bummer.  Hard to imagine ..
parts person sez......'Sir, would you personally please not come back
here seeking to buy VW parts."

were you half nice to them ?
every time you get a right part..
you keep the invoice and part # ..right ?

to be fair ....the pictures they work with can be unclear.
if you have a VIN ..that probably helps too.

about pulleys..
VW has about half a million different belt setups for inline four
cylinder engines .
It's a real trick to get the right pulley sometimes .

fwiw, I only find about one out of 20 parts people to be really sharp.
Get one good person ..
stick with just them - that helps a lot.

S.

On 11/5/2012 3:11 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
> I live near a big VW dealership. They have what would be considered an
> excellent parts department in most places, I think. They know what a
> vanagon is. But when I went to order some obscure pulley for a diesel
> jetta, I took their advice and got the wrong part. I sent it back, taking
> their advice for a second time, and again got the wrong part. They asked me
> not to come back.
>
> Jim
>
> On Mon, Nov 5, 2012 at 2:26 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> You guys ...n' galls,
>> you have to go to your dealer parts department .
>> and 'train them' ....get them used to looking up vanagon parts ..
>> help them  ( if they'll let you ! ) find the parts in their pictures, etc.
>>
>> And defenitely, develope a relationship with one parts person. That
>> helps a lot.
>> heck ..it would be worth it to just buy a light bulb or whatever from
>> them a few times a year so they get to know you.
>>
>> and really ..without 'some relationship' ...many are not likely to care
>> or try very hard. Seriously.
>>
>> Of courseit always seems they don't want to show you the pictures on
>> their screen that they are looking at ..
>> ( maybe they don't want to let it be known that they barely know what
>> they are looking at in the parts pictures ) ..
>> so ya gotta help 'em...a lot sometimes.
>> And they resist that too ..
>> all of why it helps, or is mandatory almost actually - to develope a
>> relationship with one smart person there.
>>
>> they often will do this ..
>> they'll print out the picture they are looking at on the screen ..
>> then you look at your copy ( and keep it and take it home ) while they
>> look at their screen picture.
>>
>> And patience is required asthe grouping of vairous parts is not always
>> logical ..
>> say crankshaft bolts might be with either the clutch picture or the
>> crankshaft picture, or some other picture yet.
>>
>> Also ..I have dealt with one VW dealer in Canada ..Guidlford Motors in
>> Surry BC ..
>> every time I have ever called them for the last 22+ years...they've been
>> eager,
>> smart, accurate, pleasant etc. etc. etc.
>>   Never one mistake , or any complaints by me ( that's saying something
>> too ) ...
>> just totally knowledgeable and pleasant.
>>
>> And I deal with the same two guys there every time too , and that always
>> helps.
>>
>> the parts pictures are sort of a limiting factor.
>> IF you have a part number ...then you are in good shape ..
>> as long as it's in their price sheet. Then next is how many there might
>> be of that part in the system ..
>> and where that part might be.
>> so ...whenever possibly have your part #.
>>
>> otherwise ...regardless of bone stock US model your dirty part on the
>> counter is ..
>> if they can not find it in the pictures ....ya got bubkis there.
>>
>> and save all the printed out parts pictures they'll give ya.
>> For most vw parts dealers these days, in the US anyway, for vanagons ..
>> they need our help.  lol. Just be nice and pleasant and patience.
>> And if they know you some..
>> that makes all the difference in theworld.  Heck ....bring them a box of
>> chocolates sometime.
>>
>> Scott
>> www.turobvans.com
>>
>>
>>
>> On 11/5/2012 8:06 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>>
>>> The VW dealer nearest to me, and the only one in Oklahoma City, is Cable
>>> Volkswagen.  Every time I have tried to get a part from Cable Volkswagen
>>> the response has been that it is an "obsolete vehicle," and that parts are
>>> not available.  Even parts that I have determined are available from the
>>> distributor, Cable refuses to even try to look up.  A new dealer has opened
>>> in Norman, and I have been told that it is a much better place to do
>>> business.  But, I haven't tried them yet.  mcneely
>>>
>>> ---- David Bjorkman <ddbjorkman@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
>>>
>>> --
>>> David McNeely
>>>
>>>