2000 Jetta 5spd GLS

[djembeing]

This is my first TDI. I've been looking at them for a long time and finally this one popped up on the ole liste.

2000 Jetta GLS 5-speed manual, red
277,777m on the odometer when I first pulled her in the driveway, neat.
It took a few weeks to console myself on mileage. She could have driven to the moon.
I'm not looking to build a high performance car. I'm seeking reliability and efficiency, if I can get some style points I'll take em.

(long post) more of a journal. I'll update when I have something interesting to say.

So, first I had some things to take care of. I bought the car knowing it would need some post-purchase investment.
Known issues at time of purchase:
Valve cover leak, saggy headliner, original clutch, bad struts, cold start issue.
the good:
known history. the guy had a heavy folder of receipts and print-outs and stuff,
timing belts done on time,
new alternator,
new egr,
MAF
CTS
glowplug harness
tie-rods,
"new" injection pump (not sure of the source but he also gave me the old one),
New tires and brakes.
No rust underneath, only minor on hood and fender.

The seller mentioned it had some type of chip that was sent somewhere and had something done to it. not sure about any of this. How do I check?

First thing, Had to Rainex this poor windsheild, new wipers. I went and bought a bunch of tools. Metric sockets, allen socket and wrenches, torx bits, torque wrench, etc. I had to get it safe. He said it needed struts but it was really the control arm bushings. they'd clunk on every stop/go and some shifts.
I went ahead and replaced the struts, control arm, ball joints, tie-rod ends, sway-bar links, and steering bellows. All Moog stuff from Rock Auto. LCA came with bushings and greasable ball joints already installed. The struts already had new springs installed. Knowing what I know now I may have shopped for something more appropriate for the car, but they work well and make the car feel stable. Raised it about 2-3 inches, has settled a bit now.

I followed the tutorials on this and other forums and it wasn't that hard to figure out. I did run into a few snags. I didn't have the right tool to loosen the top strut nut, (even after I went tool shopping). I ended up using a deep socket (21mm?) held with visegrips and an allen key w/cheater bar stuck through the hole to hold the stud. The new moog strut mounting stud would be different.
The front bolt on the lower control arm was trouble too. It felt like it wouldn't thread into the nut "welded" inside the sub-frame. That's when i read that you should not tap the bolt in with a hammer to avoid the risk of losing that nut inside the sealed cavity. a nightmare scenario. turns out I had this bolt mixed up with the strut pinch bolt which is a bit shorter. No problem here. When i got to the driver side, I did, most definitely used a hammer to tap in the front bolt and most definitely lost the nut down inside the sealed mounting cavity. dang. and many other words. After a lot of fumbling and getting nowhere I decided to quit for the night. But I wanted to try something, i was able to suspend the nut in place with a pick long enough to get some superglue on the side in hopes it would hold enough to get the bolt started. I put the bolt in without the control arm just to hold the nut to let the glue set overnight. I felt this was in vain, it was very cold.
You know how it is you can't get your mind off of it, so I exploited the forums and youtube for ideas and brainstormed myself to sleep.
The next morning, I checked and the glue did not hold at all. (JB weld would have worked if I'd had any, so try that if you run into the same problem).
I ended up using a coat hanger fashioned precisely to cradle the nut as I carefully got everything together. Had to have the wife help, it was a delicate operation. success.
Got her lined up and no more clunk, tight turns, stable on the highway at 70+. Oh yea, After i was done I reviewed the tutorial and realized i was supposed to replace the control are and strut pinch bolt with new ones. They are one-time-use. So I ordered the new ones and did the whole thing over again. Very "educational".
Next would be to change the oil and transmission fluid. Straight-ahead, no issues. New magnetic drain plug and copper washer. No visible contaminates in the oil. It does burn some, and leak some. I torqued the valve cover and oil pan to spec. Both had some loose bolts. Seems to help her consumption. Cleaned the aluminum belly pan. I used rotella 5w-40 blue bottle. and for the trans it was in a gray bottle from oriellys. up to spec at least. Shifts a lot easier.
I discovered IDparts and Kerma and those places through these forums. I got all kinds of stuff. So many boxes. I'll try to remember everything.
I changed the fuel filter w/diesel purge and air filter (KnN out. mann in). cleaned oil from MAF. they first sent me Liquimoly Oil treatment, when i called about an exchange they just sent to Diesel Purge at no cost and let me keep the oil treatment. Haven't used it yet, anybody have experience?

Now I begin chasing this cold start issue.
The previous owner showed me how to unplug the coolant temp sensor and it'll start up no problem. If the engine is warm it starts fine with the sensor installed. if it sits for a few hours it'll turn over till the battery dies. If I jump start it, it fires right up. He put a new green CTS in, and new GP harness. I'll post my odb codes later. I don't have Vag-com.

It'll get a timing belt as soon as I have the money. There's a guy within a few hours who is on the trusted mechanics list and comes highly recommended. I'm sure he can help me. Maybe whoever replaced the IP didn't set the timing correctly.

New battery. old one was 8 years old. no change. i'm not convinced it's powerful enough, may upgrade. I'll add specs later.
New glow plugs. Bosch from kerma or id
replaced vacuum tube to turbo and that valve, seemed to help it's power a little. beginning to hear the whistle outside the car.
Had a cheap muffler put on, the previous owner removed the original, chasing low power I think. New one, i wish i could remember what it was. guy at the shop said it was low flow to help the turbo. helped its sound a little, gets throaty on the boost. still has cat. Wonder what it would do with no cat but keep the muffler.

Then I had it out of town for a month with a 40min twice-daily commute. It did good. I still had to do the trick to start it if it sat for more that a couple hours. I had several two hour, 55mph, no red light trips. It did great, for the most part. 46mpg was the best i got (w/PS 5th gear no breaks cruise control, some hills).
It did do a couple of weird things. Two cold mornings, 10f or so, with cts unplugged and even 5 full cycles of glow, still excessive cranking to start (like 10-15 min). First time I had under half tank no additive parked facing up hill so that day I got some power service and filled up and parked facing down hill. Same thing. Eventually started at ran like usual.
A few days later I got a flashing glow plug light, no other symptoms. Quantity adjuster upper limit code. This happened about 25f, 1/4 tank. So i freaked out searching for answers and pricing injector pumps and hondas that night. GP light still flashing in the morning, fill up with fuel. No more flashing GP light. don't scare me like that old girl.

