Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    I will imagine I should fix this ASAP then. If the pieces are breaking up on the inside-am I permanantly clogging and restricting the air flow or once I get a new catalytic converter, will VW dealership make sure everything runs smoothly.
  • cosmocosmo Member Posts: 203
    Just to be on the safe side, I would replace the exhaust system aft of the converter. I do not know if small pieces of ceramic from the converter could get blown into and lodge in a muffler, but if you have enough miles on your Jetta for the converter to die, the rest of the exhaust components are probably not far behind. You might save yourself some labor costs by having it done all at once.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The only way the cat would NEED to be replaced is if your tailpipe emmissions are affected. A rattling cat is NOT cause to replace it. (unless you cannot stand the rattle)

    I would IGNORE the catalytic converter rattling. It will eventually go away. There is NO WAY the muffler could be affected by the catalyst starting to desinagrate. (holes thru muffler are much larger than any pieces that may come off cat)

    If your exhaust system is otherwise intact, I would LIVE with the rattling of the cat.... any other options would be costly and would gain very little. (but your wallet would be lighter)

    ... I am just trying to save you some $$ unless you absolutely have to buy new cat.
  • js2000vwjs2000vw Member Posts: 1
    I currently own a 2000 vw Jetta GLS 2.0 and I had the same exact problem with brakes as well as the oil running low often. I owned another 2000 jetta for 6 months and it was a "Lemon" that was my first "new car" buying experience, which was not pretty.. I drove a rental for 3 months etc. etc.. My newest Jetta has been a good car so far. I am not happy about having to add oil every month or 2 weeks but they say it's normal.. (i would have never bought the car if I would have known that of course) Im now just in the habbit of checking often and I have 90k on my car as of right now. I have had all my maintenance done at the VW dealer and I need to have my breaks done all the way around now.. My front brakes are at about 25% at the moment and they are the original ones! That is crazy to me too but they say that the rear brakes take most of the wear because of how they have them set up. If you notice, when you hit the brakes, your jetta wont lunge forward but will actually stop nicer than most cars because the rear brakes are taking most of the work. I too had to have my rear calipers replaced at about 34,000 miles and that was not a cheap deal. All in all, I really enjoy my car but I wish they would have put a little more thought into the building of it so we would not have as high of repair costs.. hope this helps you out!
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    Should I have VW diagnose the situation or are they going to give me the run-around and say I need to replace the CAT and then drop $1000 :cry: for the piece.

    or...

    Should I just continue on with the rattling noise, drive with a slight loss of power and lose $80 for the diagnostic fee?

    I would imagine any catalytic converter would make a rattling noise when the emmissions are being affected. Any insight?
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    the humanoids must not escape!!!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    It is hard to justify $1000 for new cat unless the tailpipe emmissions fail (I dont know the laws of your state) You may have a tough choice to make you car legal 8-(

    BTW - I just did a quick search on the internet and your catalytic converter can be had for about $500 plus you get a core charge. (paied to return the old one) Perhaps you would like to call around to some other muffler shops and ask what they would get to replace the cat.
  • ahren25ahren25 Member Posts: 4
    I just bought a 06 Jetta GLI (2.0T.... 25mpg/32mpg), and my family swears by VW. The trick is to take it in under warranty if you have any issues, even if you have a concern... get it fixed under warranty and that will fix the problem once and for good (I have never had any problems in any of my VWs, but I have read about some). Look at JDPOWERS.COM to compare cars (Saab 9-3, Acura TSX, even the S40 Volvo got similar ratings). There is an unsung feel to a VW that you have experience for yourself (especially the GLI). They don't build any like they used to.
  • ahren25ahren25 Member Posts: 4
    The tranny is made in Germany, look at the window sticker to verify, but remanufactured in umpah, lumpah land??????. So much for German engineering... they don't make them like they used to. This applies across the board for every make and model (even the Volvo S40s are made in the US, not Swiss anymore)
  • ahren25ahren25 Member Posts: 4
    They don't make them like they used to (even some Volvos are American made now). Don't buy sunroofs (1K+ for something you actually use 3X per year??? think about it)
  • ahren25ahren25 Member Posts: 4
    Everything is not like it was. You can get a better deal on a Jetta than anything else. (No, I don't sell them for a living) They don't make them like they used to, just take it in within 1000 miles of the bumper to bumper coverage no matter what you buy (look at JDPowers.com... the Saab 9-3, Acura TSX and Volvo S40 get the same ratings for about 4K more)
  • ulchickulchick Member Posts: 2
    I have a '06 Jetta TDI. In the middile of the night the brake lights came on and this morning the battery was dead. I have charged it since then and hoping it was somehow linked to my husband leaving the interior light on. I will be back home tomorrow and can go by the dealership to see what is going wrong. Has anyone experienced this problem?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have never heard of this on a 2006 model... but some 2000 - 2002 models had a problem with the brake-light switch on the brake-pedal. The switch would stay stuck "ON" and the brake lights would drain the battery. There was a recall to replace all those defective switches.

