Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

ndmike88 · February 2009

I'd go with the synthetic just for the added protection. Might cost a few dollars more but your engine will thank you for it in the long run.

jeffyscott · February 2009

It does not matter which engine. The 2.5 engine also requires synthetic oil, according to VW. While VW does not specifically state that synthetic is required, only some synthetic oils meet VW's specs.

There is really little or no cost to using the appropriate synthetic oil. Oil changes do cost about twice as much, but are only required about half as often.

paprikakitty · February 2009

I've owned this car since 2002 and its always had the first issue (running rough after reaching driving temp), however it's become WAAAAAY more frequent in the past year. I took it back to VW SEVERAL times in the first couple years and was told 1. vacuum leak... "fixed". 2. faulty MAF "fixed"-once by VW and again by us (after purchasing an OBD II scanner and having that code come up again, and again). and 3. "there's and intermittent fault, but we can't determine what's causing it". So I gave up taking my car to VW for ANYTHING because they weren't doing me any favors. Upon doing some of our own research, we decided to change out the temp sensor and the coil and neither of those have fixed anything. We've kicked around changing out the water pump, but that seems pretty invasive and we're not convinced that's the problem. There are also some prominent electrical issues- radio/accessory lights don't work, glove box light doesn't work, headlight alarm doesn't work, the temp gauge ALWAYS reads 190, door lock (rear driver's side) doesn't work, alarm light doesn't blink, etc. We've checked the fuses and they're all fine. Are these things related to each other and/or the running issue? Can anyone tell me what's causing the rough running/dying after warmed up?? Or the electrical issues??

bpeebles · February 2009

WOW... that is one long paragraph

I will try to touch on some of your questions

*) The waterpump MUST be changed when the TimingBelt is changed so it better have been changed at least once by now.

*) The temp guage on 2000 model year is KNOWN to be a problem. If your temp-sender is not GREEN... replace it with green one. Available here for $15 On the 2.0 engine, it is very easy to replace. I have done it in the dark in about 15 minutes with my daugher holding flashlight.

*)The rough running is either caused by
1)Ignition system
2)Fuel injection system

Since the ignition-system has been looked at, I would suggest having the fuel-pressure checked. Also consider that an injector is failing when it is hot.

As for the door lock / alarm system. There are some micro-switches in the door which may be malfinctioning. If the alarm-system does not "sense" that all the doors are closed/locked, then it will not arm.

podot · February 2009

So, I have a 97 Jetta GLS and for some strange reason the headlights and heater turn off at the same time. Sometimes they just flicker and other times the turn off all together. The lights don't dim and normaly. I think that it is a bad ground connection but I have no idea where the ground is. Also it shocks me some times and I think that is leading to a bad ground cable. Does anyone have any thoughts or have experienced a similar problem

revmarket · February 2009

You most assuredly have an electrical short issue.
A power wire is shorting out somewhere.
It may be that a wire for the headlight under the dash is crossing over to the heater control or the heater control is shorted over to the headlight relay.
Does the heater control allow you to set low, medium, and high?
Take to an electrical expert.
The extra cost invovled in searching this down will pay for itself in time spent by the expert rather than by an unseasoned mechanic poking around.
Unless you can visually see the shorted wires under the dash with a powerful light source.
Just had a customer with brake lights always on. Turns out the wife kicked the brakelight switch with her pointed shoes and broke it in it's housing. Since it was not in the housing the plunger was always out sensing the pedal was being depressed.

Pray this helps.

allnfun · February 2009

Thanks! I did purchase the Bentley manual... (now I just need to study it...). Do you by chance know if someone makes an aftermarket kit to upgrade the assy to a brighter bulb?

n1f2v3 · February 2009

hey have a qustion my thermostat will go to 190 but my heat comes out ice cold not sure where to start looking

revmarket · February 2009

The possible fix is in the heater control valve.
Or the connections to activate the valve.
Or a blocked heater core.
Or blender door.

amorse87 · February 2009

I have had this same problem. I am hoping you know the answer because this post is a bit old. Please email me back at ragdollsdeath@nycap.rr.com.

Mr_Shiftright · February 2009

I' ve swapped brighter bulbs into my '97 Subaru and was quite pleased, but I don't know what your VW has to start with. So what I mean is I was able to compare my bulbs to the new ones before I bought them.

