Stafford Virginia, anyone need a4/a5/b4 TDI work? Broken Glow Plug Removal too.

mrGutWrench

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 29, 2002
Location
Carrboro, NC
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 5-speed, 563K Miles (July '23)
akio said:
Another bump for Tom. 80k check went smooth as silk. If you have a TDI and are in NoVA, you should be taking your ride to Tom. Thanks again!
__. Yup! He just did MzLauraLee's timing belt system; great work, as usual. Also, replaced the loose serpentine tensioner, and pointed out that her RH headlight was burned out (which I fixed when she got home).
 

RichmondTDI

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Location
Richmond, VA
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
Rear brake pad change, two thumbs up and 5 big stars!

Sorry it took so long for me to post this Tom. I cannot believe two months have already passed!

I highly recommend Tom for your TDI's needs.

On 08-29-09, I had Tom change my rear brake pads. I was in a major bind with my Jetta having failed the Virginia State Inspection and needed the pads to be changed ASAP. Tom was able to perform the rear brake pad change for me on short notice and he did an excellent job they are working great!

Tom was also nice enough to give my vehicle a "once over" doing a visual inspection along with a VAG-Com reading. He helped me create a "to-do" list of maintenance items for my vehicle which I plan to have Tom do before I take my cross country road trip at the end of this year.

Thanks again Tom!
 

jxf11

Member
Joined
May 26, 2004
Location
.
TDI
2000 VW Golf GLS TDI 5-speed
I just saw Tom (aka ninedee_golf_tdi) yesterday for a timing belt change on my 2000 Golf with 103k. I had the timing belt done at 54k but it looked like the shop (Wheaton Service Center) didn't change the large roller/idler or the 2 small rollers. Doh! :eek: ymz recommended I see a "guru" and listed Tom as one of 2 or 3 options.

I'd never been to an independent, home mechanic and it is a bit of a drive to get there but I wasn't disappointed. Tom was fantastic! He not only did a thorough and complete timing belt change but he caught a potential big issue: the intercooler hose was almost detached and needed reseating. He took care of that and gave me a list of things to do (I got a clogged intake from lugging), things to watch (alt pully, pinhole radiator leak), and optional nice to haves (top cover mod, missing bracket nut, etc). Tom was very patient with my many, many questions and was updating me on the TB change progress and about TDI mechanics the whole time. I also got hands on time with the tools and Vag-Com which was fun. Not to mention Turbo and Gray Cat were always ready for attention and frequently trying to help out.

A great experience and I wholeheartedly recommend Tom for TDI work. :D
 

PnutButrJelytime

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Location
maryland
TDI
02 jetta
why yes i do need some a4 work done.

-tranny fluid change
-injectors pop tested
-and i have an oil leak that i can't find.
 

arne487

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Location
Fort Collins, CO
TDI
'03 Golf TDI, '10 TDI Cup Jetta
Thanks for the suspension work this past weekend, ninedee_golf_tdi. Hope you find a home for the new cat.
 
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mdtdiguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Location
Maryland
TDI
2002 Jetta tdi "Blue Bob"
"Dude you need a new windshield" or how bob almost suffered malpractice

I recently purchased a 96 passat tdi which I named Bob(Which is short for Roberta-this is to head of any gender questions OK?I acutally named her after Bob s who helped me find the car). She was pretty sick but so far nothing major or terminal.

I took her to one of our approved mechs. They had her almost 2 days charged me half a grand. The looked into a cel, changed ebrake, fixed some exhaust stuff etc. I specifically told them to go over the car thoroughly. One of the things they found was whistling noise which they attributed to a leak in the windshield. They said I needed to take it off and have it remounted. Other than they they said she is almost good to go. They also said I need a new injector pump since it was leaking. The was 1200 minimum not counting labor. I panic at the thought of cash leaving my pocket. My original intention was to take Bob to Tom but distance and the timing did not work out and I wanted to make sure I was not driving an unsafe car. He was highly recommended by members in our area. I called him and described the leak. He told me that it was a top gasket of the pump and he could fix it for about 100 bucks. That was music to my ears. I made a timing belt app. with Tom for the following week.

So far Tom has changed the cabin filter by actually taking the rubber seal around the filter and soaping the area down, fixed the injector pump, fixed the oil leak,and mucho mucho more stuff which he does not put on the bill! He also tells you how to do it yourself if you are inclined.

