What a, it’s been! By the year 1999, the VW GTI had been a flop with the critics for fifteen of its seventeen years in the market.

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Yet the car still had credibility with the people who actually bought it, and it was still considered to be a desirable, premium vehicle. More importantly than that, the hardcore fans had noted the release of the and expected that the Mk4 Golf would feature the same helping of Piech magic.

It did—sort of. Eliot could show you fear in a handful of dust (and that’s the second reference The Waste Land in just three reviews, I must be losing it) but I can show you the excellence of the fourth-generation Golf in a single photo. Behold: No, not the stupid wheels! Look at the line formed by the back door. Now look at the line formed by the rear hatch and taillight cutout. Now try to tell me this car wasn’t designed with the same care that Giugiaro gave to the original.

After fifteen years of indifferent, bulky-looking compact VWs, this was a hurricane blast of fresh air, inside and out. With this car, Volkswagen finally embraced the “premium” thing with both arms and the result was spectacular. Better than that, the Mk4 finally felt like a value proposition. Nobody else offered a car with this kind of interior, this kind of style, this kind of attitude, for this kind of money.

Your humble author wasted no time in becoming the owner of a Brazilian-built 2000 GLS 1.8t four-door, a car that was such a cult classic that I sold it for what I’d paid for it new when it was two years old and had 25,000 miles on it. The 1.8t that had enlivened the Passat worked similar magic in the Golf, allowing it to run more or less heads-up with the 5.0 Mustangs that still roamed the streets at that time. A whole generation of young people fell in love with the Mk4 — girls with the stylish Jetta 2.slow, boys with the 1.8t, old men with the VR6, which picked up a four-valve head and broke the 200-hp mark halfway through the model run. The whole “Dubber” culture, which had been tottering along unsteadily on the last legs of the Boomer air-cooled freaks, picked up the kind of momentum commonly found by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge and never looked back. (Apologies for the stock photos — JB) Our test example is part of VW’s “heritage” fleet, a two-door 2002 GTI 1.8t, with the upgraded 180-hp engine that arrived for that year. Ooh, this one’s just as nice as I remember.

These cars were subject to a sort of Holy Trinity of failures — window regulators, coilpack failures, and peeling plastic — but a test roll of the windows fails to see one drop into the door and the response to the throttle is proper strong. Compared to the VR6, the 180-horsepower 1.8t is better in all respects. It spins faster, makes more power under the curve, and demonstrates more flexibility.

Most amazingly, it has five valves per cylinder, something that Yamaha had done in its motorcycle engines to great acclaim and the engineering of which was an unequivocal shot across the bow of the Japanese automakers who hadn’t managed to do it despite sharing a country of origin with the technology’s originators. The only problem is that it sounds terrible, replacing the Italian-supercar growl of the six with the asthmatic wheeze of the blown four.

Roll the windows back up, luxuriate in the silence of the thoroughly insulated cabin, and hustle along. Which you can do. Finally, a GTI that kind of handles by modern standards. On a racetrack, it would grind the outside sidewall with the single-minded determination of an Amish carpenter but on the open road these cars are a good mix of ride quality and usable grip. I remember years spent thrashing through Ohio’s Hocking Hills in these cars, abusing the trustworthy and granular lift-throttle rotation, using the torque to pull me up the grades and then bouncing the redline in long exhilarating moments before standing on the nose for the next corner.

The only caveat was the brakes, which could pick up a lot of heat in a relatively short time and take an unannounced vacation as a result. This isn’t a light car — 2,950 pounds compared to the 3,397 of my Accord Coupe, which brings another hundred horsepower and a wealth of additional features to the party — but what you pay in weight you receive back in solidity. Oddly, the Golf felt heavier, more inert, more solid, than the B5-generation Passat. Perhaps it’s not surprising, since the larger car didn’t actually scale that much more. Regrettably, the Mk4 didn’t reverse the Mk3 trend of smaller window openings. This is the darkest interior yet, the least visibility, the thickest pillars. That C-pillar that satsifies so in the aesthetic sense turns out to be a bit of a hassle on the road, particularly in the two-door models.

The windowsills, too, are a bit higher than I’d like, a problem made more explicit by having recently driven the earlier, airier cars. If you can live without the character of the VR6, the Mk4 1.8t possesses a superset of its predecessor’s abilities and throws in a double helping of design excellence as a bonus. Finally, VW had a winner on its hands. The Euro and Brit press fought tooth and nail to compose the most symphonic of encomia to the Golf and its almighty father, Dr.

To own a turbo Golf in those days was to be a man beyond reproach, identified as an aesthete and tastemaker far above the crass material statement of BMW ownership yet deeply versed in the corksniffing snobbery of “German-engineered” automobilia. No, it wasn’t as good a car as the Passat. It didn’t handle as well, it was less spacious, it had some cheaper bits on the inside, it wasn’t as slippery, the fuel economy in real-world use was actually worse.

But it was so much classier-feeling than anything else in the market that it didn’t matter. The Civic, Sentra, Focus, Cavalier — none of them even came close. VW sales continued to shoot through the roof and company spokespeople started to babble about doing a million units a year in this country.

And then, disaster struck. VW’s attempts to address its price and cost issues through the supplier-pinching magic of a certain J. Iganacio Lopez, a man who was so good at creating profit where there had been none that VW gladly paid General Motors $100 million for poaching him and considered it money well spent, started showing through. And now, let’s quote John Updike’s Piet Hanema, from the brilliant 1968 book, “Couples”: Let me tell you about houses Everything outs. Every short cut Don’t think because you cover something up it isn’t there. People have a nose for the rotten and if you’re a builder the smell clings. The first big problem with the 1.8t-powered Volkswagens was, strictly speaking, not VW’s fault.

The engine was designed to take just three quarts of oil, a specification cheerfully ignored by lazy dealer personnel who filled it with five anyway and caused all sorts of havoc. The company bowed to the pressures of reality and changed the oil pan to accommodate what the service monkeys were going to do anyway. After that, however, it was all downhill. The cars developed a reputation for being stranded on the road and even the faithful started to make jokes about it. When the ultra-premium soft-touch interiors started disintegrating into pockmarked foam, the bloom went well and truly off the rose for good. The expansion of VW’s customer base in the Mk4 era naturally meant that it would now include some people who expected the Golf to be as bulletproof as a Camry and who took it personally when that didn’t turn out to be the case.

A lot of young people had a Mk4 for their first, and last, Volkswagen. This was a candle that shone brightly but not long; the first truly great Golf in twenty years but also one that couldn’t shake the worse parts of its predecessors’ legacies. The rest of the story, you probably know: The fifth-generation GTI was a “Fast” and brilliant automobile that traded a bit of premium feel for a lot of dynamic capability and some reliability improvements, and the sixth-generation capitalized on those improvements in incremental fashion, becoming a very good car in most respects. Stay tuned for the true end of this tale: a test of the new Mk7 GTI, coming later this week. (Disclosure: VW provided travel and accommodations to TTAC, one half of that travel being a red-eye flight in the back corner of a 767 where a not unattractive young Indian woman put her bare feet up against the interior wall of the plane and used your author as a pillow in a manner best described as “nonconsensual”.).

Threeer I had a 2000 Golf (not GTi) four door in that glorious metallic green. Five speed, sunroof, gorgeous interior. I drove that thing with much more pleasure than my father-in-law’s Firebird Firehawk he tossed me the keys to one day. And then the Golf turned two. And everything went “bonk” after that. Didn’t know that Gremlins originated in Germany (and I’m half-German!), but there they were.

I still occassionally look lustfully at a Golf, and I know it’s been 14 years since my last experiencebut I just can’t pony up the courage to go down that road again. LeeK Oh, don’t be afraid of VW. Four years of owning a Mk VI GTI and I’ve encountered only one minor problem and that was a master door lock switch that quit and was replaced under warranty. A Mk V GTI I had before before that was flawless. TTAC’s commentariat are quick to warn you of the dangers of owning a VW, but that hasn’t been my experience. That said, the Mk IV reminds me of Lester Bang’s comment about Rod Stewart after he released “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”: never had so much talent been so corrupted.

