VW Tech Water-Cooled FAQ's 
(Frequently Asked Questions) 
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FAQ's These are Frequently Asked technical Questions about the problems that commonly occur to Volkswagens. I only answer new questions that I like. email me at own risk.

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     The following 3 factors are what it takes for an engine to run well or to run at all. Your ability to understand and fine tune these 3 adjustments is what will make the engine perform at it's best: 1) adequate and nearly equal compression 2) a spark at the right time and for the right duration (dwell angle), and 3) the correct fuel air mixture. Try to determine these items first possibly with a tune-up and buy a Bentley repair manual for your car. Always remember the KISS rule. Keep It Simple Stupid. Don't assume it is complicated if you haven't first checked the basic and the obvious possibilities.  1) compression   2) spark and  3) fuel mixture.
                             Lenny M.

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SEE    OBD (Onboard Diagnostics) introduction
SEE   DTCs  DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES Numbers with text

Water-cooled Volkswagens

                                Color Legend
                                    Water-cooled

                               Engine Overheating
                               Engine Lubrication
                               Starting Problems
                               Tuning Problems
                               Electrical Problems
                               Body Problems

DTCs    Diagnostic Trouble Codes (click here)

I was in the Sears automotive tool department last weekend and I see they now carry a cheap version of a scanner so you can now determine what your fault codes are and you can delete them to see if they come back. Unfortunately the tool does not include the text of the fault code, just the number and in most cases if you have a "check engine light" on it will come back unless you correct the fault. Without training I am not sure how much this will help you. This scanner can't touch the flexibility and power of the laptop program I use in my shop but is a start and if you don't correct the problem the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) will just come back. You will only get DTC numbers so you can click here for the text. 
     One quick but important fact to know is that things like a bad fuel pump or engine wear causing low compression, blocked exhaust pipes, bad or incorrect fuel might only show up as a Cylinder Misfire fault code and give no clear indication to the OBD (onboard diagnostics) computer of the problem. The computer will only give you some kind of a hint as to where to go. I am not sure what the value of that is.

Overheating

I REPEAT !!   There are 3 things that cause an engine to run hot;
    1) Lack of coolant
        A) Water leaks
        B) Stuck thermostat or any obstruction stopping flow to the
               radiator and back to the cylinder head
        C) Fan is bad or switch to fan not workinG, bad connections to fan
               or switch.
    2) Ignition timing is too far advanced
    3) Too lean a fuel mixture.

4)  I recently bought a 1990 Jetta with no manual. The red temperature light is flashing when I drive (even on cold start). What does this mean? Arman
  
Arman;  When the light does flash it indicates 3 possible problems:
      1)that you are running hot and or
      2) that your coolant level is below the minimum and
      3) your coolant level sender in your expansion tank is either
             defective or their is a bad electrical connection to the sender.
        If the gauge doesn't indicate hot, i.e., above the centerline of the gauge about 160-180 F then the light is probably telling you that you are low on coolant. Unfortunately if any of the connections are bad or any of the sending units are defective you will find yourself not knowing the status of your engine. Add water or antifreeze to your system when it not hot and overflowing and if the light stops flashing then you are in good shape but if you have to continue to add water then you may have a leak and require a pressure test from a shop if you can't find it yourself. Sometimes the expansion tank cap leaks but unfortunately we have no tool to pressure test the cap so it should be replaced if you are not sure. You need to fix it. Lenny M.  5/9/2001

