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Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

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    onlysurferonlysurfer Member Posts: 96
    Diondonne, I did it! The rubber acordion boot is easy to pull out with out damaging it, I just had to apply a bit more force then I thought would require for this type of operation. It was easy to snap the wire plug (the bottom black one) and get it working. Thanks for the tip.

    happy camper
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    tapp3tapp3 Member Posts: 12
    Gee how'd you get so good! ;) I mean you really know what I need.... :blush: (Okay I'd better stop) Seriously you were such a help! I took the car today to a local shop and ask them to look at the "belly pan" ? ? ? And he re attached it for me, and didn't even charge me a penny. He gave it a good once over and said he thought it look and sounded as if it were in terrific shape.
    One more thing.. How do you know if the timing belt needs to be replaced? I'm assuming now since I ask him if it looked like it was about to brake, that it's not an actual rubber belt??? I think that it would be best to take it to the VW Dealership. (Correct) I should do that anyway I think.

    Thanks,
    Vicki
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Vicki, that was good news about the belly pan. It's only plastic, but it is pricey and you need it to hold other things in proper position, like the wheel well liners.

    The timing belt actually is reinforced rubber. It is scheduled for replacement at 105,000 miles, if you follow VW's recommendation. I don't recommend that. Your car has what is known as an "interference" engine design (lotsa cars do). That means that if the belt snaps while the engine is running, the intake and exhaust valves above the pistons will stop moving up and down. Unfortunately, the pistons don't stop and they strike and damage the valves. The repair cost is expensive (I've seen prices in the $2,000 or more range) and takes time (meaning you don't have your car).

    Common wisdom is to change the timing belt at 60,000 mile intervals (the people who write the service manual for VW agree with the 60K change, too). The belt should have been checked at the 40,000 mile service, but all that means is they visually took a peek at it. When you get the timing belt changed, you should also change out the hardware that's in the same area...belt tensioner, water pump, thermostat, other drive belts, etc. Even though this maintenance is expensive, it's much cheaper than rebuilding the top of the engine and/or replacing those other parts later; you'll save a lot of labor this way. Tune back in to these forums later when it's time for that service, for more exact details.

    You can find your full maintenance schedule here by entering your model and year:
    http://www.vw.com/spweb/pages/spweb/serv_maint_part.jsp

    Remember, don't skimp on the synthetic oil or try to lenghten the oil change interval!

    Oh, one more thing...with your hand, check all of the carpeting in the front and back footwells. Make sure that it is dry. These cars have a tendency to leak water through the cabin air system. The problem with that is that there are important electronic components under the carpets - you don't want these to get wet.

    Here's a link on addressing that issue:
    http://www.weirdlittlebiscuit.com/passat/leak/

    It's been fun! Good luck with your new car.
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    passat3passat3 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 1996 Passat about a year ago and have been in 'nightmare' mode ever since. The CHECK ENGINE light comes on literally once a week; so far I've replaced air hoses, sensors, and 3 or 4 other items. Any ideas out there as to why this light comes on literally once a week?

    Is anyone aware of a good, honest Passat mechanic in the Denver area?

    Help ! This car is driving me to bankruptcy....

    jrpc5@yahoo.com
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    fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I am very sorry to hear about the problems you are having with your 1996 Passat. Did you get the car inspected by a mechanic before you purchased it?

    How many miles are on the Passat?

    Also, remember it is a 10 year old car. It shouldn't be surprising you are having problems with it.
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    hrngffcrhrngffcr Member Posts: 90
    I used to be a big booster for VW Passats. I'm not so sure now. I have recently had to replace CV boots in 2001 sedan at 46,000 and CV boots in 2003 wagon at only 41,000. Is it just me, or does that seem to be really premature for both vehicles. The 2001 was out of warranty and VW wouldn't even talk about a compromise. I havn't talked to them yet about the 2003. I've had cars that have gone at least twice as long before needing CV boots.
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    brozhnikbrozhnik Member Posts: 172
    Sorry to hear this about the CV boots- sounds costly!
    But you've asked the question it raised for me too: is it a Passat problem or was it just lightning striking you twice?
    Here's one (possibly??? diagnostic?) question: is there anything rough about the roads you drive? According to carcare.org (run by the aftermarket industry association - http://www.carcare.org/Drivetrain/cv_joints.shtml ), in general, "Have your car’s CV boots inspected at every oil change. CV boots can be easily damaged from rocks, sticks, ice and just normal wear."
    So if rocky roads or bad winters could do CV boots in - had any of those? (I think about the lousy road surfaces I have to drive and wonder why my suspension hasn't broken yet, but that's another issue.)
    For what it's worth, MSN Carpoint doesn't find the suspension to be a particularly unreliable part of the '03 Passat - it lists only the Mass Airflow Sensor and the Convenience Central Control Unit, and these as "occasional": http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2003&make=Volkswagen&mod- el=Passat&trimid=-1
    Anybody know more about this source?
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    hrngffcrhrngffcr Member Posts: 90
    I don't think it is any of the road conditions. We don't have any dirt or rock roads that we drive on, we live in the city so not a lot of country roads, and we live in East Texas and haven't had a cold winter or ice in the last couple of years (unfortunately, as the bugs don't get killed off in the winter). If it was an isolated stick or rock, I wouldn't think that both boots of both cars would have been struck.

