Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

2000vr6jetta

Thanks for your replies. My frustration with VW has less to do with the car then the run around I am being given by the dealer and the fact that I have spent $1100 on changing the serpentine belt, belt tensioner, MAF and temp sensor. I am 100% sure that the serpentine belt was changed and not the timing belt (I understand that my car has a timing chain and not a belt which should last a very long time)

I did browse through the vwvortex forum and noticed that a number of people whose car had similar symptoms said that the problem was due to a damaged coilpack. Could this be the case for my car as well?

Here are some details of what exactly went wrong with the car after the belt and tensioner were changed: While driving on damp, snowy slushy night, the car starts to jerk and CEL flashes at a speed of around 30 mph and high RPM (because the tires were slipping I need the high RPM). Since I was not far from home, I quickly returned and parked the car to check if the belt had come off. Everything seemed fine. The next day I drove it around and noticed that the car would rev but the power would not transfer to the wheels. The car is automatic, so it almost seemed that the car was not changing gears. At this point I drove it to the dealer who the next day tells me that I need a new MAF and temp sensor. I specifically asked him whether this would solve the acceleration problem and he assured me it would. But after putting in the new parts he tells me that the car is no longer revving past 5000 and that I may need a new engine!

Let's assume that the mechanic at the dealership is either very incompetant or is just ripping me off (or both). Given the symptoms I have described above could the problem be with the coilpacks being cracked? Perhaps the dealer overlooked this scenario or wants me to come back and pay him more to diagnose it (which I refuse to do).

Any thoughts?

steine13

Oh Dear.
First up, agree with most things bpeebles said. You NEED to find a competent, VW-experienced mechanic. Good luck.

Secondly, and no offense intended, it appears that you have close to "zero" automotive knowledge. That's ok, but you have to realize it, and it makes it difficult for you to figure out what's going on.

The coil packs are a common failure, but I *thought* -- don't *know* -- that it was confined to the 1.8 turbo engine.

You appear to be correct about the timing chain; the gates list (www.gates.com) shows no belt for this appplication.

If your problem is low power + CEL, have the code pulled -- many parts stores do this -- and let the car tell you what's going on. Having the engine rev and the speed not increase would mean serious transmission failure; I kind of doubt that that is really going on.

Lessee "The next day I drove it around and noticed that the car would rev but the power would not transfer to the wheels. The car is automatic, so it almost seemed that the car was not changing gears."

Sorry, "rev but not transfer to wheels" means very little to me... maybe transmission slipping?? Even in an automatic, at steady speed, rpm is proportional to velocity in any given gear....

"not changing gears" is a completely different problem and is easy to diagnose... just use the gear selector to force the car to hold a lower gear and see if that's what the car is doing.

But basically, I don't understand what you're saying. It all boils down to this: You need a good mechanic.

BTW, MAF is a "mass air flow" sensor, nothing to do with a filter. And yeah, if that puppy goes, you'll have CEL + driveability problems.

Good luck,
-Mathias
[who is driving Toyotas until he's got time again for 'temperamental' cars]

2000vr6jetta

Actually the coilpack problem, while widespread with the 1.8Ts, has also shown up on VR6s and even V6 (see this news story http://www.boston.com/cars/news/020503_audi.html) and other posts.

You are correct my knowledge of car is close to zero, although I am learning...

Since the problem is rather peculiar it is hard to describe but let me try again. First of all the car starts and idles just fine (albeit with the CEL on all the time). Now let's put it in drive and slowly pull away. Still fine. Next hard accelerate (slam the accelerator) and see how quickly we can get away. The car revs to 4500-5000 (but no more) will speed up to 30-40 mph in decent time. Slightly release the accelarator so that the RPM needle drops to 3000 and a speed of say 45. Slam the pedal again so that RPM shoots to 4500-5000 range (again it seems to go no more then this). The car will speed up but the rate of acceleration, say from 45 to 65 is *very* slow. Since at this point the car is still revving and burning gas, I ease on the accelerator so the RPM drops to 3500.