Hey for me this getting to Tom is takes over one hour and he has lots of critters which I have no problem with. If you must have a waiting room and want to be charged for everything then by all means go to someone else. For me I will take some inconvenience in exchange for having my car taken care of properlly and my wallet preserved. I love learning about my car and having a decent honest person take care of it.

Oh remember that windshield noise? I was driving away and Tom heard bob whisling away. Back to the garage and lo and behold a bolt and nut was missing that attached the turbo to the exhaust pipe. This leak was missed by the approved shop after having the car there for almost two days. This was the windshield noise. The macgyver of TDI mechanics fixed this in about 10 minutes with items that were in his shop.

Oh one other warning spend too much time at his shop and you start craving a b4v glx conversion.

I am coming back there again Monday for the Timing belt which was delayed by a stripped bolt at the water pump. Once we get a water pump with housing it should be good to go.
 
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Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Stafford Virginia 22556
TDI
96 glx variant tdi
This is the "windshield" that was whistling (I've never heard that explanation for an exhaust leak before):


This is the way I found the recently installed timing belt tensioner (wound backwards), NOT by this trusted shop which was paid to check the vehicle over, but which certainly should have been noticed and corrected:


And sadly, another one of the critters had to be put to sleep yesterday due to old age. Goodbye White Cat, rip, you deserve it after 18 years.
 
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rand442002

Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Location
Virginia Beach, VA
TDI
04 Jetta TDI
I just had my TB done by Tom, Turbo and Grey Cat as well as my serpentine tensioner and alternator pulley and I was very happy with everything. Not only did Tom do those things for me he taught me a lot about my car and gave me a list of other things to do and how to do them. He saved me about a grand when all was said and done. It was about a 2.5 hour drive from Va beach to get there but its certainly a drive I'm willing to do again for any other things I need help with on my car. I'm a better and more knowledgeable owner for having gone there and my car is certainly much better since having left there. Thanks Tom, you've more then earned my trust business for as long as I'm in the area. If only more people were like you.
 

nickf829

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Location
Surf City, NC
TDI
2012 Golf 6MT, 2000 Golf GLS - Sold
Sorry for not getting around to this sooner, but I need to rave about Tom and his excellent work. I drove 1.5hrs and it was well worth it. He did a TB for me in October, did excellent work, and even replaced my alternator pulley... The following week I had an issue with the camseal which I think was a faulty seal itself, and not anything he did, and Tom drove 1.5hrs to my house, on a Sunday, and replaced it free of charge... Tom is a standup individual and I would not hesitate to recomend him to anyone who needs work done... Thanks Tom, I really appreciate it, and sorry to hear about your cat.
 

mdtdiguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Location
Maryland
TDI
2002 Jetta tdi "Blue Bob"
I just got back from another Tom Earl appointment. He takes care of your car like you would if you had the equipment time and expertise. I am running off so I will post a more detailed description of the all the things that were done to get my car in tip top shape.

This guy is for real. Do not be lulled by the approved mechanics list. Check with other members. I made the mistake of going to a person on our list. Save yourself some bucks and get the job done properly. Make the trek to stafford VA.
 

tonystdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Location
Chesapeake, Va
TDI
2003 Jetta 700K miles, 2000 Jetta 288,000 miles
I'm looking to get a FMIC on my 2003 jetta TDI, any idea of how much it would cost.
 

arne487

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Location
Fort Collins, CO
TDI
'03 Golf TDI, '10 TDI Cup Jetta
Holiday bump for ninedee_golf_tdi. I spent an hour sitting still in Stafford last night waiting my turn to get onto I-95.
 
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tdeboeser

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2005
Location
Stafford, VA USA
TDI
Jetta 1998 Green
New year bump.

I haven't gotten anything done in Tom's new shop, but 3-4 years ago Tom helped me with a alternator install. I was stuck, posted up in the forum, and Tom stopped by that afternoon. In 5mins we (he) was done and we chatted a bit longer.
I'm do for a TB, ( and frankly could probably use the help today ) so I'll be sending a PM soon.

Tom de
 

Calico Red

Perpetual Newbie
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Location
Metro Washington DC
TDI
Passat 1996 Blue (sold 2/25/2012), Jetta 2005 Blue
THANK YOU Tom !!!!