    It could just be bad (and, you're right, expensive luck). That's why I thought I would post the question here--to see if others had had the same experience with the boots. I'm still open to responses from any others who might have experienced the problem with Passat CV boots.
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    rphwackrphwack Member Posts: 21
    I had a 1992 Maxima that had the CV Boots repaired 3 times. The dealer would always tell me that they were torn and that they had to be replaced. It's only rubber so I guess that it tears easy. I honestly wouldn't have known if they didn't tell me. I don't even know the symptoms of a bad CV Boot. I don't necessarily think its a problem with the CV Boot itself. It's probably one of the hazards of owning a front-wheel drive vehicle.
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    krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    is not that important. It is what it protects that is.
    Is CV boot integrated with other parts? It should be wear item so it should be stand alone part.

    Krzys
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You wrote:
    I don't even know the symptoms of a bad CV Boot.

    A torn boot will allow the grease to leak out. Usually, most people notice the tear once the see grease staining the wheel rim or notice the grease thrown around the wheelwell liner. Sometimes you can save the joint by just repacking the joint with grease and replacing the boot.

    If that escapes your notice, you'll eventually notice a clicking sound will develop in the affected CV joint. That's a sign that the grease has leaked out and contaminants have gotten into the joint, which ruins it. The half shaft usually gets replaced at that point.
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    sxytaz808sxytaz808 Member Posts: 4
    i have a 2001 passat with 48,000. we noticed a cracking noise whenever we turn right. my husband checked it out and thought it was just the cv boot broken. when we went to the get the part we were told that if it makes that noise the we have to replace the whole cv joint/shaft. i live in fort drum, ny. there's only 1 vw dealership n they dont have the part. we bought it at carquest and come to find out bolt pattern didnt match with our car. we just ended up paying for the labor n had the old one put back in. right now we have no choice but to just take a risk and drive our car. would this make it worst? is there another alternative. its hard to find parts in this small town we live in.....
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    A VW dealer and they can't get the part for your vehicle? :confuse: That, in and of itself, is troubling. Anyway....

    Once the joint is damaged and clicking, you've got to replace it.

    If I understand you correctly, you've reinstalled the original CV joint, the one that was clicking. The problem is that eventually the joint will fail (and probably at the most inconvenient time and place). Not only is it inconvenient, it's dangerous, as well, since that effectively removes all power from one drive wheel. You can get a replacement axle from:

    http://www.raxles.com/

    I've read on other forums that people have had great success with their products (I have been lucky enough not to need one yet, so I can't give a personal recommendation). Worth looking into it...
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    sxytaz808sxytaz808 Member Posts: 4
    yup our only VW dealer didnt have the part the day that we were there so we didnt have a choice but put the old one in. thanks for the website, i'll have my husband check it out...
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    The thing about Raxles.com is that they use a new joint on their half shafts. In the past, I've used rebuilt shafts that were sloppy right after they were put on the car. I think there was too much play left in the joint. I think these would be good.
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    hrngffcrhrngffcr Member Posts: 90
    Thanks for all the feedback. Looks like there's no firm basis to call and gripe at VW customer service. It could be related to front wheel drive, as all my prior vehicles before the Passats were rear wheel drive.
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    brenda_modbrenda_mod Member Posts: 1
    hi all,
    i'm looking into buyong a 2000 vw passat wagon. it's a gls , 4-cylinder, 1.8 liter. it has around 69,000 miles on it. it has had one owner. she's real pretty, but i've been reading some major horror stories about the passat and passat wagon.
    any advice?
    many thanks,
    brenda
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    tapp3tapp3 Member Posts: 12
    Hey altair4, just after my last post, I took my 02 Passat to a VW Mec here in town. I just wanted a good once over and see if there was any minor or major he could foresee.
    And guess what the first thing he saw was???? I had the broken CV boot. He order the replacements for $15 for the pair. He did tel me that this could have been a very expensive had it gone very long without repair. I did have to have the cabin filter and air filter changed. And I went ahead and had him change the oil making sure he used the correct oil. After checking where the car's oil was last changed I found out that they did not use the right type of oil. He also changed the brake fluid and reminded me that it needs to be changed every two years. So this visit has ended up costing at least $500. I hope that it has saved me the BIG $$$$ down the road.
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Hey, Vicki...