My 1995 Passat GLS gets over 200 degrees (fahrenheit) when sitting still, and the fans do not kick on. It cools down on the open road. In traffic. I must turn on the AC to avoid overheating, since this activates the fans. I have replaced the fan thermo switch on the radiator, to no avail. Please help.Darrell Campbell  12/4/2001
Darrel; When the water and coolant in your engine reaches 189 degrees F your thermostat at the bottom of the engine will open shortly after that your fan switch should turn on the fan so the engine temp will cycle somewhere between 189 and maybe175 or 180 degrees F. Of course you could have a radiator blocked with debris this would cause the fan switch to turn late. So the first thing I would do is let the car set and get cold. Then I would start the car, reach down and feel the large hose coming from the bottom of the engine (thru the thermostat) and to the lower portion of the radiator. It should feel cold ( i.e. outside ambient temperature). As you watch the temp gauge in the car and if is working correctly, and it usually is, you will see the temp rise slowly and the fan will not come on until the temp gauge reaches the mid point on the gauge (about 189 degrees) that should be enough heat for the thermostat to open, releasing the engine coolant into the radiator and then to the fan switch which should react by turning on the fan. If the gauge reaches midpoint and continues to rise and the lower hose still feels cool to the touch then the thermostat has not opened yet. Remember the gauge is reading the temperature of the coolant inside the engine water jacket so that is the same temp the thermostat should be reacting to. Continue to feel the lower hose until it begins to heat up and that is when the thermostat opened but if it opens very late or not at all or maybe only partially then you need to replace it. Theoretically the gauge could go just a little higher ,let's say 5/8s of the way up without causing any immediate harm but if you get into the top quarter of the gauge you are asking for trouble in the form of a blown head gasket or much worse. If you have any questions about the thermostat replace it and be safe instead of sorry. It is an item that should be replaced every so often anyways. After you feel the thermostat open you can do something similar with the radiator if you can get access to feel the heat of the hot water move from the right (or passenger) side to the left. This may not be that easy and a hand held gauge would really be more accurate. As it stand 200 degrees is not that far off the mark so if the gauge or temp sending unit were defective you might get a bad reading. Lenny.

#7)   I have an 87 Cabriolet, and sometimes the temp. light will come on and start blinking. By itself this would be no big deal, but the ammeter, oil psi, and water temp gage in the console all go haywire. I have checked the grounds, and this happens with good coolant, new belts, and the engine cool. Any idea?robert williams  7/15/2001
Robert; This could be 2 different problems. Your water temp lite will flash when your coolant is to hot or if the level is too low or if the coolant level sender is defective or poorly connected. Inspect and clean the sensor connection. If your gauges are all acting up pound a little on the dash and watch the gauges to see if they react or reach underneath if you can and wiggle the multi-prong connectors going into the dash and look for a change. It could be a bad connection or something much more complicated like a bad circuit in the instrument cluster circuit board. Lenny

#9)  Hi Lenny, I have a 2000 VR6 that has 23540 miles on it (Jan 2000 to Jul 2001). I had the 20K mile service done and I assume they topped all the fluids. When I took a peek under the hood yesterday (@ 23530 miles) I find the engine coolant level very low. So my questions are: 1) Is it possible for the engine coolant level to go dangerously low with NO indication ? ie. no warning lights, beeps etc 2) Is it supposed to fall so low in 3,400 miles IF the dealer topped it @20K ? 3) Could this be to a crack in the block and coolant's seeped in the engine ? The car drives great but in the mornings, it sounds just a little rough (raspy?) when accelerating (you have to really listen though) Thanks! SA Alex  7/30/2001
Alex; From the info you gave me, and if it is accurate and you left nothing out then my educated guess is that
1) Your cylinder head would crack long before your block would but only if your car had overheated at anytime. In 22 years of working on VW's I have seen2 blocks crack after extreme overheating and they were both diesels.
2) If the dealership didn't top off your coolant when the engine was cool then you might have had an air bubble in the system
3) If you continue to have to top off your coolant level in the future then you probably have a slow leak in a hose or something and the best way to find out where is to have a technician do a pressure test.
4 )If your coolant level drops below an indicated (marked) minimum level on your overflow or expansion tank and you are not getting a warning light then you have some defective sensor or gauges and that needs to be corrected also. Lenny.

David; I was surprised that I did not hear you mention the thermostat. If you start the car when it is cold and you watch the temperature gauge when it gets to just above the middle of the gauge and meanwhile the whole time you monitor the opening of the thermostat by feeling the hose going from the thermostat to the radiator you should feel the hose get warm all of a sudden when the thermostat opens. If it is stuck and fails to open then the hot water will get hotter in the engine and the gauge will continue to rise and the fan switch in the radiator won't get hot enough to turn on the fan. Voila !! you are overheating. Lenny.

