Alighieri posted:

Got a 2006 GLI and love it. Few questions about it. How much would it be to take it in for routine maintenance at VW, next scheduled one is at 70k and just looking at cost. Since it is not under warranty I would assume it will be more.

Opensourcepirate posted:

I'd like some instructions. There's no rush though as I won't be getting around to it this week.

This probably won't help you, but the window stopped working in the exact same way in the winter of 08/09, then fixed itself in the summer of 09 and worked flawlessly, and then started having this behavior again this winter. Thankfully it was up when it stopped working, both times.

Autism Sundae posted:

Well, the RVU that I read about is for supposed engine problem that could cause some serious damage, not sure what the details were but it was for early MKVI GTIs and I guess dealerships had to test all GTIs on their lots. Do you have any records of something like that? Sorry I'm not being more specific. I'd be interested in finding out about any available RVUs/TSBs that apply to my car, of course.

I'll ask one of the technicians about dual-mass flywheels when I go get my oil changed, thanks. Don't know if it's likely to fail at 4K miles. As far as vibration though, does that sound like something normal for the engine to you though (I know this is probably a bad question since you haven't seen the car)? Also, can the shop scan my car for faults in real time as it idles, or does the software only show CEL codes?

Thanks again for answering so many questions.

Autism Sundae posted:

Oh yeah, one more - what's the effect of ECU adapting? My car has a manual so shifts won't be any smoother, but I'm assuming other things are affected. Will ECU readjust if I change my driving habits?

primitive posted:

Do you see any big differences in the quality of the techs that work at VW and Audi dealerships? I'd gladly take my GTI for its scheduled maintenance (especially the DSG oil changeout) to an Audi dealership if I knew I would have a reduced chance of running into clowns

my1999gsr posted:

The update programming you got was for the intake flap motor but it shouldn't have anything to do with your vibration issue. What you were told about the ECU adapting is 100% true - it really does adapt to your driving style. It's surprising to drive a Jetta that's owned by an older driver because it's so soft on the shifts.

teh jhey posted:

Autism Sundae posted:

Has it always been that way or did that only begin recently? How hard are you accelerating? I'm going to check if I can feel anything similar today.

my1999gsr posted:

Actually this does help. When the regulator assembly is going/gone it will never fix itself. Does the master window switch on the driver's side operate the passenger window or does it not work the same as the passenger door window switch?

teh jhey posted:

This is interesting.

I'm having an issue on my '09 6-speed GTI where when I'm rolling out from a dead stop in first gear, the throttle feels like it snaps shut for just a split second, causing a sharp, momentary stop in the acceleration, and then it's smooth through the rest of first and the other gears. My foot is on the gas for the whole time.

I put a boost gauge in, and it looks like as I'm getting onto the gas and it climbs towards -10 PSI, it suddenly drops back to -17 right when that "stop" happens.

Is this related to the throttle, or is it just some sort of thing that happens in turbo cars? I have no idea what to even call this issue, so I don't know how to search for it.

Autism Sundae posted:

Oh yeah, hey my1999gsr have you heard anything about GTI/A3 water pumps failing? There's a thread here: http://golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4872&highlight=water+pump but I don't know if there's a TSB out for it. It would be nice to know which cars are affected.

my1999gsr posted:

I haven't seen this problem yet and there's no applicable TSBs for it currently. That doesn't mean it isn't a problem though - just not one I'm familiar with yet.

Fatty_McLumpkin posted:

by "those model years" you mean mkIV?

Fatty_McLumpkin posted:

ok honest question here...

I have a 1994 Ex Civic Coupe (my 9th civic) that I'm currently dumping money into in order to be road worthy ( New clutch and flywheel, new exhaust, and new tires, possibly new head gasket and timing belt/water pump). Thinking of either selling it for 2500.00 and/or trade for a VW.

I'm leaning heavily towards Jetta here as I don't really like the VW hatchbacks.

My question here is, Mk III v. MkIV.. is the mk3 More reliable/Less reliable/As reliable than the mk4?

I understand that reliability rests solely in the hands of the Previous owner, however.. its pretty well known that certain cars can withstand a beating and there are certain cars that just don't. I also understand that all VW's have just about 40 sensors for everything, so I'm never going to be able to drive without some sort of CEL flashing in my face... I'm just trying to find out of the two generations, what trim level/motor combo should I be looking towards (as a person who knows about cars but doesn't have a garage).

having said that... the question still remains.

