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The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ

1M views 198 replies 2 participants last post by  LangsamKafer 
#1 ·
11/29/08****This is now being re-vamped.****
Goal is to make new threads and link to them instead of linking to individual pages in THIS thread. If you see anything in this FAQ that needs it's OWN (or already has) thread please let me know OR create one and PM me the link. Please be careful to NOT create a new thread if it is already linked to in this thread.

Welcome to the Golf/Jetta MK3 Do-It-Yourself, How-To and Frequently Asked Question Thread.
This thread has step-by-step instructionals, links to helpful sites, and useful threads pertaining to many of the most commonly asked questions here in the MK3 section of VWVortex. Thanks to the users for their contributions in the past and please continue to add more in the future.
Everyone who posts and has something added to the FAQ will be credited along side the link. If we forgot anyone please let us know.
How to add something to the FAQ?
If you have anything that you would like added to this list, or to report broken links, please contact one of the moderators.

Don't forget our Technical Forums that are broken down into more specific sections like interior, car audio and electronics, specific engines, transmissions etc.

To search within this thread, please press Control+F or Open Apple+F on your keyboard. (Note: Just because nothing is returned does not mean that it is not here, your search term may not be used in the description). Many items and issues may fit into all categories, so it is best to spend a couple minutes looking through the whole thread.
Sections
01) FYI Basics on Car Stuff/Facts Etc...
02) Lighting & Electrical
03) Interior-Related How-To's & Modifications
04) Brakes, Suspension, & Steering
05) Bodywork, Painting, Exterior...
06) Engine, Exhaust, & Ignition
07) Transmission & Clutch
08) Other, Maintenance, resources (incl website list)
09) European Mods or related
10) Wheels & Tires
11) MK3-Specific Audio / Media / Etc
12) Miscellaneous FAQ's/DIY Compilations
If this format is hard to read, please click this link for a "different" format" - THANKS TO: 98wolfsburgJetta
And yet another format. This one was an alternative to the original FAQ so I'm not so sure that it's better at this point and some links do NOT work. Just adding this as yet another alternative.
 
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#28 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by golfSPORT95 »
Programming Keyless Entry Remotes
1. Put your spare key into the ignition and put it onto the ON position, DONT start the car
2. Close your door. In the drivers side, turn the key to the left (unlock
position) and hold it.
3. It will beep 3 times. Let go to the key so it sits in the lock.
4. With each of your new remotes, separately, press the unlock button, each
button will cause a "HONK"
5. Turn the key to the left again until it beeps.
6. PROGRAMMED
keyless entry information: http://www.geocities.com/golfsport95/keyless_entry_FAQ.htm

And
Quote, originally posted by pentoro »
Credit goes to Pfeil for this one! Btw...you need 2 keys for it.
1) put one key in the ignition and turn it to the on position
2) close the driver door
3) put the other key in the door and hold it in the unlock position until you hear 3 short beeps. then let go and leave the key in the door.
4) press the unlock button on the remote. the car will beep.
5) hold the door key in the open position again until it beeps three times.
6) you're done!



Modified by nater at 7:03 PM 8-14-2007
 
#30 ·
Quote, originally posted by Sebeck1 »
Here is the link to my Switchbladehttp://www.geocities.com/sebeck26/Switchblade_Files/index.htm how-to website.
Just some quick answers to common questions about the switchblade:
Q. Where can I get a switchblade key?
A. There are tons of them available on eBay or if your rich you can get them from the dealer.
Q. Can I send you my switchblade key and have you modify it and send it back to me?
A. Sorry, i don't readily have these tools available to me anymore at this time.
Q. Can the buttons be programmed to work with my MkIII keyless entry system?
A.The MkIII and MkIV use different electronics. The remotes are currently not compatible with the MkIII keyless entry system.
Q. Can the electronics be modified to work? Can I just swap the guts of the remotes?
A.This all depends on your skill..i guess it could be done but you would most likely have to start out with a blank PCB board and begin soldering all of the components onto it. I suck at soldering..so I cannot do it for you.
Q. Will this work for other cars besides the MkIII? IE: MkII, MkI...etc
A.I don't see why not. As long as you cut away enough material to fit the key into the switchblade than it should work. Remember the key can only be so long though. There must be enough room for it to fold back into the switchblade
This FAQ for the switchblade will be updated as soon as I think of more questions that I usually get asked. Good luck!