    Again, I am not sure if the problem on your 2006 would be the same thing. (I would like to think that VW has re-designed the problematic switch by now.)
  • ulchickulchick Member Posts: 2
    thanks. i guess we will see if it happens again. i am going by VW tomorrow to have it checked out.
  • kylep86kylep86 Member Posts: 51
    It was the water pump that was the problem! I called VW Roadside Assistance and they came, picked up my car, and fixed it for me. *I ended up trading my car in about a week ago for a 2006 VW Jetta 2.5 Pkg 1 5spd. :)
  • snowdancesnowdance Member Posts: 18
    Our 2002 jetta, 03 bettle, 06 Jetta 2.5 all do that when you open the door.. Its the fuel pump getting the fuel pressure up so you can start the car.. That is normal..

    Also you will hear a clicking noise after you start the car but odds are thats the electric air pump to warm the exhaust system and get it up to temp faster. That is normal..

    Also with a 2.5 you will hear a loud engine, exhaust sound when you first start it cold.. It will go away if you put it in gear.. That is the start up program in the computer to help warm the exhaust system faster.. That is also normal..

    These engines are do make some noises during startup and warm up.. Nothing to worry about..

    Snowdance
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Also with a 2.5 you will hear a loud engine, exhaust sound when you first start it cold...That is also normal.

    Yes it is normal. But, at least according to the owners manual, it is caused by hydraulic valve lifters. Also, doesn't the manual say to wait for that sound to go away before putting it in gear and driving?
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    Thanks for looking into it. However, i am noticeing on the EPA.gov website, it looks like VW has extended the catalytic converter warranty for 99-01 Jetta's to 120k/10years. I now qualify under this new extended warranty. In the meantime, what should I do if the dealer wants to give me the run-around and tell me I do not need a catalytic converter and hopes I will go over the warranty period. Any insight?
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    again -- the FEDERAL laws about emmissions are pretty clear. A dealership would be unwise to attempt to "give you the runaround" when it comes to the the "Federal emmissions warantee". Dont forget that ALL emmissions equipment is covered by the "Federal emmissions warantee" irreguardless of any warantee that the manufacturer choses to provide.

    BTW: I was aware that the "Federal emmissions warantee" for 1999-2001 is 10years/100,000 miles.... where did you get the info that the feds have changed that to 120K miles for only the VW Jetta? I would be interested in reviewing that information.

    Have you read the "Federal emmissions warantee" booklet that came with your car? (should be in your glovebox with owners manual)
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    Check out this website

    http://www.epa.gov/otaq/cert/recall/vw2.htm
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    THANK YOU! -- Both of my daughers have VWs which fall into this extended warantee. I have bookmarked that website -just incase they have troubles with their catalysts. 8-)

    You may want to print that webpage out and show to dealership when you take your car in... just incase they claim no knowledge of it.
  • zmillzmill Member Posts: 3
    i just bought my jetta and i cant communicate with the ecu for a 1997 glx does anybody know how to fix. i put in another used one and i couldnt communicate with either of these
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Have you checked all fuses?