I get back home no problem. Still chasing cold start issue (CSI)
Also, there's some hesitation (missing) above 70mph. or sustained med rpm (2800+) under load. Thinking fuel restriction. no lift pump on this one. Drill out check valve in the tank sender unit. no change in starting or high speed miss. Plan to inspect, pull and clean the intake manifold. I looked through the Anti-Shudder valve and it didn't look terrible. Might get a cheap usb boroscope and get a good look before tearing into it.
Thinking maybe the starter just isn't turning the engine fast enough. It fires good with a jump. Was going to rebuild the starter but it was not in bad shape so i just cleaned all the connections. may have helped a bit. Might try a higher CCA rated battery i think the new one i got from oriellys is rated at 770cca maybe 40ah. We'll see how the timing belt and professional consultation go.

Then there's the interior. First we gave it a good cleaning. Black leather is not bad, some scratches but no rips. Some of the interior plastic is scratched, i think it's called soft touch and i hear it can be cleaned up with alcohol. Kenwood stereo and infinity speakers sound good. CD, Radio, USB, Bluetooth, Aux. Still need some type of sub. Bought a kit to fix the glove box door, need to get one for the console armrest lid.
The headliner is sagging, can't wait to replace it with leather or something like that. cup holders are hanging on for dear life.
The shifter knob was peeling and just too temping on a long drive. Got a nice simulated wood grain on amazon for $15~. Really classed her up. once i clean that plastic and do the headliner she'll be sleek.

As for the future, again, I'm not looking to build a hotrod. Just a nice daily driver, not that I wouldn't mind some power. We'll figure it out as we go.

After the timing belt is probably a new clutch. I'll have to decide on what kind of power I'm going to end up with. I also don't want it too hard to drive because the wife needs to learn the manual sooner or later. right now it's so easy to engage, almost no accelerator is needed, just a bump. Might have to do with the dual mass flywheel, I'll have to decide on that too. May switch to a single mass. seems to be the consensus. I wonder if those clutch upgrades are rougher to engage (since they grip better, right?) especially switching from smooth friction plate and spring filled fly wheel to sticky plate and a single wheel. Needs some wheels and some paint too. both are close to last on the list.

Although the stereo is nice, I think I'd like a double-din. It would modernize it a bit. My buddy had a single din with no cd drive, so the face plate folded down for secret storage behind. It would be cool to find a double din like that.
Also all those surrounding pieces need something. There are kits for this.
New window tint, old is peeling in the back.

Other ideas. I may or may not give these a second though but figured I'd share.
- Somewhere I saw a write up about using a tablet (ipad or android) as a stereo/gps/etc. That could be cool and maybe easier than it seems. I could see someone creating a custom interface with widgets and apps. Maybe even work VCDS into it somehow.
-A pillar "gauges"
-Backup camera monitor/gps. Maybe put this in the lowest position and use a bigger housing than a normal round gauge. Having it right next to the driver door mirror would be nice along with some good backup lights.
-Compass/temp: Maybe a custom digital display three digit coolant temp or outside temp, compass letters. A ring of leds that act like a needle gauge (ya know, sweep-like)could work as the compass too. Maybe asking too much but there might be something already available.
-third slot could be boost/egt, fuel economy,
Another idea, hook up some lights to whatever controls the boost and/or tach so they brighten as rpm/boost climbs. Maybe even have rpm control blue lights in the foot wells and maybe white fades in as you build boost. could put these lights anywhere, thinking led strip lights. Thought about putting a ring around the cluster, some up under the dash.
And I definitely need better light in the trunk.
Maybe a roof rack for our kayaks.

I do really like the car, and my wife loves how comfortable the seats are. It's an awesome road trip vehicle. I'm a drummer and I can fit all my stuff in the trunk with the back seat laid down. The fuel mileage makes it worth it to play some of these out-of-town gigs. It's just fun to drive, and once I get the timing belt taken care of we'll put some serious miles on her.

A few things to add. 4/2017
I replaced all the vacuum hoses with generic from rock auto, also a vacuum check valve from id. The old stuff was frayed pretty bad. The car ran a lot better. Smooth idle, solved the "missing" at highway speeds. Fairly easy to do. Replace one at a time and confirm the routing with the diagram. This gave me the biggest improvement in how it ran since I got the car. It cost about $20.
Took it through the car wash and lost a turn signal cover. Ordered replacement and upgraded cup holders.
I installed a switch to disconnect the CTS. I had the wire and switch laying around.
I've removed the check valve in the fuel sender. no change but this could have caused my starting issue when it was cold out, 10f.
Replaced Brake booster vacuum hose and check valve. old one was split (no change)

Thanks for sitting through the epic. Any thoughts or advise is welcome, as long as you're courteous.

 

[djembeing]

a set back?

Had the car out of town again. I began to allow myself to think that the car was doing very well. The two hour drive was smooth and effortless. It was very nice out, 65-70f. I put the windows down and opened the sunroof around town. I made the mistake of bragging to my friend about the ole TDi. not 10 minutes later I get a bit of a hesitation around 40mph. Then she dies on me at a stop light. Starts up again so I figure I better get to where I'm staying asap as possible.. She's smoking more than usual. The idle is all wacky. She dies at the foot of the hill and this time it takes a few tries to get started again. We power up the hill. Tach is jumping all over the place. puffs of dark smoke.
Bad fuel? I had filled up (from 1/4 tank) the previous week at a busy station I've used plenty of times. Used Power Service, and had run through half a tank no problem.
I had a flashing Glow Plug light, and some QA codes in addition to my normal GP CTS codes. Also flashing oil warning light, level on dip stick was normal and no typical sounds of low oil/pressure.
(no VCDS) (receive turn signal cover and cup holders...)
Give up for the evening, let it cool, try again tomorrow...
Starts normally, still flashing GP. After a few minutes it starts to miss again. I don't really want to tear into it in my friends driveway so I arrange a trailer and my super hero of a dad to haul me home.
Now home, I poke around on it hoping the injection pump is ok. Remember, the previous owner had it replaced. I don't know where he got it but it's a bosch 10mm. I pulled the timing cover and the belt doesn't seem terribly old, still tight, I guess.
I disconnected the wiring harness to the IP and cleaned it with contact cleaner. Also, wiggled the thermostatic T on the fuel filter, maybe seating it a little better.
Car seems to run normally for the most part since those last few things. Let it sit running in the driveway, ok. a few small bubbles in the clear fuel line, I don't know what is normal. Took it around the block several times, ok. I cleared the codes (took a screenshot first), ok. I'll let it sit for the night and see what happens tomorrow. I think I'll order a new thermostatic T and 109 relay just for good measure. Might work on cleaning that intake soon also. And, I think it might be a good idea to go through and thoroughly clean some electrical connections.
I must keep in mind that this thing is a project.
And, still need to schedule a timing belt. I've learned that the guy near me is on hiatus. I wish him well and sincerely hope things work out well for him.

