What's the most active VW discussion forum to learn to fix things on my 2005.5 Jetta?
Right now I'm looking to buy/replace a cooling fan and figure out how to take out the headlight covers.

Thanks!

3/26/2012 2:07:56 PM

maybe VW vortex?

i don't know i think most of those guys are just into lowering their cars with big wheels i don't know how much real tech is on there.

3/26/2012 2:13:16 PM

http://www.littletikes.com/little-tikes-cozy-coupe

(VW's are made of too much plastic.)

TDIclub.com is good, even though you don't have a diesel.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay.php?142-Golf-V-amp-Jetta-V

Lots of good links here:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?2374154-MkV-Forum-FAQ-and-DIY-Thread

Removing the headlights requires removing the entire goddamn front of the car. VW sucks like that. It's not hard though, just tedious.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=262431
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ryUllFJoVg

In general just search "Jetta A5 MKV yada yada replacement/removal/faq/howto/guide"

Like so:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4901646-DIY-Cooling-Fan-Replacement


See that red thing? You have to pull that "key" out first. Then you squeeze a "button" on the other side of the connector to unplug it. If it doesn't come easy(they never do) put a wide flathead screwdriver in between the plugs somehow and twist gently while you press the button. Take care you don't slam your knuckles against something sharp when they come apart.

Both of these are easy jobs to get started with.

[Edited on March 26, 2012 at 3:12 PM. Reason : .]

3/26/2012 2:44:05 PM

http://bentleypublishers.com/volkswagen/repair-information/vw-a5-jetta-repair-manual-2005-2010.html

edit:
the headlight is an assembly. not sure what you mean "headlight cover"

[Edited on March 26, 2012 at 4:49 PM. Reason : edit]

Quote :

"Removing the headlights requires removing the entire goddamn front of the car."

just the bumper cover. its not hard, just a bunch of torx screws (t25/t30)

don't forget to pull the sidemarker bulbs out and there is sometimes an ambient air temp sensor attached to the bumper cover behind the lower grilles.

[Edited on March 26, 2012 at 4:53 PM. Reason : edit2]

3/26/2012 4:48:28 PM

dang, that bumper is a pain but i do have patience

regarding headlight cover, i'm talking about the clear plastic piece that covers the headlights...both mine seem to have some kind of filthy film on them and i'd like to clean it off and i think they are on the inside

also my check engine light diagnosis points to one of the cooling fans going out

[Edited on March 30, 2012 at 2:51 PM. Reason : k]

3/30/2012 2:51:14 PM

An easy way to test them is to turn on Max air conditioning. Both electric fans should come on(in most vehicles, at least). Also look for wobble in the fan blades. They're plastic trash, it wouldn't be unusual for them to fail. But what error code is it reading? It could also be a bad fan relay, so test for 12V at the fan plug before you pull them out.

The outside of the headlights can be polished without removing them. They sell 3M sanding kits that work great. If the headlight haziness is, in fact, on the inside of the headlights, you'll probably have to bake them in the oven to soften the glue. Low heat, about 10 minutes or so. I've never done Gen 5 jetta lights though.

[Edited on March 30, 2012 at 4:48 PM. Reason : .]

3/30/2012 4:48:06 PM

that pretty much covers it as far as the fan goes. the fan control module is located in the larger fan on the mk5.

if a fan isn't working, check for voltage at the plug using a multimeter before replacing the fan.

the error code would help. wiki.ross-tech.com and type the P#### into the search and it should pull up the description along with things to check and notes if that code is common a specific model.

pulling the bumper isn't too bad. just make sure you get all of the screws. it will pretty much fall off when they are all undone. there are some under the grille, which needs to be removed first.

if the damage is on the outside of the light, i've had a lot of success with wet sanding them using progressively finer grits and then using plastic polish (i used a small air-powered polisher). there is a UV protective coating on the lights, so it is a good idea to use UV protective clear over them afterwards. i found it at a craft store, but i found out later that krylon fusion clear resists UV (may be able to find it at walmart or a hardware store).

if it is inside, use ^ that. there may be some clips that need to be removed. clean out as much of the glue as you can and reglue when putting them back together. RTV would work fine. you may be able to find something on vwvortex about it. try looking for a "joey mod" which is what a lot of the vw community calls it when you open the headlight and paint stuff (black or body color or whatever).

[Edited on March 31, 2012 at 2:44 PM. Reason : ...]

3/31/2012 2:43:50 PM