Had I posted this message sooner and by the content of your advice, I may have reconsidered getting rid of my VW. Now to answer your question, no I did not pay for the oxygen sensors going bad. However, my father taught me a few things about cars and w/ the O2 issues, I made a "B"line for their Cust. Care 800# and advised them the Cat. Convert. needed to be changed and to please do so b4 the warranty was out. Yet again they talked around the problem. The thing is, I really "LOVED" that VW. It had "farfenuegen" when it was working properly. Also, that gentleman I spoke of in my previous message, he now has a problem w/ the brake Caliper.Bearrings (pls forgive the spelling)freezing up. Either way, I was not happy about having to give up my VW. I miss the speed and the maneuverability. At least I HAD a "Poor-man's Porche". Thanks again for the advice. :O)
It seems there is a defective piece of "plastic" that is holding the window up and needs to be replaced,with "whatever something" metal. Even if your windows haven't fallen out yet, you should have received something in the mail by now. VW has a class action suit against them for this issue. Good luck....
Simultaneously the door locks, the window controls and the dome light qiit. Also the trunk deck is released when the headlights are turned on. Has any one experienced this on a 1999 and one half Jetta, 4 cly, gas engine. Fuses are all fine. Would one suspect the body control module, a bad ground or a relay? Surely this has happened to other Jettas/Volkswagens.
I haven't posted in here for awhile. I still have my 2000 jetta glx 5spd manual. I haven't had any problems with it (previous problems included: MAF, other sensors, wiring loom, electrical) for five months now except for having the trunk latch replaced on the first day of school which was an inconvenience for me. It's actually a fun car to drive, solid, and has a quality feel. I'm glad new vw owners get 4 year warranties because I'd never buy another vw with anything less.
I see that bpeebles is still in here giving advice which is nice. Maybe you might know why the jetta is manufactured in Mexico and the passat in Germany. I would consider a new passat, but the new TL looks appealing.
I've got a 2002 1.8T. I've read on the message board that there are several people who have had to have their batteries replaced. I have had mine replaced twice now and I am wondering if anyone has figured out what could be the cause of the battery going dead. The monsoon stereo was defective and drained the first one down and they replaced batt & stereo at that point (about 10K miles ago). Now the new stereo is fine, but the battery had to be replaced again. They ran an alternator test and a battery load test and said everything was fine. Has anyone found a short somewhere in the electrical that could be slowly draining the battery? Thanks
Yes, there is a recall on the windows. I received two letters plus a letter that I MUST participate in getting my windows fixed or join the others w/ the class action suit against VW.
I have a 2000 Jetta VR6 5sp. The EPC light randomly comes on and off at times. Sometimes stays on for 2 days straight and sometimes stays off for 2 weeks. I know about the recall on the 01-03 coils and from what i've read the EPC could mean that, but the car drives perfect regardless of the light being on or not. The one thing i've noticed..whenever the light is on, the cruise is completely dead, but when it goes off, everything is normal. I guess i'll probably have to just bite the bullet and shell out $80 for someone at the dealership to scan the code, but anyone got any ideas on what it could be? Thanks.
My 2001 GLX VR6 Man. had the same problem, but my Jetta lost 50% of the power every time the EPC light went on. Then the display beeped each time I started the car, asking for an "Emission Workshop"! BEWARE...cuz the dealership kept telling me the car has over 200 sensors and the EPC could be anything. "Did it rain hard last nite"? they asked. "Oh, maybe rain got into the gas tank", they said. Then they told me to change me type of gas. Let me tell you, the service dept. had me on a wild goose chase. VW will tell you anything if you don't know a little somethin', somethin' about cars. Coupled w/ what my father, uncle and my mechanic I've known since I was in 10th grade tells me it's the Cat. Converter going bad. Go to the media. That's the only way VW of Amer. will fix anything. See my note I just made today that our local news had helped a few folks in my area out. "Corrosion on Spec. Edition GTI Rims".
#3024 - Yeah, that used to happen to my 00 jetta glx manual--Emissions Workshop! warning. Used to annoy me endless. I took my car in one week for that problem and two weeks later I was back in for the same problem. I e-mailed vw of America to [non-permissible content removed] about it the night before going in the second time. It took my local vw service department 9 work days and 100+ additional miles on the odometer to finally get it right as vw of America monitored and assisted in the diagnosis and repair.