 

[bbarbulo]

Good detailed account of your troubleshooting!

key with these cars is to understand what they need to run, like a gas car needs fuel, spark, air in the correct time - it runs. diesel is much the same, fuel air and TIME TIME TIME. so when it fails to start up, you gotta figure out what it's missing. Timing I suppose is about right since it drives ok and starts ok when warm. air you have to assume is getting there unless the intake mani is plugged, but if you have decent power the rest of the time, again - can assume air is getting in. so fuel, you've done a good bit of work with the sending unit and all that. Since your symptoms are so intermittent, very carefully check the wiring. The wiring is absolute crap on these cars and I've had more than a few wires broken off right at the connector (they would pull right out), insulation broken off, and insulation burned off. So focus on the electrical portion of the IP. fuel temp sensor or something along those lines could be messed up, which is why when you unplug the ECT the readings for the ECT and the fuel temp sensor match up in the ECU and the ECU provides the correct amount of fuel to start you off. and when I say messed up, I am more inclined to think the wiring as opposed to the sensor itself.

also, there is a ground under the wipers that the ECU is grounded to - I had inexplicable codes until I cleaned that ground location. and it didn't even 'look' bad.

so do all that free stuff before you throw more money at the car without clear reason.

 

[bbarbulo]

oh and PICTURES we all love pictures!

 

[djembeing]

New developments

Ok we seem to be running well, for the most part. Still have to use my CTS switch when cold. I was still getting the oil pressure warning on the first cold start. It'll go away after a few minutes. Cleaned connection, no change. Engine doesn't sound low on pressure. I've been maintaining a good oil level (known leak, likely vacuum pump/ valve cover). No ticking. Plenty of oil on inside of filter cap, read here somewhere to look there as an indicator of at least some oil pressure. Dipstick level has been good.
Got some new stuff from ID parts and Aaron Rodriguez.
Oil Pressure Sender (no change)
I clean the ECM ground connection under the cowl.(thanks bbarbulo) (no change) I pressed on the ECM connections and they seemed to settle a bit as if they were loose (clicked in)(no change)
109 Relay. Old one was black, probably original, new was gray and a bit smaller. It went in with the numbers upside down (maybe) (no change)
Broke Hood Pull.... rigged with paracord (bought new)
Also randomly getting the brake pad wear sensor. Just another ding to get my blood pressure up. I have the connector bridged. wonder if it might share a connector with the oil pressure sensor somewhere upstream.
So I've been breaking the bank driving the Jeep out of town. More for the wife's peace of mind. The VW hasn't died or had the sporadic idle since cleaning the IP harness connection (recommended, easy). It's running really well. However, we have the oil warning on a cold start. Oh, actually the other day I started it and within a second or two I revved it to about 2000-2500. the oil warning did not chime this time. I've read that the sensor only checks in with the engine going faster than ~1500, confirm. Maybe the quick little rev gave the oil pump a little boost enough to wake up the sensor?
Also, Got a new vacuum pump seal, I read there are two seal that can leak. One on the left and another in the middle of the pump (i read that an old oil filter ring might work). and the fitting that the brake booster hose goes onto seems loose. Read a post on these forums about sealing that.
ALSO now dealing with a power steering leak. I believe I've tracked it to the driver side hose connection to the rack. big wet spot and pooling under the steering boot. I'm hoping its not the rack itself. I have a reciept from a previous owner that says the inner tie rods were replaced. Fluid seems to be coming from above. right behind the lower banjo fitting. Most here seem to recommend a whole new hose. I think I'll try new washers first (torque spec?) clean surfaces and fresh, correct fluid. I don't know what he had in it. I've been using Prestone for European cars to top it off (says it's CHF 11s).
Let's see, did I break anything else? Yes, I replaced my side marker that disappeared in the car wash, the old one fell apart in my hand. Old plastic.
I redid the bridge on the brake wear sensor, exposed more copper, sanded, twist, heat shrink, tape.
Got my new cup holders installed, very easy, one clip on either side, slide out old, slide in new. It looks better. In some ways I think I liked the old one better, the solid piece with two holes. The new one seems only a bit stronger and while the robotic arms allow it to hold bigger drinks, my water bottle seems to flop around more. but power steering and a timing belt are a little more important.
Ordered the adhesive for my headliner, too. Thinking of going with leather (fake, cheap) The rest of the interior is black leather except the shifter is wood grain. I keep leaning towards brown leather for the ceiling and pillars. Wife says it might look weird, brown and black, might get a brown leather steering wheel cover to help blend it. I'll also need to paint all the gray plastic headliner pieces. Black, I guess. Or matching brown would look better. We'll see. And now that it's getting warm outside I'll need to freshen up the sunroof. One must hold the switch (rocked) forward to get it to shut all the way. (neat trick - if your sunroof won't close all the way, instead of using the manual crank, turn the dial to closed and press the front of the dial up into the ceiling and it'll override that pinch protection.) (And when loading a vw onto a trailer, you may have to climb out the window, put your key in the door and hold in the lock position, it'll roll up all the windows and sunroof. Same to roll them down to climb back in.)
So, I'll fix my PS leak, maybe get to cleaning the intake (kind of counting on breaking something), save for my timing belt, and ID has clutch kits on sale, must resist.
I'll try to get some pictures organized and posted. I know my posts are long-winded so I commend you for making it this far. These forums have saved me countless times so I figured I'd add my story. Hope something I've done helps someone else.