    Are you using VagCom? If not... what are using to "communicate" with the ECU?
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    Just to let you know, my catalytic converter fell under an extended warranty and VW is now replacing the whole system for free. My car is seven years old and has 110k miles on it.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    That is GREAT news.... glad to hear things worked out for you...now you are good for another 110K miles 8-)
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    I fixed the horn and that still set me back $280

    :cry:
  • scotedscoted Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8 turbo with the automatic tiptronic trans and it just started slipping between 1st and 2nd gear. Usually its when the car is cold. Is this a common problem and am i wrong to consider trading in the Jetta.
  • mcserimcseri Member Posts: 16
    I just had the catalytic converter replaced at my VW dealer. However, ever since I got the car back, I sometimes smell burning gas. Is this normal or should I be worried???
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    you should definitly be worried.i had the same problem with a 03 mazda protege.it was recalled for a cat converter problem and after they did the repair work i immidietly began to smell gas fumes inside the car.after about 4 attempts to solve this problem with the gas fumes in which they could not get rid of the fumes i traded the car in.
    needless to say,it was not a very pleasant experience to deal with these moron mazda mechanics who were unable to solve the mystery of where the gas fumes were comeing from.i should have never even brought the car in for the recall.
  • bora1bora1 Member Posts: 42
    I had the same problem too on my 2002 Jetta 1.8T. At first the dealer kept on insisting that they couldn't replicate the problem (while the vehicle was still under warranty). R reported the issue several times, and kept all records. I was suprised when the dealer informed me that they were able to finally replicate the problem and classified it as slight signs of wear and tear (as soon as my car was out of the manufacturer's warranty and slightly into the extended warranty). Extended warranty company (AutoShield) refused to cover the repair or replacement charges. Well, hell and hight waters were raised with the dealer, and since I had the records to prove my consistent complaints, i threatened to file a law suit, if VW didn't own up to negligence. The dealer and VW of Canada agreed to cover the cost of replacing the transmission with a new one.

    This is NOT normal. If your car is still under warranty (manufacturer's or extended), insist that VW replaces the transmission. After my trasnmission was replaced, I was left with a "bad taste in my mouth" and I sold it.
  • johnsonautosjohnsonautos Member Posts: 1
    We are trying to do the same thing and can't get the cable out of the clutch pedal. DId you get yours out and how did you do it?
  • aoogsaoogs Member Posts: 3
    hey everyone,

    I'm looking for a second car, my old corolla had an untimely demise in an accident =( But now I'm looking into what car to buy, and I love the look and specs of the 2002 Jetta, the gls 1.8t to be precise. I have a couple of questions though

    do I REALLY need to put premium gas into the car, or will it suffice w/ regular if I buy it at 80k miles?

    If i want a car that I can reasonably assume won't cost me over $1500 a year to maintain, does the jetta fit?

    Thanks in advance for any comments, I appreciate all bits of advice (large, small...one word...)
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Turbocharged engines REQUIRE the higher octane of premium gasoline lest the engine may self-destruct due to detonation. (Causing holes in the pistons) If you really have an issue with paying a few dollars more for a tankfull of gasoline... then perhaps a turbocharged engine is not for you.

    Do not forget that the 1.8T Audi engine also requires synthetic oil.

    Do you consider the cost of fuel a "maintenance" cost? (I am just wondering if your cost-point of $1500/year includes the cost of fuel)

    Personally, I have the TDI engine which regularly gets over 45 MPG. (over 650 miles per tank) With the 10,000 mile oil-change-interval, my annual costs are well below your $1500/year (and that INCLUDES the cost of fuel!)