If you mean some of these cheap kits on eBay to "upgrade" to Xenon, etc.---I'm pretty skeptical, as you can run into ECU problems.

revmarket · February 2009

Try this bulb:

http://www.autozone.com/R,1224987/vehicleId,2638104/initialAction,partProductDet- ail/store,796/partType,00044/shopping/partProductDetail.htm

Mr_Shiftright · February 2009

That's the one I used I think!

bpeebles · February 2009

Installing higher-wattage bulbs would be a marginal improvement, would significantly reduce the life of the bulbs and has been known to melt the plastic headlight housing.

The only SURE way to get better nighttime vision is to install the ecode (European) headlight units which are designed for improved nightime vision by way of better-focusing of the light.

jodar96 · March 2009

What is this? The car has 95K miles. It runs fine. it does the usual oil burning a quart every 700 miles that VW says it is normal!!.No oil burning is normal to me but since they had some problem making the engines right, they call oil burning normal.

There is no coolant loss that I can see. the coolant level is constantly where it needs to be. Often water in oil has this sign. The miles are all stop and go and it never gets on the highway. My 2001 E430 gets this foam under the oil cap some times, but I do not notice it to be as bad as Jetta's.

The oil changes are normal and on time at about 3K miles.

Thanks,
Joe

ruking1 · March 2009

I am also led to believe that is about "normal". for both gassers, VW's 2.0 and 1.8T. But....

In contrast, on a 03 Jetta 1.9 TDI pushing 114,000 miles. Oil consumption is at 1/4 to 1/2 qt (8 oz to 16oz) per 20,000 miles. This presents a dilema to going to a 25,000 miles OCI.

Does one just change it out @ 20,000 miles, i.e. do not add as it (1/4 to 1/2 qt. 8 oz to 16oz) is still in acceptable ranges. Or does one top up and go the extra 5,000 miles.Of late I just top it and go to the full OCI.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2009

Hard to say if this is normal or a sign of more severe internal oil gelling. You might want to consider removing a valve cover to examine the extent of this problem.

If the entire valve train is covered in this goop, you have a serious problem. If it's pretty clean in there, then the little bit of foamy stuff is just normal condensation.

In other words, you can't make a judgment about this issue merely from the oil filler cap. You have to dig deeper.

ruking1 · March 2009

Indeed at 100 k miles intervals (check your specific owners manual for each has different requirements) you are for sure due a TB/WP and Vag.Com tune. Part of the procedure is to indeed remove the valve cover. At that time YOU or the technician and or both can do a visual inspection and ...come to conclusions. If you want to take it to a more serious level, you can also do (UOA's) used oil analysis before, during, and/or after you open the engine.

So for example at 100,000 miles (in addition to the TB/WP R/R and Vag.Com tune) my concerns were three fold: 1. visual camshaft wear 2. intake/egr clogging due to use of NON ULSD fuel 3. Sludge formation. I had swagged before the procedure little to NO camshaft wear 2. slight intake/egr clogging 3. no sludge formation. The news was better than swagged: 1. original tool markings on the camshaft 2. no clogging at all 3. no sludge formation at all.

If I was so concerned, I would do the UOA BEFORE; so you can see if the spot UOA has predictive value. The subsequent visual inspection will confirm or deny what you and or the technician think or may have projected. My SWAG is no harm no foul. BUT.... if not, remediate and....

Then I would do one to 2 UOA's AFTER: to check on the trendline.

I have also read in passing that 2.0 and 1.8T engines are prone to coking (by product is producing sludge)

So if you dodged the coking (aka sludge build up) bullet and the UOA/s indicates normal wear metals progression, indeed your 700 miles per 1 qt may indeed be normal.

wireline · March 2009

97 VW jetta 2.0 4banger manual
When i turn the key i have power and the lights come on but nothing else happens
New starter, ignition coil, battery, and battery connections, new distributor cap.
all my fuses seem in working order. When i touch the starter bolts together with a screwdriver the starter teeth turn with a high pitch whine sound but does not turn the engine.
Ive checked every electrical connetion that i can find and everything seems tight.
anybody got any suggestions???

bpeebles · March 2009

If you have automatic xmission, the shift-lever may "think" it is not in Park.