 

[djembeing]

A few things to add:
So my steering rack sprung a leak. Pooling on the driver side sub frame. I thought it was the high pressure hose fitting (19mm) so I replaced the washers. I used some copper washers I got from ID for the oil drain plug. perfect fit. Had the lady watch the driver side end of the rack while I turned the wheel and she saw fluid squirting from the boot. Failed rack seal. Removed the boot, btw when I replaced the front suspension the steering boots were pretty much non-existent (replaced with moog). I watched the seal as she turned the wheel, every turn left a few drops of fluid on the outside of the seal. The previous owner had the inner tie rods replaced, still had the stickers.
So, this week I'll be ordering a new rack.
https://www.1aauto.com/volkswagen-b..._content=STG&gclid=CK6co9OuvtMCFQQMaQodLpYOdA
Least expensive NEW one I could find. And I like their videos. Free shipping, lifetime warranty, no core charge. I'll have a used BAD rack to add to my old parts pile.
I've reviewed a few tutorials and videos on the procedure. Shouldn't be too difficult, then again, I'm the reason for Murphy's Law.
I'm wondering if anyone knows a good source for all the bolts that I should be replacing. Seems like I'm seeing $10 bolts everywhere. Some people reuse the old ones but (murphy's law) I wouldn't mind replacing at least the subframe mounting bolts. But $10/bolt? I'll pay what I need to for peace of mind but geez.

 

[djembeing]

Side note, I've seen some videos and thread posts about jack stand vs cinder block etc. Good jack stand should be a mechanics first purchase. I've known of some tragedies taking place because somebody wanted to save $20 or even had the stand on the other side of the garage but for some reason decided to use blocks or (stupid-idiot) just using the jack. Take one minute and throw a proper jack stand under there. Also, if I need to get underneath, I support the car with stands under the PROPER factory support area. (you'll see a little dent on the rocker under the front of the front door) Make sure it isn't rusty. Also, put the tire you removed under there as an added buffer, chock the wheels (in front and behind), Set the e-brake. Maybe use a block as yet an addition catch in case something fails. Learn from other peoples mistakes. There's nothing macho about broken ribs or a crushed skull. It won't save you any time or effort walking on crutches. Seriously, I know this sound like a lecture but take heed. There are no shortcuts to be taken when working underneath. If using ramps, chock the wheels, set e-brake, Manual in gear (auto in park). Only go under from the front, so if it rolls it doesn't roll over you.
Good Thread. Should be everyone's first read.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=281347
DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY.

 

[djembeing]

Rack installed, and new smoke?

Ok. Got my new steering rack installed. I used these threads.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=350029
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4326175
This procedure actually went fairly smoothly for me. Took me all day, I try to be very careful and thorough, especially when dealing with important stuff like steering and suspension. There was a lot of running from one side of the car to the other. I felt the need to do things symmetrically. The only thing I had trouble with was getting the banjo bolt for the top hose to go in straight. no biggie. The new rack only took maybe a half liter of fluid (pentosin 11s). I've bleed the air out and driven a considerable amount with no bubbles or foam in the reservoir. My new rack must have been filled with fluid or something from the factory. The rack from 1A auto fit perfectly. There was what seemed to be marks from the manufacturing process on the banjo mating surfaces but I went with it and have detected no leaks. I used new bolts on the subframe and the dogbone as well as new washers on the banjo fittings. All that was from ECS tuning, 80 some dollars in bolts and fluid, plan for that.
The car seemed to drive straight but my steering wheel was 1/8 of a turn off to the left, alignment guy straightened me out.
There's still a very minor miss/stutter at certain points on the tach.
So, the car needs to build my confidence up. I decided just to drive it around for a few hours. Everything seems to be fine. I did notice something though.
I was on the highway doing 70 mph, I'd let off the go pedal (in gear) to slow down a bit and when I press the pedal down again, it's like there's no response until I get to (say) halfway, and I get a puff of white smoke. enough to get my attention. Enough to get that Mercedes to pass me in disgust.
Maybe I can explain it better. I know we use a drive by wire pedal position sensor. So, I'm cruising in gear and let off the accelerator to slow down, when I get back on the accelerator it does nothing until it reaches the point at which I let off the pedal, and I get some white smoke. The longer I keep the pedal out past the point where I let off, the more smoke there is.
I don't remember the pedal response behaving like this before the IP wiring harness connector issue, (that was wildly rpm jumping, smoking brown, and dieing. cleaned IP harness connection and back to normal. except for this pedal deal and maybe some minor stutter at certain rpms)
I'm sure I would have noticed this before. Is it normal? I can drive in a fashion to were it doesn't puff the white smoke but it seems abnormal and I'd like to know what's going on. Another way to describe it might be that the tachometer and the pedal sweep are locked. So, pedal all the way out is idle, pedal halfway down is ~2500rpm. So I'm driving 70mph at (idk) 2500rpm, I let my foot off the pedal to coast in gear, tach still at ~2500rpm maybe a litte below since I slowed down, I reapply my foot with no change in rpm until ~halfway through the pedal sweep then the pedal increases rpm. and I get a puff of white smoke. The longer the pedal is held under ~2500rpm the more smoke I get. If I push quickly through that first half I get no smoke. It does NOT do this in cruise control.
No codes. My thinking is that while I coast, the wheels/transmission are keeping the RPMs up and the pedal still puts fuel into the engine but doesn't completely burn it until the pedal reaches the point at which it matches the rpms. Somewhere in my searching, a post mentioned that the fuel can burn in a way that it makes white ash, or something to do with that catalytic converter and ash.
I know white smoke usually means coolant but the level hasn't changed. Oil level seems normal too. I check these thing very often. (I'll check the intercooler for excess oil soon, has been fine)
In my previous posts I mention what I thought was an oil pressure alarm, turns out I was mistaken and it was the coolant level alarm. I'd known the coolant level was right at the end of the sensor in the coolant tank. Added a little and no more alarm. I think there was a minor change in the coolant level due to temperature/season change. I don't think its dropping fast enough to be the head gasket or anything like that. Time will tell. FYI the flashing thermometer icon means low coolant, a solid icon means your overheating.
(sorry my posts end up so long, these forums have helped me in so many ways I figure my limited experience may help someone else) and I'll get her cleaned up a bit this week and post some pictures. May even do a sort of video tour.

 

[djembeing]

and pictures

She looks better in the dark.

This is the material I'm thinking of using from the headliner. Wondering how it will work with the black leather interior.

If your vacuum hoses look like this, replace them. That's where I got my biggest improvement.

This was the tool I made to fish out the front control arm nut that i lost down in the subframe.

This (red arrow) is the car's computer or ECM or ECU. Located under the center of the windshield. Clean that ground (blue arrow), the orange wires bolted to the metal, there will be a nut on there also.

