Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

Mr_Shiftright

Regular vs. Premium......I think you should take out your calculator and figure out the savings per year from using regular versus the loss of performance....I mean, you bought a very spirited, fun to drive car....why choke it in order to save $135 a year? Am I missing something here?

riswami

Isn't the VR-6 a two valve per cylinder design? So where is the sophistication? To compare,Ford's 3.0 Duratec is a 24 Valve design and runs on 87 octane!

Yeah I guess the Germans are the engineering gods!On top of that the Ford engine has more horse power and more torque.

Ford also backs their cars with 3 year 36,000. VW has the worst in the industry, 2 year 24,000.

So if the product is so darn good then why don't they back em up!

Mr_Shiftright

I believe the VW powertrain warranty is ten years. Please correct me someone if this has changed recently? It is on my friend's 2000 Passat anyway.

I can't imagine Ford backing up a Duratech for ten years, but it's a decent engine for what it is...not particularly exciting. I think the VR6 is tweaker for hi octane to get the most of out it, and to enhance the driving experience. I can't see diminishing this with the use of lower octane fuel. Give it what the engineers ask for.

bgabel1260

Exhibit #2: Duratec 2.5L...DOHC, 24 valves, 6750 redline, variable breathing, 170hp, 165lb-ft, 87 octane.

Dunno if Ford could do 10 years on the 2.5L, but it is a very exciting engine with low octane requirements.

riswami

I wasn't talking about the powertrain warranty; I was referring to the overall vehicle warranty.

Sorry to disagree with you, but the VR-6 is overrated. Most people drive these cars to and fro, so are you telling me that the performance of each of the engines makes much difference in a daily commute.

What data do you have to infer that Ford wouldn't back the Duratec for 10 years. Or more to the point - why are you inferring that the VW engine is superior?

I was matching the 200 horsepower 3.0 against the VR 6. The 2.5 does a nice job too.

I guess Ford doesn't have the snob appeal of the VR-6?

riswami

VR-6 - 181 ft-lbs of torque, 174 horses - and they need premium to get the most out of it. Help me, what is so special about this engine? Plus they charge you 2,700 for it? I checked the sticker on a 2001 Jetta GLX with the 2.8, it list for 24,300. That's a lot of dough for a Jetta! Guess PT Barnum was right!

Mr_Shiftright

I don't know why Ford doesn't warranty the Duratech for ten years. You'll have to ask them. I think it would be a good idea, but maybe they don't?

The specs of an engine on paper really tell very little about it. This is like buying a car based on what you see on paper. AS an example, a Ferrari V8 might not look at good on paper as a Lexus V8, but man, what a difference! And yes, a Lexus V8 will run longer and with less maintenance, and it will cost less to rebuild, etc. But so what? The Ferrari just has that certain something that enthusiasts love and will pay for.

It's all in the driving. I personally find a VW with a VR6 engine about fifty times more fun than driving anything with a Duratech V-6...perhaps this is because of the car they attach to the engine, I will grant you. Perhaps it is how I drive. Duratech's fine, I have no complaint. All I'm saying is that a VW with the VR6 engine is a lot of fun to drive...it is NOT the smoothest, or the most powerful...never claimed it was, nor is it even my FIRST choice for a V6....just saying it is a very fun car to drive, and I compliment VW for making it a real driver's car.

That being said, my point was to encourage the owner of a VR6 Jetta to use the engine's full potential.

If you want to start a foreign vs. domestic argument, please feel free to open a topic on that subject, maybe in the Sedans or Coupes Boards. This discussion is for someone who wants info on his VW.

gregj777

You go, man! My VR6 is awesome. I have always, with the exception of 2 or 3 tanks, used 93. I can't really tell a lot of difference, but as someone else said, why worry about $135 a year?
I'm fortuate too that I haven't had any issues with mine, the entire car seems like quality. I do hear stories though, as you do on any car, and I'm still thinking about the extended warranty as mine approaches 24K very fast.

rooba10

The VR-6 has been around and will stay around too.

What happened to Ford Contour? What Happend to Ford Taurus SHO. In the last two years of SHO, they even wasted money to develop a V-8 for it.

VR-6 is a compact engine. Someone was saying Contour Duratec V-6 is better than VW Jetta VR-6.

