Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

wsommariva

Oil consumption: Seems that the 2.0 liter engines use more oil than we are used to. I even have heard that VW says one quart per thousand miles is "normal". In any case, I always check my oil level on the first of the month. I have the VR6 and after about 4 thousand miles I will be down about a half quart.

Alignment: Not covered under free maintanance. But I think you only get an alignment when you need it...like if you hit a curb. Tire rotation is covered at 10k and 20k, at least on my 2000 Jetta. Rotation should be done at every 10k for better wear.

MIL lights: Common on VWs and other cars also. The emmissions have a few sensors, I guess some go bad. I needed a new coolent sensor. Others have needed an MAF, whatever that is. Sometimes it's just the gas cap isn't on tight.

bluegirl

i have a jetta gls v6 with leather... and i loved that car... but man, i'm mad at VW for not putting care into the contruction of the poor thing!!! within the first 2 months of ownership, i had to get the transmission replaced-- supposedly they sold it to me with no fluid in it (whatever) Then some bolt broke that basically seemed to control the car's acceleration, then my AC broke,(inner fuse), Then my AC smells like jack in the box spicy chicken (basically like vinegar---GROSS), and makes a funny noise, then my tires were bald and totally imbalanced, then my battery died, and my sunroof broke, and this is just a sample of my 2 year old 35,000 mile sad jetta. I treat the thing like gold, reg oil changes, service etc....
it makes me really sad that i have to give up on VW and i used to feel really good about my car and the company... but they haven't supported me through any of this.
anyone else had problems like these? I feel like i am the ONLY one.

rr15

Ok. Love the drive, love the look. What about the Passat? Has anyone heard anything better?

jaylonious

The bumper rails on both sides of my 96 jetta gls keep falling off. I had one reattached by the VW dealership--it's been on for 15 months now. Another was replaced by a body shop after a minor fender bender -- it fell off again after 6 months. I've seen lots of other jettas with droopy or missing door rails. Is there some solution for this that will keep them on permanently?

nwvw

Man. Sorry to hear that. You obviously got a bad one for sure. Check your state's Lemon Laws to see if your car qualifies. I doubt it, but it's worth a try.

All manfacturers make lemons. VW probably has more than some car makers do, but there are alot of satisfied VW owners out there. But, I understand your feelings and that'd probably sour me on VW cars too.

Maybe it's time for the new Acura RSX or something. The new 2002 Altima supposed to be pretty hot too, so you might check that out...

I do love my new 2002 1.8T Jetta though...;-)

-Jim

coolwhite_we

Last Friday I bought a 2001 WE. After getting it home, I ran a few errands and had difficulty starting it. It eventually started but only after several turns of the key. I thought it was the battery at first so on Saturday I took it back to the dealer to see if they could swap out the battery. They kept the car for several days and I just picked it up with no problem found. On my way home, I made several stops and had difficulty starting it just like the first day. I no longer think it is the battery because there is no clicking or attempts to turn the starter. It just lights up all of the instrument lights and then nothing. After many attempt it will start. I found that if I remove the key and try again it has a better chance of starting. Needless to say it's on its way back to the dealer tomorrow.

Has this happened to anyone else?

nwvw

Seems I have heard of someone else having this before and it was fuel/smog related if I remember right. I'll see what I can find, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything major. I think it was some defective sensor/sender or some such nonesense.

-Jim

dudka

i remeber on my 91 jetta that i had to remove the key after unsuccesfull start. the mechanism in the ignition wouldn't let you crank twice, it was made that way that you don't run the starter while the engine is already running (as if you couldn't hear it!!!)

I was really considering going back to the VW family, but after reading 400 some posts (going back to april of this year) i decided to stick with what has proven to be reliable. one thing i do miss about my jetta, is the ease of working on it, then engine bay was way bigger than the engine and i could actually stick my hands in there, but with the current car, i never had to open the hood, simply because it gives me no reason to, except to look at the engine and hear it tick like a clock. (inherent valve click in the design, not hydraulyc like in VW)

mencius01

Hi all,

This is a little late but I did end up getting the Masterguard warranty ... thanks to http://www.cbues.com/vw/warranty/ (i'm not sure who the site owner is I was able to get a very good price (essentially what the web page says + $100 dealer markup on it) for the 60 mth / 72K mile one.

I ended up calling Beaudry VW in Tucson, AZ (I don't live there) for it.