 

[3L3M3NT]

I'm glad to see you're getting things sorted out with your car. IMO a nice black headliner would look better then a cowhide headliner. If you can swing it suede would make for an amazing headliner material.

Keep up the progress and you'll have a fun car that gets awesome fuel economy.

 

[djembeing]

I thought about black leather to match the seats but I kind of want to brighten it up a little. I've got a fake wood grain shifter and might do brown leather on the steering wheel as well.
All black would look nice but I'm past my punk rock goth phase.
I'm out of town now, when I get home i may dig into that headliner. Also wanting to inspect/clean my injectors. Any tips?
Before I left, I did a few small things. Cleaned egr/anyi-shudder valve. Also I put some stretchy rubber tape around the vacuum pump flange where the brake booster hose attaches. That seemed to help with some of the "missing" that would happen at certain rpms. I'll post some pics, I think you all should try it, cheap and easy.

 

[djembeing]

Update:
It tries to stall at the first stop with a mile of leaving the house, I can save it by flooring the pedal, get white smoke.
Persistent miss at 2050 RPM
After coasting in gear, getting back on the pedal causes jerking and white smoke until the pedal reaches the position that "matches" the speed. Does it in cruise control too, not as bad. A clutch and rev match work fine. The longer the pedal position is "under" the speed the more smoke and jerkiness there is.

new thread for these issues
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=5303489#post5303489

I've changed the crank sensor (no change)
New fuel filter with new thermo T, ran Diesel Purge. Bled air.

I'm thinking of tackling this timing belt on my own. I've studied the write ups and videos. I do not have VCDS and will need it for the fine timing adjustment. Maybe someone could drop by when the time comes. I'm in Ashland KY near Huntington WV. Food would be involved. Maybe someone has the system for sale for cheap. I think the mobile version looks cool if it has all the features. I'd dedicate a smart phone or small tablet to the car and do a semi-permanent install. Kind of like this guy. https://youtu.be/RUHSOtlil7o plus VCDS mobile (if the price could come down).

I'd really like to get the drivablity issues sorted out so I can justify some cosmetic work (the danged ole headliner, rusty fender). The car should be a pleasure to drive but currently I have the anxiety that it'll quit in traffic or just not start at some point.

 

[djembeing]

I removed the injectors and soaked them in diesel purge over night. This helped a bit.
tip- make a slide hammer out of an old tie rod. The tie rod nut fits the top of the injector. Just add a slide-weight. used new copper washers and fuel return lines.

I also reseated the case pressure relief valve. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=238872
This changed things considerably. Made it near impossible to start but it ran better.

 

[djembeing]

Ross Tech to the rescue

I bought a Ross-Tech Hex V2. Worth it. See my trouble thread.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=5328782#post5328782


I'm getting things sorted out. Last night I bumped the timing a bit and she fired right up with the touch of the key. No extended glow, no smoke, no long cranking. I'm so relieved (yet reserved, awaiting the next challenge)
My timing graph seemed to be unstable. Sometimes jumping wildly. The caption sometimes would say "fuel temp too hot". Measuring blocks on fuel temp seemed steady. I get some vibration at idle. Maybe the sensor's readings spike intermittently too quickly for the measuring blocks to react. I'll do some logging and graphing at some point. New fuel temp sensor is cheap and easy.
It runs A LOT BETTER and is a joy to drive.
Thank you Ross-Tech. Thank you TDi Club.


While setting the timing, I noticed the IP sprocket bolts are the one time stretch bolts. I've ordered new ones. Maybe they were trying to slip. Seems like they wouldn't torque to spec. I hope the IP hub is not stripped.
I'm still getting a little "miss" around 2000 rpm and again around 3000. Not as bad as it was but still noticeable. I'll explore things as I learn VCDS better.


And the dome light is acting up. Sometimes it wont come one when I open the door. Also, VCDS showed an airbag fault.
00532 - Supply Voltage B+
07-10 - Signal too Low - Intermittent
No dash light.


I've got another out of town extended gig coming up and after that I should tackle the timing belt. I figure I'll do a high mileage kit from IDparts. In my opinion they are the best vendor.
Thank you all for the advice. I should have listened and got VCDS sooner (first).

 

[djembeing]

So far so good!

I've been letting it settle in for a few weeks and we seem to doing well. I replaced the sprocket bolts on the injection pump.

old and new
You could tell where they were letting the sprocket slip.
I've got the timing set between the middle and top line of the graph but it fluctuates up and down. I also adjusted the injection quantity using the hammer method. It seems to want to fluctuate a little as well. All within spec, measured at operating temp.
theory: maybe a worn injector is popping to soon.
The idle is much more smooth though it'll want to get a little rough on occasion, minor. Not so bad. I have virtually no smoke. If I floor it hard I'll get a little dark fog. Acceptable. I don't want to roll coal anyway.


It does have a little less power. Still goes but not the slight jerk-your-head-back feeling. The timing was retarded before and IQ was closer to 2 (on average). Definitely no chip tune like the PO stated, or i misunderstood.
My persistent miss at 2k rpm is still there but hardly noticeable. and my accessory belt tensioner has calmed itself.


I've also tackled that skanky old headliner. This was quite a task. With the help of my lovely wife we had everything removed in under an hour and without breaking anything. The plan was to paint all the gray plastic to look like wood. She's an artist, we reviewed some videos of model makers and practiced on some old pvc pipe. Looked decent. We scrubbed and degreased everything and let it dry. I stayed up all night brushing the first coat and let it dry. I sanded some grainy texture into everything. The next day I went to test it and it all peeled off like nothing. Wrong paint. Disheartened, I went to wal mart (ugh) and got some nice brown spray paint, Rustoleum made for plastic.
Sprayed a few coats and let it dry overnight. Pleased with the color.
before

After

I couldn't think of a good way to redo the labels on the switches so I just painted over them. You kinda memorize what everything does anyway.
The actual head liner was a pain and though it looks A LOT better, my work was not up to par. I got this fake leather stuff on Amazon, vendor fabric.com. It's very nice material but not the type of stretchy needed for the contours of the headliner. A hair dryer helped a little but the depressions for the handles and visors wrinkled badly.
I used 3M spray adhesive made for this purpose. Ended up using two full cans. A bit more than one can for the ceiling and just under one can for the pillars. I ended up using hot glue for wrapping all the edges on the pillars. Follow the directions on the can of 3M, 3 coats sprayed in different directions and let in dry for a few minutes. Lay the material on accurately, once it sticks it'll deform if you pull it off. Sticky stuff.