    Spending $500 to get the car into shape isn't that uncommon on a pre-owned car. Can you break out the costs? I'm curious how much the boot replacement and the oil change cost (if you don't mind sharing).

    Hope it all works out well. Save all of your receipts for this car, especially the oil changes.
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    starshipxxxstarshipxxx Member Posts: 1
    I hope someone can HELP....Yesterday the power door locks and the sun roof, dome light, trunk switch, gas door won`t open, the Multifnction Indicator on dash stopped working, Odometer resets itself every time you start the car, The trunk open light stays on, Alarm don`t work and clock don`t work. Is this all related to one relay? I can`t find the relays or fuses. none under the drivers side panal have any of the above indicated. Where in the car are they located?
    Can some one help me?
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I'm only guessing here, but my first guess would be the Comfort Control Module located under the carpeting. Can't remember if it's on the driver's side or passenger side. I'm guessing you have a water intrusion problem and your CCM is shorting. Others may have more valid suggestions.

    The fuse and relay block are located behind the plastic panel on the driver's end of the dashboard - it's only visible when the driver's door is open.
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    tapp3tapp3 Member Posts: 12
    Sure I'd be happy to share. The breakdown of the cost goes like this. OIL $32.50, FILTER 8.50, AIR FILTER 22.18,CABIN FILTER 18.95, AXLE CLAMPS (2) 8.00 GREASED AXLES (2) 17.98, BRAKE FLUID (EMPTY & RENEW)12.00,REATTACHED THE BELLY PAN 31.32. FOR A TOTAL OF $151.43 PARTS AND $276 FOR LABOR. I feel as if it was a good investment. At least now I know the computer systems check over was great. I would never have known about the axle boots, which would have cost me a ton in the long run. And then the peace of mind just knowing that the oil filter and the air filters are new is great. I would neber have had the oil checked if I hadn't checked out this website and read your post altair4! :) So to you I owe a homemade banana pudding! (Blue Ribbon Prize winning I minght add!) Thanks again for all your tips and help! Keep up the good work!
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    haley821haley821 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a new 2006 Passat a couple of months ago. This morning, the engine started shaking. I turned off the car, waited a few minutes, and restarted. The same thing happened...something in the engine is causing the car to shake. Has anyone experienced this? If so, what was the problem?
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    hawghawg Member Posts: 4
    My '03 Passat sedan with a 1.8 T engine surged all the way up to 7000 RPM. I shut it off, and on my first attempt to restart it began to race again; on the second attempt, it ran normally. I drove home (about 1.5 km), experiencing several surges which I controlled by judicious use of the brakes - otherwise I would have rear-ended cars several times. No warning light ever did show, even while it was in the midst of the high rev. events. I had it towed to the nearestt dealership; the Service Manager has never heard of such a problem. Anyone with a similar experience?
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    memthemercilesmemthemerciles Member Posts: 2
    What if it's not the coils . I'm working on one that has no signal to the #2 coil ! changed it 2x and no spark checked the puls to the coil got nothing any clues?
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    memthemercilesmemthemerciles Member Posts: 2
    OK so i checked the cute coils on top of the head and there all good ! what i found is there is no signal to the #2 coil ! What are some causes (if any ) so i can track this problem Signed Tech without a direction!
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    missyv1302missyv1302 Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a 2002 Passat with 40,000 miles on it. I noticed recently that it is making a clicking noise, it seems to be coming from the dashboard on the drivers side. I don't believe it has anything to do with the dashboard since it is a distinct clicking rather than rattling. It seems only to do it when you are accelerating and then stops.

