Volkswagen Jetta 2006+

flaflyboy · August 2006

Thanks for the heads up and report of your car. I just bought a 2.5 standard and so far so good a happy camper! This looks like a great site and I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions in the near future. It seems like this car is not very friendly in regards to basic maintenance. I got the feeling they want to have it lock stock and barrel when it comes to oil changes and everything else. Keep up the reports and thanks for any info!

venus537 · August 2006

If you're completely "risk-averse" or "gun shy", stick with the first two brands (Honda & Toyota). I personally was not willing to give up so much driving pleasure, and after years of boring driving have switched to the "less reliable" brands.

I hear what you're saying, driving a car that you "want" is better than driving one based upon reliability. but i don't know how that necessarily excludes one from driving a toyota or a honda.

The upcoming Civic Si sedan would seem to be one of those "pleasurable" cars.

live4tech · August 2006

Over on the Passat board owners have been reporting that their AC is weak or ineffective in really hot weather. How is the AC in the new Jetta working out for everybody?

jeffyscott · August 2006

Our a/c has been fine, temps have been as high as upper 90s.

flaflyboy · August 2006

So far A/C seems great in Florida, it takes about 3 minutes or so to go from somewhat uncomfortable to feeling nice. Thats in direct sun sitting in a parking lot.

jason0820 · August 2006

My '06 Jetta 2.5L is getting close to 3,000 miles and wondering if I should change the oil, or wait til it gets close to 5,000 miles. With these newer cars and engines, I don't know what the deal is with the old "break in" oil theory (that's why I didn't change it out after the first 1,000 miles).

Also, has anyone done an oil change themselves on the 2.5L engine? I wanted to get some input on that, as I know these use the paper cartridge filters... for example, do you really need to drain the filter housing before unscrewing it??

micweb · August 2006

1. Reportedly the 2.5L comes with a 6.3 quart sump (check your owner's manual) so a 5,000 mile initial oil change is fine. VW requires 5W-40 in a "European" formula which is almost always, due to its specs, a full synthetic. So there is no need to change earlier.

2. Go the the VW dealer and get the oil change - they use the right filter, long life, and SHOULD use 5W-40 oil since they had a lot of problems in the past with dealers ignoring this spec and using 5-30 instead, with resulting sludged turbo 1.8's.

3. The first oil change is supposed to be at 5,000 miles, the 2d at 10,000 miles, then every 10,000 miles thereafter. Almost everyone who comments on this, and my dealer when I had a Golf, recommends sticking with 5,000 mile intervals for the life of the car, and not extending to 10,000. Certainly if you DO decide to take it out to 10,000 miles between changes, you MUST use a VW spec'd oil.

4. Don't do the oil changes yourself. Or if you decide to, only do the "extra" oil changes. The 1.8 turbos had sludge issues and it was a lot easier getting VW to relent and acknowledge the issue when you had dealer receipts for the service instead of notes in your logbook and a generic receipt from an auto parts shop for parts. (It's an expensive car, the oil changes are cheap.)

jeffyscott · August 2006

Almost everyone who comments on this, and my dealer when I had a Golf, recommends sticking with 5,000 mile intervals for the life of the car, and not extending to 10,000.

While the dealer would, I'm sure, like to see owners changing oil every 5000 miles...with full synthetic oil why would this be necessary? 5000 miles is a normal interval for cars that have conventional oil. VW says 10,000 miles (or 12 months).

jason0820 · August 2006

Thanks for the advice.. The local dealership charges $59.00 for a full service oil change, (Halvoline 5W40 full synthetic I was advised), does that sound like average price??

Anyone know of VW service dept.s using Mobil 1 0W40?? I've been hearing more & more that the Mobil 1 version was superior.

jeffyscott · August 2006

Yes, $59 sounds like a pretty good price. I paid about $50, IIRC...but a couple other dealers I checked with were about $70.

jason0820 · August 2006

Seems similar to BMW's recommended intervals. However, I heard from several research that particles form and circulate/flow no differently in synthetic or mineral grade oils, which can all lead to sludge build up. Thus,regardless of type of oil used, oil change intervals should be @ 5,000 miles, maximum.

dino001 · August 2006

The particles do not form at the same rate for synthetics, because of their higher decomposition point. So that alone gives longer life on the oil.

The only reason to cut the interval is contamination or other really severe condition (racing, idling, etc.). Regular person living in regularly polluted place driving regular way will probably do reasonably well on manufacturer-specified interval, as long as they stick to the specs of the lubricant.

jason0820 · August 2006

So what is the consensus on the best motor oil for the 2.5L? Besides Mobil 0W40 or Halvoline 5W40, what other popular synthetic brands in the VW spec grade (VW 502.00?) is out there that's widely available and not too expensive??

