TDI mechanics in San Francisco Bay Area

[stoicwrx]

I am looking for a TDI and I would like to find out who are the reputable TDI mechanics in the San Francisco Bay Area? I would like to have some ideas of who could perform a pre-purchase inspection. I have not identified a particular car and I am looking for mechanics in the 415,510,650,707 and 925 area codes.
Thanks,
Denis

 

[cruznwrx]

Hi Chris
Are you an ex wrx owner? I had one and am now loading up my 2000 jetta tdi
with upgrades. Best shop I've found is Autowerkstat in San Jose. I've spent several thousand there and have complete trust in Chris (owner).
Autowerkstat
463 Blossom Hill Road, Unit G, San Jose, CA95123
Phone (408)224-1952
Fax (408)224-1056
email chris@autowerkstat.com



John
Santa Cruz

 

[NewTdi]

There is also Tomas Sport Tuning in San Pablo and another shop in San Jose that I forget the name of right now.

 

[NFSTDI]

There are good shops all around the bay. I like European Auto Repair in Alameda. I had my car checked out at Hans Art in SF before I bought it. I have not had any work done there but they did a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

 

[Norman]

...and another shop in San Jose that I forget the name of right now.

Bugformance, perhaps? The one off Alum Rock, NOT the other one in Sunnyvale, or wherever the heck it is...

 

[rickadoe]

i had a tb change a while back at bugformance(alum rock & capitol), $850+/- for our 99.5 jetta. it was a great price and no problems. staff was nice.

 

[Yeah Yeah]

I had bugformance do mine on the '01, three issue.... The person I talked to quoted me a different price(apparently he didn't figure in the waterpump, even though I TOLD him, and it should be assumed with every tb change), he apparently didn't get it on the actual schedule, even though we did schedule it.... and thirdly, afterwards I checked the timing and it was out of spec on the retarded side(mark and pray?).... So my advice in NO... then again, it did run fine for another 40k afterwards....

 

[pgoes]

If you are in the East Bay I recommend AVS on San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley. Eddie Delgado knows his way around the TDI- he did my water pump/ timing belt recently and the car runs purrfectly.

 

[ibanix]

Negative recomendation: Avoid European Autoworks in Mountain View.

I had them do a 50K service, and an intake manifold clean. When I pulled the IM off 5K later, it was 2/3 clogged. They never did the IM clean.

 

[stoicwrx]

What about Precision People's Car Care, on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley?
They are two doors down from REI.

 

[NFSTDI]

Never been there myself. Let me know if you have a good experience. AVS is on San Pablo near University.

 

[Thorne]

Tomas in San Pablo has been good so far. Still discussing possible life for my wagon, but lowering is where they have most experience.

 

[Volkstraktor]

From my limited exposure to them, I would have to second AVS on San Pablo in Berkeley. Felt right, sounded knowledgeable, priced reasonable, did what I wanted and didn't try to upsell me.

 

[Thorne]

I may try AVS.

Tomas Sport Tuning has started recommending an oil change schedule of every 3k, and moving the major timing belt maintenance from 100k forward to 65k == and I'm not really satisfied with why. But they've been good so far, and sorted out a puzzling electrical cabling issue with the glowplug wiring.

 

[MAXRPM]

Just have the inspection done by a trusted shop before you buy the TDI, and from there on, stay tuned on the forum and wait until we get a TDI guru to a Bay Area GTG, then you can schedule any kind of repair to your car..., I recommend you stay away from BS shops here in the Bay Area, we simply do not have a good one here, I have seen quite a few cars with more damage done after being serviced by a supposibly excellent shop.


Because the car runs good after being service by a shop does not mean the car is good, when you go and dig inside the engine then you can see the problems, you start seeing the aftermath after the repair, that is why we have these GTG, so we can then bring excellent gurus here to service our cars, and the bottom line is, we do this because we lack of good shops around here.

 

[NFSTDI]

AVS is an excellent shop.

I have seen parts fail and problems occur after a trusted "guru" has done work on my TDI.

Mechanical work is only as good as the person doing it and the parts installed. Anyone and everyone can and will make mistakes now and then. I think it's dangerous to make blanket statements like all shops are bad and all guru's are good. There are some very good shops in the Bay Area that do excellent work.

If I need something done and I can't wait for a GTG to happen it will be done by AVS.

 

[bewtdi2005]

Hello,

Does anyone have a mechanic in the Menlo Park area?