Southern Ontario Mechanic Reviews Thread

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
gave me a price of 699+ tax for timing belt assembly replacement. Is that good? Never had one replaced before.
For a shop, that's an excellent price as long as it includes everything needed: belt(s), tensioner (only Litens brand!!!!!!!!), 3 idlers, water pump, a bunch of single-use bolts.

Yuri
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
For a shop, that's an excellent price as long as it includes everything needed: belt(s), tensioner (only Litens brand!!!!!!!!), 3 idlers, water pump, a bunch of single-use bolts.

Yuri
And the coolant, and the repair of the engine mount bracket thread holes, the serp belt, cam seal and labour if needed, yada yada... :D
 

VR6ix

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2009
Location
Woodsticks ON
TDI
WVW-W 2dr ALH
Tri-Star Automotive, Palmerston

If you're in the SW-Ontario area Tri-Star Automotive outside Palmerston is worth mentioning, small shop but a very good owner who will look after your car proper. www.tristarauto.ca

Joe managed to get my TB and a whole lot of other stuff done with very little warning from me that I would be needing his help! Very friendly and knowledgeable. Flexible hours and that silly white Beetle loaner car are a plus!!! It was 10:50pm on a Friday night when I left his shop with a grin on my face.

It helps that Tri-Star is a dealer for: Colt Cams, Malone Tuning, South Bend clutches, BuzzKen exhausts, and insists on top-line OE replacement parts and has the dedication to Euro diesel cars.

Couple weeks later and couple 1000km later, I have no complaints and would go back there without hesitation!

It's an hour-ish cruise from London, Woodstock, or Tri-Cities K/W/C area. When I was living in Georgetown I would go to H2Sport (they are parts-only now, no service), and now that I'm in Woodstock I have been to Jason at ForeignAutomotive, and am happy to add Tri-Star to my very short list of shops I trust.
 

jlb

New member
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Location
Mississauga, Ontario
TDI
Interested in buying
If Oakville's not too far for you, Mantis Racing on Speers Road at Fourth Line is good. Ernie's been in business for a long time (25+ years).
Thanks, of course I would like someone a little closer, but given the choice I'd rather have a quality, reasonably priced mechanic! Thanks again.
 

Big Turbo TDI

Active member
Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Location
Caledon, Ontario. Canada
TDI
01 Bora (modified) 01 Golf GTD (modified)
Wroth European Automotive
25 Erinville Dr, Unit 6
Erin, ON, N0B 1T0 1-519-833-5000
www.wroth.ca
wrothauto@hotmail.com
We have 6 TDI's in my family and have been taking them to Hendrick for the past 4 years, Hendrick and his team of very knowledgeable mechanics have alway been able to get the job done fast and affordable. Wroth is for sure my choice for southern ontario volkswagen guru's. they also provide a courtesy car if needed, added bonus its a TDI!!
 
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vw_leadfoot

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2010
Location
GTA, Ontario
TDI
2010 Golf TDI Wagen
http://519biz.com/total-mechanical-services/

I've been going to Johnny Yeaman (in pic below) at Total Mechanical in Orangeville for 7 years now. Highly recommended. He is the reason I got another VW! Very honest and great staff. He doesn't have a website but here is some info I found on the business:



7 Service Bays, 5 Certified Technicians
Thousands of Hours of Experience.
At Total Mechanical Services our staff has, collectively, more than 60 years of Volkswagen and Audi experience.​

With our completely current diagnostic technology, we offer a full range of services:
  • Computer scanning diagnostics​
  • Computerized four-wheel alignment​
  • ABS service​
  • A/C service​
  • Any other required repair or maintenance​
We have 5 courtesy vehicles available for our clients, free of charge. Extraordinary customer care is a priority to us, our services is sharply efficient and when you make an appointment with us, you’ll be taken on time.
So the next time your Volkswagen or Audi needs service, why not give us a call?