    Anyone have any ideas on what it might be or have had the same problem??
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    robb555robb555 Member Posts: 2
    My wife has a 2001 Passat V6Auto with 70,000 miles, Yesterday she took it a local shop for an oil change, the shop called me at work and said the right CV boot had a hole in it and the joint needed to be replaced ($325)because they could hear a little clicking. I told them to not to do it and I would talk to her and get back to them. The car had been serviced at the VW dealer at 65,000 which was only 2 1/2 months ago and they had said nothing, When I got home today I took a look to see what the damage was and when I looked at the boot it is tore all the way around and looks to my like it could have been cut. I need to know if is common for the outer CV booth on this car to be damaged in this manner. I can understand a hole or tear but am not sure if it should go all the way around the boot since the damage is in one of the valleys maybe once it starts the damage just follows the seam, I don’t know. The other side looks fine. Thanks Rob
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    robb555robb555 Member Posts: 2
    My wife has a 2001 Passat V6Auto with 70,000 miles, Yesterday she took it a local shop for an oil change, the shop called me at work and said the right CV boot had a hole in it and the joint needed to be replaced ($325)because they could hear a little clicking. I told them to not to do it and I would talk to her and get back to them. The car had been serviced at the VW dealer at 65,000 which was only 2 1/2 months ago and they had said nothing, When
    I got home today I took a look to see what the damage was and when I looked at the boot it is tore all the way around and looks to my like it could have been cut. I need to know if is common for the outer CV booth on this car to be damaged in this manner. I can understand a hole or tear but am not sure if it should go all the way around the boot since the damage is in one of the valleys maybe once it starts the damage just follows the seam, I don’t know. The other side looks fine. Thanks Rob
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    fgiorgiafgiorgia Member Posts: 4
    Hello,

    I am quite happy with my 2002 1.8 T manual Passat. The car has about 49,000 mi and so far no serious issues to spedak of. However, in the past year or so I have noticed that the car does not start when I turn the key, nothing at all happens. After three or four attempts the engine starts. I had it inspected by a VW dealership and I was told that the technician could not "reproduce the problem", although it happens 9 out of 10 times when I start the engine.

    I am wondering if anyone on this board had experienced this problem and if so what is due to.

    Thank you for any advices.
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    fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    Battery getting weak?
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You wrote:

    I can understand a hole or tear but am not sure if it should go all the way around the boot since the damage is in one of the valleys maybe once it starts the damage just follows the seam, I don’t know.

    I can tell you from past experience on other FWD vehicles that a tear in the boot will eventually go all the way around the boot. I had it happen on one of my wife's cars. It looked exactly as you describe.
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    Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah, it's a normal type of tear. If you cleaned the tear and looked closely, you could easily tell a tear from a knife cut. Certainly 70K miles is more than enough for a CV boot to tear--many don't last that long. Once it tears and rain water gets in, the joint can be damaged. Most shops are lazy and won't just replace the boot, but would rather install a complete rebuild kit. It's less risky for them, too.
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    lastorylastory Member Posts: 13
    I've had my 2006 Passat three weeks and the car had to already go in for 3 days because of an airbag malfunction and apparently only one place in the entire country carries this specific part they need. This sounds very reminencent of the numerous brake light malfunctions I had with my 2003 Passat.
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    terrilynne88terrilynne88 Member Posts: 2
    2 days ago, I noticed oil in my driveway. I added 2 quarts of the appropriate oil to make sure there was oil in it before taking it to the shop my husband works at. He looked at it today and said there was oil in the cooling system. He asked if it had ever overheated, which it has not since I purchased it about 15 months ago. What would cause oil to get into the cooling system?
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    My first guess would be that the oil cooler (the box above the oil filter) or the gasket has failed and allowed oil into the coolant. Not an uncommon failure.
    image

    The other guess would be that the head gasket has failed. That's why your tech is asking about an overheat situation. Pray for the former, 'cause the latter is going to be very expensive.

    Is the shop handling this a VW dealer or an independent that works frequently on VW/Audis? If not, you might be well advised to get it to someone familiar with these cars.

    What engine do you have - the turbo 4 or the V6? How many miles on it?
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    terrilynne88terrilynne88 Member Posts: 2
    I have the Turbo with 76k miles. The shop will probably handle, as my husband is European and has worked on VW's for years. (I must explain why I'm asking this question of a forum and not the mechanic husband...we have somewhat of a language/knowledge barrier between us and I'd much rather deal with someone who can explain in layman's terms and in english)
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    pweppnerpweppner Member Posts: 2
    I just bought a 2006 Passat 3.6 4motion. I have am experiencing the same problem w/ only 250 miles on the vehicle. The shaking is intermittent...sometimes severe...sometimes it mild. It seems to happen when the vehicle is either in the "Park" gear or when I have the brakes gently pressed. I am taking the vehicle in for service today so I will put up a posting once VW diagnosis the problem.