Since then the car's been driving like those vw commercials--in tune with my environment and fun to drive.
On Veterans' Day I was on a VW lot in So. Cal. I always liked the passat glx, but for what vw is asking there are better and more reliable cars out there.
...just want to give everyone a heads up about some changes taking place in an effort to organize and make it easier for members to find the most appropriate discussion for their question/comment. This discussion's title will soon change to "VW Jetta Owners: Problems & Solutions" and it will reside in the VW Owners Club. However, it will also still be here in M&R. If you are subscribed to this topic now, the change should not affect that.
If you have any questions/concerns, please address them to me in email, karen@edmunds.com.
I just got a 98 jetta with 40k miles. I am wondering if there are any issues that I need to be aware of. The car is a 98 gl with 5spd.
One thing.... it needs new tires. Any recommendations? I live in Minnesota, I want a good/cheap all season tire. It currently has firestone firehawk GTAs on the front, they seem to be a little jittery in the rain.
I had those tires on a '99 Cougar and they were terrible when brand new. I would recommend Michelins. It is only my personal opinion, but I would not skimp on tires. you know the old saying....You get what you pay for. Good luck
I had a 97 Jetta GT I am pretty sure the body style is just about the same as the 98. I started to have a few problems around 45/50,000 miles, for what it's worth you might want to keep an eye on a few things.
Rubber molding on doors (if you have them) they were notorious for coming off in those model years I still see a lot of Jetta's with no molding.
Exhaust/Muffler - Might want to have your mechanic take a look just to make sure the outer covering of the muffler is not rusting and that there are no leaks in the exhaust.
Clutch - You bought it used and unless you know the previous owner you don't know how they drove and hopefully they were not abusive on the clutch. A good mechanic will probably not tell you exactly how much life is left on the clutch but they can be pretty accurate.
These are just a few of the things I had problems with, there are a couple of sites (this may be one of them) that you can look at your specific year and model car and read what owners have to say about there own experience.
Anyway, I hope you have nothing but good luck with it!
My EPC light came on. The problem, hard to believe, was that the brake switch was bad and that I had no brake lights!! About a ten minute fix for the dealer. So, check your brake lights.
Anyone have any experience or ideas on he following....
I drive a 2002 Jetta 1.8T. Today one of my cd's stopped playing. I ejected it blew on it and popped it back in. At first I think I didn't have the disc in far enough because I could hear it trying to pull the disc in, but it couldn't. I pushed the disc a little further and it sucked it in (as it should).
After a few seconds there was an itermittent beeping sound, and the cd player displayed "error 3". When I try to use the radio or any cd the stereo flips back to CD mode and gives the error, along with the beeping. I am able to eject the cd, but no matter what I do I still get error 3.
Any ideas or help here is appreciated. My wife's 2001 VR6 dies in a parking lot on Tueswday. No prior battery issues ever. Would not take a jump. Towed to dealer. Keep in mind it is NOT under waranty. They swear its just a dead battery and not the alternator. On Sunday wife is driving home and lights on dash start going on and off. Also radio starts going on and off and she says t felt like tranny was slipping. She drove it straight to dealer which was closed. Whe she turned car off and tried to restart it just made clicking sound. Today dealer calls and says bad alternator. They explained the reason they didnt catch this before is that the alternator isnt completey done but is only woking intermittently. Is this bogus? They said they are 99.9 percent sure it is alternator. I told them that if it isnt I want them to put the old aslternator back in ad give me my money back. They said OK, or they would just fix he real problem once they diagnose it after that for free. Either way , does this sound like an alternator to you?
(skerew) ABSOLUTELY!! All the symptoms you describe point to the alternator (or regulator) being faulty. You do not mention the YEAR or MILAGE on your vehicle but alternators are a common failure item on ALL vehicles. The brushes or bearings will eventually fail.
One way to VERIFY is to use a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) plugged into the 12V accessory outlet. The voltage under virtually ALL operating conditions should be around 13.8 Volts. (Anything less, and either the alternator or the regulator are faulty.) I would not hesatate to connect up my Fluke DVM and do some driving with all lights on to verify operation of the alternator. (I would not "GUESS" that it is the alternator because they are quite expensive.)
