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  #1  
Old 03-17-2005, 10:50 AM
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Location: Saugus, CA USA
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Just bought a Jetta, tell me all about them

Actually my wife bought it. Its a loaded (which scares me) 2001 Jetta with the V6 and a 5 speed, and the thickest owners manual I've ever seen. The last VW I had used to have running boards (they rusted off), the only similarity is that the engine is over the drive wheels. Some questions are trouble spots and using synthetic oils. I did find service CD on the net I'll be getting to figure things out.

Her old car is terminal. I doubt it would pass smog when due next year, it needs a valve job, one cylinder stopped working, I suspect its the injector, and its loosing lots of oil out of the back of the engine, I suspect the rear seal. The car will move but its time to move on. I'm frustrated cause its just short or turning over to 200,000 miles. Anybody want a Peugeot? There's no rust.

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5 speed '91 190E 2.6 320,000 mi. (new car, fast, smooth as silk six, couldn't find any more Peugeots)
5 speed '85 Peugeot 505 2.5l Turbo Diesel 266,000 mi. (old car, fast for a diesel, had 2 others)
5 speed '01 Jetta V6 (new wifes car, pretty quick)
5 speed '85 Peugeot 505 2.2l Turbo Gas 197,000 mi. (wifes car, faster, sadly gone just short of 200k )
5 speed '83 Yamaha 750 Maxim 14,000 mi. (fastest)
0 speed 4' x 8' 1800 lb Harbor Freight utility trailer (only as fast as what's pulling it)
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  #2  
Old 03-17-2005, 01:09 PM
Veloce300DT's Avatar
TEAM MULHOLLAND
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sacramento-Bay Area Corridor
Posts: 1,110
I dont know too much about the newer VW gassers, except that a couple friends of mine own them and that theyre rather fun to drive and ride in. Ive heard unfortunatley that they arent the most well built cars however.

I may be interested in your Pug. I love the bodystyle of the 1980's 505. Almost look like a boxy 1980's rendition of the w123. My dad had a black 505 STI, wish he had held onto that one. PM me with the details on your tired 505, how much do u want to let it go for?

Happy Motoring!
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1995 E420
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1995 Volvo 944T R.I.P!


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  #3  
Old 03-17-2005, 05:20 PM
I miss my MBZ
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 563
I have have a lot of time to hunt through forums...

vw vortex
(Careful, lotsa forums, lotsa kids, OD on its worst day doesnt hold a candle to the 'tex)

Things to look out for-
Coilpacks
Window regulators

I think that these wore most of the problems with that year range of VW, and I think if you have a nice dealer (or yell loud enough) they'll fix them under a "silent recall", but I think thats most of it.

Thats all I can offer
-John
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12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
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  #4  
Old 03-17-2005, 06:41 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 303
The window regulators should not be a problem now, they replaced the old plastic ones with metal clips, and then they have a 7 year warranty on those.

Enjoy the Jetta, they are indeed very fun to drive. My Golf TDI is a Jetta without the trunk and is an extremely fun car to drive.

One strange little problem that some of those VW's had was coolant migration. Coolant would leak out of a little place where a level sensor plugged into the resovoir, then would migrate to different parts of the car via the wiring harness. The coolant destroyed instrument panels and stuff. People would find coolant in the rear light assemblies even! There is an easy fix to prevent coolant migration. My car was never affected. I think this was limited to just a handful of cars.
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Former owner of a few diesel MB cars
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  #5  
Old 03-18-2005, 08:34 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Chesapeake, VA
Posts: 438
I have a 2000 Golf GLS 2.0 and a 2001 GTI GLX (thats a loaded GTI with the VR6). These are great cars. I've owned VWs for many years and the Mk. IV chassis is a quantum leap over the earlier cars. Fit and finish rivals anything out there. I have trouble justifying my Mercedes compared to the VWs.

The coilpacks were never much of an issue on the VR6. The window regulator clips might be if they haven't been changed yet. The MAF sensors tend to go bad between 50K and 100K miles, but there is a really cheap fix. Buy a 2.0 sensor, remove the sensor itself from the housing and install it in the VR6 housing (the sensors carry the same BOSCH number). The 2.0 sensor is about $50 retail at the dealer. I learned that trick in the FAQ section of the Golf/Jetta IV forum on vwvortex. I don't browse the rest of the forum much because the FAQ section really pulls out all the important info from the BS. The following link is an excellent part source (Auburn VW in WA state) http://www.1stvwparts.com/index.html

I would get the paper version of the Bentley Manual. I have the paper version for the Golf/GTI and a CD for the Passat - I don't like the CD. It's hard to use and ridiculous to print anything.