Phone Number: 519-942-9876 | Toll Free: 888-227-8989 | Fax: 519-942-9405
Email: n/a
Address: 20 Coles Cres.
City: Orangeville
Postal Code: L9W 2Z2
Hours of Operation: Mon to Fri: 8am-5pm
Service Area: Dufferin and Surrounding Areas
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Website: n/a
Payment Terms: AMEX, Mastercard, Visa and Cash

 
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Johhny04

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Markham, Ontario
TDI
2003 Jetta TDi
For a shop, that's an excellent price as long as it includes everything needed: belt(s), tensioner (only Litens brand!!!!!!!!), 3 idlers, water pump, a bunch of single-use bolts.

Yuri
Would you recommend that for both ALH and BEW engines? I am looking at getting a kit for my car and want to specify when ordering. Thanks
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Would you recommend that for both ALH and BEW engines? I am looking at getting a kit for my car and want to specify when ordering. Thanks
Litens makes them for VW and has the best reputation. Why go with a possibly inferior brand for this particularly critical component?


Yuri
 

RayPayne

New member
Joined
Jul 11, 2011
Location
Whitby, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2009 Jetta TDI
Very useful thread

This thread is very handy. My previous mechanic doesn't do diesel. This list really helped find someone to do service since I have no desire to do my own service when there is a winter storm warning. I'm booked in for tomorrow and am not as apprehensive about using a new shop.

Thanks!

As a follow u;, Precision Tuning was great. I'd definitely recommend this shop to anyone considering it.
 
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Purch

Veteran Member
Joined
May 10, 2011
Location
Uxbridge, Ont.
TDI
2013 Golf TDI 6spd
My driver side wheel bearing went from a slight to a severe hum practically over night and I needed to get it fixed ASAP. I have heard many negative things about them from friends and local residents, but I called 410 Auto in Stouffville who specialize in VW and Porsche because I needed the issue rectified and they're not too far from home.

I called them and asked for a quote on the job, but the person on the other end refused to give me one until they had a look at the car first, and wanted to charge me an hour labour just for that. (I had already done the trouble shooting to identify which bearing)

The next day I was passing by their shop and decided to drop by and talk to them. Bad idea. As I approached the front desk, the owner Rick was on the phone, he saw me but did not acknowledge me or say anything. After a few minutes of listening to him talk to a friend about a baseball game or something I finally interrupted him and asked him about the bearing. With an extremely rude reply, he told me the same thing as I heard on the phone - an hour labour to determine the issue, then likely ~$300 for parts and labour.

I can't believe these guys are still in business. Stouffville must be full of suckers with too much money.
 

Burgermeister

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2005
Location
GTA
TDI
2001, Jetta
I have had only positive experiences with Brandon @ DCM Automotive. I have an 01 TDI and 2.0T passat and have been taking my cars to Brandon for approx. 8 years. He has been honest, reliable and always professional with always fair prices. He'll always let you know if issues are urgent or if they can wait to be fixed later (not critical).

Just recently had my clutch replaced/upgraded and the car runs and feels great again.

DCB Automotive
141 Oakdale rd. Toronto, Ontario M3N 1W2 Unit 4 ( around the back )
Shop phone # 416-747-0400
Cell phone # 416-857-4873
 

pnyknight

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Location
Scarborough, Ontario
TDI
'02 Jetta 1.9 GLS, reflex silver (pseudo wrecked Apr10/13); 2013 Candy White Jetta TDI
I'm looking for at a used car dealership near Young/Elgin Mills. Is there a decent mechanic closer by that can help out with pre-purchase inspection? Driving back to PTM or DCB might be a bit time consuming :S

If they can also will with getting it e-tested and certified would also be helpful. Thanks in advance guys!
 

twopassats-one-TDI

Veteran Member
Joined
May 6, 2013
Location
Toronto
TDI
2013 Golf Wagon TDI Comfortline
Mittler Motors in Newmarket

About to pick up a new 2013 VW Golf Wagon TDI. Prior to this I had a 2000 GLS Passat and a 2003 GLX 4Motion Passat. Mark Mittler who owns Mittler Motors in Newmarket has looked after both of them. Can't imagine going anywhere else. He has clients from all over the GTA.
Also knows the TDI's very well. Great shop. Great group of guys. Rather go there than the dealer any day.
He'll be looking after my TDI.
 

kvvinn

Member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Location
toronto, canada
TDI
2012 golf wagon highline
newbie help?

