Trusted mechanic in Vancouver, Canada area

Hi guys. Can anyone please recommend me a good vw tdi mechanic in the lower mainland or even in Washington somewhere close to the border preferably.
PG performance in Surrey is about 2 blocks away from my house. I know they specialize in vw, buy i sent them and email once and They never got back to me. So i lost trust right there.
JSPerformance worked on my car and they are great guys personally, but im not sure if they always help me as i wish they would.
Does anyone has any experience with any of these companies?
Or please let me know if you guys know anybody else.
Thanks guys

I have heard good things about both PG Performance & JSP. As for PG as with most shops a phone call goes a long way.

There is also JMP Autowerks in surrey. (604) 833-7282 ask for Jason.
You can also try Duane's German Autohaus in Langley. (604) 533-4502

I have used both shops to service my VW's for years.

vancityflyguy said:

Hi guys. Can anyone please recommend me a good vw tdi mechanic in the lower mainland or even in Washington somewhere close to the border preferably.
PG performance in Surrey is about 2 blocks away from my house. I know they specialize in vw, buy i sent them and email once and They never got back to me. So i lost trust right there.
JSPerformance worked on my car and they are great guys personally, but im not sure if they always help me as i wish they would.
Does anyone has any experience with any of these companies?
Or please let me know if you guys know anybody else.
Thanks guys

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Any chance you could elaborate on this statement? I've been going to JSP for years and have had nothing but excellent service from them. And that says a lot considering I live on the Island! One thing about Jose is he will always tell you the facts straight up, which may or may not always be what you want to hear, but in the end he will always be straight-forward and give his honest opinion which in my opinion is invaluable! So you can see why I am a bit puzzled by your statement because unless what you want JSP to do is either detrimental or ridiculous, I don't see why they wouldn't "help you as you wish they would".

Hi Ed,
Sorry If I sounded weird. Jose and LeighAnn are great.I have no problem with them personally. Jose will give you his oppinion, I just talked to one of their mechanic also and he said the smoking of my tdi is normal, when it just started doing it. And they said if the computer shows no code there is nothing they can do. Well I'm gonna change the fuel I'm using as Jose recommended and see what happens.
And there is also an other problem that I have that they just can't figure out why keeps happening. I was hopeing maybe someone else experienced the same thing and it would be an easy fix.
Thnx Ed and sorry If I made JSP sound like a bad company, they are absolutely not.

silverbulletwagon said:

I have heard good things about both PG Performance & JSP. As for PG as with most shops a phone call goes a long way.

There is also JMP Autowerks in surrey. (604) 833-7282 ask for Jason.
You can also try Duane's German Autohaus in Langley. (604) 533-4502

I have used both shops to service my VW's for years.

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Thank you silverbulletwagon, I will keep definitely keep them in mind.

vancityflyguy said:

Hi Ed,
Sorry If I sounded weird. Jose and LeighAnn are great.I have no problem with them personally. Jose will give you his oppinion, I just talked to one of their mechanic also and he said the smoking of my tdi is normal, when it just started doing it. And they said if the computer shows no code there is nothing they can do. Well I'm gonna change the fuel I'm using as Jose recommended and see what happens.
And there is also an other problem that I have that they just can't figure out why keeps happening. I was hopeing maybe someone else experienced the same thing and it would be an easy fix.
Thnx Ed and sorry If I made JSP sound like a bad company, they are absolutely not.

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There could be a number of reasons why your car smokes. Your intake manifold or EGR could need cleaning. Your MAF sensor could be failing which might cause your car to add too much fuel during injection because of false readings, your injectors could need replacing ....

As for the other problem, post up on here in the appropriate section and see what people say. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people here too and some may have suggestions on what may be causing your trouble.

In my opinion, it seems like Jose and the rest at JSP were trying to help you decide whether or not it was worth your while to look into the problems. If it's not something that is going to cause you or your car any serious harm, it may not be worth the cost of having them trying to diagnose it at your expense.

See Ed, this is what I was missing. They didn't tell me what else could be a problem. I'm not sure if I am hurting the car driving it like this or not. I did post my problem about the car shaking sometimes when warms up. I told Jose that almost everybody says that it's a timing issue. They checked it and my timing is within specification so they said it's better not to touch it.
But it's ok, I don't want to talk about what they said and what not.
I just wanted to know if there are any other companies around beside them that other guys would really recommend
And as always, I appreciate your help Ed

JSP knows TDI's, I wouldn't worry about their knowledge... They have looked after Ed's babies...

Tony is back from Chile for the summer (VW Petrolero handle on TDIclub)
He's trusted mechanic in lower mainland,
He works out by the Ikea in Richmond.
He's my guy... Send him a PM if you like

Also German Motor Car in port Moody is another option

Thanks N J!

