Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

buygerman

I just discovered the exact same problem. I think it has been happening since I bought the car. It would stink for several days after a heavy rain storm. I thought it was because I was tracking alot of water into the car. It makes me think that this is a manufacturing defect. The dealer is jerking me around saying it may not be covered.

 

What is the rest of the story? Have you gotten it fixed?

vwrules

I need to get a 10K service done on my 04 Jetta 1.8T. I have looked around and found most dealers charging about $150, which includes checking hoses and all other stuff that is not required. The maintenance guide asks only for an oil change, wheel rotation, brake and airbag check. What should I expect to pay for this? I was thinking of doing only an oil change and wheel rotation.

bpeebles

You can INSIST that they do only what you want (follow the book). They should then charge you for the labor and parts. (They often have a set fee for a XXmile service.)

 

BTW: The 10K mile service on my DIESEL (must have synthetic oil) was about $80 US dollars out the door. ($43 of that was the parts/fluids) The tire-rotation was about $14 Labor.

 

More reciently, I supply my own choice of oil that I purchase at wallmart. The dealership is more than happy to use oil that I supply. (Dealer charges $33.50 for their synthetic oil)

tdi_tan

My 02 Golf is pre-wired for a CD-changer. I know my co-worker's 01 Jetta is also pre-wired.

 

02.5 and up (with the Premium VI radio, cassette, & CD player) are operated with the CAN-BUS.

jvcinc

Is your skidplate a stock item or custom built. If it comes off the shelf, could you provide me with a vendor source?

escortowner

I ran into the same issue - except it was $110. I ended up going to my local firestone where they were running a special that included all of the things they were recommending and it was $30. If you have the TDI or an automatic it may be a little different - but yeah, I think they charge those fees and about 95% of the poeple don't question them.

 

Check around at other places because when I purchased my car the salesman said it wasn't mandatory to go to a dealership for the service - you just had to keep a record of it.

escortowner

I called the dealership and they said it was pre-wired. I guess I just couldn't find it. I am not sure what CAN-BUS means though. What does that mean?

 

I found that Item you had mentioned, but I am not quite sure where to find if it is CAN-BUS. I know, the ad showed the v.5 as being correct for my car.

 

What does CAN-BUS mean?

ruking1

There are actually three versions, stock, steel and aluminum. Stock of course you can get from the dealer and other parts houses either on line or local. Steel is sold by any number of vendors but do a google for Dieselgeek. The aluminum is http://www.evolutionimport.com/

tdi_tan

www.dieselgeek.com has a lighter duty aluminum one as well

jettagirl79

Hi, I'm new to the group and just read this message. I recently purchased my 2nd jetta through Jennings. In terms of sales staff, I love Jennings. In terms of service, I take my cars to Autobarn VW in Evanston. The service manager there is absolutely great. If it's a problem that cannot be fixed immediately (a real VW issue, not wear and tear) they will pay for a rental car for you through the Enterprise connected to the dealership. My new 2005 Jetta was getting terrible gas mileage and ended up having the gas tank replaced after 2 weeks of me having it! Major issue, but they were very helpful. I did try taking my 2002 Jetta to Jennings for service when I first got it, but found that the service department didn't really seem to care much, just wanted to get you in and out.

cibber93

I'm not sure if you got your answer already - I am new to this site and I am still working through the messages. Anyway, this happened to me and it blue the fuse. What I did was take a thin plastic stick and put crazy glue on the end. I held it to the penny until it stuck and left it overnight to make sure it was very dry. The next morning the penny came out no problem. I just bought a new fuse and now it's fine.

bagpipe

I would caution you not to buy a VW Jetta.. Our experience has been horrific. Short version: my daughter took it to school in NC and had nothing but trouble stalling,sputtering, bucking, no power grinding noises and more but the dealer can't find anything BUT replaced EGR, Computer, Trans, cleaned throttle body 3x's, and a host of other patch ups and the problem is still there and only 25k miles on this buggy. The throttle body is still carbonizing (and that makes the fuel mix too lean which probably is causing most of the problem) and they can't tell me why. Something is amiss and its not the gas which we were told must be premium