There are other possibilties that may cause the symptoms you describe besides the alternator.
There are several 'choices' when considering replacing an alternator. (New, remanufactured and rebuilt.) New ones are VERY expensive... trailing down to the cheeper rebuilt which may not last very long.
BEWARE: There is a reason why alternators from Autozone-type stores have lifetime free replacement.... they fail quite often and NEED to be replaced. I have first-hand experience with these things and my labor is more valuable to me than that. After replacing an $80 rebuilt alternator several times (sure it was free replacement)... I ended up spending $250 for a NEW one that never failed again. As I said... my labor is worth too much for me to REPEAT the job over and over.
Was this a burned CD? Do any other CDs work in the player? IRRC, ERR3 happens when the unit is jammed and cannot read the disc. Have you checked the manual to see if it has any info?
I just replaced the maf on my tdi and it still seems slow. I had the intake man cleaned last year. What are the chances the turbo is failling at 180K. Has any one had their turbo go. Thanx in advance
Check for a sticking VNT actuator. Since this is the mechanism that controls the VNT vanes on your turbocharger, it has to move freely.
There have been occourances of the VNT vanes getting clogged with soot. This is mostly caused by babying the engine. A TDI needs to be accellerated with heavy throttle to allow the VNT vanes to move their full distance and burn off the carbon from the turbocharger.
is an '02, 1.8T with tiptronic auto. Bought used in July '02 with 12,000 miles, now has 43K. Fun car to drive, responsive, sharp, and ok mileage (26mpg ave). The VW dealer is great to deal with; they do the routine stuff, I see 'em often for that... BUT... I've had numerous minor things:
1). Thermal sensor gone out 2). front passenger window fell down and would not go back up (common problem I hear) 3). Low coolant indicator came on, car full of coolant 4). Radio knobs broken 5). knocking in the engine they can't explain. says some kinda pump may be causing it. 6). noise in the rear when going over speed bumps or dips that sound like a busted shock 7). radio just quit (unhooked battery and fixed it). 8). recall in ignition coil 9). had to have all 4 roters replaced at 37,000 miles seems that I had missed something. not a problem, but I HATE that black cloth interior.
I really like the car, but these minor things are started to nag me; and I'm curious about what's going to happen when the warranty expires. You pay this much for a car, you expect it to be reliable. My '99 Sonoma was more reliable and I had it longer. I'm not sure that I'll ever purchase another VW.
Thanks for your help. As it turns out the problem has corrected itself. (It's great when that happens isn't it?) No CDs were working. The CDs were not burnt - the first one was brand new, though I had played it all the way through a couple of times the previous day. I had turned the car off and on as well and the problem persisted. The next day when I started the car everything worked flawlessly. I was guessing that maybe the humidity from blowing on the disc caused some temporary problems. In any case, it's all working now - hopefully it will stay that way. Thanks again.
Let me satisfy your curiosity - Your going to shell out big bucks for repairs!
Some of those "minor" things that are nagging you now will start to feel like they are killing you when you start having to pay for them. Fun to drive but expensive to repair!
I have a 2000 jetta vr6 with 56k and my ignition coil pack crapped out. VW and audi have replaced faulty ignition coil packs from all models in the 2001-2003 years.
They informed me that no action has been taken as of yet on this model year, and that i'd have to pay all costs myself.
If this has been a problem area for their cars shouldn't they replace mine as well?
Is there anything i can do about this? $700 parts and labour is a lot of money for me to pay because of their poor craftsmanship.
what can be done? can i take them to court over this?
My 00 Jetta GLS is now under oil consumption test since it drinks 1qt per 1k miles. Ok, I can live with it. But I have been experiencing more dangerous and strange thing in the past few months. Any input is really appreciated!!
Sorry for my lousy writing skill.
The engine sometimes revs by it self (say up to 3500 while my foot is not on the gas pedal). Very scary. It normally happens when I start moving the car like from intersections, gas stations, etc. If I do not put my foot on brake pedal, the car would have accelerated up to 30 miles, while it is supposed run at 5 miles. One time while I was stopping at interesection, it satarted reving to 2000, then I put the geer in N, and it again reved over 3500. Oh, no, it was so scarly.
Is this someting common with this vehicle ? What causes this probmel ? Is this being fixed under power train warranty ? (It must!!)