Are you capable of doing your own work? Light maintenance? Full on repairs?

I have always found that I really enjoy the challenge of making my cars work the way I want them to.

Sources of info, like this forum are great for trouble shooting many of the quirks that these cars have.

People like PG and JSP are great sources but you need to provide some direction for them as they deal with many clients with many different requirements. Paul at PG has been helping me for years as a supplier of high quality parts and maintenance items. He has always come through but he can be very busy so you need to be patient or better yet, drop by the shop and talk to him directly.

I found JSP didnt know much about tdi's when I talked to them.... I wanted cat back 2.5 inch straight pipe because my muffler fell apart in my 2002 jetta.... He told me not to do it because it would be to loud without a muffler... ??? lol i said do it anyways and he quoted $450, Went to a local tire/muffler shop in mission and they did phenomenal work for $150....But I do all my own work.... just not exhausts... but after that experience I would not even consider them....

coolsio1234 said:

I found JSP didnt know much about tdi's when I talked to them.... I wanted cat back 2.5 inch straight pipe because my muffler fell apart in my 2002 jetta.... He told me not to do it because it would be to loud without a muffler... ??? lol i said do it anyways and he quoted $450, Went to a local tire/muffler shop in mission and they did phenomenal work for $150....But I do all my own work.... just not exhausts... but after that experience I would not even consider them....

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Makes me wonder if you made the same mistake another member on here made not too long ago. They booked their car with JSP for an oil change and went to J & S which is a small shop just in the next complex over. They were quite surprised when they spoke with them and found them to be quite useless! The member contacted me via PM and after a few minutes it became apparent he had gone to the wrong shop! It was also confirmed by JSP that he had not shown up for his appointment.

It doesn't sound like JSP to talk you out of a cat-back straight pipe, especially since they fit them on TDI's all the time! As for the price, it is dependant on what material is used to make the exhaust. Stainless is going to cost more than aluminum, and a custom-bent exhaust setup will cost more at a specialty shop than a muffler shop that does nothing but exhaust setups all day long. The hourly labour cost at a muffler shop is going to be significantly less than an automotive repair shop because they aren't using certified technicians to build your exhaust at the muffler shop.

Hmmmm.. maybe you are right.. that is a possibility. i didnt go in person but phoned them. I just cant see there being such a difference of opinion between mine and yours when it comes to this stuff........

Wanna Trade? I got 91 Jetta diesel 500k and its a gas - blows a bit of smoke but I just add injector cleaner additive also for low sulpher fuel- and rev it to the 30's lots
I drive it like my old DKW nd it likes it
now that was a smoker lol
got pulled over on the 401 ha ha
enjoy

vancityflyguy said:

Hi Ed,
Sorry If I sounded weird. Jose and LeighAnn are great.I have no problem with them personally. Jose will give you his oppinion, I just talked to one of their mechanic also and he said the smoking of my tdi is normal, when it just started doing it. And they said if the computer shows no code there is nothing they can do. Well I'm gonna change the fuel I'm using as Jose recommended and see what happens.
And there is also an other problem that I have that they just can't figure out why keeps happening. I was hopeing maybe someone else experienced the same thing and it would be an easy fix.
Thnx Ed and sorry If I made JSP sound like a bad company, they are absolutely not.

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Js performance is one of the best tdi specific shops in the grvd.. recommended.. Good people and Jose knows tdi's inside and out.... he's gets a bad rap with some scenes (mostly Gasser vw scenes) because he doesn't sugar cote things and tells it like it is.. well worth the drive.. going out there soon for an alignment and a once over on my car.

euro wrench in maple ridge

http://www.eurowerk.ca/

silverbulletwagon said:

I have heard good things about both PG Performance & JSP. As for PG as with most shops a phone call goes a long way.

There is also JMP Autowerks in surrey. (604) 833-7282 ask for Jason.
You can also try Duane's German Autohaus in Langley. (604) 533-4502

I have used both shops to service my VW's for years.

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I recommend JS Performance in Abbotsford for any TDI related work.

I don't recommend JMP Autowerks - Jason is not too familiar with TDIs, and when there was a timing issue with my car, he wasted a lot of time trying to figure it out.

Tony's knowledgeable as well...if I don't have time to drive out to Abbotsford, I'll sometimes get work done with him. I think his number is 604-270-1318.

Thank you

Euro Wrench works in Maple Ridge is my only trusted source for mechanical issues.. They are honest, and accomodating. They never install parts you don't need.

Don't trust Al

dok said:

Don't trust Al

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DOK,

Who/what is the story with Al? Please let me in on the joke.

