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Jetta 1.8T: First Car

7K views 31 replies 9 participants last post by  Izzyinjurious 
#1 ·
Hey guys, this is my first post on this website. Looking to buy a Jetta 1.8T for my first car. I will be 17 in July and am looking to make a purchase before then. Can anyone give me a checklist of things i should look for in these models?

Also i have a couple questions about these Jettas:
-In comparison to regular 2.0 Jettas, how long do these last?
-Is there any more maintenance needed that occurs more likely on these turbo engines?

Thanks in advance!
 
#9 ·
I'm still learning, but I know 1.8 is higher maintenance- you've got the turbo, which can fail over time. Also, the 1.8T's are prone to Secondary Air Intake pump issues- can be simple and inexpensive or can run $200-400 to fix... if you do it yourself. I don't know if 2.0's have that issue, but I've never seen it in my reading. A 5-speed 2.0 is going to get better gas mileage than an 5-speed 1.8T, so there's that. 2.0's are just lower cost to maintain and last far longer, probs because they've been around longer and have more of the kinks worked out. A few months ago, I posted in a thread that I need my 1.8T with (at the time)130K miles to last another 100K miles and I was basically told that it was a long shot to get over 200K on a 1.8T without some major mechanical malfunctions :(

But omg- it is sooo much fun to drive. You should be able to find something in both your target budget and mileage range, and with only 70/80K on it, even a 1.8T will still have a long life ahead of it, provided you stay on top of the regular maintenance.

edit: don't want you to think I'm discouraging getting a 1.8T, on the contrary actually, I think you'll love it and be glad you chose it. Just wanted you to know there IS a difference in maintenance that you should be prepared for.
 
#10 ·
As I read I started to get really depressed. Until i got to the second paragraph! :)

I want this car to be a learning process for mods that i can do with my stepdad. He himself has been rebuilding and working on cars since my age and has his own '86 Mustang Convertible with plenty of mods in the garage.

I'm not looking to drive the car 200k miles as I wont be commuting to work any far distances because I'm going to have the car one year and than I am going off to college. By the time I get to 200k miles i'll be 30, which may actually be a good thing. On that note, are there greater downsides to letting the turbo sit for a few months at a time while i am away at college? Thank you for all the information and excitement you just gave me, now I just have to find the right one!
 
#11 ·
Yeah, I put CRAZY high miles on my car- about 33K a year, which is of course, not typical. I don't know about what can happen to the car if it sits- hopefully someone with more knowledge on that will chime in. Or use the ol' google-machine and I'm sure you could find out more. It's a fun little ride so I'm sure you could get someone to take it for a spin for you once every few weeks without too much arm-twisting :p

There is a great DIY section here that has TONS of info on mods you can do yourself, and the mk4 board is the most-frequented on the forum, making for lots of input and a broad range of knowledge at your disposal.

Best of luck in your search!
 
#13 ·
pros for 1.8t:
huge aftermarket for performance (and cosmetics for all mk4)
long lasting (like any unabused engine)
decent power stock
very economical and practical
good in hot weather

a few cons:
a couple recalls: coilpacks, brake safety switch, hazard relay. varies by VIN and year. BUT: take it to VW dealer for free fix
must buy the expensive oil...if you want it to last... dont cheap out at the bargain bin at Wally World. my last oil change was 80 bucks. worth it.
premium gas....it adds up. not mandoatory but hey, its up to you.
CELS tends to show them alot. unplug your battery for ten minutes to see if that resets it.
MAF sensors, cracked coilpacks, oil in intercooler (this is normal and is part of regular maintenance to clean)
misc vac leaks.
BUT i doubt you will encounter most of these.
also for 5k you might not be able to find one in your desired mileage range, might have to look for a little over 100k or so(this is in my area, yours may be different)
any year 1.8t is no better than any other year.

but promise me you wont buy the first one you see. look at at least 5 then pick your favorite, chance are the first one you look at is gonna be a basket-case lol
anything else?
 
#16 ·
shoot! i knew i forgot something! thanks lol
The "aww" engine has 150hp stock and the slightly more desirable engine is the AWP sittin at 180hp. before you buy pop off the cover and look to the left side of the heads towards the front off the car it will say a simple AWW or AWP
ya caught my slip up SC2 ha ha bastard lol
 
#28 ·
I guess I misread the first time- they ALREADY did the belt, but not the pump. My bad. I was thinking you could negotiate it or something. Have you seen it in person? Is it in decent shape? What else do you know about it? Did you pull a carfax on it or anything (not that you have to- just curious). The miles are low, so that's def nice. They did some modding already- I wonder what kind of chip he put in...
 
#32 ·
it was one of those dealer auctions where dealers are the only ones allowed to go.
my dad has a friend in that stuff.
and he says that he sees a lotta jettas go by that look real nice for real cheap for good miles.
soo i would just make my self a dealer friend and go to an auction. but i wish you luck with your jetta search.
 
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