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Roadside Safety

Avoid becoming stranded on the side of the road with your Volkswagen Jetta. Take the time to be sure your Jetta is mechanically in top condition. This will allow you to depend on it, to not only start every time but also to make sure you get where you're going. Keep a few safety items in your Jetta, just in case you do wind up stranded. A blanket, cell phone AND charger, flashlight, marking pen and piece of cardboard, and of course your travel protection policy number.

Should you become stranded by the side of the road, whether busy or deserted one, it's best to stay in your Jetta, be sure the doors are locked, and make a few phone calls. According to where you're stranded designates your first few phone calls. If your in a busy area, a phone call to your local traffic patrol letting them know you and your Jetta are stranded and have the ability to call for help, and out of the way of traffic, will allow them to keep doing their job, instead of stopping for someone who has already taken care of their problem.

The next call or perhaps the first according to your situation should be to your travel protection policy. This allows them to get help to you as fast as possible. You'll need your current location and milepost number and if possible alert them to the mechanical Jetta difficulty. Your policy may allow them to help change a tire, bring fuel, or jump-start your Jetta. Find out the estimated time of arrival for help so you know how long you're going to be there. If it is an inordinate amount of time, you may need to find another tow system. Whether another tow company is covered with your policy would be something to find out while you're on the phone if you haven't already read the fine print in your Volkswagen Jetta travel policy.

The next phone call of course is too your awaiting friends, family, or coworkers. Letting them know you're safe is vital if you don't want you and your Jetta's license plate on the police scanner as everyone tries to figure out what's happened to you. Once you have made calls to get help, alleviate worry, and not waste someone else's time. Save the battery on your phone, you never know when you may need it again in a hurry. Yakking on the phone will wear down your battery and if you can't get your Jetta started you can't recharge your phone.

Once you have help on the way and all your phone calls out of the way, STAY in your car. Standing by the road with a stranded Jetta beside you only advertises the fact that you're vulnerable. 90% of the good Samaritans out there are just that good people trying to help. The other 10% may have ulterior motives in their stopping by your broken down Jetta. If you do have someone you don't know stop by your Jetta, let them know without rolling down the window that you have help on the way. One of the great ways to do this is with that piece of cardboard and marker you have stored in your Jetta. Make the sign say "Help IS on the way" and you won't have as many disreputable people stopping by pretending to help if they think someone is coming along soon.

With a little forethought, travel protection policy and some common sense, a stranded Jetta won't be half the scary situation it could be, without preparation.

Keeping your mph high in your Jetta

Your Jetta was made to be economical and sporty, using that great VW engine to it's highest potential with today's fuel cost is not only good for your pocket book but also a good thing to do for our dwindling fuel sources.

Take the time to plan your Jetta excursions, running into town many times in one day to run errands just burns time and fuel needlessly. The same for going back and forth down one street to get to different commercial places. If you plan your trip with keeping the mileage down, you'll find you're saving fuel and time. Plan a route that doesn't go back and forth for your errands. Park your Jetta and walk the block to your next stop, not only will your fuel bill benefit but so will you physically, and believe it or not, you'll probably save time as well.

Combine your purchases, in other words don't jump in your Jetta to save a dollar on one item that may cost less at another establishment. The fuel you burn as well as the wear and tear on your Jetta, will add up to more than the dollar you saved. The same goes for buying in bulk the items you use regularly. It may cost more now to purchase that large amount but will definitely show up on your fuel bill by not having to run to the store because you're out of bath tissue.

Of course keep your regular maintenance up on your Jetta, Volkswagen spent a lot of research and time on finding out what best works for your Jetta, follow those recommendations. A Jetta that is well maintained will maintain its fuel efficiency. That goes for your Jetta tires inflation as well, low inflation on your Jetta tires cause more drag, using more fuel to propel your car. You'll also want to keep heavy items from just hanging out in your Jetta, the more weight your Jetta has to carry, the more fuel it will consume.

With a little planning for your Jetta excursions and regular maintenance, your Jetta will maintain the best fuel mileage possible. You and your pocket book will appreciate the good habits formed by following fuel saving tips, and your Jetta will probably last a lot longer too.