24601 · August 2006

I bought Castrol Syntec 5W-40 for my 2.5L at Autozone for $5.49/quart.

600kgolfgt · August 2006

> I bought Castrol Syntec 5W-40 for my 2.5L at Autozone for $5.49/quart.

That's what I use for all three of my VWs: 2003 Wolfsburg Jetta 1.8T, 2003 Passat GLS 1.8T, and 1997 Jetta Trek 2.0. Good stuff. Keep within the 5000 mile change intervals and you will greatly reduce the chances of engine-related problems.

According to my mechanic, the #1 cause of all the premature timing belt & timing chain failures in the MK4s is due to sludge related cylinder head failures - not the timing belt/chain itself.

That alone should be enough of an incentive to use the correct oil at the correct intervals, and to play it safe, have the service done at the dealership to CYA in case of warranty claims... :shades:

jeffyscott · August 2006

According to my mechanic, the #1 cause of all the premature timing belt & timing chain failures in the MK4s is due to sludge related cylinder head failures - not the timing belt/chain itself.

Wasn't the problem that many used conventional oil, rather than synthetic? Meaning it was more about the oil than the change interval? Also wasn't the sludge problem a turbo thing or did the old 2.slow have sludge issues too?

The correct change interval, per VW, for the 2.5 is 10,000 mi (after the fist two changes). Maybe it stays 5000 mi for the turbo???

600kgolfgt · August 2006

>Wasn't the problem that many used conventional oil, rather than synthetic? Meaning it was more about the oil than the change interval?

Conventional oil is a prime contributor to sludging. But there were many cases when owners exceeded the 5000 mile interval while using the conventional oil that the sludge issue reared its ugly head. Using synthetic oil would have reduced the possibility of sludging, even if the 5000 mile interval was exceeded....

snowdance · August 2006

We did notice ours was a bit weak on our 2.5 Jetta when it was 117 degrees a while back.. However when the road got into the trees and we were in the shade and not the sun it was cool inside.. Decided the problem was more the sun coming thru the glass and not really the inside temp.. We have the rear sun shade on order and are going to tint the windows.. Should help as it did on our 2002 Jetta Wagon..

Snowdance

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/snowdance38/my_photos

fish8 · August 2006

Do you have any pictures taken within the past 3 decades?

snowdance · August 2006

Yep,, But not as many as I had hoped..

As you might have seen we were lucky and have been able to do many of the things we wanted.. We took many pics.. However they were on color slides.. And they went to heck.. So had almost nothing..

We did however make many friends over the years and kept in touch.. Most of what you see are pics that friends had and have sent us.. So I keep them posted there so they can see what we have in hopes that if they have some thing different they will send it to us.. Always intresting what they find..

fish8 · August 2006

I love to see old pictures like that. What a different time that was. Thanks for sharing. Is that you and your Wife in the batch of boat pictures?

snowdance · August 2006

>>>Is that you and your Wife in the batch of boat pictures?<<<

Yep thats us.. Long time ago.. We have been together for 40 years.. Thats also us on the motorcycle.. We grew..

fish8 · August 2006

Looks like you all have had fun over the years!!!

snowdance · August 2006

Still having fun.. Never enough hours in a day.. I retired in 1981 and have never got all the stuff I want to do done..

We use our two Jetta's for travel and towing our popup trailer.. They are good work horses.. Intresting enough the 2002 Jetta wagon with the 2.0 and stick shift is the easiest to pull with.. The engine makes its torqe at 2800 RPM.. And the 5th gear is fine for the flats and 4th will climb most any grade..

The 06 Jetta w/stick makes its torqe much higher and also is geared much higher so takes a bit more shifting but does pull well..

They both weigh about the same..

For us its a long way to every were.. If my wife wants to run down to the mall.. Its a 200 mile trip down to the mall in Redding Ca.. Nearest shopping of any kind for us is in Medford Oregon.. And thats a 100 mile trip.. We run lots of miles and have to cross high mt. passes to go any were.. We do learn a lot about what cars will and will not do..

Snowdance

moracity · August 2006

In the consumer auto world, "automatic transmission" DOES imply the existence of a torque-converter. That's because that's what automatic transmissions in all consumer vehicles have. DSG has nothing in common with "automatic" transmissons other than an automatic method of shifting. Technically, it's not manual becauses it's electronically controlled. However, it is a direct shift, just like a manual transmission.

