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If you have never done this befoer, you could break one of the retainer locking tabs with screw driver. Be gentle and patient.
Joe
Where do I go for VW OEM parts like extra remote, gear shift booth, and large plastic under engine cover. There must be a VW dealer with website that sells stuff at lower than our local VW retailer.
Thanks,
Joe
by the way, the mechanic was thinking about changing the strut mount but he said it might be not necessary. And, it seems that the battery goes off once i try to start the engine because the car goes without electricity for a while after i try to start the engine for the first time.
P1550 Idle Peed control auxilary inputs
and
P0303 Cylinder 3 misfire
could the injector 3 be faulty and need replacing? What doers the first code mean? My mechnic works primarily on gasoline cars and he wasn't sure but thought that replacing the injector 3 would be a good start. The other question is what is the firing order so I know which injector 3 is. I think it's 1-3-4-2 from left to right when standing at the hood looking towards the windshield is that correct?
Thanks
I beleive that ONLY cylinder#3 is monitored by the computer... so it is the ONLY one that can flag a problem. You will see that the injector for that cylinder is the ONLY one with the monitor-wire attached.
Also, consider doing a compression-test to make certain the valves are all sealing properly. Lets hope you do not have a mechanical problem like a bent valve.
It is also possible that your IP (Injection pump) is malfunctioning.
Quite frankly, if a line mechanic spent the time you do in carefully diagnosing and repairing the problem, I mean with that level of deliberateness, they'd probably fire him for being too slow. :P Some dealers can be slave drivers.
I didn't get the impression they were charging him for all the time they were spending. Maybe I misread it.
This is why I like independent shops. The highly competent ones will approach the diagnosis differently than a line mechanic at a dealership who is under the gun to perform. Also these shop owners are invested with a sense of ownership and reputation.
That is why I have migrated from fixing computers (the kind you walk inside) to developing software to earn a living. Now, I just fix cars, TVs and other electronic devices for fun. (because it does not pay the bills to do it for a living and be honest at the same time.) I just could not bring myslef to sell somone $200 of parts if they only need a component lubricated. (like a trunk latch for example)
On the other hand, some folks would argue that they want their car fixed FAST and not be charged a lot for labor. This approach would mean a tech should just replace all suspect parts as fast as he can. (and hope he fixes the problem)
Somtimes, you end up paying either way.... labor one way -or- parts the other way.
Each approach has its pluses/minuses and either of them could be the less-costly.
And in particular, they probably do not want to be charged for a lot of diagnostic labor.
I purchased a 1999 VW Jetta. Speedometer & Tachometer didn't work. Tach sat at zero... speedo "bounced" on zero. Odometer, cruise control, and all other gauges worked fine.
I removed the instrument cluster. It's really simple, a couple of plastic covers, the light switch, and four screws. It was MUCH easier than removing the gauges from my F150!
I opened the speedometer and found no servicable parts. Some posts will tell you there is a gear inside that is stripped. That may be the case, but I didn't want to risk breaking anything else!
I found DNA Speedometers by searching the internet. They're in Tamp, FL. I packaged the gauges and shipped it allong with a check for $129. Turn around time was GREAT! The received it, fixed it, shipped it back. That's it. I didn't have to call or send nasty emails... nothing. They litterally turned it around in one day! Round trip took a whole week... that's UPS ground!
When it arrived I installed it and took it for a test drive. It worked like a champ. They even replaced the blown bulb in it. DNA Speedometers even garauntees their work for six months!
There are other places on the internet that repair speedos... I went with this one and had a GREAT experience.
(Posted 6/26/2008)
ANYWAY. I have a 98 VW Jetta K2. It has about 125000 miles on it. I drove it from Wisconsin to Connecticut, but before I did so I had an oil change and had it checked out. The mechanic told me I had a coolant leak and that my transmission may have some problems, but that it'd be ok for my trip. That was about a year ago. Since then I had one mechanic look at it after it overheated and broke down (scary!), and he suggested I use a coolant stop leak system and keep some coolant in my car. So that's what I've been doing. Because I can't really afford repairs.
However, my car has been running like crap. It has barely been accelerating, and today it overheated and started smoking and coolant spewed everywhere and was dripping out under my car onto the road. I didn't know what to do, so I called a couple people who know cars, and they suggested I put water into the coolant tank just so I could get the car home. I did this, but noticed that as I was driving home my power steering wasn't working.
Does anyone know what any of this means, or if it's something I can have fixed by someone other than an overpriced dealership or garage? I really need to be able to get to work, and I sincerely do not have the money to spend on repairs (or a new car). I have about a half hour commute and would be interested to know if my car is fixable, or if anyone has some general idea of what the problem could be.
Thank you in advance for any help you can offer me.
About 3 days after I got my car back, I was driving down the highway when suddently the speedometer and odometer both stopped functioning. The speedometer just fell to zero. I went back in, and was told it was not the speed sensors, it had to be a separate problem. They said that in order to determine what that was, they would have to remove the entire transmission of the car -- meaning that I would have to pay a minimum of $1000 just for that. Since I had just paid a hefty amount for a new alternator, I declined at the time to have it fixed.
Has anyone else had this problem in a Jetta, and any idea what caused it? (without ripping out the transmission?)
Thanks.
Thanks,
Paul
Dallas, TX
My question is, will it hurt the engine to use regular? Another option I thought of was using mid-grade with an octane buster. Will either of these options damage the engine over the life of the car?
