Trusted TDI Mechanics - By State

[68spc]

New TDI owner

I just bought my first TDI. Its a 02 Jetta with 150k on it. I don't know when the last timing belt was done and I would like to get it done soon. I live in Germantown, WI which is just northwest of Milwaukee. I see Fisher is down in Elkhorn but can anyone recommend a good shop north of milwaukee?

 

[mctdi]

I just bought my first TDI. Its a 02 Jetta with 150k on it. I don't know when the last timing belt was done and I would like to get it done soon. I live in Germantown, WI which is just northwest of Milwaukee. I see Fisher is down in Elkhorn but can anyone recommend a good shop north of milwaukee?

Welcome to TDIClub

PM sent

 

[TornadoRed]

I just bought my first TDI. Its a 02 Jetta with 150k on it. I don't know when the last timing belt was done and I would like to get it done soon. I live in Germantown, WI which is just northwest of Milwaukee. I see Fisher is down in Elkhorn but can anyone recommend a good shop north of milwaukee?

For something as important as the timing belt, a job that should only need to be done every 100k miles, get it done by the best person and not necessarily the closest one. If you have some local yokel do the job, someone without any TDI experience, then you may end up getting it towed to one of the TDI experts later on, and it could cost you over $2000 to fix the damage.

 

[john williams]

How would one go about contacting Deafbug

John

 

[TornadoRed]

How would one go about contacting Deafbug

Private message aka PM

http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=2872

 

[tardis]

washington pa

Any tdi mechanics near washington pa

 

[TornadoRed]

Any tdi mechanics near washington pa

According to VeeDubTDI's map, this is the closest:

F&P Auto
Fred Petrella
Route 819
Hunker, Pa 15639
(724) 925-6456

You may want to do a search, find out who recommended this shop and who else has endorsed the recommendation.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

According to VeeDubTDI's map, this is the closest:

F&P Auto
Fred Petrella
Route 819
Hunker, Pa 15639
(724) 925-6456

You may want to do a search, find out who recommended this shop and who else has endorsed the recommendation.

When you find out more info about this shop, let me know so that I can add that info to their bubble on the map.

 

[dunerking]

Is there anyone in the Los Angeles area that can be trusted to help me on my 04 Jetta TDI.I have a VAG-comm scan results if this helps.Thanks

 

[TornadoRed]

Is there anyone in the Los Angeles area that can be trusted to help me on my 04 Jetta TDI.I have a VAG-comm scan results if this helps.Thanks

The closest place on the list is the shop in Thousand Oaks, but we know relatively little about them. Otherwise your best bet is Wild Rose Motors in Whittier -- Harvieux (Leonard) and Biochoppers (Scott) are long-time TDI Club members and both are exceptionally competent.

Naturally you wouldn't want to travel there during heavy traffic. But maybe you can make an appointment for a Saturday morning. If you take the 210 east to the 605 south, it shouldn't be too bad. Give Leonard a call or a PM.

 

[dunerking]

Tornado,
Thanks for the info!

 

[4ringking]

JA Autowerks
2276 Hwy 34 North
Allenwood, NJ 08720
(732) 691-2335
jaautowerks@gmail.com
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=270633

VW TDI Specialist

Minor/Major Services, Brakes, Exhaust, Suspension, Timing Belts, Clutches, Engine Swaps, Turbo Upgrades, you name it. VAGCOM recoding/MODS...

TDI Injection Pump timing, EGR rate adjustment, glow plugs replacement, injectors nozzle swaps, Lubro Moly Diesel Purge's, DSG Service

 

[Ton]

Any guru in Charlottesville or Harrisonburg,VA? I'm not interested in running 2hrs. to a guru.

 

[TornadoRed]

Any guru in Charlottesville or Harrisonburg,VA? I'm not interested in running 2hrs. to a guru.

If you need a TDI guru, then you should travel however far is necessary. If you have a problem that is not specific to the TDI engine, then a local mechanic or shop that understands Volkswagens or German cars in general may be able to help you.

