Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

600kgolfgt · December 2004

The labor costs tend to be higher on the Passat (as opposed to the Golfs and Jettas) since the front end (bumper, grille, lights, radiator, etc) has to be removed just to get to the timing belt.

bronsonb · December 2004

Thanks tdi_tan! I did just as you instructed and removed the fan switch knob with a pair of pliers (covered the jaws with duct tape). I saw the bulb and pulled it out with a pair of needle nose pliers.

I picked up a #74 Sylvania bulb from Advance AutoParts, but it turns out that the #74 bulb is not the right size. I had to go to the dealer and pick up a replacement bulb for $2.32, including tax. I must say it was quite easy to replace, and I probably saved myself $60 and a day without my car for the dealership to repair it.

Thanks again!

tdi_tan · December 2004

I heard a 74 fits...guess it didn't. My dealership charged me $2 for the bulb. Though the interesting part for me was, I had to bend the terminals the other way to get it align to the metal contacts properly.

An LED bulb of that size is actually dimmer!

It sort of pisses me off....VW used LED's everywhere, except for the HVAC lighting (Climatronic has LEDs)...so we don't get the same brightness throughout.

brozhnik · December 2004

We got into the single-digit temperatures last night, and a Passat noise I'd forgotten about came back. I had it last winter (the car's first), then it went away when spring arrived--and now it's back. It's a kind of crunching noise (not loud but still unmissable) from the suspension whenever it goes over a bump (and I'm talking slow speeds - a speed bump I've slowed way down for, etc.).

Anyone know what this is? What causes it? And what, if anything, should I do about it?

Thanks.

ktnr · December 2004

It's a common problem caused by the rubber bushings that mount the torsion stabilizer bar. In cold weather, the bushings get hard and stiff and then creak or squeak when the stabilizer bar twists over bumps.

Typical cure is to shoot some WD-40 at the bushings under the car. It's worked for me in the past though not on a Passat.

bonfig · December 2004

I am thinking of buying a 03 passat.It has 20k on

it. It's the 1.8T. I really like the car, I just

want to make sure it is worth the headaches

dealing with the vw service experience. Also

they are asking 16,300. any suggestions?

fish8 · December 2004

That price seems WAY too high in todays market. Is the Passat a GL or GLS? You could get a '04 GL and maybe a GLS for a few thousand more. I would spend a couple thousand more and be certain that the car was not abused. With a brand new car you will have piece of mind that the car has been driven by you and only you. Buy new or get a couple of thousand off the $16,300 price. Good luck!

bonfig · December 2004

thanks for the respose. It was sold. I was going to offer 14,500.

jodar96 · December 2004

My guess is that you have a small leak in heater core causing the interior to fog like that. I had a 85 Jetta that did that. I tore the dash apart and replaced the heater core.

I am curious to see what ends up to be the issue.

Joe

user777 · December 2004

Joe, I had the exact same problem with my 85 Jetta's heater core as well...but the repair was on VW's tab because it was a recall...You did the work yourself? Argh!

Twinrotts: I would do a search to determine if your vehicle has a recall on this. Maybe a forum search would turn up something.

The other issue I had with my '85 was water in the rear passenger foot well. I can't remember if the water was comming from a door seal, or my sunroof. That was sooo long ago.

Regards.

warthog · December 2004

My wife's '02 Passat had a bracket for a cell phone installed. She no longer uses that phone and the bracket is just in the way. Removing the brackket requires pulling out the center stack panel (radio, HVAC, etc). Does anyone know how this panel comes out?

blamb2 · December 2004

I had a "coolant migration" problem diagnosed by the dealership. The symptoms were that the electrical system was behaving intermittently problematic and irregularly (i.e. ARS light coming on - then going out; EPC light coming on - then going out; engine light coming on - then going out) I took the car to the dealership immediately. I was told that it was "coolant migration" and that this is a design defect and VW is paying for the repair. I was further told that the coolant had come into contact with the temperture sensor contacts and traveled the wires to destroy the entire electrical system.

The entire wiring harness had to be replaced. (2 weeks repair.) Upon replacing the wiring harness and before returning the car to me, i was informed that the catalytic converter melted on the test drive, that the O2 sensors are burned out, and that all the sparkplugs were toast. This sounds very bad to me. They explained that upon testing the car, the computer was sending a 80% fuel /20% air mixture to to the engine, causing engine to flood and sending a ton of fuel to the catalytic converter. Thus explaining the spark plug and catalytic converter problem. The repair for this is to replace the sparks, the catalytic converter and the O2 sensors. In the process they broke and air return nipple which is now being replaced.

