Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

blueguydotcom

I would avoid buying it online as you can find local car stereo shops that sell stuff dirt cheap. Don't you have any free magazines that are packed with advertisements for radios and cell phones? In San Diego we've got The Reader and it's packed with ads...I just called five or six places and boom, found a great price on a brand new one.

As for online, sub $200:

Go to Yahoo Shopping and just type in DP610. A whole gaggle of units pop up.

Also try www.mysimon.com .

blueguydotcom

The Jetta sport suspension barely changes anything with the car's ride or handling. The differences are minute, at best.

fischda

Without checking, the sport suspension can be had with either 16" or 17" wheels, 205 or 225 series tires, stiffer springs, and it's an inch or two lower. Some say the different is evident.

Do you have it, Blueguy? Did you drive both? I've been wanting to drive a 2002 1.8T with sport to see how it differs from my 2000 without.

blueguydotcom

I drove the 1.8T without it. There's a difference. It's not huge but the sports suspension makes the car drivable at least. It's just that with any serious driving the suspension is not up to the task. Post purchase lowering is essentially mandatory. Check out VWvortex.com. The forums are loaded with useful bits and opinions.

pamlita

Hey Mr. Blueguydotcom,
Thanks for the info on the cd changer. Do you know if there is a compatible changer with a 12 CD capacity? Or is the Panasonic 6 CD changer the only one compatible with the 2002 Jetta GLS Monsoon system?
Thanks!

shawn325i

blueguydotcom

There is a panasonic 8 disc changer but the OEM head unti will only control discs 1-6. Somebody mentioned with the 8 disc you can get a controller that allows you to skip to 7 and 8 by depressing 1 and 2 at the same time. Could be so. BUT, the Panasonic DP610 is the VW OEM CD player. You get the connector and drop it in. Done deal. The OEM head-unit can be finnicky from what I've heard.

pamlita

I appreciate the information about the CD changer. I'll go ahead and get the DP610.
- Pamlita -

eddieis

Does anyone know if a new Jetta can be fitted with an aftermarket navigation system? If so, can you recommend a few? Thanks

vocus

I am thinking about closing a deal on a 2002 Blue Lagoon Jetta GLS 1.8T with tiptronic, Leather Pkg., Luxury Pkg., CD player, and NE emissions. How much over invoice should I pay? I think $500-600 over is good. Is that about right?

moparbad

New for 2002 will be the Jetta GLI VR6 (201 HP) with only a 6 speed manual transmission available.
This new model will come standard with Sport Suspension, and 17" alloys and tires and the Sport interior as seen in the Jetta GLX/Wolfsburg Limited Editions.
Colors will be UniBlack, Reflex Silver Metallic, Blue Lagoon Metallic and Tornado Red.
Interior choices will be Black, Gray and Beige in Leather and Cloth.

Also the GLX VR6 201HP is now in production and is only coming with 5 speed tiptronic, no manual.

Anakin

Sounds pretty good to me. I paid 700 over invoice for my 02 GLS 1.8T with Lux package, Monsoon, 6CD changer.

vocus

I am the proud owner of a Cool White 2002 VW Jetta GLS 1.8T with auto., Sport Luxury Pkg., Monsoon, NE emissions, and cassette/CD combo. Now I know what you meant my Perma-Smile. Boy, do I have it now!!! I love the way it drives.

I paid $600 under MSRP, which according to TMV is about $200 too high in my area. Oh well, I don't care. I love it!!!

vwguild

Paul... Welcome to the VW Family!!! Congratulations!!!! And, with no offense to
Edmund's, they do not sell cars...You were happy
with the financial package you signed or you would
not be driving your new 1.8T; so ENJOY!!!!

And don't forget...Service every 6 months or 5K
Miles whichever comes first, and rotate the tires
front to back and back to front...Any questions???
Just call...

vocus

Why front to back and back to front? Because they are the 17s? Tell me more.

rwr1708

Hey all!

