MN Chat Thread

CADtechTDi said:

I thought about Eich, but it would be a bit of a hike, plus nothing of relavence close by (I work in the cities).

I forgot I also have extended powertrain warranty (100K miles), so I'll need to go back to Luther Westside to honor that. How is their service dept. for warranty? Do I need to go prepared with 100 pages of data in hand?
Like I said, I haven't had to visit VW service since I bought the car, so looking for any input on their performance.
TIA.

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Well, I've been to Westside for warranty work. I had an CEL about 3 weeks ago. Turned out it was a coolant temp sensor that was bad and they replaced it under warranty no questions asked. My car has never set foot in the dealership except for the 2 recalls.

CADtechTDi said:

So my question is:
Who would you recommend for service of the two dealerships:
Westside or Countryside?

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My experience with Countryside hasn't been the greatest so far with minor issues - like the engine idle shake and a static like noise on cold days coming from what seemed like the driver's side A pillar. I tried to explain things clearly and even did a test run with a tech - probably should have had the service manager in the car as well - for the noise and I don't know where his head was, but they put in a damping kit around the center console. I think it was a case of let's try something really easy first. The engine shake at idle is too dang unpredictable. They drove it around, but they said they never got it to shake.

If you do go to Countryside, make sure they know exactly what the problem is and can feel it/hear it and know how to reproduce it. I have no experience with Westside.

- socks

hamradio said:

I'm a chainsaw guy. Of the 3 you listed, all are great choices (STIHL, and not a pull-on or homelite), I'd suggest the 260. Because it is a pro model STIHL. 270 and 280 are good saws, but if you are going to be heating with wood, or using it a lot, go with the 260.

I have a STIHL 039 (MS390, now), 011AV (old saw, small, similar to 009), Olympyk 934DF (arborist saw), and a huge old Homelite from the '60s that I was given. My dad has a STIHL 038AV (I wish it had an 038 instead of my 039). A friend has a STIHL 044, 041, and an MS210.

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the only saw i've used is my dad's 021 (now broken), i'm still not sure which one to get, but i'm going to borrow a friends 041 w/16" - older saw, but i assume like a 410 now. i'm just not sure whether i want one with the fancy anti-vibration stuff (never used one) or not... i talked to one guy who owns a saw shop, said they feel spongy, but another friend of mine who does a lot of logging said it was good... same guy that didn't like the anti-vibes said the 260-280 models don't sell that much. so he recommended the 290 or 310 for my needs. i'll see how the 041 handles i guess. my gut feeling is i probably don't need the anti-vibration. i don't want quick chain adjustment. i'd rather spend $350-$400 than something a bit wimpier. i really only need to cut down a few trees max 16" diameter at the moment, but i'd like it to last me for many years...

What's going on in here? Chat thread? I don't understand.















































... carry on.

Just a little area so the MN and other folks can talk, without having to be online at the same time. Not trying to usurp the main Chat room.

CADtechTDi said:

Who would you recommend for service of the two dealerships:
Westside or Countryside?

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Tough call in this case. I will note right away that I haven't been to Westside for service since they went Luther, so things may have changed. My experience is that Westside has the better technicians. Countryside is capable, but I have endured more *** moments with their service department. The fact that you bought the car at Westside gives you a little leverage; might as well see if you can use it.

My only reservation with Westside is if you have to argue your case for a warranty repair that's not obvious. It's much easier to go higher up in the Countryside organization than to find anyone who's really in charge at Westside (IMHO; again, that may have changed with the move to Luther).

If you're going to the Fest, does this route work for a convoy? http://tinyurl.com/3d5kre

one of my friends is a tech over at westside, hes worked on my car a bit. Its not a bad place for a dealer, but than again he does most of the work for free. i just pay parts.

westside seems okay. they replaced my tandem pump (seals) in the jetta... it took a couple visists, but they do have diesel techs and from what i know seem to be more capable than most dealers... they also didn't hassle me about my fm100 fuel filter and other stuff...

My B5 had the timing belt replaced by Westside and they forgot to install the roller tensioner

Of course it chewed right thru the belt, There was rubber every where!

The bill came to 3K and after a couple phone calls Westside paid half.
My attorney said I would probably have won a court case, but the appeals would kill me. so I settled.

The work was done by the PO and it was more than a year ago-which is why they weren't to excited to pay for the mistake. But like I pointed out the warranty is for parts they install not the ones they forgot to install (those are still brand new in the box.... somewhere.

I have been bringing the TDI to Heckers (not a huge fan of Denny really) they haven't screwed anything up but they haven't seen the car that often either.

The fix to the Passat was done by South Central Imports in Mpls. I liked those guys. Don't know what their experience with TDIs is tho.

b

Im from the stillwater area macc

Weathering the storm...

Anyone else get damage from the storms tonight?
I'm between Harris and Cambridge, and we had terrible hail; Luckily, the TDI was in the garage - unlucky for my '06 Yukon XL and '98 Silverado parked outside - both were (literally) rocked with golf-ball sized hail, along with the vinyl siding, windows, and some stucco damage on the house.
The Yukon took an almost baseball sized hit to the pass. rear-most window and shattered it; almost every panel on that side, the hood and roof are also severely dented. The Silverado has similar panel/topper damage.
Adjuster comes out tomorrow - we'll see what the damages run.