As Jack points out, all the good qualities of the VW brand were utterly destroyed by the reliability woes of the early 2000s VW lineup. All were affected: New Beetle, Passat, Jetta, Golf, and even the first generation Touareg. SCE to AUX, Luke42, and CJinSD (among others) will be quick to share their horror stories of Mk IV era vehicles. Even though all the latest reliability surveys such as Consumer Reports, JD Power, and True Delta show VW as a brand moving out of the basement in the ratings (while the whole industry is improving, making VW’s climb even steeper), it will take another generation before those bad memories are quiesced. The Mk VII GTI looks very promising. More power, less weight, same useful hatchback utility.

If my experience with Mk V and VI GTIs is any indicator, the Mk VII should also be reliable and even more satisfying to drive. AMC_CJ My wife bought a slightly used 2001 Jetta back in this day. 2.0, automatic, but fully loaded otherwise with all the options. I can see why it appealed to be such a nice car. Compared to the Focus, the Cavalier, and even the Japanese small-cars of the time the Jetta is just so much nicer. Soft plastics, quiet; it all just seems nicer. Now, before I get to the next part, at the time (and well before I met her) I had a slightly used 2001 PT Cruiser.

The interior looks about as nice, but didn’t have the soft touches of the VW. The interior still looked better then most small-cars of that era, and it was very roomy and most of all very comfortable. It didn’t handle quite like the Jetta, but had a much stronger engine then the 2.0; which, on the downside, also got way worse gas mileage. Now fast forward to today. We still have her Jetta; my father now has my PT Cruiser. The Jetta just hasn’t held up well at all. The interior has fallen apart, literally, and those soft plastic coatings have long since peeled.

The inside of the PT Cruiser still looks about as new as the I bought it. Both cars have a bit of peeling clear coat; but the PT Cruiser is minimum around the edges. The hood, roof, and trunk lid are all but down to the base coat on the VW. Then there’s the mechanical cost. The PT Cruiser hasn’t been trouble free; but it’s been mostly minor stuff.

It hasn’t been nearly as trouble free as the Chrysler. Did I just compare a VW to a Chrysler, a PT Cruiser at that? Both cars were the slower but fully optioned out models. They both came in at around the same price, and they’ve both been driven; no scratch that lived out of by young people for a good many of years. The Chrysler has just held up better over time, been less problematic, and was just better built.

Krhodes1 I bought an ’02 Golf TDI in the fall of ’01. It had 4yr-48K bumper-to-bumper, and a 10yr-100K powertrain warranty, so I have no idea what you are on about. My very first new car. And it was wonderful. Sadly a job bobble meant it had to go after 2 years and 35K happy 50mpg miles. Sold it to a fellow TDI Club person who is still happily driving it today, and it still looks like new inside and out. Maybe myself and my various friends are just lucky, or maybe the climate in Maine makes the cars feel like they are in Germany, but none of us have had anything remotely resembling a bad experience with these cars despite literally a million miles or more between us all.

I have one friend with a 150 mile per day commute that is on his third TDI, a bought new MK VI, having put 300K each on a couple used MKIVs. I find it endlessly amusing how the coilpack and window regulator issues are still brought up, both were resolved a decade ago now. Timothy God I loved the looks of those Jetta’s/Golfs. Such a premium package at such a reasonable price. So much so that I bought an 02 Jetta with all the options accept one one very important one I wanted the new car so bad I couldn’t wait the 3 months until the next round of 1.8t cars started showing up at dealers who sold them much faster than VW could make them.

Still though, that 2.slow engine took every single red line excursion I could throw at it with nary a complaint. Windows did fall on occasion however. Lythandra I have an 2003 1.8T GTI as my DD. Its still fun to drive. Nothing major has ever broken but I have replaced ALL the plastic bits in the engine bay. It never left me stranded but its certainly not as reliable as the Integra I had before it or the RX-7 before that. I’m involved with the local VW community and no one has any horror stories.

I may replace it with the 7 later this year unless the hatchback WRX is announced. I may be lucky but mine has been chipped for almost 10 years and still burns zero oil. Never had any electrical shorts but I did replace the coil packs with aftermarket ones. Never had a problem after I did that with misfires and such. I run a set of sport springs and Bilsteins all around.

It handles quite well still. JohnnyFirebird The MkIV continued to be sold in Canada until 2010 (and in other markets still being sold) and when I was working as a used manager at a VW dealer I found them surprisingly fun to drive, moreso than the next generation. Even with the 2.slow. (Though the 2.0 really, REALLY needs the manual transmission.) Reconditioning costs on a MKIV, particularly at 130,000 kilometers is pretty high – the major problem almost always being a torn flex pipe (under warranty in Canada until 130,000 kilometers or six years! Get it checked before then!) and electrical gremlins. A well-maintained model even into higher mileages gets a premium here, I don’t know if that’s a Quebec thing or applies in the US as well. They’re still much better made than the 2006-2007 Passats which accrue tremendous costs after they cross the 100,000 kilometer mark.

Just from observation it seems like the Passats got better after that, though for all the complaining about the Americanized Passats the euro ones seem much flakier and less reliable. I can’t back this up with numbers, just from personal experience. Bball40dtw There is always a guy (or girl) on Vortex saying that it isn’t that bad. If you buy software, a special tool, jack stands, and perform a complex sequence of tasks, you’ll be able to do regular maintinance for around $130 (plus $500+ for all the equipment the first time) instead of someone else charging you at least $400. Nevermind that the competitors sometimes charge less than that for a similar service.

Oh, and buying the materials online for a VW oil change costs more than having a Ford dealer actually do my oil change/tire rotation/inspection. I can count four, five, six, seven coworkers and personal acquaintances who all had the same platform fall apart on them, so there’s a good handful of ticks for your post count to offer some counter-anecdotes, i have two friends who came away from their A4s with positive experiences: just a handful of minor failures each, each cheerfully covered under warranty, with no major problems other than the frequent warranty serviceof course, they both sold their cars within two years and moved on to something new, which arguably skews those anecdotes a bit VW earned their reputation with these cars •. Andrew717 I got a good one. 2005 Golf GLS, 2.slow and automatic, purchased used with 4000 miles on the clock on April 2006. Newest car I’d ever had, up till then. Slow as hell and god-awful fuel economy (worse than my prior car, a Buick Regal with the supercharged 3800, best I ever recorded was 24mpg highway) but the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. 8 years and 95,000 miles, only unscheduled service was a water pump failure when I had 200 miles left of warranty.

Perfect timing. My wife’s Camry had FAR more issues.

Great handling, great interior. When I traded it I felt like I was putting my dog to sleep. Wife replaced the Camry with a Beetle, it’s been more reliable. Gearhead77 I had a good experience with my 2004 Jetta 1.8t wagon, though VW had worked out many of the MK4 issues by the time mine was built.

Bought it used with 35k, replaced the coil packs myself. Sold it 3 years and 35k later because I was given use of a free car. It was a Pontiac G6 2.4 and was an awful downgrade from my “Audi-lite” GLS wagon. But it was free. I sold it at 75k miles, probably before the demons took over. But it was a great car for me, comfortable, fast enough and reliable.

I enjoyed the car on my weekly Pittsburgh to Harrisburg commute, it returned about 25 mpg at 75-80mph. Good, but our 06 Accord returned 29/30 mpg for the same trip, with only 20 less ponies and no turbo to feed. About the only thing was that a day after I bought it, the pixels in the awesome Monsoon head unit started dying. Highdesertcat TOTitan, is it possible that (maybe) the previous owner already had all the work done BEFORE you bought it? I had a 1988 Silverado 350 like that. By the time I sold it in Jan 2011 I had already replaced anything and everything that could go wrong with it and did go wrong with it, (with the help of Autozone, O’Reilly’s and Carquest).