The bottom line is that it is an entirely new type of transmission and VW/Audi should really be touting that fact. It outperforms both manual and traditional automatic transmissions. It is not humanly possible to shift the way the DSG does, whether in auto or manual mode.

dino001 · August 2006

Just to add my 2 cents - DSG may be considered as a "clutch pedalless" manual with a program for a auto shift. But indeed, it will be considered automatic by most of the consummer guides, as in its basic mode it will work as auto as the internal mechanisms of engaging, disengaging and shifting gears are secondary from consummer point of view. For them it is an auto.

I agree that calling it "auto" is a good marketing move, regardless of argiments from enthusiasts and engineers.

jason0820 · September 2006

What is the maintenance requirements on the DSG?? As it is in essence a manual transmission (w/ electronic controlling), I imagine it just requires scheduled trans fluid changes the same way as any other manual transmission - drain oil, plug back in, fill new oil.
Is there also any filters involved?

flaflyboy · September 2006

Only a little more than a thousand miles and a blasted hub cap fell off somewhere on the interstate. I know its only minor piddly stuff, but darnit, looking at the prices for a replacement.... that does not make me very happy! anyone else out there encounter a similar problem? I looked at hubcaps.org and found an interesting little post. well... there goes 40 bucks if i cant find one better somewhere else.

bradless · October 2006

Anyone have any updates on the rattle issue? I just bought a GLI about 1.5 months ago and I'm getting ~door rattles. I took it in the other day and went for a ride with the tech. We couldn't get it to produce the rattle that I was hearing (may be affected by the weight of a person in the passenger seat???) But, the tech did hear a rattle in the center dash/air vent structure which he fixed. Before he took the car back in the garage after our ride I asked him to please check for a possible rattle source in the door. Anyway, a little while later the tech brought me down to the garage to listen to a rattle he found - it I sat in the car and he tapped on something under the hood by the windshield on the passenger side and it made an amazingly loud penetrating noise inside the car - it was some plastic parts tapping together. So that seemed to fixed the problem, but today I'm again hearing some kind of vibration coming from the passenger/door area. I'm really frustrated because auto rattles and vibration really irritate me. I'm going to give it some time - I'll have another rattle search done at the 5,000 mi check-up and then I'll see what happens between now and spring, but if this is a persistent problem I'm going to trade the vehicle. It's so sad because I love the way VW's drive, but I can't be tormented day in and day out on my commute. Also, the tech said there is a service bulleting for a rattle that occurs when the stereo is playing, but supposedly VW dealt with this prior to my VIN.

Can anyone relate???

snowdance · October 2006

It is common in our 2002 Jetta wagon and 2003 beetle to have a rattle when the passenger seat is empty.. Not sure what it is but it does go away when some one is setting in the seat.. Perhaps the reason you could not get it to do it when you had the Tech riding was because it was the seat..

I am not sure if there is one in our 2.5 Jetta but we just use it as a family car and can't remember driving it with out some one in the passenger seat..

We do like the Jetta 2.5. We put in just over 3,000 miles in 6 days in it.. Ran just over 400 miles with a lunch and fuel stop in the middle at 125 mph.. Ran 300 miles or so at 95 to 110.. The rest of the trip was made at normal highway speeds of 80 to 95.. Our fuel mileage for the 3,000 miles was 30.6 mpg.. Not to bad for those speeds and AC on climbing hills and lots of wind.. The car does handle at speed very well.. I really think its a much better car than I first thought it was..

wai · October 2006

The 06 GLI has a sport suspension which will have different cushioning effect than the 2.5 Jetta. So rattling scenario might be different. I have my 04 GLI usually without passenger most of my driving, it has some rattling here and there. I am just get used to it as the wind noise, engine sound and stereo sound has covered that up pretty well, and it doesn't bother me. I can say 70% of the time there is no rattling.
I am curious at which freeway can you drive at 125 mph most of the time? Are you sure you can get 30.6 mph at the average speed of 100 mph.

cotmc · October 2006

Hello. I've never driven a Jetta before, but I've been given a Jetta 2.5 car rental for a few days, without any owner's manual (of course!). I believe it is a 2006 model. On the dash, within the speedometer circle, there is a "DRL" indicator lighting up. What does this mean? :confuse: (TIA!!)

snowdance · October 2006

DRL.... Daytime Running Lights.. And no you can not turn it off except if you set the hand brake or turn on the headlights..

snowdance · October 2006

Also the most common rattle coming from the passenger area of the seat or door is really the junk in the glove compartment.. First thing to do when you have a rattle is empty the glove compartment and see if its still there.. That works 90 % of the time..

jlisella · October 2006

Hi all...new to this board...I have an '06 jetta 2.5 w/manual trans.
I want to do my own oil changes. I noticed I can't use my automotive ramps to drive onto since there's not enough clearance with the bumpers and lower thingys...how do you suggest I go about it?
Thanks,
Jerry

snowdance · October 2006

I would shop around for different ramps.. I did and found some that worked great.. Got them at Walmart..