If it is possible, I want to know these things before going to the dealer, since I am feeling that even if I bring the car to the dealer, they will not able to dulpicate the problem, and end up to pay $100 for nothing. I have had check engine light problem which still botheres me after more than 5 visits, and air bag light problem which was fixed after 10 visits.
Get used to it, mine has been on for three years now, I just pulled the fused because I got tired of looking at. You fix one thing only to have another thing turn it back on..........
I'm in the market for a new car. I was originally interested in the VW Jetta GLI VR6, but heard so many bad things about them. I test drove a Subaru WRX Impreza and thought it was great except for the frame-less windows. I hate that rattle when you close the door with the window half way down. My brother-in-law just bought a Jetta Wolfsburg edition and he loves it with 400 miles on it. My local VW dealers are offering some excellent deals on Jetta GLI as long as I want black or silver. So, the question is should I buy one or not? Even though I hear so many bad things about them. Any info would be appreciated.
Cyberdyne, I bought a Jetta in 1999 and I've really enjoyed owning it, despite some problems. My wife liked mine so much, she bought one just like it. I recommend the stick shift model, rather than the automatic. Have you driven one yet?
I received in the mail notice that VW is extending the Emissions Control System warranty for mass air flow sensors. The notice says a malfunction can cause the MIL light to come on. Is that the same as the Check Engine light?
Cars in general are definitely getting more expensive to service, and VW is no exception. But I have to say, the company has paid to repair everything that's gone wrong. If you find a good dealer with a service department that you like, it's a plus. This latest problem (my Check Engine light has been on for three weeks) is among the least annoying. Compared to not being able to close the windows, for example, this hasn't bothered me (the car doesn't drive any differently).
I only drive a stick shift. The way I see it, an automatic is for transporting and a stick is for driving. I haven't test drove a GLI yet, but will tomorrow. The car will have to be pretty amazing to beat a Subaru Impreza WRX. Which is my first choice. A TIP FOR ALL VW LATE MODEL OWNERS: When my brother-in-law bought his 03 Jetta Wolfsberg Edition the sales man explained the "Check Engine" light problem. I don't know if it's worth anything. But, he says that if the gas cap is not screwed on tight enough air enters the gas tank, then into the line to the engine. The air hits the engine and activates the light. Might work, give it a try.
Shawnmalone: The MIL is the Malfunction Indicator Light, same as Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light.
Cyberdyne: The salesman should stick to selling cars. A loose gas cap can cause the MIL to light, but that explanation is way out in left field. Every time the engine is started and warmed up, the engine computer checks the fuel system for air leaks which could release raw hydrocarbons (unburned fuel) to the atmosphere by applying vacuum to the fuel system. If the system won't hold vacuum for a given length of time, it sets the light and stores a diagnostic trouble code.
I'm looking at getting a set of snows on steel rims for my wife's '02 GLS 1.8T. My concern right now is that the car is leased, and we are supposed to turn the car in May 2005 (maybe sooner depending on pull-ahead programs). I don't want to sink $600 for snows that we might only get one season of use out of. My question for y'all is...
Does anyone know if wheels for this current generation of Jetta will work with the upcoming Jetta (2004.5 release, I think)? I plan on replacing the Jetta with another, and if we can use the same snows, it makes it easier to deal with. Thanks for the help!
I've been waiting over two months for a cat converter that is on back order. At least I can drive my car. Bad ignition coils can make it difficult to get around. I've called VW of America a few times and that doesn't help.
Btw, not screwing on the gas cap until it "clicks" a few times will cause the check engine light to come on is NOT just a VW issue; I've seen it on Ford and GM cars as well.
This is a function of the OBD2 (OnBoardDiagnostics-two) that is mandated by the Federal government that all vehicles must have.
A loose gas cap will fail the "pressurize the gas tank" test and light up the CEL. This simple test is to ensure that there is a COMPLETE seal so no gasoline fumes can escape into the atmosphere.
This is both a safety feature and an emmissions control. Imagine an undergound parking lot where all of the vehicles are leaking gasoline fumes.... BOOM
Same problem stated by #3046. My Jetta accelrates when I have it in park up to the 3/4 gear. I generally turn the car off when it does this and then start the car up again.
car accelerated while car is in Park? sounds like something is wrong with the automatic gear selector mechanism. in both of my automatic Jettas, when the car was in park, it didn't matter if i revved the car to 6k rpms, it didn't budge a centimeter!