Oh, yeah and a Serpentine belt at Kragen in Lancaster, CA. The Mexican who bought it from me in Jan 2011 thinks it’s the best truck in the world because he hasn’t experienced one problem since he bought it from me in Jan 2011 with 105K on it even though he drives the daylights out of it 7 days a week, tows and hauls with it, and relies on it as his sole mode of family transportation.

Highdesertcat Yeah, when it comes to money, I’m not that forgiving. VW, GM and Ford took me for a lot of money when I bought there products, at a time when I didn’t have a lot of money to waste. GM also made me a lot of money when I sold my stock in 2007/2008, yet I won’t buy their crap product again because I don’t want to have to wait ten years for that GM car to be recalled.

I could be killed waiting for the recall. And while your comment is aimed at me because I chose to mention my VW experience, you are discounting the multitude of former VW owners who turned their backs on VW after their poor ownership experiences. However, if you are happy with your VW ownership experience, I say, “Go with God, my brother”. There probably are an equal number who would disagree with you. Highdesertcat TOTitan, Your daughter wouldn’t have room for five more large mutts, does she? (I’m only half kidding here since they are eating me out of house and home and jump up in the back of my truck any time I need to go somewhere) In my area, we have seen two VW dealers go out of business due to lack of sales. It wasn’t the dealerships at fault here since one was an excellent GM dealer who also sold VW, and the other an outstanding Chrysler dealer who also sold VW.

So ultimately, if you or anyone else is happy with the performance and reliability of your VW product, that is all that matters. Obviously, in my area such was not the case. I gave our Passat/Quantum to our daughter in law, and the Audi 4000 to her husband, our son when they got married. Even though I had fixed all the problems my wife and I experienced with these two cars, other different problems popped up within the year of giving these two cars to my son and his new wife.

There is NO VW dealer in my area any longer, the closest one is now in El Paso, TX, but it is primarily a Mercedes-Benz dealer. My point in engaging in this thread was to point out that many previous VW owners voted with their feet because of their poor ownership experiences with the VW product they bought. No matter how good VW is today, it is highly unlikely they will buy another one. I’m sure that there are going to be people who just love their VW! And that is great. In my case, I just love my Toyota products since I converted in 2008 from GM and Ford.

But in view of all the VW hype, special deals and advertising, I would expect VW sales in America to be more robust than they are. Of course there is always China, largest auto market on the planet.

IRollC30 I think I’m the only person who had a good experience with their MK4. I had a 2003 Jetta 1.8T, auto, Wolfsburg Edition. Purchased new and drove the hell out of it.

Had issues with the sunroof leaking (every VW did in those days), coil packs, batteries every two years, but other than that it was a great car. We put 210K on it and sold it in 2013 to a young family member who needed a cheap car. He drove it for a month before he totaled it. License Key Generator Free Download. :*( In 2010 we bought a ’10 Passat for my partner. That car has been rock-solid.

The 2.0L has great power. We do our own service (DSG service included). I purchased for myself a 2012 VW Golf TDI in 2012 – so far that has been good as well. I’ve had to take this in once to have the DSG reprogrammed. Aside from that, it has been great.

But it’s still rather new, so the real problems may have not manifest themselves yet. I think we are only of the lucky few who haven’t had serious issues – but I have heard the horror stories •. Th009 My wife still drives her 2004 GTI 1.8T, purchased new. Not willing to trade it since she hasn’t found anything else she wants (an Audi A1 or Polo GTI would do the trick, though). It had the coil pack recall, but still original window regulators, soft plastics in good shape.

Never stranded her on the road or had to do overnight repairs at the dealer. Annual repair costs (excluding tires and maintenance) have been consistently between $500 and $1000. It all depends on truedelta.com, Mk4 GTIs are averaging 0.7-0.8 repair trips per year, far from atrocious. Highdesertcat “I only ever hear horror stories on the Internet.” That’s not true! I am constantly being jabbed for my raving about our 2008 Japan-built Highlander, our UAW-built German-Italian 2012 Grand Cherokee, imported from Detroit, and my Japanese-American San Antonio-built 2011 Tundra 5.7!

The reason I rave about them is because they are truly the best vehicles I have ever owned during my lifetime. And I have owned a bunch of new and used cars in 68 years on this planet. If I was unhappy with the performance or reliability of these vehicles, you would have heard me b!tch about them instead.

LeMansteve My wife bought her B5.5 CPO with 35k and sold it at 165k. Great car when it was running properly.

We had the common issues but also experienced a broken oil cooler, which led to a very expensive cooling system repair at the dealer. Most memorably I also replaced the coolant flange, the location and design of which was determined by a trio of sadistic German pixies with miniature pixie tools and miniature pixie knuckles. On longitudinal applications, it is between the firewall and the engine. Because it is at the back of the engine, it took 1.5 days. Were it at the front, it would take probably 2 hours and just 10 minutes actually replacing the flange. That was the biggest PITA job I have done on any car. Now I know why the dealer did not quote this job when they replaced the rest of the cooling system.

I’d like a few words with the engineer responsible for that component. TomLU86 So the GTI was a “flop for 15 of its first 17 years” according to our “humble author”.

The Mk 1 was praised by everyone from the car magazines to even Consumer Reports. Ditto the Mk II, which traded a little bit of ‘fun’ for a little more room, quiet, comfort, and top speed. The Mk III was the first GTI not universally praised, as it was a lot heavier than the Mk II, without additonal power. Perhaps the author was old enough to buy a car in in the 90s and then waited for the Mk IV. I suppose since he writes the columns and considers himself an expert, he embellishes things a bit.

Common trait of many journalists. Krhodes1 I still think you doth protest too much on this – I was an avid reader of Buff Books from the MKI era to the present, and while they certainly do sugarcoat things, I don’t remember any particular complaints about the MKIIs at all, and very few about the MKIIIs. The cars got a little heavier and less fun, but they got a LOT more refined too. I LOVED my ’84 GLI back in the day, but there is NO WAY AT ALL I would drive something like that as my only car car these days. My Abarth is a Rolls Royce in terms of refinement by comparison. I will say, it is too bad that VW provided such ropey examples of the older cars for you journalists to play with. I had a ’92 Jetta GLI back in the day as well, and it was delightful.

Though I will admit I much prefer the revvier and smoother 1.8L 16V to the 2.0L version, even if the 2.0L was faster. My partner at the time had an ’89 GLI that I had a lot of seat time in, as I would always drive when we went anywhere together. He had that car for a long time too. Much as I prefer Golfs in theory, I always seemed to end up with Jettas until I bought a new one! Had an ’85 2dr for a long time too, my first VW. TTAC special – no A/C, no power anything but brakes. Cabriolet To add my 2 cents i had a 2003 VW Jetta 2slow.

Drove it for about 5 years 50,000 miles and never even dropped a window. The coil issue was only on the 1.8 if i am correct. The 2slow was a little slow but you could beat the hell out of it. As far as the brake light switch that was changed during an early service and i understand many manufacturers had recalls for this switch and VW was not alone. As for the windows they were guaranteed for 10 years or 100,000 miles. By 2003 the plastic clips were replaced by stainless steel clips. We can thank TRW for this setup.

Sold the car to a buddy of mine who still keeps it on the road with quite high mileage. According to him it is the best used car he ever had. And for the record the interior of his car is still in nice shape. Hreardon 2000 Jetta GLS VR6 here. Loved the car, but loved my extended warranty even more.

The warranty company shelled out a good $10,000 in warranty repairs on the car before I ended up suing, and settling, with Volkswagen of America. 2004 Golf R32 followed (it was a deal I couldn’t pass up) and that car was bulletproof.