1. Is this believeable? Do the explanation fit the problem?

2. What is going on here?

3. How can i be sure that they haven't destroyed my car? I am worried that the engine, valves, pistons, cylinders, etc. have all been compromised.

HELP.

tdi_tan · December 2004

You make a hole or two into the connector area so the coolant can drip out. There is a neat video on Fred's that explains this situation and how to correct it. Though, not sure if it's available to non-members.

rheinmaiden · December 2004

After the infamous "Emissions Workshop!" message came on with the check engine light, I took my 2000 passat to the dealer, who diagnosed the problem as secondary air pump and replaced it, and charged me heftily for it, stating it was not covered by warranty.

Then on the same day I was looking at the warranty booklet (the little book that comes with the owners manual and the rest), it lists the secondary air pump as 7yr/70000mls coverage item. Of course I called the dealer back with this information.

This time the service manager simply refused to even look it up the warranty information, saying that when he checked it yesterday it wasn't covered, and that they only go by the on-line information and don't look at individual booklets, and that he doesn't know what warranty booklet I was talking about. And it was only after I told them then I would take this issue to the better business bureau, he suggested I call the VW of America, which I promptly did. (Of course the service manager didn't even give me the number for it, either.)

Turned out that it WAS covered under warranty, and only after I had the customer care rep who answered my call to call the dealer and speak to them directly, the service manager agreed that there was a mistake and will refund the repair cost. Their feeble excuse was that he must have put in the wrong parts number in the computer.

Now what gets me is:

1. I had repeatedly asked about the warranty when I was picking up the car, and he refused to take one minute of his time off eating his breakfast donut to double check it.

2. He had the second chance to check it again when I called back with info from the warranty booklet, yet he simply ignored it.

Is it a simple case of incompetence? Or do they deliberately do this to overcharge you and hope you don't bother to check? Hopefully I'll never know. But one lesson to learn: NEVER TAKE THE DEALER'S WORDS FOR IT when they say it not covered by warranty. Check again.

altair4 · December 2004

I guess there are a couple of lessons to be learned:

1) As you say, never take the service manager's word in a warranty denial.

2) Always be an informed consumer - I'm usually holding my owner's manual/warranty info in my hand when we start discussing service and prices.

I'm glad athat VWoA came trhough for you. Personally, I'd have qualms about going back to that dealer for any future service. Why reward a service department like that with future work? I hate service departments that are ignorant of the facts!

passatloverbut · December 2004

Whatever was the resolution (if any) to this problem? I have the almost identical problem, have been to the dealer 3 times, had the cover valve gasket changed , still burning smell esp while idling. Year of passat is 2001.5 , has 100,000 km (apprx 60,000 miles)

jmotchan · December 2004

I'm looking at a 98 Passat 1.8T 90k miles for $6000. It looks good-minor doordings. Under the hood I hear a arking noise. I thought this may be normal because my Saturn has always done the same thing. Is a lite snapping/arcing noise normal. Also when I first started it and drove forward I could hear a ticking noise. It wasn't really cold out so I didn't give it a chance to warm up. Is this something to worry about? Thanks for any advice or extra things to look at before I pay up.

jodar96 · December 2004

After having a trouble free 96 Toyota Camry XLE V-6 with 86K miles, I want to go back to VW again. Camry is a great and smooth running car. You hardly hear the engine running at 70-80 mph.

Hearing some of the problems with Passat like " water migration" really scares me. Am I wise to look at Passats? I love Passat's look and well put together interior.

What are the issues to watch for in 2002 V-6's?

I appriciate all the hints.

Joe

warrior23 · December 2004

I just bought a 2005 Passat TDI last month. I had an older gas Passat in Germany for 4 years, drove the heck out of it and was very impressed with all aspects of the car which led me to buy this one (Ive also had a VW van and a diesel Rabbit). The only complaint I have with this new car is a harmonic buzz that is heard at certain times in the interior, mostly during acceleration and sometimes at cruise. It seems to be coming from where the drivers seatbelt goes into the door post and sounds like a small spring vibrating. It is not very loud, probably only heard in the drivers left ear. Has anyone else experienced this? Anyone had a dealer look at or fix this problem? My dealer is 100 miles away and the noise is so low that I hate to run up there and have them think Im being too picky. I do, however, plan on asking about it at my 5000 mile service when Ill be there anyway.

jmotchan · December 2004

I just got a 98 Jetta 1.8t 90k miles. At rondom times the ABS and brake lights come on with a chime and the brake light blinks. The lights stay on for 5-10 minutes then go out. This has happened on engine start or during driving. Does anyone know of a check that I can do on my own? I'm an Aircraft Tech and do most of my own maintenance. This is SUSPOSED to be a pretty reliable car. I hope I didn't get a lemon. Thanks for any thoughts.

passat1.8t · January 2005

I replaced all my trim parts with VW OEM aluminum trim from the VW Sport package available in europe (not the cheap fake stick on aluminum kits from vwdriver.com

1. Remove the radio...you need vw radio removal keys....you can buy them at Crutchfield. Inserting the keys releases the tabs, pull the radio out and disconnect the harnesses.