Charlottesville is a good-sized city, so you might be able to find someone with TDI experience. But if you have a problem, try to identify both the cause and the probable solution before you turn your TDI over to some unknown mechanic. Otherwise that person might just start throwing parts at your engine, hoping to eventually replace the part that was the original problem. In the meantime, he could actually screw up stuff that was just fine beforehand.

If you find someone who is competent, experienced, and charges reasonable rates, then post that information in this thread.

Otherwise, make an appointment to see TDIClub member Ninedee Golf Tdi in Stafford, Va.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=14402

 

[Qship]

How do I make an official recommendation for a good machanic?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Post the shop information (name, contact info, address, point of contact), what they did for you, what you observed, and why you're recommending them. Please try to be as specific as possible and include information such as specialty tools used, friendliness of the staff, and the quality and value of the work performed.

 

[Savannah Steve]

ISC Summerville, South Carolina-Trey Boensch VW Diesel Guru

After having several issues with my daughter's 2001 VW Beetle, I sought advice on the TDIClub Forum where it was suggested that I locate a "trusted mechanic." I located ISC, Import Service Center, in Summerville, SC where I met up with Trey Boensch. Trey is a young guy with a sharp intellect and he really understands diesel engine technology. Trey went right to the source of the starting problems with the 01 Beetle finding a bad MAF sensor and starter. Several other issues were also resolved with the Beetle with minor adjustments. I can recommend Trey and ISC without reservation and plan to use them for all future work on the 01 Beetle and my 06 Jetta TDI.

 

[TornadoRed]

After having several issues with my daughter's 2001 VW Beetle, I sought advice on the TDIClub Forum where it was suggested that I locate a "trusted mechanic." I located ISC, Import Service Center, in Summerville, SC where I met up with Trey Boensch. Trey is a young guy with a sharp intellect and he really understands diesel engine technology. Trey went right to the source of the starting problems with the 01 Beetle finding a bad MAF sensor and starter. Several other issues were also resolved with the Beetle with minor adjustments. I can recommend Trey and ISC without reservation and plan to use them for all future work on the 01 Beetle and my 06 Jetta TDI.

The website only mentions Bill and Bob Yarborough, sons of the founder who started the shop in 1974 and retired in 1994. I'm guessing Trey is their diesel expert?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Check and see if he has all of the tools to do a timing belt. I'm assuming that he has VCDS or something similar, correct?

 

[TornadoRed]

Check and see if he has all of the tools to do a timing belt. I'm assuming that he has VCDS or something similar, correct?

I just received the following email concerning Import Service Center, in Summerville, SC:

Thanks for your interest in Import Service Center. We would be honored to be listed as a “recommended mechanic.”

Yes, we have both the new and old style cam lock tools & IP pins. We use VAG-COM to verify timing and a Mass Air Flow sensor function on all TDI timing belt replacements. We also recommend replacing all timing belt components and routinely do so with the customer’s permission. By the way, we also use water pumps with metal impellers. We have found them to be much more reliable

Volkswagens are special to us because of our history. Import Service Center was opened for business by my dad as "The Beedle Barn" in 1974 (over 35 years ago). At the outset, we performed automotive repair work only on air-cooled Volkswagen Beetles. That’s where my brother Bobby and I cut our teeth in the automotive mechanical maintenance and repair arena.

A lot has changed since then, but there are some things that we are committed to and will not change. We have always been committed to providing quality repairs with the latest tools, technology, and well trained ethical technicians at competitive prices.

You will be interested to know that we are a ROBERT BOSCH certified service center and have been since 2004. All of our repairs come with a nation wide one year warranty at no additional cost to the customer. Our labor rate is $74.80 per hour.

I hope this gives you the information you need. If you have more questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Bill Yarborough
President of Import Service Center, Inc.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Ooh! Well then... they're already on the list as The Beetle Barn.