Your car's under warranty. Take care of the MIL right away. It's an inconvenience, but that's what you're getting when you buy a vw jetta or beetle manufactured in Puebla, Mexico.
Last year I met a young 20+ y.o. kid whose '99 jetta gl has had the same MIL problem for over 3 years. It was our topic of discussion as I was experiencing the same problem with my '00 glx.
I was fortunate that vw of America monitored the diagnostics and guided my local vw tech in repairing my car. After about 9 work days, the vw tech found the problem to be a wiring loom that connects to the ECM, which, by the way, was needlessly replaced. It's been almost 6 months since the repair, and I'm happy to report that my jetta is performing the way I expected it to in the first place.
Everyday the thought about trading it in crosses my mind. As much as I like the style and quality of the jetta and passat, I can't recommend vw to anyone as their cars tend to have more than their share of inconvenient problems. In fact, my experience has made me cautious about the repair histories of all makes and models. If I were skilled in diagnosing and repairing cars like some people in this forum, I wouldn't mind a few "glitches" here and there.
I can't see myself forking over 20-30k for a vw. And I certainly wouldn't buy a used one.
As if there aren't enough VW repair horror stories, here is mine...
I have a 2000 Jetta with a VR6 engine (GLX automatic). I bought it used last year and it has 70K miles on it.
The check engine light and the emissions workshop indicator light had been coming off and on for the last two months, so I took the car in to a local mechanic who replaced the serpintine (?) belt and the belt tensioner (total $400). After driving for about 10 miles I noticed the car had poor acceleration, especially at speed of around 40 mph. That is the engine would rev upto 4000 RPM but the car just would not speed up. Also the check engine light has come back on with the emission workshop message. When I took it back to the mechanic he thought that I had a problem with the transmission and that he could not fix it.
I then took the car to the dealer who ran a diagnostic and told me I needed a new temperature sensor and a new mass flow air filter. When I asked him whether this would solve the acceleration problem, he assured me it would.
Now after the dealer replaced the MAF and the temp sensor and charged me $700 for it, he calls me up to say that "we noticed that the oil pan in your car was changed and that the car is not revving past 5000 RPM. You may need a new engine" I was shocked! Why did he not tell me this before he replaced the MAF and why is he recommending a such a drastic measure as installing a new engine??? I checked with the previous owner who says the oil pan was indeed changed but almost two years ago. The dealer claims that changing the oil pan may have damaged the engine and hence the problems with my acceleration. Could this be plausible? The car has been running fine over the one year period I have owned it.
Has anyone encountered a similar problem (i.e. engine not revving past 5000 RPM and poor acceleration?) Since I am not the original owner of the vehicle, VW says this will not be covered under the 10/100K mile drivetrain warranty (never buy a VW; never ever buy a used VW!!!). I am not convinced that the engine needs to be replaced and wonder if there could be other problems. Any suggestions and thoughts?
1) The serpentine belt has virtually nothing to do with any of the indicator lights you were seeing.
2) $400 for the serp belt and tensioner is a bit steep. Are you sure it was not the timing belt?
Since the low power was noted AFTER the first mechanic... we have to assume he altered somthing that led to the problem.
2a) If it WAS the timing belt that he changed... then it may not be installed properly. (thus the low power you mention) If the TB is just one tooth off, it can cause low power, no revving and possibly a damaged engine if the pistons hit the valves.
3) The dealership service was just "throwing parts at the problem" and charging you for it. Both the MAF and the temp sensor are a common failure items and are very easy to replace. (about 10 minutes to do both of them)
Before you start talkaing trash about VWs. Lets consider a few things.
1) Your VW has over 70K miles on it. Some other vehicles are ready for the scrapyard at that point. You should not be surprised that some maintenance is requred on a 70K mile vehicle.
2) Since you seem to be on 'talking terms' with the original owner... find out if all of the PMs (Preventive Maintenance) were kept up to date. I am assuming that you are aware that Europen vehicles NEED to have all PMs perfomed. (BMW, VW, AUDI, MB, Porsche...etc) They are high-performance, finely-tuned machines that need TLC.
