Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

wileeeb · October 2006

Yes, I filed a complaint with NHTSA. I also sent an Email listing complaints for the exact same problem on this web site from 32 separate users. I also sent their corporate office in Gernany a listing showing there were 32 separate complaints for the same problem, at one web site alone. In addition, I am going to forward this information to an online Class Action Attorney website. For VW to KNOW there is a safety issue and not mandate a recall for the VW and Audi engines that have this SYSTEMIC, KNOWN ABW/BRAKE light SAFETY problem is something for which VW should be penalized. I also filed a complaint with this web site:
http://www.autosafety.org/.

krzyss · October 2006

Imagine
If I connect my Amazingly Expensive HDTV set to wrong voltage it will smoke. Whose fault is this? Installer if they did this, not manufacturer.

ABS, ESL and ESP all rely on wheel speed. By putting one different tire you just mess up with system inputs. I cannot blame manufacturer for assuming that user will use proper tires, at least 4 identical tires.

I assure you that if you did this to any AWD (is your VW 4Motion ?) vehicle you would need new center differential.

Now system with messed up intputs will have messed up outputs (garbage in garbage out). Did you check brakes after tire adventure? ESL and ESP use wheel braking to achive what they are designed to do. I would have brakes inspected and I think your brilliant tire installer should pay the bill.

Not checking tires was their fault.

Krzys

krzyss · October 2006

"The tire dealer gave me FOUR new tires when I explained the problems he had caused me. I demanded four tires otherwise the wear and tear was different and I didn't know what problems I might have caused by having three matching tires and one smaller tire."

Maybe what you are experiencing with your braking is "I didn't know what problems I might have caused by having three matching tires and one smaller tire". I suspect that you driving with mismatched tires is related to what you see, by the way how long did you drive on them?

Krzys

wileeeb · October 2006

Yes, the brakes were checked after the tire tire dilemma from Mar 2005 (19 months ago). Since then I have had the following routine brake maintenance: brakes installed, brake system flush, electrical system checked by the dealership, plus axles replaced instead of just getting new CV boots when they were torn.

wileeeb · October 2006

I looked up the paperwork and here is more of the tire story. I bought new tires in Dec 2004 that were installed with balancing, etc. Everything seemed OK. In Mar 2005 I had an oil change plus tire rotation. After leaving the maintenance shop, my car stalled pulling out of the maintenance shop, on the way home, etc. I went back to the maintenance shop and they explained whatever was wrong had to be a coincidence. A few days later after under going many more stalls I took it to the dealer. They hooked the car up to their computers but could find nothing wrong. They took it for a test drive and experienced the same kind of stalls I experiended. The mechanic noticed the smaller sized tire near on the driver's side. I forget his reasoning why, but he did have an explanation as to why a smaller tire in the back would be no problem, but a smaller tire up front would cause the car to react differently. Since Mar 2005, related to brakes, I have installed new brakes, had a brake flush, rack and pinion steering replaced, axles with CV boots attached installed, plus an electrical check up by the dealer.

The current ABS/BRAKE lights could possibly be related (19 months) later, but the cause and effect seems doubtful. Especially, since the car has been back to the dealer for other things (window regulators, head lights, cooling/heating, etc,) since then.

1vwman · November 2006

there are updates for ecu flashing depending upon your ecu pert #

1vwman · November 2006

sounds like the switch under the e-brake is broke..if the switch is up like if the handle is pulled the lights will be off and the dash light will be on...

bdixon1 · November 2006

When driving at certain speeds, i.e. 40mph, it feels like the automatic transmission does not know what gear it wants to be in. It shimmy's and shakes a little while wavering between gears. If I give it plenty of gas while accelerating this is not a problem, but when slowly accelerating it does this quite often.
Is this a transmission issue, or a fuel issue?
Any thoughts or suggestions?

dingstuff · November 2006

I would like to hear from either of you. I am taking my 2006 Passat wagon in on Friday for the Anti slip light and the brake lights staying on because of it. The other alternative the dealer told me was to disconnect te battery cable until I could get it in for service. Well then the doors don't lock and the hatch won't open and the time has to be reset. WHAT A PAIN! Now in the past 2 days since I called, the Glow Plug light for my diesel flashes and a warning light comes up "Immediate Engine Service."

The soonest I could get it in was this Friday.

Are there any other records of the Anti Slip light problem being a broader issue than I am aware of? I just know because I am a woman the dealar is going to screw with me.