If you have manual xmisison, suspect the switch on the clutch pedal "thinks" you do not have the clutch pushed.

heedro · March 2009

Don't know if you got a answer to your problem yet... but I know exactly what its is
The wiring harness in the drivers door!!.. if you take off the rubber boot that protects the wires by the door hinges you will find one of more wires that are broken... I had a total of 12, 8 of which the previous owner tried to fix with butt connectors... the wires get wet or move apart and the alarm system arms itself and the window rolls up!!!

I messed around with the remote to disarm also cause it also locks the doors

To temp fix it reattach all the broken wires.. and a perminatley fix, replace the whole harness for about 200$

dirtyharryone · March 2009

I, added engine oil to an 06 Jetta, Diesel engine probably 1/2 quart over full, Air Bag Light came on in Instrument Cluster, will not go off. Could there be a link here?

fws4 · March 2009

My 1998 S 10 developed a major flex-pipe exhaust leak, but before I could fix that, it also began idling very high (sorry, no tach) at all times. Could the exhaust be causing this idle?

revmarket · March 2009

At the risk of sounding condescending:
Why would you think the two were connected?

Oil is to the engine what blood is the body.

Adding more blood to the body would not make your hat not protect you from the rain.

The airbag light signals that something is amiss with the airbag / passive restraint system in your car.

A sensor has determined that the airbag might not deploy as it should.

That should be handled by a professional.

Since the airbag can be deployed by accident when not needed and cause injury or death.
Please read your owners manual for precautions.

Most cars must have the battery disconnected for at least 2 or more minute to make sure the airbag is not deployed while working on any part of the passive restraint system.

An engine with too much oil may have that oil foam inside the crankcase and therefore cause damage. Remove the excess oil.

Pray this helps.

revmarket · March 2009

Has the check engine light come on?
If so go to Autozone and have them read the codes for free.
The can give you a list of probable causes.

It may be that the Oxygen sensors are sending a signal to the engine computer sensing a lean or rich mixture. Then the engine is not going to run as smooth as it should. With the exhaust system compromised this surely could happen.

Or if so equipped an idle air control valve could have become inoperable causing the engine over speed.

Pray this helps.

bpeebles · March 2009

Since too much oil in engine can be VERY bad for the engine, why did you not suck out the extra oil immedeatly?

I am assuming you are using the oil-sucker method to change your TDIs oil so sucking it out is very easy.

ljbabyd2008 · March 2009

I have a one year older model of Jetta and I often get that foam. My dad says its condensation. It's not just a Jetta thing though. I had a truck from the 80's that did that as well. I freaked out the first time I saw that...It looked like an alien from the movie "Aliens" spit into the oil tank neck. You just have to wipe it out.

ljbabyd2008 · March 2009

Okay, so...today my timing belt decided to shred itself whilst I was going about 5 mph in a parking lot. I was wondering what it would cost to replace it and also if it might cause any other sort of damage. And any other info...maybe...?
But...that isn't my only car troubles...
My car seems to be going through a lot of coolant and oil. I don't know exactly what the normal usage is for a 2000 Jetta 2.0L, but yeah.

jeffyscott · March 2009

It is an interference engine, so you likely have major damage to the engine.

Mr_Shiftright · March 2009

Well you can't tell if you had damage until you replace the belt, (since you can't do a compression test without a belt) at which time you might have to do everything all over again and pull the cylinder head off.

Since you're losing oil and coolant, and since it's a Jetta, I think before I replaced the belt, I'd pressurize the cooling system and check for head gasket leaks, and also remove the valve cover and possibly the oil pan and check for engine sludge.

No sense putting new parts on a bad engine. You need to start digging here.

bpeebles · March 2009

As above appenders have mentioned, you *may* have engine-damage. I would suggest that the valvecover be pulled off to inspect the cams. This is not as comprehensive as pulling the head... but is the very least that should be done.

Also, your 2000 2.0 is KNOWN to consume oil... this is not a problem unless you do not keep it topped up.

To answer your original question... replacing TimingBelt also entails replacing idler-pullies, tensioner, waterpump and anything else that touches the belt. This is not inexpensive.

According to the VW website, your 2000 Jetta 2.0 has 40,000 mile TB replacement ... I assume you replaced it on-or-before it was due so this leads to the conclustion somone DID NOT replace all the necessarry components at 40K miles. (Those other components WILL NOT last to toi the next TB replacement!)

Do you have recourse against whom may not have done the TB replacement properly?

jeffyscott · March 2009

Actually VW schedule only says "check" timing belt every 40K mi. It says to replace "timing belt tensioner".

