Trusted TDI Mechanics - By State

[woodchuck]

Unless someone has mentioned a new one in the thread (now 156 pages!), it doesn't look like there is ANYONE in Mississippi or Louisiana, period. I'm in Vicksburg, so Western Mississippi, northern Louisiana or even southeastern Arkansas are within 150 miles. Nearest one currently in the guide is in Memphis - a 4 hour drive! Any recommendations?

 

[prussiap]

Coral springs south Flordia

Had intake manifold and EGR valve removed and cleaned by Todd Zeller (deezldub@gmail.com Coral Springs, Florida) who I found on the Trusted TDI Mechanics List. Very efficient, reasonable price. I would highly recommended him to other TDI owners.
Bennett

Hi,
Does anybody know if Todd is still working in the area? I would like to go locally to somebody that has a good reputation but all means of contacting him have not been responded.

Has anyone used his services recently ? If not is another person in the area that is recommended? I love my car and want to make sure it stays in good hands

Thanks in advance

 

[TornadoRed]

Unless someone has mentioned a new one in the thread (now 156 pages!), it doesn't look like there is ANYONE in Mississippi or Louisiana, period. I'm in Vicksburg, so Western Mississippi, northern Louisiana or even southeastern Arkansas are within 150 miles. Nearest one currently in the guide is in Memphis - a 4 hour drive! Any recommendations?

If you need TDI-specific work performed, then it may be worth it to travel a considerable distance. Be advised, however, that the shop in West Memphis, AR is not really a TDI specialist.

Every community has one guy who is the very best mechanic. Find out who it is in Vicksburg, ask him if he can work on your car or if not then who would he recommend. If you need a timing belt, then you may need to borrow or rent special tools, since the local mechanic may not have them. You may need to find someone with VAG-COM/VCDS, to fine-tune the timing. You should obtain your own deluxe kit from a vendor registered with TDI Club -- if the mechanic says he will only install his own parts, then say goodbye.

If you have a specific problem with TDI components, like the injection system or the emissions system or the turbo, then you'll probably need to plan a road trip.

 

[duanehaas]

Has anyone used a mechanic to check out a car they wanted looked over? I have contacted Keith Scarborough, LWB053, out of Tampa to take a look at a vehicle I found for sale. I don't even know what decent price to pay someone for that kind of work would be. $100? $50? $200?

Thanks!

 

[ymz]

Different mechanics charge different rates... The important thing is that someone like Keith is worth whatever he charges... as well, most of the bona-fide Gurus tend to be reasonable (which will mean different things in different parts of the country...)

Good luck,

Yuri

 

[TornadoRed]

Has anyone used a mechanic to check out a car they wanted looked over? I have contacted Keith Scarborough, LWB053, out of Tampa to take a look at a vehicle I found for sale. I don't even know what decent price to pay someone for that kind of work would be. $100? $50? $200?

Thanks!

I was at a local mechanic's shop at the same time as a buyer and seller, both present as the vehicle in question was being inspected prior to purchase. I believe I overheard that the buyer paid for 3/4 of an hour labor, or somewhere in the ballpark of $80.

If a competent TDI expert has to do any traveling at all to inspect a vehicle being offered for sale, then his time and expenses would need to be added to a standard fee.

 

[duanehaas]

I was at a local mechanic's shop at the same time as a buyer and seller, both present as the vehicle in question was being inspected prior to purchase. I believe I overheard that the buyer paid for 3/4 of an hour labor, or somewhere in the ballpark of $80.

If a competent TDI expert has to do any traveling at all to inspect a vehicle being offered for sale, then his time and expenses would need to be added to a standard fee.

Different mechanics charge different rates... The important thing is that someone like Keith is worth whatever he charges... as well, most of the bona-fide Gurus tend to be reasonable (which will mean different things in different parts of the country...)

Good luck,

Yuri

Thanks for the info guys! I'll try to keep this in mind. It looks like his map dot is about a 30 min drive from where the car is. So I'll factor in the hour roundtrip if he contacts me.

 

[Derramax]

Springfield, MO

I am considering a 2003 TDI Jetta Wagon and am looking to have a decent pre-inspection done. Any shops or gurus in Springfield, MO?

Thanks!

 

[ymz]

Any shops or gurus in Springfield, MO?

Closest one is about an hour away in Lockwood... one of the very best... User Franko6 http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=31923 Give him a shout... who knows... perhaps he may be traveling in your direction one of these days...

