years after it was installed. I hope Panasonic is as good. My Sony only skipped if I put in a scratched CD (I am notorious for taking lousy care of my CDs). Plugbug make sure your discs are clean and not scratched.
Sorry for duplicate posts yesterday I hit refresh by accident and it reposted my message.
- t
I'm considering purchasing my first VW and wanted to know if anyone has any experience with Colonial VW or Patrick VW.
Thanks
Just for future reference, you do have the ability to delete your own posts - look beside the date and time of your post - you should see a blue delete button beside it.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
Thanks,
Have to look it up in the manual, though.
I know of 1 chap who puts 87 octane in a Lexus LX300 which also recommends 91 octane.
BTW anyone able to decode the tire pressure info on the fuel cap? What's the optimum for 16" ones? When I bought the car, they came filled to 36.
Anyway, several of the lots keep their inventories in elevated garages, so finding an ok new car shouldnt really be an issue. Also, new cars are covered by their insurance, so if there is any damage they will just send those to auction houses at no loss and get new inventories.