Lat said:

I don't recommend JMP Autowerks - Jason is not too familiar with TDIs, and when there was a timing issue with my car, he wasted a lot of time trying to figure it out.

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Don't appreciate the negative comments. Your leaving out a pile of details and would suggest you either include those or remove the comment. Thanks for the thumbs up Tim.

I highly recommend Euro Wrench in Maple Ridge - Matt and Jens are great guys and have done work on my '01 Golf TDI and my buddies '03 Jetta TDI with no troubles.

Matt is an ex - VW dealer technician (for approx. 10 years) with MANY years experience wrenching on the various diesel engines.

Worth a call if you are looking for an alternative repair/service option to the dealer, or are simply looking for an independent repair shop to help service your car.

My 2 cents.

I can only vouch for JSP. As I have only had my TDI for a year and Lived in the greater Vancouver area for about 3 years. When I bought the TDI it needed a timing belt done. I was not familiar with the tdi's at the time and had minimal tools. I had searched as you did for a reputable shop to do the job on the TDICLUB and other local sites. JSP was highly recommended and when i read that a guy on this site took the ferry from the island to the main land and then drove 45 mins to get his cars serviced, I knew they had to be good.

I was very happy with there service. My wife and i dropped the car off on a sat morning. They showed us all the parts they were using for the timing belt change . Then they drove us to the mall (as we had no other car) and picked us up when it was done. They called in the middle of the job to let us know that the main seal on the crank shaft was leaking oil and asked if it was ok to replace it. When we got back to the shop they showed us pics of the leaking seal and the timing components they had replaced.

A few months later all the o1m in the car went into limp mode. Jose helped me out with the codes and offerd assistance if I got in to a jam where the car would not move. Sure enough the o1m is not fixed after countless tries and solenoids. JSP will be installing my 5spd swap on the 24th. I could do it my self. But i work 12 hour days and I dont want to be stuck working on the car on the weekend.

I Highly Recommend them as they are very professional and honest about your car and whats going on. Its hard to find ppl or shops like that anymore.

Cheers
Mark

Lat said:

I don't recommend JMP Autowerks - Jason is not too familiar with TDIs, and when there was a timing issue with my car, he wasted a lot of time trying to figure it out.

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westcoastjay said:

Don't appreciate the negative comments. Your leaving out a pile of details and would suggest you either include those or remove the comment. Thanks for the thumbs up Tim.

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Okay, let's include some details. Back in 2008, I went to JMP Autowerks to get replacement engine mounts. I was quoted $400 from Jason. All was well, and he was on his way replacing the engine mounts. Jason found that it would take a bit more $ and time due to the fact that the engine was somehow off alignment in the engine bay. Sure thing, fine by me.

Anyhow, while it was in his shop, he somehow messed up the timing. He didn't even have the proper TDI tools to fix it, and had to borrow it (I think the cam locking tool?) from Jose from JSP. I should also mention that the car was in fine running condition before I brought it in to JMP Autowerks.

It ended up taking a full week for him to fix the problem (and that's a heck of a long time to be without transportation), and he charged me close to $1300 to replace the engine mounts. Basically, he didn't know TDIs, caused some sort of issue, and I ended up paying for it. I have never been back, and by no means would I ever recommend any TDI owner to go there.

Lat said:

Okay, let's include some details. Back in 2008, I went to JMP Autowerks to get replacement engine mounts. I was quoted $400 from Jason. All was well, and he was on his way replacing the engine mounts. Jason found that it would take a bit more $ and time due to the fact that the engine was somehow off alignment in the engine bay. Sure thing, fine by me.
Anyhow, while it was in his shop, he somehow messed up the timing. He didn't even have the proper TDI tools to fix it, and had to borrow it (I think the cam locking tool?) from Jose from JSP. I should also mention that the car was in fine running condition before I brought it in to JMP Autowerks.
It ended up taking a full week for him to fix the problem (and that's a heck of a long time to be without transportation), and he charged me close to $1300 to replace the engine mounts. Basically, he didn't know TDIs, caused some sort of issue, and I ended up paying for it. I have never been back, and by no means would I ever recommend any TDI owner to go there.

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Someone just pointed me back to this thread.

Actually you had your timing belt done by someone who stripped the motor mount bracket and rammed the old bolts back in. when we went to do the motor mounts we found this issue and had to remove the bracket, when the bracket was removed there is supposed to be a black plastic guard on the timing belt splash shield and it wasn't there, it had previously been broken off and it must have fallen down into the timing belt area, the reason we had an issue was because it had caused the belt to skip a couple of teeth but the motor was still running. In turn we had to remove all timing components and reset everything.