Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

vwguild

Will be available for 2004...Tip Only for Passat

kcc455

Does anyone know what the 2002 Passat Wagon 1.8T tow rating is?

I own a 2002 1.8T Wagon and am interested in occassionally towing a light trailer and wondered if this is possible.

Thank you.

ladybugnova

I leased a silver GLX manual w/ ESP on Friday night. Here's the deal I got:

MSRP: $29,600
Invoice: $27,106
Negotiated Price: $26,995.

Down payment: $2,000.

48 Month lease/12k mi year.

Residual: 48%.

Money factor: .00190 (4.56% int. rate).

Monthly payment: $356.

Hope this helps.

I love the car--it's awesome.

LBnova

r2s2

I have a 2001.5 GLX. Because I've had two cars and the Passat wasn't my daily driver until recently, it only has 9000 mi. No problems at all except the trademark VW interior snaps, crackles, pops and creaks once the temp drops below 60F or so. Had a 98 GLX and put 23,000 mi on it with no troubles. It had noises but far fewer than the current one. Also had 99 and 00 New Beetles -- no troubles except for TERRIBLE rattles all over the cars and esp. the hatches. Had 95 Jetta GL and 96 Jetta GLX -- no troubles except for minor rattles. Corrado and Sciroccos before them -- the same experience. Service, of course, either "cannot duplicate" or cannot fix any rattles.

I've loved driving all these cars, but darn those rattles and squeaks!

dudleyr

I think you can tow 2,000 lbs with the Passat, but the owners manual should say.

kcc455

Thank you for the Owners Manual suggestion. After some digging I found the 1.8T is rated for 1500 lbs. tow weight.

Thank you.

arjay1

Are you looking for the air filter under the hood for the engine or the air filter for the A/C system?
If it is the engine filter than it is in the front left corner of the engine bay (passenger side) when looking from the front of the car. There is a large black box with the air filter in it. You can trace the air intake hose for the engine to this box.
The filter is difficult to change. The box is hard to remove the lid from and not easy to work in at all. It takes patience but you can get it done. For me it was worth the effort to save what the shop would charge to change the filter and the spark plugs as well.

vocus

Did you change the Passat spark plugs? I plan to do my Jetta 1.8T's because the dealer wants ~$170 to do it...

arjay1

Yes, I change the plugs also. They are not difficult if you have the proper tools.
After removing the coil pack you will need a narrow spark plug socket with a 6" extension. Just put the socket and extension into the hole and you can remove the spark plug easily. Get a good spark plug socket that has a tight rubber washer inside to hold the spark plug as you pull it up.
Gap the new plug to the proper spec and insert it into the spark plug socket. Lower it into the hole and gently seat the plug being careful not to cross thread.
I probably spent an hour replacing the air filter and the four spark plugs. I figure that saved me close to $200 at the local shop. At least half of that time was the air cleaner, that thing is tough to get to.
R. J.

dudleyr

Buy a torque wrench to tighten the plugs - you really don't want to overtighten them. You are in deep do-do if you strip the threads. It is a very easy job though - especially if the dealer wants $170.

8u6hfd

anti-seize compound on the threads

cheap insurance for seizing

5speeder

I bought a 2002 Passat wagon several months ago with the "cold package" option. I enjoyed the heatable seats all winter but forgot that the rest of the package includes "heated washer nozzles". I guess I didn't notice those were even on the car and don't remember asking the salesman for an explanation. Would anyone care to explain just what these are and what their function is supposed to be? How can you tell if they are working or not?

8u6hfd

they only work when it's 40°F or colder, and it's on with the ignition. It's to prevent the washer nozzles from freezing

vocus

When you can spray the windshield when it's icy and cold outside, that's when they work.

bjbird2

The readers of Automobile Magazine in the May issue voted the Volkswagen Passat "Best Family Car" for 2003. One reader said "Practical without being a boring appliance. Take note Honda and Toyota."

vocus

The lastest issue of CR also chose the Passat as the top V6 family sedan over the Accord and Mazda6.

krzyss

It seems that the oldest design wins. I hope that VW wil not try to fix something what is not broken with new Passat.

Krzys

5speeder

thanks, 8u6 and vocus. That's kinda what I thought, but thought there had to be more to it than that. I've lived thru 17 Minnesota winters and had several cars before the Passat and never had a problem before with the nozzles freezing up. (When it gets down to 30 below you don't need to spray your windshield, anyway!) I love my Passat and my heated seats, but I think the nozzles are VW's "fix" for a non-existent problem. I shall relegate them to the "useless car options" bin!

outrun

The nozzles on the '96 Accord we traded in used to always freeze up during the winter (New England).

