First diesel!

[RVJJ]

So I just got my first diesel jetta for $800.
Things that need fixed
1. speedometer/odometer
2. Fuel gauge
3. stereo wont work fuses and all are good
4. Cigarette lighter wont work and the fuses for it are good to
5. when its in neutral and idling it makes an odd noise until the push the clutch in then it goes away until I let the clutch back out.

These problems didn't seem to bad for the car only being $800 it runs and drives good besides what I listed above.

anyone have any ideas on how to fix those things?

[82vdub]

Welcome to the forum and to the world of VW diesels. What year Jetta?

A couple comments. Please put your location in your profile. If you don't know how old the timing belt is, at a minimum, inspect it. If you don't know how old the fuel filter is, change it. If you're going to service the vehicle yourself, you need to get a Bentley repair manual as it will save you more headaches and money then the cost of the manual.

If the speedo and odometer both don't work, I suspect that the speedo cable is broken. Investigate this.

If the fuel gauge is not working, this could be a grounding issue, fuel pickup issue, or a broken wire leading between the fuel gauge and fuel pickup, or something wrong inside the instrument cluster.

Stereo and cigarette lighter, could be a broken wire, bad stereo, or a bad ground. Investigate this further and see what you can find out. Get a voltage meter and start finding out where the power disappears. Fuse is good, but do you have power coming out of the fuse type thinking.

On the trans, you may have some bad bearings or something in the trans. I'd check the fluid level in it before going too long. If it's a 5 speed, they are the highest gear in the trans and suffer the most when the fluid is low. My 4 speed trans makes a noise too when the clutch is engaged and not when it's disengaged, but it's been doing that for 100k miles.

Some of these issues have been addressed in the forum and can be searched for and read. Some of your questions need more input from you as you've only checked the fuse. Without providing more specifics, most initial answers are going to be basic in nature until you narrow down what is wrong or where the power stops in the circuit. This is where the Bentley comes in really handy. See what you can find out and provide more info and we'll see where we can further direct you.

[Fatmobile]

Like mentioned check the trany level but it's probably a clutch release bearing in the trany, can be replaced while on the car.

[300Dman]

On a Manual Transmission if the Shifter is in Neutral and the Clutch is released and is is making noise it is often the Input Shaft Bearing. However, on some Engines instead of a Bronze Pilot Bearing/Bushing there is actually a ball or needle Bearing in there so that could also be the cause of the Noise.
Safetly Jack the the Car up enough to get under the Car and Block the Wheels and use a Mechanics Stethoscope, piece of Wood or a large Screwdriver with you Ear on one end and the other end applied to what you want to listen to and you should be able to get some idea where the noise is coming From.

Also don't discount that the Lubricant level is too low; check that.

If the Clutch Realease/Throwoug Bearing is no good it usually only makes noise while you are steping on the Clutch Pedal. The exception would be if when you realease the Clutch Pedal the Clutch Release/Throw Out Bearing is still making contact with the Clutch. If it is not releasing competely and the Bearing is no good it will also make noise all of the time.

Concerning the Bently Manual. Many Years ago a New one was about $90+. Try to get a used on on eBay, Amazon or the Craig List.

[Fatmobile]

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around for the clutch release bearing noise.
I hear it when my foot isn't on the clutch.
It quits when clutch is engaged.