Gates suggests 60K mi replacement interval
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=2256&location_id=3487

bryana2002 · March 2009

I have a 2007 jetta 2.5. When i turn on the AC it smells horrible so I was told to change the cabin filter. I have also been told this is called the dust and pollen filter as well as just the cabin air filter. I went to the local auto parts store and got the air filter they said i needed. The question I have is where is this filter located and how do I change it. I have looked online at a lot of places and it seems that it is either under the hood up by the passanger side of the windshield or under the glove compartment. Also when they gave me the part at the store there are two filters in the box. The pics that I have seen of other people changing the filter appears that there is only one filter and it is larger than the ones I have. So now im not sure if I have the right part. I called to verify it with the store again and they said it was. Help! Hopefully I have the right part, but can you please describe what i need and then also where it is supposed to be changed etc.....
thanks so much!!
Bryana

bpeebles · March 2009

I beleive your 2007 (MK-V) Jetta cabin-filter is under/behind glovebox. Access is gained by removing two plastic screws, gently pulling down a piece of foam insulation, and releasing a single clip to detach the filter. It (and some debris from it) fall easily onto the floor mat below. Insert the new filter, replace the insulation, re-screw the screws, and within 3 minutes, youre back in business.

HOWEVER: Replacing this is not likely to resolve your musty/stinky smell. That is caused by mold growing on your AC-evaperator. To fix it, there are some "sprays" which you can apply to kill the mold.

To keep stink from coming back, be cognizant about how you use the AC and be careful to blow enough air to keep the AC-evaperator dry as possible.

hckymnky8 · April 2009

My sixteenth birthday is coming up. That exact day I am going to get my drivers license. So then the next question is what car to buy? My parents and I have been in the market looking at the nissan versa and sentra, ford focus, toyota yaris, honda civic and fit, and VW jetta. We are really only interested in spending around $12,000-$14,000 and it can't be a bare bones car. We have spoken to dealers and they have lowered prices well below retail and offered us half-way decent financing but used cars are still in consideration. The used we have been looking at are used with an average of 20,000-40,000 miles on them and are priced lower than retail. Personally, I think the jetta is smokin HOT! But I have heard that if the car needs to get fixed, VW has to order parts from Germany, that is if the parts are not in stock, which also I have heard has been a problem. This invariably makes the price for repairs more expensive than to get parts for cars with parts available in the states.

HOWEVER I have also heard that the initial buy on the jetta is cheaper than other midsized cars. So our main questions are is the Jetta high maintenance, meaning do they break easily? What are the facts on VW parts? How do the maintenance costs compare to the other cars explained? Which car would be the best buy out of the ones explained, best price, most durable, best gas mileage, etc.?

pat · April 2009

Hi there, welcome!

You might also want to have a look at this discussion: Best Car for a new teenage driver.

Happy birthday (soon) and have fun!

jodar96 · April 2009

Honda Civic EX 2 or 4 door. 2006-2008. Stay away from Jetta. It is cute, sporty, handles well, but you/your partents will be making lots of visits that will cost you $$$ to the dealership. Often VW dealers keep guessing and changing parts while not knowing what the problem is......and that is bad.

Honda Civic is reliable and if you take of the car and don't trash it, resale value is exceptional when you are ready for another car in 2-3 years.

You may be able to get a new one a lot closer in price to a used one that you think. People often think...new cars are FAR more exepensive. With some 150 days supply of Civics ( some US models are like 280 days), this is a true buyer market. The average daus supply of auto used to be 60 days.

If you decide to go with a used one, check autotrader.com for a used Civic in your area.

Joe

jeffyscott · April 2009

Are you planning to get a new car every few years or buy one and keep it for, say, 10 years? If you intend to keep the car for a long time you should buy whichever one you like best, as if you don't you may regret your decision and decide to make an early costly change after only a year or two. That cost would likely drwaf any difference in maintenace or repair costs.

if you have not already, sit in each car and drive each of them that you don't reject based on that. I would think this would narrow the list down.

belaircarguy · April 2009

VW's are great cars to drive. They handle well, are tight, and generally sporty. That is why you like it. I have had two Toyota Camrys and just bought an 09 Jetta SE. The Toyotas may be reliable, but they were like driving a sofa down the road. Not so with the Jetta.

