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Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Pay close attention to the hoses under the intake manifold. They're hard to see and access, but I've read about others having issues and throwing the same codes as you are.
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    Yesterday I added just the 3rd tank of gas. During filling I noticed on the nozzle that the gas has 10% or less of ethnol. It's on a Hess gas station. Is that bad for Passat? how bad is it? I prefer to use Shell.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Read your manual. It most likely says that fuel containing up to 10% ethanol is fine.

    FYI - most gas today that once contained MTBE now contains ethanol as MTBE was been banned as it is can contaminate ground water. The change happened about 18 months ago.
  • wrightsaxwrightsax Member Posts: 3
    Hello forum,

    I have a 2000 VW Passat with the 1.8 (ATW) engine. I am experiencing an overheating problem. I recently had a new timing belt, water pump etc put on so I am confident that is not the problem. Then, I had a new thermostat installed, and the problem subsided for a short while, but now when I start it up, the temp gauge stays "cold" for a while, then pops up to normal...but no heat. Then I'll get blaring heat and the temp guage will return to normal. This sequence continues, and I'm afraid that one of these times it heats up (the temp warning light illuminates and the alarm sounds), I might harm the engine. Is there some kind of sensor that I can replace? I have done a little research and I find that there is a Coolant Temperature Sender (Standard #TS477) and a Coolant Temperature Sensor (Airtex #5S1478), I'm not sure which does what...Suggestions please!!

    Also, often at a low idle, my oil level idiot light will come on (with the obligatory alarm), but when I rev the engine, it goes off. The oil level is fine, and changed frequently. I think this may be the Oil Level Sensor?

    Thanks for any help!

    Dave
  • saskchicsaskchic Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2002 Passat with no manual as well. Just got the car last week and today the same light came on for me. I shut the car off and when I started it again, the light was off. Did you ever get a manual and find out what the light means?
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    We have a 1999 Passat GLS with the V6 engine. We now have 130,000 miles on it. It's certainly not as nice as it was when new, but my wife, who drives the car, comments regularly about how nice it rides. It's solid, accelerates like a champ, corners well, and has not left us on the side of the road yet.

    That's not to say we've not had maitenance issues. We've had to replace the front axles twice (one was warranted...three were not). It ate brakes until recently..switched to a different OEM brand, and they've worn very well.

    It did have an oil leak at 90,000 miles, but that was covered under the 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty. When that was fixed, VW also discovered some sort of cam tensioner problem and had to replace that as well.

    I do change the oil religiously every 5,000 miles. But since we had the V6, we didn't get hit with the sludge problems (although VW changed their recommendations for all of their engines for oil if I recall).

    This year, I spent $450 replacing a bunch of vacuum hoses that had dry rot and were falling apart, but heck, the car is 9 years old, so that's to be expected, and it once again, runs like a champ. We get about 30 MPG on the highway, which exceeds the estimates (and it beat my 2003 1.8T Passat that I had up until 2 years ago).

    Would we get another? I don't know. We hope to get another 1.5 years out of this one (gotta get son #2 out of daycare). My DW has her heart set on a an Infiniti M (used probably). But she has said a couple of times that if we can't get a good deal she'd go buy another Passat. Me...I'd keep the current one another year and then try to get an M :-)
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    I have a 2001 Passat with the 1.8 T motor. 130K miles.

    The technicians first told me the codes in the computer indicated a faulty cam chain tensioner, but it also had codes for a faulty crank position sensor. I ended up having the crank position sensor replaced (about $180).

    I had been experiencing the car just shutting down several times. It would start again after sitting for 15 minutes. I drive 55 miles to work so I can't have the thing dieing on me like that. After I had it fixed, the car runs great. According to the computer it says I am getting between 32 to 35 mpg highway.

    Did your mechanic say anything about the crank position sensor or have you ever had the thing just quit?

    It is possible the cam chain tensioner needs to be replaced but the crank position sensor can trick the computer into posting the fault code for the cam chain tensioner. If it were me I would have the crank position sensor replaced and see if it cured the problem.

    Also, do you use synthetic oil in the car? Even though VW did not start recommending it for these cars they have changed their recommendation and synthetic is now recommended and instead of 10K miles between oil changes 5K is recommended. These engines are quite succeptible to sludge problems and the synthetic helps prevent that.

    jcm
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    What are these manuals? Are they the same that come with the car you bought from dealer? If so why charge $60 instead of make them available onine as PDF files?