The only issue during ownership was a bad wheel bearing, but otherwise it was, and still is, the best car I’ve owned to date. 2006 A3 Sportback – great all round car, but horrible suspension and worse seats. I had some great seat time in a new MK7 GTI over the weekend and while I’m looking forward to Jack’s review of the car, let me just say that it’s a car that had me smiling from the moment I sat in the seat until the moment I returned the keys. Absolutely outstanding car. Hreardon It actually stickered for close to $32 back in the day, if memory serves me.

Yeah, I kind of fell into mine by luck. At the time my ’00 Jetta VR6 was getting long in the tooth and the R32 had been on the market about 6 mos.

I took my car in for an oil change at the dealership where I’m friends with the sales manager and lo and behold, on the front line of the dealership is a loaded, blue R32 with a USED window sticker in it. So, my buddy the sales manager sees me eyeing the car and comes out. “You want it?” he asks me.

I reply, jokingly, “Sure. For $25k I’ll take it right now.” He replies, “Well, I’ve got $25.5 into it, so anything over that and its yours.” Turns out that the service manager bought the car not six months earlier, his wife got pregnant not too long thereafter and told him, “get rid of it.” His loss was my gain, with a whopping 5,000 miles on the odometer. Loved, loved, loved that car. Did NOT love the 19mpg that it returned on the regular cycle.

Steven Lang Volkswagen’s lack of reliability was actually a boon to their dealerships. Meggiesoft Rummy 500 Cracked here. Not just in repair costs, but in that wonderful opportunity to buy off cheap trade-ins and remarket them at insanely high retail prices. Back in the bad old days of 2011, I had one VW used car sales manager tell me that nearly two-thirds of their used car profits came from vehicles that were acquired for $3500 or less. That dealer network had a virtually monopoly in my neck of the woods. They could easily deal with the minimal profit margins on new Rabbits, because their entire back end was well greased by the $105 per hour labor charge and maintenance requirements that usually resulted in a far superior return (for them) than nearly any other manufacturer that was supposedly there to serve the mainstream consumer. If you don’t take care of your customers, they go somewhere else. Honda and a long list of other automakers took what VW more or less left for dead.

Jimal My wife and I had a pair of Mk4 TDIs; hers a Jetta and mine the unicorn 2-door Golf. Apart from timing belts and the clutch I upgraded in mine when I chipped it, I did most of the work myself. A VAG-COM is a worthwhile investment when you own any VAG car of this vintage. I sold mine because both were the same age with about the same mileage, so if something went bad in one it was just a matter of time before it went bad in the other. I took over my wife’s Jetta and still enjoyed putting the miles on it when her stepfather sideswiped it in his driveway. After 9 years and 220k miles, and between jobs, I sold it.

LeeK It’s pretty simple. Women liked the lines of the Mark III and IV Jetta the same way they liked the lines of the Rabbit Cabriolet, the New Beetle, and the Mini Cooper. They think it’s “cute” and the Jetta’s attributes (peppy, reasonably small footprint, decent dynamics, enormous trunk) were good enough for them.

In my experience, women rely more on word-of-mouth recommendations from other women as a significant factor in buying decisions. So one college girl got a Mk IV Jetta, loved it, told her girlfriends and soon they became wildly popular. Then they all grew up, started families and drove Tahoes, Suburbans, and RX 350s. There was a post here in the past month from a guy whose wife was expecting and her girlfriends strongly advised her that the only vehicle to consider for the upcoming child transportation role was a Tahoe. Drtwofish Around New Years I bought an ’03 Jetta 1.8T with 105k miles from my sister – she’d had it since around ’06 and ~35k miles, and reckoned it was the one and only reliable MkIV ever built. Other than the coil pack replacement (under warranty) and normal consumables, it just hasn’t needed much. The exterior still shines, the interior’s in perfect shape other than a few rattles, and the engine pulls strongly.

Even with mediocre tires and likely worn struts, I’m impressed (after coming from years of e30/e36/e39 BMWs) at how eager this little sweetie is in the curves on the Parkway. After years of devoting every other weekend to fixing this-or-that glitch in the BMWs, which finally culminated in selling my M3 with the coming of our second child, it’s been a refreshing few months with an honest, so-far-reliable car.

Sure, something will eventually go wrong, but this car’s earned enough goodwill that it’s ok. TW5 I bought a 2001 GTI GLS 1.8T 5-spd manual in the summer of 2001. The initial quality and value were incredible. I paid $18,500 (IIRC), yet my GLS had the optional sunroof and Monsoon sound system. Looking back on the experience, the day I picked up the GTI was one of best days of my youth, and I got to road-trip the car to college for the beginning of the fall semester.

During the two years I owned my GTI, people begged me to let them drive it because they had never experienced such smooth linear torque. After the boost controller was installed, the driving requests became more frequent. From the perspective of a young man, the best thing about the MkIV GTI was that it achieved the elusive goal of attracting members of the opposite sex. The GTI wasn’t try hard.

It wasn’t pretentious. The boy racers hadn’t wrecked its brand image. The GTI was just a disarming 30mpg hatchback, but one that hid a naughty secret under the bonnet. Women were curious about it. If one sorority sister had a good drive, she told all of her friends it was a blast. The GTI could do 0-60mph in about 6.5 seconds, but with a free-spirited girl behind the wheel, it did zero-to-debauchery much faster.

Looking back on the experience, I see that the MkIV 1.8T-powered VW’s were basically just legal drugs, particularly the GTI. It was a hit of ecstasy that made serotonin waves wash over you, but it had to come crashing down eventually. When the repairs started piling up, I realized the car would be unaffordable after the warranty expired.

By the end of 24 months, the GTI was traded, and I had checked myself into automotive rehab. I have some fond memories, but the MkIV’s were too good to be true. I have no desire to relive the experience. Jimble I have a 2004 Jetta wagon with the 1.8T, bought new, which has needed a lot of repairs for a car with only 66,666 miles on the odometer. But except for some cracking of the leather on the driver’s seat the interior is still in nearly perfect shape despite never having been garaged. Sometimes I think a new CUV with more interior space and fancier electronics might be nice to have, but the engine still feels really sweet, the car’s low profile compared to a CUV makes it feel well planted at speed and makes it easy to put my bike on the roof rack, and the luxury of no car payments for the last 5 years has more than compensated for the occasional repair bill. Mypoint02 When these started rolling out in ’99, I was pretty involved with a local group of VW enthusiasts and numerous online groups.

To say that I was under the influence of VW Kool-Aid would be an understatement. The MkIV was more mature than I was at the time. Nonetheless, I thought it looked great inside and out and the chassis was much more refined than the Mk3. It actually felt like a German car when you sat in it and when you drove it. What I remember them more for these days, unfortunately, is the bad coil packs, window regulators, mass airflow sensors, and diverter valves (on the 1.8T) than what they looked like or how they drove. Seems no one was exempt if you owned an ’02 or later and some of these problems even carried over to Audi.

Perception is reality for most people and seeing a check engine light and making numerous trips to the VW dealer for the same issues on a basically new car didn’t exactly build goodwill with their new customers. IIRC, they went through four revs on the coil packs alone. Audi recovered rather quickly, but VW still hasn’t. Fordson My wife had a 2000 Passat GLS wagon, bought 30 months old with 37k miles on it, from somebody who kept it immaculate and kept immaculate records. No issues while he had it.

We kept it until May of 2010, when it had 162,000 miles on it. We used 0W-40 Mobil 1, the oversized oil filter, and it never burned a drop of oil, no turbo issues, never even had coil pack issues.