You might also consider buying the VAG-COM software from www.ross-tech.com . It will read EVERYTHING on any VW/AUDI/SEAT/SKODA chassis. It is very reasonably priced and very, very well developed. A major resource that I just can't match for Mercedes.
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  #6  
Old 03-19-2005, 07:20 AM
84300DT's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Mass.
Posts: 2,219
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Anderson
Actually my wife bought it. Its a loaded (which scares me) 2001 Jetta with the V6 and a 5 speed, and the thickest owners manual I've ever seen. The last VW I had used to have running boards (they rusted off), the only similarity is that the engine is over the drive wheels. Some questions are trouble spots and using synthetic oils. I did find service CD on the net I'll be getting to figure things out.

Her old car is terminal. I doubt it would pass smog when due next year, it needs a valve job, one cylinder stopped working, I suspect its the injector, and its loosing lots of oil out of the back of the engine, I suspect the rear seal. The car will move but its time to move on. I'm frustrated cause its just short or turning over to 200,000 miles. Anybody want a Peugeot? There's no rust.
do check on vortex for the issues -maybe oil consumption??? . anyhow enjoy the Jet. our '96 Jet 4cyl 2.0 5spd with 75k (wif's also) is running well with fairly little maintenence issues. as with a benz regular oil changes are a must.
also they take high rpm shifts quite well
too bad about the Peug.. best interiors going. despite everything i actually miss my old 82 505s turbodiesel the leaking creature that it was..
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  #7  
Old 03-19-2005, 07:43 AM
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Oil consumption is strictly a 2.0 AEG engine issue. The VR6 is a geat engine. It has a timing chain instead of a timing belt. It has a wonderful sound when on a boil.
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  #8  
Old 03-19-2005, 01:34 PM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: SW Chicago Suburbs, IL
Posts: 306
Well, I bought a new 98 Jetta TDI and have racked up almost 300k miles so far. Not a lick of trouble aside from window regulators.
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Lance Allison
Lance@LanceAllison.com

Current:
11 MB S550 4Matic, 55k miles, Designo Black/Black
14 Ford F150 XLT Lariat Crew, 73k miles, 5.0
Coyote V8 4x4. Black/tan.
09 GMC Envoy Denali, 5.3 V8, 4x4 SWB. 38k miles,
Jewel Red/Med Gray.

Gone:
87 MB 300SDL, 320k miles, Astral Silver/Blue.
98 VW Jetta TDI, 488k miles, Classic Green/Gray.
85 Olds 98 Brougham FWD, 4.3 DIESEL V6, 80k
miles, 3x Gray.

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  #9  
Old 03-19-2005, 07:54 PM
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Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
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jim, great sources for vws..

www.vwvortex.com and www.socaleuro.com

The v6 jetta is a quick car, I actually like them. you may consider upgrading to the euro headlights on the car, or if you want to splurge you can get a european bi-xenon kit which is an entire headlight with projectors.

You can do plenty to pep it up too.

I recommend the audi tt short shifter you can get from vw dealer I think it gives 20% or 25% shorter throws...

check out www.abdracing.com for some nice hop up parts.

I hooked up a friends jetta with big bore cold air intake (has a filter that goes into the fender which gave the car a mean sound, and made it a bit quicker, but the sound was amazing), he had it chipped by upsolute, put on neuspeed suspension, and did abd racing front swaybar and added rear swaybar to the car becaise it did not have one.

The car handles great now. he out drove a porsche 911 carrera 4 on a mountain twisty. the porsche was pissed.

Alon
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  #10  
Old 03-19-2005, 08:04 PM
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Location: So. Cal.
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My Neighbor just bought an 05, and Her (64 yrs old) first complaint is not enough power when she enters the freeway. I thought she had the V6, but she has the 4 cyl. She says her Grand Am she got rid of had more power, it was a V6. Oh well!!!!!
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  #11  
Old 03-21-2005, 10:45 AM
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Location: Saugus, CA USA
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A timing chain

Music to my ears. I was worried it had a belt cause it would probably would have been due to be changed soon, and it doesn't look there is enough room to get to it.

Now if it has hydraulic lifters
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  #12  
Old 03-21-2005, 11:16 AM
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Location: Chesapeake, VA
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It has hydraulic tappets. VW engine service has been minimal for quite a few years. For the VR6 it is just spark plugs & air filter at 40K intervals, 5K oil & filter changes, surpentine belt when needed.
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  #13  
Old 03-21-2005, 12:20 PM
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How do they like synthetic oil?
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  #14  
Old 03-21-2005, 12:42 PM
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Location: CT
Posts: 185
How about safety? Looking for a car for my daughter...
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  #15  
Old 03-22-2005, 08:32 AM
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5W-40 synthetic is recommeded in the owners manual. 5W-30 synthetic is recommended if 5W-40 is not available. I use Mobil 1 5W-30. I think Amsoil makes a 5W-40 that meets the VW specs. They are safe cars. They did very well in the IIHS and government crash tests for frontal and offset frontal crashes. Recently, the Beetle, which is on the same chassis, did not fare as well in side impact tests. That test may have been a small car vs. SUV side impact test - the results should be on the IIHS website.

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