*edit: forgot to add that i'd be willing to go to Mk2 even if that makes things any better... but the impression that I'm getting is that mk3 is the way to go for a first time VW owner.

Late Hit posted:

This I can help with. My water pump (on the 02 Quattro) had failed. I assume it wasn't changed with the cambelt when that was done at 48k, Made it do around 60k and impeller failed. Leading to overheating. I'm told that on the engine my car has, it's a relatively simple (<4hr) job to do the water pump and cambelt, compared to some.

my1999gsr posted:

I'll check it out for you on Monday and get a part number. What country are you in?

Sepist posted:

Can anyone recommend a good aftermarket clutch and flywheel for a 00' Passat VR6? I want to pick it up to have my mechanic install it since he'll charge his normal premium to pick up one for me. My coworker's GTI is and is telling me to get a 10lb flywheel with a stage 3 clutch (I wouldn't mind the lighter flywheel), but I don't beat on my car, I just drive in traffic to/from work. I use my motorcycle for all my fun :O

I found this one http://www.performance-cafe.com/product_info.php?cPath=5_155&products_id=808 but I've never heard of the company.

tehllama posted:

MkIV Jettas were shittily made, have a host of random rear end problems, and smell like crayons. You just missed a thread about it. Get a Rabbit or a Passat or a Golf instead if you're going for those model years.

e: As far as I know the Mk3's don't have a lot of the production problems the MkIV's did, but keep in mind you're going to be buying a car that is at least 12 years old.

e:


Yes. Those "or"s were a little unclear, so I'll clarify. The Golf's for those years was MkIV, the Passat was MkV. The rabbit was only branded as such in the states until the mid 80's (before being rebranded as Golf), but if you can find one that hasn't been abused they're pretty sweet.

e2: Basically are you trying for an introduction to VW's or a reliable daily driver? I wouldn't be looking at cars that old with that many miles on them of any brand if I were going to be commuting on it. You'll probably be lucky to find a Mk3 Jetta with less than 140k miles on it. If you can find a Rabbit it'll likely have been sitting somewhere for ten years. You might be able to find a MkIV Jetta with less than 100k miles if you're extremely lucky.

teh jhey posted:

It's been happening for a little while now (months). For what it's worth, it's happened both before and after I had it chipped (should I not say that with a VW tech around?)

A.C.A.M. posted:

Another thing; I have never driven another GTI so I don't know if this is normal but the gears are so notchy! You really have to push it to get it through the gate. My S2000 is a little notchy too but it's such a short throw you don't really notice, and fast changes are a breeze compared to the Polo.

Blackdawgg posted:

Sadly MKIVs are getting old enough that they have too many miles on them for me to comfortably want to buy one. Jettas seemed to be the worst but you could argue they sold a ton of them. But they all seem to have one maintenance issue or another that if left unchecked or unheeded will ruin the car. With my MKIV Passat it was the engine sludge issue. Mine ran great because I put on a big oil filter and used good quality synthetic oil. But I certainly wouldn't want to buy one now not knowing what the hell the previous owner put in.

Owner Ad posted:

1984 VW Vanagon - $1500

Most things are either new or been recently replaced under my ownership.

The latest is a brand new whole air conditioning system. Still under 3 year warranty.

The following have been recently replaced:

Rebuilt engine.
New Battery
The whole breaking system (Drums, pads, master cylinder...)
Clutch
Temp sensors
Water pump

I've had it put away for a few months so it's out of circulation. Fees, and license plates need to be paid to get it in circulation again.

It runs smoothly but it needs some adjustments so it passes the smog test. Great opportunity for a mechanic who can turn around and sell it for a profit.

Wipers need replacing, tires are still for a few dozen miles.

124, 000 miles from original engine.

Fully furnished...potty, 2 bed spaces (mattresses included), expandable roof, sink, stove, sink, fridge, original radio still working, exterior is relatively good condition (minor scratches and dents).

quote:

The seller is required to provide the buyer with a valid smog inspection certification at the time of the sale or transfer. Smog certifications are good for 90 days from the date of issuance.

A.C.A.M. posted:

Thanks for this thread, my1999gsr.

I have an issue which has been causing me a lot of frustration and embarassment. The dealer I was getting the car serviced at could never seem to fault/diagnose the problem as it is very intermittent. I always sort of got the feeling they didn't believe me. They did eventually do a lot of work under warranty but it didn't fix it.

