Transmission issue

jfroux_1

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Location
chelsea
TDI
TDI 1.9 2006
I’m a newbie. It will be my first Jetta. I’m about to buy a 2006 Jetta 1,9 TurboDiesel TDI High Line 220 000 km for 1100$. The owner told me that the car does not start. The transmission was change in June 2017, it worked well for 1000 km and then a major problem started. The transmission light in the dash (P, D, R, N) flashed and the transmission stopped working. Turning off/on the car fixed the problem for 10 min and then problem was coming back. Any idea?
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
Dont buy it if it has issues you cant fix or afford to fix. you need to have this car inspected. Offer him $300 cash and walk away if he refuses. Dont be afraid to walk away from a lemon or a car that will cost you more $ than its worth of you can afford. You dont know about TDI's and to buy it assuming you can fix it (probably can), you dont know how the rest of the car is. those cars are not hard to find. save your money for something worth your time.
I personaly never buy any car i cant take to a lift and have inspected by Me or someone i trust. If an owner wont let me do that i walk. It saved me big time a few times before in the past.

Youtube Chriss Fix and watch his videos about how to buy a car and inspect it. Every helpful for you right now.

To answer your question. Get a code reader. get the codes from it, google them with your make and model and find out whats going on. Thats where you start.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC8LbvYk6es
 

jfroux_1

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Location
chelsea
TDI
TDI 1.9 2006
Mecanic is my hobby

I rebuild a subaru engine, I changed a transmission on a Jeep cherokee, replace a engine head on a cobalt, swap an engine and transmission on a Grand Marquis and now I want to get a Jetta full equipe at low cost. I think this Jetta has a fuse issue and it cause this problem with the transmission but I know nothing on Jetta TDI and I hope someone got this issue and know how to deal with it.

What is the value of a Jetta 1,9 TurboDiesel TDI High Line 220 000 km in perfect condition?
 

Tdijarhead

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
Lawrenceville PA
TDI
2003 TDI Jetta Daughters Car, 2001 TDI Beetle, Wife’s car, 2005 Golf TDI Mine, all 5 spds
If you want to become acquainted with a Jetta this is probably the way to do it. As mongler says don’t overpay you may be swapping out a transmission. In fact if it was me buying it that’s what I would assume it needed. If it turns out to be simple and less than a replacement, great. Just don’t count on it.

As for me personally I would never buy one of these cars with a slush box, unless I was planning on doing a manual swap.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
GREAT. welcome to the club. in perfect condition, maybe like 4,200. look it up on KBB and add or subtract 5% and thats your mean delineate sale point.

I have swapped a dozen engines/ rebuilt. the best one i got was a friends 04 ford escape for $150 cash in hand (what the scrap yard was going to give him) drove 9 hours round trip to get a 50K used engine long block for $750 and put a new trans in it. Patched up 2 rust spots on the wheel well and various other bits. I never take on a project like that unless i can bail at any time and make back my money from return on unused parts and scrap on the cars value. TDI's are fun as all heck to work on, mod, drive. If i was in your boots, i would offer him $500 MAX as you can recover from that and what not. $1000 for a non running car? yea right, its not a 911 or 350z that you could part out the head light too and get your money back OK. Is biting the bullet and scrapping the car, and parting it out worth your time? If that took you 2 days to rip apart and 2 months for storage space worth the $1000 to you?

My counter offer for him would be to let you work on a few things and if you can get it to run, you will give him 1,000 cash but if you cant get it to run in 2 days $400 cash. ive walk away from better deals.

Just my 2 cents there.

For race car lol for diesel i suggest you get a miata, or a boxster and do a 1.9L TDI swap.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
Scanning the TCM for codes would give you some quick clue(s) perhaps.
Sort of sounds like it may be the internal "wiring" film for the solenoids, etc. and/or a bad ground connection(s).
Check/change the fluid.
Is the '06 still the horrid 01M 4 speed or the 5 speed 09A?
 

kbaisley

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2002
Location
Midwest
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI 5spd
If memory serves me correctly, there is a thermo sensor that also caused the flashing prns of death as well. There are a few things that could cause it, but if you go into the deal, like others have suggested, planning on replacing the trans, you could OK. You need to throw a DMF in there too, especially if you end up yanking the trans. Sometimes its the mechatronics or as you mentioned the fuses. Tons of threads on what to look for on it. Pull codes with VCDS and see in anything shows before you buy!