I tell you something. VW drives and feels solid at 40 or 90MPH. I had a 85 Jetta with 1.8L engine. In ice and snow, that 2400 Ibs car handled better than anything else I have ever owned (including my current 96 Toyota Camry XLE V-6)

It is NOT the point how fast you can, it is how good, solid, and stable you are going fast. I bet that is the area the VW Jetta will outdo Ford Contour V-6.

zandor

Just in case anyone's wondering why these two
died...

SHO
Too expensive for what you get and too expensive
to maintain. The 235 HP V8 wasn't enough
extra kick to make people cough up the extra $$$.
The thing cost 30k new, and got clobbered by
cheaper, faster cars. (Pontiac Grand Prix GTP,
Buick Regal GS, and Camry V6 5-speed to name a
few)
The SHO was also a horror to maintain. The
scariest thing I've heard about it was the spark
plug replacement procedure. On many cars you can
just pop them out. On some (mostly FWD) cars
(like my friend's Dodge Stratus) removal of the
manifold is required. Not so with the SHO.
To replace plugs in the SHO, you had to remove
the *engine*. Enough to scare me off.
FYI, the SHO's V8 was a Yamaha engine, though I
think Ford did some of the work on it.

Contour
Looked like an Escort, isn't lot bigger than an
Escort, and cost more like a Taurus.
The Contour's not totally dead though. It's sold
in Europe (& probably other markets) as the
Mondeo, and just got a redesign.
The SVT Contour is the only one that really had
much of a chance. I've seen a number of reviews
putting the Contour on top against A4 2.8's and
(stripped- no sport package) BMW 323s in terms of
performance.
The regular Contour was a sales dud though, and
took the SVT down with it.

jetta143

I have a strange problem with the passenger window on my 01 Jetta Wolfsburg. Sometimes, i use the auto up feature to roll the window up, but when it gets to the top, it rolls back down. it is enough to aggrivate someone! i think it has somthing to do with the Pinch Protection thingy, but i'm not sure. any input would be very helpful.
Thanks

Tyler

bluejetta

Jetta143: You are exactly correct in t-shooting your problem. Just take it to the dealer and they can make a simple adjustment to fix that minor annoyance.

Congrats on the WE! I test drove one (for grins) a few weeks ago. One word: SWEET!

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

bgabel1260

Although my Contour started to rapidly disintegrate by the ripe old age of 30K, when it was in its prime, it was a remarkably stable car. No question in my mind that it could drive 90 mph all day. I really enjoyed driving it on some lower-traffic interstates in VA and TN where you could "safely" do 95 and the car basically wanted more. It really felt planted. I started getting white knuckles around 110 (around fuel cutoff), but my biggest worry at that speed were the tires...overall, the car is definitely designed for speed. I didn't even have the SVT.

Shame it was built in Mexico. Typical fall-apart domestic car quality.

silverjetta

I own Jetta GLS/VR6. Being a Japanese in the middle age, I have a long list of Japanese cars I once owned. If not the best car in the list, my Jetta is certainely a car I really love and I do believe VR6 engine is a technical feast. No doubt. Before I purchased it I test drove many V6s including Camry, Maxima, and Accord. These are all fine cars with fantastic V6s, which are always rated as one of the best V6s. However, look at these cars. See how large they are. I hate large cars. Contour may be smaller than Camry/Maxima/Accord, but it is definitly a bigger car than Jetta (184/69 vs 172/68 in. for length/width).

There are two major reasons why I think VR6 engine is worth a lot of respect. First, it is designed to be fit in a small car like Jetta, which is almost a size of Civic (175/68 in.)! Is there any other car of this size with V6? Not on this planet. This idea, to make a v6 engine specially designed for small cars, is something American and Japanese car companies never even imagine. VW did it and did an excellent job.

Second, this engine is designed for low-mid range punch (181lb/3200rpm vs 169lb/5500rpm for Contour). I do not mean to criticise SVT, but high power/high rpm engine is quite a straightforward approach. Yes, Contour's 200hp/6600rpm and 169lbs/5500rpm is respectable figures but 80hp/litter is quite ordinary value as a high rpm sport engine. On the other hand, 181lbs/3200rpm/2.8L are outstanding numbers, which is often overlooked, if you are interested in only the number of horses.