    WSA281557PL623 2008 VW PASSAT OM PACK ENGLISH
    Yes $60.00


    http://www.vw.ddsltd.com/cgi-bin/default
  • mercedeservicemercedeservice Member Posts: 2
    Hi! Jim,

    The car has 67935 miles.
    I am getting the following codes:

    17195 P0811 excessive clutch slippage

    17100 P0716 Input turbine speed sensor A circuit G182 raneg performance.

    17095 P0711 Transmission Fluid Temp sensor A circuit G93 range performance.

    This is on a 2001 VW Passat 1.8.

    The transmission is not engaging. Please advise.
    Appreciated
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I couldn't get the link to work. But I think that would be the owner's manual, not the Bentley manual. The Bentley would be much more expensive.

    Whay charge instead of making them available as a PDF? $60, that's why!
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    Try this link and click on the "Get technical literature" and enter your model and year and there is a list for a lot of stuff.

    http://www.vw.com/myvw/yourcar/carinformation/technicalliterature/en/us/

    If it's the same manual owners get they sure can make it free as PDF online for owner's convenience.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Thanks for the new link...yeah, that looks like the owner's manual since I found the Bentley for $130 there. My feeling is that VW takes the approach that everything must be a profit center - doesn't help the public's perception, does it?

    Do other manufacturers post their owner's manuals on the web? I've never looked since I have bought new cars since the '80's (my philsophy: buy 'em new and wring every last cent of value out of 'em).

    As owner's manual go, the VW one isn't top shelf. They could learn a heck of a lot from Hyundai, judging from the manual that came with my mother-in-law's 2002 Accent. You should see the DIY section...very nice!

    BTW, did you look in the pocket under the steering column for your owner's manual? It fits nicely there and it blends in well with the remainder of the dash. I don't understand why people don't leave the manual in the car when they sell it??? :confuse:
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    I guess it's the owner's manual, maybe it has more contents.

    I asked the salesman for the manual whenI bought the new car. I think all the first owner could have one. Sometimes the owner lost it and following buyers can't get one. I have to agree Hyundai did good on this part and customers can register on their website and access a lot more tech information than the owner's manual contains.
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    2008 Passat turbo with about 1000 miles gave out the Fuel Filler Cap warning light today after I used the windshield washer and the washing wiper for a couple of times. And I arrived my workplace and parked it there. In the evening I started the car and the light was on. Drove about 10 minutes (less than 2 miles) and the light went off by itself. I still had gas for about 200 mile range and the used premium gas and the fuel cap was closed properly last week. So there was reason for that light turn on, especially after I used the windshield washer and the washing wiper. I considered it a minor harmless incident. Anyone else had this experience?
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I don't understand why people don't leave the manual in the car when they sell it???

    Many dealerships have a policy that whatever is in the car at trade in time gets tossed because of liability issues with previous owners' names, adresses, et al.
  • vwgrrrlvwgrrrl Member Posts: 19
    I use the middle grade gasoline. It performs fairly well. Of course, there's always the infamous turbo lag but once the turbo kicks in, you're good. I think I tried regular gas once and the car was just lagging and pinging. The super premium gas didn't seem much different then the middle grade. After 4 years, my car still takes off like a rocket!
  • vwgrrrlvwgrrrl Member Posts: 19
    I'm at about 31,000 miles on my 2004 Passat GLS Fwd (1.8 4cyl Turbo 5-speed Manual).

    Has anyone had any condensation or window fogging in their 2004 Passat GLS? I get that sometimes in the rear windows or around the edges of the windows. Leads me to believe there's a leak somewhere but I've never seen a drop of water inside the car. Perhaps the seals are wearing down.

    I also noticed the instrument cluster will black out on really cold or hot days. Once I turn the car off and back on again, the cluster lights come back up. Is this normal?

    Had some creaking in the dashboard but after a couple of visits to the dealer, it seems to have gone away.

    Rear window stopped working. Brought it to the dealer. When I got it back, the other rear window stopped working. Duh. Brought it back again. They both work fine ever since.

    The CV boots were ripped at about 29,000 miles (maybe sooner, who knows?). They told me it was a $700 job but luckily it was still under warranty.

