Trusted TDI Mechanics - By State

And I would have a discussion section on each review, for AT LEAST the reviewer and shop to discuss, if not wide open.

any good mechanic in maryland or any good performance shops

liltravis said:

any good mechanic in maryland or any good performance shops

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Have you tried looking at the list everybody here is talking about (post 1 in this thread)?

Maryland

Oliver Wegener of 'RALLYVW' fame (Their crew chief)
Baltimore, MD
He is 'TDIRacing' here on the boards

Wheaton Service Center,
11308 Fern St
Silver Spring, MD 20902
(301) 949-3144
info@wheatonservicecenter.com
www.wheatonservicecenter.com

tmleadr03

Have Fun!

Don

liltravis said:

any good mechanic in maryland or any good performance shops

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I have never met him, but Oliver Wegener is reputed to be the best TDI mechanic east of the Mississippi. Here is his contact information:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=16069
Email: ohwegener@hotmail.com for info.
Website: www.torquejunkie.com

"For all your TDI parts and service. maintainance and repairs for all TDI models."

And he knows a little bit about performance, too -- do a search for his Pike's Peak Hillclimb experiences.

TornadoRed said:

Oliver Wegener is reputed to be the best TDI mechanic east of the Mississippi.

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Dangerous to go there...

There are quite a number of simply outstanding TDI techs East of the Mississippi...

(Of course, I'm taking nothing away from Mr. Wegener - I have recommended him many times in the past...)

Yuri

bhtooefr said:

And I would have a discussion section on each review, for AT LEAST the reviewer and shop to discuss, if not wide open.

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Sounds like a great set up. Thanks for the info.

bhtooefr said:

And I would have a discussion section on each review, for AT LEAST the reviewer and shop to discuss, if not wide open.

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Exactly what I was thinking; an entire thread dedicated to each vendor. The title/first post would be their overall rating, and the remainder of the thread would be open discussion SPECIFICALLY about THAT VENDOR and THEIR WORK.

I would have to add Paulli's Imports in Rockford, Il. and Dave, one of their mechanics. He has done some great work on our VWs. He knows Veedubs and he knows diesels. Great company to work with.

Chad@EuroTec said:

Exactly what I was thinking; an entire thread dedicated to each vendor. The title/first post would be their overall rating, and the remainder of the thread would be open discussion SPECIFICALLY about THAT VENDOR and THEIR WORK.

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What I was thinking was a thread dedicated to each review.

So, you could pull up a mechanic, and get a list of reviews associated with that mechanic, that you can sort by vehicle model and desired service. (The default sort would weight towards reviews of TDI-specific repairs.)

Then, you could click on a review, and see a discussion thread about the review itself - either allowing the reviewer and the mechanic to discuss it, so that the mechanic can give feedback, or allowing anyone to discuss it.

Also, the idea would be, if you're looking for a mechanic, you can sort the results by the car that you have and the service you're looking for - so if you need an A3 timing belt, there's a mechanic that gets 5 stars usually, but his last couple A3/B4 timing belts were 4 stars, and another one that's 5 miles further away got 5 stars on all of his A3/B4 timing belts, it would bias towards the further away mechanic.

On fleabay, the buyers rarely fill out long forms with too many choices so their buying satisfaction is still basically "ok" or "not". I doubt it would be different here. Only the tiniest fraction of folks we see even leave a comment on here, think they'll fill out a questionnaire ? I doubt it.

I have already created a feedback thread for myself, its listed in my signature. its wide open for all to see.

Had it in operation since I started doing my side TDI work.

ninedee_golf_tdi said:

On fleabay, the buyers rarely fill out long forms with too many choices so their buying satisfaction is still basically "ok" or "not". I doubt it would be different here. Only the tiniest fraction of folks we see even leave a comment on here, think they'll fill out a questionnaire ? I doubt it.

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Well, first off, the reviews would be moderated, so moderators could fill in the metadata before making the review public, and could even contact the reviewer for more info.

Second, some of the metadata could be automatically pulled from the user's TDIClub or VWvortex profile, if there were a way to verify that the user was the same as the TDIClub or VWvortex user.

Growler said:

I have already created a feedback thread for myself, its listed in my signature. its wide open for all to see.

Had it in operation since I started doing my side TDI work.

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I really like what you did here... I may rip-off this idea to make it easier for customers to leave feedback, and for me to review areas in need of correction

bhtooefr -

Sounds like a great plan... get busy!