Would very much appreciate some advice re a potential 2011 Golf TDI Wagon purchase. From VW dealer in Southern Ontario. Has 102k but dealer throwing in 2 year, 40k extended VW warranty. Apparently it's a trade in from a regular client, a doctor who put on mainly highway miles. Dealer says he knows the car very well as all maintenance was performed at his shop and that it's in great condition.

My question is do you guys think it' s still necessary to have an independent inspection of this vehicle prior to purchase
or does that extended warranty alleviate any concerns? My sensible wife - geez I hate admitting that - says we should do it anyways "to see if the car has been driven hard".

If the advice is to get the inspection does anyone know of a good VW TDI garage in the Simcoe ontario area?

Thanks to all in advance. Comments anyone, and time I'm afraid is of the essence here.
 

timk519

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Location
Kitchener Ontario
TDI
Last: 2012 TDI JSW
1) If the shop did all the work, then the dealer has the maint history and should be able to show it to you.

2) For the price, an inspection by an independent shop is cheap peace of mind - particularly for things that warranties don't cover.

3) What does / doesn't the warranty cover?

4) Ask him what'll happen if the HPFP lets go and results in the entire fueling system having to be replaced - will the warranty cover that?
 

kvvinn

Member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Location
toronto, canada
TDI
2012 golf wagon highline
update re Golf TDI wagon purchase

Well, I had a good look at the Wagon last night at the Simcoe VW dealership. Saw the maintenance records and everything looks good. We filled out finance app and await the result.
BUT the manager was "offended" (his own word) that I wanted an independent inspection. Not that he refused, he didn't, but he took it as an "insult" to the integrity of his dealership.
I can see that point of view - after all, the car is coming with a VW extended warranty which it had to qualify for including a 102 pt inspection.
So my question remains for you experienced TDI people out there: Am I being overly cautious here in requesting a 3rd party inspection? (The warranty
is an extension of VW's 4 year 80k comprehensive warranty.)
And is there a mechanic or garage in the area - even in Woodstock or Delhi if not Simcoe itself? Dealer has recommended 2 places but neither seem to be diesel experts it seems to me.
 

Wingnut

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 10, 2002
Location
Toronto & Whitby
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta Wagon
Offended is a strong word. You are making a huge purchase. Would the dealer buy a $300,000 house without a home inspection. I doubt it. So why is it hard to understand that you want a little peace of mind from a 3rd party.

Just tell the dealer that these cars are known for their HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) issues. You just want to have an independent shop open the fuel filter and inspect for metal shavings. Its a $10,000 repair bill to replace all the parts in the fuel system. If it does happen, you may get lucky and it happens under the warranty period. But if not, OUCH. You are just covering your butt.
 

mrrhtuner

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Location
London Ont Canada
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2015 Touareg TDI
Just tell the dealer that these cars are known for their HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) issues. You just want to have an independent shop open the fuel filter and inspect for metal shavings. Its a $10,000 repair bill to replace all the parts in the fuel system. If it does happen, you may get lucky and it happens under the warranty period. But if not, OUCH. You are just covering your butt.