Also use the oil VW says.. Well perhaps not VW Oil its really Castrol 5W-40 .. Valvoline also makes an approved oil and I am sure others do too.. Just needs the 505 00 or 505 01 or 502 00 Or ACEA A3 rating..

I got a look into a 2.5 engine yesterday that had come back to the dealer with problems after 40,000 miles.. It was running normal 10-40 oil and not sure it had many oil changes.. The main problem seemed to start with the oil cooler cloging up from the oil heat.. And just got worse from there.. Then the valve train failed.. Guess I now understand why they say to use the type of oil they do..

jlisella · October 2006

thanks, snowdance...I'm familiar with the ratings of the oils...I haven't seen ramps yet that will accomodate the jetta...I do have some alternative methods in mind

bradless · October 2006

Thanks for the responses.

Update on my rattle . . .

The rattle having re-surfaced after my visit to the dealer, I again tried isolating the source. I thought I had it a couple of times - a small piece of plastic wrapped around the bottom passanger corner of the windshield that, when tapped, made a sharp noise that penetrated the passanger compartment; then I suspected some of the componentry associated with the seat belt - but dealing with these (applying adhesive felt, etc.) disappointingly did not solve the problem. However, it now seems that the rattle is associated with the door handle. The passanger side door handle (on the outside) is loose and when I pulse my thumb against the mechanism (not the actual handle that moves when you open the door, but the "base" of the handle where your thumb goes when opening) I can create a rattle inside the door. So hopefully I can share this with the tech when I go in for my first schedules maintenance and they can fix it. I can deal with little squeaks and noises associated with body flex and road vibration - but the rattle has been distressing me.

Re speed, this car is a delight and seems to effortlessly cruise meta-highway speed. The torque is a delight because it accelerates impressively when already at considerable speed. Also, the torque provides nice acceleration up hills. The rattle has been irritating, but otherwise the car is a true delight and I very much want to resolve the problem.

Thanks

bradless · October 2006

I've gone to a hydraulic floor jack and jack stands for working under vehicles. This is a pretty easy method. I usually get a jack and jack stands that are rated well beyond the load I expect to work with. It may cost more than ramps, but it's very handy.

music287 · October 2006

A whole bunch o' people on the TDI newsgroup recommend extracting the oil via the dipstick tube with a Pela brand pump. There's even a video showing how to get the last ounces out of the oil filter area using this pump. Since I'm too lazy/rich to do oil changes myself anymore I can't say with certainty whether this method is better than pulling the oil plug... The caveat about using VW-approved oil is relevant: You will void your warranty if you use the "wrong" oil!

jettabuyer · October 2006

Looking to buy a new VW jetta. Any suggestions about the 2007 models or for that matter 2006 jettas? I am actually worried that 2007 models are still not advertised in the VW websites but the dealers I have contacted have them in stock already. Test driven one, like the way it drives, but with the "fame" associated with the Jettas to "drive" the owner to his/her wits end, its making it harder for us to actually own a car that feels great to drive.
Any suggestions about what people feel about 2006 and 2007 models (not TDI) would be appreciated.
Thanks :confuse:

bradless · October 2006

I'm not certain I know what you're referring to when you say, "the 'fame' associated with Jettas to 'drive' the owner to his/her wits wend", but if you mean annoying things like interior rattles and other unusual noises, etc. - then I do know what you mean. I've had my GLI less than 2 months and I'm really getting irritated with the rattles, etc. If I had known I'd have all these rattles I'd have spent another $5K-$8K and bought an Inifiniti. I somehow thought that by buying a less expensive car I was just missing out on luxury appointments, not settling for a rattle-trap. I'm not a VW newbie - I've had 3 over the last ~15 years and the last one prior to my new one is from '95 to '99. The really irritating part is that building a car that doesn't have annoying rattles is "assumed". There's should be no real challenge to not having vibrations and rattles. My conclusion is that VW isn't really concerned with delivering passanger satisfaction, just building what they want to build and cutting corners where they can - just enough to sell the vehicle and perhaps get good driving reviews. It's actually insulting. I'm not happy to have to do multiple dealer visits to try to fix things that should never have been problems in the first place. Now I'm just waiting to get a decent debt/equity balance so I can do a trade.

