OT-Jetta TDI road trip!

[oldpotatoe]

18 month old, first road trip.

44-45 mpg at steady 75 mph. Iowa and Nebraska is 'not interesting'. Great car, very easy to do 12 hours per day. Roads in Iowa and Nebraska way better than Colorado and wind farms!!! Many...

Very nice.

[soulspinner]

18 month old, first road trip.

44-45 mpg at steady 75 mph. Iowa and Nebraska is 'not interesting'. Great car, very easy to do 12 hours per day. Roads in Iowa and Nebraska way better than Colorado and wind farms!!! Many...

Very nice.

Did ya bring a bike??????:)

[Scooper]

I'm still driving my 1993 Jetta III with 230,000 miles on it. I bought it new and have been pleased with its performance and reliability over the years.

One of my flying buddies bought a four-door Golf TDI last year and loves it, so I'm thinking I may have to break down soon and get a new Jetta TDI. The Jetta's rear seat legroom since the 2011 models were introduced is almost limousine-like and the trunk space is enormous.

[Web1111a]

Sport wage
or sedan?

[Hank Scorpio]

Mini Cooper clubman road trip nj to pittsburgh 37.5 mpg with the AC on for the last half.

[witcombusa]

18 month old, first road trip.

44-45 mpg at steady 75 mph. Iowa and Nebraska is 'not interesting'. Great car, very easy to do 12 hours per day. Roads in Iowa and Nebraska way better than Colorado and wind farms!!! Many...

Very nice.


We're you headed? Any GOOD roads coming your way??? (that's what road trips are all about!)

[kramnnim]

I really wanted to buy another TDI but ended up with a Ford Focus due to cost. Averaged 40mpg on a recent 1,000 mile trip, not too bad.

[Black Dog]

18 month old, first road trip.

44-45 mpg at steady 75 mph. Iowa and Nebraska is 'not interesting'. Great car, very easy to do 12 hours per day. Roads in Iowa and Nebraska way better than Colorado and wind farms!!! Many...

Very nice.

Good on you. I have had a TDI in the drive way for the last 14 years. Efficient, reliable, and solid.

[oldpotatoe]

Did ya bring a bike??????:)

Nope, schedule with wife relatives is packed!!

[oldpotatoe]

Sport wage
or sedan?

Sportwagen, 6s manual. A/C on and no decent roads there or back.

[thwart]

Great travel car, eats highway miles, supportive seats, and rides well.

I've been impressed with my in-town mileage lately (Golf tdi), hovering around 40-42 mpg. Once the outdoor temp went up, the mileage went with it.

[shovelhd]

I have 4600 miles on my JSW. I'm getting 43 around town mixed and 48-50 pure highway. Love this car, at least until something breaks. Used the Vag com to tweak a few things last night.

Sounds like a nice long trip OP.

[estilley]

I just did Syracuse, NY to Portland OR. Took the long route and spent a few days in Moab. My 1998 BMW 540i burned through gas but those 80mph Utah speed limits were pretty fun.

Always appreciative of anyone going for the long drive!

[don compton]

I have two friends that were Vietnam Navy pilots and both of them have Mercedes 420 sel's with way over 200,000 miles.
I wish I had that patience. :cool:

[estilley]

I have two friends that were Vietnam Navy pilots and both of them have Mercedes 420 sel's with way over 200,000 miles.
I wish I had that patience. :cool:

I have a 1985 Mercedes 300D with 376,000 on it.

[p nut]

Not to get too off topic, but compared to a Golf TDI, is the Jetta Sportwagon's highway comfort much better? I am trying to decide between the two for the next car. Current Honda Fit has been a good car, but not comfortable for highway trips.

[oldpotatoe]

Not to get too off topic, but compared to a Golf TDI, is the Jetta Sportwagon's highway comfort much better? I am trying to decide between the two for the next car. Current Honda Fit has been a good car, but not comfortable for highway trips.

Don't know that but when looking at the Jetta, noticed the 4 door Golf TDI about the same $ as the Jetta. Jetta bigger, more storage, which is what we needed for hauling 2young grand daughters and all the related stuff.

I'd say go take each on the highway to decide.

But I've become big fan of TDI....should have done the beetle in that in 2000....still have that car.