Most importantly, the actual driving experience of VR6 is just wonderful. Considering these facts, I think VR6 engine deserves to be called "technically outstanding engine". Any opinions?

k_h_b

I think the 1.8T engine is technically outstanding as well!

bgabel1260

The VR6 loses points because it requires premium fuel. It's also a heavy powerplant. I drove one in a GTI and understand why the 1.8T has so many fans.

The base 2.5L V6 in the Contour has 165lbs/4250rpm - certainly more drivable than SVT - and needs only 87 octane. Not bad considering it's only a $495 upgrade charge over the base 130hp I4. VW wants a BIT more for the VR6 over the 2.0L or even the 1.8T.

It's funny that you mention body size in your comparison. Your Jetta might be smaller than a midsize, but it weighs over 100 pounds more than my Accord Coupe, which is 14.3 inches longer! 3106 pounds (GLX 5-speed) is a portly weight for a compact. Weight doesn't help out with handling.

k_h_b

Me and my Wolfsburg jetta will rape and pillage your accord coupe anyday of the week.

rooba10

Once I drove a 96 Ford Contour to Canada, and put some 800 miles on it. It was a OK every day commuting car. NOTHING EXCITING. I test drove a 2001 Jetta with it standard 2.0L four and 5 speed transmission. It was a fun car to drive. I wish I could drive one for 800 miles, and not own one!

I just don't understand how the car gained some 600 Ibs. over the 85 model?! The new 2001 Civic Sedan dash reminds of VW Jetta's. Japanese are copying Germans? No!!!!

silverjetta

87 octane gas is indeed a big point. Also, I agree that $2,000 extra is too much, although it is justifiable once you test drive both VR6 and 2.0L. I've never drove 1.8T but I am not surprised if it is more agile. You know, heavy nose is a common problem of FWD-V6 combination. On the other hand, I am not sure VY6 engine itself is particularly a heavy engine compared to other V6s. V6s are definitly heavier than I4s, in general. So, it is more fare to compare Accord V6 to Jetta V6. Also, body weight is something difficult to compare among different cars, because it pretty much depends on stiffness of the body and sound insulation. Some cars are designed for extra stiffness in exchange for the rigidity, and Jetta is surely one of them. Look at the new Impreza WRX. It sacrificed 200lb for that!

bgabel1260

Only on those days your car isn't in the shop. You'll look good in a Ford Escort rental.

bluejetta

I'm afraid I am going to have to disagree. NO ONE looks good in a Ford Escort rental. In fact, no one even looks AT a Ford Escort rental -- not even the person driving it!! ;-))

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

gregj777

I agree with the commentator who was asking where is the Ford Contour... The VR6 has been around a while and probably will be. There's a link to a great technical article about it at my website.

http://www.greg-jordan.com

Go to the VR6 Page, the article is on a link on the left.

petethepilot

Yea, I thought about that. That's why I removed the tuning box prior to taking it in for repairs. I still think the conjealed fuel was the problem. Interestingly the injection pump acted the same with the box removed????
I did write the tuning box maker and asked them if the box contributed to my problem. They say the injection pump can only put out the volume of fuel it was designed to.
I've talked to other diesel owners American made and foreign and they all say they have had lots of trouble when the weather gets real cold.

tdijetta

Thanks for the information. I tend to agree but wanted to get your input. Have you reinstalled the tuning box since your fuel injector replacement?

cdrury1

Also, remember the Jetta is the only car in its class with a 5 star crash rating. That adds some weight. Check out crashtest.com.

My wife has a 2000 Jetta TDI and loves it. It is not quite a VR6 but she routinely gets 50 mpg. I top off her tank once a month and she has well over a 700 mile range. With the 5 speed it has enough horsepower for her and she thinks she is in a sports car the way it drives... and I could afford to buy it for her. She loves it.

I don't think I could get excited about a Contour, even if it had lots of power. My friend had a 4 cyl one and I rode in it. It was like riding in the family sedan. The interior was so... mature looking.

petethepilot

You bet ya! It went on about 1 hour after I got it back. The car without it is great don't get me wrong but when its on, I have greater confidence when passing. I bet it cuts at least 3 seconds of the 60 to 80 mph time. That don't sound like much but at that speed its more than a few car lenghts.