I cannot believe that this type of an issue would be present and even if out of warranty should be covered by volkswagen. That's just BS to deal with such a problem at such a cost because of some flaw in the design/material


If you are driving to woodstock, make the 30 min trek to London and check out either Gary in Dorchester or Autobahn Motors
 

ik0n

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Location
Kitchener-Waterloo
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon TDI
For those of you in the K/W area.
I tried out German Autotech on Colby Drive in Waterloo because of their proximity to my work.
Great service, honest on their time spent and very nice to deal with.
 

kvvinn

Member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Location
toronto, canada
TDI
2012 golf wagon highline
decision

Thanks for all the replies. I think after reading all that goes into the VW Premium Assurance warranty and the 112 point inspection a car undergoes to be eligible for it I really don't think a 3rd party inspection is necessary here.
 

hussainm

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2013
Location
Toronto Ontrario
TDI
2000 Jetta
Hi all,

I'm new to these forums, cars (just bought my first), and TDIs (it is a 2000 jetta TDI). Single owner well kept, but has a few issues that I'd like checked by someone. I'm in markham and have read that Autobahn motors on Bullock is a good place to go, but I've also read of Almostracing on Bullock on another forum saying that he's pretty good too.

I'm looking for a long term relationship since I'm sure my car will need work with its 300k kms. I would like to have someone in Markham especially on Bullock since that is very close to my house. Can anyone else vouch for Almostracing? No one has mentioned him yet.

Thanks!
 

Johhny04

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Markham, Ontario
TDI
2003 Jetta TDi
Hi all,

I'm new to these forums, cars (just bought my first), and TDIs (it is a 2000 jetta TDI). Single owner well kept, but has a few issues that I'd like checked by someone. I'm in markham and have read that Autobahn motors on Bullock is a good place to go, but I've also read of Almostracing on Bullock on another forum saying that he's pretty good too.

I'm looking for a long term relationship since I'm sure my car will need work with its 300k kms. I would like to have someone in Markham especially on Bullock since that is very close to my house. Can anyone else vouch for Almostracing? No one has mentioned him yet.

Thanks!
Rob at Autobahn motors is a very knowledgable guy when it comes to VW, Audi and Porsche. Don't know his skill set specifically for TDI's, in terms of engines specifically, everything else like transmissions, brakes, suspension, electrical he is very knowledgable. Don't know much about Almostracing and can't comment. I live very close to both of these shops, I'm off Raymerville.
 

hussainm

Veteran Member
Joined
May 30, 2013
Location
Toronto Ontrario
TDI
2000 Jetta
Hi Johhny. Thank for the info. I tried calling Rob but he's away on vacation. I went to almostracing and can say that Phil seems like a cool dude. He was completely booked for the week but I explained I had just bought the car and was driving somewhere far and needed to know if there was anything urgent that may cause problems, and he immediately said he'd have to see it asap and that he could diagnose anything major in about 10 mins or so. I went to him the next morning without an appointment and he took it for a test drive and did a good inspection and said it was a solid first car and TDI.

That was the answer I was hoping for. He explained everything very easily and seemed very knowledgeable. Will be going to him for maintainence for sure.

Note: I can't say anything about the work he does on cars since I haven't had him do anything yet. But I will be able to comment on that soon.
 

ymz

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 12, 2003
Location
Between Toronto & Montreal
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
I will be able to comment on that soon.
Really? Based on your extensive experience dealing with the intricacies of TDI vehicles? Just because a car doesn't self-destruct following service performed by a given shop (take your pick) doesn't mean that the job was done properly or well. (Naturally, it also doesn't mean that it wasn't...)

(Pardon the curmudgeonly reply... I just wasted a week cleaning up (and re-doing a large portion of the job) after a "professional" maintenance/repairman/trades-person did some very shoddy work on my house...)

Yuri
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Yuri, you're just being grumpy.

I'm concerned about the 10 minute test drive being able to gauge the overall condition of Hussain's car.

When was the timing belt last done?
What parts were replaced?
What condition is the transmission fluid?
How free are the e-brake pivots on the rear calipers?
When was the intake last cleaned?

Did he give the answers to these on the all-encompassing *everything's A-OK* test drive?
 
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