jason0820 · October 2006

Looks like the VW service dept. I took my 06 2.5L Jetta recently for its first oil change (5,000 miles) forgot to reset the maintenance interval light - the flashing "wrench" icon that flickers on for a few seconds on the HUD when starting the car up. I found out how to reset it manually (although the dealership said only they could do it).
Wanted to know if this maintenance interval indicator only goes by how much mileage has gone by, or if it actually computes the oil life by monitoring rpm's, engine loads, temps, etc., like the oil life monitoring system in most GM cars. Anyone know??

jordanw · October 2006

Every car has its odd rattle. No car is perfect even the high doller luxury brands. Rattles can be isolated and fixed by the dealer if found. For the money, the Jetta is the best car you can buy for less than $25,000. You get a high quality interior, high standard feature content, all right performance, good gas mileage, and a roomy cabin and cavern of a trunk. I suggest the Jetta to anyone who is looking at buying a new car. Mine is a value edition, I paid about 18000 for it and there is barely anything I would change (only things regarding to rearend exterior design and performance). Look long and hard at the Jetta, they really are great values.

sandman46 · October 2006

People need to factor this into their buying equation. This is what kept us from buying one last year. I've heard horror stories with "gremlins" with most VW's so we played it safe & went Japanese. It was the right decision for us...hands down.
Just keep in mind "reliability" when making a buying decision.

The Sandman

bradless · October 2006

Maybe you're right. Maybe rattles are to be expected??? Hopefully the dealer will be able to identify the source of my rattles and make repairs. I've had it in once but since the rattle comes and goes we were having trouble getting it to actually make the rattle that occasioned my taking it to the dealer in the first place - so it wasn't fixed. The tech did identify 2 other rattles and they were fixed. I think I'm down to two rattles - one associated with the passanger door internal opener mechanism and the other seems to be coming from the rear passanger side seat belt coiler that is concealed in the rear deck. I may feel better after these are repaired (which I'll wait for the 5,000mi check up to deal with). It's just extremely frustrating because the car is otherwise so much fun and so enjoyable. I also own a '99 F-150 with 125,000mi+ (I'm the original owner) and I've never had any such problem, but I did have rattles in my previous '95 Jetta. Between my father, brother and myself, we've had 9 VW's (2 "original" Beetles, 3 Rabbits, 2 Golf's, 2 Jettas). Without question the best ones were the 2 original Beetles ('71 and'73 SuperBeetle), the 2 early Rabbits ('78 and '80 built in German) and a Golf ('88). My '95 Jetta had a door rattle and then the transmission went as well as the instrument panel. We had one of the Rabbits ('78 or '80) die on vacation and the dealer showed a screwdriver that had been left under the timing chain cover which was visibly mangled by the timing chain and caused the engine to self-destruct. It had previously been into the dealer at home for routine head torquing and that was the only service done to the engine. VW wouldn't pay for the damage and the screwdriver "disappeared". Nice.
In mostly every area other than the rattles, I really love my new GLI, but I have a 50min commute each way for work so rattles can really grate on me - it's like fingernails on a chalkboard. We'll see what happens.

homerkc · November 2006

I have had three previous VWs, and nothing seems to drive quite like them. After looking at everything from a Chrysler 300C to Nissan Versa, I bought a VW Jetta (base, with ESP and 5 spd). I've only had it three weeks, but it still drives like no other car. Steering feel is superb, and the luxury touches are nice. Instead of fake wood, you get switches that are lighted - - every switch, even rear door window and lock switches. Everyone who has seen that has been impressed. Doors are solid, everything fits (better than any other car I examined), everything moves with precision. It's a different kind of luxury, but very satisfying. As for reliability, I drove my last VW for 100K miles before replacing it, and I replaced only brakes, plugs and tires (it even had the orig. battery after 6+ years.) I think they are great cars for the money, and with the revised 2007 pricing, they are priced like before (my Jetta was $17,500 out the door with ESP.)

vmokhutov · November 2006

Hello homerkc. What's your impression on jetta's 5 spd. tranny? Is engine noisy at highway speed? What's your mpg?

germanboy · November 2006

I've got a question about the Jetta's Day Time running Lights (DRLs). It seems that there is not much difference between only the DRLs running and the full night-lights. The big headlamps are always on and some seemingly irrelevant small lights are added during the night. Is that normal or are my headlamps mix-wired. It seems a big waste to run with almost full power during a sunny day.

wai · November 2006

Its normal. This DRL is especially effective during day time while you are driving at the left lane at a high speed and car far in front of you will change the next lane before you are close to him. I thought this is worth the waste of gas if you think safety is your priority especially during early morning and late afternoon.

Volkswagen Jetta 2006+

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