It had one bad Kombi valve, which the dealer misdiagnosed and by the time I got the lowdown on it, had toasted its secondary air injection pump – I replaced both. It also had the front control arms replaced, and a month or two before we traded it in, I replaced the ABS module with a remanufactured one. Other than those items, we put brakes, a battery, tires, filters and oil changes into it. The interior stayed in pretty nice shape and it was a high-quality car and a great driving experience. She replaced the car with s 2007 Toyota Sienna Limited, 3 years old, with 44,000 miles on it. Sgeffe Didn’t help that the VW service departments, just like my local one, basically sucked!! (This one was even called-out by Motor Trend for its suckiness after they had a long-term TDI-equipped Jetta’s DSG replaced there after the thing exploded during a drive through my area; they took forever to replace the unit, and left the car in a shambles.) Same type of thing as happened with my Mom’s MkIV Jetta–window regulators out (just as she was about to enter a car wash)–check, coil pack–check, creaky suspension that this joke of a service department couldn’t figure out–check!!

Thankfully, an indie German-make garage in town kept the bills somewhat in check after the warranty expired! Bought an ’07 Civic four years ago and hasn’t looked back! (Her 2000 Jetta replaced a 1990 Civic after she was impressed with my brother’s 2000 Passat, which he fortunately sold before anything major broke when he got a company car; to this day she still regrets that decision.) •. Hybridkiller I have a 2012 Golf TDI, purchased new, 37K flawless miles so far.

I guess time will tell. The dealer gave a lifetime powertrain warranty with it (they’ve since quit offering that little perk) AND lifetime free oil changes. Price was ~$2K below invoice. The 40K DSG service at this dealer will be $300. Car is an absolute blast to drive and highway consumption @. 30-mile fetch I never owned a MkIV VW and therefore have no emotional baggage with the company and was able to let data rather than anecdotes guide my decision to buy a 2010. Looks like you still have to be a bit careful about which model/powertrain you choose, but the 5 cylinder models are doing well and the TDI and 2.0T are OK.

50K miles later and no issues. It’s a fantastic car that is practical and enjoyable to drive. If it starts falling apart before its time, then I could still become disgruntled, but as of now I would happily recommend this car to others. JMII Figure I’ll add my story as well because I’ve seen both sides of the 1.8T in a Passat and in Golf 337 form. My brother owned a ’99 Passat and an ’03 Golf 337. The Passat was “chipped”, had some suspension mods. As a result it was much better then any pricier Audi of the same vintage.

His experience with it lead me to buy a similar one (more on that below). Once his lease was up on the Passat he got a Golf 337 which was a special limited edition. The car so desirable (to VW Vortex members) he sold it 3 days after buying out the lease and MADE $3,000 profit! To this day its the best braking car I have every been in. It was downright AWESOME. Today he owns an ’12 Golf R and it amazing, the thing literally runs circles around my 350Z on the track.

Thus my brother has nothing but LOVE for the VW and especially the Golf. Now our Passat totally different story: fine for the first 3 years then complete CRAP. Engine wise the 1.8T was great – torquey, good on gas, no coil pack or O2 sensor issues or any other problems. But the interior was a complete mess. As I mentioned in JB’s other Golf thread I’ve never seen a vehicle interior fall apart so bad!

Window regulators? Yep all four failed with the fronts failing again maybe twice, I kind of lost track it happened so often. The switch to sunroof actually fell out the day I traded the car in (at just 100K) for my Z. One of the headlights actually fell out too. I was so sick of that Passat I was to drive into a lake and collect the insurance money. Random parts broken left and right, things like the handle to the glove box! How does something that you touch about twice a year fail?!?

The headliner sagged, door trim peeled, antenna broke I could go on but you get the picture. Seriously it was worst interior of a car ever.

As a result my wife refuses the notion of ANY VeeDub while my brother continues to love them. Defender90 This my DD!

And I am so glad I’m not the only person who has a little nerdgasm over those rear lines, that’s why 5 doors are nicer looking than the 3 door ones, which just seem wrong imho. The car is a curate’s egg* – excellent in parts. Feels quality with nice Recaros and everything but some bits a cheap: the f*cking glove box broke ffs!

And the bonnet/hood lock is absolute shite too. And the starter bearing makes a squawk like a chicken getting surprise butt sex. And the anti roll/sway bars are clunking and will cost a shitload to fix, I guess they’ve worn because it’s such a heavy beast. That weight makes it quality but a little hefty for the English country lanes round here, unlike my MK2 GTi 8 valve which was to the manner born.

It would make a great vehicle for blasting across the continent in. Overall, compared to the MK2, this feels more like a Grand Tourer than a GTi, if you see what I mean.

*Six careful owners and two who just didn’t give a f •. Brettc Just got rid of our 2000 Jetta TDI. Sure the “soft touch” plastic was falling apart and the heater fan motor sounds horrible when it’s cold, but for being an early production A4 (7/99) it was remarkably reliable. The only expensive things that were replaced were the A/C compressor, alternator and flex pipe in the almost 10 years we owned it. Other than that it was brakes, tires, filters/fluids. We bought it in September 2004 for $9000 with 93000 miles on it.

Sold it in May 2014 with 187xxx miles and got $4300 for it. So it turned out okay for us. Hopefully the 2014 Jetta that replaced it does as well long-term. DrGastro997 Oh yes the nightmares! My wife’s obsession with the Golf drove me insane, eventually her too.

Regardless, she ignored my criticism and bought 2. I cannot recall a car with so many defects, so many breakdowns, and so many tows to the dealer. Window regulators replaced 4 times, leaks, rubber gaskets, inoperable sunroof, numerous engine disasters, transmission nightmares, and so on and on.

I hated VW for producing a car with so much history and potential in Mexico. Disastrous mistake VW! Craiggens I realize this is a dead thread but heres my 2 cents News flash: NO car is 100% reliable.Any car on any given day is susceptible to any number of failures or breakdowns. This applies from Acura to Yugo. I recently bought a 100k 04 gti vr6. Car is impeccable inside and out.

Interior (which is not falling apart except for the headliner) is gorgeous and looks practically new as does the exterior. Quick, awesome handling, and runs perfect.

It sounds awesome and I get compliments everywhere I go. Previous owner obviously took really good care of it and knew his VWs thoroughly. Which brings me to my next point your used car is typically only as good as the previous owner (s) maintained and treated it. Though I’ll admit if I bought a brand new car and it suffered some catastrophic failure early in its life that would leave a bad taste in my mouth. Can anybody tell me an automotive brand that never had major failures or recalls at some point? You could make a thread about good/ bad experiences from every single make/ model ever produced. With that being said, i enjoy working on cars, to the point I’m almost looking forward to the next thing to work on.

Learning and upgrading is actually a labor of love for some of us.This is my 3rd golf and won’t be my last. All were used but were well taken care of. Yes they are quirky and particular, but if you know these cars then you know what they need and require. Sure the maintenance is a bit more, but worth it to me.

Its a trade off for a daily driver that you can’t stop staring at and look for any reason to take a ride to the store. My gti has suspension upgrades like st coilovers, h&r sway bar, and ecs tuning lower control arms with poly bushings.

The aftermarket for these cars are endless, which is fun for many of us. The car screams on the exit ramps:) If you don’t enjoy tinkering with cars then buy a used Toyota and bore yourself to work everyday. Ive been driving golfs for years (2.0s and vr6) and have never experienced a breakdown, being towed or catastrophic failures. – knock on wood Ps I’m getting a tune soon from United motorsports that will give me 15-18 extra hp for 300$. Also increases mpg which I’m already averaging around 24 (city highway combined).

Combined with intake and magnaflow exhaust I’m sure to be pushing 225 horses. I got into a race on the highway the other day and at 130 mph car felt sturdy and tight (like I was going much slower) and had much more to go but we caught up to the next pile of cars so had to let off. Pss do your homework. Vw likes higher octane gas, quality synthetic oil and Bosch or better replacement parts.Buy a duralast maf sensor and be ready to replace it in 2 months (If it lasts that long) Preventive maintenance is the best medicine for any car. Do your homework and stop fuckin complaining when your 2500$ 10 year old car needs a 02 sensor or a window regulator.

You roll the dice on any used car you buy. Surprisingly some people never do maintenance and just drive the car,now your buying there lack of care which become problems for you. EVERY car requires SOME amount of work and upkeep.

