Which one is the right oil for my car? 5W-30, 0W-30 what does it all mean?Viscosity Viscosity Viscosity The title of the oil is meant to communicate the type & thickness of the oil at different temperatures (having the correct thickness a.k.a. viscosity is what this article will be mostly about). The W in the name 5W-30 standards for Winter and simply means this oil has been tested at colder temperatures.  (Oils without the W in their name i.e. SAE 30 have not been tested for cold weather performance. At normal operating temperatures (210°F)  5W-30 and 10W-30 will both flow at a SAE viscosity of 30, but under much colder temperatures 5W-30 will flow at an SAE viscosity of 5.   10W-30 will flow at an SAE viscosity of 10.  0-W30 will flow with a viscosity of zero in cold t ... read more

Why servicing your Drains is important for your VW/BMW/Audi WHAT ARE DRAINS/PASSAGES AND WHY DO I NEED THEM CLEANED? First off lets get the terminology straight.  Passages, Ducts, or Drains are interchangeable terms to describe a series of tubes and passages within the frame of your car specifically designed to channel water that lands on your roof and windshield down to the street below.                         Cleaning out these passages to keep them free from obstructions and clogs is absolutely essential for keeping your VW in good working order.  Falling leaves, flowers, dust, dirty and other objects accumulate in and around these passages over time. Should any of these passages on your Volkswagen become clogged, water that normally flows down to the street can be redirected to the interior of your car, causing not only a musty wet smell that is unhealthy, but also electrical issues. The wiring harness on ... read more

The Problem with Direct Injection – Coked Up Valves What is Direct Injection? Direct injection technology has changed the way fuel efficiency is achieved, and it’s a method Volkswagen has wholeheartedly embraced in a bunch of their vehicles. They were introduced into the VW lineup beginning in the early 2000’s with the Jetta, Golf, and Audi A4. Now, direct injection is commonplace. You can tell which vehicle has direction with the acronym after the name – GDI, TFSI, FSI, and TSI are all varieties of direct injection. Direct injection means exactly that: the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber. It’s unlike other fuel injection styles that spray fuel in the intake to mix with air BEFORE entering the cylinders. That achieves better power production and improved fuel efficiency, all because more air can flow into the engine’s cylinders. Drawbacks of DI There’s a drawback to direct injection, though. In a typical fuel injection ... read more

Common Valve Cover Gasket Leaks If you drive a VW Passat, Golf, Jetta, or GTi, you’ve probably asked one question at some time or another: “Why is my valve cover gasket leaking AGAIN?!?” It’s little consolation, but you’re not the only one, my friend. Your VW may have the 1.8-liter turbo engine or the 2.0-liter motor. You might even have the 3.0-liter V6. Engine size doesn’t really seem to matter much here. You might start seeing an oil drip from the backside of your engine when you’re underneath changing the oil. You might notice a burnt oil smell or wisps of smoke from the engine compartment. And, on closer inspection, you’ll trace it to the back of your cylinder head right at the top. Whether it’s never been replaced, it was replaced a few years back, or just a few months ago doesn’t factor in much either. It’s frustrating why it occurs so regularly.  Valve cover gaskets are contructed of rubber or cork.  ... read more

Volkswagen Exhaust Rattling? We Can Help! Do you get an annoying buzz or rattle underneath your VW when you go over even the slightest of bumps? Or is your exhaust tailpipe hanging lower than it should be, swaying around from side to side? You’ve probably got one of the typical Volkswagen exhaust issues. Some of the most common problems you can experience are broken exhaust hangers, and broken exhaust hander hooks.  Exhaust hangers are rubber loops that hold your muffler and exhaust pipe up off the ground There’s usually more than one, depending on the vehicle of course, but each one bears a some of weight from your Volkswagen exhaust system.  Exhaust Hanger hooks are simply the metal hooks that slip into the rubber hangers.  They are welded alongside  the entire exahaust system. Old dried out Exhaust Hanger Broken Exhaust Hanger Hook Good Exhaust Hanger & Hook Over time, the rubber deteriorates. Small ... read more

