Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

fish8

New cars tend to have some burning smells, but it should be too strong.

burnedagain

Thanks for the feedback. I'm a tad bit testy since I just traded in an 02 Passat wagon that was in the shop 13 times in 18 months. I hope you're right and it's just a new car issue that will go away.

Happy Motoring!
burnedagain

alcan

All emission control components must be warrantied for 2 years or 24,000 miles. Specified major emission control components, including catalytic converter and engine control computer, must be warrantied for 8 years or 80,000 miles. Here's the full text of the warranty:

http://www.epa.gov/OMS/consumer/warr95fs.txt

fish8

I would give it another 500 miles or so and see if the smell goes away.

runamuck

I have a 2001 Jetta GLS. Just replaced the rear brake rotor, brake pads, signal relay, and had an oil change. The following day, while driving, I hear a high pitched sound/squeal on my right side. It sounds like there's an air leak or something. It subsides for a few seconds when i let off the gas, but the squeal eventually returns. The sound is VERY ANNOYING. I will eventually bring it back to the garage, but was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Thank you for reading...

bpeebles

What engine do you have? Can this be the turbocharger you hear?

runamuck

4-cylinder engine. no turbo. the sound came about only after i picked it up from the garage. the sound is a little louder when i press on the gas.

bpeebles

The serpintine belt is on the right side of the engine bay. I wonder if that is what you are hearing.

 My daughter has the same enigne you have (2.0) and she has complained about a "squeeking sound" on the passengers side of the engine bay when the engine is cold. I know it is her serpintine belt or its tensionor that is sqeeking. When the weather gets above 20 degrees, I plan to fix it for her. (but of course... when it gets warm the sqeeking goes away anyway 8-)

Try this, when you push the AC button, does the sound change? (the AC compressor puts a load on the serpentine belt)

runamuck

my apologies, the sound is on my left side.

it's more of a constant squeal while i'm driving. the sounds continues and fades when i turn off the car. it's similar to the sound when you let air out of the ballon while pulling on the opening, but much at a much higher pitch. this is the only way i can describe it.

actually i tried fooling around with the AC and such, but it didn't change. i may have to try it again to really listen for it.

i just want to avoid going to the garage AGAIN.

fish8

Are you sure it is not your brake pads making the noise. Maybe one of the pads is rubbing against the rotor and causing a squealing sound.

coop757

I own a 98 Jetta Tdi with 130,000 miles. Thus far I'm very happy with the car. Maintenance is a bit expensive but I feel its a worth while trade off due to the reliability of the car as well as the gas millage. Anyway with the car running or not running when I am stationary and turn the wheel back and forth from left to right I hear a constant knocking noise and it sounds like its coming from the steering column or steering knuckle. Also when I'm making a turn at slow speed, mainly to the left I hear a knock as well. Anyone having similar issues?

Thanks
Len

600kgolfgt

You might want to check out the cv (constant-velocity) joint rubber boots located on the left drive axle. If one or both boots are broken (causing the lubricant to come out), you'll need a new cv joint.

Tip: If I were you, I would go to Sears Auto and have them replace the entire left side drive axle. A single cv-joint costs at least $175 to replace - if both cv joints on the drive axle are bad, it will cost you $$$$ to rebuild each individual joint on the existing drive axle, as opposed to spending $275 on a remanufactured drive axle (cv joints included). The remanufactured drive axle (from my personal experience) should last you just as long as the ones that originally came with the car from the factory.

The Sears warranty covers the axle for as long as you owned your car, so if a cv joint (even a single joint) should go bad due to boot breakage,
Sears will replace the entire drive axle free of charge (the only cost you will have to incur is a $60 alignment - which is a must whenever one or both driveaxles are removed and replaced). I took full advantage of that while I had my 1987 Golf for 16 years (and 624,000 miles) - I had the car for so long, I didn't have to worry about paying for a new driveaxle (or a single cv joint) while I owned the car...:-)

dkim

I have a 97 VW Jetta and took it to a shop on 7/28/03 to get my 60,000 tuneup. I was actually at around 64-65,000 miles. At that service, I was informed that in addition to the other necessary services (oil filter, spark plugs, steering belt, etc) I needed new front brake rotors and brake pads. This sounded reasonable to me, and the shop even showed me my old brake pads and how worn down they were.

