Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

Anakin

I think I average about 24mpg with mostly highway travel. I have a lead foot, however. I just love to hear that turbo whistle. :^)

blueguydotcom

I'm getting 23-24, sometimes 25 outa the car. I too have a lead foot. Plus the turbo is always spooled when I'm on the freeway.
Can't help it, the car doesn't have a cruising gear!

preppy155

those of you who own a tdi. how do you all feel about your purchase of your TDI? those of you who have had it for a while, how has it held up? does it drive like an old mercedes? does it burn oil like the 2.0L? im considering buying one, but i am weary of a diesel. would you recommend the car to someone else. thanks!

blackjetta18t1

I rarely drive any highway miles, and around town I have alot of quick trips, with a lead foot, but even when I try to drive conservatively, I get get 19mpg consistently. I've got the 2.0L automatic.

8u6hfd

haven't regretted it yet. It was a pair of Jetta TDI owners who persuaded me to get a TDI. They drive a 5-speed also.

One of my co-workers drives a 84 Rabbit Diesel, and he's impressed on how the TDI drives. WE both drive a 5-speed also. I've been consistently getting 50 mpg highway. A co-worker with a 2001 Jetta TDI also gets 50 mpg consistently.

It uses synthetic, most people recommend Mobil Delvac 1 5w40. It's a costly oil though.

Swing by www.tdiclub.com and ask around, and learn some stuff over there.

blackjetta18t1

A question, I've had some scratches on my winshield for sometime because I park outside and a few times when I turned on my wipers, I think there may have been acorns, or something hard on them, so they scratched my windshield. The other day, I hit my wipers, then after a bit, I noticed a prety noticable scratch(the other ones were long scratches but less noticable, not deep...) and it's small but on the deeper side, more visible and serious looking than the others. What are the chances this will spread and screw up the windshield? It hasn;t spread but it's only been a couple days. If I go on the highway, will it spread? how much does a new windshield cost? And probaly not, but it's not covered under warranty is it? Thanks for your help.

vocus

If you have glass coverage on your car insurance, it might cover it. Call and ask, it would be worth the shot. But since you leased your car, why don't you wait until it's almost time to trade the car in? That would make sense.

vocus

Anyone find out when the timing belt has to be changed on the 2002 1.8T engine? No one ever said, and I asked sometime last week. Thanks.

xud

The rattles in my car have been fixed after two
trips to a dealership. Here is my story:

I brought my car (2002 Jetta 1.8T) to the dealership in
Hicksville, NY for the first 6 month
service and asked them also to fix my car's
rattles. They promised me to fix the rattles.
but when I picked up my car in the evening, I found the rattle
at the driver's door was still there.

The next day I complained to the service department,the receptionist told me to bring back the car the next Monday on 3/4 and said that they would give me a loaner on that day. So I brought back the car on 3/4 the morning. A
technician (Tom) rode with me,
and he immediately told me that he know where the
rattle was. He then applied silicon spray
to inside/outside the weather strip around
the door. Then we drove again and could not hear
any rattle anymore! The whole thing took only
about 15 minutes so I do not need to take a
loaner (a Cavalier, who wants to drive it???)
any more, And I happily drove back my car without
the torture of rattles!

BTW, previously I've tried to use WD-40 and
Gumme Phlege to rid out of the rattles, but they did not work in my case. It is Silicon Spray that worked!

8u6hfd

The timing belt change interval should be in the owner's manual, the maintenance manual to be more specific, at the front of the binder. I didn't drive my car into work today, so I can't really check. I would have to guess 60,000 to 80,000 miles.

sarah233

I get crappy mpg with my manual 1.8T--usually about 20 - 22. Granted this is mostly short trips on city streets. When I drive highway it goes up to about 28 - 30. A wise man once told me to get better gas mileage I need to take my right foot off the pedal, but I have a weakness for speeding. Oh well.

8u6hfd

Cruise control.

I'm working on myself to reduce my speeding habits. It's actually more relaxing to set the cruise at the speed limit, than weaving in and out of traffic.

Though over the weekend, I decided to do 100 mph (in a 55 zone) in my Golf TDI following a Contour SVT....

I gotta join a road racing club sometime.

Anakin

How about if you join a racing club that uses a racetrack or sets up autocross courses in big parking lots?

Racing on public streets is stupid stupid stupid.

justin

I looked down at my tach today at a steady 80mph - it read 3200 rpms. Seems normal to me. Might even be lower than my previous cars. Nice and smooth, but will power readily available.

200 miles doesn't matter in an oil change situation, right? My car only has 4800 miles on it, but I have had it since the beginning of October. I am going to get the oil changed now, even though it isn't at 5k miles. I checked the oil this weekend. Level was fine, but the oil was BLACK.

vocus

I got mine done at 4600 miles, and my 10K done at 9500 miles. Doesn't matter, just do it about the same time all the time. (Like at 9600 miles, for instance.)

