Bought a 2012 JSW TDI

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
On Friday I purchased a 2012 JSW TDI with DSG and a panoramic sunroof for my daughter. It’s tempest blue with the beige interior and currently has 60k miles on it. It was a one owner car that was traded in 2015 before VW issued the stop sale. It had the repair done in August of this year so it sat for 3 years. The rotors had so much build up that they were warped. I purchased some PowerStop rotors and pads on eBay from Summit Racing on Friday evening and they were delivered Monday afternoon. My daughter and I installed the brakes, changed the oil, and changed the brake fluid on Monday. I have a DSG service kit on the way and plan to change the fluid this weekend. I purchased a backup camera, fog lights, and OEM Golf R suspension for it. I’m thinking about a GTI flat bottom steering wheel. My wife had a 2011 JSW TDI for a few years and I did the same mods to it.

The halogen headlights suck. What headlights have people used? I’ve thought about the oem bi-xenons, but it looks like a pain to swap and code the CECM.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/x65rPfTxXjo3tuzUA
 
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sandmansans

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Location
NJ/PA
TDI
2014 Jetta
On Friday I purchased a 2012 JSW TDI with DSG and a panoramic sunroof for my daughter. It’s tempest blue with the beige interior and currently has 60k miles on it. It was a one owner car that was traded in 2015 before VW issued the stop sale. It had the repair done in August of this year so it sat for 3 years. The rotors had so much build up that they were warped. I purchased some PowerStop rotors and pads on eBay from Summit Racing on Friday evening and they were delivered Monday afternoon. My daughter and I installed the brakes, changed the oil, and changed the brake fluid on Monday. I have a DSG service kit on the way and plan to change the fluid this weekend. I purchased a backup camera, fog lights, and OEM Golf R suspension for it. I’m thinking about a GTI flat bottom steering wheel. My wife had a 2011 JSW TDI for a few years and I did the same mods to it.



The halogen headlights suck. What headlights have people used? I’ve thought about the oem bi-xenons, but it looks like a pain to swap and code the CECM.
If you can find them, the Osram Rallye bulbs. Not the nightbreakers.

If I'm not mistaken they discontinued them, but if you can find them it's a world of a difference. It's an h7 bulb in an h4 housing. And being that it's made by Osram, their not plauged by the short lifespan that other high output brands suffer from.

Don't throw LED or hid into the stock housing. The light output is garbage.


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calimustang

Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Location
Central FL
TDI
2011 JSW DSG (buyback, RIP), 2014 JSW TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2013 Jetta TDI.
Hi,

I have DeAutoKey LED for headlights, turn signals, interior and whole package. Even floor lights. They come with lifetime warranty, I have been a customer with them for years. Most of them lasts, few do blow out. They took care of me.

Excellent idea to flush the fluids and such. My 2014 JSW with 27k on Sept, gave me a major headache for several months, broke down about 5 times.... so far she has been running great for over a month now. Showing nearly 35k miles.

I miss my old 2011 JSW, she never let me down for nearly 300k miles. Had to let her go to VW buyback program when DSG was stuck on first gear.... knew the ECU in DSG is failing and she suffered from rear ended and never is the same. I got the exact twin of 2011 as 2014, only differences is 2014 has rear view camera and arm rest console storage is tiny, old one was massive. Drivers side coins storage is there, old one didn’t. So its pros and cons.

Otherwise my friends were fooled that I revived the 2011 back in service LOL took them a while to figure it wasn’t the same actual 2011.


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KITEWAGON

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Location
Seacoast, NH
TDI
2014 Touareg Exec, 2014 JSW
I've thought about buying those LED lights for interior and for tail lights and reverse lights. Then I wasn't sure about spending the money just for brighter lights. Are they worth doing?

I want to do a headlight swap so not interested in the headlight bulbs.
 

CornDog73

New member
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Location
Tampa, FL
TDI
2011 JSW
On Friday I purchased a 2012 JSW TDI with DSG and a panoramic sunroof for my daughter. It’s tempest blue with the beige interior and currently has 60k miles on it. It was a one owner car that was traded in 2015 before VW issued the stop sale. It had the repair done in August of this year so it sat for 3 years. The rotors had so much build up that they were warped. I purchased some PowerStop rotors and pads on eBay from Summit Racing on Friday evening and they were delivered Monday afternoon. My daughter and I installed the brakes, changed the oil, and changed the brake fluid on Monday. I have a DSG service kit on the way and plan to change the fluid this weekend. I purchased a backup camera, fog lights, and OEM Golf R suspension for it. I’m thinking about a GTI flat bottom steering wheel. My wife had a 2011 JSW TDI for a few years and I did the same mods to it.
The halogen headlights suck. What headlights have people used? I’ve thought about the oem bi-xenons, but it looks like a pain to swap and code the CECM.
I'm in a similar situation, got an '11 with 43k on it, first thing I did was change the oil & brake fluid. The DSG service was done just a few months before the buyback so I'm not too worried about that.