I've been kicking around getting a new car to replace my very solid, but kinda boring Subaru. I've been looking at the Jetta, but won't be ready to buy for a few months yet. The dealer sales manager who I spoke with, told me that VW will send out a different allotment of cars come the second week of January, which will cost the dealers' more, and drive up invoice. Does anyone know if there is any truth to this?
Secondly, I'm looking for a 1.8T, tip auto, silver w/ grey leather and monsoon and am in Western PA. The dealer told me it may be tough to find one. Has anyone in this region, or on the east coast, had problems finding this combo?
Finally, I was wondering if anyone has any experiences, good or bad, with this car in the snow. I do a fair amount of winter travelling, and this is a significant consideration. (Aww, who am I kidding, I'll probabaly buy it anyway. It's about time I had a fun car!!!)

Thank you in advance.

vwguild

Your Pilots are *Directional* tires...

vwguild

The Dealership's Sales Manager was doing what
they all try to do...satisfy their needs(selling
a car that is on the ground today)instead of
trying to satisfy your needs( getting you the car
you want, when you want it)...Go figure!

BTW...The small, $200, price increase on Jettas applies
to all 2002s, even the ones that are on the ground, and
not for cars coming in next year...There is a new 201HP
VR6, with a 6 Speed tranny coming after the 1st, but that
has nothing to do with the car that you are looking at.

archen

I bought a 2002 GLS Jetta 1.8T,Lux.,auto,monsoon in late September. From Edmunds,I knew that a CD player should be standard. Mine has just a Cassette and the salesman said that the CD wouldn't be standard until the 2002.5 model. Today I saw a new Jetta with a CD/radio combo that looks great. Was I buffaloed or is this an optional stereo setup? signed-Galactic blue

vwguild

This was a *Running Change* just like the Passat.
Week #32 was the crossover date...

FYI...There is no such thing as a 2002.5...
This was nomenclature used for the mid-year face
lift Passat only!

Also Edmund's should have indicated that this was
a *Running Change* or *Late Availability* item.

vocus

I had the same fight with the salesman. He told me it was coming in later and all this bologna. I found a car on the lot with the combo in it though, and Monsoon to boot. It's a running change, so they are not BSing you there. Just find a later built model and it will be standard.

vocus

I just got my car on Saturday, and I need some break-in help. I have the 1.8T GLS with 5-speed Tiptronic automatic. Do I have to keep it below 4000 rpm like I did my Mazda when I first got it? And I have raced above 4000 a couple times, I hope I didn't hurt it. Also, the Tiptronic let the engine run into the "red" tach zone once too, weird. Hope it will be ok. I have 300 miles on it now (put 100 on it in one day!) and loving it!

Also, how long does it take to "cool my jets"? I know you should idle the turbo to cool it down when you turn it off, but how long do you have to do it for?

I know something, that sucker has some incredible power. I hit the gas about as hard as I used to do in my Protege (it was a 2001 2.0 w/130 hp) and I laid rubber coming out of a corner, even with the ASR on! It takes some "training" to be able not to do that. And also some willpower.

greggt007

what is this about letting the turbo cool down? i havent heard that before and am pickin up my 1.8t next weekend so i should find out i guess.

vocus

I hear that you should let the car idle for like 30 seconds or so before shutting it off. That's what I wanted to know though. I think it's 30 seconds. Any help out there???

vwguild

is an issue because of the fact that the *Turbo
Charger* in general creates an enormous amount of
heat...VW deals with this issue by using water as
a cooling agent in addition to an innercooler...

The practice of allowing a few seconds for cooler
water and oil to circulate through the Turbo before it is turned off, prevents this extremely
hot oil from just sitting in the turbo...this causes
*coking*, or the build up of carbon in the turbo...

When I deliver a VW with the 1.8T, I simply advise
creating a protocal of turning off the radio or AC, gathering together your stuff, opening the door, and then finally turning off the engine...No
big deal...just a good habit...

justin

read your manual the VW's don't require anything in the way of break in other than not exceeding 120mph and no full throttle starts, and no hard stops for the first 100 miles.