2. Once the radio is out, there are screws at the top and bottom edges which need to be removed...now, the center stack trim part can be removed.

bbjr44216 · January 2005

Has anyone experieced poor idle probelms when the vehicle is stopped. For instance when I stop my vehicle the idle does not; it continues to "bounce" between 1000 and 2000 RPMs. The car feels as if it is going to stall.

I just had the EGR replaced a few months ago and this stopped the problem for a few day but now it is back and I am afraid to let the dealer continue to experiment on my car.

'00 Passat 86K.

dslapak · January 2005

I recently bought a used 2000 Passat from a dealer (non VW) and it only had 1 key (remote entry). So I went to the local VW dealer to buy another key (just the valet)and was informed I had to also have the remote re-programmed because of the immobilization chip at, of course, an extra charge.

Does anybody know if this absolutely has to be done? The new "valet" key starts and unlocks everything it is supposed to. Do I risk damaging anything by not doing this "reprogramming"?

I've also read that this reprogramming applies to 2002+ Passats (American made).

Thanks for your feedback.

dfilice · January 2005

Recently traded-in my wife's 2000 Passat GLX 4-Motion. We really liked the car, but there were a couple of mysterious problems that luckily, WERE covered under warranty. For such a new car, these problems we not acceptable, but goes right along with typical problems VW's are known for.

First: Once morning, the car wouldn't start. It turned over just fine, but it would not fire. Towed into the dealer. Problem: Defective oil pump or something similar. "Pressure" built up inside the engine (per dealer) and the engine didn't allow to be started. Per dealer, they removed spark plugs, replaced oil pump, then it work.

Second: The infamous "Emissions Workshop" warning beeped a couple of times. First, it was simple. The second time, the dealer determined that BOTH catalytic converters went on the blink, so they were replaced under the extended "emissions" warranty. Saved me $3000.

No car ever made should ever have "stupid" problems like these. I liked our Passat with all-wheel drive, heated leather seats, lots of room, very comfortable, etc., but no more. Once was enough.

nesh · January 2005

I have exactly the same problem with 99 Passat 1.8T I just got today. So far, I am unable to find a real solution but have come across a suggestion regarding brake pads. Someone suggested to check the wires for connections near the pads while someone is in the car watching the brake lights.

I'm not sure if this will help so I'll keep looking and report back.

Good Luck

ualpilot · January 2005

I have recently purchased a 2005 Passat 1.8T Automatic transmission and have noticed an unusual engine and front end movement. Everytime I shift from park to reverse the engine and front end moves down several inches.If I then shift from reverse to drive the engine and front end move back up the original position. At night you can actually see the front lights move up and down with the shifting.

I brought it in to the dealer who of course said they never heard of this and do not know if it is normal. they did check the motor mounts and said they were good but said they are jell filled and may be the cause of this movement.

Has this happened to anyone else and if so is this normal or not?

I have a Ford Explorer with 140k very happy miles on it and it does not do this.

nesh · January 2005

Here is some additional information I found on AutomotiveForums.com that may be useful:

----------------------------------------------------

My 97' Passats ABS warning light comes on for no apparent reason and when it does, the headlights and wipers STOP working ! This is an intermitent problem that happens with no warning and lasts for various amounts of time. When the ABS light goes off, everything goe back to normal and works fine !!! HELP !!! Thanks for any suggestions ! ( VR6, 75,000 miles, 5-speed )

----------------------------------------------------

Perhaps it's the ignition switch. Try jiggling the key the and turn it slightly the next time things act up.

---------------------------------------------------

I tried the ignition suggestion again and it did help. So I dug up the letter from VW about the extension of the Ignition switch warranty. The letter states that they extended the warranty to 8year/100,000 miles and it covers the electrical portion of the ignition switch on 1996-1997 Passat and Jetta vehicles.

Quote: It is possible that, under certain conditions, the electrical portion of the ignition switch of affected vehicles could become inoperative due to a combination of unfavorable manufacturing tolerances, especially if a heavy bundle of keys is regularly attached to the ignition key. In cases where the electrical portion of the ignition switch malfunctions the windshield wipers, headlamps and air conditioning system could become inoperative immediately after the engine is started.