Should mention the tires, OE, are a bit noisy but seems like all tires, OE, and those built for longevity, are. I know more about bike tires than car tires. They are Bridgestones. I have Pirelli on Beetle...nice tires.

Plus gotta say, highway system IS in need of some $...I think some materials they use tend to be noisy.

In terms of GPS...link iPad to iPhone, google maps...follows where we are and going....wife plays the part of 'turn left ahead' person.

[Ralph]

I like reading real live reports like this. Been thinking about buying another car for around the house just for me.....trips and hauling bikes, etc. A man's car. Manual trans, etc, no built in GPS like wife's car (my portable Garmin just fine with me). Lots of vehicles get great MPG, lots of vehicles have a lot of hauling and cargo space, but not all vehicles have all those good features PLUS good seats. As I age, seat comfort is a bigger and bigger deal....along with ease of using controls. I used to buy Mustangs and supercharge them, take trips down the drag strip, etc. Lost all interest in that now, and features and benefits I look for in a vehicle have changed. Do admit to enjoying back up camera, hands free calling, blind spot recognition and cross traffic detection like in wife's Ford Edge. Most of that included now in most cars. Imagine new Golf Wagon TDI has most of that.

[shovelhd]

Talking 2014 models here. The Golf is sprung tighter and is set up a little sportier than the Sportwagen. The Sportwagen shows it's compromises on entry ramps where it's pretty easy to hit the stops. The Golf will drive harder but down the road the ride isn't as nice. As for seats I find them perfect for me. If I was a big guy I would not. They aren't Recaro clones like in a GTI but they aren't mush buckets either. For a guy my size they fit well and are very comfortable on long hauls. The longest trip I've taken so far has been 4.5 hours.

This car has a terrible blind spot on the drivers side, but a $65 European aspherical mirror replacement fixed that in two minutes. No need for electronics.

[saab2000]

Talking 2014 models here. The Golf is sprung tighter and is set up a little sportier than the Sportwagen. The Sportwagen shows it's compromises on entry ramps where it's pretty easy to hit the stops. The Golf will drive harder but down the road the ride isn't as nice. As for seats I find them perfect for me. If I was a big guy I would not. They aren't Recaro clones like in a GTI but they aren't mush buckets either. For a guy my size they fit well and are very comfortable on long hauls. The longest trip I've taken so far has been 4.5 hours.

This car has a terrible blind spot on the drivers side, but a $65 European aspherical mirror replacement fixed that in two minutes. No need for electronics.

My 2006 GTI seats are the best seats I've ever had on a car. I will be paying attention to the seats when/if I get a new car, which won't be soon because the GTI still has less than 70,000 miles on it.

As to the blind spot, you're right on. It's dangerous. Where did you get your mirror? Was it easy to install?

[oldpotatoe]

Talking 2014 models here. The Golf is sprung tighter and is set up a little sportier than the Sportwagen. The Sportwagen shows it's compromises on entry ramps where it's pretty easy to hit the stops. The Golf will drive harder but down the road the ride isn't as nice. As for seats I find them perfect for me. If I was a big guy I would not. They aren't Recaro clones like in a GTI but they aren't mush buckets either. For a guy my size they fit well and are very comfortable on long hauls. The longest trip I've taken so far has been 4.5 hours.

This car has a terrible blind spot on the drivers side, but a $65 European aspherical mirror replacement fixed that in two minutes. No need for electronics.

More info on mirror please. I notice that not seeing car in mirror but not abeam sight yet.

Is it the interior one or left side one?

[shovelhd]

Www.boraparts.com. I'd send you a link but I'm on the phone. Check for fit first.

[shovelhd]

I also replaced the rear view mirror with an auto dimming Homelink Gentex mirror. Two things I had on the Honda that I didn't want to give up.

[AngryScientist]

but a $65 European aspherical mirror replacement fixed that in two minutes. No need for electronics.

those mirrors are tremendous safety devices. i have no idea why, in the US we have so many other safety regulations and these mirrors arent standard equipment here. they are so much better than the standard flat mirror it's incredible, once you get used to using them. should be standard on ever car IMO. cant cost too much more...