Any suggestions would be most helpful. Feel free to email me direct....jhan.price@gmail.com :confuse:

altair4 · November 2006

Dingstuff, I'm getting confused reading your note.

If I'm reading this correctly, your ASR light on your 2006 Passat Wagon is on and the brake lights (on the rear of the car) are staying on. Do you mean ABS light, by chance?

I'm sure you are concerned about your battery dying from the lights staying on when the ignition is shut off. You could (at least you could on the older models, pre-2006) simply pull the fuse for brake lights. That way all other electrical functions would work and the clock won't have to be reset. Of course, you won't have any functional brake lights - if you put the fuse back in, they'll always be on, but that's better than no brake lights at all.

Is your model year a typo? Edmunds doesn't show a turbodiesel engine available on the '06 model, but it does for the '05 model.

If you in fact have an '05 model, the switch on the brake pedal may be bad. I had this happen on my '03 and it was covered under the original warranty. Post a little more detail and maybe we can help you get to the bottom of this.

dtearly · November 2006

The malfunction indicator lamp recently came on in my 2001.5 Passat wagon. Before this occurred, the engine had been making a strange sound like the sound of helicopter blades for about 2 weeks. Having recently had the mass air flow sensor replaced at a local VW dealer, I decided to take the car back to the dealer; I suspected that the problem might be related to that repair. At first, the dealer said that the codes coming from the computer indicated a bad speed (camshaft) sensor. The dealer also said that the camshaft adjuster was bad and would need to be replaced. After replacing these parts, however, the malfunction indicator lamp still did not go out. The dealer then asked me whether I had had the timing belt replaced. I replied that I had done so at the same time that my defective water pump was replaced; this work was done by a highly rated independent repair shop (I didn't take it to the dealer because I never suspected that the coolant leak would be due to the water pump, which is covered under the powertrain warranty). The dealer then discovered that the timing belt was flopping against the timing belt cover and that I would need a new timing belt and belt tensioner. After making those repairs, however, the malfunction indicator lamp still did not got out. The dealer then discovered that the tab on the crankshaft that fits into the crankshaft pulley was missing, and they believe that the tab must have been broken off when the timing belt was replaced. According to the dealer, I now need a new engine (either short or long block) at the cost of ~$9,000. I asked whether they could simply replace the crankshaft, and they said no but did not provide any reason. I am going back to the dealer tomorrow to have them contact the independent shop that replaced my timing belt. I am really hoping that the independent shop will acknowledge that the problem was their fault. If not, I am up a creek because the dealer has already staked out their position and will not admit that the problem was due to a mechanical defect in the crankshaft. I am caught in the middle. The car is only worth about $9,200 in a private party sale; thus, if I have to cover these costs, I don't know what I'll do. It seems that the best course of action would be to take the car to some repair shop that would replace just the crankshaft, but that will still be very expensive. Does anyone have any advice? Are there any legal channels I could go through to fight this (perhaps VW arbitration?)? :sick:

altair4 · November 2006

NO idea about arbitration or any other legal recourse. But finding a salvage engine would certainly cost less than what the dealer is suggesting.

Out of curiosity, was the timing belt tensioner replaced by your indie replaced the TB and water pump? At what mileage was that work done and how long before the helicopter sound appeared?

Lots of people on Passat boards across the web recommend changing out almost everything that the TB touches, including the tensioner when the TB is replaced.

Good luck with your tough situation.

dtearly · November 2006

Thanks for your reply. I hadn't considered the salvage engine option. No, the indie repair shop did not replace the timing belt tensioner although they did replace the camshaft and crankshaft seals and all drive belts. The timing belt was replaced at just under 66K miles at the end of March. The mass air flow sensor was replaced at just over 71K miles at the end of July. The helicopter sound didn't occur until about 3 weeks ago at approximately 75K miles. Thus, there is about 7 months and 9K miles between the timing belt replacement and my current problem.

altair4 · November 2006

You might even be able to find an AWM (the engine code I believe your 1.8T has) engine with fewer miles than you are already carrying. 'Course, you'll end up doing the TB again!

Some of the online vendors sell the complete kit - TB, tensioner, water pump, etc.

renej777 · November 2006

I have a 2001 Passat Wagon with an intermittent problem: the tailgate will refuse to open for no apparent reason.
After flipping the electrical lock 5 or 6 times or taking a short drive, it's back on again. Any ideas?

renej777

altair4 · November 2006

My guess would be a bad liftgate microswitch.