 

[led1002]

I have a new 2010 TDI JSW on order and it should arrive in the next week or two. I noticed that my dealer doesn't appear on the trusted TDI mechanic list. I was planning on using the dealer for service unless there is someone better locally. Does anyone have any experience with Princeton VW, Princeton, NJ working on their TDI? Good or Bad?

 

[VeeDubTDI]

I don't know about them specifically, but most people here would say that the majority of dealerships are to be avoided.

 

[TornadoRed]

I have a new 2010 TDI JSW on order and it should arrive in the next week or two. I noticed that my dealer doesn't appear on the trusted TDI mechanic list. I was planning on using the dealer for service unless there is someone better locally. Does anyone have any experience with Princeton VW, Princeton, NJ working on their TDI? Good or Bad?

There are one or two dealerships on the list, but IMO they should probably be removed.

If someone wants to put together a list of good and bad dealerships, they can try to do it. But I do not think any dealerships belong on this list of recommended mechanics.

LED1002: the price you're paying for a JSW includes the cost of the warranty. You should probably take advantage of that warranty, since you're paying for it. But you should also get to know the TDI experts in your area, and not wait until after the warranty period. You should also pay close attention to what the dealership service department does to your car. If you let them provide the free maintenance for 36 months and 36k miles, make sure they are using the correct oil and actually replacing filters and actually rotating tires, etc.

After the warranty period -- powertrain warranty is still 48 months and 60k miles, I think -- then you will want to avoid that dealership and all others except in emergency situations. I need not explain in this thread, there are hundreds of others that address poor dealership service. But, after the warranty period, if your TDI breaks down right in front of a VW dealership, you would probably be better off having it towed 100 miles away to a TDI expert.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

We should probably confer with jwlionking and see what he thinks about dealerships being on the list. TR, I tend to agree with you about not having them on there, but I think we should all make a decision before anything is done. As it stands now, there is only one on the list, marked with a red pin on the map.

 

[TornadoRed]

We should probably confer with jwlionking and see what he thinks about dealerships being on the list. TR, I tend to agree with you about not having them on there, but I think we should all make a decision before anything is done. As it stands now, there is only one on the list, marked with a red pin on the map.

I thought you meant Checkered Flag VW in Virginia Beach.

http://vw.checkeredflag.com/index.htm

 

[VeeDubTDI]

There's one in New England... not sure about Checkered Flag. I'll have to check when I get home.

 

[Chad@EuroTec]

EuroTec Automotive
Wichita, KS 67235
(316)250-5900
http://www.EuroTecAutomotive.host22.com

I am an independent technician that has been specializing in VW/Audi repair for over 6 years. My dad owned a VW/Audi specialty shop for over 30 years, and I worked at a VW dealer for 1 year after graduating from UTi in Houston, TX. I now work out of my garage, WITH ALL THE RIGHT TOOLS, except for a lift.

I want to get my name on this list, but I dont believe any of my current TDi customers frequent this site, if any sites at all.

 

[VeeDubTDI]

Cool, welcome to the forums, Chad.

Let us know a bit more about yourself. Give some scenarios for estimating work, and let us know some more specifics about your tool collection.

Thanks!

 

[TornadoRed]

EuroTec Automotive
Wichita, KS 67235
(316)250-5900
http://www.EuroTecAutomotive.host22.com

It's good to have someone in Wichita -- we had a local shop on the list but had to take them off. Their focus was more on water-cooled VWs and dune buggies, and no one there seemed competent to diagnose TDI-specific problems.

I notice that on your website you have a special on oil changes. I assume you know that TDIs sold in the US since 2004 have different oil specs? There are also some special tools which, if you rarely if ever get any TDIs in your shop, you probably don't have. This is not a criticism, merely a conjecture.

A couple things you can do: share your advice on some of the tougher diagnostic problems some of our members encounter. And when you have a problem that has you stumped, don't be too proud not to ask for help here. I'm no expert, all I know a thing about is the particular problems I've had with my own car. You're responsible for every car that comes into your shop.