    Had a couple of recalls: break light switch and the heated seats switch. All is well now after the dealer replaced the parts.

    Other than that, it's been a fantastic car! It rides beautifully, looks great inside and out and it's quick!
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    Look at the owner's book 3.3 Tips and Advice page 79 Fig. 25, there is a box with #4 pointing to it. But I don't have it on my car. I went to dealer and the salesman don't know what that is and the all the Passat in showroom don't have it either. On the book there is no description for that. What's that? Who has it?
  • lora726lora726 Member Posts: 7
    One of the headlamp covers on my 2002 Passat Wagon looks very hazy. I tried polishing it, but the haze looks to be on the inside. I've noticed this problem on other Passats I've seen. Do I need to remove the cover, and if so, how do I go about doing that? If not, any suggestions on how to sand/polish/clean off this haze? Thanks!
  • cragg3rcragg3r Member Posts: 16
    yea i had the same problem, it gets to a point where it doesnt pass inspection.

    it is on the outside, there is a special cleaner available. i forget where and what its called, but there is such a thing.. probably like headlamp cleaner or something like that. ask the pepboys people or advance auto parts or whatever is near you.

    good luck, and it illuminates the road so much nicer after that gunk is off.
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    Hi. I'm not a mechanic per se, so I am not that great with codes but I do program computers and I know that some symptoms can create others. The big one that stands out here for me is the clutch slippage one. It seems to me like that one could cause at least some of the others. However, with 68K miles on it, it doesn't seem like a clutch would be slipping. Seems too soon, unless... the car is driven or was driven hard!

    It has been a while since your first post and you don't mention if this car was bought new or used. If you bought it used you may have some recourse with the dealer you bought it from. If you bought it new you may be able to have it fixed on warrantee. Either way I think it looks like you need transmission work.

    Anyone else please feel free to chime in on this one.

    Jim
  • 02passat02passat Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Passat that has "SQUEAKY" Brakes, does any one have some ideas to try to quite these squeaky brakes. I have new brake pads on all four wheels, rotors are in great condition. So if anyone has some good tricks to try, any and all information would be most helpful.
  • majicmanmajicman Member Posts: 40
    Usually "squeaky" brakes are caused by dust or a wear bar designed to cause squeaking when the pads wear down to a certain point. Since you say you have replaced the pads, the wear bar is not likely. Did you have the rotors turned when putting in new pads. It is possible that the rotors are glazed and causing the squeaking. Turning the rotors evens the surface and gives it a surface the pads can bite on and improves stopping capability as well.

    Jim
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Need more info! When did the squeak appear - right after the install of the new pads? Who supplied the brake pads - OEM, aftermarket, name-brand, what? What is the composition of the pad material, organic, semi-metallic, ceramic? Who did the install? Can you tell what wheel position is squeaking?

    I've read, although not actually experienced myself, squeaking from the front brakes can be due to the retaining clips on the inner pad not holding the pad tight enough. The front inner pad retainer clip fits into the piston in the brake caliper. On some of the aftermarket pads, the clip is too loose, allowing the pad to vibrate and squeak. The cure is to remove the inner pad and bend the clips outward to grip better.

    Alternatively, it could simply be a matter of just applying some brake quiet paste to the backing surfaces of the pads, where they come in contact with the caliper. Again, the idea is to eliminate vibration which is what the squeal/squeak is.

    Here's a link to a photo of the a VW front inner pad showing the retaining clip (it's the bottom one):

    http://www.volkswagenspares.com/UserFiles/Image/wearleadpads6.jpg
  • koomskooms Member Posts: 1
    I've had the car for two years without trouble. All of a sudden it's costing me a mint (at almost 125K miles). By the end of this month I will have put in $3,000 or more since the beginning of the year.

    The current problem happens very intermittently. When we are going at low RPMs and accellerate quickly (like to pass another vehicle or go up a hill), the engine stutters/hesitates like it isn't getting enough gas. I have a VW shop (not dealer - independent) up the hill here. They first diagnosed it as a bad spark plug (caused by running low on gas, sediment getting in & fouling a cylinder). So replaced the plug ($120 repair). I drove it away and a few miles later the problem is there again. So back to the shop. This time they say fuel injectors - and I may as well replace all 6 since with the high mileage if one is failing the others may be following soon. So replaced all six (total $725). Picked it up last night & was running fine for me today but after about 10-12 miles, when my boyfriend got behind the wheel - he is a more spirited driver than I am - the problem showed up again. Every time the check engine light has come on (and stayed on). I don't want to keep pouring money into this car for mechanics to take stabs at fixing it. I found this VW shop recently but they seem reasonable (and are certainly saving me money over the dealer). If anyone out there has had similar problems and/or has ideas I'd really appreciate it, thanks.

