I could not agree more, Alcan. Walk in the dealer with an attitude and you're almost guarantee'ing an attitude right back. It would not be in your best interest to pi$$ off the guy working on your $20K-plus car. They have the right to refuse service to anyone.
Just like you don't want to pi$$ off the guy making your hamburger as you never know what is really going to be put in the 'special sauce' on that burger made especially 'just for you.'
My 2000 Golf whined, hummed, creaked, etc. and it turned out that the power steering fluid was leaking. Have you looked at the messages posted at the www.vwvortex.com site? A lot of the jetta/golf owners mention the whining sound, and there were a variety of reasons for the source of the sound.
"candreas". You are correct, it would have been closer on the first breakdown to go to the "Gas City". The Trans-Canada is a divided 4 lane where I broke down. An alert guy in a Dodge Diesel 3/4 Ton pulled in right behind us. He was headed east to Manitoba. It was -40C at the time and 3 am in the morning with my 2&1/2 yr. old great niece in the car. We took the ride the way he was going." Any port in a storm" He dropped us off in Swift Current,Sask. From my hotel I called an all-night towing to retrieve the car. They put the car in a heated garage for about 4&1/2 hr. The check engine light didn't come on at the first breakdown. In the morning I added some more fuel additive and the car ran fine for about 1 hour of travel but soon sputtered and quit again. This time the check engine light came on. We were traveling east we wanted to go to Regina. I called the VW road side assistance 1-800 number. In my first post I didn't mention this. It really doesn't matter because VW is paying for everything. I will say this to prospective buyers. In all my dealings with service reps. and VW Canada {located in Auburn Hill, Mi } "Adam"the customer service rep. who gets all the crap calls was patient and understanding. I have nothing but NICE things to say about VW . VW picked up my hotel, taxi and towing I just produced the receipts. They make me feel that they really care about you. I recall driving by the VW dealer in Lethbridge this summer when I need a 15,000k check. Without an appointment the service manager at" Vanee Motors Lethbridge Alberta" took me right in. They changed the oil and did a tire rotation and washed the car. I was on my way in I hour. It was likewise at" Autohaus in Georgetown, Ontario" this fall. Just phone em and they fit you right in. After every service there is a follow up call from VW Canada asking if you liked the service. These calls and your response to them could mean the dealer might get fewer cars if enough people are not fully satisfied. I've never had a problem. Tomorrow I see my dealer in Winnipeg, they've been just great too. The trouble with the fuel in North America is any kind of standards for cold weather storage. I picked up my fuel in a Shell station in Medicine Hat The parafin just congels out of the fuel making it thick when the temperature drops. Additives help somewhat.... You have to be careful here. Some additives can dry out seals and rubber O rings and the like and lead to real problems down the road. Use the VW stuff ! Parafin is in Jet A fuel too. In fact Jet A has the same flash point as diesel. It is a dryer fuel or less oily than diesel but a diesel will burn it without probelms. Jet B has too much naptha or white gas(40%} to use in any diesel at all. Unless you are familiar with Jet fuels don't use em. Most turbo jets in small helicopters and small turbine engine aircraft run the fuel line through the oil cooler prior to the fuel filter to avoid jelling. I know of diesel engined fuel bowsers that run only on airports that have never ever seen a pint of diesel. They run Jet A for their whole lives and run fine for years. . All the operaters do is squirt a little oil in the fuel tank to make the fuel oily enough. Most every other diesel in cold climates run fuel line heaters of some kind. I'm looking at engineering a fix with some kind of fuel line heater. I have a 5 speed standard and am looking at taping off from the line ports that would go to the automatic cooler from the rad. I figure I can run a closed circuit loop far enough up and back to warn the fuel line prior to the check valve and fuel filter. I'll use an automotive shrink wrap or use tie raps and an insulating material to tie it all together and that should do it. I have to head back out west to B.C.in just over a week and I plan to have something figured out and done by then. ????? Right now and since Xmas the Jetta has been running great. It's cold here in Kenora and like I said before, this is the only problem I have had with the car. I just love the torque/mileage of that diesel I'll let you know how I make out. Later Pete
Jeff, Petethepilot here. I have driven my TDi through the Salmo Creston pass on highway 3 in British Columbia several times. It's Canada's highest pass! My TDi has the winter kit ...heated seats, heated washer fluid and traction control. The car has unbelievable power even at the top on an 8% grade. I passed a Caddy Caterra on it on one occasion and the caddy guy stopped with me at the top of the pass and asked me what engine I had under the hood. He almost called me a liar when I showed him. 90 hp./and 155 lbs/tq He said he couldn't catch me. Oh sure I had less than 1/2 a tank of fuel and no passengers, but even with them it has the power to pass on steep grades. This was before I moded the engine up to 115hp and 197ft lbs of tq. Now my biggest problem is the cops. My town in Northwestern Ontario is very hilly and cold in the winter. The traction control is great,. The big 15" wheels with winter treads really perform well in deep snow and ice. I have 17" alloys wheels for summer. Except for the problem above I recommend the car and diesel engine. I plan to have this problem licked in a few days with some good old fashion home made engineering. Later Pete