Ill sound like a broken record, others will say the same. Plan on doing a TB and Water pump, Tstat and housing. Check the cam and the wiring harness for chaffing. If you can knock him down a few hundred, all the better. The motor is worth a grand. I sounds like you wrench, so just price in all of the wear crap mentioned above, into the offer. If you end up without having to do some of it, all the better. If the seller is not mechanically inclined, you are driving the negotiations! Typical auto owner will have no options other than the boneyard to sell that car.

Fun cars to work on, all of the qwerks are in this forum. If you are lucky, the trans will be an easy fix. Great car and sounds like a fun project.

Update- Reading comprehension is not my strong suite...

You mentioned that the car doesnt start and later that it does. More complexity, if it doesnt start, you obviously have more risk. It could be serious risk, ie snapped / slipped belt. Go in eyes wide open and price accordingly. I have bought a few of these in an as is where is not started basis and have been OK.

Dont know the value on that side of the pond. Here in the states, a decent 06 will run 3 to 6K USD on average. Depending on mileage and pedigree. I have been helping a friend shop for one here in the midwest. Finding a lot of dsg 170K average - zero history asking around 4700.
 
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jfroux_1

Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2017
Location
chelsea
TDI
TDI 1.9 2006
Electric issue P,R,N,D lights flashing

Thanks to all of you for your input. I’m from Québec and my English in not perfect.
I can get the car 1100 Can$ (860 US$) and the car is at 200 km from my house. It is in perfect condition but it doesn’t start. My plan is the use my OBDII to scan it to see the codes. But again, I’m new to Jetta TDI. The owner had a major transmission failure in June (oil spill) and he had the transmission replaced (110 000 km on the new transmission). He drove the car for 1000 km and then the lights (P,R,N,D) started to flash and transmission stop responding. He said that when it happened, just by turn it on and off the car, it reset the transmission and it was ok for 10 minutes then the problem was coming back.
To me, it look like a typical electric problem cause by a bad transmission installation. Water was going to an electric connection and with time corrosion did cause an issue the electric signal or one of the connection is loose. I just hope that one of you had the same issue and that I can learn from him. From your comments, I’ll list everything I can check. I feel like this Jetta has a strong potential.
 

JDSwan87

Black Swamp Thing
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Location
Michigan near Toledo
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI, 5 speed Lagoon Blue Metallic(sold); 2005 Jetta TDI Wagon auto
Be wary of the BRM engine which your 06 Jetta has. They are known for excessive cam wear.
 

jettawreck

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2004
Location
Northern Minnesota-55744
TDI
2001 Jetta and 2003 Jetta
I doubt if your generic OBDll scanner will read any codes related to the transmission as you need to scan the TCM not the ECU. Some high(er) end types may, but not sure how well compatible with VW they may be.
Need to figure out which type of "automatic" transmission you have. The DSG has its own type of issues and maintainence schedule. The 5 speed 09A "conventional" automatic is fairly durable. One of the gas 1.8T Jettas I had with the 09A in it I bought in a non-moving condition. It would actually move for a few seconds each time it was started then seem yo disengage and it had many fault codes. Supposedly had engine oil in the coolant. It had tranny fluid in the coolant due to an internal leak in the tranny heat exchanger. Trans fluid came out about the look and consistency of cottage cheese. Took about a dozen 3 qt changes to get it looking clean and then, despite most expert opinions saying it wouldn't ever work right, it shifted and drove perfectly.
Scan the TCM (VCDS will be your friend), change/check the fluid condition and level, at least for the 09A. I know nothing about the DSG units.
 
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