Now rather than slamming accelerator, I gradually accelerate so that RPM goes from 3000 to 4000 gradually and comes down on its own (without me taking my foot of the accelerator). Doing so it appears the rate of acceleration is much better I am able to get to 65 mph from 45 mph using this gradual and "gentle approach" The car still reaches high speed (I touched 95 mph) and I drove on cruise control at 75 mph (with RPM around the normal 3000 to 3500 range). The car is burning gas rather quickly, but that could be due to the high revving that I have been doing to diagnose the problem.

I hope this clarifies the problem What do you think? Engine problem? Transmission? Coilpack? or what?

As always, your responses will be much appreciated.

bpeebles

Are you aware that there are several conditions that will lite the CEL and put the engine computer into "LIMP MODE" wheras it may not rev past a certain RPM?

This is built into the system to help reduce the chances of mechanical damage when one of the sensors or servos have been detected as giving incorrect data.

Instead of using the (incorrect) data from a failed sensor, a predetermined setting is used. (this is limp mode)

I know little about the VW automatic xmissions but suspect that the computer can alter its characteristics under limp mode condtions too.

Is this perhaps what you are encountering?

2000vr6jetta

I had the car inspected by two local mechanics (supposedly experts in "European" cars). Unfortunately due to the shortened week they say they cannot look at it until next week. I also contacted two other dealers who said they too will not be able to give me an appointment until next week. This sucks 'cause I really needed the car for some long trips over the holidays.

Anyway, one of the mechanics was nice enough to quickly run the vag on the car. The codes it read out were P0420 (Catalyst system), another one had to do with the knock sensor (don't know the code) and two others had to do with misfires on cylinders 3 and 6. Anyone care to interpret and suggest what the problem may be?

I had the mechanic reset the codes, but the car still would not rev past 5K. I doubt then it is in limp mode (should have come out of limp after codes were reset, no?).

I spoke to the dealer who changed the MAF and temp sensors and he says that the coilpacks on the car were okay when he looked at it. He still thinks it is an engine problem even though he did not do a compression check on the valves. He has never heard of the limp mode.

Since it almost feels that the car is having truoble with the transmission, could the trasmission control module be at fault?

Will have to deal with this after the holidays. Thanks bpeebles and stein13 for taking the time to reply.

aem1979

Hi...I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8T. Recently the coolant light has come on, usually on cold mornings. I took it to my dealership and a mechanic checked the coolant level and told me it was a little low. He added a little more coolant and told me it should be all set. I asked him if the only reason the light would come on was for the coolant level and he assured me that is it. It does not indicate a problem with the radiator. Of course the next day the light came on again. My car really runs like crap in the cold weather and it nearly stalls every morning in the cold.

After going thru the coil problems in the first year of owning my car and all the run around my dealership gave me, I really don't trust them. Before I bring my car in again, I'd like to know if this is something that would be covered under the warranty. Also, is it normal for a somewhat new car to run so badly in the cold weahter? And does anyone know another reason why the coolant light would come on, other than to check the coolant level?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

bpeebles

(aem1979) On VWs;

A FLASHING coolant light means low coolant in the resevour.

A STEADY-ON coolant light is NOT caused by low coolant in the resevour. It is most often caused by overtemp condition... but this obviously is not happening right after startup.

We would need more specific information pertaining to the conditions which the light fuirst came on in relation to any other observed symptoms.

EXAMPLE: (Pure speculation) It is possible that you "ORIGINALLY" had a simple low-antifreeze condition.... but left unattended led to an engine overheat condtion which warped the head. Now, when a hot engine with a warped head is turned off, the pressure in the coolant system can 'push' some antifreeze into one or more cylinders. This then leads to hard starting and rough running when the enging is cold. Once the engine warms up, the engine may seem to run just fine.

Keep in mind that the above is a WORST CASE SCENERAO. I can think of several other sceneraos that may have occoured too. That is why it is VITAL that if wish to receive better diagnosis, we need specifics. Obviously there is more happening here than a simple light on the dashboard since you also are complaining of poor running under some conditions.

To answer your othe questions:
OF COURSE this is covered under warantee!
NO, it is not 'normal' for any VW to run pooly under ANY conditions. (I have had over 5 VWs and currently have 2 in the family.)

