trusted mechanics -San Diego area

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
My daughter has a 2013 Passat TDI and now resides in San Diego. Can you guys give me the names and location of any trusted tdi mechanics in the area? I know this is an oxymoron but are there any VW dealers in the area that have good marks?:rolleyes:
 
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YoungDieselstein

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Location
Orem, UT (Formerly San Diego, CA and Clarksville,
TDI
Ferdinand "Ferdie" The Wagon: 2003 Jetta Wagon, Reflex Silver. RIP 3/2019
One of the mechanics at Mossy VW in El Cajon owned an ALH until it was totaled a few years ago. I can't remember his name, (I want to say Leon or Larry... except those sound so stereotypical for mechanic names! :) ) but they're pretty good about letting you talk to the service techs there. As far as dealerships go, Mossy VW is one of the better experiences I've had. I've only dealt with the service department, though.

As for Service, the "Trusted Mechanics" list in the TDI 101 thread lists one shop in Escondido, in Northern San Diego County. Otherwise we're still waiting on a guru to emerge down here as far as I know.

...I'm excited to be corrected, though!
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
One of the mechanics at Mossy VW in El Cajon owned an ALH until it was totaled a few years ago. I can't remember his name, (I want to say Leon or Larry... except those sound so stereotypical for mechanic names! :) ) but they're pretty good about letting you talk to the service techs there. As far as dealerships go, Mossy VW is one of the better experiences I've had. I've only dealt with the service department, though.

As for Service, the "Trusted Mechanics" list in the TDI 101 thread lists one shop in Escondido, in Northern San Diego County. Otherwise we're still waiting on a guru to emerge down here as far as I know.

...I'm excited to be corrected, though!
Mossy has only had the VW franchise for about 6 months or so. I have picked up a couple of parts from them, but no service. Same thing for KernyMesa VW. City VW has been around for many years - never used their service dept.

If you want a good shop, go to Ray Frey Auto Center I have used them for 13 years. One of his guys does all their diesel work. He is good. Ray runs a good shop and takes very good care of his customers.
 

97stroker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Location
San Diego
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI, 2003 Golf TDI
As for stealerships I have gone down to the one on mile of cars and havent had any trouble with them. Got my key fob changed out and they serviced my 2010 DSG tranny with no issues (I supplied the parts of course). The only problem I had was a very high price quote to change the alternator on my 04 TDI at 1,300 dollars, I said no way and bought it for 350 and swapped it out myself!
 

97stroker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Location
San Diego
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI, 2003 Golf TDI
Thats awesome! Darkkastle is really close to me I will check that out.
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
Update

MY bad! I never knew how steep the hills are in San Diego-especially with a manual transmission. Anyway- the 6M isn't working out for my daughter. Looks like I might have to sell it or trade it for a '14 with the auto trans.! I guess no good deed goes unpunished! Anybody need a '13 Passat 6M- Opera Red/Titan with 5k miles?
 
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97stroker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Location
San Diego
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI, 2003 Golf TDI
MY bad! I never knew how steep the hills are in San Diego-especially with a manual transmission. Anyway- the 6M isn't working out for my daughter. Looks like I might have to sell it or trade it for a '14 with the auto trans.! I guess no good deed goes unpunished! Anybody need a '13 Passat 6M- Opera Red/Titan?
I will trade you straight up for my 03 5spd manual ;)

No no jk . . How much are you asking for it?
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
MY bad! I never knew how steep the hills are in San Diego-especially with a manual transmission. Anyway- the 6M isn't working out for my daughter. Looks like I might have to sell it or trade it for a '14 with the auto trans.! I guess no good deed goes unpunished! Anybody need a '13 Passat 6M- Opera Red/Titan?
Red is the wrong color for me and a dealer offered me a new one for $24K in Auguest.

Yes, San Diego has lots of small ups and downs. Where in town is your daughter? She might be able to modify her driving pattern to avoid a few of the hills.

