Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 11:10:19 -0500
Reply-To: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Steele <steeles@HORIZONVIEW.NET>
Subject: Jetta Woes and Vanagon Waves (long winded)
In-Reply-To: <1fb.15dbf96b.30aad139@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
A cold, rainy wind started blowing the beautiful gold and red leaves down as
November dawned gray and damp.
This November has NOT been good for me or my Jettas.
Numero uno:
2002 Jetta Wagon VR6, AT, "Flyer".
November 1, the wife mentioned to me that her engine was "making a noise";
so I test drove it. At cold low revs there was an intermittent, distinct
metal pinging which sounded like a pulley hitting a shroud. It was engine
speed, not vehicle speed related. When warmed up it went away except at
around 2K rpms. I put it on a lift at my friend's shop and pulled the
engine covers and shrouds to inspect with no apparent external solution.
Timing chain? Valve train? It sounded high on the block or in the head.
At 59,900 miles (100 left on the drive train warranty), I decided to take it
the 60 miles to the @#!X>%@#ing dealer. That afternoon, as I started it to
begin the trip the sounds became louder and much more frequent. Tow truck
time... BOY! Was I dumb enough to join AAA at the basic and NOT the step up
membership level? Yep. I got the first few miles free and the $35 hook up
fee waived. The extra $30 Gold level would have paid for a 100 mile tow.
Remember to make that change, soon.
"Sure, no hurry, pick it up anytime before 5:30 pm." He picked it up at
5:25. The nice tow truck driver left the key on in the ignition and ran
the OE battery down. Without question, the car wouldn't start when the
dealer service writer, Jason, went out the next morning to move it inside.
"It'll need a new battery and a key reprogram because the valet key won't
work now.
Says I, "Hey Jason, how about putting it on a battery charger for a little
while first?". Says he, " Oh. Okay. If that works, then we'll check out
the engine and see if it is an in warranty problem; and, Oh BTW, it will be
$85 for us to assess it if it's not. And we will still need to reprogram the
key". "No, Jason, I'll bring up the switch blade key and it may work or at
the very least you will be able to program both keys at once. Call me if you
need the other key."
After over a week and Jason quitting his job half way through it, after my
15th call (they never called me); I finally was told that I could pick up
the car. It had needed a new flywheel! It was covered under the warranty
and I hadn't needed to jump through those fourteen hoops and fax all my
service work and records after all.
The wife was ready to have her "Flyer" back. She was borrowing Son #2's '87
Westy, as it is the only available AT in the family, and she refuses to
drive a stick in town (lot of hills, you know).
OKAY, let's go get the Flyer!
Numero dos with RVC:
'91 Ecodiesel Jetta, 202K.
So I hop in the my trusty daily driver. I head over to the shop to top off
that pesky slow leaking RR tire before we head out onto the 60 mile trek to
the dealer.
"What the he.. is THAT noise??!! Long story a little shorter, the left
front strut mechanism gave up the ghost on the way to the shop. Thank God
that I wasn't on the lonesome two lane road to the dealer with Wifey and our
four year old.(foreshadow).
So I pulled the '89 Westy out of the garage and placed him into service.
Killing two birds with one stone, I arranged with SON #1 (who lives on up
the road from the dealer about fifteen miles) to pick up an oriental rug
that we had loaned him. Wifey decided we could use it since he had moved
and wasn't using it now.
I dropped off Wifey and Son#5 at the @#!X>%@#ing dealer, and left for Son
#1's after winning the argument that I wouldn't be paying the reprogram fee
and yes we had, in fact, never received either a second switch blade key nor
the valet key when we bought the car from that dealer as a VW warranteed
car; and, no, we never got "all three" keys and, yes, we had to pay for the
valet key and the reprogramming way back then and, yes, we will bring the
car back in next week and wait for the "hour or so" that it'll take to
reprogram the keys ONCE AGAIN, this time for free.
It was late (7:00 pm) and Wifey and I parted with the understanding that she
would be stopping off at the nearby mall area to catch a bite for supper and
then hurry on home to get Son #5 in bed at a decent hour so he wouldn't be
grouchy tomorrow AM at preschool.
The rug moving was easily accomplished, the van loaded with pad and the
large rug. I acceded to Son #1 in that I would follow him back to a real
estate project that he was buttoning up after several months' work, after
all it was on the way home. I also cursorily looked over Son #1's friends'
Whitestar with a freshly developed coolant leak. Well over two hours after
seeing Wifey off, I got on the road to home. Actually, I was on a different
road home since my detour put me a little closer to home by taking the main
road south. After stopping by for steamed onion/Jalapeno cheezeburger
sliders at the Porcelain Castle, I thought I should call home and check in.
NO ANSWER!!!
After ten long minutes I called again. NO ANSWER AGAIN. I left a message to
call me back. I was at a point now where I could cross over to the two lane
road which I was sure she had taken home. She doesn't carry a cell phone
(She is one on those rare individuals who only uses a phone for quick, short
and to the point conversation and then gets off the phone. She's damn near
the perfect wife, you know.) Anyway, I pulled off the highway and crossed
over to a small state route to maybe catch the wife on the side of an even
smaller state route. As I waited for traffic in the westbound lane, a square
light Vanagon flew by. I waved, they didn't. I caught up with them just
before my turn off five miles later. I SELDOM see other vans down here in
southern Ohio, unless it's vacationers on our blue highways (eg.,RT 50).
They always wave.
Anyway, I was busy trying to call home for the sixth or seventh time with no
answer. I also was checking the sides of the road at turnoffs and farm
roads for any sign of her stranded Jetta wagon. @#!X>%@#ing dealer! I was
sure she had needed to pull off on the more northern part of the road that I
had missed. My stomach was in my throat and those jalapeno sliders reminded
me of the reason why I eat them so infrequently. They are the ONLY food that
gives me indigestion.
After twenty-five miles of worry and fear, she answered the phone. NOT so
much a @#!X>%@#ing dealer. In between my eighth or ninth calls she had
gotten home safely after stopping at a restaurant and sitting down to a
slowly eaten meal with Son #5. She was later than expected and had put him
to bed quickly just before this, my last call.
Well, the rug is down; as usual, she was right, it looks great where she
wanted it. The '91 Jetta's parts are here ready for R/R. We haven't taken
the Flyer in for rekeying yet or to check the @#!X>%@#ing oil leak that it
now has.
But the important thing is Wifey and Son #5 spent no roadside time except in
my steamed onion/jalapeno blinded imagination.
November isn't so bad a month after all.
Stephen Steele
Chillicothe OH
'89 Westfalia no name yet
'90 Carat "Parts"
'91 Caravelle "Hans"...awaiting new engine
'74 MGB My first car...yep, I've kept it since '74
'93 Chevy S-10
'91 Jetta Diesel My daily driver
'02 Jetta Wagon VR6 "Flyer" Wife's car
Ex Vans/VWs:
'81 Vanagon from 1985-1990
'84 Westfalia "Fritz" 2000-2004 now with Son #1
'87 Westfalia "Franz" 2002-2005 now with Son #2
'88 Jetta GL 1990-1992
'92 Jetta GL 1992-1998
'90 Jetta 1999-2003
'81 Rabbit diesel 1999-2003
'82 Caddy VW Diesel P.U. 1999-2004
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