...too bad the 1.8T is an AUDI engine ;-)

steine13

... how about this:

You have a faulty temp sensor. So when the engine is cold, the sensor tells the computer that it's warm, so the car runs "like crap" -- i.o.w. stumbles, and wants to die. Symptomatic of running too lean when cold. Without idle control, I'd say the engine will want to race, but when you step on the gas, it'll have no power. This is more pronounced with a manual tranny and clutch, of course... it'll feel like absolutely no power at all, but the engine will NOT die in neutral.

The same faulty sensor will turn on the "overheated" condition. Now I don't know how many coolant sensors there are, but I'd start replacing the ones that don't require draining the cooling system and take it from there.

Trust me, this is a much better scenario than the "warped head" one... only time will tell which it is, or whether it's something else altogether.

Have fun,
-Mathias

bpeebles

I agree with steine13. This 'smells' like a sensor or conneciton problem. But steine13 may not be aware that VW uses seperate sensors for redundancy. (There are 2 oil pressure sensors too!)

I have seen cases where one falty sensor can really cause problems. The best the onboard computer can do is to light up the coolant light to tell the operator that there is a problem. Any COMPETENT VW mechanic can quickly isolate a bad sensor with an ohmmeter. Somone that 'shotguns' the problem by replacing all of the sensors is just costing you money.

In fact, I would start by simple REPLUGGING the connectors on the sensors. A bad connection is the most likely cause.

Then I might try SWAPPING the connectors. (I beleive that they are identical and close enough to be swapped.)

aem1979

Thanks for your responses. Thankfully, I don't think I have encountered a warped head, since my car has never overheated that I'm aware of! But here's a little more info about the situation. The light first came on after the first cold morning this fall, it was probably about 35degrees. I did ignore it for a little while...but when i did bring it in, the mecahnic opened the coolant resevior and a lot of air came out...he said that pressure inside the resevoir may have made the level seem lower to the sensor and then he added a little more coolant and said i was all set. Then the light came on the next day. Of course, since I posted this message, the light has yet to come on again, and we've been having a warm spell in new england, so the car is running fine. I am going to call my dealership to make an appt. One more question...isn't it customary to get a car from the dealer while mine is being fixed? Or is that just a courtesy some places give their customers?

Thanks again for your help.

yettibutt

I really need some help with this one. I have a 2000 Jetta GL with the 2.0L engine. When it is very cold out AND wet (snow/rain), the A/C will not work (compressor won't turn on and cycle). This is a pain when its raining/snowing b/c you really need the A/C to defog your windows. If it is cold, but sunny, it seems to work fine. It worked fine all summer. Seems to me it is some kind of electrical gremlin, something getting water in it that freezes preventing it from working. Anyone else have this problem? PLEASE HELP!!!

justin

the low coolant light on 2002 1.8T Jettas is common. they need to replace the sensor (which means the actual reservoir). my 02 Jetta did the same thing. car ran fine however. also, when the coolant light comes on in the morning, just turn the car off, and turn it back on immediately. should clear it.

i miss my Jettas a lot, but not all of the time

alpogi8

My car is a 2002 Jetta 1.8T with triptonic transmission and clocked 68K of mostly freeway miles. I bring the car at the dealership for regular maintenance. I had problems with the car eversince like AC/HTR control lights being inoperable, coolant lights on when i start the car in the morning that goes off when the temp rises, loss of radio power, all of which the dealer was able to fix but my last problem is the worst. Now the MIL light does not go out after i start the engine and the selector lever position display is all dark and i notice a loss of power although the rpm indicator has increased. I brought the car back to the dealer and for 50 bucks the tech found 1 fault for trans solenoid valve 5-N92,transmission in limp mode. They recommend replacing the transmission for $5500.00. I purchased an extended warranty but the company is on litigation(SmartChoice 2000). What are my options? I'm so frustrated and mad. I swear never to buy another VW and will discourage anyone from owning VW cars.Pls I really need your advice!!!

fish8

I already responded to your post in the Jetta thread. I understand your frustration with the problems you have experienced with your Jetta. But, you should be more frustrated with the company you bought your extended warranty from. I guess this is why I have always heard NEVER to purchase an extended warranty from any other company other than the car manufacturer (VW, Ford, Honda, etc....) you bought your car from. It sounds like you should be discouraging people from purchasing SmartChoice warranties and not VW's.