 Hiya Lenny;
     My Name is Shin And i have been told by a friend that what you dont know about VW's is not worth knowing so is my dilemma.
       I am in the Uk and drive a VW Passat 1.8 t 20v  which is a brilliant car, With a LPG Conversion which was done over 18 months ago , but a couple of days ago the engine management lamp came on (the little engine shaped lamp which the manual tells me is the exhaust emission lamp) but after taking it in to a local VW Specialist he tells me that the fault code is
16795     P0411     Sec.Air Inj.Sys. Incorrect Flow Detected
and that it needs further investigation, having spoken to a couple of other VW people they are all saying different things and to be honest i dont know which way to turn.
Shin: You have some kind of leak or malfunction in your secondary air injection system. This small squirrel cage fan in your engine compartment usually turns on especially at start-up when the engine is cold and pumps additional outside air in the exhaust system so the extra oxygen will help to heat up the oxygen sensor and catalytic converter earlier and get the emissions system to kick in earlier. It is usually more of an emmissions problem than an operational performance problem but still needs to fixed at some point. Lenny 

                                    Engine Lubrication

#1)   I have a 1992 Jetta 1.8L with 5 speed transmission with 118,000 miles on it. I am having trouble with the oil pressure warning system. I have verified with a mechanical gauge that there is 20 psi at idle at the oil filter and the head. I have also installed a new oil pump, new pressure sensors, 20w50 oil and a Bosh oil filter. I still have an intermittent warning light and buzzer. The light and buzzer come on at idle most times and can be cleared temporarily by revving the engine. The oil light and buzzer will also go off for very short periods while driving the car. I have been suspecting an electrical connection but have not been able to pinpoint the problem. The VW dealer is suggesting changing the flex board on the back of the instrument cluster. Any suggestions would be most appreciated. thanks, m vossbergmichael vossberg 11/3/2001
Mike; Most of the 95-92 Golf and Jettas have a small circuit board in the instrument cluste called a "dynamic oil pressure control unit" .The book will tell you that minimally acceptable oil pressure is 2 Bar or 29 PSI at 2000 RPM. If you have that minimum then the problem is probably with your senders or gauges or the connections in between or the dopc unit.. This dynamic oil pressure control unit or dopc unit checks oil pressure at low RPM and at higher speeds. You can check that flexible circuit board visually and with great care and you might find a break. It might be nice to have a used known good unit that you could plug in as a tester. Then you need to isolate whether the problem is in the flex board or in the dopc which is a circuit shaped like the state of Florida or you just have bad connections somewhere. Sometimes just wiggling wires to see the gauges move is one of the best diagnostic tools there is.   Lenny

#2)  Lenny, first of all, great page! I have a 1993 Cabriolet. I recently cleaned the engine out with Gunk cleaner. Ever since then, I'm seeing the Bar level go down below 2 and the oil light coming on when I come to a stop. Is there a sensor that I don't know about that could have gotten wet and is there a way to test to verify wether or not I have a real problem? Thanx in advance! Jerry Bommarito  9/8/2001
Jerry; The only way to tell for sure if your oil pressure is low is to remove the oil pressure sending unit from the end of the head and put an oil pressure gauge in the hole. The book says that the minimum acceptable pressure is 2 bar or 29 PSI  when the engine is revved up tp 2000 RPM. If you do not have a gauge a trained or sensitive ear will do because if your oil pressure was low you would definitely hear your valve lifters making noise at an idle. 1 or 2 lifters will sometimes make noise when the engine is cold but that is normal. In my shop we would run the pressure test , clean the connection and replace the sending units (2). If the press is not low that would usually fix the problem. If that doesn't do it it may be a defective Dynamic Oil Pressure Control Unit in your instrument cluster.  
     If the pressure is low then 9 out of 10 times you have a oil pressure relief valve stuck in your oil pump and the pump needs to be replaced before it damages the engine. For some reason it is not uncommon for a customer to get their oil changed and all of a sudden the valve gets stuck. We don't know why this happens and to date we have no way of preventing it.    Lenny. 