    If anyone in Seattle knows of a really good VW shop I'd love to know about that as well.
  • greatcarsgreatcars Member Posts: 66
    If you want to keep this car then have the engine checked if it does not cost much. I rememeber I did that on a Honda about 10 years ago and it cost $40 and most shop can do that with machine. To check if the engine compression is low. Usually one or more cylinders are low on old cars or overused cars. If that happens it's time to change the car. It's only worth to pour a little more money on that car if the engine is in good working condition.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Get the codes pulled from the onboard diagnostics. You can this done for free at some of the national chain auto parts stores. Post the codes that you find. Sounds like your garage is just throwing parts at it. They're NOT saving you money over a dealer if they can't fix the car....
  • cragg3rcragg3r Member Posts: 16
    I have the same problem, I haven't done anything about it for 10,000 miles. The problems comes and goes every now and then. There was another person on this forum who had the same problem. He/She took it to the dealer and they replaced the transmission module and it was fixed. It cost around 2000 dollars I think.

    If you have the triptronic transmission, I would advise you to pop it down a gear using that, manually, before you break something.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I am curious if the expensive headlights are covered under the warranty?
    Like for an 08 Passat, if they happen to burn out, is that covered?
  • cragg3rcragg3r Member Posts: 16
    i have a 99 passat and the last time my bulb burned out I just went to the nearest auto parts store and grabbed a bulb(after matching my car model and year to the bulb of course) and put it in myself.. It was really easy and I dont remember spending too much money. All you have to do is plug the bulb in, VW makes it pretty easy to change it, I think!

    I don't know about an '08 Passat but I think you can just buy a headlight low beam or high beam bulb for 10 - 20 dollars?
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Ya, well the newer passats have HID lights, and cost about $200 or so if they burn out after the 12mth or so warranty. I called the VW service, but they said they typically don't see too many problems. hmmm, well I will definitely have to think of that too, but its not too bad.
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    Okay, here is the deal, I am thinking of getting the 08 Komfort Passat,
    Love it, great package, Fun!! Very similar to my 06 Accord feel, but has more goodies, my lease is up on the Accord, shopping around, and found this Passat, got a good lease quote, haven't signed, but based on what others are saying, it is making me scared on the VW maintanence, I see both reviews, good and bad, I don't know what to think. The lease is 36mth, so should I be worried about problems or the engine??
    My mothers 04 Jetta, has been pretty much trouble free, literally. I am a Honda guy, but you know what, there are other great cars, and this car has tons of fun packed in it!! Love the 6spd Tiptronic. Am I being really overly paranoid about it all, Really I don't see many, or hardly any newer model problems posted, so I am guessing that is a good sign..lol... The car has the 2.0T engine, should I be worried about that, what if I choose to own it after my lease end, will my turbo eventually start running slow...? Am I reading into all the posts too much, and really it seems to me that the VW has gotten better over time with problems, but consumers don't let a company live that down. Even the new 08 Accord has a few bugs. I haven't had any problems with my 06 Accord.