What kind of mods have you done to your TDI? Are they do-it-yourselfers? How much $? Where can I get the parts? What side effects do these mods have? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Hi MDE, the mods I've put on my 2000 Jetta TDi include a Hermann tuning box, K&N air filter plus a Neuspeed short shift kit. The Tuning Box is available from New Dimensions in Santa Clara Cal. go to www.vwaftermarket.com price is $399 U.S. +shipping The tuning box is not a chip, it's a little box that plugs in to the ECU{ engine control unit} and fuel injection pump and 1 wire clips to the mass air flow sensor. It connects/disconects in just minutes. Hey it's simple believe me. The box doesn't use a chip it uses 3 potencheometers. They vary voltage signals to the fuel pump from signals received from the ECU. There is no adjusting, just plug it in and PLAY. No sending your computer out, no down time. It raises the horse power from 90 to 115. Torque goes up a wopping 50 Neuton meters or to 195 ft/lbs tq. That's lots of Tq. More than a VR 6 and the diesel engine Jetta is 150 lbs. lighter. So you figure it out. The K&N filter{$78 Can.} just makes sure I can get full benefit of the tuning box. The box comes from Hermann Tuning in Belgium. Belgium has more diesels on the road than anywhere else I can think of. The car doesn't smoke, my mileage is exactly the same as before the mods. {Once I got over laying rubber at every stop light. : o ) With the diesel its all over by 4000 RPM anyway. I installed the short shift kit from Neuspeed because the TDi is geared lower than all the other Jetta's The shifter is just about perfect. I can make a quick shift from 1st to 2nd fast and there is no hunting for third and hitting 5th. Call Neuspeed for a price. I think I paid $105 U.S worth every penny. It shortens the shift 38%. It also installs in minutes from under the hood. I installed a carbon fiber dash trim kit from www.exoticwooddash.com. We won't talk about the price of that, just in case my wife sees this!!! Of course some nice crome exhaust tips and 17' alloy wheels with low profile Eagles. I was thinking about lowering the car with some high performance aftermarket suspension stuff but all the snow we get here has made me reconsider... The jury is still out. Besides the car is still new. Something about taking off perfectly good parts doesn't sit well with me. Vented discs when these ones wear out is next. The car is very quick, for an mainly stock Jetta. Just put the pedal down in 5th gear at 60 mph to pass and... Ho Che Momma!!!!
I had my car in for service today and they installed a FIX for the cold weather problem I've been having. They went right to the fuel tank under the rear seat and removed the black to engine check valve and replaced it with a BIGGER check valve and removed the check valve by the fuel filter. According to my service rep that should fix the congealed fuel problem. No fuel line heater required My fingers are crossed. It wasn't that cold today-5C on the 2 and 1/2 hour drive home from Winnipeg. I had the speed well up there on clear sections and avoided the cops. No coughing or sputtering of the engine detected.
I'm really interested in the Hermann tuning box. Are there any negative effects to having that on the car? Does it shorten the life of the turbo or hurt the engine in any way? I guess my question would be, that there must be some reason why VW doesn't include these tweakings from the factory. It sounds too good to be true! I've already surprised everyone I know with my STOCK TDI (including my brother who is a diesel mechanic). I would really like to get some bang for my buck.
I have had the tuning box on my car for the past 15,000 miles. I haven't had any problems because of it. Just watch out you don't red line the engine after you put it on. It gets there in a flash in 1st and 2nd. I talked to a fellow in British Columbia that put one on his Jetta and he needed a new clutch after a while. Maybe he just hammers too much! The VW manual says the diesel Jetta has the lowest towing capacity of all the marks. He replaced the TDi cluch with a VR6 one and has had no problems since. Mine's fine so far! The VR6 clutches are slightly thicker. According to the Hermann literature the box causes no damage at all, and in fact are conservative! I figure if the diesel normally goes for 450,000 miles without one and I can get 350,000 miles on it before the car rusts out ,I'm laughing. Besides you can always take it off. One thing to remember and I see it nowhere in their or anyone elses chip literature is ... When it gets cold you must back off slightly on the power. Cold air is much more dense than warm air. If it's very cold where you live and you're the least bit worried disconnect it for the winter. I haven't, and I have had no problems. I just take it easy and drive the car normally until spring. The tuning box web site is www.tuningbox.com Read all about it. I talked to a VW rep about the car. I asked him why VW is promoting the car as an econo box when it howles so fine!!! He said economy is in right now. They have detuned the engine to get the higher mileage. So there you have it. Honest the box made no difference on fuel economy ...once I got over using all that torque. I've watched very closely. They claim slightly better mileage but I haven't seen it. It is exactly the same as before installation of the box. VW is the only place you can buy 5W40 Castrol syntex oil anywhere in Canada. I can't speak for the States. The manual says you void your warranty if you don't their oil! . I stopped using it and switched to Quacker State 5W50 synthetic after my so called free oil changes were used up. If you save EVERY recept for the Quaker State oil changes, Quaker State will warranty your engine internals out to 400,000 miles. Seems like a better deal to me. It's cheaper in the long run too.$$$$$ One thing that has changed my fuel economy is the fat 8"Goodyear Eagles. It dropped slightly after I put them on, but oh do they hold the road!
I didn't say I was walking into the dealership with a chip on my shoulder... I just said I was gonna be cranky, which I think I have a right to be seeing I DID just blow over $20k on a car that has a problem in the first week of ownership.
Just because the car is built elsewhere, does NOT mean the dealership doesn't have to take responsibility for a defective product. It also does not mean I won't hold the dealership responsible personally. You buy a toaster from Sears, it breaks during the first week, you take it back to Sears and demand a refund. In my experience, you have to be kind, but forceful-- ESPECIALLY with WV/Audi dealerships.
We read here about owners that go into the dealer with an attitude and then wonder why the service manager is all upset. Heh...
Anyway, that's how you sounded. You absolutely have a right to be upset and *you* have the right attitude to get the things fixed properly and without a big hassle. You do have to be firm with a lot of dealers because some of them will try and give you the 'run-around.'