1999 VW Passat 1.8T Automatic I bought this car in Oct of 02 and in Feb I took the car in for an oil change at Texaco (mistake, I know!) Well, the oil light came on. After confirming that there was enough oil in the car we took the car into the dealer and was told there was a faulty sensor and replaced it. Well, the light continued to come on while driving mainly at 2000-2500 rpms. We then had the oil changed at the dealer and then the light came back on and we could hear the lifters. We took the car to another dealer after reading VWs need heavier oil and had the oil changed to 20W50 today. Well, we cannot hear the lifters anymore, but the light is now coming on less but at about 1500 rpms. Can you suggest anything. The first dealer wanted 1100.00 to look in the engine just to see what could be wrong, no guarantee. Angie Sarman, Jacksonville FL 

I'd have to see the results of a oil pressure test to see if minimal oil pressure standards are met. The oil pump is very often the problem especially when it occurs right after an oil change. Lenny

Clint; Your Bentleys manual will tell you that minimum oil pressure for that car is 2 bar or 30 P.S.I. when the engine is revved up to 2,000 RPM. You don't have to be driving the car to run this test. Also if your oil pressure really is low you probably will be able to hear that the engine is noisier than usual. For some reason or other the oil pumps on these cars will suddenly go out on you. Probably the pressure relief valve in the pump is getting stuck in a partially open position. The oil pressure problem if you have one could also be the result of connecting rod and or main bearing wear or could be a secondary problem created by bad pump or visa versa. We always replace the pump with a new one and remove some or all of the connecting rod bearing caps to check for wear. If oil pressure is not below specs then the switches or possibly a circuit board in your dash instrument cluster called a "dynamic oil pressure control unit" shaped like a map of the state of Florida may have a bad connection or is defective. Lenny.

#16)  Hi Lenny, I have a 1988 Passat CL 1.6 (Euro) and I am wondering about the engine. It started to drink oil. It has about 100 000 miles. No leaks. No smoke at the tail pipe and the pipe is dry and the plugs are dry too. I know it's not enough information can you venture a guess? I am guessing (more like hoping) that it's just the valve seals that are shot but you are the man. EdEd Nukic  9/4/2001
      Ed; Check for oil drips under car and if there is any then check your valve cover gasket first and then check the gear side of the engine for seals leaking. Lenny

                             STARTING PROBLEMS                                  

Have 93 Passat GLX just turned 100k.Recent tuneup and runs great but occasionally cranks but won't start (warm or cold). Had it towed twice and it started immediately after being lowered from the truck. Have been told it could be fuel pump, ECU, or starter. Any experience with this phenomenon?
greg burt jibecomms@hotmail.com 12/25/2001
Greg; Do you mean engine won't run or starter won't work. Either way if you lift or jiggle the key switch does this have any effect on starting. If so the key switch, the key switch housing and the electrical ignition switch needs to be replaced, all of them. That is the best I can tell with what you gave me. Lenny 

#18)  I have a 86 Jetta GLI i can get it to start if i jump from the battery to the starter but if i try the key nothing it is a 5 speed does it have a safety switch if so where is it? pillar  9/17/200
Pillar;  There is no safety switch on a manual 5 speed of that year. You either have a bad ignition (electrical) switch or a bad connection coming from it to the starter. If can get underneath the steering column where the ignition switch is you can pull the connector off and inspect it and then us a jumper from the large red wire to the starter wire (usually a large red wire with a black stripe to see if the starter works . If it does then your problem is probably the ignition switch.

great to find a ste for informationBryan Crandell  12/17/2001

Hi Lenny; I have a problem with a 1996 Jetta Trek Automatic (2L). The car is reluctant to start. It will crank well but doesn't fire. Occassionaly it will fire just as you release the igntion switch from the start position. Also I tried to read the error codes; the MIL went out but did not blink any codes. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. BryanBryan Crandell  12/17/2001More information on the Jetta Trek. The engine is a type ABA which means the timing is not adjustable; although the timing light indicates the timing is retarded. I checked the knock sensor, which the manual said would retard timing and it seems fine. Any ideas?????Bryan  12/18/2001
Bryan; If the car starts after you have just released the ignition switch then there is a very good chance you have a bad ignition switch. Unfortunately you have to replace the electrical ignition switch, the key/tumbler portion of of the ignition switch and key/tumbler housing portion of the switch or you might not fix the problem and on top of that you need a special and expensive puller to do this job and only a shop like ours would have this special tool. Get the ignition switches replaced first then lets see if you still have a problem. I have got to tell you tho without a scanner or another computer to erase the fault codes in your PCM you may not be able to do job.  Good luck Lenny.  