    Now of course, every car is going to have some glitch or little problem, but that is if you consider them a problem...
    So let me know what you guys think, Am I just making a bigger deal of it all what I read?
  • pheue1pheue1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, my lease is up in 9 months for my '06 Passat. Consumer report shows VW's having 2x the repair issues as compared to Toyota's and Honda's. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet as I like the car and its power, but the mileage isn't that great on my 4cyl turbo as most of my mileage is around town. The residual will be about $16,800 and I'm not sure whether to buy, extend the lease, or find a more economical car. I'd consider a Rabbit, or Civic, or something else. What are other people doing when their lease is up. Thanks all.
  • bjssbjss Member Posts: 51
    Go with the Passat...if your worried about maintenance/repair, then lease and turn back in. I have a 2002 Passat Wagon (1.8T) and only issues have been some recalls. Sure Passats might be a little more expensive to maintain, but boy, are they fun to drive. Gas mileage is great and you get more bang for the buck vs. Accord. I have owned both and consider the Passat a much more enjoyable car.
  • navyguy1990navyguy1990 Member Posts: 71
    Dear all,
    I'm a Navy guy stationed in Seoul, Korea. Thanks to some great advice, I felt comfortable enough to purchase a 2003 Passat GLS (1.8T) with only 36,000 miles on it. I've owned the car for about 3 months and it's been a pleasure to drive. I've put on about 600 miles during that time, and here are some minor issues I've experienced.
    1. My car suddenly idled roughly and the check engine light came on. I barely made it a local car repair guy and he was able to diagnose it quickly and determined that I needed two new ignition coils. My car was essentially running on 2 out of 4 cyclinders. Hence, the rough idling. Since I'm overseas, I had to opt for VW dealership's price of $75 per coil, and I purchased two more online to replace the remaining two in order to have brand new coils on all four cyclinders.
    2. The brake light had some bulbs burning out and I couldn't simply replace them with standard bulbs from Korea, because the off-set angles between the two engagement pins are 120 degrees apart instead of 180 degrees. Apparently, Audis, Mercedes, BMWs, and VWs share this same offset compared to the rest of the world. I'm ordering some bulbs online.
    3. The brake pads only lasts about 12,000 miles, and I'm planning to order the pads in advance.
    4. I've been reading discussions about the waterpump and the timing belt. Since my car is 5 years old, should I consider replacing them with only 37,000 miles on the car?
    5. The previous owner installed an after-market Xenon kit for the headlights and it was going to be too much money to replace the burnt out bulbs, so I had the whole thing ripped out and reinstalled the standard Halogen lamps. Has anybody gone through the same experience?
    6. The seller forgot to give me the owner's manual and I forgot to check the glove compartment. Can you tell me where to go for a replacement owner's manual?

    Thank you.

    Navyguy
  • navyguy1990navyguy1990 Member Posts: 71
    Dear All,
    I couldn't order an used owner's manual from e-bay, because they won't ship to APO/FPO address. I've found Bentleypublishers.com and ordered my owner's manual.
    I still wondering if I could get some expert opinions on the water pump and the timing belt.

    Thank you.

    Navyguy
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    6. The seller forgot to give me the owner's manual and I forgot to check the glove compartment. Can you tell me where to go for a replacement owner's manual?

    Check under the steering wheel for your owner's manual. There's a slot there that is designed to hold the manual since it is on the larger side and the glove box is on the smaller side.
  • navyguy1990navyguy1990 Member Posts: 71
    I've thought you've just saved $70, but the slot underneath the steering wheel was empty. I guess I'll have to wait until the owner's manual arrives from Bentleypublishing.com.
    Thank you.
  • bjssbjss Member Posts: 51
    Hi - I just replaced the Timing Belt and Water pump on my 2002 Passat Wagon (1.8T)...have 65K on it...most of the postings I read dealt with mileage vs. age on the timing belt. Seemed like most were recommending replacement of both between 60-70K. Dealership/owners manual will tell you to change around 90K, but I would not risk it. Not a cheap repair either - will run you $900-$1000, because of the Labor involved (approx 6-7 hours). If you do get it done, I would recommend having all belts changed (ie. 2 serp belts as well) and possibly the Thermostat. My car has been pretty reliable, had a few recalls (ignition coils being one), replaced rear brakes at 30K, one CV boot at 40K, the other at 60K. Other than, nothing noteworthy...just keep using the recommended full synthetic for 5K oil changes. Good luck!
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    I have two 1.8Ts (2003 Jetta, 2003 Passat). As far as the owners manual is concerned - timing belt replacement every 90,000 miles is pretty reasonable (given that the timing belt itself is very robust) - with one caveat. If you replaced the original OEM plastic water pump with a new OEM plastic water pump, I wouldn't go beyond 65,000 mile intervals, given the water pump's uncanny ability to disintegrate at that time.

    However, if you purchased a complete timing belt kit from a reputable VW aftermarket parts supplier (germanautoparts.com comes to mind), the kit will more than likely have the improved aftermarket waterpump with the metal impeller, along with a timing belt, serpentine belt, hydraulic tensioners and (if you order the deluxe kit), a thermostat. The metal water pump will extend your timing belt change intervals to the 90,000 - 100,000 mile range (as recommended by the factory).

