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Comments
How are you...your email adress???
Thanks.
In preparation for the winter in upstate New York, i am considering putting snow tires on my 02 1.8 Passat. Is it recommended to put them on all 4 wheels or just the Front? Also, could someone recommend a good low to mid priced tire that they would recommend. Lastly,how much do they affect the smoothness of the ride and the noise on the road? Thanks for all the past help as well.
I also have the radio controls on the steering
wheel and would like them to work with the xm radio.Any info would be appreciated.
I remember Craig posting info as to which relay to disconnect to disable them in order to prevent blowing out headlamps. I checked my car with the engine running and lights off and saw no evidence of daytime running lights! (Although I usually drive w/ my headlights on anyway).
Ty
Manual Transmission: Parking brake is off
Automatic Transmission: Vehicle is not in Park (I'm pretty sure on this one)
So if you have a manual, drive the car to flat ground, leave the parking brake off (and the car running), and take a look.
If you have an auto, I can't help you there, unless you can run really fast.
-Craig
Joel
Based on what i've read here, I plan on ordering a pair of upgraded replacement bulbs to have on hand anyway.
Anyone know of a good HP pedal replacement for the Passat. Gap between the stock break and throttle pedals is a little too wide for me to comfortably heel/toe downshift.
Ty
My dilemma is that I would prefer to use synthetic oil, which I would buy and bring in for the oil change (Mobil 1 5W30). Dealers say that is fine, I would just pay the labor and for the oil filter. Since when is an oil filter $20? I checked around and can get the Mobil 1 oil filter for $12 and the Fram X2 Premium filter for $10.
Was curious if anyone else has used synthetic oil and/or either filter (or other filters), and what the dealer has said (does this affect the warranty)?
Thanks!
There's a coupon on vw.com for a 4 cylinder oil change for $22.95. Says that the 6 cylinder change may vary (and will), but that $22.95 is for up to 5 quarts of oil.
If you're going synthetic, I recommend using Mobil1 0w-40 or Valvoline SynPower 5w-40. Those match more close to what VW recommends compared to 5w-30.
-Craig
You can disable them though. It's pretty simple.
NAPA Autoparts is supposed to be able to order Valvoline SynPower 5w-40. The one near me refuses to though.
-Craig
The Dunlop DS-1 scored highest for snow and ice performance according to Consumer reports and is not much over $50 a piece. The Kuhmo izenstud, and the Artic Alpin are not as good in snow and ice, but handle dry roads a little better.
I have Artic Alpins right now, and while they do handle well on the dry and fairly well on snow and ice, I think their lateral traction could be better. When they wear out I will purchase 4 new Dunlops. To me the best traction in winter weather is the name of the game.
With the headlight switch on off, push in the handle (takes some force), then turn to the right. This releases the holding mechanism.
2. Remove switch and disconnect the wiring connector
3. Locate the pin labeled TFL, take some electrical tape and cover that pin.
4. Reinstall.
However,I got into a discussin at work concerning the tiptronic. I asked an A4 owner if he uses it allot and the answer was no.. then someone else said there 1980 trans am automatic could be shifted as a manual... implying similar to the tiptronic... by using the D1 D2 D3? and then going into Drive.. This didn't seem right to me..am I beingt told the truth about the old automatics
With a normal auto:
Get the car to go 30 mph. Put the auto D3 (or D4). Stomp on the gas. What happens? The car will downshift into 2nd or maybe 1st.
With a tiptronic type auto:
Get the car to go 30 mph. Put the gear into 3rd (or 4th). Stomp on the gas. What happens? The car will stay in the selected gear all the way up to redline. No downshifting.
The tiptronic style shifters, if implemented properly, will hold any gear selected. A normal auto will deteremine if a downshift is needed. You can only control upshifts.
-Craig
Another major difference (there are others as well) is that you can force an upshift even at WOT in a Tip at well before red line. Older automatics - and many newer ones - when placed in a D2 or D3 position will allow the automatic to up- and down-shift within a reduced range of gears. In other words, D3 allows the trans. to select between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear - but locks out 4th.