Here's one example to ponder: http://www.roadhaus.com/shops_advanced_search_results2.php

VeeDubTDI said:

bhtooefr - Sounds like a great plan... get busy!

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Hi, I am just posting to clarify the contact information for Kevin in Kelowna British Columbia. The number listed is his home number, he has an independent VW/Audi shop that he runs, Europro Autohaus here is the contact info:
Europro Autohaus
1292 Morrison Rd
Kelowna, BC
Phone: 250-870-8339
I found Kevin via the list when my water pump went the day before a road trip through some mountain passes, he managed to fit me in to do the water pump (and timing belt) for less than half of what VW would have wanted. He does a good business with the local vw/audi owners who are smart enough to stay away from the local stealership.

Welcome to the forums and thanks for that info!

JSWTDI09 said:

Have you tried looking at the list everybody here is talking about (post 1 in this thread)?

Maryland

Oliver Wegener of 'RALLYVW' fame (Their crew chief)
Baltimore, MD
He is 'TDIRacing' here on the boards

Wheaton Service Center,
11308 Fern St
Silver Spring, MD 20902
(301) 949-3144
info@wheatonservicecenter.com
www.wheatonservicecenter.com

tmleadr03

Have Fun!

Don

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Of these two Oliver is THE choice, I would consider him a Guru for sure. Wheaton service center is good but their charges are kind of steep. I have been to both quite a few times over the years.

Trusted TDI tech

Peterson European


Category:AutomotiveAuto RepairAuto Repair [Edit]
51138 Bittersweet Rd
Granger, IN 46530

(574) 277-6420

I havwe nothing but GREAT things to say about the owner John and his staff. Work is quality, no stone unturned, and the rates are so great, I feel like it's a steal! It was a well kept secret...until now. Hope it helps everyone!

So... what work have you had them do for you?

TornadoRed said:

Do not go to B.R.U. -- contact Leonard Harview (TDI Club username Harvieux) at Wild Rose Motors in Whittier. He is the top TDI expert in SoCal; he did the first two timing belts on my Golf; and his prices are reasonable.
When I lived in San Diego, I used my car for work; so all the work he did for me was on Saturday mornings. It was convenient for me and he had to be there anyway in case anyone came in seeking to buy a TDI.
Give him a phone call, tell him what you need, and make an appointment. Do not mess around with any of the local shops in San Diego County, and of course do not go to a dealership.

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TornadoRed, I plan to go to Leonard or Matt, but I bought this car and TB was done by BRU. Do you have any specific experience negative or positive with them? I read somewhere on these forums that they're pretty good with TDIs, just not on this forum and don't really care to be for some reason . . .

SFHGolfTDI said:

TornadoRed, I plan to go to Leonard or Matt, but I bought this car and TB was done by BRU. Do you have any specific experience negative or positive with them? I read somewhere on these forums that they're pretty good with TDIs, just not on this forum and don't really care to be for some reason . . .

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My one experience with BRU was okay -- they charged $360 to install a new/rebuilt alternator, which I thought was high. But that is the only work I had done there. I bought the alternator from NAPA, so I don't know what part/parts they would have used had I not supplied my own

I suggest that you have their work checked by one of the TDI experts -- someone who can look at the parts and tell whether they are crappy Chinese parts or the good OEM stuff.

hey i was just looking through the list of GURU's around Lon Beach, CA
came across these guys, but i think you got their web site address mixed up
it should be .com not .net
cause .net takes me to some Japanese site

www.ef1motorsports.net/
EF1 Motorsports
2675 Dawson Street
Signal Hill, CA 90755
(562) 424-3378 Ask for Fabrizio

Long-time lurker on this site but I would like to recommend Kevin Lichty at Lichty Automotive in Waterloo, Iowa. He specializes in VWs and Audis but has expanded to include other European makes as well. I've been taking my VWs ('84 GTI, '85 Jetta Turbodiesel, '96 Passat Wagon TDI, '01 New Beetle, '03 Jetta TDI) to Kevin since 1990. I have lived in Minnesota for 8 years and am closer to several Gurus but still go to Kevin. And once my '11 JSW TDI is done with Carefree Maintenance he'll see that as well. Besides most of the routine maintenance he's done all of the timing belt/water pump and related parts replacements (at least 5 on the diesels) plus 2 more on the gassers. His shop is well equipped and he has been able to diagnose and fix the few problems I have encountered (including a CEL issue, fixed by replacing the glow plug bridge) over the years.