    Here's a rule of thumb that I follow:

    If the car is mainly used for urban (stop and go) driving, perform the timing belt service every 65,000-75,000 miles (regardless of whether the car has the OEM plastic water pump or the aftermarket metal water pump). Stop and go driving generates more heat, and wear & tear on engine components in general (than highway driving) - especially rubber and plastic components. I would also recommend an oil change every 3500 miles in this scenario.

    If the car is mainly used for highway driving, then perform the timing belt service at 65,000 miles (if you have the OEM plastic water pump), or 90,000-100,000 miles (if you have the aftermarket metal water pump). This is the scenario where oil changes at 5000 mile intervals is definitely applicable...
  • bjssbjss Member Posts: 51
    I would agree with you on your 'rule of thumb'.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    The 2003 Passat owner's manual, VW's website, and the Bentley manual all show the manufacturer's recommended TB interval at 105K, not 90K. Bentley's has a footnote showing their editors recommend 60K. I'm aiming for 60 to 65K myself, with mostly suburban driving. I think your rule of thumb is right on, though.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I've thought you've just saved $70, but the slot underneath the steering wheel was empty.

    Well, it was worth the try. At least you'll know where your new manual should go.
  • tsf7tsf7 Member Posts: 31
    For what its worth, I have an '02 Passat 1.8t currently with 115k miles. I have owned it since about 38k miles. I replaced the timing belt and water pump (new one w/ metal impeller) at 105k miles (actually, a little above that) in December, and the one the mechanic took out was in great shape. There was some corrosion around the water pump indicating that it was getting ready to start leaking, but there was no problem yet. I bought parts online, installed by an independent mechanic (with years of experience working on German cars) for about $500 total, as I recall.
  • tsf7tsf7 Member Posts: 31
    My Passat ('02 1.8t) seems to think the driver's door is open at times. The problem has progressed over the past 4 months -- it used to go away with a firm re-shutting of the door, but now the chime is going of constantly sometimes, and other times doesn't.

    I think a sensor may be dirty or have a bad connection. I can't seem to find the location of the sensor to check it. Anyone have experience with this problem?
  • tsf7tsf7 Member Posts: 31
    My '02 1.8t Passat has been perfectly reliable. I've put nearly 80k miles on it in almost 3 years (yeah, I've spent a lot of time in it!). Aside from an ignition coil replaced due to a recall (didn't fail, however) and several headlights burning out, I haven't had a single problem with it (current door sensor issue aside, see my above post). It has been lots more reliable than the last Honda product I owned (an '01 Acura TL that chewed up 2 transmissions and the dash gauges failed in 2 years/33k miles of ownership). Not bashing Acuras or Hondas at all -- that 5-spd transmission in the TL was under-engineered for that engine, and has since been remedied. But just goes to show that all brands -- even Honda and Toyota -- have periodic engineering problems and sometimes consumers pay the price for those shortfalls.

    I love driving my Passat, by the way. Even though it has less power than the TL had, and isn't quite as luxurious (mine is a GLS w/ 5-spd, leather, ect), it is just really fun to drive -- there is just a better connection with the road and the car that is hard to describe. i can't speak for the new body styles, but I really like my '02.
  • 34993499 Member Posts: 2
    my passat as gradgualy lost power it as a computer fault code :-17965
    any information on this fault please
  • diondonnediondonne Member Posts: 8
    Found on URL below
    17965 P1557

    Charge Pressure Contr. Positive Deviation

    http://www.bentleypublishers.com/tech/vw/vw.dtc.table.htm
  • 34993499 Member Posts: 2
    can this be explayned in laymans terms please
  • 600kgolfgt600kgolfgt Member Posts: 690
    The 2003 Passat owner's manual, VW's website, and the Bentley manual all show the manufacturer's recommended TB interval at 105K,

    Like splitting hairs, eh?

    I have the Bentley Manuals for the B5 Passat, AND Mk4 Jetta/Golf, so I am very much aware of the 105K recommendation. The 90K-100K interval is MY recommendation - I prefer to err on the side of caution rather than roll the dice on a $5,000+ engine replacement.

    Having owned and worked on VWs (Mk1 through Mk4) for the past 27 years (including performing many timing belt jobs myself), I believe I know a thing or two about timing belts.... :shades:
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