Good luck.

rocque

MY 2000 jetta tdi has to have the crank shaft replaced along with with lifters. They told me it just wore out,(and no my timing belt did not brake.) All this at a cost of 1800$....ooch!!!

bpeebles

(rocque) How is that possible? The TDI engine has a life expectancy of over 500,000 miles. Are you SURE that it was the CRANKSHAFT that was replaced for $1800... that is a bargin.

I have heard of folks that ran the wrong kind of oil in their TDI have some wear patterns show up on the Camshaft. Are you sure you were using the recommended synthetic engine oil? (never EVER take a TDI to a quiky-lube place they do not even stock the proper oil for a TDI engine)

BTW: There are no "lifters" in any VW engine... they are all overhead camshafts. The Cam works directly on the Valve. (some cam-followers are "solid", some "hydrolic" depending on the model year.) I hope you did not pay for lifters.

poisonivy2

I have a automatic 98 Jetta GLS and since last winter(and only when it's really cold out)I have been having problems with it staying running. What happens is sometimes while I am driving and I come to a stop the idling starts to get really low and then the engine kills. I can get it started everytime right after it happens and it tends to be fine after that and won't do it again for that whole time that I am driving, but this is continually happening. I have taken it to the shop and they hook it up to the diagnostics machines and it comes back that nothing is wrong with it but obviously something is. Has this happened to anyone else or does anyone possibly know why this is happening?

rc7762

There are far more knowledgeable people on this post that can probably help you with this but I had a similar situation not with my Jetta but with a Buick Skylark. When I first started the car and would come to a stop after driving for at least 1 or 2 miles the engine would do 1 of 2 things, either it would idle very high (I sometimes bumped it into neutral) or it would idle extremely low and then stall, I could always start the car and then it would be fine after that. My mechanic had a lot of trouble locating the problem he did however discover a small hole in my manifold and according to the computer the throttle sensor was getting erroneous information, he replaced both and the problem went away.

I do not know a great deal about engines and I trusted what my mechanic told me. I hope this can help you in some way, if not, there are some really helpful people who post here that can.

Good luck.

toram2

Antifreeze had major leak, car overheated and now they believe I have a blown head gasket, any idea on the cost of that????
Is it worth fixing? This car has given me nothing but problems.

moparbad

How do you explain the VW specs. for TDI engine of "single overhead camshaft, spur driven belt, two valves per cylinder, maintenance free hydraulic lifters, single valve springs". Is VW mistaken about it's engine?

bpeebles

(toram2) I had a simular experience with a Honda Cvic 4WD At approx 90,000 miles the head warped so bad that it blew most of the antifreeze out the tailpipe. (It was VERRY cold, below zero, tempertures that caused this... but that is another story)

I paid about $1500 to have the head removed, machined and valvejob while it was apart. This engine went well over 160,000 miles and was running fine when I traded it for my Jetta. I felt it was well worth the cost. I measured the $1500 against what I could buy for that same cost and it was OBVIOUS that it was a good investment. (The vehicle was otherwise meticulously maintained running Mobil1 oil since new.)

You need do decide for yourself what is the best way to go for yourself. Personally, I drive my vehicles into the ground until there is virtually no value left. (over 12 years) By then, I have saved enough to pay CASH for my next vehicle 8-)

bpeebles

(moparbad) This is a case of nomenclature. Historically, "Lifters" move UP in a pushrod engine. Being OverHeadCam, VW engines simply have a cam pushing directly DOWN on the hydraulic adjusters which are sitting on top of the valves.

I guess VW marketing, so as not to confuse the general public and to differentiate against the solid shims used in their previous engines, decided to call the hydraulic adjusters 'lifters'. It is not uncommon for marketing folks to take leeway as they create pamphlets, sales broschures...etc.

