My 2003 Jetta TDI 5 Speed resurrection thread!

aja8888

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I purchased a 2003 Jetta TDI GLS with 297K on it in February 2016 in Dallas area for $750.00 from the original owner who relocated from Wisconsin a couple of years ago. He is a current TDI Club member. The car has the usual amenities that were found in 2003 (sunroof, power windows, locks, heated seats, leather, etc) and everything works as it should. The following is a re-worded summary of the recent ad he placed on the club for sale site that led me to the car:

From ad (edited by me)

The timing belt is due at 300K. (Kit installed 2/16)

The car is still on original suspension and it feels like it.

Main seal is suspect. In the last 20K, an oil leak developed. When it comes time for oil changes, a little bit of oil is seen in the lower engine cover. We're talking "wipe away", not "pour out".

Other important history:

Car spent its life in the rust belt of Wisconsin. The front wheel wells are showing the classic paint bubbling which precedes rust-through.

At 225K, car got rear-ended in a 45MPH zone by a guy that slammed on his brakes but couldn't stop in time. This was dealer repaired. Repair cosmetically is perfect and it drives no different than before, so A+ to the repair guys.

Installed a non-stock intercooler, upgraded fuel injector nozzles, new clutch, and turbo (from written receipts, it appears to be the “150 HP” kit from Kerma). It's got the Kerma stage 2 treatment with corresponding ECU reflash. Installed a non-stock cat converter and exhaust.

It's up to date on all other maintenance (oil/other fluids/filters) and had the AC system replaced at 288K and a new VNT17 turbo installed at 261K.

Though owner’s maintenance records are unfortunately spotty for the early days of the car, there is a solid history for the last 150K with all receipts and work orders.

A Kenwood 1DIN receiver with USB, Bluetooth, and mounted cabin mic for hands-free cellular was installed recently. Also has the HD radio module installed.

Nice glass headlight lenses from VX-Tuning.

Comes with two sets of 15” wheels. Original wheels have winter sport tires on them. Nicer Verde Protocol wheels have the all-season tires.

Kerma Q-Loader included with a CD that contains the original and modified ECU files.

Currently. I have a 2014 Passat TDI with 23K miles on it that is caught up in the "Dieselgate" issues and will be kept until such time as resolution of the matter is complete. I am recently retired and have the time (and funds) to work on the 2003 Jetta as a hobby and bring it into great shape. This car may be my daily driver as my wife has a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe that is not going to leave anytime soon. Here are a few pictures of the 2003 Jetta:





 
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aja8888

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Dec 25, 2007
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First order of business!

I picked the car up in Dallas earlier this week and immediately brought the car to the TDIGuy (Steve Glover) shop in Fort worth to have a timing belt kit installed and to do a quick shakedown of the car since I only drove it briefly before buying it. I didn't want to drive it to Houston without a new belt and associated parts since the belt was due (97K on it).

His top mechanic, Jacob, installed a 100K kit and gave the car a good look over. He was concerned about a black smoke issue and said that a hammer mod may be in order, but we left it like that for the time being.

As noted, the suspension is quite worn and needs struts and bushings. That will be a job I will tackle at home once I determine what to buy. I have two new ball joints sitting on the shelf for the car already. Tomorrow, I plan to get the car on jack stands and have a look at the suspension. I suspect I'll need:

Struts, shocks, mounts, hardware
LCA bushings,
Ball joints,
Tie rod ends,
Sway bar bushings,
Alignment.

Since the car will be a possible daily driver, any parts suggestions for the above would be appreciated. Also, if I decide my old bones are not up to doing the job myself, any idea of the estimated cost to have a Guru handle the job (your recent experience)?

My short list after a good car wash/clean is as follows:

Two new or used front fenders,
Engine cover (OE is cracked and pretty much worthless)
HID light conversion (buy from member Freakwithracket, aka, Jeff)
Change transmission gear oil (Completed 2/22/16)
Find solution for large amount of black smoke on acceleration, slight hesitation at 2000 RPM when accelerating.

Any suggestions on the above will be greatly appreciated, especially the smoke/hesitation issue.

Thanks!
 
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1854sailor

Resident Curmudgeon
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Aug 10, 2004
Location
Westerly, RI
TDI
2015 Golf SE SportWagen, 2015 Golf SE Hatch Back.
Subscribed! Black smoke could be the result of a boost leak. Had a similar problem with the Golf.
 

aja8888

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Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
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Subscribed! Black smoke could be the result of a boost leak. Had a similar problem with the Golf.
Thanks! That's one of the things on my list to look for. There are no MILs or any indication of a recordable issue, although I don't have a VCDS cable that works with this car to see if there is a boos problem. That cable is on the list also.