Has anyone else experienced a problem with the self-dimming mirror dimming in broad daylight? Within the past week the mirror in my 2000 Jetta GLX darkens so much during daytime driving that I can hardly see the back seat. I have an appointment with the dealer on the 15th but the service manager said this was the first complaint he had heard about the mirror. I haven't seen any reports here or at the NHTSA site. Yesterday I noticed that it was working intermittently - dimming and then returning to normal - but most of the time it just stays dim. This begins as soon as I turn the engine on and it returns to normal once the ignition is turned off.
Only other problem I've experienced in 10 months of ownership is having the air bag warning light replaced about a month ago. Have 8500 miles and I've used zero oil between changes. I had it up to 100 mph briefly while driving I-8 west of duma on Tuesday. I love this car!
My Jetta 2000 GLS is about to reach 24K mile mark and is going to lose the Basic/Bumper-to-Bumper warranty. I’m looking into purchasing an extended warranty /service plans. 1) Do you think it’s worth the money? 2) What plan, VW Mastergaurd plan or Portfolio?
Hi I am trying to decide among a Subaru Impreza, a Honda Civic EX, and a Jetta. I have concerns over the Jetta maintenance problem, but I really love the car... The Jetta has more electrical equipment standard on the car. Does having more reliance on electrical circuitry lead to a greater chance at having some electrical problem? I'd be pleased to hear others' comments.
Hi again. A friend of mine has a '93 Jetta and said that there was a problem with a higher center of gravity in Jetta's of yore. Is this something they have changed in '99 or 2000. I am considering buying a 2001 and would like to purchase one with my eyes open.
I have a 2000 Jetta GLS. I bought this car for new.I have abount 36700 miles on my car now. But I got a very serious problem with my brake. My "Rear Brake" were worn and the rear rotors were scored in 26360 miles in July 99. But one week ago (Jan 12,01), I went to do oil change and I also asked them to check my brake. My "Rear Brake" were worn again and the rear rotors were scored again. Also my rear caliper boots ripped. This time I also have to change my rear caliper.I spent $400 for the first time. And last week I spent almost $ 500 to fix it again. And they don't have caliper one week ago, so I am going to change my caliper next week. It will costs me around $500 to $700. I asked the dealer to check my rear brake because they were worn to fast, and they can't find out my rear brake problem. They only told me that I might forget to put down the hand brake when I am driving. Bht the problem is that I didn't use my hand brake at all. So, how come the rear break would be worn so fast. Also there is nothing wrong with my front brake. From o mile to 36700 miles now, I have no problem with my front brakes. Only my rear brakes have problem. Does anyone can tell me what should I do ? or Does anyone know which parts of the brakes system has problem ?
I just purchased a 1999 Jetta GAS TDi I/ 19,500 miles on it and I love it! I'm having one small problem with it, though. Sometimes when I play a DC the DC will play, but I can't hear it constantly. It will come off and on, like it sounds when a DC skips but, the DC never looses it's place. I mean, if it conks out for 10 seconds and then turns back on, the song has progressed 10 seconds so I know the DC isn't skipping. Anyone have this problem or knows what might be going on?
Now I look like an idiot because the spell checker destroyed my last post... here's what it's SUPPOSED to look like:
I just purchased a 1999 Jetta GLS TDi w/ 19,500 miles on it and I love it! I'm having one small problem with it, though. Sometimes when I play a CD the CD will play, but I can't hear it constantly. It will come off and on, like it sounds when a CD skips but, the CD never looses it's place. I mean, if it conks out for 10 seconds and then turns back on, the song has progressed 10 seconds so I know the CD isn't skipping. Anyone have this problem or knows what might be going on?
That 2yr/24K basic bumper-to-bumper warranty is a joke in my book. With Koreans and even Oldsmobile offering 5yr/60K basic warranties now, it appears that VW does not want to stand behind their cars. Yes, VW will claim that they cover the powertrain for 10yr/100K, but what about everything else? Power window and mooroof motors. Power seat components. Climate control components. ABS master cylinders. Suspension components. Alternators. All covered for 2 years? C'mon VW, this is unacceptable, ESPECIALLY since you charge a hefty premium for your cars (a loaded Jetta tops $24K?).
I had my eyes on a 2000 GTI GLX. It's no doubt a desirable little fun car. But they aren't cheap, the warranty sucks and J.D. Power says that VWs are "above average" in reported problems for the first 90 days of ownership. Unfortuntely, I had to pass. Given VW's highish pricing, they should offer 4yr/48K basic warranties and 5yr/60K on the powertrain.
Just to prove my point, I know someone with a 99 Passat 1.8T 5spd with 28K. Somehow, the grease came off of the speedometer cable and in the winter, it makes a lot of noise whenever the speedometer needle moves (which is all the time!). Warranty coverage? Nope. There is none. The fix? You have to pull the whole dash off. Heh, heh. I'm sure that's gonna be cheap!
So buy a good extended warranty for 500-1000 bucks and you don't have anything to worry about for 5-7 years. Almost every new car is only 3 years/36,000 bumper to bumper anyway. I'd rather have the 10/100,000 12 year corrosion and power train warranties than 36/36,000 and 5 year powertrain warranties. Besides, manufacturers warranty or not, all cars break and have problems of at least some magnitude after 3 years. Quit whining, jesus.
Hello all. I am new to this forum and have seen some siliar issues posted that i have with my 2000 Jetta GLX VR6.
The car is 16 months old and still looks incredible and drives great. I got the silver with black leather. Anyway, I have had some problems and am having trouble deciding if I should keep the car considering I already have 21K miles and continue to have lots of small annoying proplems. I am now worried I will have some more major problems when the warranty expires in a month or so.