All the best,

Yuri

 

[FredIA]

Hey.. I've been lurking and haven't apparently logged in and posted since January 2011.. so, hopefully someone will remember me and not think I'm just a shill for an unsolicited recommendation-- but I had to report that a few days ago I had a most enjoyable time having JasonTDI replace my timing belt on my 2006 A5 PD.

He's an absolute pro, funny as all get go, smarter than a whip (on more than just TDI's) and can do a belt/water pump with just muscle memory (and a little subconscious thought). He has a shop that made me jealous. He was several hundred dollars cheaper than having it done locally, talked me out of stuff I didn't need and knows a LOT about TDIs. I learned a lot about the further maintenance of the engine, also, including the easy way to inspect the cams on the PD engine.

Jason even flattered me by telling me my engine was extremely clean-- suggesting I "drive it correctly". (-- and the cams were OK...And this is despite the gravel road and mouse turds I missed when I got the little ba$tards out of the engine the one time they got in there-- joys of living in the country in Iowa).

Overall it's worth a couple of hour drive to give him the business if you live in the midwest. Both buying a couple of cars from Sean in Franklin, WI and having my car worked on by Jason in Oregon, WI are probably the three best car related experiences I've had. Thanks also to TDIClub for helping me to contact both of them.

Anyway, for WI, IA, IL, MN and maybe NW IN... I'd recommend the drive to Madison when you need something done right and don't want to/can't do it yourself on your TDI...

 

[jasonTDI]

Thanks Fred! You're welcome back anytime your in the area.

 

[OrangeToucano]

Any recos for someone in Las Vegas that can do a pre-purchase inspection?

 

[iVari]

Jeremy Hoover TDI Guru, Winchester VA

I want to say a big thank you to everyone on this forum for contributing to this list of trusted mechanics.
Having recently moved to Northern Virginia I don't think I'd have found our local Guru, Jeremy Hoover, without this forum. I have a 2004 TDI New Beetle, so finding an experienced and caring mechanic is crucial to keeping our car running well and happy.
I have never met a mechanic before that genuinely loves the cars he works on. Jeremy has such a great outgoing and friendly personality. He answered many questions, including many silly questions, without making me feel like I knew little to none about cars: there is not an arrogant bone in his body.
He replaced and fixed several items on our car and it's running beautifully right now. He gave us a list of things that need tending to in the future, with no pressure to do non emergency work immediately. He explained everything in great detail in a way that I could understand.
I actually had a fun and educational car repair experience
Without any hesitation I would whole heartily recommend Jeremy and he is worth driving to from any of the surrounding states, MD, PA, WV.
Jeremy: If you ever see this post... Thank You!! 5 Stars all the way!!

 

[gwhaley]

The Auto Clinic in Irvine, CA

I was searching for a place to have a T-belt service done and noticed on the trusted Map, a place called, The Auto Clinic, which is in Irvine. When I called, they informed me that they do not work on diesels...what??? That record probably needs to be updated.

So.. anyone have a shop they'd recommend between San Diego and Rancho Cucamonga? Thanks!

 

[mag1]

Fox Valley Area, Wisconsin (Appleton, Green Bay)

Wisconsin Diesel Service
W5001 Hill Rd.
Hilbert, Wi, 54129
920.419.5846
Wisconsindieselservice@gmail.com
Kevin Anevicius

Kevin specializes in TDI's, He diagnosed my Limp Mode Issues, cleaned my turbo, and has helped me fix a couple of other issues. I have recommended another friend to him, and he not only did a timing belt, but cam/lifters/performance upgrade, along with some other needed maintance.

 

[Cook77]

Hello all,

I am located in Jacksonville, NC. Which is about an hour north of Wilmington and 2 hours southeast of Raleigh.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a trusted mechanic? I found a couple VW mechanics in Wilmington, but haven't seen any of them mentioned in this thread.

Dave's VW's is one of them and the other place is called Silver Lake's.

Dave's seems to have the best reviews, but I only noticed one person saying they had a TDI.


Anyways, if anyone knows of a great TDI mechanic in NC please let me know!

Thanks.

 

[4BTScout]

I met Lawrence Ashcraft from A1 Volkswagen repair in Salt Lake City Utah. Lawrence is 74 years old and came out of retirement to pay for his wife's cancer treatment. He works very reasonably and seems to know these cars inside and out. Call him at 8014845943.

 

[ARob109]

Any other in San Antonio beside Diesel Toyz? I've tried contacting them through their website and PMing them here on the forums and have not heard anything back at all. I'm looking to have my 80k service done.