sashai51

First of all i'm a very young buyer and this is my first new car which i bought on my own. When i got the car in early july of 2000 i was very happy and it worked great. Now recently everything is happening. I bought the gls with alloys, sunroof and monsoon package, for about 20000. Now the a/c no longer works, cruise control doesn't work, car stalls, doesn't start at times, runs very rough, breaks grind even though there are plenty of life on the pads, the car froze on me and all the instrument panel lights came on and i keep taking it to the dealer and they fix some stuff and say everything is fine, i've taken the car in so much it's beginning to be annoying, i bought a new car understanding that i should have no problems for a while, what a big mistake, i wish i bought a honda like i wanted to but my brother bought a passat and convinced me to get the jetta. I'm terribly disappointed with the dealers service as well, it takes an arm and a leg for the vw dealers to even listen to your problems much less fix them, anybody have any ideas what i should do, should i just get rid of it, i don't know i'm just very disappointed, anybody else having these symptoms?

megs736

I loved the car when I first got it...in May of 2000 with 11000 miles on it. After a few months, the car has annoying tendencies. It is hard to shift into first gear, manual, sometimes. If I am sitting at a stoplight in neutral, the lights will dim for a second and i will hear the engine rev. Could this be the battery? Also, my heat has a rotten egg smell when it is on for longer than 5 minutes. I love the car, yet sometimes I hate it! It also stalled on me once, while I was in neutral, and wouldn't start for 5 minutes. It hasn't done anything like that since. I would like to hear from any other 97 GT owners with the same problem!

twflowers

I've only had my Jetta (fresh off the dealer lot) since October. While the overall performance is good, and the features and comfort are excellent, I've had several aggravating problems. The worst has been a constant rattle in the dash, behind the gauges. Three trips to the service department, and its finally fixed. Then a creaking sound developed in the front passenger side door, caused by a loose latch. Another trip to the dealer fixed this, but less than a week later and the noise is coming back. Also had a loud squeak when turning the steering wheel. Two trips to the dealer were needed for this ailment. I have a sporadic problem with the idle jumping, and the idle has gotten rougher as I put miles on the engine. The dealer says nothing is wrong. My main complaint is that a $20,000 car shouldn't rattle and squeak. The service writer at the dealership said that VW's don't have a problem with rattling, yet the loaner car he put me in (a 2000 Golf) rattled all over, as does their VW van they use as a shuttle vehicle.
My last car was an 87 BMW with over 220,000 miles on it when I traded it in on this VW. The Bimmer didn't rattle at all, and it was paid for. Gee, I miss that car!
The VW is not all bad: most days I really enjoy it, if the rattles will just stay away. Its no BMW, but it beats everything else I've tried.

chevydriver

I am currently driving a 1998 Chewy Camaro and love it (not one problem). I am a new mother and will never be the mini van driving mom. I love my sports car and continue to want a car that's fast & fun to drive.
I've been looking at the Jetty. I am now in need of 4 doors and I want a car that has them but still looks sporty. I like the looks of the Jetty. I just finished reading all the many problems people have had with their Jetty and wonder if some of them will be taken care of in the 2001 model. I think some cars just come out as lemons and it's just a persons bad luck to purchase one of them. I am apprehensive now but will continue to research the Jetty. I am also interested in the Dodge Intrepid. Any comments or suggestions? Thanks, Sandra

chevydriver

sorry the person above means "Jetta" with an "a" not a "y"
and "Chevy" with a "v" not a "w".
Sorry for the errors. Should have used the spell check!

evanslyke

I test drove both of these recently, and liked them both. There are some questions I have, though. I currently drive a 91 Civic DX (sedan). The car is and has been wonderful. Honda's repair record is great, I assume owning to the cars being manufactured in the US. How do VW and Honda repair records compare? I keep reading stories about VW parts not being in stock!

Also, the Honda salesman said there is no trip-meter in the Civic. I don't think he knows what he's talking about (he also said that the front suspension was still double wish-bone when I know I read that it is now McPherson strut). I can't imagine a car these days not having a trip-meter, especially if it had it previously. Why take it out?