1. I have had three incidences of a loud, hard snap in the transmission when accelerating. 2. I have already had some computer chip (not sure what) replaced when the check engine light came on. This took two weeks when the car had only about 5K miles on it. 3. I have this strange, annoying noise coming from the bottom of the drivers seat that makes a clicking sound almost like riding a horse. hah! They can't find the source of the noise and want to replace the entire seat frame and then redo the leather after it's replaced. Sounds like a bad idea to me. 4. The glove box is loose and hanging down and has had to be ordered 3 times because the first time it was in they gave it to someone else (maybe this is not an uncommon problem) and the second time the new glove box was covered in scratches during shipment supposedly. That was the excuse from the service department anyway on why they could not fix it during my 20K service.
I asked if they could simply attempt to tighten the original glove box and take the seat off and try to check everything and tighten it all up to maybe solve the problem and they said "no, our policy is to replace the parts, not try and fix the originals". 5. Anyway, I also have a rattling noise coming from the rear driver side door as well as... 6. a tire on the other side that will not remain inflated above 26 psi no matter how often I add air. The tire was even taken off and submerged in water at the Goodyear center with no leak found. Puzzling. 7. I also had the in-dash CD player added and it shuts volume off only when a CD is playing when I turn the power off on the radio and back on again. When I turn the power back on I have to switch to the radio, turn the volume up as it is at it's lowest point and then switch back to the CD I was playing. The volume also shuts off at other times during random button pushing on the dash but only when it's a CD playing.
Needless to say, I've adapted to certain things and can live with some of these little annoyances but I am worried the car is going to fall apart as soon as the warranty is up. I am also worried that if I purchase an additional extended warranty that I will be using it constantly and always be making arrangements to have the car in the shop.
Any feedback would be appreciated. I do love the car but have also always wanted an Audi A4. Does anyone know if Audi's are just as problem prone as their their little cousins?
No, I didn't secretly write the last post, but that's not a real flattering endorsement for the quality of the Jetta. That's the kind of stuff that scares me: car drives fine, but what about all of the other, niggling stuff. It ISN'T covered after 24K.
Extended warranty? Sure, they exist, but price one with a $0 deductible and tack that on to a car with an already high price. You might be better off, then, to buy an Audi or a BMW (both with 4/50K warranties and all maintenance paid).
Today I got in my car in the morning and opened up my glove box and the plastic hinge just snapped when I tried to close it. It was a bit cold this morning, about 20 degrees, I wonder if the cold weather did it. Anyone else have a problem with the glove box. This is a 2000 Jetta GLS.
True I would buy a bmw or audi, but at 19 years old, vw's are a little more affordable than an audi or bmw, and who wants a base audi or bmw anyway, it'd be mid 30's for me :I. All cars have lemons, some more than others, all cars you take a chance on, theres a little more to worry about in vws than hondas or toyotas, so what? Take care of your car, if you have a lemon you'll know soon enough and take care of it, thats what lemon laws are for. Extended warranties can be usefull on all cars regardless of brand, one major repair in 7 years and its paid for, 1soureautowarranty.com pays for repair bills with their own corporate credit card, 0 deductible for 7 years less than 1000$, nothing to worry about there. If your car is a lemon TAKE CARE OF IT LEMON-LAW. My wolfsburg gets here in the end of february, I tell ya what, I'm REALLY excited. Anyway.. :I
I think you're totally missing the point. It's very, very difficult to prove that your car is a lemon. You'd have to have some really horrific, ongoing problems and still it can be hard. Lots of minor, annoying problems are not enough to get a car classified as a lemon. Even if you take care of your car, you can still have unforseen problems that are not necessarily related to neglected maintenance. It's sad that Jetta owners have to worry about problems like this. Sounds like it was built by GM or something.....
I agree that a 2 yr/24 month warranty is cheap. How many other manufacturers offer such a short warranty?
I have a question about the heated seats. I am looking at a 2001 Jetta GLS V6. Has anyone had a problem with being able to feel the heating coil under your backside after a long drive? Or, after the seat breaks in? I am a small person, ~100lbs so my weight shouldn't be a factor. This is probably a very strange thing to worry about.
I purchased my 2000 Jetta GLS with Sunroof, alloy wheels and cd changer in June of 2000, right after my car accident with me 99 Mazda Protege ES, Silver. All I have to say is, I MISS MY MAZDA!!!!!!!!!! After having the Jetta for 2 weeks, the clutch failed, well, it would go in and not come back out, after grabbing the clutch pedal and pumping it, it would work for a short period. Until it had to be towed via VW roadside to the Dealer. They attempted to fix it 3 times. They didn't know what the problem was until I mentioned the lemon law, then they had a German Tech, who was in the states at the time(luckely) said it was the slave drive. Now it works just fine. Now my cd player-changer likes to skip a lot when it is cold, (my mazda's never ever skipped) and there is sometimes a loud pound in the passenger door(as if someone threw a snowball at my car) and of course the dash noises and the sun-roof-visor creaking. Above all, I do love the car! It is like my little red BMW. I will now end this letter-novel, Does anyone know how to fix thesa ailments? VW owner, Minnesota e-mail me mriedel52@hotmail.com
I love my GLS VR6 but the trunk CD player is absolute garbage. I tried to get the dealership to fix it but they said it was scratchy discs; what a crock! You can put 6 brand new discs in and it will skip. This problem seems worsened by cold weather.
Just got a 2001 GLS Jetta I like it so far only have 2000km's on it, a few questions for the more seasoned owners out there. My fan seems to be making some strange noises when set on the 1st level. Goes away depending on what position the air flow control is at (Fulle deforst, feet etc...)? Also do all Jetta's have soft brake pedals, my brake pedal seems to have to travel a long way before I get any noticable grab? Just thought I would throw those things out there and see what people had to say.