Take a look at a used Jetta at a VW dealer. VW has a "PreLoved" warranty on many of their used cars. It is for 2 years/ 24 months and covers most of the car. This would take away some worries about the cost of repairs.

Over the years, I have learned that if you don't love the way the car drives and responds to you, ultimately you won't like it. Get what drives great and you will be happy!

Good Luck.

Bel Air Car Guy.

backy · April 2009

Actually, if you can find a 2007 Jetta that is VW Certified, it could have as much as four years of factory warranty on it, or even a little more depending on its in-service date. That's because the Certified Warranty kicks in after the original factory warranty expires, and the 2007s had a 4-year bumper-to-bumper warranty warranty. A new Jetta will have only 3 years of bumper-to-bumper warranty! I just bought a 2007 Rabbit with 4 years and 40k of factory warranty left (including the VW Certified warranty). Other than one small scratch (which I touched up), I couldn't tell the car from a new one.

geech1 · April 2009

I just returned from a VW dealer who proposed that I replace my MAF sensor and N80 valve. I thought I would do some research first before shelliing out $500. I have been reading that cleaning the MAF sensor will work and is easy. I can not find any info on the N80 valve. Can you tell me first where to find both under the hood and secondly give your opinion on the best avenue to pursue? Thanks.....

ohbaobei · April 2009

a week ago, my 2001 Jetta check engine light is on and i can feel the car drives more shaking than usual. went to autozone for a free engine check and was told that one of the six spark plugs needs to be replaced. Replaced all the spark plugs and reset the battery. The light is off for 4 days and it is on again!!

do you guys have similar experience with that? i am really concernd about the car. i know it could be a small problem or indicates big problem of the car. should i also replace the wire that connect the spark plugs?

revmarket · April 2009

Have the code read again.
Something new might be wrong now.

If it is the same code then it might be the wire associated with that cylinder where you changed the spark plug.

Try using a fuel injector cleaner like "Lucas".
Just in case the injector (if you have them) is dirty?

If another code comes up then it may not be related to the spark plug issue but a new issue.

Please relate the code you were given.

Ask for a printout.

bpeebles · April 2009

If you have 6 sparkplugs... then you must have the VR6 engine. I beleive this engine uses COP (Coil On Plug) type of ignition. It is likely that one of your coils is bad.

djt_jetta · May 2009

My 99.5.Jetta GL has just given me the following OBD2 codes and I need one of you smart mechanics to let me know if I'm heading in the right direction...
- P0301 (Cylinder 1 Misfire)
- P0140 (O2 Sensor)
- P0341 (Camshaft Position Sensor)
- P0134, (O2 Sensor) and
- P0141 (O2 Sensor)

I've never known my car not to have Camshaft Position Sensor issues, so I can probably assume that one's not important. My CEL has been on for almost all of the time that I've owned my car, but the other day it was flashing when my wife drove it.

I'm headed towards picking up an ignition coil, wires and plugs and going from there. Whaddya all think??

Thanks in advance! :confuse:

bpeebles · May 2009

I disagree with your prognosis... from my diagnosis of the codes you have listed... it is the "- P0341 (Camshaft Position Sensor)" which is the ONLY one which could cause the rest of them to happen.

If the ECU gets bad signals from the CPS, it could misfire a sparkplug and thus allow raw fuel into the exhaust (causing O2 sensors to misread due to overload of raw fuel in the exhaust).

Using the troublecodes, you need to now interperet the readings and reduce them to a common problem. HOWEVER - since you claim that you have not been keeping your engine healthy and the CEL has been on for years... it may not be trivial to perform an accurate diagnosis.

However DO NOT make the mistake of thinking that this means the sensor itself is at fault.... It MAY be - but troublecodes can only tell you 'symptoms'... not the problem.

jeffyscott · May 2009

Whaddya all think??

I think you should not drive the car with the CEL flashing.

Mr_Shiftright · May 2009

Ditto. Flashing CEL is not good.

agm1 · May 2009

I need to remove the engine cover on a 2.0 L 2003 vw jetta and it seems to be frozen in place. I want to check the plugs for a slight miss. I guess while I am at it I will change the plugs. What is the best book for help? No check engine light. Still get 23-25 mpg and the miss is at 60-75 mph.
AGM

djt_jetta · May 2009

No worries there, car hasn't moved since!
Waiting for parts to arrive ...

Thanks

Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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