[4thdieselvw]

New to the site...glad to have found it!

My New Beetle is beginning to need some mechanical attention... >222,000 miles now. Still plenty to go, but it's getting a little sluggish. Had a vacuum line repair in the spring, suspect maybe more? Or the MAF maybe? Anyway...I live in a fairly rural area, the closest dealer is 45 miles, and frankly they have not impressed me with their efforts to do the least amount of work necessary for a given repair...I'd love to find a reputable shop in the area that I can drop off the car with a vague 'get it back to snuff' instruction without worrying about fending off offers to repair the knudsen valve etc...

I'm in Southern MD, so the whole DC/Annapolis area is fair game...

 

[chittychittybangbang]

I've found that "reputable shops" are hit or miss. Unfortunately there's no better way to get recommendations so below are some that others have tried: Call them and ask them some questions and see if they know what you are talking about and are polite.

Mark I VWS
Walkersville, MD 21793
(301) 845-4664

Wheaton Service Center,
11308 Fern St
Silver Spring, MD 20902
(301) 949-3144

There's another guy, I'll send you his contact info in Private Messages so that spambots don't pick it up.

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Also, your problem is probably a bad MAF.

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q_how_to/multi/lowpowerfix.htm

Read this on how to fix it. You do need a VCDS cable to do the diagnostic checks but it'll save you money in the long run. VCDS cables also don't depreciate much since a used cable works exactly the same as a new one.