Thanks again!

quentin2

I've been having a chronic problem with my 1999 A4 1.8T Quatro automatic. For several months now, the engine will often start shaking when I come to a fast stop from a high speed. The only way to stop the vibrations is to tap on the gas. Once recently, the engine locked up in first gear. The Audi dealer has been giving me a runaround; their most recent solution has been to reset the throttle. I'm beginning to suspect that the car has a serious transmission problem, and that the dealer is just trying to wait out the warranty period. Any advice? Specifically, could the throttle have been the cause of the engine locking up in first gear?

balticjetta18t

This week I had an unusual power loss that felt like the ASR was kicking in when I was applying medium acceleration power in 3rd gear with A/C on. The check engine lite was flickering too. This happened for about 8 min on and off. It stopped and I drove another 10 min home with all accessories off with no problem. Next afternoon it repeated the process right from the get go on my street. I drove the car directly to my local dealer and they very quickly hooked it up to the engine computer and discovered misfire faults in the #3 cyl and a fouled spark plug there. They replaced the plug and purged memory and I was on the way to work in just one hour after I rolled into the service dept. So far so good. I will keep an eye on things. Glad dealer nipped it in the bud rapidly. I might have caught them at a slow moment too. Have 8800 miles now.

nwvw

That's interesting to have a fouled plug that early. Nice to see your guys got right on it. You're not bogging the car are you?

mencius01

What does bogging the car mean?

and what would its opposite be?

Thanks

yettibutt

I have read some posts here about people having creaking in their doors coming from the latch mechanism. I have had this fixed at the dealer out of warranty for about 40 bucks on my wife's 2000. I had to take it back to have it redone b/c they didn't do it right the first time. Its been about 3 months and it is at it again. Does anyone know what the adjustment is that the dealer does to shut it up? I just assume learn how to do it so I don't have to run the dealer everytime, it is a very annoying noise for a car with 30K on it.

Thanks if anyone can help me!

nwvw

By the term 'bogging' I mean driving at too low of RPM's. Shifting too early and only letting the engine rev to say 2500 or so when shifting also classifies as 'bogging.' These types of engines like to stretch their legs and will carbon up and foul out plugs if you don't.

As for the creaky doors, I have heard that some peoples place a small piece of duct tape on the 'U' latch. Also, a light spraying of a teflon product along the door frame will help. DO NOT USE WD-40!! Use a teflon-based product. WD-40 should only be used for cleaning metal parts and removing sticky-stuff from items. It's useless as a lubricant.

-Jim

blackjetta18t1

my jetta has 6200 miles on it and it creaks like a beaten spanish armada battleship, it's horrible! so far it has been taken in 4 times for it, 2 times nothing fixed, one time hushed but not gone and now its back just as loud, and one time gone only to reappear on the other side. very disheartening...taking it in on tuesday hopefully for the last time. On another note, I am almost positive my heated seats only work on 5, is it just me, or are they all like this? Plus, just a question that I never really cared about before, is it normal that you need to hit CD on the indash so that the CD plays?

nwvw

To that last questions: Duh. No. ;-) Tell them to put in a new unit. (Period) As for the squeaks and creaks, try my remedy.

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org

Mr_Shiftright

A more technical term than bogging is "short-shifting" or "lugging"....most modern OHC engines liked to be revved up.

yettibutt

Jim

Where on your page is the creak fix?

-Adam

nwvw

Well....My website needs some attention, and I'll do that when summer is over. The creak fix is actually up above in post #1317.

-Jim

mike1pkt

I have a 99 Jetta and I was wondering if anyone heard anything bad about the Goodyear Eagle LS Tires. I have 40000 miles on my jetta and I need new tires badly. If you heard bad things about these tires please let me know and what you would recomend.

jerome7834

Is there anything to look out for if I install a CD player in my 2001 TDI. are there special tools?Is there something to look out for when I install the player myself. thanks

nwvw

Tires: There was a silent recall on the Goodyear tires. Call your dealer, but I think that you have to go through Goodyear directly.

CD Players: Are you installing an aftermarket CD player or a changer? There are some definite considerations when installing either one, so please don't rush into it if you have not yet done any research. A good reading source for you would be the audio forum over at VWvortex.com. And also check out http://www.crutchfield.com for information on CD players and changers.