Some more than others. I know Toyota owners that swear by there car, yet have already replaced there transmission that only had only 30k! I guess it’s all about what your willing to put up with. Recent Comments •: You’re absolutely right– and I hate you for that.; >I think the proper metaphor for. •: Formula 1 cars have 2 pedals. I think I remember Damon Hill making a remark about the need to adjust to.

•: “GM did try and pack the excess inventory into rental fleets, and it was a mistake. The difference is. •: “So I assume the EcoSport finance guy did his ROI calculations based on the $20 to $27K sticker price. •: On a whim I recently checked the cost to return to our home from my office, a trip of about 5 miles and.

FT 250 Fox Tango International Presents The Yaesu FT-200, Sommerkamp FT-250, Henry Tempo One For more information about the FT-200, Tempo One check out the club CD FT-200 And FT-200S Low Power version sold in Japan, AKA FT-250 European Version. Same rig sold in the United States by Henry Radio of Los Angeles as the Tempo One Even as old as she may be, she's still a pretty face! Tempo VF/1 VFO, Tempo One Xcvr, Tempo AC/One Tempo One Restoration Project ~W4CLM ~ How about taking your Tempo One Mobile? An inside peek of the DC/1A DC-DC Power convertor. Sold in the United States by Henry Radio of Los Angles California as the Tempo One, it sold in both white & black version. Henry Radio also sold a remote VFO the VF/One for this transceiver can be difficult to find. Finding one can prove to be a challenge, this VF/One luckily showed up on Ebay, but I had to buy the whole rig to get it.

With a little soap and water it cleaned up as good as new Frequency range: 10-80 m Mode: AM/SSB/CW RF Power output: 100 W Voltage: Mains or 12 VDC with Option DC-200 Supply Current drain: RX: 12.5 A @ 12 VDC TX: 15-27 A @ 12 VDC Impedance: 50-100 ohms, SO-239 Dimensions (W*H*D): 13.25 x 5.5 x 11' Weight: 8 Kg Manufactured: 19xx-19xx Other: Extras: FV-200 matching VFO Accessories for the FT-200 / FT-250 Included the Yaesu DC-200 Mobile 12 volt DC power supply And the Yaesu FV-200 remote VFO An Ebay Special VF/One cleaned up nicely The (100 watt) FT-200 sold in Japan for Y69,000 Yen. FT-200 was also sold in Australia and Europe. The FT-200S (10 watt version) was sold in Japan with a single tube in the final amplifier stage. Options included a 100w upgrade kit for Y3000 Yen. And 100 KHz Crystal Calibrator for Y1500 Yen. Concentric Shaft Control for PA Plate and Loading Condensers VFO Gear Mechanism The same rig was marketed in Europe by the importers Sommerkamp and sold as the FT-250.

Colin Guy G4DDI The Yaesu FT200 is an SSB/CW transceiver that covers the pre-WARC amateur bands from 80m to 10m. An almost all valve design that provides around 180watts PEP, good stability and a very good receiver that is a delight to use, even under today's band conditions. The design first saw the light of day in the late 60's in a grey and silver case. It was also sold under the guise of the Sommerkamp FT250 (blue case) and the Henry Radio 'Tempo One' (black and silver case, above).

It had a short reincarnation in the early 70's in an all black case and was then sold as a cheaper alternative to the first FT101's. The accompanying FP200 AC power pack provided all necessary voltages from one transformer from 117 or 234 volt AC mains and included a front facing loudspeaker. A 12 volt power unit was also available for mobile use, this consumed 12 amps on receive and up to 27 amps on transmit - it was said that the mobile operator didn't need a separate heater in the vehicle I have recently seen nice examples of these for sale for less than £70 without the power pack, and £100 - £125 with.

At this price they are an excellent buy, and when properly refurbished are a fully competent HF radio, no bells and whistles but very easy to operate, stable, thanks to the solid state VFO, the receiver in particular is far better than many of the earlier solid state offerings from Yaesu, and I think it’s a better performer than the KW2000. The tuning drive is a British made Jackson, and remains perfectly smooth in my 30 year old set. I have owned one from new (bought in 1973 from Western Electronics) and I have repaired many for other amateurs over the years. The following circuit description is adapted from the Yaesu manual. Receiving Section Signal from the aerial terminal passes through aerial RX/TX relay via the input tuned circuit to grid 1 of RF amplifier valve V2, 6BZ6.

Signal is amplified and via the next tuned circuit to the grid of receiver mixer V1, 6U8, pentode section. The local oscillator signal is applied to cathode of this mixer and the I.F. Signal appears at mixer anode.

Signal then passes through the 9 MHz crystal filter to the two stage amplifier V104, 6BA6, V103, 6BZ6 and thence to V102A, ½12AX7. This stage acts as a product detector, with the BFO signal applied to its cathode, when receiving CW and SSB. V102B, ½12AX7 functions as an anode detection type AGC amplifier.

With no signal applied, anode current is zero with anode voltage zero. When signal is applied, anode current develops, resulting in a negative anode voltage which is applied through diode D103 to AGC line. The circuit provides suitable AGC characteristics of fast attack, slow decay for SSB and CW.

The internal resistance of the diode is low in forward direction and high in reverse direction. AGC voltage is applied to the RF and IF stages so that a wide range of signal levels can be handled. Detector output is fed to a pulse limiter consisting of silicon diodes D101, D102, then via AF gain control, to V101, 6BM8 AF output to speaker or headphones. Transmitting Section Output of carrier oscillator V106, 12AU7 is injected to first grid of Vl07, 7360 balanced modulator and audio signal from microphone amplifier to modulating grid of balanced modulator. Suppressed carrier double sideband is developed at the anode of the balanced modulator. This signal then passes through the crystal filter XF101, which eliminates one sideband, thus resulting in a SSB signal at the IF of 9 MHz.

For AM transmission (sideband with carrier insertion) the balanced modulator becomes unbalanced because of the switching circuitry, permitting the carrier to pass through, and also the carrier frequency is shifted by means of a varicap diode circuit so that carrier passes freely through the filter pass band. Amount of carrier insertion level is adjustable by the AM carrier control VR8. For CW transmission, audio is disabled, and as for AM, the balanced modulator is unbalanced and carrier frequency shifted to allow full carrier to pass through filter. In the TUNE condition, a 1500 Hz signal from the audio tone oscillator TR503 is applied to the balanced modulator. This provides a convenient tuning signal near the filter centre frequency. The level of signal is controlled by the mic. Gain control.

The 9 MHz signal, after passing through the filter, is amplified by IF amplifier V104, 6BA6, thence to grid of the transmit mixer V4, 6EJ7, together with local oscillator signal. The resultant difference between these two frequencies appears at the anode tuned circuit of the mixer and is the transmitter output signal frequency. On the 14 MHz band, additive mixing is used. This signal is amplified by V5, 12BY7 tuned driver and finally to power amplifier V6/V7, 2 x 6JS6A, and to the aerial. Power amplifier V6/V7 operates in class AB2 for maximum power output.

The AC audio component of PA grid current, when overdriven by signal peaks, is rectified by diodes D4/D5 to provide an ALC (Automatic Level Control) voltage to the IF amplifier stage thus reducing its gain and maintaining low distortion. The PA Pi network anode circuit provides attenuation to the higher order harmonics and enables easy, flexible adjustment of impedance matching to antenna feed line. On phone, PTT and VOX control is available. On VOX, a sample of signal from microphone is applied to grid of V8 and then to V9A, rectified by diode D2, SH-l, producing a positive bias on the grid of V9B relay driver, causing anode current to flow and relay to actuate.