Cheers,
- Ray
Who crossed both BMW and Infiniti G35 off the short list due to 'man-u-matic' implementations that are closer to this older technology than the current Tip . . .
Also, I am expecting my first child in May 03. Would the wagon form of the PAssat be better. I am the man in the family and my wife says I (I am 32.) must get rid of my sports car get a family sedan for the family.
Is the wagon too much 'family' and not enough 'sports' car? This new car will be mine but I do not want to have a car that is not sporty.
From what I see the Passat has less HP, less torque, more $$, less reliabilty (from what I read on this list), and less interior volume then an Accord. However, emotionally I prefer the Passat.
Please help!
You can spruce up the Passat to get more sporty pretensions (so you don't miss the sports car as much)
I would go and test drive all the cars you're considering. That way, you know for yourself how they feel, etc. Then make a decision from there. Good luck.
With regular automatics, you can put the shifter in the 1 or D1 position, then move it up manually. But you have to adhere to certain speeds and stuff (like staying under 50 in 2nd gear), and not go over. With the Tip, you move the shifter to the right into its gate, and shift as you wish. The computer will not let you downshift if that will shoot the engine over redline, so you don't have to worry about it.
The 1.8T will give you a heck of alot more power (whel chipped), and alot better economy, than the V6. It's also alot cheaper. Of course, if you want the GLX, you have to get the V6.
You might also wanna check out a site called http://www.vwvortex.com. They are very helpful there, and you can learn alot about any VW model.
As for the Altima, you have to post in that discussion before I can answer you. Sorry, this is Passat territory only!
Yes, another feature that I like about the Tip and some others may not: If you hit redline, the Tip will upshift. Some seem to prefer the intervention of an rpm limiter and keeping the trans. in the same gear. I find the sudden interruption of forward acceleration quite disconcerting and potentially dangerous. The sudden (and it was very sudden in my previous vehicle is I hit redline in 2nd gear) interruption of acceleration force to the drive wheels can certainly upset the car’s balance.
But my point was that you can force an upshift at any throttle opening at any rpm that the motor will pull in the higher gear. For example, I often accelerate at or close to WOT in third gear to something above 45 mph, then slap the Tip forward quickly twice in succession. The Tip will shift to 4th and then to 5th. In many other implementations of man-u-matics (BMW in particular) will NOT allow an upshift at WOT. If you keep the throttle wide open, the trans. will simply ignore any attempt to upshift until the engine reaches maximum revs. Seems an odd engineering choice to me.
Cheers,
- Ray
Who simply prefers the Tip to others – and does not mean to suggest that it is better – just better for how I like to drive . . .
As for "peppier". The V6 will give you more "jump" off the line, but the 1.8T will give more of a rush once the revs hit 2500rpm+.
Throw a chip ($500 for a nice one) into the 1.8T, and you'll beat a V6 in all respects hands down (including better gas mileage).
The wagon (variant) isn't less sporty than a sedan. It just looks boxier, but the driving dynamics are very close. It weighs more (not much) and costs $500 more. But it does give you a lot more room to carry things, especially with kids.
I chose a sedan since our '01 RX300 performs our kid carrying duties.
-Craig
What kinda car do you have now?
The only thing I don't like about the tip in the TL is one can't start in 2nd using the tip mode. This would be great for winter mode, although I could move the gate to "2", which WOULD start in 2nd.
Personally, I think that the user should be allowed to select whatever gear he/she wants at any point in time (of course preventing over revving from down shifting), and the computer should act "dumb" and just do it. That's what the user experienced with a manual. And isn't that what the tip is supposed to simulate?
-Craig
Does Passat's tip do this?
Edit: I looked on http://www.NADAguides.com for your car's value, and they said it's worth about $3000. That would translate into saving about $60 a month on a typical 5-year auto loan. It might be worth it to trade, but it's a decision you will have to make..
And I've read some horror stories of the Honda transmissions blowing at a pretty high clip these days.
-Craig
That is the sound of the secondary pump and it a normal noise for the Passats. It should only happen when the start the car, and not anytime after you drive it.
It's annoying, and disconcerting for new owners, but it does seem to get better in time.