By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I have had my VAG_COM for less than a month. It has already diagnosed a bad MAF (MassAirflowSensor) in my daughters Golf and I was able to scan/clear the codes in my other daughters NB (New Beetle) I also expect to be using it on my wifes Jetta TDI.
Given that most dealerships charge at least $60 to just scan your car (even if they do nothing to fix it), I figure my VAG-COM has almost paid for itself within a month.
(New MAF is about $400 part.... my daughter got hers for free because I was able to diagnose and show the dealership that MAF is coverd for 7years/70,000 miles)
The engine-model was changed part way thru the 2001 model-year. The newer engines (AVH) has NO THROTTLE CABLE and relies on the throttle-pedal to be synchronized with the throttle-body butterfly valve.
TRY THIS: Turn key to ON, then slowly press throttle-pedal to floor and count to 10 seconds, then slowly release acc-pedal. Then turn off key for at least 15 seconds. On some engines, this will calibrate the throttlebody.
If that does not work, You may need to re-calibrate the throttlebody.
When you turn the key to "run" (but before starting it) Can you hear the fuel-pump in the gastank run for a second?
apply rain-x to the windshield and be happy you have intermittent wipers
Of course, pulling the codes does not actually *fix* a problem, but it tells you where you stand.
Is this expensive to fix? What could the problem be?
Do not forget, use ONLY G12 antifreeze... anything else may ruin the engine.
It is common for the wiper-pivits to start to bind up and if they are not disassembled and lubed... the entire assembly will eventually seaze up.
Thank you for the inisght. Yes I have pulled off the valence off and noticed that the two arm assembly (transmission) which moves the wiper arms had come off of the motor. There is one bolt that connects the two parts together which is the bolt that came off and of course it is on the underside of the entire assembly making ratchet access tricky. While I am pulling everthing apart to reassemble I am going to take your adivice to lube everything too.
redjetta98
Hope this helps, good luck
The external fuel pump assembly from a 90's Jetta will not work on your car. VW switched fuel injection systems from the Continuous Injection System (CIS) which is on your car - to a fully electronic Digifont system. Here's a brief history of the different fuel injection systems used in VWs: http://www.autotech.com/catalog/fuelinj.htm The external fuel pumps are very different in the sense that the CIS fuel system must be pressurized to around 70-80 p.s.i., while the Digifant system on the 1988 through 1992 models is pressurized somewhere in the neighborhood of 40-50 p.s.i.
Bottom line: You need to find a fuel injection assembly from a 1985 through 1987 model year VW.
Alternately, many auto-parts places will reset the codes for free.
If, after resetting, the CEL comes back on in a few days, then the problem is NOT fixed.
Personally, I use VAG-COM to diagnose and reset the codes in my VWs.
Sept. 19th: Car towed, EPC Light/Check engine light came on --car would not go over 25-30mph
Diagnosis: VAS 5052 diagnos acceleration position code pinpoint tests replaced accelerator pedal sensor, retest clear code set readiness road test operating in spec.
mileage: 40963
Oct. 10th: Car towed, EPC/Check engine light on again, car idling between 4-6,000rpm
Diagnosis:
**Code P1639 pinpoint tests replaced control unit, code unit & key, clear code set readiness
**Reprogram instrument cluster (Recall)
**Car still idled high after control unit replaced. Replaced accelerator pedal sensor (again!)
**Replaced throttle valve, still idled high, reinstalled old throttle valve, replaced throttle pedal, retest, operating in specs SPW throttle pedal
mileage: 41524
Oct.17th: Car towed, cold start car idles at high rpms again
Diagnosis:
**Battery perform charging and starting system check, check vehicle for abnormal current draws, remove & replace battery, reset electronics
**Found that the alarm goes of when starting vehicle, traced problem to drivers door latch
Replaced door latch
mileage: 41550
That's all the paperwork really tells me..should I be worried? It is now 11/3...should I be expecting this problem to occur again? And one final question...despite all this engine trouble, I found that I had a slow leak in my passenger side tire. I had it replaced because a bulge formed in the outer tire. The tire was replaced and balance tires were rotated. Now when I drive, I can hear a swoosh- swoosh, swoosh-swoosh from the driver's side front tire--like it's rubbing on something. 1) do I need to get my tires balanced? 2) does this tire need to be replaced? 3) is the car safe to drive?
thank you, thank you, thank you...in advance!
The oil-pressure from the oil-pump is used to take the "slack" out of the valvetrain. (thus the name hydrolic lifters) After being parked for awhile, somtimes a lifter may "leak" the pressure out. Thus, when first started, it takes a few seconds to "pump back up" and you hear a tapping/rattling sound until the slack is taken out as the oil-pressure builds back up in the leaky lifter.
This is usually not a big deal and not somthing to concern yourself about. Somtimes, the hydrolic lifters can be quieted down by using some kind of oil-additive like "STP oil treatment" . STP is VERY thick and helps keep the oil in the lifters while the engine is shut down. STP also contains extra detergents that may clean the crud out the lifter thus making it work better.
I have had some cars that, after treating with "STP oil treatment" for several thousand miles... the lifter noise is all but gone even when NOT using STP on the next oil-change.
===
As for your tires, have them all inspected/balanced Many people have tires balanced once a year because as they wear, the balance changes.
How many miles are on your 2000 Jetta?
also, when you check engine light and emissions workshop light came on, was your car sputtering when idling at a light or stop sign (possibly with flickering lights)? that is happening to my car and am curious as to what you did to fix whatever was causing those check engine lights to come on. did the O2 sensor work?
i would really appreciate the help.
I also understand that there is no point point to looking for codes if the light is off. If it is off there is nothing there, if there are codes waiting to be read then the light stays on.
This is based on what I have been told by dealer service advisors various times over the years regarding a couple of Fords. Have not had check engine light with our new VW and I don't know if there are differences in how the light operates with different models.
The converse is also true, some faults are not conserded "bad enough" to illimunate the CEL. (such as when one of the heated mirrors burns out)
I have a VAG-COM and have diagnosed severeral issues with my 2 daughters VWs. I consider VAG-COM indespensible for troubleshooting VWs. If you cannot determine why the CEL is on, how can you expect to diagnose the problem?
The car has a 2.0 litre gas engine and an automatic transmission.
Thanks
http://www.vw.com/vwcom/content/objects/pdf/service_maint/engoil_gas.pdf
Both the above and the other document, that I linked in previous post, can be reached from this site: http://www.vw.com/owners/serv_care.html
I'm having the same trouble, have you figured out what the problem was?
So now the question : what tires have you been buying?
On the issue of being hard on tires, a friend suggested to me that the car is very light and could possible be "sliding" around turns. It is very difficult to spin the tires unless I manually switch off the traction control.