You're trying to keep something running that needs an investment, without making the investment. If you can't afford it, then park it. Fixing it now is going to cost nearly as much as another very used car....rebuilding the head, and the cooling system, is going to be [by my experience] at least a couple of thousand $.
I know this sounds brutal, but the reality is that the car needs a lot of mechanical attention. If you're not a mechanic yourself, it simply cannot come cheaply.
However, you will get less power and lower mpg, as the engine is designed to run optimally on the higher octane. If mpg drops 5%, and I have no idea if it will, and premium costs 5% more, you will not save anything with cheaper gas, anyway.
I guess for the future you have learned that you need to do your own research, rather than count on a car saleman to do it for you. You could have bought a Jetta with the 2.5 engine that uses regular. But then, according to EPA, the 2.5 engine uses 4% more gas than the 2.0T so the fuel cost per mile is almost the same. EPA gives an annual fuel cost estimate of $2598 for the 2.0T and $2565 for the 2.5, based on 15,000 miles.
Wrong choice of engine, and maybe wrong choice of car altogether if high mileage on regular gas is the goal.
I have driven well over 150,000 miles on many vehicles and never had any clutch issues. My daughter had a Honda Prelude that went over 250,000 miles on original clutch.
The secret (as I taught my daughter to drive) is to NOT TOUCH THE THROTTLE until clutch is fully enguaged. (Obviously on a hillstart your tecnique needs to be adjusted slightly.)
On my Jetta TDI, I can ripple thru the first 3 gears without touching the throttle. (Why bother touching the throttle in the city between stoplights?)
This tecnique takes a lot of practice but rewards the driver with a long-lasting engine/clutch and excellent MPG numbers.
I and my familiy have driven manual transmission cars up to as much as 150K mi, and never replaced a clutch.
We drive normally using the throttle and, anyway, I don't know that engaging the clutch without it is the best thing for clutch wear minimization...seems to me you would have to let it out so gradually that there might be increased wear due to the extended time during which you have the clutch partially engaged.
The main "wear factor" for the clutch is HEAT. Heat is generated when the delta between engine RPM and road-speed is large.
I know people (usually teenagers thinking they are cool) who REV the engine repeatedly as they enguage the clutch. A clutch treated in this manor may not last 50,000 miles.
Conversely, if engine RPM is as low as possible when enguaging the clutch, the heat (wear) will also be minimized.
Also, the ability to match engine RPM with roadspeed between shifts minimizes clutch wear.... (and makes gear-changes smooth) I would bet that most people riding with me would not be able to feel when I shift gears if they did not hear/see me going thru the motiions.
When he turned the key and depressed the clutch, all dash lights were coming on but no clicking or cranking. After several attempts of turning the key on and off, the car started up normal.
The battery, starter, and red battery cable appear new. Is there any history of Jetta having problem with clutch safety switch where if the clutch is not fully depressed it won't let the car start? If so, does the switch have an adjustement range?
It sure feels like clutch safety switch not making it than anything else at this point.
Thanks,
Joe
One problem is that you'd best find out WHY the head gasket blew in the first place. Did the gasket cause the overheating, or did overheating cause the gasket to blow?
I'd budget about $1,000 for this job, presuming that there is no valve or camshaft wear than needs correcting.
Now I dont own any Hondas.
Took the car to the dealer and they narrowed it down to the "convenience control module." Recommendation: replace the convenience control module for $650.
Has anyone else had a problem like this?
Is this module a user serviceable part (ie can I put it in the car)?
In addition, the right front pax door control panel (window, lock and back light) works intermittently in temps <40F. Supposedly this is linked to the convenience module as well.
BTW, VW Customer Care was worthless on this issue. But they were willing to give me a $750 rebate on a new car :P.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Also, be sure you either have the radiator cleaned or replace it.
I have a problem with my 2003 Jetta GL. It is a manual transmission. When the front end is up on jackstands I can put the car in gear and the wheels will turn. However, I can put my hand on the wheels while they are turning and stop the wheels from turning. When on the ground the car can be pushed forward and backward while in gear and will go into all gear but the car won't move on its own. There are no abnormal noises or anything like that.
Someone told me that it might be the slave cylinder but I don't think he knows what he's talking about. I think that it may be the either the pressure plate or the clutch but I don't know. I haven't opened it up yet but I'm just trying to figure out if this is something that I can do myself or if I should just give up and take it to a repair shop.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Here's an update.
Talked to a friend of mine at a shop who looked up a VW TSB on this very topic ("keyless remote intermittent or inop"). It's a known problem with this model. Step 1: manually reprogram the remotes using the procedure in the owner's manual. Start with the master remote.
Reprogrammed the remotes and they both work great.
Avoided being ripped off by the dealer for $650.
Hope this helps you out if you have a similar problem.
Cheers,
Tom C.
Thanks,
You may have thought you were saving some $$ by ignoring the CEL when it was lit... now you may have more expensive repairs on your hands.
I am sure your initial problem was a bad MAF which was recalled by VW.
You need to get the codes read pronto.. and get this fixed. You are not saving any money by ignoring it. (unless you like to walk to work when your car dies.)
I think he said the service dept. uses Castrol 5w-40. Do any other oils meet VW's specs? :confuse:
Also what brand of oil filter are people using??? A VW filter, or something else.
Thanks