If you are having skipping problems with your CD players in the cold, the likely culprits are ECU damper units installed in the player. I had a Blaupunkt head unit in my Contour that skipped insanely until the car warmed up. OTOH, I've had no problems with the Alpine unit in my Accord.
Because a car is an unstable environment for disc reading, car CD players feature special damper mechanisms to retard disc movement. Unfortunately, these compounds tend to stiffen significantly when cold. I don't know why the designers haven't figured it out, but why not use a compound that stays pliable until say, 10 degrees F? Must be cost considerations.
AFAIK, there is no easy solution. If your discs skip in the cold, it's part of the "design" of the changer unit.
One thing I really liked about jetta's is how good the brakes are, barely touch em and you're stopped. If you have to push hard to get your brakes to grab, something is wrong.
Then I have something wrong with my brakes. On a new car what could that be. As far as I know there are not a lot of adjustments you can make to the actual pedal. Maybe there is a larger problem at hand. Who knows I will try and let the VW dealer figure it out, but from what I have heard I am not holding my breath about VW service and the dealers in general.
I test drove a 2001 Jetta GLS 5 speed with 2.0L engine. I liked the way it felt, and handled. the engine got noisy when push. The layout was nice. the $150 heated seats are well worth it, so do the sunrooof/alloy wheels at $1200
I was shocked at so very little leg room there was in the back seat. I am 5 9, and 180 lbs. After I adjusted the front seat so I was comfortable, I tried to get in the back seat, there was no room to get my size 10 shoes in!!
the back seat is good for kids. For about $19K, Check out Honda Accord EX.
I currently have an 89 Audi100 that has continuous problems. I'm looking for a reliable car that is affordable for a 19 yr old college student with minimal income. I don't know much about cars, but am looking into it. I know the Jetta is safe, something important to me, but I am unsure about reliability. Anyone have advice on what sounds right for me or useful info on the Jetta. I've read mixed responses so far.
If you "don't know much about cars", then can I take it that you are not an enthusiast? Yes, you drive an Audi, but it sounds like that car is a family hand-me-down. If you want a reliable car for college, something for cost effectiveness and not to "look cool", head straight to your Toyota dealer and get a Corolla. You won't regret it. Graduate from college and then you can get some German machinery.
The hinges on the damper side of the glove box have been breaking. VW has started to replace them with a heaver hinge. Mine broke too! The dealer repaired it with the newer sturdier type. They are having trouble getting any other colours besides black. Mine is black so they repaired right away. You have to wonder if they did any cold weather testing with their cars. I really don't care that the glove box has a damper. Dampers are fine on a cassett door, but a glove box? Rule of thumb DON"T FORCE THE DOOR.
I just completed a 5000 kilometer trip to Vancouver from Ontario. While I was on the trip my fuel injection pump started to act up. Everytime I pulled out to pass someone and stepped on the gas the engine would quit! My warranty was just about up 40,000 Kilometers. The VW dealer in Cranbrook B.C. took 2 days to repair the car because the pump had to be air freighted from Ontario to B.C. A new fuel injection pump cost {fasten your seat belts} $3600. Canadian. I just made it under the wire on the warranty so there was no cost to me, other than the 2 days waiting . I was with family so it wasn't so bad. I'm starting to worry. The dealer assured me it was a very rare thing to see a failure of this kind. I told him about my previous cold weather problems with the fuel and he said that might have contributed to the premature failure. I hope he is right. Other than that no other problems.
I hit a concrete tie laid sideways in my 95 Jetta GL hard enough to knock the wheel cover off(it was a side glance at about 20 mph). Now the steering wheel har a pronounced side-to-side wobble(espically when at low speed with my hands off the wheel). Can anyone say what got damaged? Front end alignment?Lead weights fell off rim edge? Part of suspension bent? Car drives fine-but at very low speed the steering wheel has a very pronounced wobble.
The wheel's bent and the tire might have a shifted belt, for starters. Suggest you also have the alignment checked to verify no bent tie rod, steering arm or ball joint.
Do the heated seats work in cycles or do they stay on consistantly? Sometimes it feels as if the seat cools, then warms, then cools again. I was wondering if it was me or if this is what is happening. Any idea?
Jazz Pants, With heated seats just like your homes oven or stove top the current is either full on or full off. The thermostat regulates the timing of the cycle . You would burn your butt in short order if it didn't cycle off. The old VW's didn't have the thermostat feature.
A Jetta GLS VR-6 is topping my list of new cars, one of which must soon be purchased. VW recommends premium fuel for "best performance." I'm curious to know if anyone is running regular, and what their experience has been. Any knocking, loss of power or significant drop in fuel economy? At 15 to 20 cents more per gallon for premium, I'd much rather run regular.
If your car calls for Premium 91 Octane gas, then that is what you need to run in it.
The VW VR-6 is a very sophisticated engine, and it costs some $2700 to get it in Jetta. This is no ordinary V-6 from GM, Chrysler, or Ford. If you are spending that extra money, why don't you want to spend the extra 20 cents? I think the pick up, idle, and gas mileage will be better with higher octane gas. If your car calls for premium, then use premium, BUT if it does not call for premium, then I feel it is waste of money. Unless you have an older car that has knocking problem, in that case most of the time, switching to 89 or 91 octane gas will take care of it.
In your disscussion of the fuel injector problem, do you think your tuning box mod had an affect on the failure of the fuel injector? I've read your previous comments about the benefits realized with the tuning box mod and want to make sure that I wouldn't be creating a problem by my adding the device. Thanks for any information you can provide.