Google "replace Passat microswitch" for details.

96vwpassat · November 2006

I have a 1996 passat, when i bought the car everything worked. Since then i have had some water leaking into the floor of my car and i have also realized that the radio is not working any more. Do you think these two things are connected?? also, when the running lights are on should the dash lights be on too?? finally, suddenly my passenger door wont open unless i push above the door handle while pulling the handle...any suggestions on any of these??? thanks

harubhn · November 2006

I have an '02 Passat 1.8T that I had left sitting idle for about a week in our garage. When I went to start it this morning, the starter would turn but the engine would not fire up. It's not the battery; as I said, the starter engaged fine and all the accessories and lights worked. And I made sure that I had the clutch pedal fully engaged, so that shouldn't be the issue, either.

I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what the problem is. There were no issues last week when I parked it.

What's going on?

karolb · November 2006

My 2001 Passat did the exact same thing on Sunday. Belts are all intact. Battery is good. Starter is turning. All fine when I parked it on Wednesday. Mine is an automatic.

anointedhelp · November 2006

I have a 2005 Passat GLS. I have notices that I have developed cracks in the "wood grain" (looks like plastic to me) facing on the interior door handles on all four doors. Is this common? Should I make them replace it? I am still in the warranty period.

harubhn · November 2006

Couldn't hurt to try. Worst they can do is decline to perform the fix. I had a myriad of warranty work performed on my '02.

brozhnik · November 2006

70K on my '03 Passat 1.8 without a problem - until two nights ago when I hit, of all things, a raccoon on the highway. Not an ordinary raccoon - a big, strapping, well-fed one.
Anyway, the main damage was to the belly pan or whatever you call that plastic shield-thing underneath the engine - the front end of it got torn off and I heard a scraping sound underneath as it dragged under the car. I pulled off the road, took a look, AAA came out, and the guy wired the pan back on with black plastic wire clips. A small chunk of the thing was torn off but it is more or less in place.
The dealer estimates $362 to replace it, but I notice German Auto Parts offers the part for $129. Hmm.... doesn't look that hard to install, even for a non-DIY type like me. And I don't think there's any hurry, since most of the old one is jerry-rigged onto the car.
Any cautions or advice on this or on installation?
Thanks!

krzyss · December 2006

Somebody mentioned that W8 under tray fits 1.8T and V6 and it is cheaper. Try this.

Krzys

jcridge · December 2006

Have taken the car to my dealer twice and they cannot find the cause. Help! Has anyone else experienced the same problem.

First the water leaked to thr front drivers floor, now the back floor is flooded.

altair4 · December 2006

See message 2029 in this thread...

vw27278 · December 2006

I recently took my Passat to the dealer to have the rightside cv boot replaced and some recalls (passenger side seat heater switch, driver side seat heater). Now, water is leaking in on the floor of the passenger-front side. I pulled up the carpet and the floor was soaking (and yes, the stench gave it away and was the cause of the investigation). I poured water down the windshield and noticed water coming in from behind the dash. Has anyone had this problem? Is it coming in from the seal of the pollen filter. I'm a little suspicious b/c I never had this problem until after I got my car back from the dealer.

Any advice is very appreciated. -Thanks

vw27278 · December 2006

I just posted a question w/ the same problem; I'm getting water in the passenger-front floor. I pulled up the carpet and noticed the water coming in not from the sunroof drains but somewhere from around the battery or pollen filter area. And yes, there is a lot of leaves debris, dirt, etc in that area. I'll remove the battery and try and do some cleaning as suggested.

I'm new to this posting so this may have been mentioned already. But check the nipple like rubber hose coming out at a 45 degree angle near the upper portion of the frame where you open the door. Here you can see the nipple is flat on the edge - this is where the sunroof drains into. If you open the sunroof and pour water in this area (be careful), it will come out this nipple (on both sides). If it *doesn't* come out then your nipple/hose is plugged. Stick a small twig (not too sharp) in the nipple and wiggle around to see if water comes out. This should fix it. I saw this done at the dealer.

robr2 · December 2006

I'm blushing at this post.

altair4 · December 2006

Some have suggested cutting that flat section off the drain hose. I'd be concerned about spiders and such getting up in there and building a nest and making it worse.

Personally, I give those nipples a squeeze after every car wash to make sure they stay clear. I also watch them when I get in the car in rain. I always watch for water dripping from them.