 

No Pilgrim, don't get a VW!!! You'll only be sorry.

kvirl

I just bought an '05 jetta 2.0 automatic a month ago and in addition to the alignment and faulty door/window seals issues it came with, the car also has a weird surge/hesitation, which occurs when the car is put into either drive or reverse after sitting for awhile. It's especially worrisome when I'm trying to back out of a parking space because all of a sudden the car lurches backwards. Has anyone else experienced this?

hotmail

I posted the reply as 3394 of 3394, but it's gone by some reason. Does anybody sensor this message board?

 

Anyway, Jetta has a known problem on cold start in SLEV sold in CA, MA and NY. VW doesn't take care any action:

 

As all of you who own Jetta 04 and 05 sold in California and other states, the car has unique problem not to start smoothly in the morning.

I found that a complaints filed to National Highway Transporation Safety Administration for Jetta 04:

 

1. Click the link below

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/c...s.cfm

 

2. Click "Complaints >>Search" on the upper left area.

 

3. Type in NHTSA ODI Number = "10079735"

 

4. Click "Search"

 

ALL BRAND NEW JETTA 05HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

 

The jerk start is caused the sudden engagement of transmission when the brake lamp is turned off. Until then, there is no drive power supplied to the drive saft.

 

It seems the problem cars have been sold in California, New York and Massachusetts in order to satisfy more strikt environment regulations.

There may not see this problem from other states.

 

"CONDITIONS : PZEV rating only applies to the 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder automatic transmission. This vehicle comes standard as PZEV in CA & select NE states"

 

http://www.driveclean.ca.gov/e...id=91

 

Vehicles sold in California, New York and Massachusetts must meet more stringent emission standards established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and adopted by the other two states.

 

To continue to improve air quality, tighter standards are needed nationally. CARB has already established stricter standards set to begin in model year 2004. Its Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (SULEV) standard is the cleanest emission standard that a gasoline vehicle can meet.

 

http://www.cleancarcampaign.org/emissions.shtml

parni

Does anyone know how to programme the key,I lost mine, So I bought a blank from ebay, I have to get it cut, But the dealer is charging 100$ to programme it, PLease help if anyone out there know how to programme it.

bpeebles

um...its in your owners manual. (2003 manual, book 3.1, page 30.)

 

The above is the "programming" for the remote.

 

If you want it to star the car, then there is a different "programming" that is needed. (somtimes called the SKC code.)

 

Normally, the original buyer gets the SKC code with the car keys.

 

If you have access to a VagCom and a relationship with a VW dealer, then you need to:

1. connect the Vagcom to the car.

2. access the instrument cluster.

3. Write down the immobilizer/cluster serial number.

4. Call a dealer (that you has the relationship with) and give this number plus the VIN for the car. You will need to get back the immobilizer code, the date, the workshop code for the dealer and perhaps the importer number.

5. You can then log into the immobilizer with the code, date and other numbers and 'adapt' the keys.

myfirstvw

I got a flat tire on my 2004 6th month old Jetta GLS on the interstate last week. I took it to 2 separate places that said it could not be fixed-last place I went discovered a hole punctured through the rim and said he's never seen anything like that before. I didn't hit anything that I could see-most likely glass or road debris. Not covered under warranty of course even though there's only 14,000 miles on it. But professionals never seeing or hearing of a rim puncture before after 30+ years of service to me indicates a crap product? I have no problem replacing the tire for $100-flat tires happen. But the rim-that's ridiculous-$270-is this going to happen everytime I get a flat-that whatever small piece of debris I accidently hit is going to damage these crap alloy-rims? How should that not be a warranty issue?

ruking1

Are you saying it is a manufacturing defect? Sort of a metal piece say of 1-2 in long stuck in the rim that finally migrated toward the side wall or tread portion?

myfirstvw

Whatever I hit to cause the flat tire, punctured the rim. There was shards of glass inside the damaged tire. My concern is that the rim damaged very easily so how good of quality are the rims? I guess that's not necessarily a warranty issue, more a quality issue.

ruking1

Sorry, I misunderstood. Then I would say you must have hit it MUCH harder than you thought, for not only did the glass that you hit penetrate the tire but probably as the tire was deforming the glass shard/s hit the rim causing a rim puncture.

