Check your Inner Fenders

SootHappens

SootHappens

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Much like the similar post for MKIV - The issue of debris accumulating behind the front inner fenders is still here with the MKV platform.

I swapped the alarm horn for the siren (maloosheck DIY of course) and after removing the inner fender I found quite the compost pile. What worries me, is the potential for rust at only 50k miles!

Check out the pics:











and cleaned a bit with a wheel brush (soft bristle):



 
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C

Crazy Jetta TDi

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Jul 3, 2008
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Colonial Beach, VA
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2006 Jetta
wow i wana pull my fender cover now and check behind it ... will probably do this Monday to see what she looks like behind there. thanks for the great pictures!!
 
S

sabersix

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May 1, 2008
Location
Sunny San Diego
TDI
2010 JSW TDI
I pulled mine after we bought the car (with 29K miles). I found about three inches of crud (less on the passenger's side); mostly pine needles and sand. I think it depends a lot on where the car is parked. Most of the stuff seems to have come from the windshield runoff area. I suspect if the car is garaged it will not see quite this accumulation, but it is still worrisome that there is little way for this stuff to drain out
 
SootHappens

SootHappens

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Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
The car just turned 50k miles. It's garaged when at home, and in an open lot with no trees at work.

I suppose the sand is from the road - it getting by the edges of the plastic, then sliding down to the rear. When it's raining (here most of the time) it probably amplifies the scenario. I've never been on the beach with the car... There were a couple needles/leaves in the mix, so it must also be the location where the wiper cowling drains.

I know VW could have designed this area better, cost vs longevity I guess. I trust that the greasy/waxy stuff they put on the metal will keep it from rusting long enough to get 300k miles out of her. I will still be cleaning this area more often after finding this!
 
alnmike

alnmike

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Feb 24, 2008
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Alaska
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09
Might wanna get a spray enamel can to coat it since you cleaned it with a wire brush, scraped some primer off.

Crazy Jetta TDi, love your picture man.
 
SootHappens

SootHappens

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Jul 11, 2006
Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
there's no paint/primer missing. It still is sticky with that wax/grease from the factory. no 'wire' brush, only a soft 'wheel' brush and some car-soap was used.
 
F250_JR

F250_JR

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May 13, 2008
Location
Birmingham
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2005.5 Jetta TDI Special Edition
SootHappens said:
I swapped the alarm horn for the siren...
Click to expand...
What siren did you use, and what was the install like? I have been thinking about some type of upgrade for my alarm horn.

Also, thanks for the heads up about dirt and leaves in the fenders. I detailed my car recently, and found quite a little pile in mine, so I know that it can definitely be a problem.
 
SootHappens

SootHappens

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Jul 11, 2006
Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
F250_JR said:
What siren did you use, and what was the install like? I have been thinking about some type of upgrade for my alarm horn.

Also, thanks for the heads up about dirt and leaves in the fenders. I detailed my car recently, and found quite a little pile in mine, so I know that it can definitely be a problem.
Click to expand...
It all started when I bought a highline gauge cluster (MFD+) and wiper stalk from Maloosheck. To be able to use all the features/on-screen menus, I upgraded my CCCM. The new CCCM did not support the standard alarm "horn," only the "siren."

Using Maloosheck's awesome Cluster/CCCM/Siren DIY, I had all the part numbers needed, and confidence boost to tackle the task. The install wasn't bad, just a bit time consuming because of the compost heap, and my lack of a rivit gun large enough for the new rivits. (I ended up using a couple self-tapping bolts instead) The new housing for the siren comes bare metal, oiled to prevent rust. I cleaned it and painted it with some rustoleum.

DIY: http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3604801&page=1

I order all my parts from www.1stvwparts.com because they are less than 150 miles from home, and ground shipping usually gets to me in one business day!
 
F250_JR

F250_JR

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Birmingham
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2005.5 Jetta TDI Special Edition
That is one intense mod!!! Seems like it would be much simpler if someone was upgrading just the siren, and not the cluster.
 