Your Volkswagen Jetta and General safe winter driving tips

Most of the Volkswagen Jetta's built today and even most of the older models are front wheel or all wheel drive. This allows you a bit more traction in winter weather than the older style rear wheel drive vehicles. Driving safely in rough winter weather requires a few good driving habits that hopefully you've acquired in your general fuel saving driving habits.

Always start your winter journey early; all of the scared slow moving traffic as well as possible deicing machinery or snow removal equipment will slow you down. Not to mention of course the general rule of thumb for slowing down during treacherous weather. Allowing for extra time during your travel will keep you relaxed and not willing to take unnecessary risks. This will probably get your to your destination quicker but will actually allow you and your Jetta to arrive in the same shape you left in.

When it's cold and icy out, whether you've got snow or not, a general rule of thumb is to allow your Jetta to warm up a few minutes before engaging your Jetta drive line. This will allow all your internal engine fluids to reach the places you need them to reach after being cold all night. Cold lubricants just don't move as fast in the winter. Keep the Jetta heater vents on the floor and vent area when you first start your Jetta, warm defrosting air on a cold windshield can crack the glass if there is any imperfections.

Be sure to clear all the windows and hood from frost and snow. You'd be amazed what can happen to your vision when your reach a speed that blows that snow back on your windshield immediately not only obscuring your vision but refreezing like frost from the heat of your defroster. You'll also want to check that your Jetta side mirrors are free from frost; you'll need them to see behind your Jetta.

Be sure to allow for extra time to stop and pull out in traffic, icy conditions if you try to pull out to fast can cause your traction to break thru putting you slowly out into oncoming traffic. And of course, the same applies to stopping in winter conditions; stopping in the middle of the intersection due to no traction is not a good place to wind up with your Jetta.

Getting the proper tires for winter driving is a necessary expense. Whether you go will studs, sniping or a good snow tire, the tires do make the difference in winter driving conditions. The snow tires are made with a softer rubber allowing for the hardening that comes with cold temperature, your all around driving tires will become too hard for traction in the winter. So purchase a good set of snow tires for your Jetta, then remove them when there is no longer a risk for ice and snow. Most tire stores will store your tires for the season if you're a loyal returning yearly customer.

All in all, the Volkswagen Jetta is a safe rig to be driving in bad winter weather, a few good driving habits on your part will help get you both to and from your destination safely.

Keeping your Resale Value for your Volkswagen Jetta

Your Volkswagen Jetta has been around a long time and has remained a reliable vehicle for consumers the world over. Therefore there's a lot of competition in the market for used Jetta's. Should you decide to sell your Jetta, taking care of it now and maintaining good records will be a high sales point.

Caring for your Jetta as if you're going to put it on the market tomorrow is the best way to get the highest resale dollar. When you maintain your Jetta in sale condition all the time, you'll find a waiting list should you decide to sell it. There are several ways to make this task easier.

Set a date weekly for the cleaning and care of the interior of your Jetta. This will allow you to keep dirt and grime from becoming embedded in the cracks and crevices of the interior. When you take the time to clean the interior be sure to take the time to clean the truck and organize it as well. Be sure your Jetta litterbag is big enough to last a week or at least until the next fuel fill up, this will keep litter from hiding underneath your Jetta seats.

Keep good records of all your regular maintenance. Those records not only prove that you've taken good care of your Jetta's engine but also prove the mileage use. If your mileage use is low and you still have kept up on that every three-month oil change, they know your miles were accurate. If you have your oil changed every 3,000 miles and that happens every month, the future owner knows those were highway miles you've covered. Those Jetta maintenance records prove more than just the oil change.

Don't forget to keep the wax on the exterior of your Volkswagen Jetta. The wax not only keeps your Jetta looking wonderful, it also protect your paint job from road chemicals used to either keep winter driving safe, or to prepare roads for future work. Be sure all stickers and decals are removable, your personal use decals or personal statements are yours, and the future owner may not have the same opinion. The same goes for any Jetta accessories, make sure their removable and don't harm the interior of you Jetta.

If your looking to get the highest resale or trade-in value for your Jetta, keeping it in sale condition, maintaining good records of all maintenance, and keeping any personal attributes removable will help keep your Volkswagen Jetta at the highest end possible in the Blue Book value scale.