 

You might not like or want to hear this, but from your claification/discription it sounds like it falls in the category of road hazard.

myfirstvw

I do agree that it was caused by road hazard, but to have 3 tire professionals say to me that they have never seen anything like that since they've been in the business, to me, should be a little cause for concern.

ruking1

Well for sure, but me thinks this is a statistical anomoly.

600kgolfgt

I feel for you...especially since I just had a $381 BBS Rim and a $115 Goodyear tire replaced on my 2003 Wolfsburg Jetta after hitting a pothole at 65mph...

bpeebles

What size tires do you have... Any of the "plus size" tires may be suseptible to that kind of damage.

 

There is a REASON that tires have been 15-inch for over 30 years....the rubber PROTECTS the wheel.

 

Those PLUS SIZE wheels still have the same overall diameter for the tire... this means LESS RUBBER TO PROTECT THE WHEEL.

 

I cannot think of any good things to say about those "plus size" wheels... but a lot of negative things are obvious

 

*) Less rubber to protect wheel

*) MUCH more expensive to replace tires

*) MUCH more expensive to replace wheels

*) rougher ride (because you must keep the PSI high to reduce wheel damage)

*) harder to find replacement wheels in a salvage yard.

600kgolfgt

I wholeheartedly agree with the statement the rubber protects the wheel. However, many people tend to equate 15" (or so) with the amount of rubber on the tire. Let me clarify:

 

The actual tire measurement on a given vehicle is normally listed as follows:

 

195-60-15, for example, consists of three components:

 

195 - represents the tread width of the tire

60 - represents the aspect ratio (or depth) of the tire

15 - represents the rim diameter of the wheel

 

Focusing on the aspect ratio, the lower the number, the lower the tire's profile (and the less rubber there is between the wheel rim and the road).

 

A 14 inch wheel with a lower tread width and a higher aspect ratio will provide more protection against bumps, potholes, etc., than a 15 inch wheel with a wider tread width and a lower aspect ratio.

 

Bottom line, the rim diameter of the wheel is not as significant of a factor as the aspect ratio (profile) of a tire when it comes to pothole protection.

 

BTW - The BBS rim/wheel I had to replace on my Wolfsburg Jetta was 205-55-16 (not exactly a common size)...:-(

ruking1

Given the reputation of the worst roads in the USA, where I operate, I am not a fan of changing to lower aspect ratios.

 

Also, one can factor in the role of lowering springs and struts/shocks that can go in tandem with it. So when you lower a car by X ins, what you are really doing is DECREASING the suspension travel by X amount, The normal amount of suspension travel that would have aided in energy redirection/displacement, what ever you wish to call it no longer is there. Proper design would also call for more "progressive" springs (higher # spring rates coming on at lower inch displacements). Lowering shocks may or may not be different in physical size, but their operating parameters might be less than a identical non lowering version. Compression and/or rebound rates are "STIFFER" at lower rates of strut and shock displacements to compensate for the lowering. This combined with the lower aspect ratio etc can/does conspire to give you a bone jaring ride. The nexus is greater chances of component failure due to higher and less displaced energy loads!

600kgolfgt

Bravo! Nice job on the lowering springs commentary!

 

I for one think that some drivers might get away with the "slammed" look in warmer climates, but in regions of the USA with 4 seasons, the lowered look turns the car into a submarine during floods and heavy snow..

bpeebles

The worst part is FROST HEAVES

 

Anyone that knows what a FROST HEAVE is knows that they can open up 1-foot deep trenches in the road...or create 1-foot high bumps. Many cars have smashed oil-pans due to FROST HEAVES.

