TDI Mechanic in Las Vegas area

I am new to the area and my check engine light has come on with the code P0673 Glow Plug Heater cylinder. I had this same code about a year ago and had to replace GP #2. Any suggestions on a mechanic would be greatly appreciated. I have been reading through the information on this code, but unfortunatly it is a little over my head.

Heather

Welcome to the TDI-Club !!

I hope someone chimes in soon with a reliable mechanic in your area! If no-one does, take a look through the "trusted mechanics" list:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=130044 or the Vag-Com list (linked at the top of the page) and see if anyone shows up...

If not, then... I can't say that too many folks around here are very enthusiastic about going to VW dealers - especially for minor things like glow plugs... I assume that you've seen the little (?) Glow Plugs 101 thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=749854

I don't know how mechanically inclined you may be, but I would encourage you to think about either learning to take care of silly little things like this yourself, or else find a friend/neighbor/relative/co-worker who feels at home wrenching on cars and use the resources of this great website to educate him (or her - we have a couple of mechanic "chicks" around here...)

All the best,

Yuri.

PS: a code such as this is quite easy and inexpensive to fix... unfortunately we've heard of dealerships wanting to replace all 4 glow plugs plus the harness for anywhere from $500 to $900 !!! The plugs can be found for under $70 (for 4), are easy to replace (anyone who's replaced a spark plug can do it), and the harness usually just needs to be cleaned witha contact cleaner... especially on a 2003...

I looked through the "trusted mechanics" list and unfortunately there is not a local mechanic listed. I have been to the dealer and they basically want an open check to figure out the problem, which is crazy.

I am not mechanically inclined at all, but maybe I need to re-read through Glow Plugs 101 and try and figure it out.

Thanks for your help!

Heather

P0673 translates as a glow plug # 3 problem... most 2003's have the harness wired in reverse order to the cylinder numbers, so in all likelyhood your "problem" GP is on Cyl. # 2 (counting from the passanger to the driver's side)...

Of course, for the time being you can just keep on driving the car as is - this isn't a critical fault, but if your (new?) State requires an emission test to register the car, it won't pass with a Check Engine Light... As well, you won't know if another fault creeps in unless you do regular checks with an OBD reader (AutoZone or equivalent will do them for free, BTW...)

I would again encourage you to become more familiar with the workings of your car... going to dealers can become a very expensive habit with these cars...

All the best,

Yuri.

PS: my usual links for New-Bies:
Parts Suppliers:
www.metalmanparts.com
www.tdiparts.com
www.dieselgeek.com
www.worldimpex.com
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=152185 Bleached Bora’s sale thread
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=97080 Bleached Bora’s reference list

Oil: one of the best oils for your car is the Shell "Rotella-T" "Full Synthetic" (so-called) 5W-40 from WalMart (Blue jug)... pretty cheap, too... (and good for over 10,000 miles before you need to change...)

How-To's:http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=569892 (Wingnut's "how-to" message thread)

Timing Belt replacement procedure (download the file... just for your info, although it doesn't include the water pump replacement - considered essential!!!) http://pics.tdiclub.com/pdf/a4timingbelt.pdf
[URL="http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/5254timing_belt_checklist.pdf"]http://pics.tdiclub.com/data/517/5254timing_belt_checklist.pdf[/URL] (Oldpoopie’s checkoff list)


Quick-Time Videos:
http://pics2.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/oilextraction.html
http://pics2.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/snowscreen.html
http://pics2.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/fuelfilter.html
http://pics2.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/coolantmigration.html
http://www.cincitdi.com/richc/vwa4headlight.html
http://pics.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/glowplug.html

There is really only one mechanic in town that is willing to do work at a fair price: Wolf Auto Repair on Pecos and Craig Rd (I-15). He (Wolf) is very fair and has been working on VW's for many years.

How did you figure out the code? Did you try and reset it? I have VAG if you would like to try and reset it and see what happens. I would be glad to help, just shoot me a PM. If not give Wolf a call, you won't be disappointed