So it does not directly say the Brake/ABS light or while you are driving but it certainly seems feasible. I am going to make an appointment to get it changed out and see if that fixes the problem. I also noticed that the rear defroster goes off when this happens.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Any thoughts?

I hope this helps us all with the problem.

suvowner2 · January 2005

It appears I need both catalytic converters replaced on my 2000 Passat GLS V6 (at 81K miles naturally :-(

It costs $2900 for two new VW converters thru dealer service. Two local and reputable repair shops tell me there are aftermarket converters (about $100 ea) they can order and install that will work fine. Two other reputable repair shops (non-dealer) tell me there's no way you can adapt a universal converter to the Passat exhaust and that reconditioned VW parts (about $600 ea?) are the only hope for a less expensive solution.

Who's right? Thanks in advance for any help.

joeseattle · January 2005

I own a 93 GLX with 185000 miles. Recently I've had some electrical problems- bad relay. It was determined by my mechanic to be the computer that was tripping it. I was given an $840 repair est. so I'm thinking about changing the computer myself and have located a used computer. Is there anything I need to know before I begin to fumble through this repair? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

p100 · January 2005

Seems to me that the heads of people who inspected your car are filled with jell instead of brain matter. Take it to another VW dealer. The amount of movement you are describing seems way too excessive to be normal.

ped · January 2005

Maybe someone can give me a little information on this. My daughters car had a knock sensor replaced and the labor was 5 hours. It was code 5051 B2 knock sensor code. Part was 79.00 with washers and gasket. My regular repair shop didn't want to do it so I went to the dealer. My shop's book say .6 hours and I think that's for the rear sensor. The sensor in the front looks a little more difficult to get at but 5 hours? Any help would be appreciated. Check engine likes to come on in this car, now I have another for air flow valve. Other than that it is strong car with all the goodies and it is a solid car. My other daughter has a 98 1.8 5spd with 109k and it runs perfectly. Thanks in advance...

passatloverbut · January 2005

can anybody help me?!!!! I have this awful burning oil smell that's more obvious when the car is idling (heat is on, disappears when I hit the recycle air button). have been to the dealership 3 times. It started a major tuneup (94,000km), got synthetic oil for the 1st time. The dealership changed the valve cover gasket thinking that was the problem. They claim that they cannot duplicate the problem on test drives!!!How frustrating. It's a 2001.5 passat. Will get rid of this car & go back to the trusty hondas if this isn't resolved

passatloverbut

ped · January 2005

When I received the notice about synthetic, daughters 98 Passat 1.8, 105k my dealer said do not switch to the synthetic. My regular mechanic also said do not change with the amount of mileage you have. Could be your problem. Good Luck!

altair4 · January 2005

Seems to me you need to drive to the dealership and request that a tech or at least the service writer come right out to the car and take a deep breath. I'd guess that they are either 1) not lettting the car get hot enough to produce the smell on a test drive or 2) don't really want to work on it.

BTW, how long ago was the valve cover gasket done? Perhaps they didn't clean up the old oil residue off the engine? On the other hand, I have heard of people having the valve cover gasket done more than once to finally stop the leak.

Final thought - did you have an oil change done lately? Perhaps they let too much oil dip down the engine block when pulling the filter.

Our Accord smells terrible after an oil change. The design of the engine places the oil filter (on the rear of the engine) directly above the exhaust pipe. Oil always drips onto the pipe and smokes for about a week.

ped · January 2005

I think you missed the point. They went to synthetic for the first time and the car had 98k miles. Everyone I talked to said not to switch even though VW recommends synthetic for the 1.8's to avoid the sludge problem.

altair4 · January 2005

Hey, Ped,

I actually was responding to Passatloverbut's post. I don't think I missed the point. His car has 94,000 km on it - that's about 58,000 miles. Unlike you, he has already used synthetic oil and the engine is now apparently leaking. So the point is, "where is the oil leaking and what can be done to stop it and the burning smell." If Passatloverbut is the original owner, he has a 10 yr/100,000 mile warranty (at least the US VW's did in 2001.5 model year). I'm guessing that Passatloverbut is in Canada, given the odometer reading in km.

The valve cover gasket is a notorious candidate for leaking and I've seen other forums where owners have had multiple attempts in short order to stop the leak from it. I'd look at the back end of the engine nearest the firewall for signs of oil.

I still say the dealer is not being diligent in his search to find the leak.

You may be right that the synth caused the leak. Could be the cleaning action of the synth opened a leak that some dirt/gunk was holding shut. That dirt/gunk could be the early signs of sludging that the synth is supposed to help avoid.