Suggestion #1 from Cabrio1.8T
To get the roll pin out, I went to the mall to one of the watch kiosks where they resize watches. They did it for free. For those who do not have a tiny drill bit, use the dremel to put a notch do the key to hold it in.
Very good ideas. Thanks Cabrio 1.8T
 
#31 ·
#32 ·
Quote, originally posted by XSiVE »
2.0 Push-Button Start howto: (might be same on vr6)
This worked on my 96 2.0, so now Ill tell everyone else how to do it properly after i made the mistakes

You still need a key to start the car. you put the key in the ignition, and turn it to the on position, then you can hit the start button.
1. Find yourself a hefty starter button (should have 2 electrical terminals and be able to handle a decent amount of power.) available at most speed shops.
2. get some 10 GA wire, cut 2 pieces off approximately the length of the distance from the ignition switch to where you want to mount the button.
3. Disconnect the negative battery terminal
4. Take the 2 screws out of the bottom of the plastic shroud around the steering column
5.Disconnect the connector on the passenger side of the steering column, it should have like 6 wires in it, 2 big red ones, a black, i think a brown.. you'll know which one it is, it plugs directly into the ignition switch.
6. Splice one of the 2 lengths of wire that you cut into the fat solid red wire. Solder them together to ensure a good connection. This will be your "hot" wire. Be sure not to cut this off the conector as it supplies the rest of the stuff on the switch with constant power.
7. Here's where you get to make a decision. There is a fat red wire with a black line on it. this is the wire that delivers electricity to your starter selenoid. You can either clip this off the connector, or you can splice into it. Chose whichever you are more comfortable with. (clipping the wire off the connector means that when you put the key in, and turn it all the way to the start position, nothing will happen.) If you clip it off the connector, splice into the side of the wire that goes into the cars wiring harness, not the connector. Solder this splice to ensure a good connection.
8. Use shrink-wrap or electrical tape to be sure the bare wire from the connections you just made wont touch anything on accident.
9. Connect each wire at the other end to one of the 2 terminals on the starter switch.
10. Mount your starter button wherever you decided.
11. you're done, this should have also over-ridden the clutch safety switch, so watch out.
I did this mod out of necessity, not for glory or fun. my ignition switch was going screwey and wouldnt allow my car to start very easily, so rather than pay $160 for a new assembly and dealership labor ( i guess they have to install it for some reason) I paid like less than $20 in parts and did it myself.
 
#33 ·
Quote, originally posted by 19 GTi VR6 98 »
One-Touch Sunroof Open (Back only, not up)
http://www.bestvwclub.com/howto/1touch/1touch.html

Quote, originally posted by Air_Cooled_Nut »
Modifying the air box for better performance as well as the real story about the Air Temperture Control system (and it is not the cold start system!):
http://www.aircoolednut.com/erkson/personal/mycars/atc.htm
Swapping in the rear Euro license plate frame/tub:
http://www.aircoolednut.com/erkson/personal/mycars/euro-license-frame.htm
Installing the Bonrath Mono-wiper:
http://www.aircoolednut.com/erkson/personal/mycars/bonrath_install/index.htm
or for slower (modem) connections:
http://www.aircoolednut.com/erkson/personal/mycars/bonrath_install/bonrath_install.htm
One-touch sunroof:
http://www.aircoolednut.com/erkson/personal/mycars/one_touch_sunroof_open/index.htm
Key words for search engine:
air box airbox swiss cheese swiss cheeze intake



Modified by nater at 3:29 PM 3-21-2009
 
#34 ·
Quote, originally posted by Hobbs »
How to take out the needles on the instrument cluster
After you have the cluster bare to where you can physically touch the needles, grab two small flat head screwdrivers. wedge the screwdrivers under the round base of the needle (one at 3 o clock and the other at 9 o clock) and VERY CAREFULLY push down on the screwdrivers, wedging the needles out. Make sure that you apply the same force to both sides or you will pull out the spring.