My Jetta reads the same rpm at 80mph, 3200. Floor that sucker down past the pressure plate and watch the tach jump to 6700rpm and feel it drop to 3rd gear. Now that's fun.

Have had my car up to 120mph on the Interstate before, with no problems whatsoever. Felt like I was going 90 in it.

8u6hfd

That's what I want to do sometime. Join a road racing club to race over at Pocono Raceway.

vocus

I would LOVE to join one of those clubs and just open my Jetta up on a road coarse like that one time. I bet it would be some fun..

galogvi

xud -
I have found that Armor All Protectant works well too. However, if you discover the creaks returning, you may want to put X-Tream Rubber Weatherseal around the inside edge of the upper door panel. Specifically, 3/8x1/8x17 will cover all your doors and adds a tight, creak-free seal.

vocus -
The 2002 1.8T Tiptronic specs the belt change at 105,000, but should probably be done at 80-90k.

vocus

Thanks for checking about the time belt. Appreciate it.

I have one rattle left, between the left side of the dash and the left front roof pillar. The dealer guy said he couldn't hear it (he must be deaf!), so what can I do about it?

silvertron

Hi,
I am getting 01 Jetta 1.8 T and can't wait to drive it. Personally, I wanted to to purchase the 02 model, but I can't afford it. Though this is a used one but it's in mint condition . Thanks to the previous owner. It's also fully loaded.
So, here are the questions. There are warranty left on the car because it's not 24000 miles yet. So, do I and the first owner have to sign any paper work at all? (to transfer the warranty.) Or Is the warranty automatically transferred once the title is in my name? Will I get the bumper-to-bumper warranty or only the 100k powertrain warranty?
I have been trying to read all 3971 messages posted here. I din't see any thing about it and there were thousands of them
So, I will be appreciated any input.

Thank you

blueguydotcom

You're in the seller's immediate family. Otherwise that warranty ends the moment he parts with the car. I've got an 01 Jetta 1.8T.

Call VW and ask them for clarification but I distinctly recall them saying the 100k powertrain warranty does not transfer unless I sell it to family.

xud

Thanks for letting us about your way of fixing rattles. This is one of the reasons why we
have the forum - sharing information on how to fix problems.

moparbad

The car issue of Consumer Reports is out and the Jetta is recommended. CR cited increased reliability. Also recommended was the Golf.

akangl

On a used Jetta, unless the car is sold to immediate family, you get the remainder of the 2 year/24K bumper to bumper and you get a 5 year/50K powertrain warranty. Hope this helps.

silvertron

Thank you.. akangl and blueguydotcom.
So, did you have to sign any warranty paper to transfer the warranty?
Thanks again

akangl

I purchased a used 1994 Jetta in 1997 and I don't remember signing anything for the transfer of the 5 year/50K powertrain warranty, it was automatic. I doubt things have changed but you might want to double check.

vwguild

The 10/100 PowerTrain becomes 5/50...LESS TIME
& MILES...If the car has 18,000 Miles on the clock
and has been in service for 18 Months...The remaining Powertrain is 32,000Miles & 32Months...

justin

CR is so wishy-washy. next year, it won't be recommended because of whatever lame reason. do they really think that VW drivers/buyers care?

i guess the only good thing it might do is make the car more valuable at resale time. maybe.

Kirstie_H

Join us tonight with your automotive problems--



Our topic for Wednesday, March 13: Stump the Technicians!
Join us with your maintenance & repair questions this Wednesday from 5-7pm PT/8-10pm ET. Some of our contributors from the Maintenance & Repair board will be waiting to hear your problems, and making Herculean efforts to solve them.

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venus537

the 2000 model year jetta had more problems than normal. nothing wishy-washy about that.

blueguydotcom

Uh, yeah people do care. If I can convince just one person not to buy a Jetta, my work on earth is complete. LOL

BTW, a co-worker bought a G35 (we just went for a test drive monday and he bought it!) and good grief that car is amazing. I just need to find a house because I think I found the perfect car to compliment Casa de Blue-Guy.

vocus

Well I hope you will be happy with the G35. I do hear they are having "fire sales" on the G20s. I wish they were comfortable, because I would think about snapping one up..

flaca

would buy another car...I am so sick of the complaints. Wanna complaint? Drive a chevy cavalier. My baby Jetta is in the shop 'cause my 16 year old drove it into a tree. I am renting that crap and boy does it stink. It rattles and thumps and its noisy. And no pick up whatsoever (and I drive the 2.0 that you all put down).If you are not happy with your chosen cars - move on and make your lives more pleasurable. My sister has a G20 and I find it boring. Sorry, My opinion.
Good luck in your search for the perfect car.