On CW, straight or break-in keying methods are available. Break-in is produced by keying audio oscillator tone applied to VOX amplifier as well as transmitter bias line. The relay switches the bias on V107, V4, V5, V6 and V7. The tone signal also can be heard from speaker while keying, thus providing side tone monitoring. Carrier crystal oscillator V106, 12AU7 double triode with crystals 8998.5 kHz and 9001.5 kHz, one in each triode section. With sideband selector switch at NORMAL, carrier crystal 8998.5 is operative for 7 and 14 MHz band and 9001.5 for 3.5, 21 and 28 MHz. When the selector switch is in REVERSE position, then the carrier crystal oscillator sections are changed.

The carrier oscillator is used as a BFO when in receive mode. On AM & CW, crystal 9001.5 is used and its frequency is lowered 200 Hz by diode switch D104, 1S1007, bringing the carrier into the filter pass band.

Mixing sequence The 5 - 5.5 MHz VFO is mixed with the signal frequency on 80m, (3.5 - 4MHz) to give the 9MHz IF by addition, and on 20m (14 - 14.5MHz) by subtraction. On 40m the VFO is premixed with the band switched oscillator at 11MHz to give 16 - 16.5MHz, the signal frequency (7 - 7.5MHz) is subtracted to give the 9MHz IF. On 15m the VFO is premixed with 35.5MHz to give 30 to 30.5MHz, again subtracting the signal frequency (21 - 21.5MHz) gives the 9MHz IF. On 10m the premix frequencies are 42.5MHz, 43.0MHz, 43.5MHz and 44.0MHz to give ranges of 28 - 28.5MHz, 28.5 - 29MHz, 29 -29.5MHz and 29.5 - 30MHz respectively. Construction The IF, Tx and RX audio stages and Tx mixer are all on a large PCB, this can be seen in the underside view below.

The underside of the PCB is easily accessible for repair and should present few problems. Smaller pcb’s carry the 9 volt regulator and tone oscillator, the 100kHz crystal calibrator and the band switched heterodyne oscillator. These are all mounted on a conventional steel chassis, the receiver RF stages, transmitter mixer, driver and PA and VOX amplifier are all directly mounted on the chassis and conventionally wired. The chassis and vertically mounted front panel can be extracted from the “wraparound” steel case by removing five screws from the underside. Once removed virtually everything is accessible for repair.

FT200 underside view. What to look for when buying one. Considering the amount of heat these sets generate they are extremely reliable, there are, however, as with just about any piece of equipment, a few weak spots.

Undoubtedly the most common fault is failure of the pa grid coupling capacitor C55, shown in the manual as 100pF 1kV, but I have frequently found 500 volt specimens fitted here. There is 300 volts on one side of it from the driver anode and minus 150 volts the other, plus several tens of volts of RF on transmit so it obviously has a hard time. Failure not only removes the negative grid bias on the PA valves, but applies a positive bias to them. Not unnaturally this results in the rapid demise of the valves, which are now expensive and quite difficult to obtain, and can also result in the destruction of the mains transformer (protected only by a single primary fuse, often replaced with one of a higher rating!) if the owner wasn't there to switch the set off very quickly when it showed the obvious signs of distress. The FT101 and 901 also suffered from this problem.

Therefore, a good look at the PA valves is essential, and if you are offered a power unit with it, a close look (and sniff) at the transformer is worthwhile. Another area worth a look is around the receiver audio output valve (V101, 6BM8) which is mounted on the main printed circuit board. This can suffer from any of the usual afflictions of a triode - pentode AF amplifier - leaky coupling capacitor. Issue 32 (C103, 0.01mF), leaky or shorted cathode decoupling electrolytic (C101, 30mF 15V) or leakage in the valve itself. All of these cause the valve to run even hotter than normal with no apparent effect on performance, but it has the result that the PCB cooks to a cinder.

In this case a prod of the valve will show that it is hanging in there only by the copper tracks! Both of these faults can be repaired, but it is worth looking, and allowing for in the purchase price. Also look at the RF section trimmers (visible through the holes in the bottom of the case) to see if they have been “twiddled” – ham-fisted adjustment of these can cause other problems – see below – and realignment is not a task to be taken lightly. Other faults. Not uncommon is an apparent lack of AGC action, with the receiver seeming insensitive and little movement of the s-meter even on very strong signals.

This is usually because of grid leakage in one or other of the IF valves (V103, 6BZ6, V104 6BA6) upsetting the slightly unusual AGC circuitry. Substitution is the best way of determining this.

A noisy band switch is not uncommon, lack of sensitivity on one band usually being traceable to this area. Do not be tempted to spray the switch with switch cleaner whilst the set is powered though, it can cause the wafers to arc as some carry full HT, and replacement would be a serious job.

Give the switches a spray with the power off, work the switch a few times then allow to dry before applying power. “Super Servisol” is recommended for this job, don’t be tempted to use WD40! Total failure of one band can be caused by an open – circuit coil in the receiver RF or pre-mixer stages – these are all common to transmit and receive. What happens here is that the valve anode voltage is supplied via the coil and the tuning gang and trimmer are connected from the anode to earth, so the HT voltage is across both, a short in the gang section or the trimmer, caused by stray metal particles or inept handling burns out the coil.

Remember that a jumper plug must be in the accessory socket – if you have no transmit output look to see if the PA valve heaters are alight! Valves V1 6U8, ECF82 V2 6BZ6 V3 6CB6 V4 6EJ7 V5 12BY7A V6 6JS6A V7 6JS6A V8 6AV6 V9 12AU7, ECC82 V101 6BM8, ECL82 V102 12AX7, ECC83 V103 6BZ6 V104 6BA6, EF93 V105 12AX7, ECC83 V106 12AU7, ECC82 V107 7360 FT200 Valve lineup The only valve that is getting scarce today is the 7360 balanced modulator, but I’ve never known an instance of failure of these, so as long as your set has one, and it isn’t broken there should be no problem. The PA valves, 6JS6, can still be obtained in matched pairs though expensive. These do seem to lose emission over time, this probably happens if the set is used for long periods of receiving and little transmitting, as the heater remains on all the time, there is no facility to switch them off as there is with the FT101 etc. All of the other types are fairly common and easily obtainable. The table below shows the complete valve list, with British equivalents where known.

Semiconductors There are no exotic semiconductors or unobtainable IC's (as there is with the FT101!) All of the transistors are small signal NPN types and should be easily replaceable if necessary, though I've never known one to fail. The numerous diodes shouldn't present a problem, the only ones I've had trouble with have been the power supply rectifiers, which can be replaced by easily available BY227, 1N4007 etc.

Microphone socket A ¼ inch stereo jack plug is used for the microphone, slightly unusually the tip is the PTT connection and the ring is the mic live. The sleeve is of course earth. Alignment CAUTION —Before any work is attempted, remember that high voltages are employed in this equipment, so —TAKE CARE! Equipment required: VTVM with RF probe RF standard signal generator AF signal generator Frequency meter Dummy load 50 ohms Suitable alignment tools. VFO alignment On the red scale, '0”=5 MHz and '500' = 5.5 MHz Switch off crystal heterodyne oscillator by placing band switch on 3.5 or 14 MHz band. Set the receiver offset tuning OFF.

Use frequency meter for alignment, although this can be done, with care, if beats are heard every 100 kHz using the crystal calibrator. Coarse alignment is by adjustment of trimmer TC401. The piston type trimmer TC402 is for adjustment of temperature compensation. If turned clockwise, then compensation becomes greater. If TC402 is adjusted, then TC401 must be re-adjusted to maintain calibration. For precise adjustment of dial linearity, careful adjustment (by bending) of end rotor plates of main tuning condenser is necessary. VFO injection to grid 1 of V3, 6CB6 should be 0.5V or more over full VFO range, measured with VTVM and RF probe.

To obtain the same frequency of clarifier at '0' as at ”OFF', adjust VR7. Heterodyne crystal oscillator Apply RF probe to Pin 2 of V3, and with band switch at 28.5, adjust L202 for maximum meter reading. On 21 MHz band adjust TC202.