In any case, the proper termonoligy is "hydraulic valve lash adjusters" and their purpose is to constantly remove all "play" from the valvetrain by keeping constant pressure on the cam lobes. This is accomplished with springs and oil pressure. When the hydraulic adjusters start to wear out, the engine will rattle like a diesel when first started after sitting overnight.

sys3175

I've been having a problem with my 2001 Jetta 1.8t when started in cold weather and sometimes even on warmmer days when started the car idles fine, put in gear however it starts to stutter and usually stalls, this will happen even if I drop it into neutral. Letting the car sit and warm up will sometimes help the problem but it takes forever for a 1.8t to warm up at idle. The car hasn't had it's 40,000 mile service done (which overlapped with my purchase and I wasn't aware there was such) and one of the items which are supposed to be changed. Otherwise, the car is running great, though occasionally I do have a loss of power during heavy acceleration (had this happen on my '92 beretta when it needed new plugs and wires)... I know the jetta uses coil packs so I am aware there are no wires.. but it seems as opposed to the 75k- 100k miles on plugs that vw changes them every 40k on the 1.8t. Also I've been looking into having the turbo diverter valve changed, because it exhibits symptoms of hanging open, the idle won't come back to normal after haevy acceleration, and the car seems to want to keep going if I let go of the accelerator too quickly.

jlawton3

I am looking for an answer, I have a 96 jetta 2 litre gas engine
with 287,000 miles on it. It has been running great, my kid took it back to school in N.Y. jan 1, yesterday she called me
to say that the oil warning light came on, and that there is a beeping noise coming from the dash.
I had her check the oil, I had just changed it before she went back, it was fine,she said the car is not making any noises out of the ordinary, no smoke from the exhaust,and that the warning light only comes on after the car has been running for fifteen minutes or so. I used 10/30 Pennsoil on the last oil change. Could someone tell me at what oil pressure the warning light come on, and how does the oil pump in a 96 jetta work?
thanks

rlui1

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with the coolant light problem. Mine comes and goes but my 2002 1.8T seems to run fine. I don't think I'll take it to the dealer until it presents a problem. Is this an unwise course of action? I'm leasing and don't want to take the car in for every little problem.

bpeebles

(jlawton3)This is most likely nothing critical, but the oil-pressure should be checked with a meter to be sure.

VW uses 2 oil-pressure senders that not only measure overall PRESSURE but also calculate the DIFFERENTIAL from the pump to the end of the oil-galleys. It is not uncommon in VWs for one of the senders to become overly sensitive and give false alerts. The only way to know for sure is to measure with a meter.

Somtimes, using oil that wrong viscosity can cause false alerts too. Some folks use "STP oil treatment" or some other oil-viscosity improver to eliminate problems such as this.

I cannot stress enough that you need to KNOW if the oil pressure is really OK by measuring with a meter that screws into the engine before dismissing this as a non-issue.

Somtimes, folks just replace both oil-senders to see if that corrects the problem. I HIGHLY recommend that only BOSH oil-senders are used if you choose to go this route.

QUESTION: Why did you choose to ignore the recommended oil viscosity for this engine and go with 10W30? This is NOT the proper oil for this engine especially in the winter. (it may be part of the problem too.)

curtnaus

I bought a used 2001 Jetta 1.8T GLS in Oct. Only had 23000 miles on it. It was a manufacturer's buyback so it thankfully has a 12000 mile warranty on it. The problem is that the MIL will not stop coming on, and the car has the same issue mentioned earlier (it stalls immediately after starting if unless I let the clutch out v-e-r-y slowly). I have had the car in for service 5 times due to MIL. First time they found nothing wrong. 2 weeks later they "repaired connection at purge sensor". 2 weeks after that they replaced PCV hose which had a vacuum leak. One week later they found another vacuum leak and tightened an intake clamp. Finally, last week they found that the wiring to the MAF sensor was loose (somehow) and apparently put the same wiring back. Now, 4 days later, MIL is back. Questions: 1. Is the dealership incompetent? The first 4 times I have had it in, they acted like they could not figure out what was wrong. 2. If not, should I expect the MIL to come on every 2 weeks for the life of the car? 3. As a mfg buyback, do I have any possiblity to seek recourse from VW of America for not fixing the problem that caused them to buyback the car in the first place? Any help is greatly appreciated.

jtrujillo86

My grandmother bought a 2002 Blazer brand new. At about 5K miles, the CEL came on..over and over again. After about 12 different trips to the dealer (SERIOUSLY) they finally purchased the vehicle back from her. At the dealer they replaced nearly every sensor, pump, sending unit ect. and still could not find the problem. They even replaced the PCM. Okay, my point - if they didn't fix the problem for the first owner, I very highly doubt they will be able to fix it for you. Also, when you purchased the vehicle, you knew of the potential problems, and given VW's reputation for AWESOME (sarcastic) customer service, I doubt you'll get anything back from them. I wish you good luck in this matter, and please, keep us posted!