Comments
Just like you don't want to pi$$ off the guy making your hamburger as you never know what is really going to be put in the 'special sauce' on that burger made especially 'just for you.'
-Jim
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com
You are correct, it would have been closer on the first breakdown to go to the "Gas City". The Trans-Canada is a divided 4 lane where I broke down. An alert guy in a Dodge Diesel 3/4 Ton pulled in right behind us. He was headed east to Manitoba. It was -40C at the time and 3 am in the morning with my 2&1/2 yr. old great niece in the car. We took the ride the way he was going." Any port in a storm" He dropped us off in Swift Current,Sask. From my hotel I called an all-night towing to retrieve the car. They put the car in a heated garage for about 4&1/2 hr. The check engine light didn't come on at the first breakdown. In the morning I added some more fuel additive and the car ran fine for about 1 hour of travel but soon sputtered and quit again. This time the check engine light came on. We were traveling east we wanted to go to Regina. I called the VW road side assistance 1-800 number. In my first post I didn't mention this. It really doesn't matter because VW is paying for everything.
I will say this to prospective buyers. In all my dealings with service reps. and VW Canada {located in Auburn Hill, Mi } "Adam"the customer service rep. who gets all the crap calls was patient and understanding. I have nothing but NICE things to say about VW . VW picked up my hotel, taxi and towing I just produced the receipts. They make me feel that they really care about you. I recall driving by the VW dealer in Lethbridge this summer when I need a 15,000k check. Without an appointment the service manager at" Vanee Motors Lethbridge Alberta" took me right in. They changed the oil and did a tire rotation and washed the car. I was on my way in I hour. It was likewise at" Autohaus in Georgetown, Ontario" this fall. Just phone em and they fit you right in. After every service there is a follow up call from VW Canada asking if you liked the service. These calls and your response to them could mean the dealer might get fewer cars if enough people are not fully satisfied. I've never had a problem. Tomorrow I see my dealer in Winnipeg, they've been just great too.
The trouble with the fuel in North America is any kind of standards for cold weather storage. I picked up my fuel in a Shell station in Medicine Hat The parafin just congels out of the fuel making it thick when the temperature drops. Additives help somewhat.... You have to be careful here. Some additives can dry out seals and rubber O rings and the like and lead to real problems down the road. Use the VW stuff !
Parafin is in Jet A fuel too. In fact Jet A has the same flash point as diesel. It is a dryer fuel or less oily than diesel but a diesel will burn it without probelms. Jet B has too much naptha or white gas(40%} to use in any diesel at all. Unless you are familiar with Jet fuels don't use em. Most turbo jets in small helicopters and small turbine engine aircraft run the fuel line through the oil cooler prior to the fuel filter to avoid jelling. I know of diesel engined fuel bowsers that run only on airports that have never ever seen a pint of diesel. They run Jet A for their whole lives and run fine for years. . All the operaters do is squirt a little oil in the fuel tank to make the fuel oily enough. Most every other diesel in cold climates run fuel line heaters of some kind.
I'm looking at engineering a fix with some kind of fuel line heater. I have a 5 speed standard and am looking at taping off from the line ports that would go to the automatic cooler from the rad. I figure I can run a closed circuit loop far enough up and back to warn the fuel line prior to the check valve and fuel filter. I'll use an automotive shrink wrap or use tie raps and an insulating material to tie it all together and that should do it. I have to head back out west to B.C.in just over a week and I plan to have something figured out and done by then. ????? Right now and since Xmas the Jetta has been running great. It's cold here in Kenora and like I said before, this is the only problem I have had with the car. I just love the torque/mileage of that diesel I'll let you know how I make out. Later Pete
Except for the problem above I recommend the car and diesel engine. I plan to have this problem licked in a few days with some good old fashion home made engineering. Later Pete
Thanks,
Mark
The Tuning Box is available from New Dimensions in Santa Clara Cal. go to www.vwaftermarket.com price is $399 U.S. +shipping The tuning box is not a chip, it's a little box that plugs in to the ECU{ engine control unit} and fuel injection pump and 1 wire clips to the mass air flow sensor. It connects/disconects in just minutes. Hey it's simple believe me. The box doesn't use a chip it uses 3 potencheometers. They vary voltage signals to the fuel pump from signals received from the ECU. There is no adjusting, just plug it in and PLAY. No sending your computer out, no down time. It raises the horse power from 90 to 115. Torque goes up a wopping 50 Neuton meters or to 195 ft/lbs tq. That's lots of Tq. More than a VR 6 and the diesel engine Jetta is 150 lbs. lighter. So you figure it out. The K&N filter{$78 Can.} just makes sure I can get full benefit of the tuning box. The box comes from Hermann Tuning in Belgium. Belgium has more diesels on the road than anywhere else I can think of. The car doesn't smoke, my mileage is exactly the same as before the mods. {Once I got over laying rubber at every stop light. : o ) With the diesel its all over by 4000 RPM anyway. I installed the short shift kit from Neuspeed because the TDi is geared lower than all the other Jetta's The shifter is just about perfect. I can make a quick shift from 1st to 2nd fast and there is no hunting for third and hitting 5th. Call Neuspeed for a price. I think I paid $105 U.S worth every penny. It shortens the shift 38%. It also installs in minutes from under the hood. I installed a carbon fiber dash trim kit from www.exoticwooddash.com. We won't talk about the price of that, just in case my wife sees this!!! Of course some nice crome exhaust tips and 17' alloy wheels with low profile Eagles. I was thinking about lowering the car with some high performance aftermarket suspension stuff but all the snow we get here has made me reconsider... The jury is still out. Besides the car is still new. Something about taking off perfectly good parts doesn't sit well with me. Vented discs when these ones wear out is next. The car is very quick, for an mainly stock Jetta. Just put the pedal down in 5th gear at 60 mph to pass and... Ho Che Momma!!!!