                             TUNING PROBLEMS                                        

If you don't understand the importance of OXYGEN SENSORS in tuning then click here first to receive a tutorial about this important subject.

#14)   have a Golf Mk3 VR6 1996, unmodified, that has a misfire from 5,000rpm through to about 5,500rpm, and a very light misfire at about 4,200 rpm. Also, it can sometimes miss and splutter from very low revs, in, say, 3rd gear. Is this likely to be the powerpack, or plug leads, as they seem to fail constantly on VR6's !James Little  8/30/2001
James; I would have to interrogate your on-board engine computer to even get started on that problem.Lenny.  

#15)  My 1993 Passat stalls when the engine is cold. A tune-up did not solve the problem. Is it a sensor? Steven Hanson  8/31/2001
Steve; Same answer, I would have to start by scanning your Powerplant Computer Module, your PCM, (or ECM for Electronic Control Module) to determine where to start. Lenny.

hi.i am tring to find the timing specs for a 1992 golf thanks for the helpbob bourassa bobbass@videotron.ca 11/30/2001
Bob; Please Bob, get a repair manual. I have a shop to run.  I don't recommend anybody work on their car without a repair manual. I don't and neither should you. Lenny.

I have a passat vr6 from '92. Recently it started running bad. When i put the gas pedal down it just like something is holding it back and then it slowly starts to get better but it still isn't quite what it used to be. I think it has something to do with the injection system or with the feul pump. Please help me. Greetings from Holland.b.pulles  12/3/2001
B; It is good to hear from you Holland but I don't have enough info I would be guessing. Lenny

i was wondering if anyone knew the exact spark plug gap for a 1991 passat (4 cylinder 2.0 liter fuel injected)and will the gaps for platinum plugs be any differentAJ Riskybuisness00@aol.com 12/27/2001
Bosch spark plugs all come pregapped and don't need to be tampered with at all. Lenny

                           ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS                                

Tech Data
Wiring Terminal Identification by Number  Next time you pull a relay or a switch and look at the numbers and wonder what they mean you will wish you had this list. I only wish I had had it 20 years ago.

My 1974 VW bug just lost both headlights, they both quit working at the same time, what should I check in order of importance, and best "guess" in order to pinpoint the problem? Thanks, Bobby HedrickBobby Hedrick  12/16/2001
Bob; Common sense should tell you headlites are normally on separate fuse so that if the fuse blows you won't find yourself driving down a dark road and all of a sudden finding yourself in a canal. Chances are you have loss of power to your lite switch or a bad switch or bad connection coming out of the switch. My money is on the switch. Lenny

As an add on to rich's question on 11/1/01, my '97 Golf recently wouldn't start after stopping to get gas. The alarm kept going off and the lights dimmed when trying to start it, the instrument panel flashed 'error' in the mileage window, and the clock went to 0:00. We jumped the battery and it ran but the instrument panel still didn't work properly. The battery didn't hold the charge and wouldn't start after a 2nd jump. The dealer said it was the battery which they replaced and the instrument panel shorted out probably because they crossed the cables when jumping the battery. (AAA jumped it so I would guess they know what they are doing.) It has to be replaced. Is this problem with the instrument panel related to the battery or is it an electrical problem? Thanks.Tara  12/3/2001
Tara; You said it yourself, if they jumped the battery in reverse they also reversed the flow of electricity probably burning out all sorts of nifty little electrical devices. Lenny.

28)  I have 1997 gti vr6. Recently I jumped my car but accidentally crossed the jumper cables, can I fry the computer like that? According to the dealer that's, what happened, but I thought there were fuses to protect against that. rich  11/1/2001
Rich; The books always tell you that you should not jump your car's battery with cables if it has a PCM or ECM  onboard.  No there is usually no fuse to protect the computer unless possibly a fuse protecting the relay that might power the computer. Having said that if you reverse the jumper cables on your car I think you stand a good chance of frying a lot of components on your car including your car's computer. Lenny.

