2011 Jetta DSG TDI - Day one is sucking - WTH?

[gaelicdog]

After whining and crying, screaming and kicking, lots of charts and graphs and mathematical equations I finally talk the wife into letting me buy a new 2011 Jetta TDI! Today the deed was done!

Yeehaw! I finish the paperwork and cruise the new little oil burner to it's new house. There I await my wife to report in from work and to get her first ride in the beast as we head out for dinner. After a few blocks she starts warming up to the charms of the TDI, the hook has been set, she likes the fit and finish, the feel, the handling. Within a few more minutes she even mentions driving it to work tomorrow.


Just as we get to the restaurant and I am searching for a parking spot the little car sputters and dies right in the street. Weird I thought.

I crank the car and she sputters, the tachometer needle bounces too and fro then the check engine light comes on. I hear a sound like a fan and think the system may be burning fuel in the exhaust. The car limps into a side street and quits again.

After about 5 minutes she cranks right up and runs about 1 block before repeating the scenario. Next time I was able to put it into a parking spot and go eat dinner.

On the way home, while coming to a stop at a traffic light again she sputters, the tachometer needle bounces all over the place and check engine light flashes while it barely idles, no power. After a brief rest she re-cranks and runs great the rest of the way home.


What the heck is going on? My wife is less than impressed! With only 56 miles on the clock and the ink not dry on the contract I am not happy!!!!

 

[ekkoh99]

Did you or the dealer fill up with some gas? Ask the dealer to do a fuel test...

 

[gaelicdog]

Did you or the dealer fill up with some gas? Ask the dealer to do a fuel test...

Vehicle was delivered full of fuel.
When it runs it has great power and pulls like a freight train.
Have not driven it far enough to need more diesel yet.
How would mixed fuel cause the tach to go crazy?

 

[jbright]

Take it back asap. Totally unacceptable.

 

[gaelicdog]

Take it back asap. Totally unacceptable.

It will be on their doorstep in the morning!

Any thoughts? Loose ground? Loose wiring harness? Software?

 

[FowVay]

What dealer did you buy from? With the heavy rains we've been having here lately you just might be experiencing bad fuel. You DO want to get this addressed first thing Monday morning.

 

[NickBeek]

IDK what to tell you. Mine has had some barely noticeable hiccups at part throttle but never died or had the tach jumping around. It has stalled a little easier then I expected it to when starting out (manual trans) but I attributed that to the fact that I was used to driving my Cummins powered truck which is a completely different animal.

Please update us when the dealer tells you what it was.

 

[gaelicdog]

What dealer did you buy from? With the heavy rains we've been having here lately you just might be experiencing bad fuel. You DO want to get this addressed first thing Monday morning.

Jim Ellis on Cobb Parkway, it'll be on their property when they open (if it can make it there).

 

[Ideliver]

Since its new I think towing is part of the waranty , My 2010 JSW quit and was doing the same thing it turned out all the keys needed to be reprogramed the car didn't reconize the key . I have heard of this heppening to cheys also.

 

[gaelicdog]

Now the engine light stays on. I put a scan tool on it and it shows P0641. A little research shows something is out the proper voltage range.

 

[Ski in NC]

Let the dealer sort it. If no joy, get them to give you a different car.

 

[~Jb]

Bad battery maybe? I wouldn't worry about it to much, dealer should be able to fix you up.


After the dealer fixes your car, do a mathematical equation to "let" your wife have your balls back... lol.

 

[MayorDJQ]

It will be on their doorstep in the morning!

Any thoughts? Loose ground? Loose wiring harness? Software?

Jim Ellis on Cobb Parkway, it'll be on their property when they open (if it can make it there).

Call VW Roadside and have it towed in to them. Don't make things worse by trying to get there.

How cold is it there tonight?

 

[yatzee]

check the battery terminals to see if they are tight

 

[gaelicdog]

This morning the engine light has reset. Figures, it ran perfect to the dealership.
Service Tech: Would you like a loaner and we'll look at your car today and have it back to you soon?
Me: NO. I want my new car repaired.
Service Tech: We will put it on the diagnostic machine. If it is going to take more than a few hours do you want a loaner?
Me: NO. If it takes more than a few hours YOU own it and I'll leave in a new car.
Service Tech: We'll get right on it.

 

[PeterV]

Stick to your guns its a new 20K+ car, It should work and the dealer better get it fixed. Just another story about clueless dealers. After the car is fixed or you get a new one FIND A LOCAL GURU. That free service is not free and you will keep paying for their incompetence.

 

[tomo366]

Unfortunately the Guru's don't have the experience with these CRD cars yet......Find a good reliable dealer and stick with them......until warranty is out and then go back to the GURU.....This really sounds as if they put Gas in it to me.....Hope not!

 

[740GLE]

Stick to your guns its a new 20K+ car, It should work and the dealer better get it fixed. Just another story about clueless dealers. After the car is fixed or you get a new one FIND A LOCAL GURU. That free service is not free and you will keep paying for their incompetence.

How is this an example of dealer incomp? yeah they do the PDI, if they forgot to do something like program the key i could see that. But, if something was bunk from the factory, how should they know what's wrong with out looking at it. From what I've heard, sounds like the dealers response is what the OP and many should expect.