 

A "slammed" car would not be able to travet more than a few miles in Vermont during the spring when the frost is leaving the ground. (worst time for FROST HEAVES)

runamuck

I called my dealer and he said that the water may be leaking through the cable of the lever. (?) I will probably do my own test with a garden hose and try to find the source before bringing it anywhere since VW has told me that this is not covered.

 

In my own twisted experiment, I've found that parking the car uphill somehow prevented the water from coming in. Go figure, but it works for now.

 

As much as I love how the Jetta drives, I will probably get rid of this car soon. The maintenance has been a pain in the butt for me.

cwestfall

I just picke up a 05 2.0L Jetta in southern California and it suffers from the same hesitation. It is really annoying. I think to file a complaint is the only recourse.

cwestfall

I leased an 05 Jetta 2.0 GLS on Saturday (five days ago) and on Monday evening with 80 miles on it, the engine light came on. I hurried to the local dealer (not the one I leased from) and had them check it out but they were closing and said it was probably an emission problem. The next morning (Tuesday) I brought it in and they deciphered it was a faulty camshaft adjustment valve. The part would take two weeks to come in and it is fine to drive.

This did not feel good so I took it to the dealership I leased it from yesterday and they gave me a loaner with no gas in it and said they will check it out. The service consultant I was working with said that when a part is red ordered it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months to arrive. They have kept the car overnight and have yet to determine what the problem is.

I now have a lease payment for a car that I have owned for 5 days and have driven 1.5. If the dealership comes back with needing to red order the part, which might be an indeterminate arrival date, can I ask them to unwind the contract and put me in another Jetta?

I do not want to pay for a leased vehicle collecting interest while it sits in their service department and I drive a used loaner car.

Is it safe to drive, will there be other problems later?

Thank you Charlie

600kgolfgt

Unless they've radically changed the engine design on a 2.0 liter, the only adjustments related to the camshaft is either the timing belt tensioner pulley

(if you are hearing a high pitched whine from the engine when you accelerate), Or one (or more) of the hydraulic valve tappet adjusters is faulty (if you are hearing a tapping sound from the engine). If those two items are the case (and it shouldn't be on a brand new engine), then the items mentioned are readily available, and any dealer that has to order the part normally receives it within 1-3 days - a week max.

 

A camshaft adjustment valve would make sense if the engine has variable valve timing, which the 2.0 liter does not have.

 

Methinks the dealer might be selling you a bill of goods...

cwestfall

Thanks for your thoughts, I took it to another dealer and they thought it was the camshaft positioning sensor but after test driving it, the check engine light did not return but it was shifting weird, like 6000rpms in 4th gear.???

rajendir

Your Jetta is [non-permissible content removed]. As far as transmission getting stuck, you need to replace break switch that locks the automatic transmission. This switch, cost about $10-$15 is prone to failure. I recently had same proplem on 2002 TDI jetta Automatic and transmission shop did the work.

jim o

I have a 2002 VW Jetta VR6, automatic transmission. I had a problem with slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear. Transmission would race 1500 RPM under certain conditions.

 

I took it back to the dealer. They said it needed to be 'reset' and the transmission was now working 'within spec'.

 

Transmission performance significantly improved. However, under some conditions, transmission still races ~1000 RPM when shifting from 2nd to 3rd. This is unacceptable performance. Curiously, the transmission works great when I really push it hard. The worst slipping occurs during slightly harder than average acceleration. Generally when the shift from 2nd to 3rd occurs at approx. 35-40 mph.

 

Two questions:

1) what do you suppose the dealer did to improve the transmission?

2) I think my transmission is shot? Am I right? How should I proceed to get the transmission fixed?

600kgolfgt

After looking at my newly purchased Bentley CD, There is indeed a camshaft positioning sensor (I stand corrected) which was apparently a design change to supercede the distributor, cap and rotor ignition systems on the 1998 and earlier 2.0 liter engines.

lappa411

i own a 2002 jetta tdi,my problem is there are times when i start my car,then i might forget something and go back to the house shut the car go in and come out this is when the car will not start.does'nt happen all the time but i dont want to get stuck.any info would be appreciated.

