best mid - late 90's commuter car

[Jeremy airjer W]

You ever replace the head on a 1.8 turbo? There are a few specialty tools needed to do that. Then make it a transverse mount and lets see if you can do it in book time. I think not because you will be waiting a week for the tool to remove the head bolts. Now throw that engine in a beetle and I say good luck my friend! Shame on volkswagen for having an engine that costs over $3000 to repair if the timing belt breaks. Believe me we have seen plenty of them break before the service interval that is suggested!

If its in a newer passat your going to need a special torx like socket to remove the bumper shocks to remove the front clip.

Do you have a set of spline drive sockets? how about a set of torx plus sockets? how about a 17mm male hex socket? It costs me a lot of money to be able to make money fixing these. I may have broken even at this point.

Have you had to deal with the PCV system on the newer volkswagens. They like to stick open and put the engine under manifold vacuum which coincidentally makes causes the oil light to start to flicker. You should see what happens on a BMW when the PCV system freezes. The engine compartment looks like the aftermath of an elephant with diarrhea!

You ever put a crank sensor in a 2.0? that's done be feel rather than sight.

how about a thermostat in a 2.0 or a 1.8? that's a real treat!

Don't get me started with trying to decipher scan tool data. The europeans have a different way of looking at things and scan tool data is the same way! Not to mention the shop has to spend an ungodly amount of money to have european scanning capabilities and keep them up to date.

You ever have an upper control ball joint frozen in the aluminum knuckle? that's always fun!

So yeah, IMO, they are a real pain in the captains quarters to work on! Some things are pretty easy but way more things are not.

[pureinsanity]

I am replacing my timing belt & water pump in the next couple weeks, so I will see how fun it is on a 2.0. But it sounds like it is not to difficult based on what my friend told me when he did one in the same exact car.

Do you have a set of spline drive sockets?

Yes

how about a set of torx plus sockets?

Yes

how about a 17mm male hex socket?

Yes

It costs me a lot of money to be able to make money fixing these. I may have broken even at this point.

how about a thermostat in a 2.0 or a 1.8? that's a real treat!

Hmm, it was a real easy treat on my 2.0

Don't get me started with trying to decipher scan tool data. The europeans have a different way of looking at things and scan tool data is the same way! Not to mention the shop has to spend an ungodly amount of money to have european scanning capabilities and keep them up to date.

there are several charts online that convert the codes

[1968]

I'm sorry I got a little off topic as the discussion was about 90's cars. I was mostly poking at the newer stuff. You only need to get in the early 2000's and you might find out your trans fluid is $30 a liter on a VW. Those tranny's that take it also have numerous internal problems. Expensive solenoid failures, a filter that requires disassembly of the entire trans to access. How about timing chains on the trans side of the engine? Wonderful idea there. If they built a lifetime chain. Plastic water pump impellers that frequently fail. I guess you haven't had to buy a coil pack either. Let me guess on the bolts you couldn't remove- triple square? Just what the world needed, another bolt head design and their specialty sockets.

Scan tooling and repair info is another obstacle. Without a dealer level scan tool and diag info, you are in the dark. A code scanner doesn't cut it on anything, much less Euro cars.

Yes, there are many forums for VW's that can be extremely handy. There's many hate sites as well. Euro's seem to have plenty of those. So I'm not alone.

I'm not really down on VW. Broken cars pay my bills.

[pureinsanity]

I did a lot of research when I bought my car, my year was prone to MAJOR electrical problems, major this and that. I made sure I got basic everything. I didn't want a Turbo, nor an automatic transmission for obvious reasons. I've had horrible luck with used cars and power windows so I opted to get manual windows. Ive been pretty fortunate with my car, and I know im one of the lucky ones.

I also use to go to those websites to get all the help I could on fixing things. Also they have membership cards that save you 15 sometimes 20% on parts!

As for if I was going to get a new vehicle I probably wouldn't get a new VW. As I would prefer a small SUV and to keep this car as a commuter. I will drive this car in the ground! It should easily last me another 150-200K about 150K on it now. *Crosses fingers*

All and all its been a good car. but with every make model and manufacturer they all have their problems. But I definitely am a fan of Euro cars.

[pureinsanity]

1968 i like your motto

"Broken cars pay my bills"

[MNice]

My daughter has a 01 jetta, 2.0 5 sp, I just got a 02 beetle TDI 5 sp. I find them pretty easy to do the basic maintenance items, and thankfully, no major problems.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Hey pure, we have something in common. I hate power anything, windows, seats etc. My Tundra came with power seats and it drives me crazy. The infinite adjustment will make a person mad. At least with manual seats its where it is and that will be the spot I get used to!

[pureinsanity]

Hey pure, we have something in common. I hate power anything, windows, seats etc. My Tundra came with power seats and it drives me crazy. The infinite adjustment will make a person mad. At least with manual seats its where it is and that will be the spot I get used to!

Back when I was 18 I had an mitsibishi I mean mitsosucki eclipse. My first car I bought on my own, and my first stick. Bought it from a "mechanic" said he just replaced the head gasket on it. which I ended up doing three times after him. Hate that car!

Anyway, I was looking for a job, the AC didn't work but the windows did. one day the passenger side went out. Took it apart took the motor out and put a piece of wood to shim the window shut. Didn't have nor want to pay for a new or used window motor.

next day, driver side window goes out. so I am left with a moon roof only. its 95 degrees outside, god knows what the inside temp was, but the moon roof didn't do much. Needless to say job hunting didn't go well at all. I was a puddle inside my own car. I had to pull over every 10 mins or so of driving and step out of the car to cool off

after that i vowed id get basic everything when buying used! Manual windows vary rarely malfunction. I wish I had manual locks and manual everything else as well