I had my car in for service today and they installed a FIX for the cold weather problem I've been having. They went right to the fuel tank under the rear seat and removed the black to engine check valve and replaced it with a BIGGER check valve and removed the check valve by the fuel filter. According to my service rep that should fix the congealed fuel problem. No fuel line heater required My fingers are crossed. It wasn't that cold today-5C on the 2 and 1/2 hour drive home from Winnipeg. I had the speed well up there on clear sections and avoided the cops. No coughing or sputtering of the engine detected.
According to the Hermann literature the box causes no damage at all, and in fact are conservative! I figure if the diesel normally goes for 450,000 miles without one and I can get 350,000 miles on it before the car rusts out ,I'm laughing. Besides you can always take it off. One thing to remember and I see it nowhere in their or anyone elses chip literature is ... When it gets cold you must back off slightly on the power. Cold air is much more dense than warm air. If it's very cold where you live and you're the least bit worried disconnect it for the winter. I haven't, and I have had no problems. I just take it easy and drive the car normally until spring. The tuning box web site is www.tuningbox.com Read all about it.
I talked to a VW rep about the car. I asked him why VW is promoting the car as an econo box when it howles so fine!!! He said economy is in right now. They have detuned the engine to get the higher mileage. So there you have it. Honest the box made no difference on fuel economy ...once I got over using all that torque. I've watched very closely. They claim slightly better mileage but I haven't seen it. It is exactly the same as before installation of the box.
VW is the only place you can buy 5W40 Castrol syntex oil anywhere in Canada. I can't speak for the States. The manual says you void your warranty if you don't their oil! . I stopped using it and switched to Quacker State 5W50 synthetic after my so called free oil changes were used up. If you save EVERY recept for the Quaker State oil changes, Quaker State will warranty your engine internals out to 400,000 miles. Seems like a better deal to me. It's cheaper in the long run too.$$$$$
One thing that has changed my fuel economy is the fat 8"Goodyear Eagles. It dropped slightly after I put them on, but oh do they hold the road!
Just because the car is built elsewhere, does NOT mean the dealership doesn't have to take responsibility for a defective product. It also does not mean I won't hold the dealership responsible personally. You buy a toaster from Sears, it breaks during the first week, you take it back to Sears and demand a refund. In my experience, you have to be kind, but forceful-- ESPECIALLY with WV/Audi dealerships.
Anyway, that's how you sounded. You absolutely have a right to be upset and *you* have the right attitude to get the things fixed properly and without a big hassle. You do have to be firm with a lot of dealers because some of them will try and give you the 'run-around.'
Let us know how it goes.
-Jim
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com
Only other problem I've experienced in 10 months of ownership is having the air bag warning light replaced about a month ago. Have 8500 miles and I've used zero oil between changes. I had it up to 100 mph briefly while driving I-8 west of duma on Tuesday. I love this car!
My Jetta 2000 GLS is about to reach 24K mile mark and is going to lose the Basic/Bumper-to-Bumper warranty. I’m looking into purchasing an extended warranty /service plans. 1) Do you think it’s worth the money? 2) What plan, VW Mastergaurd plan or Portfolio?
Thanks in advance for your insight,
Pat
I'd be pleased to hear others' comments.
A friend of mine has a '93 Jetta and said that there was a problem with a higher center of gravity in Jetta's of yore. Is this something they have changed in '99 or 2000. I am considering buying a 2001 and would like to purchase one with my eyes open.
I have a 2000 Jetta GLS. I bought this car for new.I have abount 36700 miles on my car now. But I got a very serious problem with my brake. My "Rear Brake" were worn and the rear rotors were scored in 26360 miles in July 99. But one week ago (Jan 12,01), I went to do oil change and I also asked them to check my brake. My "Rear Brake" were worn again and the rear rotors were scored again. Also my rear caliper boots ripped. This time I also have to change my rear caliper.I spent $400 for the first time. And last week I spent almost $ 500 to fix it again. And they don't have caliper one week ago, so I am going to change my caliper next week. It will costs me around $500 to $700. I asked the dealer to check my rear brake because they were worn to fast, and they can't find out my rear brake problem. They only told me that I might forget to put down the hand brake when I am driving. Bht the problem is that I didn't use my hand brake at all. So, how come the rear break would be worn so fast. Also there is nothing wrong with my front brake. From o mile to 36700 miles now, I have no problem with my front brakes. Only my rear brakes have problem. Does anyone can tell me what should I do ? or Does anyone know which parts of the brakes system has problem ?
I just purchased a 1999 Jetta GLS TDi w/ 19,500 miles on it and I love it! I'm having one small
problem with it, though. Sometimes when I play a CD the CD will play, but I can't hear it
constantly. It will come off and on, like it sounds when a CD skips but, the CD never looses
it's place. I mean, if it conks out for 10 seconds and then turns back on, the song has
progressed 10 seconds so I know the CD isn't skipping. Anyone have this problem or knows
what might be going on?
Everybody knows that the spell checker's EVIL.
{%^) bnormann
-Jim
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com
I had my eyes on a 2000 GTI GLX. It's no doubt a desirable little fun car. But they aren't cheap, the warranty sucks and J.D. Power says that VWs are "above average" in reported problems for the first 90 days of ownership. Unfortuntely, I had to pass. Given VW's highish pricing, they should offer 4yr/48K basic warranties and 5yr/60K on the powertrain.