                           thanks

                            mike

bpeebles

It is NEVER good to do that to a computer-controlled internal combustion engine. When first started (especially cold) that initiates a string of events that need to happen in a sequence. One of the last events in that sequence is a fully-warmed up engine.

 

If you "break" that sequence by turning off the engine before it comes up to temparture, then the computer can get confused. (It may attempt a cold-start sequence on a partially-warmed engine)

 

You may want to have your IQ checked (Injection Quality). It has been said that having it set to the higher end of the spec may help with starting issues.

 

Another simple check is to verify that all the GPs are working (Glow Plugs). On manual-tranny TDIs there are a couple electric engine-heaters that should be checked.

 

If being forgetful is a chronic issue for you, perhaps you should think about a quick-release keychain that allows the ignition key to stay in the ignition while you take the rest of the keys with you.

dancerman

We also have an '02 VR6 auto. I am not sure if what you describe is the same thing but we noticed with our car that the shifting is not real crisp as with other cars we have had. After 50,000 miles it still works great though. I wouldn't call it slipping or racing because it doesn't lack acceleration. When you step on it (as you said), it goes. I suspect the dealer reset the computer. I don't think your transmission is shot. If under warranty... keep after the dealer and try another if they aren't giving you satisfactory results/answers.

tdi_tan

there's also the flap in the EGR that "chokes" the engine during shut-off. This may be stuck, as it will cause a difficulty in restarting.

classicjetta

I have a 85 Jetta Sedan. It has about 160,000 miles, and it has been in my family since new. It has been a generally good car, however there are some problems that I need advice on. First, the valves can be noisy. I know that this is normal during startup of a cold engine. But often the noise will go away and come back while driving. The oil level is where it should be, and I use Castrol Syntec 5W50. My mechanic recommended replacing the valve lifters. Is this necessary? And how much does it cost? Also, the car knocks on regular unleaded (87 octane) fuel. It does not knock when I use high octane gas (93). Is that related to the valves? And is there a head rebuild in my future? Any advice would be appreciated.

p100

Replacement of the valve lifters is recommended in your case because the lifters are not fully pumping up with oil when the engine warms up and knock persistently. The lifters are not that expensive, but replacing them requires removal of the cam(s) and the timing belt which requires quite a bit of labor ($ 300+).

 

The engine knock with low octane (87 fuel) is most liely caused by two things:

 

1. Faulty EGR valve with perforated diaphragm, which stays permatently closed

 

2. Heavy carbon buildup on the tops of pistons and valves, cuasing preignition when it glows red.

 

My hunch is you have a bad EGR valve.

600kgolfgt

For a valve lifter replacement job, figure around

$10 to $20 per lifter (you'll need eight), and approximately 1.5 hours for the labor (labor charges vary by area)...

 

The timing belt does not have to be completely removed from the engine. The procedure for this is making sure the piston for cylinder #1 is at top-dead-center (TDC), and the timing marks on the camshaft sprocket, distributor, and transmission bellhousing are all aligned. Once that is done then the timing belt tensioner pulley can be loosened, and the top section of the timing belt can be removed from the camshaft sprocket. After that, the removal of the camshaft and lifters is fairly straightforward for the professional or do-it-yourself mechanic (especially if you have a Bentley or Chilton's manual to reference).

bpeebles

We had a 1989 Golf that went thru all 3 of the kids. (and was sold to another new teenage driver)

 

The engine had that charactoristic valve clatter when started that you describe. Since I have been working on cars for many years, I knew that the noise was not damaging in any way. (although it SOUNDED pretty bad.)

 

I would suggest to you that you need to ascertain how much this vehicle means to you. (How much longer do you want to keep it around?)

 

If you just want to quiet it down a bit, consider adding a viscosity improver such as "STP oil treatment" or "Motor Honey" to the oil. I found that adding "STP oil treatment" to the above-mentioned golf really helped quiet it down.