On the other hand.... Asian vehicles are ENGINEERED to run a long time even without PMs. Many folks assume that Europen vechicles can tolerate missed PMs. This mistake will lead to problems down the road.
3) Find a COMPETENT mechanic that KNOWS European vehicles.
3a) If you are mechanically inclined and have a notebook computer, consider getting VAGCOM and diagnosing the problem yourself. (Or at least have the same information that the mechanics have.)
4) If your timing belt HAS NOT been changed on the approprate schedule... consider having it checked IMMEDIATLY.
Comments
I see that bpeebles is still in here giving advice which is nice. Maybe you might know why the jetta is manufactured in Mexico and the passat in Germany. I would consider a new passat, but the new TL looks appealing.
Thanks.
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/7onyourside/wabc_7side_111103vwr- ims.html
Since then the car's been driving like those vw commercials--in tune with my environment and fun to drive.
On Veterans' Day I was on a VW lot in So. Cal. I always liked the passat glx, but for what vw is asking there are better and more reliable cars out there.
If you have any questions/concerns, please address them to me in email, karen@edmunds.com.
One thing.... it needs new tires. Any recommendations? I live in Minnesota, I want a good/cheap all season tire. It currently has firestone firehawk GTAs on the front, they seem to be a little jittery in the rain.
Rubber molding on doors (if you have them) they were notorious for coming off in those model years I still see a lot of Jetta's with no molding.
Exhaust/Muffler - Might want to have your mechanic take a look just to make sure the outer covering of the muffler is not rusting and that there are no leaks in the exhaust.
Clutch - You bought it used and unless you know the previous owner you don't know how they drove and hopefully they were not abusive on the clutch. A good mechanic will probably not tell you exactly how much life is left on the clutch but they can be pretty accurate.
These are just a few of the things I had problems with, there are a couple of sites (this may be one of them) that you can look at your specific year and model car and read what owners have to say about there own experience.
Anyway, I hope you have nothing but good luck with it!
Anyone have any experience or ideas on he following....
I drive a 2002 Jetta 1.8T.
Today one of my cd's stopped playing. I ejected it blew on it and popped it back in. At first I think I didn't have the disc in far enough because I could hear it trying to pull the disc in, but it couldn't. I pushed the disc a little further and it sucked it in (as it should).
After a few seconds there was an itermittent beeping sound, and the cd player displayed "error 3".
When I try to use the radio or any cd the stereo flips back to CD mode and gives the error, along with the beeping.
I am able to eject the cd, but no matter what I do I still get error 3.
Any ideas?
One way to VERIFY is to use a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) plugged into the 12V accessory outlet. The voltage under virtually ALL operating conditions should be around 13.8 Volts. (Anything less, and either the alternator or the regulator are faulty.) I would not hesatate to connect up my Fluke DVM and do some driving with all lights on to verify operation of the alternator. (I would not "GUESS" that it is the alternator because they are quite expensive.)
There are other possibilties that may cause the symptoms you describe besides the alternator.
There are several 'choices' when considering replacing an alternator. (New, remanufactured and rebuilt.) New ones are VERY expensive... trailing down to the cheeper rebuilt which may not last very long.
BEWARE: There is a reason why alternators from Autozone-type stores have lifetime free replacement.... they fail quite often and NEED to be replaced. I have first-hand experience with these things and my labor is more valuable to me than that. After replacing an $80 rebuilt alternator several times (sure it was free replacement)... I ended up spending $250 for a NEW one that never failed again. As I said... my labor is worth too much for me to REPEAT the job over and over.
There have been occourances of the VNT vanes getting clogged with soot. This is mostly caused by babying the engine. A TDI needs to be accellerated with heavy throttle to allow the VNT vanes to move their full distance and burn off the carbon from the turbocharger.
1). Thermal sensor gone out
2). front passenger window fell down and would not go back up (common problem I hear)
3). Low coolant indicator came on, car full of coolant
4). Radio knobs broken
5). knocking in the engine they can't explain. says some kinda pump may be causing it.
6). noise in the rear when going over speed bumps or dips that sound like a busted shock
7). radio just quit (unhooked battery and fixed it).
8). recall in ignition coil
9). had to have all 4 roters replaced at 37,000 miles
seems that I had missed something.
not a problem, but I HATE that black cloth interior.