We got quarter sized hail over here in Camb. I've got a few dings on my TDI...some that look like the hail was quite a bit bigger than a quarter.

I was bringing a new GTI back up from Des Moines on a trailer, heard the reports on 'CCO from folks in Cambridge, and another cell was heading south of the cities, so I headed west and up Highway 15, sounds like the new owner will be glad I did,

We got quarter sized hail over here in Camb. I've got a few dings on my TDI...some that look like the hail was quite a bit bigger than a quarter.

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Oh man, sorry to hear about the TDI!

Well, I gotta bring the Yukon XL in for body work.
I'm considering taking it to Heritage in Fridley, since they've done good work for me in the past - but it's aways south of me.

I have no history with any body/paint places up in this area (North Branch to Cambridge).
Can anyone recommend an EXCELLENT body/paint shop north of, say, Forest Lake/Isanti, but south of Rush Lake?

Sorry, can't help you with the recommendation - I'm in the same boat as you are...so...

CADtechTDi said:

Can anyone recommend an EXCELLENT body/paint shop north of, say, Forest Lake/Isanti, but south of Rush Lake?

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x2

Bills Auto in Forest Lake 651-464-6477. I have had body work done at this shop 5 times, very satisfied!

TDI newbie w/question

Hello everyone, new TDI'er here to introduce myself. I just picked up a new 06.5 Jetta TDI last weekend, what a great car. A question for any Twin Cities metro readers (esp. north side) -- any recommendations on fueling stations with the best diesel (esp. "premium" diesel)? I live near Centerville/Hugo, get over to Brooklyn Park a lot, and don't mind a little extra driving for the best fuel. Thanks, I'm looking forward to learning from you veterans. -scroby

Fleet Farm has premium diesel and is cheaper than Super America.

Wally Carlson BP Station in Lindstrom on Hwy 8. Use the # 9 station and grab the middle nozzle for Premier Diesel, the nozzle is small for ease of filling.

Thanks for the advice!

Any feedback on some of the bigger chains in town, like Holiday or SA? They are convenient, but I'm concerned about how often their fuel turns over. Also, if I use a good additive like Stanadyne Performance, do I really need to be concerned at all? Thanks, your help is appreciated.

I've used SA for the past year and have had no troubles with them. The station up here was frequented by several trucks so old fuel wasn't really an issue. I decided to give Holiday a try last month and did four tanks without issue. I didn't experience a noticable change in mileage through the switch. Overall I think we get pretty good fuel in MN - I've never had more than a drop come out of my fuel separator since I've owned the vehicle. Can't give you any feedback on additives as I've never tried them. Welcome!

I have used SA Diesel but the cetane is 40. VW suggests 45.

We use BP in Wyoming is .10 cheaper than the shell and the cars run better.

jmarv said:

We use BP in Wyoming is .10 cheaper than the shell and the cars run better.

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I second that. I like the BP in Wyoming too. They have different pumps for D1 and D2.

points said:

I second that. I like the BP in Wyoming too. They have different pumps for D1 and D2.

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Outside of my normal stops I'll usually try and find a BP station with diesel. Otherwise Quik Trip down here in southern MN and the Cenex roadmaster premium are my standard fills if not getting biodiesel.

PD oil changes, 2 questions:

The "dealer used the wrong oil in my PD" threads have me spooked. Are any of the Twin City VW dealers to be trusted to use 505.01 or better oil? If I go the do-it-myself route (likely), does anyone know how VoA would respond in a warranty claim situation? Thanks -- scroby

scroby said:

The "dealer used the wrong oil in my PD" threads have me spooked. Are any of the Twin City VW dealers to be trusted to use 505.01 or better oil? If I go the do-it-myself route (likely), does anyone know how VoA would respond in a warranty claim situation? Thanks -- scroby

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Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act covers you for any work you perform yourself, provided you keep legit receipts. If you have a warranty, it is advised you use the VW approved oils, to avoid any potential hassles in the unlikely event something happens to your engine and you performed your own service. Course, if you like hassles, then you're free to do as you wish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnuson-Moss_Warranty_Act

Thanks for the link and your feedback. I will use 505.01 or later PD-approved grade -- just wondering if they might claim I need a "VW certified tech" doing the service for the warranty to be valid. It sounds like if I buy the oil/filter from a VW dealer during the warranty period and hang on to the receipts, there's little to worry about.

scroby said:

The "dealer used the wrong oil in my PD" threads have me spooked. Are any of the Twin City VW dealers to be trusted to use 505.01 or better oil? If I go the do-it-myself route (likely), does anyone know how VoA would respond in a warranty claim situation? Thanks -- scroby

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Come over to Wyoming area and I'll change your oil for you. You bring the oil and the filter and I'll show you how easy it is. I love my Pela! BTW, You take the used oil away and recycle it.