[fiataccompli]

I've got about 5k on my 14 JSW (6 manual)...love it. Mileage is still not stellar most of the time (generally high 30s around town, got 51.6 on a 100 mile trip to western NC a few weeks ago, 41ish on a current trip to FL), but it is still braking in and I am figuring out the most efficient way to carry bikes outside the cabin (had a big air dam of a kid seat on the current trip). It is nice to drive and comfortable on long (10+ hrs is my criteria) trips comparably to the most comfortable road trip car I've owned (which rarely saw an MPG that had 2 as a first digit); 1987 BMW 535is. I hope the new Jettas have overcome the classic modern VW gremlins with electrical glitches and such....obviously I wasn't worried enough to not buy the car. For pure MPG purposes, it would surely be more economical to buy a small gasoline car but with the TDI you have a driving experience and load carrying capacity that is pretty luxurious for the efficiency of it all, I think.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[fiataccompli]

Oh...because threads need pictures for the ADD folks like me...

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/01/yje6y2es.jpg

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[thwart]

The Golf is sprung tighter and is set up a little sportier than the Sportwagen. The Sportwagen shows it's compromises on entry ramps where it's pretty easy to hit the stops. The Golf will drive harder but down the road the ride isn't as nice.

Having driven both several times before I bought the Golf, I would agree with the above.

I'm a sucker for cloth seats, which only the Golf has.

And... wife's Prius V makes the roomier JSW a little redundant for us.

[fiataccompli]

Thankfully and perhaps in a similar vein, the space and MPG and reliability gives me good license to do some cool suspension modifications to my 1972 Fiat 124 Coupe so it will remain a bike hauler but also make up for any body roll the JSW wants to frustrate me with from time to time!

(Another gratuitous photo)

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/02/e5ese8u4.jpg

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[shovelhd]

This is the driver's side mirror.

http://shopping.boraparts.com/product_info.php?products_id=761

[ergott]

Add me to the Sportwagen TDI camp. Just bought a 2011 from a friend. Huge step up in overall car from my 2003 Civic. Man I love my Civic, but this is on another level.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZGZwuXlE5Lk/U5ZTJg5ArAI/AAAAAAAAGNA/fjLTfcNxy3s/w866-h487-no/IMG_20140609_203619_815.jpg

[witcombusa]

I hope you all have better luck with both the cars and VW of America than I did...

[PoppaWheelie]

Oh...because threads need pictures for the ADD folks like me...



I'm interested to see if VW does anything more integrated (ie, higher on bumper) with the hitch in the new model release. Probably not, given what I see of photos. Really interested in that car once the new-model bugs are known/resolved...but don't want to give up my 2" Kuat rack or worry about exhaust heat delaminating my Enve hoops. Yes, First World problems abound.

[Jaq]

I'm still driving my 1993 Jetta III with 230,000 miles on it. I bought it new and have been pleased with its performance and reliability over the years.

One of my flying buddies bought a four-door Golf TDI last year and loves it, so I'm thinking I may have to break down soon and get a new Jetta TDI. The Jetta's rear seat legroom since the 2011 models were introduced is almost limousine-like and the trunk space is enormous.

Still driving my '87 Jetta GTI. 210,000. When I bought it, I swore to myself I'd "drive it to the moon" (~225,000 miles). Now I sorta want to have it restored and drive it back to Earth.

[krhea]

I'm about to be a member of the JSW TDI family. Just found, after a loooong search, a 6spd manual. Hard to find that car. Didn't want new and was looking 2011 forward, found a 2012 dark grey and a red. Gotta drive them in the next couple days and see which one "wins".

[shovelhd]

I'm about to be a member of the JSW TDI family. Just found, after a loooong search, a 6spd manual. Hard to find that car. Didn't want new and was looking 2011 forward, found a 2012 dark grey and a red. Gotta drive them in the next couple days and see which one "wins".

What kind of mileage on each?

Big bucks maintenance items:

Timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt 100k miles $1200
DPF check at 120k miles, every 10k thereafter, replacement if needed $2700

Somewhat rare but notable failures:

High Pressure Fuel Pump, VW replacing most past warranty, $6000
Exhaust Flapper Valve, VW extended warranty part, $500
A/C refrigerant control valve, warranty only, $500

I mention these things as things to verify against maintenance records.

Good luck.

[krhea]

What kind of mileage on each?