Hi Lenny. I've borrowed my friends 1989 VW Jetta and have come upon a problem. The radiator fan is staying on after the car is shut off. So long that it ends up killing the battery. We're trying figure out what sensors might need to be replaced. Have you had this problem before and if so what was the solution? Do you know where online one might find a wiring diagram? Must I go out and purchase the manual? Cheers.david moran  1/2/2002
David; Depending on the speed of the fan ,fast would mean you probably have a bad thermo fan switch in your radiator that needs replacing or if the speed is slow then you have a bad AC fan relay which turns the fan on whenever the AC is running. Get a book. You may have a fan relay that is defective besides the AC fan relay. Lenny

Hello I have two questions. I have a 95 jetta 2.0 . I'm trying to change the sparkplugs on it but I can't pull the wire and the manifold sits on top. It's my first time driving a VW so I'm not really familiar with the engine and I don't know how to remove the wires. If you could help me on this I would really appreciate it. Also, I would like to hook my car up with some performance parts and I'm looking around and seems like neuspeed makes most the parts for my car. What would you recommend from experience, on what companies should I rely on to shop. Thanks for your time and hopefully you might help me.Oscar C  1/8/2002
Oscar; Pulling those spark plug wires is done with a special hand tool that would normally be clipped on your front hood support rod but they often fall off. If you don't use the tool you stand a chance of damaging the ignition wires. Maybe if you are careful you can do it with a pair of plyers. Neuspeed makes some good products. Baum tools should have that tool. Lenny

Hi, I have an 89 Jetta GL. The car wont start. I figure more or less that the car isn't getting any gas because when I sprayed gas in the engine, it started. I hot - wired both pumps so I was sure about the gas flow, but the car still wouldn't start. I have come to realize that the injectors aren't getting any current to open or close. Why isn't the car getting the current? How can I fix the problem? Il Naga Bklyn, NY  1/12/2002
Naga; You did a real good job of laying out the facts. I will have to assume that from your description you have a Digifant injection system and the injectors are not pressure activated but are electrical solenoids. The fact is the Digifant is a good system and is very self correcting to small intake leaks and other problems but there is only 1 output from the computer and that is the signal it sends to the injectors telling them to shoot fuel into the intake manifold and if there is no signal from the computer to the injectors then you could have 1 or more problems. The most likely culprit is 1) no power to the computer, possibly a power relay, 2) no ground connection to the computer, usually a ground strap that goes to the from the top of the cylinder head to the computer or 3) a burnt out computer often caused by those bad connections. Let me know what you find. I need input myself to see if I am giving good advice. Lenny .

Hi Lenny, I have a 1999 1.8T Passat GLX and just recently the entire instrument panel went dead. No odometer, no speedometer, no clock and none of the other gauges work. The check engine light is on. I suspected a fuse but could not determine which one needs to be changed. Any advice you have is appreciated. Sal, San Francisco, CA  1/14/2002
Sal; For starters lets keep it simple. I am going to talk about basic common sense measures because I don't feel like looking in the book unless I had the car in front of me. First thing you could do is rap with the flat of your hand on the dash above the instrument cluster and if the lights flicker or come on then your bad connection is in the dash and very possibly is the push-on multi-prong connector (MPC) that goes into the dash. If that were the case then you might be able to go the next step and reach under the dash and find the MPC going to the instrument cluster move it a little bit with your hand and if the lights flicker then you are closer to isolating the problem. If you have to pull the steering wheel to remove the instrument then you are probably in over your head since you will need an expensive special steering wheel puller and disconnecting the air bag which I don't recommend. If you could get the MPC down without pulling the dash then you could check a black wire to see if you are getting power when the key is on  or a brown wire to see if you have a good ground. You need them both. Lenny.

2000 Jetta GL. The lamp behind my climate control panel has gone out. How can I change it myself, without breaking some hidden plastic clip? Rob, Arlington, VA rpiester@bellatlantic.net 1/16/2002
Rob; Very carefully?? Lenny.

