Well, I’ve learned a lot about car maintenance already on the Jetta… I changed my oil, air filter, oil filter last weekend, and my wheels this weekend.

And predictably, things are starting to go wrong.

I have the Mark IV Volkwagen Demon Door Locks problem. The local mechanic said I’d have to replace the entire lock assembly for 2+ hours labour and $190 parts…. So I took a rubber mallet to the edge of the door (listed as a temporary fix) and sure enough…. Works like a charm. I know I’ll have to take it apart and resolder per the link above, but for the time being, I’m happy, and cheap.

So next project today is getting rid of my squealing brakes…. The local mechanic couldn’t hear it at all, this is probably why. I’m going to try to remove and reassemble my brake pads and grease them.

Of course, I didn’t mention that maybe pressure-washing the wheel had a deleterious effect on this noise.