 

[gaelicdog]

FIRST OF ALL, the dealer has been a pleasure to deal with.

Someone from the service department called the Owner at home.
The owner called the salesman at home.
Salesman came straight to me in the customer lounge as soon as he got to work and said we needed to talk.
For a few seconds at best he seemed a little concerned about me putting a "time limit" on the service department. I explained that in Georgia there is a 72 hour "Cooling Off Period" and I was getting pretty cool. I said I was not going to just walk away from a new car, sitting in the service department while the clock ticked away. I had already burned a vacation day to deal with this. If I waited till closer to the 72 hour period to end all I would be doing would be burning another day of leave. He acknowledged where I was coming from and agreed with my point of view.

The resolution the dealer offered was more than fair. (Two thumbs up for Jim Ellis in Marietta!!)
A new 2011 Jetta DSG TDI in the same color with the same options. (As soon as they can find one)
$200 for my troubles

They found one about 100 miles away. The salesman came back to me and said the NEW Jetta has 150 miles on it where it had been to 2 dealerships and by the time they got it back to my home town this afternoon it would have another 200 miles on it. BUT, the dealership is going to knock off another $1 for every mile on it over what my defective one had. I can live with that!

The service rep came to me as I was leaving this morning and said they had found the problem. It was a defective wiring harness connector. He said it was damaged and could not be repaired and that is was obviously a factory issue and they would have to determine the best way to repair it.
The salesman came

 

[FowVay]

So you're getting another new car? You can't ask for more than that! Congratulations. It's a shame that your had this initial trouble but fortunately a good outcome has transpired.

I remember the Jim Ellis fiasco from several years back when their Peachtree Industrial location actually sued one of their customers. That really left a sour impression of this dealership in my memories and I personally stay far away from them.

But, it looks like you'll be up and running in another machine tomorrow. I'm certain this one will turn out better for you. Now,, about those Steelers.....

 

[TDI793]

sorry to hear about you troubles gaelicdog but it sounds like they are taking care of it. I bought my 2011 JSW from Jim Ellis on peachtree industial in November so hopefully they will have the same great service as the marietta location.

 

[tomo366]

It sounds as if you are doing fine! hang in there!

 

[BarrieCommuter]

good to hear that they identified the problem.

one of my key fobs doesn't work, kessy is the only thing that works on it, all the buttons fail to do anything. missed at PDI.

 

[Pyke]

Glad you're getting a new new car out of this! I wonder what Texas law is on this matter...

 

[daddymac]

(T)otally (D)ead (I)nside

This is how I feel after returning my 2011 JSW back to the dealer after only driving it home 20 miles, parking it in the driveway, and driving it to work the next morning. My car buzz mercilessly trampled by the check engine light, I did ask "***?" of my sales manager. I rode in it long enough for my 2 sons to oooh and ahhh over the sunroof, but not long enough to know I've made the smart investment I thought I was making.

I've waited my whole driving life (27 years) to buy a new car. I've driven old Mopar, slant sixes, vans, good used stuff I could turn a wrench on myself. 2 days ago, I pulled the trigger and made the biggest purchase of my life because I felt good about the TDI - it seemed like the only vehicle that made sense to spend that kind of money on. Now, after reading thread after thread about CEL issues, a black cloud of diesel doubt has billowed over my hanging head.

The dealer was quick to give me a 2011 Jetta automatic as a loaner, and was very cool. Perhaps he's been through this drill before. Either way, I'm not driving the car I just spent half a year's salary on.

Someone talk me down from the Lemon Law ledge with bright, cheerful stories about 1400 mile trips, legendary torque, and/or inexplicably high resale value.

I refuse to bring this car back and forth to a dealer every week.

Won't do it.

 

[tomo366]

I think you may be over reacting a bit.....I have owned since 1999 8 TDI's 1 had a major problem and VW fixed it! I have a 2010 Jetta TDI Wagon which is the same car as you have! Great car! and trouble free
Let VW fix your car......

 

[kirkvw6]

Mine has been perfect too.... flukes happen now and then to every kind of car. Don't freak out!!

 

[JasonD]

Flukes do happen to every kind of car maker. A buddy of mine works for Mercedes and as they were warming the cars up one morning an E Class caught on fire. S**t happens however no one wants it to happen to them. Hope the new car is running good.

 

[daddymac]

Thanks for the hanky. I have my car back. My dealer has been great. They actually delivered my baby to me 30 miles away. It turns out the CEL was triggered by a crack in a small connector in the exhaust system. I brought it to them Wednesday night, tried to pick it up Thursday after work, but they were still waiting on the part. They could tell I was cranky and heartbroken, especially when I looked the service manager icy straight in the eye and asked "Has this ever happened before?" He had to answer yes. Thus, they scrambled, gladhanded, and gave me their word they'd make it right. It seemed the whole dealership knew this was my first car purchase, because even (foxy, sweet-smelling) secretaries came out to assure me that I bought a great car. I felt like I was at a baptism, the church of TDI, laying of hands. Nice people. Anyway, they brought my car to me at home Thursday night. Cool. No CEL. We'll wait and see. Guarded optimism is the current MO.

 

[Dean]

Were the Jettas made in Mexico?