I really like the car, but these minor things are started to nag me; and I'm curious about what's going to happen when the warranty expires. You pay this much for a car, you expect it to be reliable. My '99 Sonoma was more reliable and I had it longer. I'm not sure that I'll ever purchase another VW.
Thanks for your help.
As it turns out the problem has corrected itself.
(It's great when that happens isn't it?)
No CDs were working. The CDs were not burnt - the first one was brand new, though I had played it all the way through a couple of times the previous day.
I had turned the car off and on as well and the problem persisted.
The next day when I started the car everything worked flawlessly.
I was guessing that maybe the humidity from blowing on the disc caused some temporary problems.
In any case, it's all working now - hopefully it will stay that way.
Thanks again.
Some of those "minor" things that are nagging you now will start to feel like they are killing you when you start having to pay for them. Fun to drive but expensive to repair!
VW and audi have replaced faulty ignition coil packs from all models in the 2001-2003 years.
They informed me that no action has been taken as of yet on this model year, and that i'd have to pay all costs myself.
If this has been a problem area for their cars shouldn't they replace mine as well?
Is there anything i can do about this? $700 parts and labour is a lot of money for me to pay because of their poor craftsmanship.
what can be done? can i take them to court over this?
Sorry for my lousy writing skill.
The engine sometimes revs by it self (say up to 3500 while my foot is not on the gas pedal). Very scary. It normally happens when I start moving the car like from intersections, gas stations, etc. If I do not put my foot on brake pedal, the car would have accelerated up to 30 miles, while it is supposed run at 5 miles. One time while I was stopping at interesection, it satarted reving to 2000, then I put the geer in N, and it again reved over 3500. Oh, no, it was so scarly.
Is this someting common with this vehicle ? What causes this probmel ? Is this being fixed under power train warranty ? (It must!!)
If it is possible, I want to know these things before going to the dealer, since I am feeling that even if I bring the car to the dealer, they will not able to dulpicate the problem, and end up to pay $100 for nothing. I have had check engine light problem which still botheres me after more than 5 visits, and air bag light problem which was fixed after 10 visits.
I received in the mail notice that VW is extending the Emissions Control System warranty for mass air flow sensors. The notice says a malfunction can cause the MIL light to come on. Is that the same as the Check Engine light?
Cars in general are definitely getting more expensive to service, and VW is no exception. But I have to say, the company has paid to repair everything that's gone wrong. If you find a good dealer with a service department that you like, it's a plus. This latest problem (my Check Engine light has been on for three weeks) is among the least annoying. Compared to not being able to close the windows, for example, this hasn't bothered me (the car doesn't drive any differently).
I haven't test drove a GLI yet, but will tomorrow. The car will have to be pretty amazing to beat a Subaru Impreza WRX. Which is my first choice.
A TIP FOR ALL VW LATE MODEL OWNERS: When my brother-in-law bought his 03 Jetta Wolfsberg Edition the sales man explained the "Check Engine" light problem. I don't know if it's worth anything. But, he says that if the gas cap is not screwed on tight enough air enters the gas tank, then into the line to the engine. The air hits the engine and activates the light. Might work, give it a try.
The MIL is the Malfunction Indicator Light, same as Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light.
Cyberdyne:
The salesman should stick to selling cars. A loose gas cap can cause the MIL to light, but that explanation is way out in left field. Every time the engine is started and warmed up, the engine computer checks the fuel system for air leaks which could release raw hydrocarbons (unburned fuel) to the atmosphere by applying vacuum to the fuel system. If the system won't hold vacuum for a given length of time, it sets the light and stores a diagnostic trouble code.
Does anyone know if wheels for this current generation of Jetta will work with the upcoming Jetta (2004.5 release, I think)? I plan on replacing the Jetta with another, and if we can use the same snows, it makes it easier to deal with. Thanks for the help!
A loose gas cap will fail the "pressurize the gas tank" test and light up the CEL. This simple test is to ensure that there is a COMPLETE seal so no gasoline fumes can escape into the atmosphere.
This is both a safety feature and an emmissions control. Imagine an undergound parking lot where all of the vehicles are leaking gasoline fumes.... BOOM
i would have that looked at!
Last year I met a young 20+ y.o. kid whose '99 jetta gl has had the same MIL problem for over 3 years. It was our topic of discussion as I was experiencing the same problem with my '00 glx.