Looking under the car today at the plumbing I could see, I didn't see anything obvious like a loose hose or a crack in one. The car does not have a boost gauge also.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
Check the vacuum hoses too. Make sure they're all routed correctly/not torn or cracked. What kind of boost levels are you seeing? I was recently having an overboost problem (never let it go long enough to go into limp mode) but it was because of the vacuum hoses. It was still plumbed for EGR/ASV which had been deleted. Also the intake pipe was off enough to not be completely sealed which allowed more air in than the MAF was reading. A bottle of diesel purge may be a good idea too.

Those fenders look rough! Car is in really good shape for a Wisconsin vehicle (ask me how I know...lol). Good luck on the refresh!
 

aja8888

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Check the vacuum hoses too. Make sure they're all routed correctly/not torn or cracked. What kind of boost levels are you seeing? I was recently having an overboost problem (never let it go long enough to go into limp mode) but it was because of the vacuum hoses. It was still plumbed for EGR/ASV which had been deleted. Also the intake pipe was off enough to not be completely sealed which allowed more air in than the MAF was reading. A bottle of diesel purge may be a good idea too.

Those fenders look rough! Car is in really good shape for a Wisconsin vehicle (ask me how I know...lol). Good luck on the refresh!
Thanks, underneath looks pretty good and the rear brake cable and emergency brake hardware was replaced a short while ago. Used fenders are around $200/pair and I used to do some paint work so for another $100 for base and clear coat, I will take care of the repaint.

As far as boost goes, no boost gauge and I don't have a correct VCDS cable (mine is for the 2014 Passat and not backwards compatible). I'm looking to buy one quickly. I did have a peek at the vacuum hoses and all look good topside. Tomorrow I will go underneath the car and have a look at the turbo plumbing.
 

dutch.mafia

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2015
Location
Neenah, WI
TDI
2002 Golf
As far as boost goes, no boost gauge and I don't have a correct VCDS cable (mine is for the 2014 Passat and not backwards compatible). I'm looking to buy one quickly. I did have a peek at the vacuum hoses and all look good topside. Tomorrow I will go underneath the car and have a look at the turbo plumbing.
Whoops I misread that. Thought you said it did have a gauge. Any idea if the injectors were pop tested when installed? Is the EGR deleted (no emissions in Wisconsin, so I assumed it probably was). Maybe the intake is clogged partially if not.

As far as suspension goes I plan on using this kit to do a full refresh this summer.
http://www.fixmyvw.com/mk4-suspension-kit/
 
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aja8888

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Whoops I misread that. Thought you said it did have a gauge. Any idea if the injectors were pop tested when installed? Is the EGR deleted (no emissions in Wisconsin, so I assumed it probably was). Maybe the intake is clogged partially if not.

As far as suspension goes I plan on using this kit to do a full refresh this summer.
http://www.fixmyvw.com/mk4-suspension-kit/
The nozzles, turbo, clutch and associated hardware was ordered from Kerma about two years ago. I believe the injectors were sent to Kerma for pop testing at that time. The owner had it all locally installed and purchased a Q loader and installed the 150 HP ecu tune. I'll have to check with the owner to see if the EGR was deleted in software, but it is physically there. Until I get a new VCDS cable, I am not going to make any progress on the smoke issue other than checking plumbing and hoses.

I have a receipt in the two inch thick pile of them that the owner gave me that indicates the intake was cleaned about the time the turbo was installed.

Thanks for the link on the suspension kit. I'll see if Andrew sells a set of sway bar bushings to go along with that kit.
 

aja8888

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Rained here in south Texas today so I put the car in the garage on jack stands. I changed the transmission gear oil today. ;) Old stuff was pretty black and probably has been in there quite a while. Used the Redline product I had sitting on the shelf.



I may change the oil and filter while it sits high as it has about 8,000+ miles on it. I have a couple of jugs of Rotella T-6 5W 40 on the shelf.

Also took a look at the suspension and see that rear LCA bushings are cracked. Hey, after 297,000 miles, they should be! I need to measure the sway bar diameter so I can order the right size bushings.

I believe I am going with Bilstein TC struts and shocks, the Audi TT LCA bushings, and all the hardware/bolt kits. I'll price out the order tonight.
 