Once again you resuscitated my old girl.

This afternoon Tom came to my rescue and replaced my failed steering pump with one he transplanted from a parts-Passat on his property.

I cannot say enough good things about Tom. He does the job right. He checks in to see if the repair has held. He advises what is immediately necessary to be done, gives heads up for work down te road. He explains and teaches as he makes the repairs. To quote mdtdiguy Tom "takes care of your car like you would if you had the equipment, time and expertise," and for that I am truly greatful.

Many, many, thanks, Tom !
 

Mike_n_NC

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Location
Brooke Station, VA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sport Wagen
Lived here for a year and a half and have finally found the Tdi underground connection here in Stafford, VA! I didn't realize there were so many Tdi's here in Stafford. I don't live in NC anymore.
I have 2 TDI critters; 1) a 2003 Jetta sedan w/165,000 miles; 2) a 2004 B5.5 Passat GL PD w/85,000 miles and is due some work shortly. Tom seems like the best place to go according to this thread! I don't doubt it either!!
 
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mdtdiguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2006
Location
Maryland
TDI
2002 Jetta tdi "Blue Bob"
dash death rattle fixed by Tom

Last week I stopped by impex(1/5) to return some unneeded parts. I am still waiting for credit on those parts. I disgress. I will edit this as soon as credit is in my account.

My car was showing a CEL. I had the resident impex mechanic vagcomm the car. Unfortunately he could not get a good signal. Almost immediately after my dash reset and another trouble light came on. This one was for the trunk lock. my central locking was kaput. Worst of all my dash gave off the death rattle everytime I started the car and the trip and clock reset to 0 and 1pm. Very creepy.

Luckily Tom was on my way to my final destination the next day. He asked some questions, checked everything that could have caused the problem and narrowed it down to a blown fuse. Along the way I found out how to fix a bad dash. Per Toms suggestion I now have a fuse checker and spares in the car. Dash works and so does the central locking.

Total charge for the fix Nada. I do not expect to get off scott free for each tom earl appointment but this kind of stuff builds intense loyalty.

Tanks for keeping me and Bob(my car) on the road.
 

balkor2

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2010 Jetta
I see alot of things you do. I also see how many people are devoted to your "kung-fu" ;)

I have one question "A list of things you DON'T do"
I think it would be easier to ask that question then to ask what you do do.
 
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Stafford Virginia 22556
TDI
96 glx variant tdi
Mainly I don't swim in waters where there are sharks, which is to say that I am smart enough not to accept jobs I have insufficient knowledge to perform correctly. I've never even seen under the hood of the latest flavors of tdi's let alone work on them. I don't do tranny jobs/clutch jobs due to a weak shoulder courtesy of too many years (21) in the Marines. Other than that... if someone wants a task performed, I'm honest enough to tell that person if my knowledge base is limited or not and whether or not I'm comfortable doing what they want done. One last thing I don't do is to take a shortcut on a job. It's either done the best I can do or I wouldn't accept the job in the first place.
 

jollyGreenGiant

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Location
MA
TDI
03 Golf TDI GLS ( my 5th TDI ), 03 Eurovan GLS - VR6 :(
ninedee_golf_tdi said:
One last thing I don't do is to take a shortcut on a job. It's either done the best I can do or I wouldn't accept the job in the first place.
Good man, this Tom guy!
 

balkor2

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2010 Jetta
fair enough and honest enough.

Have a friend with 2006 jetta tdi and just turned over 80k.
the owners manual says 90k but have read others say 80k for Timing Belt.

what do you recommend and how much ;)
 
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Stafford Virginia 22556
TDI
96 glx variant tdi
So.... my pooch Turbo has two trick knees and he was operated on this week for one of them at the Virginia Tech campus down in Blacksburg. It's about a 10 hour round trip including some hospital time and had to be done several times. Sorry for all the inconvenience and last minute cancellations and shuffeling of appointments but life happens. To fix a canine trick knee, the knee is cut open, a groove in the shin bone is made deeper and a ligament holding the kneecap in place is shortened slightly and the ligaments pinned in place. I think that's how it goes. Anyway, here is a pic of Turbo's repaired kneecap.

 
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