Community Forums

Charlie G. · 07-01-2009, 06:03 PM

I recently purchased an '06 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed. Has anyone had experience towing this car 4 wheels down?
Thanks
Charlie G.

David and Fran · 07-06-2009, 12:31 PM

We have an '05 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed. And we do tow it 4 down. Before we purchased it we confirmed with VW service rep who also called the regional service rep. We have been towing it now for 2+ years and have had no issues at all. The VW reps did recommend using the Blue Ox system to tow as they do have a base plate for the Jetta.

Thor202 · 07-11-2009, 08:16 PM

We are going to tow a 2004 Golf TDI 5 speed. Should I disconnect the battery or pull the fuse,if I can figure out which one to pull.

Thanks for the help...Steve

David and Fran · 07-11-2009, 08:21 PM

Nope...just hook 'er up, plug in the cables, transmission in neutral, and key in the 1st position. We were told not to pull fuses or to disconnect battery cables.

Joe and Pam · 07-12-2009, 09:52 AM

On our 08 VW Eos we have to turn on the key then turn it off to unlock the steering wheel and leave it in the ignition .

LTJourney · 05-01-2010, 12:10 PM

We have a 2005 Jetta TDI and were told we couldn't tow it, but after reading this thread, I'm no longer sure. How have you done this, exactly? How often? We are driving across the US this summer and really don't want to have to buy another car just to have a toad.

Thanks,
Tamara

David and Fran · 05-01-2010, 12:47 PM

In order to tow the Jetta it must be a manual transmission (5 or 6 speed). We have a 2005 Jetta TDI 5 speed and have a Blue Ox towing system to flat tow behind our Vectra. Thus far we have towed approximately 35000 miles and have had no problems what so ever. We actually worked with our local VW dealer and the regional VW tech rep prior to purchasing the Jetta to make sure this would not void any warranty.

LTJourney · 05-01-2010, 04:00 PM

Ours is a 5 spd manual, so I'm going to pass this good news along to my hubby!
Thanks.

LTJourney · 05-05-2010, 10:30 AM

So I told my hubby the good news and he just smiled and said "That's great, but our Jetta is an '03". Oops

We're assuming the same applies to an '03 but thought I'd throw the question out there again basing the info on an '03 this time

.

Thanks,
Tamara

David and Fran · 05-05-2010, 10:50 AM

I would suggest calling your local dealer and asking. If they are unsure, then ask them to call their tech support. You might also check with Blue Ox and see if they make a base plate for it.

JohnQ · 05-07-2010, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LTJourney

So I told my hubby the good news and he just smiled and said "That's great, but our Jetta is an '03". Oops

We're assuming the same applies to an '03 but thought I'd throw the question out there again basing the info on an '03 this time

.

Thanks,
Tamara

No Problem, we tow our 2002 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed manual transmission 4 down. Our Jetta's are the same "series" from 99 1/2 thru 2004. Just make sure transmission is in neutral, key in 1st or accessory position, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, the radio is off. Just finished a 3,800 mile round trip from Port Angeles, WA to all of the National Parks in Utah. Our tow set up is Roadmaster, Sterling II tow Bar and XL Base Plates on the Jetta, no aux brake setup. The Stealership here said the Jetta only weights in at 2,135 pounds.

EddieMet · 05-09-2010, 03:59 PM

John,

I'd double check on the weight of your Jetta. 2,135 pounds sound awfully light. A Mini Cooper has a curb weight of over 2.500 pounds, and a Jetta is certainly larger than a Mini. I'd bet the Jetta weighs in at about 2,800 pounds or more! You might be surprised how much of a difference an aux. break would make.

jwfoster46 · 11-04-2010, 07:05 PM

We have just started towing our 2005 VW Jetta TDI. Both days we have towed it the battery has been dead when we stopped to turn the engine over at 150 miles of towing. Have had to have the car jumped twice. Had the battery checked today & was told it was good. Everything is off that we can turn off. We are using a Blue Ox tow system. Any suggestions????

David and Fran · 11-05-2010, 06:39 AM

We had the same problem when we first towed our 05 Jetta. The blue cable was the culprit. One of the wires in the connectors came loose from the pin. We purchased new cable and have not had an issue for the past 3 years. I repaired the old cable and have it for a spare. The original Blue Ox blue cable had a metal cover over the pin connectors (connector going into the coach) which did not clamp over the cable securely and flexed at the base thus causing one of the wires to break loose from the pin. The new cable has a full plastic cover with clamps at the base to secure the cable a preclude the cable from flexing internally.