Where did you get the suspension from?

Thanks!
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
I'm in a similar situation, got an '11 with 43k on it, first thing I did was change the oil & brake fluid. The DSG service was done just a few months before the buyback so I'm not too worried about that.
Where did you get the suspension from?
Thanks!
I purchased the suspension from a man in TX on Facebook. He removed it from his Golf R at 5k miles. It was $240 shipped for the springs, shocks, and struts. It should arrive Monday.
You can do the swap with just the springs (that what I did to my wife’s) and I know a guy selling a set for $50 plus shipping.

I purchased a GTI steering wheel and airbag today too.
 

calimustang

Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Location
Central FL
TDI
2011 JSW DSG (buyback, RIP), 2014 JSW TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2013 Jetta TDI.
I'm in a similar situation, got an '11 with 43k on it, first thing I did was change the oil & brake fluid. The DSG service was done just a few months before the buyback so I'm not too worried about that.



Where did you get the suspension from?



Thanks!

Wish I did the brakes. Little hard to stop the JSW. will flush it at her 40k miles service.


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BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
I installed the GTI steering wheel today and changed the coding to add paddle shifters. The GTI steering wheel feels so much better.
 

SoCalJT

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Location
Corona, CA
TDI
‘12 JSW 6-sp
Don't throw LED or hid into the stock housing. The light output is garbage
That's an extremely vague statement... true, MOST on the market are knock off imported garbage. But, which brand(s) did you try?

There are actually only a few brands out there that are worth it and have been tested to do so, that are actually engineered correctly and won't cost you $1,200+ for the oem bi-xenons (plus wiring, bulbs and ballasts on top of that).

Brands I trust and have been tried and true by professionals and backed by results as the TOP 3 brands... Morimoto, SuperNova v.4 & GTR brands most notably.

https://youtu.be/SQF5ESBHLrw

I bought a luxmeter, arriving Friday to confirm results too.

I went with Morimoto HID kit for low beams and Morimoto 2stroke LED for the high beams since I got them both on sale... just got the kits today in the mail, but I have used these in my previous b5 Audi S4/allroad wagons with great results.

I'll be trying to install them by this weekend and will compare results. If they don't live up to a noticeable difference and correct beam pattern in the stock housings, then I'll send them back.
 
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calimustang

Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Location
Central FL
TDI
2011 JSW DSG (buyback, RIP), 2014 JSW TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2013 Jetta TDI.
Oh I would like to know about fog lights for my JSW too as she never came with it as usual.


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BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Fog lights- eBay items:
232212527914
223291569559
272578230633

Camera, but you’ll need a radio (I have a few):
163312966128
 

Dwagen

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Location
United States of America
TDI
2004 VW Jetta GLS TDI; 2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI
I installed HIDs in my JSW TDI a couple months ago, and so far I love it. They are 6000K Xenon White (just barely a little tint of blue). Much brighter than the stock halogens. They don't seem to light up as far as I thought they would, but I think my bulbs are aimed a little low, because the light in front of the vehicle on the ground is really bright. Regardless, they still make a world of difference. When my HIDs are on in the daytime (slightly overcast), they light up signs like crazy, you can see them reflecting. Nobody has flashed their lights at me yet, so they're not blinding anyone.

Here are some pictures of my TDI with the HIDs installed:
https://wheelwell.com/8-bit-auto/2q...aukee-low-beam-headlights-55w-hid-6000k-xenon

If you are interested in pics showing the ballast and stuff in the engine bay, I can get that for you too.
 

KITEWAGON

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Location
Seacoast, NH
TDI
2014 Touareg Exec, 2014 JSW
I purchased the Helix MK7 style projector headlights on eBay for $280 shipped. ECS wants $500 for the same lights.

Jeez that is a cheap. I like the look with the square LED's. But I would worry about quality. But I bet these are plug and play unlike the Golf R OEM set that I have to waiting to go in someday.
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Jeez that is a cheap. I like the look with the square LED's. But I would worry about quality. But I bet these are plug and play unlike the Golf R OEM set that I have to waiting to go in someday.
They have good reviews online. I have a set of morimoto HID’s in my garage somewhere.
 

SoCalJT

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2018
Location
Corona, CA
TDI
‘12 JSW 6-sp
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-helix-parts/mk7-style-projector-headlight-set-black-trim/hvwg6hl-7b~hlx/

It’s these lights but I got them on eBay for $280 shipped. eBay item 401652769075
Do you have a lux meter? If not, can get them for cheap on amazon. I ordered one for $16, supposed to get here today.