On 7 MHz band adjust TC201. If optional 10 meter range crystals are fitted, adjust appropriate trimmer condensers for 10 meter crystals. 100 kHz c alibrator Adjust frequency with TC301 by checking against WWV, with aid of separate receiver.

Pre-mixer (VFO mixer) This is V3, with output anode tuned circuit to select the resultant beat of VFO and heterodyne oscillator (or VFO frequency in case of 3.5 and 14 MHz bands). This alignment should be carefully done as other frequencies can appear at output, VFO, etc. This alignment is explained in transmitter alignment section. Refer to chart, below, for correct output frequencies. Balanced modulator Band Mixed Frequency 3.5 5 – 5.5 MHz 7.0 16 – 16.5 MHz 14.0 5 – 5.5 MHz 21.0 30 – 30.5 MHz 28.0 37.0 – 37.5 MHz 28.5 37.5 – 38 MHz 29.0 38 – 38.5 MHz 29.5 38.5 – 39 MHz V3 anode alignment frequencies AGC Set function switch to AM, RF gain maximum, then S-meter should read '0' with the aerial socket shorted. Set VR102 (AGC adjust) so that it is at a point just before the S-meter needle commences to rise above '0'.

Now adjust the meter sensitivity control so that with 50mV applied to the aerial socket from the signal generator the meter reads S9. Now set function switch to SSB, short out antenna socket, and meter should read '0'; but if not, then adjust the compensation capacitance (C165) between pin 2 and pin 8 of V102 to make meter read minimum deflection. Receiver mixer This is V16U8 (alternative types 6EA8, 6GH8). Connect RF probe to pin 8, cathode of triode section, and adjust grid tuning. Oscillator injection should read greater than 0.5V on every band.

Adjust trap coil L22 for minimum beat at 21.3 MC. This adjustment should occur within one turn of the core slug. L1 is trap coil for 3.5 and 14 MC bands and should be adjusted so that no oscillation occurs in these bands.

Use a plastic alignment tool so that no damage will result to the internal hexagon type slugs. RF amplifier Connect signal generator to aerial socket. On 3.5 MHz band set VFO to '0' on black scale and GRID to second point up from its anticlockwise position. Apply 3500 kHz signal and adjust L7 and L12 for maximum S-meter reading.

Use plastic alignment tool. 7 MHz band, VFO to '0' on red scale, GRID at same point as for 3.5 MHz, signal generator at 7000 kHz. Adjust TC1 and TC2 for maximum. 14 MC band, VFO to 250, GRID at centre position, signal generator at 14250 kHz.

Adjust L10 and L15 for maximum. 21 MHz band, VFO to 250, GRID at centre, signal generator at 21250 kHz. Adjust L9 and L14 for maximum.

28.5 MHz band, VFO to 500, GRID at centre, signal generator at 29,000 kHz. Adjust L3, L8 and L13 for maximum. On 7 MC band, VFO to 500, apply 9 MC signal of sufficient level to give an S-meter reading; then adjust L2 for minimum dip in S-meter reading. Transmitter Alignment The transmitter uses many common receiver circuits; therefore it is necessary to first correctly align the receiver section.

A 50-75 ohms dummy load must be used on the transceiver during transmitter alignment. Take care to avoid touching high voltage points! Function switch to TUNE, meter to P.O., tune transmitter for maximum reading. (Keep IC down by use of MIC gain). Now function to SSB, MIC gain to zero, and adjust VR106 for minimum reading. For most sensitive indication, connect RF probe to dummy load, or use another receiver and observe its S-meter reading.

Then switch to opposite sideband position, and readjust VR106. Repeat several times for best result. If there is a marked difference between the two positions, then adjustment of carrier oscillator or crystal filter may be required. Crystal filter The filter is aligned once in receiver alignment, but further alignment in this section (transmitting) is necessary. At the TUNE position adjust L103, L104 and L105 for maximum output. Keep drive reduced to a fairly low level for the most accurate determination of the maximum peak. In order to examine filter characteristics, set function to SSB and connect an A.F.

Generator to MIC jack, then take a curve of the A.F. Response (in effect, the filter pass band), by plotting between 300-2500 Hz. If output level changes no more than 3 dB, then it is OK.

Repeat on reverse sideband. If the two curves do not match, then a slight adjustment of each carrier crystal frequency is necessary to bring the two curves together In their frequency limits. If carrier is too close to 9000 kHz filter centre frequency, then high audio frequencies will be attenuated. If carrier is too far removed, then low frequencies will be attenuated.

Carrier frequency adjustment is by TC101 and TC102. Final Amplifier Neutralization When replacing the final amplifier valves, it may be necessary to reset the bias to give correct idle current and check neutralization. Using the procedure outlined below will guarantee maximum output and long tube life. CAUTION HIGH VOLTAGES ARE PRESENT ON UNDERSIDE OF CHASSIS AND INSIDE OF FINAL COMPARTMENT. USE GREAT CARE WHILE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS WITH WIRING EXPOSED. Connect a dummy load to antenna, and set meter to IC.

(cathode current.) Locate TC3, the neutralization variable capacitor shaft in the final amplifier compartment. Check final amplifier idle current in USB or LSB position and adjust as described before. Tune up the transceiver at 21.5 MHz, with MODE switch set to AM position, and advance CARRIER potentiometer or the rear panel until meter IC reads 150mA Rotate PLATE tuning control and observe dip as indicated on the meter. If the dip is not prominent, reduce loading control slightly for better indication. As the PLATE control is rotated the meter should rise equally and smoothly on either side of maximum dip indication.

Determine which side of the dip rises abruptly. Set PLATE control slightly to this side of dip keeping the meter reading below 150 mA. Using an insulated trimming tool, rotate the neutralization capacitor shaft very slightly in the direction which reduces the current shown on the meter. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the meter indicates a smooth and equal rise on either side of the maximum dip point. The final compartment cover must be in place to supply the RF shielding required during the neutralization procedure. Operation The transceiver is controlled by a three position lever switch which is marked 'oper', 'rec' and 'cal'. In the 'rec' position the transmitter is disabled.

Receiver operation is a simple as selecting your band and mode, and peaking the 'Grid' control for maximum. Moving the switch to 'oper' will put the transceiver into the transmit condition.

If the mode switch in 'tune', the carrier output can be controlled with the mic gain control, apply the minimum necessary to produce some output then dip the PA current in the normal way, keeping it below 150mA. If the mode switch is in CW, transmission is controlled by the key, and on SSB or AM, transmission is controlled by the PTT switch. Note that on SSB or AM, if the mic is unplugged the set will go to transmit immediately.

The PA is tuned up in the normal way with the mode switch in the 'tune' position, but care should be taken that it is coupled into as near as 50W as possible, the loading capacitor is very closely spaced and prone to arcing. Conclusion This is a highly useable radio that can be obtained quite cheaply, is generally easy to repair, and whose performance meets modern standards if properly set up.

The only real downside of it is that it lacks top band (and the other 'WARC' bands), the AM performance is poor - the filter is too narrow for receive, and the transmit quality is poor, being in reality SSB with reinserted carrier, and it takes some juggling with the mic gain and carrier level to get acceptable results. Performance on SSB and CW is excellent, drift is minimal after about 10 minutes warm-up, and the controls are few and mostly intuitive to use. On - air reports on SSB are always good and the receiver has a very low background noise level, no noticeable sproggies, even on 40m, and sounds excellent.

There is not room to print the full circuit diagram in the newsletter, it spreads across four pages, but if anyone needs a copy please contact the author. FT-200 FT-250 Henry Radio Tempo One For more information about the FT-200, Tempo One support your club! C heck out the FT-200 club CD Subscribe to the Fox Tango FT-200, FT-250, Tempo One Forum Here Subscribe to FT-200, FT-250 Tempo One Forum Here YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN US. Powered by Carol L. Maher W4CLM Administrator Fox Tango International I f you have an item of interest you would like to see added to the Fox Tango Web Site Email to: (c) Fox Tango International, 2004. All rights reserved.