VW MAF sensor ConcernsMAF= Mass Air Flow With some vehicles, you can expect you’re going to encounter certain concerns. It may not be a problem right away, but you know it’s coming down the pipe eventually. With Volkswagen gas engines, one such concern is the Mass Air Flow sensor, or MAF sensor. Here’s what happens: You’re driving along and need to scoot over a lane. You press the gas pedal to pass the guy beside you and your car burps and chugs, hesitating to speed up with any amount of vigor. Behind you, your attempt to speed up has just smoked out the traffic with rich, fuel-laden exhaust. You probably should’ve had that Check Engine light diagnosed sooner, because it’s trying to tell you the MAF sensor has a problem. With a MAF sensor issue, you may experience this type of situation, or a variety of others. It might be just that the Check Engine light is on and your car drives fine – for now. You migh ... read more

Volkswagen Evap and secondary air system introduction Firstly, what is an Air leak and why does it matter? When your VW has an air leak, you may have a check engine light on and as a result trouble passing NY state inspection. Basically your engine is a sealed system.  A VW engine is comprised of several compartments; Crank Case, Engine Block, Cylinder head & the Secondary air system to name a few. These compartments operate in different atmospheres, some have a vacuum, whilst others have slight positive pressure but all have valves and pumps that are constantly working. The most common cause of air leaks on VW’s are cracked hose, failed valves and solenoids in the evaporative fuel system or secondary air system. What does the secondary air system do on my Volkswagen? The Secondary air system is an environmental component of your Volkswagen, It allows your catalytic converter to function more effeciently which will reduce the concent ... read more

How is Your Timing Chain Performing? It’s old news already that many Volkswagen models have gone away from the traditional rubber timing belt design. You know the timing belt, right? It’s the one that has to be replaced every 70,000 or 80,000 miles to prevent breakage from wear and deterioration. If it wasn’t changed when it should be, it could snap and cause catastrophic damage inside your engine. Well, it seems that the alternative is no better. Volkswagen timing belts were replaced by timing chains and advertised as a non-serviceable part that should last the lifetime of your vehicle. The problem is that the tensioner simply won’t last. Here’s what happens: You’ll drive normally for about 60,000 miles or so. You’ll have regular oil changes performed and everything will seem perfect and efficient. You’ll begin to hear a slight rattle from the engine bay. It starts out as a clacking noise on initial startup that mostly goes away afte ... read more

VEHICLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER Your VIN code is an easy way to identify the precise VW you have, how old it is and what type of engine is in it.  It’s also a great way to confirm your ordering the right parts.  You can think of it as a birth certificate for your Volkswagen. Where can I find the VIN code on my Volkswagen? Your VIN code can be found in several place on your VW.  Easiest places to find your vin are Drivers side bottom corner of the windshield Drivers side doorwell sticker or drivers side door Etched glass on windows A VIN code is 17 characters long.  It is an alphanumerical code (a mix of letters and numbers). Each number or letter communicates important information about different aspects of your car i.e. what type of engine it has, where it was made, which series or model it is. 1st character:  Country it was manufactured: 1= USA  3= Mexico&nbs ... read more

So you’ve gotten the news. Your BMW is leaking from the oil filter housing gasket.   O MAN!!!!! Your first thoughts. What is an oil filter housing gasket? What will this repair cost? Is this part of normal maintenance? Can I do anything to keep this from happening again? The oil filter housing is simply the part that the oil filter sits in within your engine compartment.  The housing allows oil to flow through and around the oil filter. On BMW’s the oil filter housing is mounted to the engine.  A gasket is required where these parts interface.  The gasket becomes brittle and cracks over time allowing oil to leak or seep out. There are actually two gaskets that start leaking over time on your BMW.  One is the oil filter cap gasket (which is changed alongside the filter when you do an oil change).  It’s the gasket that mates the oil filter housing with the engine block which is the more costly oil leak. The cost of this re ... read more