fast foward to today, 8 months later, and I am at 68,000 miles now. I started to hear a scraping noise every time I braked and thought it was coming from the rear brake pads. I took it to the same garage thinking it was time to replace the rear brakes now.

the shop called me back and said that it was my front brake pads and rotors again!! unfortunately I did not have my paperwork from the first time and so I wasn't 100% sure they were doing the same work. I consented and they went ahead and replaced the front brake pads AND rotors.
The owner of the shop said that the sound was coming from the front because the front rotors were completely worn down, and that the rear brakes were fine...

now that I am home, i found my old paperwork and it is confirmed that they did replace the front brake rotors/pads, only about 3,000 miles ago. My father says this is unheard of and I just want to have further "ammunition" when I call the shop on monday to find out what the heck happened. Is it impossible to wear down brakepads and rotors so quickly? I only work 5 miles from home and drive a stick shift. I am not heavy on the brakes at all.

thank you.
a naive car owner

bpeebles

(dkim) I have been replacing brakes for over 20 years. I agree with your Fathers assessment... It is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to wear down brakes in 3000 miles.

There are some conditions which *may* wear them down in that short milage;
*) Sticking brake caliper
*) "riding" the brake pedal (even lightly)
*) Parking brake cable sticking (rear brakes only)

In my experience, even if you locate your paperwork after the second repair, a reputable shop will honor any warantee on the origianl repairs. All you should have to do is present BOTH sets of paperwork to them and they should reemburse you for the "covered" items.

PS: Since you did not mention that a sticking caliper was found during EITHER repair, I am VERY suspcious about what wore out the brakepads.

Are you certain that you are not touching the brakepedal while you are driving??

unkel

My wife's 01 jetta has had very similiar issues. Her brake light switch also went out, although there was no significant indicator aside from a check engine-esque light coming on. We realized what this meant one day when she was almost plowed into from behind because NONE of her brake lights were functioning. We knew the car had an issue and were scheduling to get it in the dealership to get repaired, but had no idea it meant the brake lights weren't going to work at all. Fortunately the part was covered (hmmm), even though the car itself is not under a warranty any longer.

The rear disc pads are completely gone after <35K miles, too. the front brakes look thicker than the new pads I just put on my Tahoe. i don't get how there can be such a significant difference between the two.

the lights for the A/C controls in the dash have gone out as well. it's not clear how to address this, as no fuse appears to have issues.

I just ordered a Chilton's manual so that we can keep up with everything breaking! This is probably our last VW until we are millionaires and can afford the regular maintenance they seem to demand.

bpeebles

The 2001s had a known issue with too-soft rear brake pads. I beleive there was a dealer-assisted plan in which replacement would be partially covered.

Your problem with the brake-lights not working was a dangerous situation indeed. That is why many states have annual safety inspection to catch these items and have them corrected. This was certainly no *fault* of the dealer nor VW. It was a kind jesture of them to 'cover' it.

It is too bad you allready orderd a Chiltons manual. There are much better documents for VW repairs than Chiltons or Haynes books. Last I knew, those books do no longer even provide schematic diagrams.

You do seem to have grasped the fact VWs tend to require preventive mantenace. (As do all German roadcars) They will last a long time when proper tended to and return a driving pleasure far beyond most other vehicles. VWs are also SIGNIFICNTLY safer in a crash due to the side-curtain airbags, airbags in the seats, headrests for ALL passengers...etc.

If you wish to "just drive" you would be better off with an Aisan vehicle. They tend to be more forgiving.... even when recommended maintenance is not done. Too bad they are as boring as a pet rock. (They also tend to be lower quality, and rust faster)

dkim

bpeeples: thanks for your assessment!
I called the garage today and confirmed with the owner that I did just have the rotors/pads replaced in july. He then told me that it may be a sticking caliper problem.. HOWEVER, wouldn't he have noticed this when replacing them? Is it obvious when there is a stickin caliper?
He told me to come back after another 1000 miles and he would see how the rotors/pads were holding up (if they were damaged again so soon, then it would definitely be a caliper problem). That if it was, indeed, a sticking caliper, we would be able to tell at that time...

