45 Nelson Ave · Shop notes
Things people ask before they book
Not a magazine. Battery, inspection, oil, key fob — the questions we get on the phone. If YouTube already covered the wrench, we cover the part that gets a VW stuck: coding, stickers, and the number on the bottle.
8 min · battery · DIY · service
What battery your Volkswagen takes — and whether you should replace it at home
Group size, AGM vs cheap flooded, the cable order, and the coding step most parts-store jobs skip.
7 min · inspection · NYS · service
Why a Volkswagen fails New York State inspection
The DMV list, the failures we actually see on Long Island, and what is only an advisement.
6 min · oil · maintenance
The oil your Volkswagen actually needs
Ignore 5W-30 on the front of the bottle. You want the VW 502 / 504 / 508 approval on the back.
6 min · warranty · Drive Easy
Factory warranty vs Drive Easy — what actually pays
One is for defects. The other is for what happens after. GAP is neither.
5 min · key fob · DIY · remote
How to change the battery in a Volkswagen key fob
CR2032, five minutes, no programming. Same job on Tiguan, Jetta, Atlas, Taos, and Golf R — plus how to start the car if the fob is already dead.
7 min · oil · Tiguan
VW Tiguan oil type and capacity
Most 2019–2026 U.S. Tiguans take 0W-20 meeting VW 508 00. About 5.7–6.0 quarts with the filter. Confirm on the cap — the wrong spec is how timing chains get expensive.
6 min · oil · Atlas
Volkswagen Atlas oil type
2.0T Atlas from ~2021 on: usually 0W-20 VW 508 00. Older 3.6 VR6: VW 502 00 5W-40. Capacity is not the same as a Tiguan.
5 min · oil · Jetta
Volkswagen Jetta oil type
2019–2026 U.S. Jetta 1.4T / 1.5T: usually 0W-20 VW 508 00. Older 1.8T / 2.0T: VW 502 00. GLI follows the GTI family — check the cap.
5 min · oil · Passat
Volkswagen Passat oil type 2016, 2017, 2018
U.S. 1.8 TSI Passat in these years: VW 502 00, typically 5W-40. TDI is a different spec (507 00). Do not grab Tiguan 0W-20 and hope.
6 min · oil · Passat
Volkswagen Passat oil type by year
Gas 1.8T: VW 502 00. Later 2.0T: often 508 00. TDI: 507 00. Year and engine first, brand second.
5 min · maintenance · Taos
Volkswagen Taos maintenance schedule
Oil is the 10,000-mile / 1-year item on most U.S. Taos with 508 00. Inspection, cabin filter, and brakes follow the severe-service reality of Long Island miles.
5 min · maintenance · Atlas
Volkswagen Atlas maintenance schedule
Same 10k oil idea as the rest of the late VW lineup — plus tires, brakes, and the third-row reality of a Hicksville family SUV.
4 min · maintenance · Jetta
Volkswagen Jetta maintenance schedule
Oil, rotation, filters, brake fluid. The Jetta is cheap to keep right and expensive if you only chase the oil light.
4 min · brakes · DIY
How to check brake fluid
Reservoir on the firewall, MIN/MAX marks, DOT 4 on Volkswagens. If it’s dark or low, that’s a shop visit — not a bottle from the supermarket.
3 min · tires
How long can you drive on a spare tire?
A compact donut is about 50 mph and 50 miles. It is not a weekend in the Hamptons. Many new VWs have no spare at all — tire service, not a lecture.
4 min · tires
How to rotate tires
FWD VW: rear tires move forward, fronts cross to the rear (unless they’re directional). Torque the lugs. Or we do it with the oil change.
4 min · transmission
How to check your transmission fluid
Most modern VW automatics don’t have a driveway dipstick. ‘Lifetime’ fluid is marketing. If it shudders, that’s a shop measurement — not a funnel.
4 min · EPC · warning lights
How to fix the EPC light on a Volkswagen
EPC is throttle/engine electronics, not an oil light. If power is cut, pull over. A cheap code reader is step one — clearing it without a repair is not a fix.
4 min · Atlas · towing
2022 Volkswagen Atlas towing capacity
Up to 5,000 pounds when the Atlas was built with the towing package. Without it, think closer to 2,000. Hitch ≠ package.
5 min · models
Volkswagen car names
The current U.S. list, the names people still search, and what we actually stock in Hicksville.
5 min · warranty
Volkswagen warranty coverage
New VW bumper-to-bumper and powertrain are in the booklet (typically 4 years / 50,000 miles in the U.S.). CPO is extra. Drive Easy is optional. We honor factory warranty here even if you bought the car somewhere else.