C

Crazy Jetta TDi

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Jul 3, 2008
Location
Colonial Beach, VA
TDI
2006 Jetta
checked mine today and was about as much as the OP's pictures on the drivers side. passengers side had 1/3 the crud the drivers side had. I will deff keep an eye on this area in the future. again thanks for the heads up!!
 
DieselDavid

DieselDavid

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Maryland
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2015 Passat SE TDI 6M, 2015 Golf SEL TDI DSG
Each time we rotate our wheels we should all check/clean these areas.

By the way nice floor jack!
 
Jason D

Jason D

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Aug 5, 2006
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St. Louis
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06 Graphite Blue 5 speed
Mine had similar build-up at the 20,000 mile mark. I also think that the rear lamps on these cars are going to trap a lot of crud between them and the rear body panel. I haven't removed mine to check but there is always thin leaves sliding down there.
 
B

Bob S.

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Aug 17, 2006
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Central MD.
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A B4V, some ALHs & BRMs
Jason D said:
Mine had similar build-up at the 20,000 mile mark. I also think that the rear lamps on these cars are going to trap a lot of crud between them and the rear body panel. I haven't removed mine to check but there is always thin leaves sliding down there.
Click to expand...
+1. I have not had time to check behind mine yet. But, I think it is a wise move. I did do the fender cleaning about a year ago when I put on the mud flaps & need to do it again.
 
HFSH

HFSH

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Apr 21, 2006
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Madison, WI
TDI
06 Jetta TDI
what tools are needed to remove the outer fender?

after last winter, i'd bet mine is chock full of sand/salt mix. :mad:
 
SootHappens

SootHappens

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Joined
Jul 11, 2006
Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
Tools needed:

your lug wrench with lug key, and a T25 torx bit to remove about 8 screws.
I used a power driver so it goes quicker.

 
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J

jetta-girl

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Feb 24, 2006
Location
WA
TDI
06 Jetta TDI
I just now caught this thread... Yeah, mine looked the same at about 25K miles, but had a few little maple tree seedlings in it. :eek:

I also am always amazed at the gunk that fills up the area around the trunk opening. A toothbrush works great for cleaning around those hinges.
 
airwolf

airwolf

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Jul 25, 2006
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Cassopolis, MI
TDI
None
If you have splash guards (mud flaps) installed, you will have to remove those as well.

Well, at least it appears that way.
 
SootHappens

SootHappens

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Location
Scappoose, OR
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
ahh yes, the splash guards of course... they are the same size torx as the rest, and slide off nicely (no matter how 'good' the pinch clamp is)
 
C

Crazy Jetta TDi

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Jul 3, 2008
Location
Colonial Beach, VA
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2006 Jetta
I just removed the rear 2 torx screws T25 popped it out some slid my hand up there and crud flew out got a water-hose sprayed in there let it drain put the 2 torx screws in and called it a day
 
0

03GolfTDI

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May 4, 2003
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Atlanta, GA
TDI
'12 JSW DSG and '11 JSW DSG
My '06 was BAD after a couple years of nothing but dealer and $10 car washes. I cleared both wheel wells out which resulted in similar piles of leaves as the OP.

Now when washing I run the hose full stream down in the windshield sill and pull the fenderwell lining open with my hands. It has been 100% clean since I started doing this.
 
Abacus

Abacus

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Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
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I always wash under there when I do the car. When I bought it last Nov, it was packed full of pine needles, which are very acidic. Since then I have dug them out of every crack and crevice in the car, it's amazing where they'll wind up.
 
8

8606

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Joined
Dec 6, 2005
Location
Dearborn MI
TDI
06 Jetta-sold
I rotated tires and checked the driver side. With the winter we I had I was expecting a lot of buildup.........Nothing! Of course I power wash during winter and spray through the gap between the door and fender. Those that did the rears, how bad (buildup)? I expect the rears to be a different story for me.
 
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