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Just buoght an 04 VW Jetta Wagaon TDI

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thedarkwolf

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https://picasaweb.google.com/104876167152869459551/Jetta#
One owner and lots of paper work. Car seems to have been really well cared for. Has 215k miles on it but you would never know it. I don't have any shot of the interior yet but it is pretty clean too. All maintenance has been done by a VW dealer and the cam which these tend to eat was replaced at 186k along with the timing belt. Only downside is it has an automatic trans bleh but for $3500 lol I can live with it. Rarely see one of these for less than $5k around here and if you do they have something wrong with it. Now I just have to go through the hassle of selling my 03 pontiac vibe.
 
Those do command a bit of a ridiculous premium. But 3500 for a TDI wagon is a nice price.

You may have been able to get a lower mileage MK4 2.0L/5spd sedan for that price, though.

My biggest worry would be over mileage, but not on the engine- the trans. VW autos in MK3's were balls; I dunno if the MK4's and/or TDI's in general got better ones.

Then there's 'chassis' mileage, which simply means the cars been subjected to 200k of bumps, rattles, and vibration. Probably not a big deal though- though I'd made sure you get it in the air and check the front end (and suspension in general) out.

All the electrical stuff working?
 
I have dogs and go mountain biking so I wanted a wagon plus I think they look better than the sedans. First year for the 5 speed auto so it is a bit of a worry but I didn't come across any major problems. The biggest things I read in my quick looking last night was the cam and coolant migration. Somehow water gets into the electrical wiring through the sensor on the coolant tank and makes its way through the whole wiring harness screwing everything up. This one was dry. All the electrical do dads seem to work but the power door lock on the driver's door is weak. Probably needs a new actuator.

Just had a 28 point inspection done at the dealer during the last oil change that included checking the suspension. 133k the two front wheel bearings were replaced. They spent a ton of money on this car at the dealer. Replacing the cam and timing belt was nearly $2k.

I've never had a diesel and have been wanting one to play with.

One thing it does need is rear tires. My vibe has two sets of wheels and tires though and I'm thinking about swapping my very good all seasons from the vibe to the jetta. The vibe's are just a hair larger in diameter but close enough.
 
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You talking like 205/55/16 vs 205/50? Because thay may be enough to freak out the ABS computer.

That's pretty sweet that the wheel bearings have already been done. Kind of a PITA; not bolt-on assemblies. And I would say ANY trans is better than the four speed I'm thinking of.

Vacuum or electric door locks? It's doubtful an actuator is 'weak,' more likely it's a bent rod in the door or something else that's causing a bind.

What's the coolant tank sensor? Just for the level? If so, I think I'd just unplug that thing. 😀

That kind of strange problem just screams 'Volkswagen,' LOL. Probably a fun find for the guys who first encountered it.
 
phucheneh said:
You talking like 205/55/16 vs 205/50? Because thay may be enough to freak out the ABS computer.

That's pretty sweet that the wheel bearings have already been done. Kind of a PITA; not bolt-on assemblies. And I would say ANY trans is better than the four speed I'm thinking of.

Vacuum or electric door locks? It's doubtful an actuator is 'weak,' more likely it's a bent rod in the door or something else that's causing a bind.

What's the coolant tank sensor? Just for the level? If so, I think I'd just unplug that thing. 😀

That kind of strange problem just screams 'Volkswagen,' LOL. Probably a fun find for the guys who first encountered it.
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195/65/15s on the jetta and 205/65/15s on the vibe.

I assume the coolant tank sensor is just a level sensor and if it doesn't freak anything out I'll unhook it.

I remember vacuum locks from my mom's old 77 mercedes 280e. Unlock one door with the key and they all unlock but only if there is enough vacuum left in the system to do it. If not you had to wait till the car started to get in. They were pretty neat but this is electric. It isn't a big issue so I'm not sure when I will tear into the door to fix it.
 
37.5MPG for the first tank
Not too bad considering I do lots of 1 to 3 mile trips which should kill the mileage. Probably going to go down from there though. Did a decent amount of interstate driving during the week of Thanksgiving on that tank and was getting around 40mpg going by the Torque app.
 
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Damn I wish I got anything near to 38mpg, I'd be going to China and back lol. But anyways great car and she looks damn clean!
 
Wow, that's a lot of miles but it looks like you got the paperwork covered. has it ever been brought in for annoying electrical problems or dead window motors, etc?
 
Miles don't really scare me too much anymore and being a diesel doesn't hurt either. The vibe I bought back in Jan and am trying to sell now has 199k miles on it so the VW isn't that much more.

No electrical issues in the paper work I have but it only goes back to 100k miles. The driver's side seat heater gets too hot and has burned a tiny hole in the seat. There was a recall for that but I'm passed the cut off date so for now I'm only using it on the lowest setting which seems fine. I may rig something to fix it or see if a parts car pops up. From what I've read my problem with the driver's side door lock is most likely a cracked solder joint in the lock module which I could fix for nothing other than my time. Problem is it is a pita part to get out so I'll just keep locking the door with the key for now. Everything else seems to work fine.
 
Recalls do not expire. If it is a true safety-related recall, they have to fix it. I would assume your ass being being on fire is considered a safety hazard.

However, I've seen seat heaters from multiple makes short out and burn the seat/an anus. Never done a recall on one. While it personally seems absurd to me, it was probably a TSB or extended warranty item rather than a recall.
 
Yeah recall probably isn't the right word but that is the word they were throwing around in the thread I found about it. VW was claiming to be out of the parts to fix anymore in the old thread I found about it. There was a number in the thread to call about it to find out if you are covered and it sounds more like an extended warranty deal but I haven't had a chance to call it yet.
 
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