Car repair Q: which alldata subscription?

Djeet

I've a 2009 Jetta TDI sportwagen and I need to fix stuff on it (most pressing is to replace a rear seat belt, but I think I'll need to drop the headliner to fix the sun/moonroof screen coming detached and hanging down, and a damned check engine light came on coming into work today).

Anyways, I'd have bought whatever VW would provide, but they don't sell service/repair manuals (for my car at least). So I'm looking at Bentley. Haynes doesn't have anything near my gen, and Chilton's seems very mechanically focused. Chances are good that for any serious engine problem I will hire a pro , but I want to know how to rip off trim in a way that it will go back on again and not look awful. That seems doable with care and some hand tools. So I'm presented with the following options: service manual, repair manual, or "ebahn" subscription.

I'm thinking the sub and the dvd-rom will likely have same content. Downloaded the reader and it doesn't look promising as after opening it immediately throws an error. And TBH the idea of a sub immediately triggered my bullshit detector (but what do I know, I only buy auto repair manuals maybe once in 5 years). In the past I've usually been able to find stuff on youtube, but no luck here.

Can anyone with experience with these kinds of manuals give counsel?

Thanks.


Edit: I don't really care if it's $100 vs $150 vs $200, but I'm not throwing thousands at some pro-level subscription.

Six

Have you tried first just looking for DIYs? VW's are popular cars for DIY repairs and I'd bet you could find most if not all of what you need that way.

Djeet

Thanks for the reply, but unfortunately I haven't had a lot of luck on the specialist forums I've looked at (and used) in the past.

I think its cause i have a later model wagen with the huge ass moonroof. Most of the video i find is targetting the sedan. While i can easily find maintenance/mechanical help, can't find anything specific to removing trim on the wagen. Like I can find front seatbelt assembly removal video, but not rear (and I'll have to remove trim in the cabin behind the rear passenger seat). I pried the trim up from the door sill to about halfway up the side of seat, but am hitting heavy resistance now and can't see under it at all. Dunno why they have to use hidden clips instead of screws with caps.

And with the headliner, if I can't see a video then even an exploded diagram would help a lot. Cause if I can't drop the entire liner in 1 day then I will need to push it all back into place as it would be undriveable with the liner hanging down.

Skeith

That first manual looks like it'd be comprehensive compared to something put out by Haynes. Is there any way you can go to a local dealer and ask them for a peek at their manual, just so you can see the name and publisher?

Djeet

I was kinda leaning towards the book myself. I know the name Bentley as they made a manual for my X3 when I had one, though sold the car before I had to seek out a manual.

I suspect the VM official manual is in-house and perhaps digital-only. I can't even find a picture of it.

Skeith

I think you'd be better off with the book in that case, as having something digital would present some inconveniences once you're poking around under the hood.

dlinfiniti

try your local library
my county library is awesome and not only has multiple brands of autorepair manuals for my car but it also has a subscription to AllData Online which is like the ultimate digital guide to any car anywhere

Djeet

No joy at the library.

I see alldata has some monthly pro subs (from my own experience, their consumer product is worse than what is available through forums and YouTube). Which sub would be the most appropriate? Repair, collision or the training garage?

I'm kinda stumped by what I see at their site. I know the pros love them, but not sure what would be relevant to me. I'm comfortable in the engine compartment, at the wheel hubs, and under the car. Once I move into the cabin though (and it not be a stereo upgrade or backup camera install) I get apprehensive.

Djeet

Found this site (erwin.vw.com), got the the 24 hour subscription ($35), and downloaded about a gig of content (hundreds of PDFs and dozens of videos). Looks pretty detailed so far.

I guess this can be closed. Thanks all.

LC7

Djeet, I am in a similar situation and need to access the rear side seatbelt in my 2009 Jetta tdi sportwagon. Have you attempted this yet? Were you happy with the info you got off of the 24hr sub site? I am surprised at the total lack of info online for this fix. I'd love to get any feedback you have on your experience, thanks a ton.

Djeet

@LC7 The docs I got from the VW site I think are detailed enough to do the job. I haven't pulled the belts themselves as I would need to disconnect battery (per instructions) but I've done everything up to that. While a bit annoying with respect to jargon and inconsistent linking (it's advised several times to remove "side cushion" but there is no link to side cushion removal, you can find that on page 288-290 of "body interior" pdf) it is very thorough once you've figured out how to navigate.

Without guidance I was pulling off trim around the door and that was barking up the wrong tree. You have to remove all trim in the rear/trunk compartment and the rear seat seatbacks to get at the belts and tensioner stuff. I wouldn't hold it against a dealership or shop to bill 2-4 hours for removal, inspection and installation, cause it's a time-consuming job.