    This problem isn't the reason why I requested it to be serviced. My original problem was the speed setting under the "winter tires" configuration wasn't working. After driving another 125 miles the speed setting decided it wanted to work. I haven't had a problem with it since. But, now the headlight washers don't work. The washers did work when I tested the compenents during the first 2 days of owning the vehicle.

    This is my first VW, needless to say I am not starting off on the right foot!
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    pweppnerpweppner Member Posts: 2
    Haley821-

    VW had to keep my car over the holiday weekend since they couldn't fix the problem and need to escalate. After doing more research I have discovered we are not alone. Check out this thread.

    http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2619540
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    nomovwsnomovws Member Posts: 1
    We love our 1.8 turbo when it runs, but it is not worth the anxieties. Here is a brief breakdown of our last 3 years (bought new, maintained properly)
    1. brakes needed replacement 27k, 425$
    2. water pump replacement
    3. tires @30k
    4. 3 hub caps @ 45$ ea.
    5. wipers at 25$ ea. (dealer only item)
    6. cv boots @ 50K, 375$
    7. brakes again 52k 425$
    8. dash lights.
    9. glove box.
    10. brakes again, 62k, this time I did them myself (i am NOT a VW certified mechanic) for about $100 in parts, discovered the reason they were burning out so fast (improper auto adjustment) and fixed the real problem.
    11. Check engine light (vacuum leak?) 250$
    12. oil pickup tube replacement 831$
    13. Another check engine light, (vacuum leak?) 10$ part, 176$ labor. This was 1 week after the first check engine.
    14. Another set of tires. 300$
    15. Normal maintenance, oil changes, transmission, fuel filters, air filters, alignments, etc.

    In the last month we have spent almost 2k on this car and have not been able to drive for 1 week without a problem. It just turned 70k miles. My wife likes the car, but it is a lot more expensive to operate than other cars we have owned. By comparison, in the same 3 years, I also put 70k miles on my 96 toyota truck (200k-270k) with only oil changes and tires. I seriously doubt I could afford to keep a Passat running till it reached 200k miles. It appears that the German engineering violates the KISS principle so vastly that these cars will continue to be a big headache. Also, VW does not release their OEM parts to the parts stores for up to 3 years, forcing you to pay dealer prices. To me, that indicates that VW expects to profit on your misery. We are going to trade in this VW for a Sequoia or Highlander on monday.
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You wrote:

    12. oil pickup tube replacement 831$

    I'd like to hear the story on this. The only cars I've heard that have had this done were coking the engine oil, often from either not using synthetic oil or not changing frequently enough. Please share your story! I'm guessing you have an '03 with the 1.8T - so do I - but I'm watching for various issues and your information would be welcome.
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    habeckshabecks Member Posts: 2
    My husband and I have a 2003 Passat 1.8T with 75K miles on it. It has been a great car - no serious problems. We've had a little bit of difficulty with the brake lights sticking on periodically but are in the process of trying to fix that. Anyhow, we were curious if anyone out there could give us a heads up as to what kind of future we might be looking at with this car.
    Anyone know when...
    The transmission will need to be replaced?
    or any other problems we might incur?
    We love the car but don't want to have to pile tons of $ into it when it might not be worth it.
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    You wrote:

    We've had a little bit of difficulty with the brake lights sticking on periodically but are in the process of trying to fix that.

    In all likelihood, it's the brake light switch on the brake pedal. Not an uncommon failure.

    You don't say whether you have a manual or tiptronic transmission. Both are pretty robust units.

    If you haven't already done it, you are facing a large maintenance issue now. Although the manual will tell you that it's due at 105,000 miles, common wisdom on the Passat has been to change the timing belt early (like any time beyond 60,000 miles). And along with the TB, you might as well get the water pump, thermostat, tensioner and other associated bits in the same area done. The labor to gain access to this part of the engine is such that it just makes sense to do it all while doing the timing belt.

    Like many other manufacturers' engines, the Passat's design is an interference type. That means if the timing belt fails, the valve train in the top half of the engine suffers extensive (and expensive) damage.
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    habeckshabecks Member Posts: 2
    THANKS!