blueguydotcom

flaca: I found it, cha-cha. I can't get outa my Jetta right now though. I've got bigger things on my plate. Losing the Jetta will be part of my dessert: G35. The G is the car I've been looking for, insane amounts of power, luxury touches, perfect handling, IRS, superb warranty, excellent dealer service, and rock-solid reliability. Yummy. I didn't want to stop driving the premium model the other day...the sport suspension equipped one must be heaven.

vocus: the infiniti rep and I had a good laugh about Nissan's insistence on using the old 145 hp engine on the G20 this year. Why they didn't drop the 175 HP SE-R Spec-V engine into it is beyond us. The G20, in my book, only needed a powerful engine to compliment the perfect suspension and nice amenities. If the G had sported a VQ 6 or somewhere north of 170 HP, I probably would have bought one in 2001. I love Infiniti service and their warranty is outstanding - match that to bulletproof reliability and you've got a dream come true.

vocus

I just said I like the G20s. I am not getting rid of the Jetta anytime soon. I like it alot as a matter of fact. I guess you experienced almost first-hand how safe the car is. Hope your child is ok.

vocus

A survey by Cartalk...

http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Gay-Lesbian/nominations.html

sarah233

that's hilarious.....i wonder if they know about this award on the vortex.

blueguydotcom

Everyone remember the ad with the two cats tooling around in a Golf, picking up sofas and such? To the average hetero viewer it was just two pals but I read about how that ad played very well with the homosexual community. Many ad gurus and marketing types viewed it as having two layers, one for heteros and one for homosexuals. AT&T and a few other companies have attempted the same kinda dual marketing approach without tipping off the general population of Peoria ("Will it play in Peoria?"). Makes sense considering the research data suggests that compared to the hetero community, the target market has higher brand loyalty, more disposable income, & higher education levels. That's a niche you gotta go after.

vocus

I kinda thought that when I saw that Golf commercial with the two guys and the sofa. Also, it seems alot of VW's commericals for the Jetta have two men in them. The other one I remember is the one with the guy tapping the sand out of his shoes before getting in the Golf. And the one where the car's stuck in the tree as well. Just thought about that.

skawttey

I will hopefully be getting a used 2000 Jetta GLX this weekend if it is still on the lot Sunday and i had a question about the gas requirement of the VR6 engine. What type does it take, regular or premium? Thanks.

rlui1

When I open the driver side door of my 2002 Jetta 1.8T, there is a high-pitched hum for about 2 seconds. What exactly is that? It kinda sounds cool...kinda robotic!

sarah233

I asked the same question a while back, and someone (can't remember who, but I appreciate it) was nice enough to tell me it was the fuel pump getting ready for turbo action. ( :

blueguydotcom

Sarah's right on the money. It's your fuel pump. A female friend thought it was neat to hear it. To each his/her own.

edmund2460

Anyone with info on the longevity of the fuel pump in an 82 Diesel? After having other cars require a fuel pump around 100K I have started worrying that the fuel pump on my 238K 82 Jetta Diesel will suddenly die on the highway. Do the Diesel pumps last longer? Thanks if you can shed some light.

blueguydotcom

Wow! I wish diesels were more popular in the US. Those things run forever! And the new TDI ones in Europe and Asia are amazing.

vocus

You know, I have never heard the hum yet in my Jetta, and I have 11,200 miles on the car and had it for almost 5 months now (on 4/3, it will be 5 months).

It's going to be 75 degrees here in Md. today. I can't wait to go to lunch in a little bit. The sunroof is coming open with all the windows, the Monsoon will be kicking, and the turbo will be whisting!

justin

my car does it every morning when i open the DRIVERS side door. it is actually a security feature. fuel lines are shut off when the car is closed. if the doors are opened without the proper remote or key, the fuel thing does not engage. basically, car won't go.

the G35 does look nice. the interior is a little too cadillac for me, but i am sure it must drive like a dream. the outside is borderline "too busy" as well. i like style, but clean classic style, not "styled" style.

and yes, the gays are marketed to for lots of things. they do have more money (no kids except for rosie o'donnell ) and stuff apparently.

rlui1

sarah233 and blueguydotcom - Thanks for your responses!

vocus - Do you have the 1.8T? According to sarah233, it's a turbo thing. I usually only hear it in my two-car garage, which is really quiet. In a parking structure or outdoors, I don't notice it because the ambient noise drowns out the hum. If you have the turbo, check it out next time your in a super quiet environment.

justin

you can't get a G35. it appears that they only come with automatics. that disqualifies the car completely. it might as well be an SUV. right?

weird, cuz Nissan is usually the more sporting of the Japanese car makers....

mdaffron

No matter how hard you try, you just can't get these guys to break down and be romantic about their cars. It's all fuel pump this, gas mileage that over here. Where's the passion for just plain driving? Come on back over to where you belong!

;-)

Meade