I was fortunate that vw of America monitored the diagnostics and guided my local vw tech in repairing my car. After about 9 work days, the vw tech found the problem to be a wiring loom that connects to the ECM, which, by the way, was needlessly replaced. It's been almost 6 months since the repair, and I'm happy to report that my jetta is performing the way I expected it to in the first place.
Everyday the thought about trading it in crosses my mind. As much as I like the style and quality of the jetta and passat, I can't recommend vw to anyone as their cars tend to have more than their share of inconvenient problems. In fact, my experience has made me cautious about the repair histories of all makes and models. If I were skilled in diagnosing and repairing cars like some people in this forum, I wouldn't mind a few "glitches" here and there.
I can't see myself forking over 20-30k for a vw. And I certainly wouldn't buy a used one.
I have a 2000 Jetta with a VR6 engine (GLX automatic). I bought it used last year and it has 70K miles on it.
The check engine light and the emissions workshop indicator light had been coming off and on for the last two months, so I took the car in to a local mechanic who replaced the serpintine (?) belt and the belt tensioner (total $400). After driving for about 10 miles I noticed the car had poor acceleration, especially at speed of around 40 mph. That is the engine would rev upto 4000 RPM but the car just would not speed up. Also the check engine light has come back on with the emission workshop message. When I took it back to the mechanic he thought that I had a problem with the transmission and that he could not fix it.
I then took the car to the dealer who ran a diagnostic and told me I needed a new temperature sensor and a new mass flow air filter. When I asked him whether this would solve the acceleration problem, he assured me it would.
Now after the dealer replaced the MAF and the temp sensor and charged me $700 for it, he calls me up to say that "we noticed that the oil pan in your car was changed and that the car is not revving past 5000 RPM. You may need a new engine" I was shocked! Why did he not tell me this before he replaced the MAF and why is he recommending a such a drastic measure as installing a new engine??? I checked with the previous owner who says the oil pan was indeed changed but almost two years ago. The dealer claims that changing the oil pan may have damaged the engine and hence the problems with my acceleration. Could this be plausible? The car has been running fine over the one year period I have owned it.
Has anyone encountered a similar problem (i.e. engine not revving past 5000 RPM and poor acceleration?) Since I am not the original owner of the vehicle, VW says this will not be covered under the 10/100K mile drivetrain warranty (never buy a VW; never ever buy a used VW!!!). I am not convinced that the engine needs to be replaced and wonder if there could be other problems. Any suggestions and thoughts?
Your response will be greatly appreciated
1) The serpentine belt has virtually nothing to do with any of the indicator lights you were seeing.
2) $400 for the serp belt and tensioner is a bit steep. Are you sure it was not the timing belt?
Since the low power was noted AFTER the first mechanic... we have to assume he altered somthing that led to the problem.
2a) If it WAS the timing belt that he changed... then it may not be installed properly. (thus the low power you mention) If the TB is just one tooth off, it can cause low power, no revving and possibly a damaged engine if the pistons hit the valves.
3) The dealership service was just "throwing parts at the problem" and charging you for it. Both the MAF and the temp sensor are a common failure items and are very easy to replace. (about 10 minutes to do both of them)
Before you start talkaing trash about VWs. Lets consider a few things.
1) Your VW has over 70K miles on it. Some other vehicles are ready for the scrapyard at that point. You should not be surprised that some maintenance is requred on a 70K mile vehicle.
2) Since you seem to be on 'talking terms' with the original owner... find out if all of the PMs (Preventive Maintenance) were kept up to date. I am assuming that you are aware that Europen vehicles NEED to have all PMs perfomed. (BMW, VW, AUDI, MB, Porsche...etc) They are high-performance, finely-tuned machines that need TLC.
On the other hand....
Asian vehicles are ENGINEERED to run a long time even without PMs. Many folks assume that Europen vechicles can tolerate missed PMs. This mistake will lead to problems down the road.
3) Find a COMPETENT mechanic that KNOWS European vehicles.
3a) If you are mechanically inclined and have a notebook computer, consider getting VAGCOM and diagnosing the problem yourself. (Or at least have the same information that the mechanics have.)
4) If your timing belt HAS NOT been changed on the approprate schedule... consider having it checked IMMEDIATLY.