Big bucks maintenance items:

Timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt 100k miles $1200
DPF check at 120k miles, every 10k thereafter, replacement if needed $2700

Somewhat rare but notable failures:

High Pressure Fuel Pump, VW replacing most past warranty, $6000
Exhaust Flapper Valve, VW extended warranty part, $500
A/C refrigerant control valve, warranty only, $500

I mention these things as things to verify against maintenance records.

Good luck.

Really appreciate the heads-up. I was aware of a couple of the items but not others. One of the cars is Certified Pre-Own which affords a good warranty, the other is a private owner. One has 36k, the other just a tad over 40. man oh man, that high pressure fuel pump will certainly drain the "new bike" kitty real fast...wow.
I'll have them both thoroughly checked out with a pre-purchase inspection by my mechanic. He does VW, Audi, BMW repair, mods etc. Good guy who saved me from the purchase of an S4 wagon...

Thanks again.

[Ken Robb]

What is a DPF?

[AngryScientist]

What is a DPF?

diesel particulate filter

[Ken Robb]

I gather the filters get plugged with carbon/soot over time. Back in the Stone Age when I rode some crude two-stroke motorcycles we used to use a blow torch on the muffler/spark-arrestor insert to burn off built-up carbon. Id there no cure for a failing filter other than expensive replacement?

And $6,000 for any kind of fuel pump not connected with space travel is shocking.

[shovelhd]

CPO can be had with a 100k warranty so negotiate for that. Needless to say check Carfax for accident history.

[shovelhd]

I gather the filters get plugged with carbon/soot over time. Back in the Stone Age when I rode some crude two-stroke motorcycles we used to use a blow torch on the muffler/spark-arrestor insert to burn off built-up carbon. Id there no cure for a failing filter other than expensive replacement?

And $6,000 for any kind of fuel pump not connected with space travel is shocking.

Supposedly there is a place that cleans them with chemicals for $500 but I don't know of anyone who has used them. DPFs are common on diesel light trucks so this is a market that should grow over time. Another option is to buy a take-off from someone that is not in a smog check state.

That pump pushes something insane like 10000psi. Diesel is basically jet fuel, so it is rocket science.

[thwart]

And $6,000 for any kind of fuel pump not connected with space travel is shocking.
If the HPFP fails, particles from its disintegration trash everything downstream from it… therefore $6K.

[Ken Robb]

If the HPFP fails, particles from its disintegration trash everything downstream from it… therefore $6K.

AH, so a pre-emptive replacement might be wise like we do with our BMW cooling systems.

What does it cost parts/labor to replace the pump before it fails?

[thwart]

Near as I can tell from reading the TDI websites, it's an idiosyncratic failure. Some will last for 300,000 miles, some will fail at 40,000 miles. Fortunately it is quite rare. I use something called OptiLube, a lubricant, mixed with my fuel. Makes me feel better.

[Ken Robb]

Is there any warning symptom or dashboard alert before a pump dies?

Heck, there's no way I could save enough in fuel cost to offset a $6,000 uh-oh at 100,000 miles.

[thwart]

Is there any warning symptom or dashboard alert before a pump dies?

Heck, there's no way I could save enough in fuel cost to offset a $6,000 uh-oh at 100,000 miles.

Key phrase: Fortunately it is quite rare.

Sort of like cycling and getting hit by a car… random, rare, and painful.

As mentioned above, VW of America is covering these repairs even outside of the warranty period, near as I can tell. Not sure that would be true with a second owner.

[Ralph]

For most owners.....the diesel upcharge never makes economic sense anyway. Most owners will never make back that cost plus extra maintenance cost in fuel savings. You just have to want one, and buy it for the diesel experience and resale. Not a bad thing BTW. The Diesel TDI SW has almost achieved cult status....and is priced accordingly. I would never consider buying one because of those numbers, but think they are very nice satisfying driving vehicles. If you want one, get it. There is always some mechanic around to help you keep it running. Don't be scared off. It can't cost more to maintain than a 5 series BMW or something similar.

[GScot]

If you'd like to try and buy piece of mind there is a guy on tdiclub selling a filtration kit that should protect the rest of the fuel system in case of hpfp failure. Couple hundred in insurance that should keep repair cost under $1k.