I definitely do not ride the brake pedal, only tap it when i have to slow down, downshift and then when i get to below 20 mph, shift to neutral and then brake. Also, my car is 7 years old...and I got my first new rotors/pads just last year. If i was so harsh on the brakes, wouldn't I have needed to change many years ago?

I pushed him until he finally agreed to give me a refund but he still wants me to come back after 1000 miles so he can look at my brakes. He still insisted that he replaced them twice so I'm not quite sure what to believe...at least I got my money back!

galogvi

Make : VOLKSWAGEN Model : JETTA Year : 2002
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 04V096000 Recall Date : FEB 20, 2004
Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 377130

VWoA has not yet started sending out notifications. Supposed to start in April.

rlui1

My 2002 Jetta 1.8T was idling roughly and was vibrating when I put it into drive and reverse. Is this related to the ignition coil? I already had it replaced.

rlui1

Are there any Jetta owners out there not following VW's recommendation to change the brake fluid every two years? I have heard this is not really necessary in a sealed system where there is negligible moisture.

jayivy

I just purchased a 2004 Jetta 1.8 Turbo about 3 months ago. I noticed in the auto show booklet that the recommended gas for this car is premium. Is this necessary? Does anyone else use premium, or is regular ok?

600kgolfgt

Turbocharged vehicles (as well as vehicles that have high compression engines) will have a higher probability of experiencing engine knock if you don't use premium fuel. The only gas engine in the VW line that doesn't require premium fuel is the 2.0 liter 8-valve engine.

Bottom line - if your 1.8T engine's longevity (and warranty) is important to you - use what the manufacturer recommends.

jayivy

I've been using 87 gas thus far, but I'm almost on empty and will begin using premium for now on.

fish8

I just got my jetta's brake fluid changed. I think it's small insurance ($69.95) to have the fluid changed and make sure the brake system is in top working order. The brake system is not an area I would cut corners on.

1.8t Gas: If VW recommends (which they do) to use premium, I would use premium. You should not buy the 1.8t engine if you can't afford the premium gas.

ruking1

..."Are there any Jetta owners out there not following VW's recommendation to change the brake fluid every two years? I have heard this is not really necessary in a sealed system where there is negligible moisture. "...

I would say that you are correct. I have gone up to 10 years in another make of vehicle without changing brake fluid. When I changed the fluid it was marginally dirty and had experienced absolutely no fade in app 108k miles. While I would NOT recommend this interval, it does highlight the facts as you have said. I have also changed the fluid in another car at the 3.5 year mark with 55k miles and again it was only marginally dirty.

However, the real problem is there are all kinds of variation sensitivity and sensiblites. So for 5-8 dollars worth of fluid each 2 years and/or parts and labor, if you want or need to take it to the shop, it is a small price to pay for a date certain where the possibility of water and/or air and contaminates in your brake lines and fluid can be removed and replenished with clean fluid. Remember the wet boiling point is measured with 3% of water in the system. So (using 1 liter/33.8 oz or 1 quart/32 oz) that is about an oz of water.

Specifically for my 2003 VW Jetta TDI I have a year to go and will hit 50-60k miles at the two year mark. At the one year mark the fluid is as clean as it came new and it has not even gone down yet due to brake pad wear.

bpeebles

When you say "Is this related to the ignition coil? I already had it replaced." I can tell that you do not realize that there are FOUR (4) ignitors.

If you only had one (1) replaced, then there are 3 others that were manufactired at the same time as the 'bad' one and may be susceptible to failure.

alcan

Read this. Originally written as a glycol - silicone fluid comparison but contains accurate information re moisture absorbtion:

http://www.troublecodes.net/articles/brkfld.shtml

Btw, visual appearance absolutely does not indicate moisture content.

jrct9454

...I too was going to make the point that visual inspection of brake fluid tells you absolutely nothing about the amount of moisture it has absorbed over the years, which is what you want to be concerned about.