Color Legend
  Water-cooled

       Engine Overheating
      Engine Lubrication
     Starting Problems
    Tuning Problems
         Electrical Problems
  Body Problem
RADIOS

                                         RADIOS                                                      

I have a wonderful 97 VW Jetta, and when I have work done on it--sometimes the radio "locks up." By this I mean that you need a code to make it work again. I bought the car used, and the dealer did not give me a manual. I even wrote them and asked for one---and after the sale--well let's just say I won't but another car from them again :( If someone knows the code so I can turn on the radio, I would be oh-so-happy---not as happy as having our soldiers come home soon--but pretty close :) Thanks and BLESS YOU for even considering answering this irritating question! But I am not buying the manual!!!! Karen. Karen Knight, Columbus, Ohio TWEETYCCC@aol.com  4/10/2003 

Karen; If you remove the radio you will find a serial number on the radio. You should be able to call the service dept of any dealership and give them the number and possibly your VIN number and they should be able to look in their computer and tell you what the code is and you should have instructions for entering the code in your radio in the manual in your glove compartment or call the dealership for instructions on how to activate the radio. Lenny. Jamie Gravelle, PEI Canada phingazz@hotmail.com 3/13/2003

 #2)       Are there problems with unexpected engine failures in the VR6 eng Lynn Gregg  5/1/2001
Lynn; As the owner of a VW repair shop for over 20 years I can tell you the weak link in the water-cooled VW's  (let's not talk about the Wasserboxers) is not the powerplant. I have one customer with a 1987 Cabriolet that has over 800,000 miles and counting. Of course that is not a VR6 but I have no direct knowledge of the VR6 motor having problems and it carries a 100,000 or ten year warranty and they have been producing them since 1993. In other words I haven't had anyone come to my shop with a bad engine yet. In fact the weak link is more likely to be electronic than mechanical. That figures since the 100,000 mile warranty covers only lubricated drive train parts and the main computer. Lenny M.

#6)  Hi, I have a 1996 Passat GLS and would like to change the pollen filter. I understand that if the filter becomes very dirty, this could effect the AC's output, is that true? I just noticed an odor coming from the vents when it is on.. Thank you, TSTony Stout  7/12/2001
Tony; I recommend you replace it. If it is wet and causing oders it could be causing more problems than it is solving. It should be located under the hood in the air plenum passenger side near the windshield. Lenny.

#11)  Are any specialty vw tools required to replace the rear shocks in a 95 jetta glx? thanks steve.
Steve; If you are using a good Bentley's manual it will tell you if you need special tools and it will also give you the VW number (VAG) Tools are available from Baum Tools ,Assenmacher or Zelender Tool Company. Check the internet for their telephone numbers or URLs.

My sister's 1997 Jetta 2.0 5sp with 55k miles has developed a clicking under load in reverse. The local dealer wants $700 to pull the transmission to take a look. She is the original owner so the 100K warranty should still apply. Is this a frequent problem with this transmission? What are the chances that it will be covered under warranty? Thanks for any help you can give! Paul 
Paul; Anything in the drive train (engine and transmission) that is lubricated by oil should be covered. If this is a automatic transmission the electrical solenoids in the tranny may not be covered. I am not sure. Sensors and computers etc are not covered. The mechanical parts of the tranny should be. Lenny.

I have a '93 VW Passat VR6 and I had the transmission replaced by a local dealership. They of course, were no help to me. Since I have had the vehicle back, the tranny shifts through gears 1-2-3 just fine, but when it comes upon gear #4 it shifts once at 2500rpm and then again (about 2-3 seconds later) at 2100rpm. The shifts are very abrupt as well. Also, after only going over 60 mph the car will shift itself out of overdrive to a lower gear. A gain from 2500rpm to about 4000rpm happens. Then,just turn off the engine, restart, and it shifts ok, until you go over the 60mph again... What could this be? GerryGerry Holland  8/28/2001
Gerry; Sounds like a problem for the people that sold you the tranny. Lenny.