 

[tditom]

Any other in San Antonio beside Diesel Toyz? I've tried contacting them through their website and PMing them here on the forums and have not heard anything back at all. I'm looking to have my 80k service done.

go see runonbeer south of Austin

 

[TornadoRed]

Any other in San Antonio beside Diesel Toyz? I've tried contacting them through their website and PMing them here on the forums and have not heard anything back at all. I'm looking to have my 80k service done.

The phone number for Diesel Toys is (877) 545-8699. Why don't you try that?

The website is a little different, I think, but still seems updated.
http://dieseltoys.com/service/vw-tdi

 

[stanz]

Is there a TDI guru on Long Island in New York state? Have searched unable to find one.

 

[chzweeth]

Conway Auto Services

Conway Auto Services
2323 South Ave
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 782-7345

Pete Conway has been a highly regarded VW mechanic since the 1960s. He was a mechanic at the local VW dealership that worked on my mom's 65 VW bus and 71 VW 411 squareback and he remembers her and both cars!

His shop now keeps my 03 VW Jetta GLS TDI wagon in the best shape possible. I have complete confidence in their ability to diagnose and correctly address any issue with the car.

Please note: the shop is often booked 2-3 weeks in advance, but they will do their best to work you in to deal with pressing issues.

 

[stanz]

Thank you for the response. But I am looking for someone a little closer. A guru on Long Island in the state of New York. The counties Of Nassau, Suffolk, or Queens possibly. Thanks.

 

[msantram]

Stanz - I found a company called TyrolSport in Queens. http://www.tyrolsport.com

Have only had them look over my VCDS coding, but they seemed to be busy. Ask for Mike.

let me know how it goes.

 

[TornadoRed]

Stanz and msantram: to the best of my recollection, no one has ever ID'd a true TDI genius in Metro NYC or on Long Island. So if or when you find one, please report all his particulars. Or even if he is just a very good VW mechanic and not necessarily a TDI specialist.

 

[TDIJetta99]

Ya so far myself and Mike are the 2 closest, and we're a few hours depending on where on the Island you are..

 

[CTUSMC]

Just a quick note on Cuz's TDI Werks. Allen did an awesome job on my Mk4 Golf. Replaced the camshaft, TB, and turbo in a couple days and let me ask a ton of questions while doing it. Highly recommended.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...dc/rO1saJziAU8/s219-p/IMG_20130814_222635.jpg
What one of the lifters looked like

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...dY/5xriRLfW9k4/s219-p/IMG_20130814_225753.jpg
The shop

 

[devinestyler]

Schnell Snail Performance
25 Foster Howard Rd. Unit 7
Pocasset, MA
02559

Schnell Snail is a VW/TDI specialty shop with full capabilities in most other European imports.

I have been going to Chris since before he opened Schnell for 10 months now. He has done a hefty amount of very quality work on my baby including, but not limited to:

10.12 Diagnosed/Repaired No start. All it needed was a new thermo-tee, fuel filter had already been replaced.
12.12 clutch/rear main seal replacement. (with an SBC quiet clutch)
6.13 Alternator repair. Chris was able to take me right off the highway as my car's gauges were stopping working, well after my radio and clock had died. It ended up being a loose alternator terminal, which due to not being tightened by my previous mechanic arc/welded the stud until there was barely any left! He was able to save the alternator and me some money. He was available right there, and that was huge.
7.13 IP reseal. I was leaking a fair amount of fuel all over my coolant hoses as well as the rest of my engine. Chris suggested a reseal, and it hasn't lost a drop since. Huge difference in my mileage obviously, he was also able to put new pump head seal and quantity adjuster seals as well as cleaning out and inspecting my pump (off the car) Oil that I thought I was burning was actually a leaking intermediate shaft seal, as well as incorrectly sealed valve cover gasket. The leaking intermediate shaft seal softened the rubber of my timing belt which Chris also replaced. That issue was solved which saves me in synthetic oil, which adds up having to add at each fillup. Not to mention not having my timing belt fail prematurely! We also did the coolant lines, as they were a little spongy from the diesel leak.
Chris' advice on using B99 biodiesel slowed my pump leak down long enough to save the funds for a reseal as well as the other service needed.
8.13 trunk body work. I have been breathing my straight pipe through a gap between the my trunk lid and lower lip-right over my tailpipe. Chris was able to put a port-a-power in the trunk of my car after I moved my junk and pushed it out, helped me seal a few rusty holes that had formed over the 18 months it had been like that. Now my girlfriend rides in the car with me! Just recently he was able to to a little tweaking to my latch sensor to get the car to register as closed. I can't remember the last time I was able to just walk away and lock up or unlock keyless. It's been great.
Chris does do bodywork (I have seen him!) but tries keeping it a secret because he is too much of a perfectionist to do it in a reasonable time....
8.13 Wheels/tires/alignment. Chris had been telling me that my wheel wasn't just off a spline or two, that it was my alignment. I was finally able to let Chris look at it after it started shaking on the highway, and he noticed that the tires I had put on by my previous mechanic had the steel belts showing after less than 20k, a result of the front end being very toed out. He rotated the worn out front wheels with the perfectly fine rears and adjusted the toe properly (no lasers needed) and was able to get me in touch with a good local tire shop. The car handles better now at 100 than it did at 70, doesn't pull and and the best part, the wheel is perfectly straight.