I think the Germans' focus on a 2-year replacement interval [it's pretty universal among the EU makes] is probably too conservative...but waiting 5 years is also probably too liberal. Something in between makes sense to me.

hbou

I am sure that this has come up on this thread before, it is just tough to navigate with so many posts. I have a 1997 VW Jetta whose window regulators have failed 3x's! I had them fixed the 1st 2 times at significant cost and decided to "screw it" this time. Is there a recall on these regulators or a class action suit that I should be involved in that anyone knows about? I did not receive anything in the mail regarding a recall, but have noticed that others may have. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance...

hbou

Ok, one more question, I had my catalytic converter replaced last year with about 82,000 miles on the car, so of course it was no longer covered by VW. Cost me $2,000+. Having problems again with it but that is a whole other story...I am now seeing that there may be a federal law requiring cat converters to be covered for 10yr or 100,000 miles. Does anyone know about this? Again, thank you in advance for your help....

fish8

I would look in your owners manual if you have one. Also, it sounds like you may be spending more money on this car than it is actually worth.

rlui1

Thanks to everyone who replied to my brake fluid question and sharing your knowledge and experiences. I just recently and surprisingly noticed that VW recommends the two-year interval for brake fluid changes. Previously, I've only changed the fluid during brake replacements for my prior vehicles.

rlui1

"When you say "Is this related to the ignition coil? I already had it replaced." I can tell that you do not realize that there are FOUR (4) ignitors.

If you only had one (1) replaced, then there are 3 others that were manufactired at the same time as the 'bad' one and may be susceptible to failure."

That being the case, didn't the ignition coil recall cover all of them?

600kgolfgt

I think the confusion lies in the fact that most people do not know what a VW coil pack looks like.

The coil pack consists of four, six or eight coils encapsulated (with epoxy resin) in a single unit. There is no way to replace each individual coil. You must replace the coil pack in its entirety.

I hope this clears the confusion.

yettibutt

Does anyone have expeirence with running slightly thicker oil in the 2.0L to help reduce the oil consumption issues? I was thinking 10w30 rather than 5w30.

rlui1

Thanks for the clarification. I would think the coils should be in a single unit. I haven't experienced the vibration again but will take it to the dealer if it happens again. I've been disappointed with the quality and reliability of my Jetta. My problems have included: rough idling/vibration, brake light not working and then started working again, coolant light going on and off and rattles.

600kgolfgt

No problem. Glad to be of assistance. What year is your Jetta? Is it a VR6 or a 1.8T? I have a 2003 Wolfsburg (1.8T) Jetta with 25K with no problems so far (the dealer I bought it from proactively upgraded the coils of all of their cars in stock).

It seems like the quality of cars nowadays are hit or miss (especially VWs). Even the venerable Hondas and Toyotas haven't escaped the quality bug with their recent recall notices (check out the most recent NHTSA recall lists). If those car makers (with their solid reputations for reliability) are having problems, then we are really screwed... Looks like we may have to revert back to a horse and buggy...

klbrmb

My husband and I have a 2002 1.8T Jetta (manual). We took delivery in October 2002 and have had the following issues.
1. Windows falling in doors
2. Ignition Coil failure
3. Radio failure
4. Purge value failure
5. Check engine light illuminates multiple times and stays on without them being able to determine why.
6. Vibration/Humming noise when driving at highway speeds.

And the list goes on with cosmetic problems (rattles, paint, etc.) The last issue of vibration can not be identified by the dealership and they have attempted to fix the problem four times now with no resolution. They replaced a bearing (2 times, one in each front wheel), the entire tranny, and now the drive axles. We contacted the customer service line for VW and also the dealership GM re: arbitration since the car is a lemon. We have had it beyond one year but it only has 14,000 so we have a definite argument as the issues started last summer (w/in the one year period of the lemon law in our state.

Have any of you encountered these issues? Have any of you gone through the arbitration process or know of someone who has? This is new to us and are not sure what to expect.

Thanks for your help.