Didn't get a frozen jet this past winter, and it was REAL cold by New England standards.

-Craig

vocus

My Cavalier and Protege were the worst for frozen nozzles, because of their locations. I was glad to be able to spray the washer this past winter too. Especially with all the snowy [non-permissible content removed] coming off the road when driving.

big_guy

Depending on how they treat the roads when it snows can play a lot into the usefullness of the heated nozzles. They use a lot of salt on the roads around here when they clear snow off the roads and you get a lot of salt spray off the roads onto your windshield when driving around . . . even when it is below 30 degrees. Having a set of working wash nozzles is critical in these conditions or you will soon have a windshield that you can't see through.

5speeder

Several of you see the value of heated nozzles but I'm still not convinced.

big_guy, they use lots of salt on the roads here in MN, too--so much that sometimes it's hard to tell whether I have a blue car with white splotches or a white car with blue! Below 30 degrees you say? I was talking about 30 degrees *below zero*!

Since moving to MN in 1986, I've had 3 Nissans, a Camry, and a Jetta. None of these cars had heated nozzles, and not once did the nozzles freeze up on me. outrun & vocus, you mentioned having this problem with Honda, Chevy and Mitsu. Maybe it's related to certain makes of cars? Did you have anti-freeze washer fluid in the reservoir or just straight water?

outrun

I never mix water with washer fluid, even in the summer - just too lazy.

Cars that I've noticed get frozen jets:
Honda CRX
Honda Accord
Ford Explorer
Acura TL
Isuzu Rodeo

I owned a Volvo S70 T5 for a year and don't recall them freezing in the one winter I drove it through. Our '01 RX300 doesn't seem to have this problem.

I know that I don't have to worry about them freeze if they're heated. Another nice little feature that the CamCordIma doesn't have.

-Craig

wdubs

This weekend I tried to do the first oil change on my 2003 VW Passat 1.8T and was unable to find the oil pan or the oil drain plug. Does anyone know where I can find this? There is a big plastic cover under the car. It covers approximately half of the engine. I suspect that it might be under there but don't want to remove it unless it is necessary. I've done oil changes on our VW Cabrio and many other vehicles and have never had a problem finding the oil drain plug. Please help! Thanks!

caw103

You're correct. You have to remove the cover. You'll find 2 plugs. One is for oil and the other for transmission fluid.

Frozen nozzles - I have this occur on Mercury, Nissan/Infiniti and Toyotas in the past and I mix anti-freeze with the wiper fluid. It only happened after rain/snow and then freezing temps.

coe1

Have had my eye on a Passat for more than a year, but still wondering whether to spring for an additional 4/5K for the "Ultimate Driving Machine." In the meantime, has anyone had any experience with the new ESP (Electronic Stabilization Program)option on the 2003 Passat? Is it worth the additional money (about $300, I think). How helpful is it? Is it a reasonable alternative to 4 motion? Thanks for your input.

knielsen3

I just picked up 2003 Passat GLX wagon this weekend. I'm enjoying the car very much so far. I happened to price the windshield wiper blades at the dealer this weekend (this year/model has a new style blade - not sure if it's specific to the Passat) and was floored to find they want $45.00 PER BLADE ! I intend to start researching the availability of a replacement assembly tomorrow - if it costs me $50.00 per assembly to enable me to use common replacement blades, I'll do it. Has anyone researched this yet?

westrid_dad

Oh, I guess that would be an example of clairvoyance, oh well...

I think ESP is the smartest $280 you can spend. Its the only accessory I insisted upon when doing the dealer search for our 4Mo variant. It is not intended to do the same thing as 4Motion. It is primarily designed to keep you pointed in the direction you are intending to go, not so much providing for additional traction in slippery conditions. By monitoring the angle of the steering wheel in relationship to the angle the car is headed it will automatically cut power and/or apply brakes to the appropriate wheel(s) to get the car pointed in the correct direction again.

As wonderful as it can be, no, it will not defy all the laws of physics or incompetence. You can still end up in a snowbank if you're that out of control.

Thus far, I have only noticed it kicking in once. While driving up a snow covered pass and rounding a curve I went from a slushy spot to an icy spot. I started to feel the car plow a bit but then noticed the revs drop, felt a slight lurch, and then continued on through the corner, picking up a bit of acceleration again. I couldn't tell if the ESP light came on because the steering wheel spoke was blocking that part of the dash at the time.