 

I would suggest that you consider NOT using the Castrol Syntec 5W50. The "5W" means that this oil quite thin at startup (especially being a quasi-synthetic oil) The "50" means that it may be too thick to properly lubricate some parts of the engine properly. (look at the oil-specs for this engine!)

 

If you have no forseeable endpoint to your ownership of this fine vehicle, then by all means consider the cost of replcing the hydrolic valve actuators. A more complete job would be a "head rebuild" wheras the valves are also tended to.

 

 

Personally, I feel that is too much $$ just because of some valvetrain noise at startup. Have you done a simple compression test?

    

Also, VWs of that vintage have a tendancy for the oil-pump to get whimpy and not deliver enough pressure. Low oil-pressure will be immediately heard causing a noisy valvetrain.

 

====

 

The knocking or 'preignition' you mention is a completely different issue. There are several variables that can cause this. Unlike the valve noise at startup, preignition is DAMAGING to the engine.

 

Some of the causes of preignition are

1) too-low octaine fuel

2) carbon buildup in the combustion chamber

3) Incorrect heat-range sparkplugs (USE ONLY THE RECOMMENDED BOSCH BRAND SPARKPLUGS in a VW)...Bosh invented the sparkplug!!

4) Ignition timing incorrect.

5) Air-Fuel ratio is too lean.

 

#5 Above has several varibles that affect it including:

*) Exhaust Gas Oxygen Sensor is fulty

*) Injectors Dirty

*) MAF (Mass AirFlow) meter is faulty

*) fuel pressure too low

 

The above is just the basics, I cannot be expected to explain over 30 years of experience here ;-)

600kgolfgt

I once owned a 1987 Golf GT (16 years). A VW Mechanic that I've known for 10 of those years gave me some good advice as far as what viscosity oil to use:

 

The engines during those years (like most VW engines) were designed to run on the hot side (they were equipped with 190-degree thermostats and fan switches). If you use an oil that has a viscosity that's too thin, the oil in those engines will easily flow like water - resulting in very low oil pressure.

 

A good rule of thumb would be as follows:

 

Fall/Winter (Below 50 degrees F.)- unless you live in an extremely cold climate (Alaska, Maine, Minnesota, etc), 10w30 or 10w40 weight oil should suffice.

 

Spring/Summer - (above 80 degrees F.) - Do not use any oil lighter than a 15-weight. Use either 15w40 or 20w50. To use anything lighter (10-weight or below) during this time of year is asking for trouble (low oil pressure being among them).

 

These guidelines have worked for me fairly well.

 

Of course, the engines of today are built to much closer tolerances, thus the manufacturers recommendation of 5w30 or 5w40 year round.

pruzink

A lot of people buy differant rims than there OEM rims when going to low profile tires. I have picked up 2 sets of Jetta Rims on Ebay for about $50/rim. You just need to be patient but they get listed on there all the time. I bought the extra rims for snow tires, both my daughter and I have Jettas.

kevinv

Is the area of the lower dash, where the fan control dials for air and defrost are located, suppose to light up at night (headlights on). My sister in law bought a 2000 jetta and i was driving it at night and noticed everything lights up inside, as you all know, but the dials down low and their associated markers did not. Let me know what you all think. Thanks.

craigvwandrews

i've had the jetta for about 17 months and have had no problems at all. just yesterday, i opened the sunroof to tilt for a 5 minute drive grab lunch, turned the car off - went inside came out and went back to work only to find the sunroof would not close or open or do anything really. Has anyone else experienced this or have any advice what i should do? I was able to manually close it, but still nothing happens.

any suggestions would be great. thank you

mercury1

I bought a jetta gl 2003, with 35000 miles, I hope I pay the rigth price $14200.00, Look brand new and sounds perfect. ? any comments?

scrooksin

I just bought a 2000 Jetta a few days ago, it has 91,000 miles, i got it for 7,000. But yesturday the check engine light came on, its #19 in the4 manual. it says that the catalytic convertor might have a problem. Should i still be driving with the light on or will it screw things up?
Sam