Modified by nater at 3:31 PM 3-21-2009
 
#35 ·
Quote, originally posted by lowazzgolf »
How Do I Hook-Up an Air Fuel Gauge?
this is for the Autometer gauge, i do not know of any other makes.
In the engine bay on the passenger side down between the expansion valve and the heatshield on the exhaust header, you will see two connectors, one should be brown, one should be black.
It is the black one that you will use to connect the signal wire from the guage to. On the connector there are 4 wires, 3 of them are together and there is a space separating the 4th wire, that is the one you use!
To connect into this wire i suggest you buy wire-taps from your local Radio Shack:thumbup:
How Do I Hook-Up an Oil Pressure Gauge?
once again this is for an autometer oil press gauge. it comes with all hardware needed except one 1" long piece of teflon tape. you can pretty much figure out how everything hooks together, just make sure its all very tight.
you tap into the oil filter housing. remove one of the taps with an allen head and tap accordingly

How Do I Install my Short Shift Kit?
like this, its located in the engine bay and not in the car as believed

What Is The Thread Size for the Shifter On a 2.0?
12 x 1.5 metric
 
#38 ·
Quote, originally posted by DubberFromCT »
MKIV Knob/Boot in a MKIII
1.- Get knob/boot.
2.- Remove lower plastic ring from the boot.
3.- Remove the metal clip on the bottom of the knob.
4.- Remove stock knob/boot. (Pull off boot, unscrew the knob)
5a.- Push down on the MKIV knob and thread it onto your shifter.
5b.- Buy a hose clamp (1/4" to 5/8" adjustable), then secure the knob onto the shifter.
6.- Put the boot around the MKIII lip.
You're done!
 
#40 ·
Quote, originally posted by dhype55 »
Canadian GTI Rear Strut Bar Polish mod

Almost all canadian GTI's came equipped with a very very stiff rear strut bar. Painted in black. Remove the 2 bolts and use a rubber mallet to knock the bar out.
Easy mod, is too sand and polish the bar, using incremental sand paper, 300 -> 500 -> 700 > 1000. Then little bit of metal polish and bling bling. Sand and polish the 3 sides, not including the one with the seat anchor.
Also good idea to mount in upsidedown to hide the seat anchor bolt. Giving you a nice flat shiny bar.
Cheap and easy, thanks arch, jeremey!
 
#41 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by George »
left hand door handles will work on the right of your car and the same is for the reverse. (outer door handles). this is important if you want your handles to look new again, just swap them from left to right. if you have a 98+ then you only have a key hole in your drivers door
so that isn't your best option for the drivers door.
 
#42 ·
Quote, originally posted by George »
If you want to take off your golf/gti rear glass spoiler, pop your trunk and there are 3 nuts to remove at the top of the glass. Once off just pull hard at the spoiler will come off, then you will have to remove the goo and fill the holes. I used black calking to fill the holes in mine, works great and looks better than caps. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

edit: if your 3rd brake light is in the spoiler then you can get pulled over. a center brake light has been a US standard sence 1986. so this would be for offroad uses only for 96 and earlier models.

 
#43 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by iamdoingthat »
Fixing Your Non-clip-on Door Moldings
If your door moldings are starting to come off, you can remove them with a heatgun/hairdryer and some rope. Use the heatgun to warm up the tape that's holding it on, then use the rope to "saw" the molding off, or just pull it off with your hands.
Make sure you clean off all the adhesive from the back of the molding, as well as the surface of the door. After peeling off all the adhesive (Goo-Gone works well) make sure both surfaces are extra clean with rubbing alcohol.
Use 3M VHB (Very High Bond) double stick tape. It's sold in small rolls, it's about 1/2" wide and has red backing. The tape itself is grey-ish in color. Apply two strips of the tape to the back side of the molding (top and bottom) and then stick your molding back into the door. It wouldn't hurt to heat up the tape with your hairdryer before sticking it on. It's a good idea to have a friend help you line up the molding straight against the door. If you cleaned everything as well as you should have, this will be as good as the factory application.
If you don't want to deal with all of this mess, simply pull off your moldings as mentioned, and buy the clip-on molding from someone, Potter, for example.

Quote, originally posted by cjbuchanan »
One small addition regarding a tip I got from a Bodyshop Veteran: Before applying the tape to the molding or the door, run your finger on the surface of the tape. This will activate the adhesive on the tape by removing any residue left over from the backing.
I tried to replace my moldings twice before I used this method and haven't had to mess with it since.