I have a 9N MY06 Polo GTI manual, all stock. Occasionally when shifting from 1-2 or 2-3 it crunches into gear. Sometimes it feels like the crunch you'd get from not clutching in enough. Sometimes it feels like there's a lot of resistance at the gate and then it just sorta gets 'sucked in' with a crunch. It almost always occurs during fast shifts when I'm driving hard. It's a bit embarassing out and about because everyone nearby thinks you fudged a shift.

For a long time I couldn't get the dealer to find fault with it. Eventually I was able to induce the problem by coasting and shifting back and forth between 3 and 4. As I did that it would just continually crunch into 3. After this they replaced 3rd gear, and then eventually every gear (except reverse), although I was never given a conclusive answer as to what the problem was. Throughout the history of this problem I have had everything done from a synchro ring (apparently some kind of known issue and replaced with an improved part), to having the gear oil changed to a different type.

After the gearbox rebuild it seemed to be better for a short while but it's happening again.

Another thing; I have never driven another GTI so I don't know if this is normal but the gears are so notchy! You really have to push it to get it through the gate. My S2000 is a little notchy too but it's such a short throw you don't really notice, and fast changes are a breeze compared to the Polo.

I will be taking the vehicle to a different garage in future. I don't expect you to be able to solve the problem but if you could give me some ideas to bounce off a new technician it would be very much appreciated. I know a little about cars but I am a pussy who doesn't want to do his own work in case he breaks something. God knows I've done enough of that on my various PCs.

Phew, sorry about the wall of text. I actually had a couple of other things I wanted to ask about dash rattles and aftermarket ECU but this post is probably selfish enough as it is.

omgitstheinternet posted:

I currently have a CEL due to my car not having a cat, I will be fixing this today, do I need to have the code cleared or will it automatically go away when all is well?

e: 2002 GTI 1.8T, just in case it matters.

Autism Sundae posted:

Oh yeah, hey my1999gsr have you heard anything about GTI/A3 water pumps failing? There's a thread here: http://golfmk6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4872&highlight=water+pump but I don't know if there's a TSB out for it. It would be nice to know which cars are affected.

A.C.A.M. posted:

Crunchy shifts.

Opensourcepirate posted:

Edit: Actually went out to my car to verify things.

The behavior is exactly the same when using the drivers side window control (of the passenger window) and the passenger side control.

When you press the control, either up or down, there's a click sound from the door, followed by another click sound about a second later or when the button is released - whichever comes first. So if you just tapped the button, it would be a rapid fire click-click. If you hold the button, it sounds almost like the tick tock of a clock, with one tick and a slightly different sounding tick about a second later. If the car is off, there's enough current draw to slightly dim the dome light for exactly the time from the first click to the second click. If you hold the button down, there's no sign of significant current draw after the second click.

Blackdawgg posted:

Do you know a lot about the DSG? I don't know if this is a problem or not but my DSG always seems to have the clutch engaged and wanting to creep forward.

Two examples.
If I stop the car slowly and smoothly it won't disengage the clutch, if I put it into neutral I can definitely feel it disengage.

If I stop the car quickly with moderate braking it will disengage the clutch by itself and putting the car into neutral when stopped doesn't change anything. It will engage the clutch again when I let off the brake.

I tried to explain this to the dealer but they looked at me like I was crazy. Also my GTi sounds like a diesel and my exhaust tip is dirtier than those new TDi's. Why do they run so rich?

Autism Sundae posted:

Is this in California? California law requires seller to pass smog.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm

If it needs parts to pass then who knows how expensive that will be, you can easily spend several hundred on replacing sensors and catalytic converter. You can buy it as-is but if it just needs "minor tweaks" to pass then why the hell wouldn't the seller fix it and jack the price. You can also "pass" smog by paying certain shops but that's obviously not legal.

Also a car doesn't "go out of circulation" over a few months. Sounds like the guy couldn't pass smog, lapsed on registration which he can't renew until he gets smogged, and is now trying to offload the van quickly to someone who doesn't know any better.

Autism Sundae posted:

I paid attention to this today and my GTI doesn't do anything like it, I can take off from a stop pretty smoothly as long as I don't gently caress up a shift. So maybe your issue is worth a trip to the dealer, although they probably won't be happy about boost gauges etc.


The 6-speed in my GTI is notchy but not to the point of grinding gears or anything. I don't have to push hard to get it into the gate, it just needs to be lined up with the gate properly, much more strict/less loose than other manual transmissions. Your gearbox is definitely abnormal though, being notchy and grinding gears aren't the same.