    I would think if you "run the numbers" for the 1.8T engine... it would come out costing more than what I pay since it gets HALF the MPG that my TDI engine gets. (and requires TWICE the number of oil-changes)

    Since you like the looks of the Mark IV Jetta, perhaps you would be better off with the 2.0L engine. It does not require the additional maintainance costs that the 1.8T engine does. (Both of my daughters have the 2.0L engine in their VWs)
  • angkandangkand Member Posts: 3
    I have an '02 1.8T Jetta and noticed the brake lights were stuck on. After stomping on the brake pedal a few times, they turned off. I saw the post about a recalled switch. If my car is not under warranty anymore, can it still be replaced under the recall and where can I find that info? Any help would be great!!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    A recall has NOTHING to do with warantee. All vehicles that are part of a recall must be serviced per Federal Law.

    If you registerd your 2002 Jetta with Volkswagen and kept them informed about your current address...then they are under Federal regulations to alert you.

    Here are 2 websites that maintain a database of all "recalls" and "TSBs" (Technical Service Bullitens)

    http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
    http://www.alldata.com/

    I assume you realize that a "recall" is defined as being a safety-related item that is manditory to be fixed. While a "TSB" is a NON-safety-related item that is not manditory.... but the dealership may fix for free if you bring it to their attention.

    BTW: My daughter with a 2001 New Beetle got her brake-switch recall letter 2 weeks ago.
  • angkandangkand Member Posts: 3
    Thanks bpeebles for the info. You are definitely in the know. I am new to owning a VW and am learning lots. Thanks again.
  • dendicottdendicott Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I'm new to this so bear with me. We have a 2002 Jetta 2.0L GLS that we purchased new. Have approx. 49,000 miles on it. The stereo recently started having problems and the driver's power window 'broke' in the down position - wasn't the motor but a plastic gizmo inside the door panel used to hold the window in place. Does anyone know if either one is covered by the VW warranty? Where can we find a copy of the original warranty? Many thanks!
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Bumper-to-bumper warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles. So unless you purchased very late, the 4 years would have ended. You might try to argue for some slack on the time limit, while you are still under 50K mi. From what I have read, your window regulator issue is a common problem in that version of the Jetta.

    Only the drivetrain (5 yr/60K) and rust (12 yr) are covered longer than 4/50K.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The window falling into door was a very common failure in the some models. This was "voluntary extended warranty" on the regulator clips and fixed at VWs expense (irreguardless of warantee criteria). I wonder if your VW somhow got overlooked (the original owner ignored the notice?) If I were you, I would do some more research on this. If you do a search on "window regulator" under Volkswagen - you should find a lot of info about this "voluntary extended warranty".

    I did a quick search and found the following:
    " I phoned the toll free number for VWoC: 1-800-822-8987. Found out there was a 7 yr warranty to replace the broken clips free of charge."

    If you want to do it yourself.... check this out
    http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1015107

    BTW... Never ever try to put the window down in freezing weather. If it is "frozen shut", you can break that plastic clip.

    As for your problems with the radio... what kind of problems are you having? Please provide more details.
    (Is it a Blinking red light on radio?)

    There was a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) pertaining to the radio that covered the 2002 models. Since I did the research for your window regulator - will let you do the research on that one. (HINT: The fix may be very simple one that you can do at home.... it took me about 2 minutes to find this radio "fix")

    NOTE: If you do the home "fix" there is likelyhood that problem will come back. A dealership needs to 'see' the radio in the broken state for the TSB to be enforced.
  • teamnct4teamnct4 Member Posts: 1
    Hey, I own a 1997 Jetta GLX VR6 and about once a week the cars temp gauge will go all the way up rapidly. It usually goes down the second I turn the heat on. When this happens I pull over, pop the hood and notice the radiator fans aren't coming on and I also noticed that the manifold is cool to the touch but gets hotter towards the bottom. It looks like the skinny hose that connects to the top of the overflow bottle is slightly pushing coolant into the overflow. i'll bring the car home, let it sit overnight and the next day the car will run cooler then normal, the temp will fluctuate from halfway (normal temp) to almost all the way down and do that until I turn the car off. After sitting for awhile the cars temp will be fine for the next few days. What could this be. I also noticed at times the radiator fans will come on the second I turn the key and at others will work normally or not at all. Thanks!
  • gatorlane77gatorlane77 Member Posts: 6
    My girlfriend's Jetta's battery recently died. She had to get a jump and her coworker went to jump the car and accidently crossed the jumper cables and hooked the positive up to the negative and vice versa. She said it was only like that for a couple of seconds and I haven't noticed any damage to anything else so I figured the fuse blew on the radio. Well I pulled the fuse in the fuse box and it's fine. Also checked the fuses on top of the battery (don't know if they go to the radio) and they are fine. Does anyone know what might have happened?

