Local mechanic vs dealer

just bought used jetta tdi . making general maintence repairs now.98 k runs great! 50-55 mpg! making 140 mile round trip daily for work. should I use local dealer or small shop mechanic?

Read all you can and do your own maintenance whenever you feel comfy. The more you know about the car the better you will feel about future maintainace decisions. Just be aware of what needs to be done and at what interval. I assume your original post is reference an upcomming timing belt/water pump? That job needs to be done by a competent person with the right "stuff". Pretty low miles for a 98, timing belt should have neen already replaced.

With all used cars unknown maintence? as for low miles yea, lucky me! so i'll consider a 100k maintence & change the T belt & w pump. has a engine check light.I have read that this is not unusal for this car. look foward to many years of use . Thanks

I believe the 02 had a 80 K belt. If previous owner didn't change you would be overdue now. You can inspect the belt by removing TB cover and see if you are lucky enough to have received the 100K replacement. Plenty already written on how to check. Some similar recent posts should get you more than an afternoon of reading.

What model TDI ?? A 98 New Beetle would be an A4, and a Jetta would be an A3...

Long-life belts only available for the A4's...

Not too close to one of the well-known TDI gurus, I'm afraid...

All the best,

Yuri.

need done on your car. They will almost always charge more per hour and often more for parts and supplies. They also tend to look at repairs a little different than the independent.
A dealer may well recommend work that strictly may not be needed, but could be connected to the problem or maybe replace a part when a little repair would fix it ALMOST as good a new.
There is no need to bring your car to the dealer for any service other than service that is going to be paid for by a recall or original warrantee. During the warranty period be sure to document all maintenance work.
I suggest that most people would be better off finding a good independent (Not working for a chain) mechanic.

peanuttdi said:

just bought used jetta tdi . making general maintence repairs now.98 k runs great! 50-55 mpg! making 140 mile round trip daily for work. should I use local dealer or small shop mechanic?

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Your 1998 TDI is long out of warranty, so there is no reason to visit a VW dealership except to buy parts on an emergency basis. For planned projects, you can usually get the parts cheaper online.

For maintenance work, who you trust to work on your TDI depends on what the project is. Brakes, suspension, clutches, stuff like that can be handled by an independent German repair shop. Timing belts, injection pump, and turbo issues are best left to TDI specialists -- gurus who know what they are doing and will not just replace lots of expensive parts until they accidentally get it right. The "trusted mechanics" thread may not list any of these gurus in the Tidewater region of Virginia, so that means you may have to schedule a visit with one that lives further away.

It is worth making a road trip to get the job done right.