If you can, please install one side and compare it to stock beam pattern (both, low and high) and also measure the lux output of stock vs helix. You might be surprised, most knocks off are garbage light reflectors/projectors. Hopefully not the case with helix though.

A lot of these customers buying knock off lights just say they look brighter or have knock off higher output bulbs in them... but the actual light pattern is scattered beyond any real USEABLE patterns and often times blinding oncoming drivers and unsafe.

I am going to document and compare stock output and bulbs of oem halogens to morimoto HID PnP kit with the beam patterns and lux outputs. Only TRUE way to do it since ALL headlights reflecting differently and not all brands of housings and bulbs are actually what they claim to be.

Looking good is one thing, actually performing good is a whole different ball game.
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
I do not have a lux meter. The headlights and bulbs should arrive Wednesday. I’ll put them in after the fog light kit arrives.

I got the rear camera and RNS-510 installed yesterday. The camera isn’t too difficult to install, but it is time consuming. I had a hell of a time trying to figure out why the camera wouldn’t work after I put everything back together. It turns out that when the headlight switch is removed the lights stay on and the reverse light power that I tapped into only worked with the lights on. The rear interior trim pieces are a pain to remove. Feeding the video cable through the rubber in the rear hatch is a two person job.
 

KeyTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2018
Location
Irvine, CA
TDI
2012 Sportwagon
All cool stuff!
I wanna see pics!


With the GTI steering wheel, can you use the stock airbag?
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
All cool stuff!
I wanna see pics!


With the GTI steering wheel, can you use the stock airbag?
No, you need the airbag and harness from the GTI steering wheel. I have about $275 into the steering wheel and airbag. I’ve seen them
For less without the steering controls, but those were a must.
 

cheatingJSW

New member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
charlotte
TDI
'14 Jetta JSW TDI, '11 BMW 335d
I grabbed a '14 JSW TDI with 104k miles. I looked at probably 5 other buyback models for sale in a 300 mile radius and they all suffered the same thing. Tons of door dings, dirt caked up in the engine bay, and somewhat beat to S***. Luckily I found this one that has leather and was virtually mint condition! 2" lift going in next week.

Can't even describe how bad the stock headlights are...Who has run the DayAutoKey LED kit? I purchased some headlightexpert.com kit and it will not fit the housing as for as I can tell (after taking the front bumper off and headlights out) does the DayAutoKey kit come with the correct adapter?
 

calimustang

Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2010
Location
Central FL
TDI
2011 JSW DSG (buyback, RIP), 2014 JSW TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2013 Jetta TDI.
I grabbed a '14 JSW TDI with 104k miles. I looked at probably 5 other buyback models for sale in a 300 mile radius and they all suffered the same thing. Tons of door dings, dirt caked up in the engine bay, and somewhat beat to S***. Luckily I found this one that has leather and was virtually mint condition! 2" lift going in next week.

Can't even describe how bad the stock headlights are...Who has run the DayAutoKey LED kit? I purchased some headlightexpert.com kit and it will not fit the housing as for as I can tell (after taking the front bumper off and headlights out) does the DayAutoKey kit come with the correct adapter?

DeAutoKey LED headlight kit will fit right in like an key. Pop it in and you are golden. Only you need is to worry about clearance for your hand to go in.... best advice i can give is take front bumper off and headlight off and you can pop them right in within 5 seconds compared to tight space taking 15-30 mins each...... did that on 2011 with bumper off. 2014 bumper on and what a massive headache. Will take bumper off for next time, no Questions. A lot cussing involved. :)


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cheatingJSW

New member
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Location
charlotte
TDI
'14 Jetta JSW TDI, '11 BMW 335d
DeAutoKey LED headlight kit will fit right in like an key. Pop it in and you are golden. Only you need is to worry about clearance for your hand to go in.... best advice i can give is take front bumper off and headlight off and you can pop them right in within 5 seconds compared to tight space taking 15-30 mins each...... did that on 2011 with bumper off. 2014 bumper on and what a massive headache. Will take bumper off for next time, no Questions. A lot cussing involved. :)


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Lol sounds like my night last night. Tried installing with out removing the bumper, figured no way it's possible so I took the entire bumper off to find that I need adapters AND one of the headlights is aftermarket and doesn't use the same bulb socket. Should be fun
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
Lol sounds like my night last night. Tried installing with out removing the bumper, figured no way it's possible so I took the entire bumper off to find that I need adapters AND one of the headlights is aftermarket and doesn't use the same bulb socket. Should be fun
eBay item 401652769075
 

BarryT82

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Location
Charleston, WV
TDI
‘12 JSW TDI
The TRS Morimoto HID kit arrived yesterday and the headlights are coming today. I plan to put them in tonight with the help of my two kids.
 
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