Rick

Lichty Automotive
www.lichty.com
7735 Ansborough Ave.
Waterloo, IA 50701
319-296-2994

11JSWTDI said:

Long-time lurker on this site but I would like to recommend Kevin Lichty at Lichty Automotive in Waterloo, Iowa. He specializes in VWs and Audis but has expanded to include other European makes as well. I've been taking my VWs ('84 GTI, '85 Jetta Turbodiesel, '96 Passat Wagon TDI, '01 New Beetle, '03 Jetta TDI) to Kevin since 1990. I have lived in Minnesota for 8 years and am closer to several Gurus but still go to Kevin. And once my '11 JSW TDI is done with Carefree Maintenance he'll see that as well. Besides most of the routine maintenance he's done all of the timing belt/water pump and related parts replacements (at least 5 on the diesels) plus 2 more on the gassers. His shop is well equipped and he has been able to diagnose and fix the few problems I have encountered (including a CEL issue, fixed by replacing the glow plug bridge) over the years.

Rick

Lichty Automotive
www.lichty.com
7735 Ansborough Ave.
Waterloo, IA 50701
319-296-2994

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That is all very good news for TDI owners in Iowa, as there has not been a single independent shop which has received even a single good recommendation, in the whole state of Iowa.

We will, of course, need confirmation from other happy customers. If someone wants to give Lichty a try, they should take the normal precautions; for instance, if they are not 100% satisfied with the parts that Lichty wants to use, then they should obtain their own from a reliable vendor. On the other hand, if it is determined that Lichty already gets TDI parts from one of the vendors known to be reliable, that would be a huge plus.

I'm not 100% confident on this but believe Kevin generally uses VW OEM parts he gets from Witham VW's parts department in Waterloo/Cedar Falls. Best thing would be to contact Kevin and ask. For what it's worth, the 2 timing belts he replaced on my '03 were done at 83k and 176k miles.

Miks TDI - Review

No sure if this is the right place to post this but....

I have a 2002 auto that was in desperate need of a 110k kit. I did some research and found a couple different people who would be interested in doing the job. Miks TDI was one of them. Even though it was a 3 hour drive to see him, he seemed nice on the phone and had a couple good reviews on here…so I thought I’d give him a shot. I am very glad I did. Matt is extremely knowledgeable and extremely competent. In a world where you can hardly trust anyone anymore it seems, Miks TDI was definitely a breath of fresh air. Not only did he do a bang up job on the TB change kit, he also fixed a handful of those little annoying things you never seem to get to. He was definitely worth the 3 hour drive and I’d recommend him to anyone in the Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin/Indiana area.

I always rely on the opinions of folks on here, so I had to throw this out there. Miks TDI is top notch.

Great review! Thank you very much.

Arkansas

I'd like to recommend Swain's Service Center in Russellville, AR for inclusion on the Trusted TDI Mechanic's list. I have visited Swain's on several occasions and observed his work and asked about the particular VW he was working on each time. He is very knowlegeable, has VAG-COMM and all sorts of specialized tools for doing TB replacements on various VW including TDI. He ran VAG-COMM on my '94 TDI Jetta when I was having CEL issues. He reccommended running, printing, and resetting the codes, then continue to drive and see which codes re-occur. He also said that my alternator problem that i repaired my self was likely the source of most of the codes that were "low voltage " related. He also advised that the after market cold air intake could be the cause of my MAF codes. I believe that he was correct on both counts. The low volt codes did not re-occur and the MAF codes quit popping when I converted back to stock air cleaner. He also advised that I should replace my TB when he first evaluated my car due to mileage (106000) and no known history of the belt being replaced. His advice and pulling/printing codes cost me $39.00

I recently trusted him to replace my TB. He uses VW dealer parts when they are available. He checked his water pump and found that it had plastic impeller. He researched his suppliers and could not find one that supplied steel impeller WP. He advised that I could supply parts from DieselGeek and he would only charge for labor and VW antifreeze. He performed the work without any issues and charged reasonably for his labor. I got my car back the next day.

Also, Dave Swain is a long time VW guy. In his waiting room there are numerous pictures, trophies, and plaques of drag cars, dune racers and other VW's that he has built/owned. Some plaques were for "top Speed" and others for "First Place". He's a real nice guy and will talk with you and educate you about your car or those he is working on.

Swain's Service Center
Foreign Auto Repairs and Parts
3214 Bernice Ave
Russellville, AR 72802
479-968-4931

Thanks,
Chris

I'm looking to purchase a vehicle and would love to have someone experienced check it out (paid, of course), Is there anyone near Brooklyn, NY that could do so?

Thanks!