If I were to do it again I would pick a very hot day (or week) and lay the material out over the headliner backing without glue, directly in the sun and let it sort of conform to the backing. Then glue.


I also ordered LEDs for the interior. Somewhat satisfied. Though the kit specified it would fit my car, only a few fit. Others were totally the wrong style to replace the bulbs. I'll link to the vendor if and when they correct the mistake. Some LEDs glow dimly when powered off. I understand that this is common among these cheap kits. If the vendor can't fix it I'll make up some resistor device or save up for some better LEDs.


I wanted to redo the sun visors also. I've removed all the ugly vinyl and styrofoam. There's a wire frame and wiring for the switch that activates the vanity light when you open the mirror. I've cut some nice wood paneling to sandwich around the frames. Still need to figure out the mirror and light switch. So, driving with no visors currently.


A lot of the wrinkles have smoothed out since being in the car. While somewhat dissappointed, it is a sort of unique style. Makes the "leather" look more authentic (I tell myself).

dash cam (backup cam/smoke monitor)

Shifter, $14 on Amazon. Seems to be holding up well.
I broke the mount on the back of the mirror putting it back in. 2 out of 4 tabs on the socket are gone. I was able to get the retaining ring back in so it's kind of loose but still holds. Eventually I'll shop for an auto-dimming mirror with compass and temperature, maybe integrated dash cam. Also, I routed the microphone for the bluetooth stereo up the A pillar and above the headliner to the overhead console next to the map light switch. looks like a factory mic location.


I'm also looking at some faux wood pedal covers and might get a steering wheel cover also. I have plenty of left over "leather" so might cover the armrest and maybe eventually the door inserts. I'm happy for now, it runs well and looks better than the skanky gray.
Every time it gets me home is a win in my book.

 

[djembeing]

update

... 6 months later...
We seem to be doing well. I still hesitate to brag.
We just turned over 290,000 miles.
A few things since my last post:
Bosch starter from idparts.com.
Tail light bulb from Oriellys.
Removed some peeling tint on the back windows.
Oil change. Rotella T6 and Mann filter.
DTC QA upper limit reached.
Clear coat on the hood is getting worse.
I've had to retime the pump a couple of times. Also, checked the cam to assure condition and valve timing. I wish I'd taken some good pictures. Everything looked great, especially considering the miles. Resealed the cover with black RTV. My oil level seems much more consistent.
On our coldest mornings (-5 to +10 f) I'd have to jump it and still had some extended cranking so I bit the bullet on a new starter. Easy install, cleaned all connections. Now she cranks over quick and fires immediately. That's nice after a year of pulling the CTS and rigging a switch. Now I have an unused switch, might use it to hard wire my dash cam.
The new starter and retime really did the job.
So up next, I've ordered an air filter, cabin filter, oil filter, intake manifold bolts, fuel filter and Diesel purge.
My A/C is cold but blows wimpy, my air filter is dirty and seemed to have some oil on it near where the vacuum line attaches to the air box. The manifold was replaced once by the dealer under a previous owner. It doesn't look too bad from the EGR but I could still easily scoop a screwdriver full of gunk so, soon. I may consider an EGR delete and CCV catch-can in the future.
Since I first timed the pump back in Oct, the car has run A LOT better, albeit slower. I still have a few concerns though. It has sort of a "floaty" idle and just a little vibration. That doesn't bother me but when I look at the timing graph it's rather unstable. IQ does the same thing. Both mostly within spec. (note: my accessory belt tensioner is a little floppy as well.)
I've also gotten QA upper limit reached and flashing GP light a few times. At first, the code would come back after being cleared but hasn't for a few weeks now. Still drives the same. (i did notice some "pulsing" while cruising around 2300rpm with A/C on)
Sometimes I feel like it's going good (not a hotrod but able to keep up) sometimes I feel like I have to give it all she's got.
I use the Torque app to watch boost, coolant temp, timing advance, etc.
Boost seems to be registering appropriately. (btw, I really like using the app and setting the boost gauge to show a live graph) Turbo sounds good, nice faint whistle under a medium load, and kind of like a "Hooosshh!" out the back at full pedal with just a little coal fog).
Back to the pump; I've been gathering a lot of info about the internal workings.
Great video https://youtu.be/nd50iJIlvkI

I may eventually attempt the operation.
I also found a great manual on the general operations of the 1.9 . I can't find the link (it's on these forums somewhere) and don't know how to upload a PDF.
I also need to diagnose my cooling fan, I've never seen it run. The passenger side fan comes on with the A/C. It's never gotten over 210F. (note: Coasting in gear brings the temp down quickly.)
And one of these days I'll look into my GP code (p0380).
Need to do the blend door but also need to hook up my radio antenna. I think I may need some kind of adapter. I got a headlight polishing kit off Wish for a few dollars. One of these days.
Anything else? My Amazon $14 shifter has begun peeling at the chrome base. No biggie. Leather(ish) headliner is tolerable. Wrinkled but better than that grey thing flying around.

 

[djembeing]

QA replaced

2018-08-19
Alright. We're at 291,100 miles now and I have some things
to add.
The flashing GP light/QA error (p1562) upper limit reached had been coming up every time. I could clear it with Torque but it would come back at the next startup. Also, over the past month the idle has gotten much more rough. Like a loping that would shake the car. I could smooth it out with just the slightest throttle.
Also Front/driver turn signal went out. Got a new bulb but when I went to change it the insulation on the wires just crumbled off. So, I de-pinned the connector and slid some heat shrink of similar color on as far up as I could.
While trying to get the bulb holder back in the socket, the reflector area popped loose inside the lens. It's still pretty much in place but I'll need to get in there
eventually. I'll try to have a headlight/grill day where I polish and paint.
Also. Also, now getting an ABS light. VCDS says rear/driver. The videos show that usually the sensor is stuck and ends up destroyed so I'll have to have the new one ready. idparts
So today my plan was to replace the quantity adjuster with one from the old pump I got with the car. I first removed the QA from the old pump and cleaned it up. I had new seals ready. I had to de-pin the N108 Commencment of Injection Valve on both pump harnesses. That was the hardest part. I ended up using a saftey pin with the head cut off and ends bent inward, a paper clip was too soft. It took some time and determination but it worked leaving some damage to the old harness. The proper tool may have been worth it but couldn't justify the cost at the time. The actual QA swap was pretty straight forward. The bottom of the QA that I removed from the car had a good amount of filings stuck to the magnetic parts. I'll do an autopsy and take pictures. I did notice that the modulating piston ring was kind of stuck on the plunger shaft. I worked it with a screw driver to free it up a bit. I plan on running a Diesel Purge with new filter soon. I might go ahead and do two. I made sure the eccentric shaft went back in the hole on the ring.
After the hammer mod the IQ is still shaky between 2.5 and 5. But so far no p1562. The idle is much more smooth, no more lope. The sound might be a little deeper as well. On my test drive, I could still feel a little hesitation around 2200-2300 rpm.
I noticed I may have a bit of a leak on injector #1, VCDS showed no noticeable deviation. It's got new seals but I have another set somewhere.
I'll report back at the next significant operation.
And for the record, I love this car.
"VW: making mechanics out of owners since 1937"

