Trusted TDI Mechanics - By State

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
silverstar03 said:
for metro Philadelphia, PA:

Josh at Keystone European is awesome. VW trained, diesel specialist. Also works on older cars, all German cars. Very honest, does great work.

http://www.keystoneeuropean.com
Excellent find -- We get lots of inquiries about shops in the Philadelphia area, but have usually sent them to someone in NJ or far outside the metro area. Keystone European has a good website, seems to have solid TDI experience, and is very conveniently located just off the major freeways and near the airport.

I wonder why Josh Coomes, the owner, is not a TDI Club member?
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Time grasshopper......time.....
 

slowmike

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Location
Pensacola, FL
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagon SEL TDI, 2015 Audi A3 Prestige TDI with Comma3 selfdrive system.
A big +1 for Jason AKA TDIJetta99. Very professional, very knowledgeable. Did 100k timing belt/waterpump/pulleys/tensioners, oil, oil filter, and (we hope) fixed the poor fuel economy problem that was plaguing the car.

He also noted that we were missing the nose pan and that there was a painted on timing mark on the engine from the previous owner's belt change.

I would definitely recommend him and return again for more work.
 

TDI2Fan

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
TDI
2000/2001/2002/2004/2009 Jetta GLS Auto/Auto/5M/5M/DSG 2010 A3/DSG
Not in Richmond, VA but Stafford, VA is "ninedee_golf_tdi". I can speak to his quality of work. He has done two TB for me. Very good!

chester_tdi said:
...

How did it turn out? I will also need a mechanic in the Richmond area.
 

jcaimhigher

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2004
TDI
2002, galactic blue
I didn't see it updated but MiksTDI is in Round Lake IL now. Just South of the WI line and West of Waukegan (in Lake County IL).

If you have questions just ask him or I (he's my younger brother).
 

bumblefreak

New member
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Location
Los Angeles
TDI
2006 TDI
The best mechanic in Los Angeles

Raymond Radi runs Radi's Mechanic Service, Inc in Echo Park, near Dodger's Stadium.

1344 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 482-1344
www.radismechanic.com

Raymond is honest, knowledgeable, and will repair/maintain your car without ripping you off.
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
bumblefreak said:
Raymond Radi runs Radi's Mechanic Service, Inc in Echo Park, near Dodger's Stadium.

1344 W. Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 482-1344
www.radismechanic.com

Raymond is honest, knowledgeable, and will repair/maintain your car without ripping you off.
Ray Radi might be an excellent mechanic, and his shop may provide excellent service.

But this is a thread for TDI mechanics, and Mr Radi is not a TDI mechanic.
 

need speed

New member
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Location
Pennsylvania
TDI
1999 Jetta (new body style)
How does one make onto the trusted mechanics page?
Can anyone tell me how long it should take to swap out one ECU for another on a 1999 Jetta TDI new body style?
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
need speed said:
How does one make onto the trusted mechanics page?
BKMetz, one of the forum moderators, wrote: "There is no TDIClub seal of approval for any vendor and TDIClub does not resolve any conflicts. When someone becomes registered as a vendor, there is no automatic inclusion to the 'Trusted TDI Mechanic's - By State' thread. Admission to that thread is by referral only. I discourage vendors from adding themselves to that thread as self-promotion can make their credibility suspect. Referrals are earned, not granted. Vendors are expected to have the integrity to hold themselves accountable.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=2488975&postcount=1
 
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megaladon6

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Location
Danbury CT
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS
i can't guarantee it, but they seem pretty damn good. Farnbacher Loles on Miry Brook rd in danbury CT. they usually work on and build race porsche's. they even work on ferrari's, and yes they have a diesel tech:) their labor rate for VW's is $85 which is pretty much the avg. here.
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
megaladon6 said:
i can't guarantee it, but they seem pretty damn good. Farnbacher Loles on Miry Brook rd in danbury CT. they usually work on and build race porsche's. they even work on ferrari's, and yes they have a diesel tech:) their labor rate for VW's is $85 which is pretty much the avg. here.
Lots of stuff about Porsches, not much about anything else, no mention of TDIs.
http://www.farnbacherloles.com/index_street.htm

So not a "trusted TDI mechanic.
 

megaladon6

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2004
Location
Danbury CT
TDI
2003 Jetta GLS
they just diagnosed my tdi. one of their techs is also a tdi owner. if you built cars like that, would you advertise them, or a vw?
 

K5ING

Mega-Miler
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Krum, TX
TDI
Silver 2001 Golf GL TDI 5-speed
FYI everyone... I've redone my Google Earth location file tonight based on jwklionking's list at the beginning of this long thread. He will also be hosting it on his own server and will link to it as soon as he gets a chance. I've also put the updated file on the Google Earth Community site for download. I know that some of the locations may not be exact, but they will put you in the neighborhood. People who didn't put their addresses in will usually have their location shown at the town center unless I knew different.

I used a custom icon this time, but I don't know if it's embedded in the file or not. If you see a VW logo with "diesel" under it, it worked. If not, let me know. Thanks!

UPDATE: The GOOGLE EARTH file is now available at the beginning of the list on the first page. Thanks jwlionking!
 
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K5ING

Mega-Miler
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Krum, TX
TDI
Silver 2001 Golf GL TDI 5-speed
ninedee_golf_tdi said:
I tried to open your file K5ING, but my computer doesn't recognize the .kmz extension. What do you use to open it with ?
You have to have Google Earth installed on your computer.
 