    Also, I ended up replacing her battery and don't know if something could've happened when I did that either.

    If anyone has any info it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    Your temparture-stabilization problems sound like a thermostat issue. (It is the thermostats job to maintian the engine temp at 190F.)

    It is also possible that the GUAGE is inaccurate. There is a "coolant temparture sensor" on the engine that feeds the guage. This sensor may be the culprit.

    In the order of least cost to higher cost....I would suggest that you;

    1) Have the "coolant temparture sensor" replaced

    2) Have the thermostat replaced. Make certain that only VW approved antifreeze is used to replenish any that is lost during that procedure.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    The radio on the 2003 Jetta has a security feature. This can be triggered by removing the battery (to replace it)Does the screen of the radio read "safe" ?

    If so, then the radio is in what is called "safe mode". The owners manual contaions the instructions (and the special key-code) to get it out of safe mode.

    There is a possibility that reversing the polarity has damaged the radio. If so, then consider yourself lucky that is all that happened. There may be latent damage to the onboard computer that may not show up for awhile... lets hope that is not the case.
  • gatorlane77gatorlane77 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, the radio doesn't even power on. So I don't get the "safe" option. Do you know of any other fuses that could exist that might have blown?

    Thanks.
  • jamilynnjamilynn Member Posts: 2
    We locked my jetta from the inside and are now unable to open the doors with the key. NOTE: We manually locked the driver and passenger doors, we did not use the keyless remote. Does anyone have suggestions on how to get into the car without breaking a window?? :confuse: Desperate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    RESPONSES APPRECIATED! THANKS.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    VWs have long been very protective against allowing the driver to lock the DRIVERS door before closing it. (fear of leaving key in the car.) The other doors are not the same as the DRIVERS door in this respect.

    How in the world can you lock the doors from the INSIDE -- but there is noone inside to unlock the doors?

    Are you suggesting that you cannot unlock the drivers door nor the trunk with the key in the keyhole? Have you tried all 3 keys that came with the car?
  • jamilynnjamilynn Member Posts: 2
    We pushed down the door latches, the old-fashioned way. No one was in the car after we locked and closed the doors. Upon returning, the keyhole to the DRIVER's door was still loose and would not allow the key to unlock the door. However, we were able to unlock the trunk with the same key, and our keyless-entry gadget does not work at all.

    NOTE: We bought our Jetta from a used-car dealership. It came only with one key that was a combination of both manual-key and automatic entry. Therefore we went to a VW dealership to get a regular copy of the original key, fearing we would lose the original. The second key was the only key we had with us at the time.
  • leesvwleesvw Member Posts: 1
    I currently have an indicator light that is represented by a circle with three bars framing each side. I can't find my owner's manual and the service dept. requires me to make an appt ~ spend at least $100 to find out what the code even means. Can you please look up the code and reply back to me?

    Thx
    "Lee"
  • tbarnes425tbarnes425 Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a 97 jetta for my son. The first day we got it home, the horn continuously sounds when the ignition is turned. I pulled the horn fuse to stop it. The next day, the alarm sounds every time a door is opened and the car wont start when the ignition is turned. Any assistance would be great.
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    That is the indicator for the ESP system (and perhaps other systems too) There is no single "code" that would cause that lamp to go on so I cannot help you.

    I suggest you go to a repuatible autoparts dealer... they often will "pull the code" for free.

    Also, it would help if you can tell us what year your car is.
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