Modified by nater at 1:44 PM 8-10-2007
 
#44 ·
Quote, originally posted by iamdoingthat »
Debadging
All factory badges on A3 Volkswagens are held on with double stick tape, except the center mounted grille badge, which is held on with clips. To remove the factory badging, heat up the adhesive with a heatgun/hairdryer, and use dental floss/fishing line to "saw" off the badge. Then use adhesive remover to get rid of the gunk that's remaining on the car. Make sure to polish/wax the newly exposed paint.
Also, although the center rear "VW" badge is held on with double stick tape, it is placed in a recess in the trunk/hatch, so make note of this before trying to remove it. It will not look good if you remove the badge, and then leave it like that.
Any non-factory badges (dealer, repair shop, etc) I can't account for.
[edit]: I've just been informed that early Mk3's, specifically 1994 may have small clips that hold in the rear badges, so you may want to check for that if you're going to debadge the rear. Thanks to enos for the info.



Modified by nater at 1:03 PM 8-10-2007
 
#45 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by iamdoingthat »
Removing Factory Sideskirts (all models except Cabrio)
The factory sideskirts are held in with about 6 screws that go underneath the skirts. They are philip's head screws, and they attach the skirt to a little strip of metal that hangs down from underneath the car.
After removing the screws underneath, you will have to remove the rivets that are on either end, in the wheels wells. Either use a drill to take them out, or you can use a hammer/chisel to break off the head, and pop out the lower piece.
Finally, after all screws/rivets are removed, the skirts will peel off from the car, after which you will have to remove the adhesive. I recommend Spray-On Goo Gone, but any adhesive remover will work. Make sure you get all of it off, and then polish/wax the paint that is exposed underneath, as it has not seen the outside since the car was built.
 
#47 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by golfSPORT95 »
"Where do I get spacers/adapters to go from 4x100 to 5x100"
They do not exist. It is impossible to make a adapter plate for this conversion because a lug would overlap. You can either get the full 5x100 running gear from a vr6 car or you can consult ECS Tuning for their kit which is significantly cheaper than a full swap.


Quote, originally posted by stephensweetland »

yes they do exist.
no its not impossible.
you can get them here
(im not arguing, just felt that this should probably be updated with current information)
ngp racing



Modified by nater at 3:44 PM 8-10-2007
 
#49 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by 28 »
(93-95) How to delete your passenger side keyhole
Purchase a rear door handle from a golf or jetta. Either side, they are universal. Simply take out your keyed passenger side handle and replace it with the rear handle. This can easily be done in 10 minutes.
 
#50 ·
Re: The "Official" Golf / Jetta MK3 Forum FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ FAQ (nater)

Quote, originally posted by VR6-Racer »
Blackend VW Emblem
Take off your old VW emblems with either a screw driver or some other way. Sand down the emblems so it has a textures surface so the paint can cling to. Take some black spray paint and paint over it with as many coats as you want, then put a coat of gloss over it, let it dry after each coat (duh
). Clip back on and your done.

How to add a Blue and White emblem to the back.
First get the emblem that is found on engine bays of MK4 1.8t's and V6 Passats (how you get it I don't care). Rip off the clips that are on the back of the black housing of the emblem. Take off your old rear emblem but keep the rubber hub. Go around the black housing of the blue and white emblem with glue and put it on the rim of the old hub. Tip: make sure it is not cruked. Let dry and your done.

Painting parts of your engine bay.
Get some high temp paint (any color) and masking-tape. Go over the parts you dont want painted with masking-tape and make sure it stuck on there good or else paint will seep through. Once everything is taped off take your paint and paint what you want i.e. (VR6) in between intake manifold, engine cover that says "VR6 - DOHC", and what ever else you can find. (2.0) intake manifold, and what ever else.
How to clean wax and stuff off textured plastic.
If you have wax stuck in the textured plastic like the stock side skirts or the bottum of the rear bumper just take one of those rectangular pink erasers and go over the white parts with the eraser. Cheap but works.
Yeah thats my contribution. Hope you guys can use this stuff. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif

***Nater removed all links to pictures in this post as they do not work. To the OP: If you still have these pictures please email them to myself or Stephen@vwvortex so we can host them for you and put back in the FAQ***
 
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