Even if you are not going with 4Mo or do not think you will encounter especially snowy or icy conditions I still say go for it. It can certainly assist in dry conditions as well. I saw a video demonstrating the technology on Bosch's website awhile ago. It showed several examples of evasive driving maneuvers in which ESP helped the driver maintain control beyond what you might expect of a "normal" driver.

barelyg

I have a problem starting this car after it is started and runs for a very short time and then shut off and sits. Example: I start the car, pull out from the garage to wash or vacuum. Shut car off once outside. It runs for maybe 30-45 seconds. If I let the car sit for an hour or so while washing it and then try to start it again it cranks and cranks but never turns over. I can eventually get it started if I pump the accelerator frantically. But it still takes several minutes to get running. Once running it smokes severly from tail pipe. Dealer has no idea what it is and they say they cannot reproduce the problem. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

caw103

I have the same vehicle but a sedan and have had the same problem. I've had the same problem. Pulled out of garage and turned off the car and it won't start again. The 2nd time it happened I was unable to get it to restart for hours and eventually was towed to the dealer. The dealer couldn't start it and pushed it into the service bay to be checked the following day since it was closing time. The next morning it started up. I have heard theories about vapor lock and gear shifter not sitting squarely in park. I don't know the answer but I never start, move a few feet and turn it right off anymore. By letting the engine idle for say a minute after pulling out of the garage before shutoff, the problem has not re-occurred.

outrun

I think I read that the issue revolves around way the ECU thinks the car is warmed up when it's not, and the amount of fuel left in the cylinders when the engine is turned off when cold (the engine runs very rich when cold to heat up the cats faster to reduce emissions quicker).

The resolution is to not start the car and shut it off until the idle has dropped to the "warm" idle speed (850rpm or so). It should only take 2-3 minutes.

Just another quirk of owning one of the 10 best mass produced engines.

-Craig

ilmostro99

My wife & I are expecting our first kid soon and need a new car. We looked at a new Passat GLX and a Certified Preowned BMW 528i Wagon. They are the same price, well, the BMW is slightly more, nothing significant. The BMW wagon would be nice simply for the additional room it offers, the Passat would be nice because it is new (new car warranty, etc.) One factor is that we have a 100 lb. dog and we could take both the dog and the kid with the BMW (definite plus). It would be difficult in the Passat. The Certified Preowned program is through BMW and will offer aproximately 2 more years or 50,000 miles warranty on the BMW. Passat warranty is 4 years 50,000 miles. Anyone have any experience with both cars? Any advice? Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Erik

vocus

How come you can fit the dog and the kid in the 528 but not the Passat? I thought they were about the same size...

I personally would choose the new car for the warranty. You are going to have enough unscheduled expenses with a new baby, you don't need a used car to add to that. And BMWs (and VWs too) are expensive to work on. The BMW's warranty will not last as long as the VW's, and more things are apt to fail because it's older.

bjbird2

The Anco N21R's wiper blades saved me $64! You just have to pull the old rubber out of the aero blade, and slide in the replacement, after you pull the replacement out of the Anco plastic holder. There seems to be one end on the aero wiper where the plastic cap comes off. Slide the replacement on from the oppposite end. The end where the cap came off has a little barb under the cap that holds the blade in place. Pry that up so that the blade will slide all the way flush to the end, and then push the barb back down and replace the plastic end cap. The drivers side wiper seems to be shorter, so you'll have to trim a little off that blade after it is installed. This actually sounds more complicated than it actually is, just be patient sliding the wiper on the aero wiper, you have to kind of work it past the center of the arm, and just keep pulling it on, over the barb at the end.
Go to clubb5.com and do a search for wiper blades, you'll get all kinds of options. The Ancos have worked very well for me, no streaks at all.

outrun

Since he specifed 528 Wagon and only Passat GLX, I assume he's referring to the sedan.

If it's a GLX Wagon, then yes, they're about the same size.

-Craig

caw103

Yeah I would compare wagon to wagon or sedan to sedan. For the sake of argument if it's a 528 wagon vs a passat glx wagon, it sounds like the 528 is a MY99 with 50K miles since certified BMW's have a 6yr, 100K warranty.