Use the car however you would like....not going to get to 120mph in Baltimore....and get to keep the car/license anyway

Anakin

Actually, my manual says not to rev the engine too hard in the first 1000 miles. But it doesn't say anything about speed.

vocus

I already told my dad I want a radar detector for Christmas. I hope he gets me one. I have a hard time watching my speed on the highway, because the car is so darn smooth. I looked down on the way to work this morning, and I was going 80. It felt like 50 or something. I have made one hard stop, because of an emergency. I also floored it once, to miss a hurling tour bus on 450. I am going to be more careful though, until 1000 miles anyway. I have 350 as of right now. The car was delivered with 119 on it, but the plastic was still all over it and all. I don't get that.

Turbo cool: I usually let it cool about 30 seconds. I put the car in Park, pull the brake, and take off my seatbelt before turning off the car. I have to remember to do that though. Also, I LOVE the sound of the turbo's whistle when you kick it in.

I have to learn pedal modulation too. I keep trying to hit it like I did in my Protege, and I almost spun out like 3 times doing that. I need to learn to handle 180hp first, then I will think about chipping it maybe.

yo_ling

Finally got our 2002 Silver Jetta 1.8T last Friday night. What a blast to drive, so smooth, a definite V6 killer!

During this break-in period, I keep it running around 90 km/hr. One thing worths mentioning is that the original factory mounted CD player is really nice.

Questions,
- It doesn't say a word in the user manual about let it sit idle for 30 seconds before switch it off. Is that really necessary? I didn't do it for the past two days, and will do it from now on.
- Is it good to drive long distance on this car?

For buyers in great Montreal area, we would suggest VW St-Eustache, you can get great deals there.

! WE LOVE THIS BABY !

vocus

The cool-down is not in the owner's manual, but my dealer did say something about it. I knew it anyway though. It is good advice and kind of a back-up measure to take to make the turbo last as long as possible in the car. I surely will be doing it.

justin

...was meant for the old high pressure 2.2 turbos that chrylser put in it's K cars back in the 80's. new turbos don't need to cool down.

what AUTOHAUS shop says anyway...

blueguydotcom

Can it HURT your car to let it cool down after driving? No. So why not just do it? 30-60 seconds out of your day will not kill you and it could help the car.

Someone else pointed out that it's a good idea when you stop to gather your stuff, power up the windows, close the sunroof and by then you're over 30 seconds. Done. Simple.

vocus

I try to do that, but sometimes I forget. I have forgotten like twice, but have been pretty good with it here recently. I just reach to take off my seatbelt, hide my CD pouch and cell phone, and make sure nothing is visible in the car (I live in the city), and by then it's 30 seconds.

vocus

I have 450 miles on my 2002 Jetta already, and have averaged 20.5 mpg thus far. That included some city driving though, so I need to do a more consistent average on fuel economy. My impressions so far is that the car is rock solid and a heck of a blast to drive! I still have trouble harnessing the turbo sometimes, because it almost gets away from me. This car is intoxicatingly fast compared to any other car I have driven. And it's so quiet at speed, you don't even know you are going like 90 until you look down (that happend to me twice already). I have the 17-inch wheels, and the car handles pretty well too. It does have some body lean, but the ride is pretty nice even over larger bumps so it's not a huge problem to me. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the back seat is kinda small, but it's been literally months since I rode an adult back there, so I should have no problem. Love the new Jetta though!! It may not be the best financial decision I ever made (traded a 2001 Protege for it, and was upside down), but it's the best automotive one thus far.

phishockey

I just turned in an Eclipse GSX turbo. When I got the car, I was very good about letting it cool down for 30 secs when I parked it. But, there are a lot of times where I was in a rush somewhere, or if I was late for something, where I simply didn't want to sit in my car for 30 secs and be more late. 30 seconds may not seem like a lot of time, but it can be an incovenience a little too often for me at least. Think about it before getting a turbo.

vwguild

is not required each and every time you drive
somewhere, only at the end of the day when the car is going to sit all night, or for an extended
period of time...And in reality it is not REQUIRED
at all...It is, however; just a good idea and a
general habit to follow...

justin

not required, the manual does not mention it, the VW mechanics don't recommend it, yet it is supposed to be a good idea?? little too much gray area there for me....

i say forget about it. if it is really required, you can bet VW would not sell the car. think of the warranty claims for bad turbos....not everyone will follow that rule and they could never prove it. Or, they would just not cover the turbo assembly in the warranty, which they do, so, it must be able to "take the heat"....

akangl

I have a 2001 Jetta GLS 1.8T 5-speed and the past month the clutch has seemed to engage and disengage very high, like one or two inches from the top. It started out as a cold weather thing but now it does it all the time. My car has 19,000 miles on it, 90% of those miles are highway since I don't live anywhere near a city. I am very easy on the clutch, don't ride it, pop it, or abuse it. Doesn't this seem a bit early for a clutch to go out? What else could it be?