 

[djembeing]

Abs n tire rotation/unrotation.

Ok. Swapped out my ABS sensor on the rear driver side. The code cleared when I hit about 30mph. Good stuff.
I also took this opportunity to rotate my tires. (Cooper CCS Grand Touring on stock rims) on my test drive I noticed a vibration with a slight grind, felt in the brake pedal. Worse while braking.
Rechecked everything. Axles too. Drove it for a week with no improvement. On my highway trip I was getting a significant howl/light thump. I figured my wheel bearings were shot after 290k. Theory was different tires loaded the bearing in a slightly different way. So...
I fixed my headlight, the reflector had popped loose from the adjustment stud. I went ahead and removed the bumber and took both lights out for polishing. My drill died so it was mostly by hand with the drill attachment and some clay-like glass polish. They look nice and seem brighter. The bulb that I replaced (driver turn signal) only works on hazard and turn, not parking light. Might try to figure that out one day. The wires inside the housings had crumbly insulation so I did as much shrink tube as I could. Eventually might get updated lights.
Today, I rotated the tires back to their original positions and like magic we're back to smooth sailing.
I'm sure I'll be doing wheel bearings at some point. Probably along with my clutch.
So I've been having a bit of a skip in the mid rpms as noted in previous posts. I think this could be my clutch slipping. It is the original with 290k miles on it. I also may be getting some sticky vnt symptoms.
My pump with "new" clean qa seems to be doing well. Idle is much more consistent. However, I feel that the timing advance portion is still a bit gummed up. I can watch the timing advance graph on Torque while driving and it seems to fluctuate in sync with my mid rpm skip.
I'll get to that timing belt probably next spring hopefully. While it's apart I'll clean that valve on the bottom of the pump.
What else... I put on some new center caps (~$20 off amazon) worthless, the tabs broke on installation. I'll go capless for now.

 

[3L3M3NT]

It looks that the car keeps you pretty busy with all those maintenance items that come up on a higher mileage TDI. It's great to see you keeping it going with 290,000 miles and I'm sure there are more, since your post was close to a month ago. I know 99% of people out there would have taken it in to get scrapped, since they don't have the same passion for TDIs like everyone on here does. Keep it up and I'm sure in no time you'll hit 400,000 miles.

As far as your headlights, like you mentioned, it's probably time for some new ones. Depending on what you want to spend and the light output you're looking for here are a few options.

You could try Jeff at Midwest Light Creations right here on TDIClub.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=388085
Or his website: http://www.midwestlight.biz/

Next is some options from VX Tuning.
E-Codes https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/euro-spec-e-code-headlights-gli-style-mkiv-jetta-bora/
FX-R Retrofits in Black https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/vxt-retrofit-style-fxr-bi-xenon-headlights-black-style-mkiv-jetta-bora-pre-order/
FX-R Retrofits in GLI Styling https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/vxt-retrofit-style-fxr-bi-xenon-headlights-gli-style-mkiv-jetta-bora-pre-order/
If you really wanna light up the road you could get these Quad Projector headlights.
https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/vxt-hid-xenon-european-bora-mini-h1-quad-xenon-headlights/
To help protect you new lights, I always recommend installing Lamin-X on the headlights to prevent chips, cracks, and yellowing of the headlights.
https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/lamin-x-headlight-protective-film-mkiv-jetta-bora-2/
https://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Jetta_IV--TDI/Lighting/Headlights/Film/
The factory lights don't come with City/Parking lights, but if you were to get the E-Codes, they do and to use that featured you need a European headlight switch to replace your factory headlight switch.
Like so... https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/european-headlight-switch-black-trim-mkiv-jetta-golf-gti-r32-b5-passat-new-beetle/
If you feel like rehabing your existing headlights you could upgrade to glass lenses that never yellow.
https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/replacement-glass-headlight-lenses-vxt-mkiv-jetta-bora/
Since you mentioned the current wiring inside your headlights isn't doing, so great, you could replace it with this replacement wiring harness.
https://www.vxtuning.com/shop/vehicle-specific/mk4-jetta-bora/euro-spec-e-code-wiring-harness-mk4-jetta-bora/

Good luck with the headlights and the rest of the car. Like I mentioned it's great seeing you rehab the car and keeping it on the road vs going to the crushers.

 

[djembeing]

3l3m3nt, Thank you. It's nice to know some people are still interested in this sort of progress and have the time and patients to sit through my novel.
It would have been easy to throw in the towel. I'm sure I could sell it and get enough to buy a decent Corolla or whatever but, I'm the type that likes to know how things work, It's a conversation piece that'll get ~50mpg. It's a quirky car for sure. I'd like a wagon, of course for cargo space.
And Thanks for the links on headlights. I do need something. Mine are good for now, the polish really helped. I will upgrade in the future but I've gotta put my money where it's needed most, atm. As for visibility, my windshield is the problem. No big cracks but 300k of road dust has done a number when it comes to glare at night.

 

[djembeing]

A few new things

I replaced my serpentine belt tensioner thinking it maybe affecting my idle. Turns out it was missing a bolt, come to find out the hole in the bracket for the longest bolt is stripped out. Guess I'll get some thread inserts or tap it for a bigger bolt. Two are holding it solid for now. I check it often. The new tensioner had no effect.
New fuel filter and double Diesel Purge.

I had to do another timing and IQ adjustment. The timing seemed to have slipped way behind (belt etc in good shape). I also bumped the IQ up to around 6 or 7. That really smoothed things out. I've got no smoke but still some hesitation. Could be the clutch slipping.