Jeremy

jlawton3

thanks for your input, according to the operators manual
10/30 is the proper viscosity down to zero degrees.
This problem happens after car is warmed up. I have been using 10/30 for 7 previous winters with no problem.
I have heard that occasionly Fram oil filters can cause this problem,I use Fram oil filters,have you heard anything about this?
thanks.

bpeebles

I will let you read the "infamous" oil-filter-study yourself and you can make your own decision.

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/oil_filter_study/

 If you really think the oilfilter is causing the problem, it can be easilly replaced without draining the oil. (Just add some oil after to bring up to 'full' again.)

As for the proper viscosity... It was -15F here thismorning. I recall 5W30 being the RECOMMENDED year-round viscosity and the 10W30 being "satisfactory" if the recommended was not available. Use what you wish.

clemsonfan

Hi, I've got a 2000 jetta, 5spd, with a standard engine and sometimes right after I crank it, there is an extra rev in the engine. It only seems to do it when it's cold out, but it's not consistent. other than that, it runs like a dream. Any words of advice?

sys3175

I wouldn't think that this is anything much to worry about especially if it is doing it only in the cold, it could be alot of things which cause this to happen, wear on the starter, plugs, fuel, just the fact that it is cold. I have a Beretta which did the same thing up until I gave it a good tuneup.. though the next winter it started exhibiting it again. I'd say don't worry about it, and just keep up with maintaince (tuneups, oilchanges etc) on the recommended basis.. and it should be fine.

myerose7

My car is a 2002 1.8T Jetta, fully loaded. When they recalled the ignition coil, I went in and had it replaced. My car only has 12,360 miles on it. Since then, the Malfunction Indicator Light is always on. Since December 29th, I have been in a rental car, more than my own. They have replaced the fuel injector, the speed sensor, (my car's speedometer goes to 0 and swings wildly, then goes back to 0, the odometer jumped 100 miles. after every fix, it fails w/n 2 days. I am at my wit's end. Has anyone else had this problem? I am beginning to believe there is a serious problem here - I opened up a case number with Volkswagen of America. I don't know what else to do. Linda

smac46r

I have a 2000 GLS with all the bells and whistles. I think the VW is overdesigned and not well-appointed. The materials are cheap on the interior. For example, my power mirrors have broken. The glove-box broke. The cup-holders broke. To replace a key is very expensive. I like the car, ok, but would probably not buy another VW. The dealership has been very difficult to work with, but ironically, they admit VW are cars that need constant care...which translates into extra cost for those of us owning one!!

fish8

"The materials are cheap on the interior. For example, my power mirrors have broken. The glove-box broke. The cup-holders broke."

These issues have nothing to do with the interior materials being cheap. Bad design is the fault of these isses, not the materials used. VW's are notorious for their superb design and interior materials. Many car companies freely admit that VW's are the bullseye when it comes to interior design and texture.

I am sorry for your bad VW experience, but to fault the interior materials is a little (or allot) far fetched.

As far as replacing your VW key. Many, if not most, car companies these days use chip technology in their keys to prevent theft. This technology is expensive and to replace a key is also costly for most car brands, not limited to VW.

legolas

The driver-side seat-warmer on my 2002 Jetta caught fire after driving a mere 0.5 miles. The seat has a huge hole, as does my parka. Turns out these fires have occurred (and under similarly driving conditions I might add) in 2002 and 2003 Jettas, complaints have been lodged with the NHTSA, and VW knows about the problem. However, it has been a pain trying to get VW to reimburse me for the parka. This despite their sickeningly sweet "Oh!, are you okay? Thank god! and we are really sorry for the problem." It is high time Congress forces auto-makers to warn owners of known problems (and treat this independently of the standard recall) so we are forewarned. I'd hate to see a highway-fatality because the seat-warmer lit up like a christmas tree and the driver couldn't safely move out of the traffic pattern.

jtrujillo86

Okay, I know that the previous post was supposed to be about a serious topic, but I about died laughing after I read the last sentence.