Finally, yeah, you really need to clean out that cowl section by the battery and brake booster. But it could be that the seal is shot around the cabin air filter. It's a craptacular design. You can search the web for how to repair/upgrade that gasket with RTV or other sealant.

vw27278 · December 2006

Altair, do I need to remove the pollen filter housing to do this? I looked at it the other day and it seems that I can't get to the back left nut holding it on. There is a black strip across the bottom part of the windshield that is preventing this removal. Does this need to come off, and if so, how?

thanks

vw27278 · December 2006

Altair, I couldn't find the info on Google for repairing the cabin filter gasket. If you've done this b4, what search criteria did you use?

thanks

altair4 · December 2006

Sorry - Yahoo (not Google) this:
passat pollen filter seal

First link has another link, and that should give you pics of the job (or it did this AM when I tried it). Sorry, rules here preclude giving any more clues than that. If you show your email, I'd send you the link.

vw27278 · December 2006

Altair, that was helpful as it provided good insight into what was needed. However, I'm a little concerned about taking the pollen tray out since it seems very hard to get to, being under the windshield drip strip. Have you taken this off before or do I need to remove it to get the tray out?

Thanks!

altair4 · December 2006

You know the expression, "those who can't do, teach"?

I've never done this with my car, so I can't answer your question! I do, however, watch that cowl area to make sure it's clear of any debris and I watch my sunrood drains to make sure the actually drain.

feilo · December 2006

The cabin pollen filter is not hard to get to - Google "passat cabin filter replacement" and you should find some helpful sites with directions on getting to and replacing the filter amongst parts sites. I have done it a couple of times over my 4 year Passat ownership - just be careful to re-seat the seal strip properly after you are done. All the best!

altair4 · December 2006

Hey, Feilo!

Yeah, the filter change is easy...I've done that myself. I was trying to get him to the page with the repairing / resealing instructions for the foam gasket under the actual filter (haven't needed to do this one myself, though).

feilo · December 2006

Long time no time no post ...

vw27278 · December 2006

I did remove the cabin air filter tray the other day and found that it wasn't mounted properly during manufacturing. (The plastic cowel at the bottom of the windshield comes off quite easily since it snaps off.) I could tell this b/c the imprint left on the rubber seal was inconsistent, hence, the leaking problem. Unfortunately, the rubber gasket was torn and cracked so I went to get another gasket and guess what, the dealer won't sell you the gasket so you have to buy the entire tray unit for about $40 - way to screw us VW. I did purchase, applied some silicone sealant to mounting area and reattached. All pretty easy actually.

Thanks to everyone for their help.

pciskowski · January 2007

I have a 2004 Passat with OnStar. We want to replace the stereo with an aftermarket one. Will the OnStar cause a problem with the wiring? We don't need the OnStar functionality.

bronsonb · January 2007

Considering you posted this a month and a half ago, you've probably already fixed the issue regarding the belly pan. We had to replace the belly pan on our 1999 Passat, but the dealer only charged us $165 for the pan and no labor since they were changing the oil at the time. I know the skid plate attachment is a tad different on the 2003, but not MUCH different. Heck, I'd take a chance on the one for $129. It's held in by 5 screws under the car and two in each wheel well. Shouldn't be that hard to install.

Good luck

feilo · January 2007

Alternatively, go to the dealer and ask for the W8 Belly Pan. Its an exact fit (I have one on my '03 1.8T Passat wagen) and will run you under $80 - really

Instal is definitely DIY-able.

klei · January 2007

Hi everybody,
I bought a 2003 passat manual tranny with 44k on it. After test driving 2 similar cars with pretty much the same mileage on them(both stick shift)I found hard switching to the 2-nd gear on both cars(although clutch pedal is presses all the way). Problem is more accute when car is cold. My other car is a Honda CR-V(stick shift) with 92K, original clutch on it and shifting is much smoother. Is any way to improove this?
Thanks

marathon262 · January 2007

My trunk has been very difficult to open. Went to the dealer thinking it must need lubrication. They immediately knew what I was talking about and said I would need to replace the hinges as they seem to lock up. It seems to me that this shouldn't be something that needs to be done every 3 years. The cost is about 320. Has anyone experienced this?

wevk · January 2007

2000 1.8 The first replacement (#1) pump cost me $700.00, this replacement(#2)pump failed and was replaced @ no charge under parts 12/12 warrantee. This pump(#3) failed and was replaced under 12/12/warrantee. Now #3 has failed but they refuse to repair it even though is is still under parts warrantee (replaced in 3/06, 10K mi).