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org

mtb4

Hey all,

I just bought a 2001 WE in March of this year. I took it in last week for it's 8000 km servicing and the only thing that really went wrong was the reverse light was out. Changed it no problem. Then 4 days later all my brake lights went. I've noticed a few vw's around the city (new ones)rolling around with burnt out lights. Does VW build there cars with poor quality lights?

mtb4

balticjetta18t

I do on occasion bog it, but not intentionally. I think I am still used to my prior F-150 V8 5sp with lower gearing that I was used to shifting into just 3rd for many turns and would shift into 2nd very quickly after rolling in 1st. I catch myself sometimes doing this too in the 1.8T 5speed. I do open it up all the way frequently. I'll do my homework to shift better for less chance of plug fouling. Thanx for the advice!!!

nwvw

But, that also means not to go WOT through all five gears too. It's really just a matter of the sweet spot on your particular engine. But, I do see many people rolling first, like you said, and then shifting into second very early. You don't want to be in third at 25 mph. ;-) Let it breathe and stretch it's legs a bit and then give it another gear.

-Jim

cpuerta

I purchased my VW about 8 months ago and in that time I have had the following list of problems
1. The keys were not coded properly, meaning that the car would shut off after it was turned on from the electronic lockout.
2. The brakes squeak constantly
3. The front window fell into the door frame while driving
4. The passenger door handle has come loose
5. The passenger outside door trim has come off due to minor body repair(done by the dealer)!!
6. The "check engine" light has come on, in which the dealer would not recommend service stating the problem "would resolve itself"
The dealer has already fixed problems 1 and 2, but to no avail, still a recurring problem. THe dealer has given me the runaround on service on the brakes as well as the door trim. I am 5,000 miles away from the warranty expiring. Anyone have any ideas as to whether VW should step up service on the vehicle or offer an extended warranty? I havent had much luck dealing with the dealership I purchased the jetta. Can anyone offer any help with this matter?

nwvw

You need to demand that these items be fixed. Call VWOA and start a case there if they don't cooperate. Sounds like you have a bad dealer. Any other dealers closeby?

twig93

I posted a while back about the doors creaking in my '00 Jetta TDI. I just noticed a few more posts concerning the creaking. The dealer attempted to fix the creaks 3 times by taking both front doors apart and lubing all the parts......I tried to save them some time by telling them it sounded like it was coming from the door latch, NOT from inside the door...but what do I know? Well, on the 3rd time back from the dealer, I got very annoyed with the creaking. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a can of WD-40 and sprayed it right inside the door latches. I have not heard a creak in 3 weeks! So, WD-40 does work. Now, I feel like complaining about the scratches in my doors and greasy fingerprints from them taking them all apart!

blackjetta18t1

got my car back today after takig it in for the fourth time to fix creaks in the elft and right sides fo the car, i was very stern and when i got it today it was finally quiet but then i played music and from the left rear(where the problem first began by the way), it was buzzing, and then as the day progressed whenever i hit a bumb or go up a driveway with wheels turned its still there.....so frustrating, my car is 6 months old. I brought up how the cd player doesn't play the cd when u put it in unless u hit the CD button, they said its normal(ive got indash). Very disappointed. On another note my cousin picked up his brand new 02 loaded silver Jetta 1.8T with black leather, and sport luxury. SOoooooo smooth and quick, I am envious, but I was very very disappointed that there are rattles from the uper part of every door when the msic is on. IT's BRAND NEW!!! He is not complaining, he doesn;t want to worry about it, but I am sooo disappointed. Also, they haven't installed his indash cd because they say it is on back order for the nation for about a month, I think it is unaceptable and should give him a changer for the same cost.

blackjetta18t1

do creaks and rattles constitue a lemon law? Also, I brought up the oil burning and they said it is normal to burn a quart of oil btw 1500-2000 miles. at 3400ish, I was at the very bottom of the B section of the dipstick, and they said thats fine, becaue I don't know how much oil is left, any truth or are they just A-holes??(im 17 and igorant..)

bsheri

Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get rid of and/or stop the goop oozing out of the doors of my 2000 jetta?
Also, my trunk-mounted cd player seems to be on the fritz... getting the "cd Err" message more often than usual, and reinserting the cartridge doesn't seem to fix the problem. Is this something that vw fixes (ie, electrical), is it a problem with the cartridge, or could it be related to the heat of summer?
B.