[krhea]

For most owners.....the diesel upcharge never makes economic sense anyway. Most owners will never make back that cost plus extra maintenance cost in fuel savings. You just have to want one, and buy it for the diesel experience and resale. Not a bad thing BTW. The Diesel TDI SW has almost achieved cult status....and is priced accordingly. I would never consider buying one because of those numbers, but think they are very nice satisfying driving vehicles. If you want one, get it. There is always some mechanic around to help you keep it running. Don't be scared off. It can't cost more to maintain than a 5 series BMW or something similar.

Ralph, my motto is "buy whatcha like, ride and drive whatcha like". If I made all my purchases based on making "economic sense" I wouldn't own and ride a multi-thousand dollar bike(s). Gawd knows I'm no faster on a $4000 bike then I am on $1500 used rig...but hey, that doesn't stop me or most anyone else from buying "up".
I've found, through a lot of shopping, that I can purchase a TDI for not much more then a gas Sportwagen at least in my region. For the amount of miles I drive I'll gladly trade up from 30 to 40+ miles per gallon. Even if it doesn't work out money wise it'll at least make me feel better psychologically...kinda like me riding a $5000 bike when I know
a $2000 bike would work just fine, know what I mean.

[Ralph]

Ralph, my motto is "buy whatcha like, ride and drive whatcha like". If I made all my purchases based on making "economic sense" I wouldn't own and ride a multi-thousand dollar bike(s). Gawd knows I'm no faster on a $4000 bike then I am on $1500 used rig...but hey, that doesn't stop me or most anyone else from buying "up".
I've found, through a lot of shopping, that I can purchase a TDI for not much more then a gas Sportwagen at least in my region. For the amount of miles I drive I'll gladly trade up from 30 to 40+ miles per gallon. Even if it doesn't work out money wise it'll at least make me feel better psychologically...kinda like me riding a $5000 bike when I know
a $2000 bike would work just fine, know what I mean.

Know exactly what you mean.

[fiataccompli]

I've been a big fan of diesels ever since my Thermodynamics class in college. No doubt there is a choice there for me, but on the other hand every diesel I've owned has been more hassle-free in terms of minor drive train issues and has run into the multi-100k range without major rebuilds (3-0 or so on a 1971 Mercedes 220D, 245k on a 1981 Mercedes 300TD, 431k on a 1991 Jetta ecodiesel, and countless others I only owned briefly)...that is longevity you don't see as often with gasoline engines.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[shovelhd]

For most owners.....the diesel upcharge never makes economic sense anyway. Most owners will never make back that cost plus extra maintenance cost in fuel savings. You just have to want one, and buy it for the diesel experience and resale. Not a bad thing BTW. The Diesel TDI SW has almost achieved cult status....and is priced accordingly. I would never consider buying one because of those numbers, but think they are very nice satisfying driving vehicles. If you want one, get it. There is always some mechanic around to help you keep it running. Don't be scared off. It can't cost more to maintain than a 5 series BMW or something similar.

Part of the high expense is because it's a German car. They are not cheap to maintain no matter what is powering it. The other part is the clean diesel. There is a price to pay for that.

[p nut]

Really appreciate the heads-up. I was aware of a couple of the items but not others. One of the cars is Certified Pre-Own which affords a good warranty, the other is a private owner. One has 36k, the other just a tad over 40. man oh man, that high pressure fuel pump will certainly drain the "new bike" kitty real fast...wow.
I'll have them both thoroughly checked out with a pre-purchase inspection by my mechanic. He does VW, Audi, BMW repair, mods etc. Good guy who saved me from the purchase of an S4 wagon...

Thanks again.

If you don't mind the question, what are the prices on these? Around me, it looks like they are holding their value fairly well, so doesn't make sense to buy used when for a couple grand more, I get 30k less miles.

[fiataccompli]

That's exactly why I bought a new one. ...and because it's hard to find one with the sunroof and navigation that is also manual

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[oldpotatoe]

For most owners.....the diesel upcharge never makes economic sense anyway. Most owners will never make back that cost plus extra maintenance cost in fuel savings. You just have to want one, and buy it for the diesel experience and resale. Not a bad thing BTW. The Diesel TDI SW has almost achieved cult status....and is priced accordingly. I would never consider buying one because of those numbers, but think they are very nice satisfying driving vehicles. If you want one, get it. There is always some mechanic around to help you keep it running. Don't be scared off. It can't cost more to maintain than a 5 series BMW or something similar.

40 mpg vs 25-28 mpg....regular gas here, $3.45, diesel $3.59.