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Lightflyer1

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2015 Beetle tdi dsg
Way to go AJ! I have VCDS if you need it. I will be watching your thread. I hate rust! Looks to be a winner as long as you don't find some huge unknown problem you didn't know about. At least you don't have to rebuild the head like me to start with. What was the price of the car?
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I'm happy to see someone saving another ALH. I was thinking the other day that no one would bother to put this kind of time and effort into a, say, '02 Honda. Good luck and I hope you have no big surprises!
 

aja8888

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I'm happy to see someone saving another ALH. I was thinking the other day that no one would bother to put this kind of time and effort into a, say, '02 Honda. Good luck and I hope you have no big surprises!
Thanks for the support Peter! I think you will see more of these ALH's (and possibly PD's) being brought back to life and kept for second cars for a variety of reasons:

1. Simplicity of operation,
2. Relatively trouble free (we know all the issues),
3. Longevity,
4. Fuel efficient,
5. Fun to drive.

And I know you have a few yourself!
 
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aja8888

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Way to go AJ! I have VCDS if you need it. I will be watching your thread. I hate rust! Looks to be a winner as long as you don't find some huge unknown problem you didn't know about. At least you don't have to rebuild the head like me to start with. What was the price of the car?
Thanks for the support here!

BTW, this is the second one I have fixed up. The last one was a 2004 BEW Jetta with a blown timing belt and 200K on it bought in McKinney, Texas last Fall. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=450173

The PO kept it in meticulous condition and garaged for all its life. The exterior and interior were in perfect condition and he had all the maintenance records. Recent work was a new suspension, A/C rebuild, and rear brakes. I bought the car for $1,000 and put on a new head with camshaft and a timing belt kit. Within a week of me bringing the car home to Houston, my step daughter's Mustang transmission went out and she needed a car. To make a long story short, she now owns it!

On this 2003, which is not a Texas-only car (comes with some rust :D), I paid $750.00 for it.

As you know from your experience with BlueBoy, these cars are "out there" if someone is looking for a candidate to bring back to great running condition.
 

runonbeer

Maintenance EnthusiastVendor
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Location
Austin, TX/Chapel Hill, NC
TDI
'00 Golf 02M, '10 Golf 02E, '02 UTE 02M
I wish we could save them all.

I just did a 5 speed swap on a beautiful 03 Jetta. White with black leather. It feels good.
 

TdiRN

Veteran Member
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Jul 7, 2015
Location
FL
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2002 VW Jetta, 5 speed, 400k milesish
I wish I could find one for $750! Even the 250k mile automatics around here people want $3,000
 

aja8888

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I wish I could find one for $750! Even the 250k mile automatics around here people want $3,000
Remember, these cars are not "prizes" when you buy one for $750 - $1,000.

1. Calculate the cost of repairs to bring one back in good condition.

2. Spell that out to the seller.

3. Subtract that number from the KBB good condition value or the completed sale costs from eBay.

4. Offer the subtracted amount.

5. Walk away if the seller balks, but give him your contact information.

6. Make a deal when he calls a few weeks later. Deal done.
 

aja8888

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Got after it today instead of puttering around the house. I did a LM diesel purge to give the injectors a cleaning. Didn't notice any difference in performance.

Also did an oil and filter change. When I started the car after the oil change, the valve train was rattling to beat the band for a few seconds. Makes me wonder what the cam and lifters look like at 298,000 miles. Maybe later I'll take a peek.

Pulled the front wheels and took a look at the suspension. As suspected, it's pretty rusty and old looking. Strangely enough, the end links and two sway bar bushingsw looked quite good. That surprised me.

The tie rods and ball joints don't have any noticeable looseness. That, too, is surprising.

Here's some photos:



The above shows the OEM strut with the inner fender liner removed.



Note the rust on the strut body. It looks welded into the mounting cup. That's going to be fun!


You can see the rear LCA bushing to the left and it is damaged. To the right is the sway bar bushing which looks good.


Here's a shot of the rust on the brake rotor. I may change the front brakes also.