Mr_Shiftright

blackjetta--No, squeeks and rattles and such do not qualify as a Lemon Law problem unless perhaps safety related; nor would oil consumption in the range you mentioned..that is within specs...but I would have the VW dealer write down your "complaint" about the oil consumption, just in case it starts to get worse and fall out of specs. By "specs" I mean an acceptable range from low to high for oil consumption. If you do a lot of high speed driving or rev the engine way up, you should expect to burn some oil.
Also, please remember the Town Hall rule against "masked profanity" (profanity with dots or dashes in it). Next time I will, regrattably, have to delete any post you may make that uses it.

bsheri---I'm certain that this door problem has come up before but I can't find the posts in this long topic (unless you want to start scrolling). Maybe someone remembers this discussion. Wasn't it some type of sealant that was leaking out of people's doors? And the VW dealer did have a fix of some sort as I recall.

nwvw

Yes, Mr. Shiftright, the oozing goo problem is well documented and is covered by VW. It's sealant that they used (obviously) too much of on the 1999 and 2000 models. Same for the CD ERR message: Covered by warranty, but remember that when changing cartridges the changer goes through a sequence of checking every disc and it will error out sometimes if you try and play a CD during this sequence. That is normal.

In addition, as I pointed out here before, VW has a oil usage monitoring program in effect now and anyone with oil usage related issues needs to contact their dealer to get on this program.

Folks: Use your warranty. That's what it's there for. If you have a problem, contact your dealer.

-Jim

klmeschi

2 questions:

1) Any thoughts/opinions on the turbo and tiptronic transmission? Especially in terms of reliability and or problems...

2) Anyone heard about when 2002 VR6's are gonna hit dealerships? The dealer I talked to said they haven't heard a word about them yet...

nwvw

Well....The tip-tronic is not new. Porsche developed it some time ago and Audi has also been using it, as well as VW on their Passat. I haven't heard of any particular problems with the tip. I love mine, but remember that it does not compete against a stick, but if you have to get an auto, the tip is the way to go and it's awesome for negotiating the twisties during a spirited drive.

As for the 1.8T, well...it's one of the top rated engines on the planet and some people rate it THE most reliable engine on the planet.

As for the 2002 VR6, it doesn't look like you'll see any of those until sometime around Jan/Feb, or maybe not until March.

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org

blackjetta18t1

very sorry about the profanity, I did not remeber that rule, but it won't happen again.

klmeschi

Thanks for input Jim...I had my heart set on the VR6 2002...but I can't wait 2 months or longer which is all I have been hearing!...sooo, looks like a fiesty new turbo tip is in my future...

klmeschi

Forgot to mention though Jim...it looks like you don't keep your jettas all that long...think the turbo can kick out a good 10 years or 150k miles given good scheduled maintenance?

nwvw

klmeschi: Well, my first Jetta was a 2.0 and it ended up just not being enough. When I first bought it, I had traded in a 9 year old Accord and was just happy (at that time) with reliable transportation in a Honda. I chose the 2.0 as I (thought) didn't want a turbo or a VR6. Didn't need it or want it. It's just a car.

Well, German cars do something to people. I don't know what it is, but I once again cared about cars and speed and 17" wheels and g-forces and....Well, the 2.0 wasn't gonna make that happen so that's why I went for the 1.8T. And the reason I didn't wait for the VR6 is that I wanted the most reliable engine on the planet: The Audi 1.8T. And, having an auto-tranny in the 2.0 and seeing the new tips coming out, well......

As the saying goes: And you know the rest of the story.

You will not be disappointed with the 1.8T. It's 180hp and might even be more than that once someone gets one dyno'd, but it's a screamer and an absolute blast to drive. I also suggest to get the sports luxury package with the bigger wheels/tires and suspension upgrades as the handling is worlds over what I had in my bare-bones 2001 GLS.

Good luck and let us know how it goes for ya!

-Jim

shaz3

Saw your posting from August 29. I'm having the creaky door problem, too. Don't know what to do about it. But, I can confirm that the 'check engine' light does resolve itself. The light on mine came on after the car sat for 3 months. I called VWOA (having had lousy experiences with the dealers) and asked. VWOA told me not to worry about the light UNLESS the engine performance changed or the light started blinking. I was told that the light sometimes 'reset' and that it would eventually go out on its own. I drove cautiously for about a week and the light did, indeed, go out within 2 weeks.

moni02

I saw "cpuerta"'s post from Aug.29th about all of the little problems with his/her Jetta. I can add to that.. let me see..where do I begin? Let's just say that I am not satisfied at all. I have had more small annoyances with this car than I care to remember. The dealership people know me by now. The car runs great, but it's the little things that I can seem to get rid of. I bought mine in April of 2000.