2013 TDI Jetta SW same $ as 2013 Golf TDI, only $7000 more than my 2000 VW Beetle Gas....Audi A3 TDI $10,000 more.

Plus I love it....45 mpg to Milwaukee, 11 or so hours first day walk in the park....

[krhea]

If you don't mind the question, what are the prices on these? Around me, it looks like they are holding their value fairly well, so doesn't make sense to buy used when for a couple grand more, I get 30k less miles.


There's currently a black TDI JSW 2012 w/sunroof available locally with 34k and asking $17500.

[Craig Ryan]

I track the fuel consumption for my '11 Golf tdi. We don't do a lot of highway driving, and often have Thule racks on top during the warmer months.

Life time mpg = 38.09
max mpg = 45.38
min mpg = 27.49
total cost = $3043.14
total miles = 29155
total gallons = 765.34
cost per mile = $0.10
cost per gl. = $3.98

Anyone else tracking it?

[thwart]

Anyone else tracking it?

Mine is at just over 42 mpg average, with 10,800 miles on the car, just under a year old (Golf 6spd manual trans).

[ergott]

I'll be tracking mine with a phone app.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[sailorboy]

Someone mentioned mirror upgrades earlier, and now that my wife is mainly driving our TDI SW she has raised the legitimate complaint that there is no back up camera in the thing. It never really bothered me being a smaller vehicle but she isn't as comfortable...any good options out there that folks have tried? I've seen the replacement mirrors by Boyo that have the little back up window but I've been told about $500 installed on one, and I don't want to shell that kind of coin out unless it's worth it/easy to use.

I could try a stand-alone unit and mount it somewhere in the dash, but it seems silly to have an extra device there just for backing up.

any thoughts or experiences with either.

[GScot]

Someone mentioned mirror upgrades earlier, and now that my wife is mainly driving our TDI SW she has raised the legitimate complaint that there is no back up camera in the thing.

If you want to get into it...
http://www.deutscheautoparts.com/View/1K9-998-566-J/0/267949

Assuming your radio is compatible. If not there are some Android radios that fit nicely, work with steering wheel controls and the camera.

[shovelhd]

Mine came with it. Adding a backup camera is not going to be cheap no matter which route you take. The mirrors are a different story. The drivers side aspherical cures a major safety issue. It should have come with it standard like the European models. The Gentex auto dimming rear with Homelink was also worth the $125.

[fiataccompli]

Mine has a backup camera but other than seeing my bike on the rack I don't find it essential. ..I thought the car had pretty good rear visibility.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[gavingould]

i was going to try tracking mileage in my 2013 JSW TDI, but since the wife sometimes fills it up that flew out the window pretty quickly.

[fiataccompli]

I only use the on board system. Best I have seen is 51.6 including a bit of in-town driving from Asheville NC to Knoxville TN. More often my mpg #s are in the low 40s right now (not fully broken in...6k miles) and I attribute that lower range to the chronic use of rear and/or roof racks and higher travel speeds.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[Craig Ryan]

The ECM readout is nice for comparison use. You can get a general idea of what you are doing compared to yesterday, or by resetting it compare stretches of different road. Nothing beats a paper and pencil at the pump though. I use a phone ap called Gas Cubby, but if I was starting fresh I'd use the web based tools on Let's Truck https://letstruck.com It's a site dedicated to large trucks, but it's free and will work fine.

[fiataccompli]

I may try that. I found quickly that while MPG is interesting, the absolute #s aren't particularly valuable...I mean, I bought the car, I really like it , I like diesels in general, and every car (except other diesels) I've owned in the last 15 years has barely gotten 2/3 the MPG that the Jetta gets if I flog it, so all that is of any value is relative differences such as with vs without a rack, speeds, or (much later I hope) signs of impending repairs.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Tapatalk

[sailorboy]

If you want to get into it...
http://www.deutscheautoparts.com/View/1K9-998-566-J/0/267949

Assuming your radio is compatible. If not there are some Android radios that fit nicely, work with steering wheel controls and the camera.

Nah, I opted for the non-navigation radio at the time (I use the iphone) and then later was none too happy to find out that there is no plug-in option for adding a back up camers.

I could upgrade the head unit but that seems like such a waste. I'll probably try to find a place locally that has the boyo unit up and running to demo it.