#19)  I have a 1985 Jetta GL. Recently at around 360,000km I had the master cylinder replaced and the booster and the proportioning valve. Now at 412,000km Im having a problem with the front brakes. when it is cool out the pedal stays soft and rims remain relatively cool-the right front is always warmer then the left. On hot days the right rim becomes so hot it has melted the hub cap, and will hold car on a slight incline. why is this with the temperature change and only on the one side of the car? Problem becomes most noticable around mid 20c to 30c. I have replaced both front calipers, replaced brake fluid every 2 years since new. How does the proportioning valve work on this car?harry  9/24/2001
Harry;  I had this problem on one of my personal cars and I wish I could tell exactly what the problem is. I can only tell you what the solution was for me. In my case both front calipers were binding up to the point where the car wouldn't even roll. I tried a lot of things but the last thing I did was to replace the master cylinder and either turn or replace the rotors because they were extremely warped at this point. That fixed it for me.
     The proportioning valve reacts to the distribution of weight in the car because if you are by yourself in the car the car will brake differently than if you had a full tank of gas, 2 NFL football players in the back seat and a trunk full of bricks. In fact the front or rear brakes will lock up on you if the weight distribution in your car is way out of whack. When there is more weight in the back the rear of the car will sink lower and the proportioning valve which is attached to the rear suspension I-beam will pull on the valve and will then redistribute the brake pressure from front to rear thus avoiding brake lock up. The most common way to spot a proportioning valve that is bad to is that it begins to leak brake fluid. Lenny

#24)  I HAVE A VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 1987 AND THE FUEL PUMP BROKE IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE, $200. CAN I ADAPT ANY DIFFERENT FUEL PUMP?Francisco Rico  10/23/2001
Francisco;  You are withholding evidence. You say the pump is broke but what do you mean? The pump is noisy, fuel pressure readings are low, the pump is bound up. You have 2 pumps in that car. 1 small cheaper pump in the tank and the larger main pump under the car sometimes encased in a plastic housing to keep it running cooler. The main pump does not fail that often. If the in-tank pump fails the larger more expensive main pump that is under the car will get noisy and it will eventually ruin the main pump. If the main pump fails it will not ruin the in-tank pump. If either pump is not getting at least 12 volts it will eventually destroy the pumps.
      We usually replace the small pump first then if there are still problems with the main pump it is next. Lenny.

#29)  Is it necessary to remove any splash (engine) quards to change the oil on a '99 Passat 1.8T.? If so any tips or tricks ? Joe  11/3/2001 

                                 Note  Joe; Is it  necessary that I answer this question. I am assuming at this point that one of my employees must be playing a trick on me by writing this email. You know, things like "How often do I have to adjust the piston return springs?" Please people, help me. Turn off your computer, go outside, get down on your knees and look under your car and see if there is a splash pan blocking your oil filter. Get a Bentley's repair manual and I am sure it will tell you how to remove the 4 to 6 bolts that might be holding the splash pan on. It might even instruct you how to reinstall those same bolts. Don't forget to check the torque specifications. (Just kidding). Viel gluck ( good luck), Lenny

Hi Lenny, I have an 1985 Jetta 1.8l. Every couple of days i have to add some oil. The engine is not leaking from anywhere except under the air cleaner. so i opened up the air cleaner and half of the air filter is soaked in oil. I checked inside the line that comes from the pvc valve no oil there. I am assuming that the airflow meter is shot. is there some kind of fix for it or do i have to replace it, and if i do have to replace it, is it an easy job.Pat  12/5/2001

Pat; Check first to make sure your positive crankcase ventilation hoses are routed properly. Next make sure your dipstick is reading correctly. Drop the oil and filter if you have any doubt and refill the engine oil based on the book (around 4 quarts). Then check your dipstick reading. Last and probably most likely pull off the oil filler cap off the valve cover and look inside. If you see a camshaft instead of a plastic splash cover hiding your camshaft then this your problem. Pull the valve cover and install the plastic splash cover (part # 026 103 547). They are cheap and easy to replace . Don't forget to put a new valve cover gasket kit on. (Please no silicone for gosh sakes) Your air flow meter should be fine. Lenny.