Just to prove my point, I know someone with a 99 Passat 1.8T 5spd with 28K. Somehow, the grease came off of the speedometer cable and in the winter, it makes a lot of noise whenever the speedometer needle moves (which is all the time!). Warranty coverage? Nope. There is none. The fix? You have to pull the whole dash off. Heh, heh. I'm sure that's gonna be cheap!
Jetta GLX comes with fog light, but is it possible for me to install the factory fog light in my GLS Jetta. Is anyone ever done with this ?
Thanks !
The car is 16 months old and still looks incredible and drives great. I got the silver with black leather. Anyway, I have had some problems and am having trouble deciding if I should keep the car considering I already have 21K miles and continue to have lots of small annoying proplems. I am now worried I will have some more major problems when the warranty expires in a month or so.
1. I have had three incidences of a loud, hard snap in the transmission when accelerating.
2. I have already had some computer chip (not sure what) replaced when the check engine light came on. This took two weeks when the car had only about 5K miles on it.
3. I have this strange, annoying noise coming from the bottom of the drivers seat that makes a clicking sound almost like riding a horse. hah! They can't find the source of the noise and want to replace the entire seat frame and then redo the leather after it's replaced. Sounds like a bad idea to me.
4. The glove box is loose and hanging down and has had to be ordered 3 times because the first time it was in they gave it to someone else (maybe this is not an uncommon problem) and the second time the new glove box was covered in scratches during shipment supposedly. That was the excuse from the service department anyway on why they could not fix it during my 20K service.
I asked if they could simply attempt to tighten the original glove box and take the seat off and try to check everything and tighten it all up to maybe solve the problem and they said "no, our policy is to replace the parts, not try and fix the originals".
5. Anyway, I also have a rattling noise coming from the rear driver side door as well as...
6. a tire on the other side that will not remain inflated above 26 psi no matter how often I add air. The tire was even taken off and submerged in water at the Goodyear center with no leak found. Puzzling.
7. I also had the in-dash CD player added and it shuts volume off only when a CD is playing when I turn the power off on the radio and back on again. When I turn the power back on I have to switch to the radio, turn the volume up as it is at it's lowest point and then switch back to the CD I was playing. The volume also shuts off at other times during random button pushing on the dash but only when it's a CD playing.
Needless to say, I've adapted to certain things and can live with some of these little annoyances but I am worried the car is going to fall apart as soon as the warranty is up. I am also worried that if I purchase an additional extended warranty that I will be using it constantly and always be making arrangements to have the car in the shop.
Any feedback would be appreciated. I do love the car but have also always wanted an Audi A4. Does anyone know if Audi's are just as problem prone as their their little cousins?
Thanks!
Extended warranty? Sure, they exist, but price one with a $0 deductible and tack that on to a car with an already high price. You might be better off, then, to buy an Audi or a BMW (both with 4/50K warranties and all maintenance paid).
thanks
I agree that a 2 yr/24 month warranty is cheap. How many other manufacturers offer such a short warranty?
Also do all Jetta's have soft brake pedals, my brake pedal seems to have to travel a long way before I get any noticable grab? Just thought I would throw those things out there and see what people had to say.
Because a car is an unstable environment for disc reading, car CD players feature special damper mechanisms to retard disc movement. Unfortunately, these compounds tend to stiffen significantly when cold. I don't know why the designers haven't figured it out, but why not use a compound that stays pliable until say, 10 degrees F? Must be cost considerations.
AFAIK, there is no easy solution. If your discs skip in the cold, it's part of the "design" of the changer unit.
I was shocked at so very little leg room there was in the back seat. I am 5 9, and 180 lbs. After I adjusted the front seat so I was comfortable, I tried to get in the back seat, there was no room to get my size 10 shoes in!!
the back seat is good for kids. For about $19K, Check out Honda Accord EX.
-Jim
http://www.JettaOwnersClub.org
http://www.BlueLagoonJetta.com
You have to wonder if they did any cold weather testing with their cars. I really don't care that the glove box has a damper. Dampers are fine on a cassett door, but a glove box? Rule of thumb DON"T FORCE THE DOOR.
I just completed a 5000 kilometer trip to Vancouver from Ontario. While I was on the trip my fuel injection pump started to act up. Everytime I pulled out to pass someone and stepped on the gas the engine would quit! My warranty was just about up 40,000 Kilometers. The VW dealer in Cranbrook B.C. took 2 days to repair the car because the pump had to be air freighted from Ontario to B.C. A new fuel injection pump cost {fasten your seat belts} $3600. Canadian. I just made it under the wire on the warranty so there was no cost to me, other than the 2 days waiting . I was with family so it wasn't so bad.
I'm starting to worry. The dealer assured me it was a very rare thing to see a failure of this kind. I told him about my previous cold weather problems with the fuel and he said that might have contributed to the premature failure. I hope he is right. Other than that no other problems.
A rebuilt fuel injection pump goes for $1800 Canadian.
At 15 to 20 cents more per gallon for premium, I'd much rather run regular.
The VW VR-6 is a very sophisticated engine, and it costs some $2700 to get it in Jetta. This is no ordinary V-6 from GM, Chrysler, or Ford. If you are spending that extra money, why don't you want to spend the extra 20 cents? I think the pick up, idle, and gas mileage will be better with higher octane gas. If your car calls for premium, then use premium, BUT if it does not call for premium, then I feel it is waste of money. Unless you have an older car that has knocking problem, in that case most of the time, switching to 89 or 91 octane gas will take care of it.
By recommending alone, people start doubting and questioning. BMW and Mercedes say " Use premuim"