So I'd buy the Passat new, but if I really wanted the BMW experience I'd pay more for a used 2001.

concept11

My 2003 Passat has too many problems to say. It is under warranty which is good (a pain to keep taking it back) but the dealer really has attitude. You would think that you would get a nicer reception when you buy a $32k car.

coe1

While I know there are other discussions on VW Passats and their quality issues--would appreciate hearing from Concept11 about the specific issues he has had with his 2003. I also read frequently about dealer "attitudes" when it comes to making the repairs. And speaking of BMWs, I would prefer a car with the better reliability record. My understanding from CR is that BMWs reliability is dropping (to below average) but that Passats have remained average with the 2000 MY forward. But VW quality continues to concern me.

bjbird2

Interesting concept11, your profile says you are shopping for a 2000 Honda. When did you buy the Passat and specifically what are the problems?

bjbird2

May 03 Consumer Reports ranked family sedans in the following order

1)Passat GLX V6
2)Camry XLE V6
3)Accord EX V6
4)Accord EX 4 cyl
5)Passat GLS 4 cyl
6)Camry LE
7)Altima 3.5
8)Mazda6 4cyl
9)Mazda6 V6
10)Altima 2.5

knielsen3

Hi BJBird2:

Thanks for the info. I'll look into the Anco N21Rs. I used to sell car parts (MANY years ago) - so changing the inserts will be no problem. Helped many a customer out in the pouring rain who waited too long to change blades. I don't see how these new blades can be a hundred dollars superior to regular old blades. I haven't checked them out yet in a downpour though (but the weather's supposed to get nice and rainy this weekend).

Thanks again
Knielsen3

krzyss

I bought 03 GLS 1.8T Wagon and I wonder about floor mats.
The front are mounted to the pins on the floor but rear do have holes but there are no mounting pins. Is there a problem ?

Krzys

altair4

Co slychac? (Sorry, Edmunds won't take the correct letters)

When my wagon was delivered, the pins were installed. It's my understanding that these are not a factory install item, but done by the dealer at final prep. Some folks like the pins, some think that they may cause carpet problems later. I've heard some people say that they found the bag of pins in their glove box. If you don't have them, I would think that your dealer would be able to provide a set, without charge. They're just threaded plastic pins. I got an extra set when I ordered a set VW Monster Mats from Drewparts in California.

krzyss

I called my dealer and left voice mail. I shall see what happens next.

Krzys

dudleyr

Passenger space may be the same between 528i and Passat, but the Passat wagon has more luggage space than the BMW, and therefore more room overall.

jpsmith

Haven't posted here in a while. Bought an '03 GL Tip, silver w/black cloth, ESP, about six weeks ago.

I have 2000 miles on the car so far. It has been absolutely flawless, and I love it. The black cloth is a lint magnet but looks and feels nice.

Mods so far: Monster floor mats (great), Beetle sunglass holder (replaces driver's overhead
handgrip), DRL's disabled by removing relay #173, Mikado garage door opener (goes in the blank spot on the console), Boogie alloy wheels (purchased on ebay for $175).

Mods to come: I have a Wetterauer chip ready to install, just waiting to put a few more miles on the car. Probably will do some stereo upgrades this summer.

I spend way too much time on the Clubb5 boards.

Enjoy your Passats!

vwguild

Congratulations!!! Welcome to the Volkswagen Family!!!

chazalu

My niece just purchased a 1998 Passat 1.8T with tiptronic transmission. It has 72,000 miles on it. Does this engine have a timing belt that needs replacement? If so, when should it be changed?

djdj

Today I test drove 2 2003 Passats; a GLX and 4 cyl GLS. Both were great. I didn't expect the turbo 4 to be as good as it was. I don't think the 6 is noticably faster but its quieter because you don't wind it out as often (although maybe the impulse to floor it passes once you own a Passat for a while).

The ride was so solid and smooth. The handling was so responsive I really enjoyed flying around corners.

My Mercedes dealer gave me C240 sedan loaner that I thought was nice but overpriced. After driving the GLX I know its overpriced, and undersized. I want to talk my wife into taking the ML (she wanted an SUV anyway) and getting myself the Passat.

I testdrove the new Maxima on Thursday and was very impressed by it. But it is soulless compared to the Passat. Lots of power but no steering feel.

The hard part is deciding which model to get. And color.

bjbird2

djdj. The four cylinder is almost as fast as the six, however it is lighter, gets better gas mileage (I get 30mpg on the highway with my 1.8T), is less expensive, and can actually be modified to be faster than the six, if you're so inclined. I think the only advantage to the six is the noise level (I like the sound of my turbo) and if you want 4-motion, it's only available with the six. You can also get more wood interior trim with the six.