Also I've gotten my old QA Upper Limit code returning on occasion. I'm thinking my pump is worn out. When I swapped QAs the old one had debris collected on the magnetic parts gumming up the works. My pump seems pretty loud too. I may just shop for a new one.

One more thing. My temp gauge is acting funny. The other day, I started it up warm and the needle went to just below one mark past 190*. Torque read normal. When I shut it off, I turned the key back on and the needle went to 190* like normal. The fuel gauge reads high also when this happens.
So, on occasion, my fuel gauge and temp gauge both read almost one mark too high. Temp behaves normally through Torque. I was thinking CTS but the fuel gauge is affected too. Any thoughts?

 

[djembeing]

Been a while!!
I parked the old girl in September 2019. She was missing like crazy so I figured I should go ahead and get a new pump. Money was tight and I was collecting parts for my timing belt also, injection pump (used ~175k mile $200), thermostat, motor mounts and all.
Covid hit and we were out of work but those stimulus checks went straight to ID Parts.
September 2020, I did my first ever timing belt. I read every tutorial and watched every video. I made sure I was able to recite the procedure from memory. Everything went well. New fuel filter and Diesel Purge. I had to buy a new battery too. I searched for a coolant leak, thought it was the hard pipe under the fuel pump but may have been the thermostat housing. (no current leak)
It was sort of amazing to hear the car running smoothly. I managed to get the timing right on the first time with no adjustment need according to VCDS.
I used this set of timing tools from Amazon.
CTA Tools 2775 VW TDI Timing Belt Tool Kit $35.10
Cam lock, pump lock, and tensioner tool all fit and worked very well.
The new pump and timing kit fixed all of my issues. I'm proud that I was patient enough to do it right and by the book. It paid off.
Temp Gauge still wants to act funny on the rare occasion. Monitoring with Torque App, the ECU sees consistent coolant temp behavior.
I went ahead and got the Diesel Geek Short Shifter and Bushing Kit.
About a month ago, the first gear bushing on the shifter started popping out. Easy to pop back in but I also decided to clean it with alcohol and glue it in place. Good sense.
That $14 Amazon shift boot is wearing out quickly.

New tires on the front.
Started noticing a "womp womp womp" from the rear driver tire. The inside edge was cupped out badly. I had a broken spring.
Made another car payment to ID Parts and got new wagon springs, Whiteline Performance Rear Axle Bushings, Shock Mounts, shocks (monroe from Oriellys, cheap).
I disconnected the brake lines to remove the calipers to remove the rear axle. Upon re-installation, the bleeder screws were seized and I ended up pulling the threads out of the calipers. (sigh)
New Calipers, new pads, new rotors. New rear tires. The springs creak, I think i need some spring seats. The car gets blown around easy on the highway, maybe better shocks and a stabilizer bar in the back?
THEN.... THIS happened.

{img}

http://imgur.com/a/3FPptQO

300,000 on the old girl. Original engine, turbo, transmission, clutch. Had Rotella T6 it's whole life.

We celebrated with an oil change. The oil filter cap was really stuck and I bent my filter "wrench" so I bought the
Oil Filter Wrench 74mm OEM Number: IDP74OFW Manufacturer Number: IDP74OFW
again from ID Parts. Worth it.
Also changed Transmission Fluid. I realized I'd used the wrong fluid before (22k miles). This time I went with Syncromesh.
Air and fuel filter too.

(December 2021)
Now at 305k, I've done another oil change. I bought the last gallon of Rotella T6 in my area code and came up half a quart low. So I guess we're switching to Mobil 1 5w40 Turbo Diesel Truck. Also, took a paint pen and wrote on the filter cap; oil type(5w40 synthetic), oil capacity(4.5 qts), belly pan bit (T25), and drain plug size (19mm). I did this on the jeep too, it'll save me getting down there with the wrong wrench like I do EVERY TIME! lol

The Kenwood Stereo that came in the car went dead so I got the cheapest bluetooth head unit I could find.
Absoso Single Din $21.99 It does Bluetooth Calling and Audio (which the now dead Kenwood (guessing$200+) would not do from my Android) AM FM, SD card, USB, Aux. Just Bass and Treble EQ. But sounds very comparable to the Kenwood and actually feels more solid while pressing buttons. The Kenwood, with removable faceplate, seemed to bend and creak whenever I pressed a button. Then it quit all together. Front door speakers had been replaced by a previous owner, I've got JBL components for the rear, if they don't end up in the wife's Jeep Liberty (she needs them badly).

Last thing. BLEND DOOR.
I followed this guy's video. Fixing VW Blend Doors.
Remove the glove box and take the radio area apart. The hardest part was the clip at the top/back of the front half of the box. My hands aren't the biggest but if there's a kid running around pay em $10 to reach up in there. I taped the blend doors well with heavy aluminum tape ($10 from Walmart). The climate controls mount BEHIND the front of the radio box, be sure to hook up the climate control panel BEFORE re-installing the radio box.
Good heat and air restored.

Also bought Howe's Diesel treatment for the winter. I had used Power Service Diesel Kleen in the past but figured I'd go with Howe's this winter. (didn't use any additive last two winters, didn't go anywhere.)

Almost forgot to mention some door lock issues. Obviously my door sensors are going out. My rear driver door won't lock from the power locks and would "glglglgl" everytime I hit 10mph. I disabled that feature with VCDS. The auto relock is something to be aware of and NEVER leave your key in the car. On the same door, the window would stick and roll itself back down. Seat got wet one time. One key fob remote quit, so I changed the battery but it still does not work. I have switched to my other key fob. I have the Valet Key too. I may try Tune My Euro for an additional new key at some point in the future. I have used his Glove box fix, arm rest hinge (need arm rest latch now), and driver door window switch/(and the thing under it).
Rear view mirror fell of, got a cheap one from Amazon KIMISS. Works ok but the "flip up" doesn't do "night vision" like the original mirror.
The passenger side marker light kept falling out so I gaff taped it until I can get a new one. And my driver side headlight went out again. I have "reinsulated" all the wires inside both headlights with heat shrink tubing. Maybe I'll get around to some new headlights someday. She keeps me young but turns me gray.

Long post, I know. Just figured I'd keep the record up to date on the 2000 Jetta. The future should involve clutch\turbo\injectors\tune. But next will be tracking down another power steering leak.