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CSM Jetta

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2009
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
TDI
2002 Jetta--SOLD
hey quick question. i've been getting stuff done (tires, alignment, etc) on my '02 jetta tdi by Brad at the Digital Chassis in Durham, NC. He is an expert with suspension, tires etc. I was wonering if anyone here has used him for performance work. He's really close to my house so it's convenient and he's a great guy. I'm not sure if he's listed as a "trusted TDi mechanic" but he does lots of work on porsche, VW and other german cars both performance and handling.

anyone had experience with him?
 
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TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
CSM Jetta said:
hey quick question. i've been getting stuff done (tires, alignment, etc) on my '02 jetta tdi by Brad at the Digital Chassis in Durham, NC. He is an expert with suspension, tires etc. I was wonering if anyone here has used him for performance work. He's really close to my house so it's convenient and he's a great guy. I'm not sure if he's listed as a "trusted TDi mechanic" but he does lots of work on porsche, VW and other german cars both performance and handling.
He sounds like an excellent mechanic. It also sounds like he is not a TDI mechanic.
 

CSM Jetta

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2009
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
TDI
2002 Jetta--SOLD
TornadoRed said:
He sounds like an excellent mechanic. It also sounds like he is not a TDI mechanic.
ya i didn't think he was a trusted TDI mechanic but i know he does work on diesels. Anyone worked with him?

I've talked to him about it and he said he could do it and i trust him 100% but would like some feedback if there is any available.
 

K5ING

Mega-Miler
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Krum, TX
TDI
Silver 2001 Golf GL TDI 5-speed
Just my 2 cents worth here (and worth every penny). A few years ago, I took my Golf to a very well respected VW-Audi shop in Dallas. This guy had been in business for years, ran a race-dedicated Golf in SCCA events, and had people coming hundreds of miles to use his services. He said a timing belt would be no biggie for him.

He screwed the pooch not once, but twice when I tried to let him make good on the screwup. It was a true TDI guru (MoGolf) who took one look at his work under my hood, rolled up his sleeves, and fixed it right.

Being an expert with Volkswagen's doesn't mean he's an expert with TDI engines. Your guy might be an excellent TDI man, and you're doing the right thing by checking here to see if anyone else has used him. However, unless you wish to run the risk of "taking one for the team", I'd suggest an established TDI guru from the list. IF you do use him, be sure to report back so he can be considered being added.

As an aside, what critria is used for adding someone to the list? I don't think that just one positive report should be enough. Any thoughts?
 

Archer

Active member
Joined
Feb 24, 2004
Location
Ft. Wayne, Indiana
TDI
2000 Golf
Jeff Harrison is the man

Took my Golf to Jeff for a timing adjustment - which he did. He took the time to inspect the timing belt replacement previously done by my "regular" mechanic. He spotted an incorrectly installed (and broken) tensioner, made me aware of the specific defect, what made it a defect, and possible issues that could arise. It was close enough to a timing belt change, so I scheduled the replacement for the following weekend. Long story short, Jeff professionally serviced my Golf and went well beyond my expectations. My fuel economy increased 20% and overall performance improved as well. Very personable, detail oriented guy, and highly recommended any day of the week.
 

jharrison

Vendor
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Location
x
TDI
x
Archer said:
Took my Golf to Jeff for a timing adjustment - which he did. He took the time to inspect the timing belt replacement previously done by my "regular" mechanic. He spotted an incorrectly installed (and broken) tensioner, made me aware of the specific defect, what made it a defect, and possible issues that could arise. It was close enough to a timing belt change, so I scheduled the replacement for the following weekend. Long story short, Jeff professionally serviced my Golf and went well beyond my expectations. My fuel economy increased 20% and overall performance improved as well. Very personable, detail oriented guy, and highly recommended any day of the week.
Thanks for the kind words. :)
 

TornadoRed

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Location
West Des Moines (formerly St Paul)
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon, silver; 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, indigo blue; 2003 Golf GL 5-spd, red (PARTED); 2003 Golf GLS 5-spd, indigo blue (SOLD); 2003 Jetta TDI wagon, Candy White (SOLD)
If you live in the Rapid City SD area, or if you are traveling through on your way to Sturgis or Mount Rushmore, there is now a recommended TDI mechanic in your area.

We've added Hairy Cannonball -- also known as Tim -- to the list from Rapid City, South Dakota. He came to my attention in this thread.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=2544628
 

Dimitri16V

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Location
DE
TDI
01 Golf, 04 Golf
Admin , please remove Genes Foreign Car service , Broomall , PA from this list. Their botched T-belt service almost cost me my engine
 

jerryofva

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2008
Location
Moved to Wisconsin in 6/15
TDI
2015 Jetta TDI SE The Dodge and Mitsubishi are no longer among the living
Has anybody used Volkswerkes in Falls Church VA? I live in Arlington and it would sure be nice not to have to take my TDI to Sterling for service.
 

Boggie105

Active member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Location
Cincinnati, OH
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI GL (196K miles)
Just bought a 2003 TDI with 120K, and took it to Jon's Auto in Marysville, OH (http://www.jonsautocare.com/) for a timing belt change. Very professional and knowledgeable, he was able to fit me in on short notice. I will defiantly be going back!
 

sgtpopeye43

Active member
Joined
Jun 29, 2007
Location
Oakdale, CT
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI wagon slush box
Meganuke aka Keith good guy in CT

Hi VW troops,
Meganuke did a timing belt job on my 03 Jetta TDI and I am very pleased with his work. I have experienced more power and improved fuel mileage since the TB replacement.
Thank you Keith:D
 
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