I like the Jetta, but I think that since its fuel economy is not up to the Civic's, that may be the deciding factor for me. The crash test results look like they are in Honda's favor, as well.

flaca

I need answers from Jetta Owners. I have read many posts about some Jetta Problems. I am looking into buying a Jetta. I am concerned about the 2 year warranty. What is covered in the power train warranty? Which is the quietest motor? Is it worth the $2000 price tag for a 1.8T or V6? I want a realible car - IS the Jetta one? Please owners help me decide. Thanks

nogoodjetta

I bought a new Jetta 30 days ago. I have enjoyed having it only one of those days... the day I drove it home. Since then there has been a lineup of problems from windows not working to rough idling to vacuum leaks to a whining sound that just won't go away. Today will be the third time I've been to the dealer this week. The whining sound appears around 40 mph and continues to get louder and more obnoxious until finally the engine/wind noise covers it up around 70. Has anyone else ever experienced this? The service manager keeps feeding me lines but does nothing to fix the car. My 11 year old, 178k miles Corolla was less troublesome.

blackjetta18t1

hey, what model jetta do u have, and what was the deal with your rough idling? what exactly would happen and what was the problem with it? Plus, just a gemneral question for everyone, those of you who have the Goodyear tires on your Jetta, what pressure do you recommend that tires be?

bluejetta

All I can do is share my experience with my 6 month new Jetta. My car's history is at: http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

I will also suggest that you do much, much more research on the Jetta, and any other car you are considering, than just here in these complaint forums.

Check out the crash tests at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

The Jetta is one of the top safest cars on the road. In spite of what was stated in post #833, the Jetta has the Civic beat hands down on safety with side and head (curtain) airbags as standard equipment. The Jetta is classed with Mercedes and Volvo when it comes to safety.

As a sidenote: No car manufacturer makes every car perfect. They all make lemons. And you'll definitely read about them all here, Honda, VW, Toyota, whatever...

Shop your local VW dealer and check their history and record before buying. Inspect their repair shop.

If you decide on a Jetta, you will not have a more fun experience in a car in this price range. VW builds excitement into their cars. It's difficult to explain to non-Jettites and once you get a Jetta, then you'll say, "Ahhhh! *Now* I see what you all were talking about." And all those weird VW TV commercials will all make sense. ;-)))

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

jeremybear

This question may be asked before, but...
Is the low ground clearance (4.1 in) a serious problem? Any concern and bad experience with it? All WV/Audio cars have this characters. Why?

bluejetta

You have to re-code the radio to the car. It explains it in your manual.

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

hawkeye11

Had a short in the wires connecting to the spark plugs. After having them replaced, the radio doesn't work and displays "SAFE". Any suggestions?

alienzero

One day, all of a sudden. . . when I try to accelerate the rpms rev high, sometimes even redline, but the engine doesn't change gears. In drive I can only go about 30mph w/o running the engine at to many rpms. 95 jetta auto 4cyl 2.o. how can I check transmission fluid?

bluejetta

LOL! I must have a crystal ball as I answered the problem about the SAFE message on the radio (Head Unit) before it was even asked! ;-)))

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org
http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

lspangler

In response to some of the comments that the Vr6 and the 1.8T being engineering marvels so they need premium, I think is a joke. I own a 1.8T and love it, but if you think about it another way it makes more sense. If your competition is building more powerful engines than you, the cheapest way to catch up is to bump the compression up to the point that it requires premium fuel to run properly. Now I'm not a gm diehard, but just to make a point. I just bought a '01 Pathfinder, it has a 3.5L 250 hp V-6, it requires premium to make that power. Gm's new inline 6 that comes in thier envoy, trailblazer and bravada makes 270 hp and much more torque than my V-6 and runs on 87 octane while getting 6 more mpg on the highway than my Nissan. Which is the better design?

The cavalier has a 2.5L 4 cylinder engine that makes 150 hp and gets 5 more mpg on the highway than the 1.8T. The cavalier runs on 87, the VW on premium. The VW is the nicer car by far, but I have to wonder about the efficiency of the motor.

I'd say the premium fuel requirements are nothing more than a way to make up for a lack of engineering knowledge, or a band-aid for when your engine design dept. fails to meet it's objective. When designing that new inline 6, GM had a requirement of 255 hp on 87 octane, when they were done they somehow had 270.