This is the first problem I have had with the car since 6500 miles. Its a truely awesome little car. This clutch thing makes me wonder if I should go ahead with my hubby's plans to trade the car in........he wants me to get an older SUV, I want a 2002 Jetta 1.8T 5-speed, although I am afraid I won't get a car as good as the one I have now.

Anakin

How would a 2002 not be as good as the one you have now?

Or did you mean less reliable?

akangl

Yes, I mean less reliable, I guess I should have clarified that. My car has been exceptional up until this point. We are planning on either buying it out of the lease or trading it in next month......this whole clutch thing could be the deciding factor.

carman30

Hello All, I am the PROUD owner of a 2001 Jetta Wolfsburg 1,8t 5-speed. I absolutely BABY this car, and have spoken to several technicians about this subject. The consensus, overwhelmingly, is that you ONLY need to let the turbo cool down if you have driven the vehicle hard and want to shut it off. This means revving the engine before shut-off, or cruising fast and turning the vehicle off. I have to drive on a 35mph road before getting home, and that is enough slow driving to allow the turbo to be properly cooled with the oil. If I speed into the parking lot with high revvs, I take a minute or so to let the turbo cool. It is not needed to wait everytime before turning off the vehicle.

vocus

I was doing it everytime I turned off the car. I usually do it at work, because the car sits for the whole day. And I do it at home when I park it at night as well. But it's not really that inconvenient, now that I am used to doing it.

blueguydotcom

I only drive the car hard. LOL

If I ever shift before 4000 RPM it's a miracle.

fischda

I'm so glad you finally got a Jetta. You've been lurking here for over a year, right! You went through a couple of Protoges, and now you extended yourself financially for the pleasure of owning a great-looking, fun-to-drive car. Poop on those people who drive econoboxes because cars to them are just transportation.

To us, cars are prized posessions - we spend a lot of time in them so why not really enjoy the practice of driving! Good for you!!! Give me your boss' number, I'll call and recommend you for a raise...

vocus

I would not necessarily call some of the cars in the subcompact/compact class econoboxes. My Protege was nowhere near an econobox. It was a nice car, but I just wanted something a little more luxurious and with different appeal than the Protege had. But it was not a bad ride at all.

panamaltd2

Excuse me , I hope you weren't referring to the Protege.

fischda

Nope, I don't think the Protege is an econobox - I like Mazda a lot - had an '85 RX-7, an awesome car! It's just that vocus lamented for so long about wanting a Jetta that I kind of did a "Whoop,whoop" when he got one!

vocus

I know, I have wanted a Jetta for awhile. I really should have gotten it this past time instead of the Protege, but the shortish warranty deterred me. I am glad I waited for the 2002's warranty and also the more powerful 1.8T. I definitely love the car alot!

sebring95

Wondering if the rush has diminished since gas has cheapened (.99 at wal-mart!)? I'm scared to call the dealer because this spring they emailed, called, and royally annoyed me to death for 3 months. I'm not paying MSRP for a anything, 50mpg or not.

Thanks!

moparbad

TDI is more difficult to find than 1.8t, 2.0 or VR6 since less TDI's are imported. I travel around the US and I have found that some dealers continually have a supply of TDI's and others get maybe one every two months. TDI is almost always excluded from low financing rates offered by VW and it usually sells close to MSRP and sometimes higher. Deals are out there if you find the right dealer but you may have to travel to get a good deal. I paid $500 under MSRP for my 2001.
So, are they hard to find? Well the dealer near me has over 10 in stock but they will not deal and have fabric protection and other add ons that are a rip off.