All of this being said, I pay less with Schnell than I did my previous mechanic for superior craftsmanship. Chris has a whole peg board of his VW/TDI tools. He has customers who come in from places like Boston and New Hampshire because of his quality of work. He has been driving (which goes hand in hand with working as far as these cars go . . .) VW's since he was a teenager. His turn around time is second to none. He has always been able to accommodate my sometimes hectic schedule-he's even given me a ride home.

Anything TDI/VW/Euro imports.

 

[devinestyler]

shop phone

Shop phone number

508.563.2110

 

[skahn]

I recommend Hi-Tech Automotive in LA

Hi
I would like to add Hi-Tech Automotive in Los Angeles (Silverlake).
Koko is the head mechanic there. His team is extremely knowledgeable and has handled tricky situations with my 02 Jetta TDI skillfully, properly and successfully.
I tired Wild Rose, but he was very far from where I live, didn't offer as much as a ride to the bus stop even though I had my small child with me. Then he took a whole week longer than he said, over-charged and was grouchy. Complained that it's just him and one other guy.

Hi-Tech has a full staff of knowledgeable, highly skilled mechanics working and can get things done correctly, promptly, politely and at reasonable cost. Not cheap at $80/hour for labor, but I never have to have the job re-done by someone else.

Some of the things they've done on my 02 Jetta TDI include:
-Timing belt, water pump, tensioners
-Injection pump
-And a failed M1 transmission replacement! So many people online said that there is hardly anyone who can pull that one off properly and the guys at Hi-Tech did. They replaced the valves, everything. When one valve was still sticking, they pulled and rebuilt until it was perfect and everything adjusted properly.
They also do all the other stuff like oil, tires, AC, cooling system, alternators, etc, etc...
They give me rides to and from my home, if there's a delay on their end, they have given me a rental car at their expense. When I have needed a big job done, they get me a discount at the rental car place up the street and give me a ride there.

Here's their info:
4000 Fountain Ave Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 661-2788hitechautomotive.com

Looking to be added to the Trusted Mechanics List or have someone you want added?

There are many that ask how does one get on this list.
I will do my best here to help you understand what it takes.
After reading this, if you have any further questions, feel free to PM me.

First and foremost this is not a list for any and all mechanics.

If you are a TDIClub Vendor, this does not mean you bypass the rules below.

It's for Trusted Mechanics, specifically TDI Specialty mechanics.

The formula to qualify for this list is quite simple.
You must prove competent in repair & maintenance of our baby's that we paid a lot of hard earned money for.
You must use the right tools.
You must do things BY THE BOOK as VW intended.
This means using the right tools.

Secondly, you must not go replacing a turbo thinking its going to fix the car. You need to KNOW it's going to fix it. This is our hard earned money, remember? If the turbo is truely the problem, does the whole thing need replaced? This is an assembly. This means lots of parts on there that could be replaced rather than the whole assembly.

We look for member vouches on a mechanic to get on this list. How many we need may vary. If we have a high level technician on the forum here that refers a mechanic, chances are its going straight on the list. Otherwise we need more than one person to give a good word.

If you are referring, please be sure to have the confidence in whether this mechanic is doing things by the book and using the right tools. This means you gotta have knowledge of the manufacture's procedures yourself.

Also, be descriptive on why you are referring. Be sure to cite facts on proving to us this person should be on the list. Let us know what the symptoms were, what work was done, what tools were used, how much was charged. Does this shop specialize in only TDI’s, all European, any car on the road type shop.

Please utilize the following format when listing the shop:
ABC Shop
123 Road
City, State Zip-code
(123) 456-7890
ABC@shop.com
Any short blurb you may feel is relevant for the list

BTW, please post this rather than private message so others may comment.