1. The windshield wiper motor has burned out 3 different times. They had to replace the motor each time and have no explanation as to why. The wipers have been working now for about 4 months. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
2. Saw that someone else had problems with their windows. About 6 months ago the passenger side window fell down into the door. That was covered under warranty. Just this week, the driver's side window did the same thing. My warranty is up so I had to pay that one out of my pocket.
3. Last month the latch on the trunk broke. The trunk wouldn't close and that had to be replaced.
4. The center console broke. I had to have that replaced.
5. One brake light already burned out. Even though it's minor..still a hassle for a car a little over a year old!

My car creaks also. It creaks on the passenger side door and up near the control for my sunroof. Overall I would have chosen something else if I knew I'd be at the dealership every other month.

yettibutt

Door creaking fixed finally, I followed a post above and put a small piece of duct-tape on the latch and no more creaking. I thought I was the only one with the goop problem, thats funny. Mine uses about 1 quart every 3K or so, I really don't think that is abnormal. I do admit that some cars do not use any oil, my Jeep uses very little between oil changes. You just need to check it often and it should be fine.

longhorn77

I just bought a GLX in Austin, Tx. I got a lot of help from this board when I decided I'd buy one, so I'd like to give some assistance to others on the same mission.

First: You should be able to get this car for $500 above invoice. I fought hard, but was able to. Remember, there is no law against forcing the sales manager to show you the invoice card (undeniable evidence of what the dealer paid for the car). Don't let them beat around the bush.
Second: This is a bad-[non-permissible content removed] car. It is fast and handles great. My GLX has the 17" wheels, WR rated tires and sports suspension.
Third: It's MUCH BETTER than the Lexus IS300 and costs 10 Grand less. It's faster and handles better. The IS300 has no sports suspension and roughly half of the options. It also looks like it came from the movie the "Fast and the Furious."
Fourth: Do not get ripped off with their cd player or changer. It is $350 for the player and $450 for a six disc changer. This is crap. I am buying an after-market 12-disc pioneer changer for under $200.00.

This is the greatest car in the world for the money, but the stereotype of VW salesman rings true. If you have spent any time on this website, you probably know more than they do. Just tell them what you're willing to pay and leave if they don't agree. Also: Go in the evening at the end of the work week at the end of the month. They have quotas and will sell a car cheaper at that time of the month.

coolwhite_we

I found that most dealers have an internet sales department. Many in my area would accept $100 over invoice. There was no negotiations. It was as simple as picking one off the lot and paying $100 over the invoice. If they need to obtain you car from another dealer there may be a transportation charge or no more than $100. CD options were also discounted. I picked up a 2001 Jetta WE mid August for $300 under invoice.

I made the mistake at one dealer of talking to a retail sales guy and spent about an hour before I just got up and walked out. For the next two weeks he kept calling and lowering his price. I would not buy from him even if he matched the $100 over invoice.

lowellb

Has anyone experienced problems with the driver door lock not working correctly? Basically, sometimes when you drive and hit 15 mph all locks except the driver's lock. Also, when you remotely lock the car, the horn will beep making you think it's locked and all locks except the drivers lock.

The battery issue has been experienced by a friend of mine with a beetle of the same year. If I leave the car sit for about a week the battery will drain. This doesn't seem normal.

Thanks--Lowell

bricebah

bricebah

My 2001 GLS has 985 miles and I haven't experienced your problem.However,my brake lights come on and off with the engine on and off.Last night,I had several neighbors come over to notify me about it.My EPC warning came on while I was driving to the dealer this morning.They said it was a faulty brake light switch and had to order it.That will take three days.So tonight I have to get ready for the neighbors coming over or calling to say the brake lights are on.Also,after 4:00 a.m,they stayed on until I got to the dealer.
Other than that,everything is fine.I took it up to 100 mph for the first time today and she felt super.
All the best-Bricebah

blackjetta18t1

i was driving home yesterday after picking my mom up from work and the wondows were all down, ac off, and my mom noticed an odd chemically type smell and i said it was from outside. But it stayed with us and when i got home it was the car giving the smell. No warning lights were on. I hadn't been racing the car. Temperature and all was good. I checked the oil and it is low, towards the very bottom of the B area and only about 1900 miles after my 5000 oil change. What could it be? Can that much burned oil finally make them agree there's a problem? I bet they'll say it's within parameter.