BTW - I'm glad your okay!

Jeremy

afordan

I have a 2003 VW Jetta GLS (2.0 L, 4-cyl, AT) and my coolant temp. light also has come on recently. It happens intermittently at start-up and stays on (steady, not blinking) until I turn the car off and start it back up. Other than the initial chime and warning light, I do not perceive any "real" problems when this happens.

Here's the weird part, this just started happening and the weather outside is below freezing. I normally associate this light as a warning that your car is about to overheat. As a matter of fact, the owner's manual recommends pulling over and letting the engine cool down. Well... it's already below freezing and the car has just been started. I think the engine is plenty cool.

The manual also says the light may come on in cold temperatures, but it doesn't recommend any course of action to take if it does. Also, if it is coming on due to the cold temp, I would think the light would turn off once the engine warmed up, but it doesn't. I've set up an appointment to take it in to be on the safe side, but I don't know if I'm wasting my time. Any comments or suggestions?

dallaire1

I just leased a Jetta Wolfsburg 2003 last November and I am showing a mere 2200 Kms on the odometer. The check engine light came on and it was not due to a poor fuel cap placement. They told me it was a falty M88 or something like that anti-pollution sensor. It is back order...
Is this a common problem ? Should there be a recall ? Why the back order ?

Just asking..

Cheers

chegde

Hi. I purchased a 2003 VW Jetta GLS 1.8T two months ago(about 5.5k miles on it at purchase)
I love the car so far. Have not had any problems while driving. However, it has been exceedlingy cold the past few weeks (below freezing) and I have noticed that sometimes when I first start the car in the morning, it rattles and shakes pretty bad. I then turn it off and turn it on again, and it goes away. It doesn't happen at any other time during the day, just when I first start it in the morning before going to work. The problem did not happen at all when I was living in Atlanta. I moved to Baltimore for work bout 3-4 weeks ago, and i first noticed the problem last week. I haven't had time to go to the dealer yet, but I was wondering if this might have something to do with the cold or something more serious? I just want to know what might be causing this rattling. I am not a big car person and have no clue.

bpeebles

(chegde) Do not fear... This is totally normal for ANY engine when it is cold. It is mostly due to the hydrolic valve actuaters starving for oil. You are using the recommend 5W30 oil... RIGHT? (heaver oil will not pump well at low temps thus cannot get into the hydrolic valve actuaters for them to operate silently)

Some people even use a synthetic oil in the winter. It eases starting and improves lubrication. It even adds life to the battery due to greatly reduced cranking loads.

As with any engine, it should be driven gently and not reved until the engine temp gauge moves into the "safe" area. NEVER IDLE A COLD ENGINE VERY LONG.... it is not good for its longevity.

dancerman

I had that engine rattle happen one time in my 2002 VR6. I sounded like somebody pounding a hammer on the firewall. After driving about a mile I stopped, shut it off and restarted the engine and it was fine. I figured it was another one of those quirky VW things that happen.

BTW the engine was not totally cold when it happened. I had driven about 15 miles, shut it off, was in a store about 40 minutes before I had the problem when I started the engine to leave.

nomadnyc

Hey guys,

Last March we bought my fiance a Jetta. When we got home we noticed there was a scratch on the windshield than ran along the path of the wipers. We immediately called and took the car in. They replaced the windshield.

Now, the same thing has happened. the scratched are identical to the previous one. Has anyone else had the same problem?

Getting ready for the 'discussion' with the service Center and would appreciate input from anyone who had similar problems.