Still might be a whole lot cheaper to have someone (not me) teach her how to properly drive a stick shift on a hill. Really should not take much more than half a day.
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
Red is the wrong color for me and a dealer offered me a new one for $24K in Auguest.

Yes, San Diego has lots of small ups and downs. Where in town is your daughter? She might be able to modify her driving pattern to avoid a few of the hills.

Still might be a whole lot cheaper to have someone (not me) teach her how to properly drive a stick shift on a hill. Really should not take much more than half a day.
I agree about changing her "hill" driving patterns. I asked her to find a friend that could help teach her but all her friends have automatics.
 

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)
I spent a total of 16 years in San Diego, and drove a total of over 400,000 miles, all in cars with a manual transmission. Never once did I wish for an automatic transmission.

Upsbroke: if your daughter's friends all drive automatics, then she needs new friends!
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
6m

I spent a total of 16 years in San Diego, and drove a total of over 400,000 miles, all in cars with a manual transmission. Never once did I wish for an automatic transmission.

Upsbroke: if your daughter's friends all drive automatics, then she needs new friends!
Tornado- if you want to tell her that-you can, but I don't need to have MY head bitten off! LOL
She hasn't driven the car since she had a problem getting up a hill and a bystander had to help her. I guess my best move now is to find a driving school or something along that line to help her learn on SD's hills. I've also checked on trading it in on a '14 w/automatic just in case though.
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
Wow!

I received an email yesterday asking what I thought of the internet price I had received from South Bay VW, and was I ready to purchase. I emailed back the fact that my daughter was having a problem with the '13 Passat 6M and i was getting my ducks in a row in case I might have to trade for a '14 with auto.

The internet manager emailed back that she would be happy to teach my daughter how to drive a 6M. WOW!
 

97stroker

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Location
San Diego
TDI
2004 Jetta TDI, 2003 Golf TDI
South Bay VW

Yeah South Bay is great! That is the one I mentioned previously. I have never had any negatives from them!
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
I received an email yesterday asking what I thought of the internet price I had received from South Bay VW, and was I ready to purchase. I emailed back the fact that my daughter was having a problem with the '13 Passat 6M and i was getting my ducks in a row in case I might have to trade for a '14 with auto.

The internet manager emailed back that she would be happy to teach my daughter how to drive a 6M. WOW!

There is the solution!! Good to hear.
 

andydrew

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2002
Location
San Diego, CA
TDI
2002 Golf TDI
Another option for a good mechanic in San Diego, CA.

If you are ok with going to a VW Dealer consider Mossy VW in El Cajon. One of their most seasoned technicians, Ray is the one you should ask for. He previously worked at Drew VW in La Mesa and Herman Cook VW in Encinitas. He has many years of experience at VW, lots of experience with TDI's, used to own his own ALH, etc. He has done my timing belt a couple of times when he was at Drew VW.

It is also my understanding that Mossy VW in El Cajon doesn't have any issue with your bringing your own parts for jobs such as the timing belt. But of course you are subject to the $110+ per hour for labor. If you are on their promotional email list keep an eye out for coupons.
 
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YoungDieselstein

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Location
Orem, UT (Formerly San Diego, CA and Clarksville,
TDI
Ferdinand "Ferdie" The Wagon: 2003 Jetta Wagon, Reflex Silver. RIP 3/2019
Another option for a good mechanic in San Diego, CA.

If you are ok with going to a VW Dealer consider Mossy VW in El Cajon. One of their most seasoned technicians, Ray is the one you should ask for. He previously worked at Drew VW in La Mesa and Herman Cook VW in Encinitas. He has many years of experience at VW, lots of experience with TDI's, used to own his own ALH, etc. He has done my timing belt a couple of times when he was at Drew VW.