According to invoice VWCS90319 "SAP had water in compartment causing engine light to trigger off. VW Tech Hot Line said combi-valve would not be cause of problem"*
According to Service Mgr, notes indicated that replacement #2 also was found to contain water. Apparently there is no information regarding the cause of failure on the original and # 1 replacement pump.

When asked how the water gets in if not through a defective Combi Valve, the response is "It gets in from the outside or "It splashes in"

Actually the only way water can get in a properly functioning system is by flooding the air cleaner box which would had ruined the car. (At least twice).

Is possible that a Major International Auto company would was not going to honor their warrantee no matter what?

WVK

* Result of my quest to find out cause of problem:

Q: "2000 1.8T with 68,000 has had 3 replacement pumps an now needing a 4th. Current one has lasted only 10, 000 mi. Is this normal?

A: No it's not normal! The common MISTAKE made by the repair person isn't replacing the combi valve on the cylinder head too. What happens is the valve hangs open some and condensation (water) from combustion get forced back into the pump causing a failure. Or the pump suction line is cracked/broken and pulling water in from rain, snow, etc!

Q: The service Mgr is telling me that I must be driving though high water (which I haven't) which ruins the low mounted pump. Is that explanation plausable?

A: only if you drive through 12" deep water. But then again the pump is sealed well. I stand by my first idea, if none of the plastic lines are cracked and seal well, especially at the pump... then it's the combi valve."

From the pump manufacturer:

"In the case of a failed secondary air pump, the actual cause is frequently not found in the pump itself but instead in a sticking non-return valve between secondary air pump & exhaust manifold for example. For this reason
in the case of a failure all components togeather must be checked" http://www.msi-motor-service.com/ximages/PG_PI_0025_EN_WEB.pdf

"At the first sign of trouble, the combi valve should have been replaced. When they go bad, they leak exhaust and condensation into the pump, which ruins it. The combi valve is a one way vacuum operated valve, if water gets in the
pump, the hose between the air filter box and pump is broke or the combi valve is leaking...any mechanic should know this."

"Do yourself a favor, replace the combi valve. The ONLY way water can get in there is from the combi valve. The only other way in is the air intake in the engine air filter box, water in there and the last thing you have to worry about is the sap pump!"

The sap sucks air from the CLEAN side of the air filter box.So the mechanic (if he really is one) thinks there is water after the engine air filter? I would have lauged at him to his face. If the hose is intact, water should not be able to get in the pump that way. No wonder so many people have problems, since the people fixing the cars are
so off base..".
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2332189&postid=25443239

misto7 · January 2007

I've experienced the exact same thing on my 03. The dealer lubed the hinges for me and it helped a little but it's only a matter of time until that wears off.

misto7 · January 2007

I realize that I might be a year and a half late for this discussion, but I just had the same problem with my 2003 Passat (STOP, Brake Fault, Service Manual). According to North Penn VW near Philly, they found one fault stored and determined that the Brake Light Switch failed and replaced it. The part that concerns me is that the switch itself costs $24.24 but the labor was $155.75 -- alomst 2 hours! Does that sound right to replace a switch?

dontudare · January 2007

I am getting ready to go to the dealer to purchase a 2004 Passat glx V6 30000 MILES PRE CERTIFIED lease turn in for 16500. It appears to be in mint condition. I am concerned with the negative feedback, much of it is on the older cars, maybe because the newer ones haven't kicked in with problems yet..my biggest concern is the lack of customer service from VW...how did you make out with the above car and are you sorry you bought it?

feilo · January 2007

Sounds about right for a dealer (its 1+ hour for anything ... ) but I am surpised that this was what they came up with on the "STOP Brake Fault" aleart. I had a brake swicth problem about 50k miles back but this only showed up when I could not engage my Cruise control - there was no BRAKE alert.

krzyss · January 2007

Ask dealer for 6 proofs of oil changes that used VW502.00 spec oil (Mobil 1 0W40, Castrol Syntec 0W30 made in Germany).

Krzys

lilengineerboy · January 2007

1998 VW Passat V6/5spd manual ~135k miles with a bucking hesitation under load at relatively low RPMs. Down shifting gets rid of it but its not lugging the engine to the point it should miss like that.
Its not throwing a CEL and I don't think there are any codes waiting to light up.
He said last time he looked at the plugs there was carbon build up. I was wondering if it is more an issue with the knock sensor being a little too hyper or an ignition issue.
Any thoughts?

Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

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