Tomorrow I am going to attempt to remove the lower control arms and get the bushings out. I hope I don't run into that issue with the round nut inside the subframe channel that's glued in place breaking loose. That would really piss me off.
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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Aug 16, 2004
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
If you live where salt is used on roads what you're seeing isn't the least bit unusual. And often not too hard to work with. IMO those brakes don't look bad.
 

aja8888

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If you live where salt is used on roads what you're seeing isn't the least bit unusual. And often not too hard to work with. IMO those brakes don't look bad.
No salt used on roads down this way, but my many years in Connecticut brings back memories.:D

I should have expanded on the brake inspection:

The rotors are not flat across the face as they were when machined new, although they are not warped. Running your finger along them, I can feel a slight bulge about mid way up on the contact face. The inside pad is about 1/2 as thick as the outside pad so it appears the caliper slide bolts may be sticking. The rotors have some wear as there is a ridge at the outside edge. I suspect the last front brake job was just a pad replacement. I could live with them for a good while, however.
 

turbocharged798

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May 21, 2009
Location
Ellenville, NY
TDI
99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
That car is pretty clean by north east standards. There is still paint left on the suspension components, most of mine are just rust colored now.
 

aja8888

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That car is pretty clean by north east standards. There is still paint left on the suspension components, most of mine are just rust colored now.
Yes, it is surprisingly rust free underneath along the body pan. I'm pretty sure the original owner kept it in his garage when he lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He's only been in Texas a couple of years, at most.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
MKIV cars stay pretty clean underneath. I had my wagon up in the air for an exhaust adjustment a few days ago and it's pretty much rust-free after 14 New England winters. Only rust it's had is tailgate, fenders (not cleaned out enough, my bad) and rockers from bent over pinch welds. MKIV rustproofing is pretty good.
 

turbocharged798

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Ellenville, NY
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99.5 black ALH Jetta;09 Gasser Jetta
They love to rust out on the front pocket area behind the wheel well and in front of the rocker. Salt/sand/dirt builds up in there and rusts the hell out of that area. I have seen them to the point the whole front rocker panel was gone.

If you see any rust starting in that area, then you need to get some por15 or similar on it ASAP.
 

aja8888

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They love to rust out on the front pocket area behind the wheel well and in front of the rocker. Salt/sand/dirt builds up in there and rusts the hell out of that area. I have seen them to the point the whole front rocker panel was gone.

If you see any rust starting in that area, then you need to get some por15 or similar on it ASAP.
Thanks for the tip. I'll be pulling the fenders soon for replacements.

Tony
 

aja8888

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Today I dropped the right side LCA and ball joint. I had to do a little "surgery" to get the ball joint out (cut off nut as it was frozen). I was not wanting to pull the axle out of the spindle since I was missing a 30 mm socket :)confused:).

Here are some pictures of the LCA bushings and the end links:











The back bushing is pretty shot while the front is reasonable. I am assuming the left LCA is about the same from a visual look. It would hurt me to replace the end link bushings since they look and feel very good. Maybe I'll let those "live on" and just replace the two sway bar bushings seeing I have good access.

Incidentially, the ball joints felt fine with no noticeable slop or wear. The rubber grease boot was intact. Amazing after 298,000 miles.

Replacement parts and struts should be here by weeks end.
 
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whitedog

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Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
It would hurt me to replace the end link bushings since they look and feel very good.
I hear ya. You have one half off, they probably have 300,000 miles on them, but they look great. Why mess with them. But then you have them half off. Fortunately they are so easy to replace at anytime, I would done the same thing. Unless I got them in a kit that was a better deal than buying stuff separately.
 

runonbeer

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'00 Golf 02M, '10 Golf 02E, '02 UTE 02M
I've never had to replace an end link unless it was broken in half (usually by a tow truck driver) and likewise with ball joints, most of the time if they need to be replaced it's because someone already did them and put in some MOOG or other junk aftermarket.
 

runonbeer

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'00 Golf 02M, '10 Golf 02E, '02 UTE 02M
What does often need to be replaced are:
rear position control arm bushings (as you've seen). Rarely needs front position bushings unless there was a major oil or fuel leak that took them out.
strut mounts (if not struts themselves. OEM sachs stuff only lasted about 80K on a MKIV)
sway bar bushings (these last about 30-40K. I like to buy Genuine VW bushings from the dealer. They're better)

And AJ, you're going to want to either buy a bench grinder with a wire wheel and a tub or grease or just get a suspension bolt set from one of the vendors. Northern cars do ugly things to bolts.
 
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IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
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Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
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'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
FWIW, sway bar links in may wagon are original. I did have front control arm bushings fail and start squeaking this year, they were also original. And I've replaced sway bar bushings twice. Second time was probably unnecessary, I was chasing the control arm bushing squeak and thought it was sway bar bushings. Rear axle bushings were replaced this year, too. Not in terrible shape. That's after 320K miles.

If you maintain suspension on these cars bushings last. Problem is most people neglect suspension.
 
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