It is also my understanding that Mossy VW in El Cajon doesn't have any issue with your bringing your own parts for jobs such as the timing belt. But of course you are subject to the $110+ per hour for labor. If you are on their promotional email list keep an eye out for coupons.
That's the guy I was trying to think of in my earlier post. Knows his stuff.
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
MY bad! I never knew how steep the hills are in San Diego-especially with a manual transmission. Anyway- the 6M isn't working out for my daughter. Looks like I might have to sell it or trade it for a '14 with the auto trans.! I guess no good deed goes unpunished! Anybody need a '13 Passat 6M- Opera Red/Titan with 5k miles?
My wife and I drove the Passat 6M to S.D. several months back for my 27 year old daughter. The understanding was that when she got used to it- she would sell her '02 Hyundai Santa Fe. I'm not sure that day will come. Apparently, several weeks ago, she got "stuck" going up a steep hill and had to have a passerby help her move the car. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she hasn't driven the car since then. -( Looks like there's a good chance that I'll be flying to S.D. to bring the car back to Ks.
In her defense- I never realized how hilly the San Diego area is. I had no problems but I can see how it might be tough. I was also blown away at the amount of parking spaces for compact cars. It's a haven for door dents! lol
 

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)
My wife and I drove the Passat 6M to S.D. several months back for my 27 year old daughter. The understanding was that when she got used to it- she would sell her '02 Hyundai Santa Fe. I'm not sure that day will come. Apparently, several weeks ago, she got "stuck" going up a steep hill and had to have a passerby help her move the car. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she hasn't driven the car since then. -( Looks like there's a good chance that I'll be flying to S.D. to bring the car back to Ks.
In her defense- I never realized how hilly the San Diego area is. I had no problems but I can see how it might be tough. I was also blown away at the amount of parking spaces for compact cars. It's a haven for door dents! lol
VW TDIs, with their abundant torque, are pretty easy to drive where there are lots of steep hills and mountains. You just need to stay in a low gear and keep the revs high enough -- 3000 rpm should be good for even the steepest hills.

Upsbroke, if you fly back to San Diego, there is a street just east of Lindbergh Field, a 1st-gear hill that you should drive. I can't remember if it's Laurel Street or Grape -- they are two or three blocks apart, and it's probably Laurel but I'm not sure.

I remember one time where I had to drive to an address on the top of a hill, a few miles outside Escondido. The climb was at least 1000' or maybe even 1500' above the valley floor; the road was a single-lane blacktop path through the avocado trees; and as I recall it was first-gear all the way to the top. (what a view, though!) Many gas-engine cars would not have made it, and it would have taxed the cooling systems on most of the rest, probably. (Why would someone build a road to the top of such a hill/mountain? If you want to live there, then you must have a way to haul water up there, 500 or 1000 gallons at a time.)
 

upsbroke

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Location
Homosassa, Florida
TDI
98 NB and '13 JSW
new passat in S.D.

My wife and I drove the Passat 6M to S.D. several months back for my 27 year old daughter. The understanding was that when she got used to it- she would sell her '02 Hyundai Santa Fe. I'm not sure that day will come. Apparently, several weeks ago, she got "stuck" going up a steep hill and had to have a passerby help her move the car. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if she hasn't driven the car since then. -( Looks like there's a good chance that I'll be flying to S.D. to bring the car back to Ks.
In her defense- I never realized how hilly the San Diego area is. I had no problems but I can see how it might be tough. I was also blown away at the amount of parking spaces for compact cars. It's a haven for door dents! lol
LOL- I got a call from my daughter this week asking how to get the fuel door open so I can assume that she has used the 1/2 tank of fuel that was still in it when we got to S.D. 3 months ago!
I guess time forced the issue because she couldn't afford to tag and insure two vehicles. It also proably helps that she moved and hopefully lives in a less hilly area. Anyway- she's FINALLY driving the Passat 6M!!
 

windchime

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Location
San Diego
TDI
2014 Golf TDI
Any one can recommend someone in San Diego who has VCDS? Recently purchased a 2015 Golf TDI, it bothers me that I can't open/close the windows with my key like before.
 
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