    I changed the Break Light Switch yesterday evening, which lead me to posting my original message.

    I do have a tiptronic transmission.

    Do you know what the cost would be of all these things? ie. Timing belt, water pump, thermostat, tensioner, etc. I assume it all needs to be done at the dealer?

    I suppose I am in limbo as to whether to get a new Passat or just perform the maintenance on the old one!
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    afeldmannafeldmann Member Posts: 2
    We've been experiencing the same intermittent problems, which have now escalated somewhat. For both front windows the one-touch option works only occasionally, and sometimes one or both windows don't open at all. The car behaved itself, however, every time we brought it in to get the windows fixed. Tonight we just dropped the car off to get this problem looked at for the 4th time. This time we have proof though...both front windows are stuck in the full open position. We are also unable to open the windows from the remote.

    We tried debugging this problem a bit to try to narrow it down for the mechanics since the damn car refused to show it's true colors while at the dealership. Sometimes it seemed to only be a problem if the car was stopped at a traffic light, then it switched to when the car was driving fast, then it seemed the temperature outdoors may have been a contributing factor, then I started checking the cycle of the moon and what day and time of the week it was. The car is toying with us.

    Were your problems ever resolved?
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    brozhnikbrozhnik Member Posts: 172
    Habecks -
    My '03 Passat 1.8T has 55K miles (trouble-free, basically), but I'm starting to price these things too, thanks to the sage advice of Altair. A local mechanic with a top-notch reputation quoted me $558 for the timing belt/ water pump/ thermostat/ tensioner (plus tax). Haven't priced the dealer yet (I will, but I assume it's more) or other shops.
    So there's one possibility.

    BTW, any reason why I should NOT go to this guy for this - is there a reason to prefer the dealer?

    And Altair, as we discussed once, it's almost all highway miles - nowhere near as much starting and stopping as in city driving - does that mean the belt lasts longer, and that I can put it off to 70 K, or no? Or is it all a matter of heat degrading the rubber in the belt?
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    altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    If the mechanic is familiar with the Passat (since it has its quirks) then I'd let him have at it. Just make sure you get quality parts and everything should be fine. That sounds like a pretty reasonable price. I'll go out on a limb here and guess that you will find the dealership quote will be twice that amount. Just for fun, post it when you call them!

    As you note, highway mileage is easier on a car than stop-n-go. Man, I'd feel bad advising you to wait until a certain mileage point and have the thing snap just before then. So...yes, no, maybe...you'll have to make up your own mind on that one!

    I will say this - I waited until 85K and 7 years 11 months before I had the TB done on my wife's Honda. As you might guess, I had an extended warranty that lasted for 8 years... ;)
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    abab3abab3 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    I got a new Passat end of April 2006 (2.0 TDI). For one week, a warning lamp (pre-heat sign) is sometimes blinking and the display says motor malfunction, motor power goes down until I turn ignition off and on again. Problem comes again after 20-30 miles

    in Garage they looked at it and they said it's probably a fault in electric connection in motor, but they have no idea what it is, computer doesn' t show.

    Anybody with the same issue ?
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    fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    What garage have you taken it to? If thats the answer the dealer gave you, that is unaccedptable. Call VWoA!!!!!!
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    iontiont Member Posts: 3
    Hi everybody. It is the first time I write on this forum, but I have been reading it since I moved to US (from Europe) three years ago. Thanks to all of you for "donating" your time, spare or precious, and answer (and ask unfortunately sometimes) questions: it is very appreciated by everyone, I am sure.
    I own a 2001 Passat V6, the new shape, and it has 60k miles. In my opinion, it is a good car :) . I already know I need to replace the CVs because I hear the clicks whenever turning to left, but what bothers me the most is the burning smell that comes through the vents.
    After 10min of driving, I open the hood, and every time there is smoke coming from under the air filter box and the engine itslef. The way the car is build, it is impossible to see where it is coming from. I would say it smells like oil leaking on hot exhaust pipes, but I don't know. Sometimes I think is burned plastic, or maybe not. I took it to a mechanic, and he found many oil leaks here and there, that where corrected by tightening bolts all over the place (on the engine). They were all loose - unbelievable. Even the oil temperature sensor was loose and leaking.
    Anyway, the problem is still not corrected :confuse: . Took it to the VW dealership in Orlando, FL (where I live) and they didn't know what they were doing, either.
    Any advice is well received and appreciated.

    all the best,
    ion
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