Thanks in advance.

lucky314

About 3 weeks ago I took my 2000 Jetta to the local 20 minute oil change place. When I left after having the oil changed, I drove a few blocks and heard something dragging on the road. I got out to find the plastic plate that they remove when doing an oil change Hanging from one side. I brought it right back and they apologized saying that they left off a screw. They put itback up and all was fine till two days ago. The "plate" collapsed on the same side and is now broken in a couple different areas. It obviously needs to be replaced. I don't know what this part is called and has anyone had this problem before?
I have an appointment at the dealer next week and am sure I'm gonna get cracked. If anyone can please tell me what this part is called and how much I'm looking at to replace it.
Thanks!

bpeebles

You may as well have the STEEL plate installed instead. That plastic one eventually just gets torn up. The aluminum oil-pan is all too easy to puncture from a stone and the STEEL plate is not all that much more expensive.

Another option is to locate somone that has installed the STEEL skidplate. They are all to glad to sell their perfectly good plastic one to you just to get rid of it.

Here is some info on the STEEL skidplate.
http://members.porchlight.ca/benad/skidplate.htm

This photo shows how STRONG the steel plate is holding the weight of the vehicle.
http://www.dieselgeek.com/skidplate.htm

patl13

I own a 96 jetta with 90000 miles on it. Recently I had a problem with the oil light sensor going off. Found out I needed a new headgasket. I had that done. Its been about a month now and the light on the dash has come back on. I changed the oil it seemed to help a little where the light doesn't come back on as much. When I drive 50 mph and slower the sensor does not go off but then I drive 55mph or faster after the rpm's drop under 2400 the sensor goes off till I drive at a slower speed over a prolonged period of time. Anyone else have this happen to them, or have any ideas?

bpeebles

(patl13) Hot oil = thinner oil

This is often due to the oil thinning out when it gets hot. Then, at idle, the oil-pump cannot put out enough pressure to satisfy the dual oil-pressure-sensors. Somtimes, this is due to an overly-sensitive oil-pressure-sensor. I have even heard that the oil-pump can get whimpy afte 100K miles or so.

Most people correct this condition by running a slightly thicker oil. You can easilly test this by putting in a can of "STP oil treatment" This stuff is a viscosity-modifier that thickens the oil at higher temperatures. ("STP oil treatment" is thick like honey or molasses)

If running STP makes the problem go away, you will then KNOW that it is an oil-thinning problem.

On my daughters ol VW Golf... after running STP oil treatment a couple of times, the problem was gone. (the oil-pressure lite did not come on any more.) I attributed this to the "STP oil treatment" cleaning the gunk from the inside of the engine.

I do not wish to scare you but there is another possibility in your case.... when the headgasket was leaking, it is possible that the engine ran low on oil. If this is so... then the main (crankshaft) bearings may have been damaged. Scored bearings can also cause low oil pressure. In this case, the only cost-effective corrective action is to run "STP oil treatment" and hope for the best.

600kgolfgt

I had the oil thinning problem on my 1.8 and 2.0 liter 8v VW engines at one time until I started using Lucas Oil Stabilizer at every oil change (1 qt Lucas + 3 qts motor oil - Lucas is compatible with both conventional and synthetic oils). It does an excellent job of maintaining the oil's viscosity (Lucas is used to break in newly assembled engines) as well as the fact that it doesn't have any suspended particles like your PFTE-based oil additives. I started using Lucas four years ago and haven't looked back.

Also, as your engine gets older, the viscosity of the oil that you use becomes more of a factor. Since VW engines are designed to run hot, I found that using at least a 15-weight oil or greater (15w40, 20w50) during the hot summer months, and
10-weight oil (10w30, 10w40) during the winter months does the trick. Of course, if you live in a climate that resembles Alaska during the winter, a 0-5 weight oil should be used.

NOTE: The above advice refers to older engines 80,000+ miles. The brand new engines which are built to much closer tolerances should be run with the oil recommended by the manufacturer (5w30, 5w40).

Hope this helps

colorado_kid

Hi all... I have a 2000 Jetta VR6 with 48,000 miles on it. For the last 10K or so, I have noticed a squeaking similar to the sound a lose belt would make. The last time I had it in for an oil change at my local VW specialist, he did hear the noise, but indicated that everything appeared fine. Any advice? The noise is much more pronounced right after the car is started from cold. My guess is that there is a pulley or something of that nature that could use some lubricant or something?

600kgolfgt

It looks like it may be one of your accessory belts.
 
When was the last time you had your belts checked and/or replaced?