Once again, i'm not a GM fan, I just used them as an example because they can build some awesome engines, they just don't know how to design or build the rest of the car.

ramon

for the 1.8T is due to the turbo dude. Having said that I am not sur what the compression ratio of the 1.8T is. But on my car a boxer 4 2.5l, the compression ratio is 10.0:1 which pumps out 165hp and 166lb/ft but still sips 87 octane. ;-)
also the Z24 is a 2.4l not 2.5l which does 150hp.
anyways since the 1.8T engine requires premium but pumps out only 150hp, might as well put in a chip to let it push out 180hp instead. Since u're paying premium gas might as well make it give out more horses right? hahahahah

lspangler

I agree, the compression requirements of a turbo can benefit from Premium, but in a normally aspirated engine, the quickest way to make more power is to bump up the compression ratio, which usually causes pre-detonation and premium slows that down and allows the engine to make more power. Your right on the cavalier, I don't pay much attention to them. My point was that an engine requiring premium is generally an engine that isn't keeping up with the expectations of marketing, so the VR6 is in need of a re-design in order to make it competitive on 87.

ramon

you mean cars like the vtec civics, integras and preludes which has a small displacement but need more hp so they bump the cr to make hp? I think it is more complicated that that. Anyways this is way OT.

natalierk

I drive a '99 Jetta GL that came off the assembly line when they still had a few '98 bodies, so it has a '98 body on it. Anyway, I've not had any significant trouble with it, though I know of 2 people who've had that trouble with the power windows getting stuck. Once the check engine light came on because one of the oxygen sensors was "hypersensitive." That took a whopping 20 minutes to repair, and I got a free massage, breakfast at McDonald's and a coupon for a car wash (with a 14 month old in tow, I wasn't sticking around for the complimentary car wash that would have taken another 30 minutes). My latest problem is that my now 3.5 year-old has figured out how to turn on the radio without the key, which means the key mechanism sticks, which drained the battery when I didn't drive it for a week. So today I had to be boosted 5 times because the battery is so depleted it won't hold its charge, even when driven for over an hour. I don't blame my Jetta for that, but the key mechanism will have to be fixed, and the battery needs replacing. My only complaint is this dealership, which was so great that one time, acted like a vulture circling fresh kill over the battery thing, I guess because the warranty is over. They were telling me that they would need to have the car for 3 days (for a battery! and yes, I've already verified that the alternator and starter are fine), and that no, I couldn't have a loaner but I could rent a car right on the premises. I opted to get my fifth and last boost and take it to another garage - not VW- where it can be done in one day and where labour charges are half that of VW and where I've been getting oil changes and minor repair work for years and years on all our family cars, which range from Maximas to Civics to Volvos.

I do love to drive the Jetta, having come from a '96 Civic DX, this one feels much more solid, and it actually gets better gas mileage (by a hair), than my Civic did, which is important to me. I'm remaining open-minded about buying another one, though if only because it seemed to me that I had a harder/sleazier time acquiring the Jetta than I did the Civic.

hawkeye11

I have an easy question. After having some service done on my spark plugs and wires of a '96 Jetta GLS, the MIL light is on and the place I had it done doesn't have a scanner to erase the codes to turn off the MIL light. Chilton's says to disconnect negative connector of battery for 1 minute. Didn't work. Any thoughts? I'm betting the dealership would charge me to clear it with a scanner.

alcan

Good bet. Your vehicle is OBD-II compliant. A scan tool is required to retrieve/erase stored diagnostic trouble codes and turn off the MIL. A Snap-on scanner with import cartridges costs about $4,000. Not many shops are going to use them for free, bearing in mind that the scanner has to be paid for as does the tech's time.

jeanmarie1760

I am the unfortunate owner of a 2000 VW GLX VR6 automatic. This silver bombshell is currently in the shop for its fourth transmission, a dysfunctional CD magazine, and a faulty door handle. It has a mear 15,000 miles. Within my first month of ownership, I had to replace the gas tank. Within of a few months of that I had the climatronic/ac system replaced. I tried to pretend not to hear the intense humming the car made at 40mphs but decided to get it checked out. And now here I am, on transmission #4. VW knows that these transmissions are problematic. The car was not even returned to me after they installed transmission #2 because it made more noise than transmission #1. Anyone else understand my transmission agony????

tdijettaowner

I just bought a '99 New Jetta TDI and I have a question for anyone out there. I've noticed that when I'm driving at night, everything lights up except the panel with the heat/ac. The buttons (Recirc & A/C) light up when pressed but the hot/cold switch, vent select, & 0-4 knob don't light up. Is this correct or shold they light up with everything else? I wanted to make sure that something was infact wrong before I called the dealership. Please let me know ASAP b/c I only have 400 miles left on the warrenty!:) Thanks for any help!