KLB

rlui1

My Jetta is 2002 1.8T. The difference between our cars is Wolfsburg vs. Mexico. I agree about the quality bug but my Jetta has been bitten more times than all of my Japanese cars combined.

600kgolfgt

OUCH! Looks like your Jetta put you through the ringer... Sorry to hear that. What gets me is that the window regulator problem is attributed to VW's boneheaded decision to use plastic clips for the windows attachment points instead of the metal clips they've used since the 1st-generation VWs (I wonder what genius made that decision). And their solution to the window problem? You guessed it - let's go back to using the metal retaining clips! DUH!!!

The ignition coils are a result of VW's achilles heel - their choice of suppliers for the many components in their automobiles. I had a 1987 Golf GT that was recalled for faulty heater cores - because of a bad batch of cores from one of their suppliers in France. They couldn't pick a good supplier worth beans, and their abyssmal track record continues to this day...

VW, for all of their technical innovations over the years have really been shooting themselves in the foot as of late.

mn_pat

the factory stereo is in "safe" mode

I started the car and the radio display says "safe" It allows me to manipulate 4 numbers with the preset buttons. I put the radio code in but I dont know what to do next.

What happened and how do i fix it? My thought is that I can disconnect the battery, but I'd like to know the official fix

600kgolfgt

Do you have the complete owners manual? If you do it should include the factory radio manual which has the procedure to take your radio out of safe mode and back to "normal" mode.

Disconnecting the battery won't work. It automatically sets the radio to safe mode, because the system assumes that someone is breaking into your car.

If you don't have the owners manual, the dealer should be able to find the correct code in their computer system. Ask your dealer for a copy of the factory radio code and keep it with you at all times (at least while you're driving)...

mn_pat

i do have the code, but my manual states that there is a special radio manual that I dont have(got the car used). The dealer to me to punch in the code and the "scan" and "mode" buttons at the same time. only problem is that my car dosent have a scan button!?!?!?!?

jaesee75edmund

i was young and stupid when i purchased an 02 jetta glxvr6, looking only at performance numbers and looks. excellent in both departments. just traded it in for an 03 4runner, at great loss, because i was sick of having to take it to the dealer every 2 (yes, 2 months). i owned the thing for a year and a half, must have brought it back half a dozen times. the radio died twice. the second time, i had to wait nearly a month for an appointment. the engine had a recall. i waited 2 weeks for them to fix a part of the problem, then another 2 months for the rest of the parts before giving up altogether and getting rid of the piece of junk. the dealer never called me back for the followup. i think they simply have WAY too many problems and recalls on their hands, hence the constant line of cars outside their service shop every time i had to go back. it's definitely worth your piece of mind to check out something more reliable. btw: consumer reports has constantly put the jetta and golf (same car, both assembled in Mexico) on their most UNRELIABLE list.

jaesee75edmund

bought an 02 vr6, kept it for a year and a half, traded it for a toyota at great loss because i couldn't deal with the problems anymore. the same exact problems that you dealt with, in addition to a dealer that couldn't give a darn (waiting 2 months to replace coils, 1 month for routine maintenance, no call backs, etc. i guess they have their hands full with all the recalls and stuff). numerous website and magazines consider the jetta/golf one of the most unreliable cars on the market. get rid of it and never buy another vw. good luck.

fish8

I am sorry for all your problems with you jetta. I hope you have better luck (which I am sure you will) with your Toyota.

BTW: I think we understood your problems in the first post, the second was not necessary.

hbou

I'll try this one more time, does anyone know about a class action suit and/or recall on window regulators on 1997 Jettas? Mine had to be replaced 2x early on at great cost. Busted again, but I refuse to pay to have them fixed again. Thanks in advance for any info...

fish8

Look on www.alldata.com for rcalls and TSB's.

klbrmb

The only class action suit I have received info on is regarding the ignition coils.
Sheanin vs. Volkswagen of America, Inc.

jskho

There was one for the Mk IV Golf/Jettas.
VWoA eventually extended the warranty of the regulators to 7yr/100k miles. Don't think it covers the Mk III.