I don't know if I'd switch to synth or not in your case at your mileage after receiving the sludge letter. I run both our vehicles on synth (Mobil 1 5w-30 in our 7 year old Accord from 20,000 miles and Valvoline 5w-40 in the Passat from the first change at 4,000 miles) and both vehicles are absolutely leak-free.

altair4 · January 2005

I saw this on another forum; don't know if you have the V6 or not. I thought you might want to read it and perhaps mention it to your dealer:

Greetings all!

Newbie here, and the proud owner of a 2001.5 Passat, V6, tiptronic.

I have had the car about a month now... and love it.

Like some others here (I've combed the old posts), I've had a problem with oil smoke coming from a drip drip drip on the exhaust manifold (passenger side).

Well, rather than taking it back to the butchers at the dealership, I decided to fix it myself.

I started with a new valve cover gasket about 2 weeks ago... but that didn't cure it.

Last night, I installed a new cam chain tensioner gasket, and seal plug.

This seems to have worked.

Anyhow, it did not require special tools, or camshaft removal (like the manual says).

There is just enough room under the tensioner assy to sneak the new gasket/plug under, with the cams in position.

It takes some fancy finger-work and a bit of finesse, but I'm living proof that it can be done.

Good luck and I hope this helps solve your oil smell problem.

ped · January 2005

My bad, I didn't catch the km. I was told the synthetic would possibly "cleanse" the gunk and that would cause a bigger problem. My 04 Audi A4 will only see synthetic!! Thanks for the correction. Now can you help with post #650?

Later...

zscottie · January 2005

Howdy...am the proud owner of an '05 1.8T Passat 4motion wagon. So far so good w/ the car...

Onto my questions...I'm looking to buy a FirstAid kit and all weather floor mats for the car. I figure the dealer will cost more $ than what I can find online...can anyone recom. a place I can find these items?

Thanks.

altair4 · January 2005

Drewparts has both. You can get a discount if you join another forum...rules here prohibit identifying said forum (sorry). There are other online VW parts suppliers. Do a google.

The VW first aid kit is pricey. I simply bought one from a local drug store that's about equivalent for about the price of the VW one. It fits in the same space and has the added bonus that it was latex-free (a concern due to allergies in my immediate family). OTOH, if you simply must have the VW emblem, well, there's no other choice.

ualpilot · January 2005

Thanks. I will try another dealer

ksks · January 2005

Yes! I own a '99 Passat GLS and I have experienced idle problems for at least 6 months. Only mine has now gotten to the point where it will idle up to 3000 RPM! It feels like my car is going to take off, right into an intersection. I've taken it to the VW dealer twice now and they have not been able to diagnose the problem. They've just said, "We're sorry, but we don't know what the problem is."

I think this is a dangerous problem that warrants some kind of response by VW.

-ks

cbanc · January 2005

I have owned a 99 Passat since June 1999, bought with 200 dealer miles on it. The engine and front end movement described have been present on my Passat from the first day I owned it. I considered it a part of the normal operation of the car. Maybe it is not, but it has never been an issue with the car's performance. It now has 68,000 miles on it. It broke down on me only once, at about 3,000 miles due to what was described as misfiring spark plugs. It does occasionally have misfire codes which usually resolves on its own. I have used synthetic oil from 1,000 miles changed every 3,000 miles usually.

donein05 · January 2005

Here's the scenario: Start car, back into driveway, turn off car (run time 10 seconds). Car sits for 10 minutes to 3 hours while i sweep or putz in the garage. Start car to bring back into garage (runs not so smooth but ok - run time 10 seconds). Next morning, wife tries to go to work. Car won't start after repeated attempts (4-6x). She did not touch the gas pedal. Tow to dealer. Dealer finds gas in oil. No fault codes. Says operator error. Why can I do the above with my '96 Passat without problems but the "advanced computer management" of my 2004 Passat cannot handle this situation?

Anyone know why this is happening and if it should be happening? Seems like something that should happen to my old go-cart and not my '04 Passat. Thoughts? I'd appreciate it!

novapuller · January 2005

hello iam a vw tech (10 years). when the car doesnt start does it crank fast as if no compression or crank fine start and run so bad it dies? what kind of oil? fuel grade? maybe i can help im kinda a passat specalist i own one and so do my family

paul

novapuller · January 2005

again vw tech, this engine does move alot the mounts are silicone filled the head light movement is intreaging, do the headlight seam to vibrate when idling in gear?

hope i can help

paul

cate · January 2005

Hi, I drove my 97 Passat GLX today on snow. I did feel ABS worked for a while, then both the ABS and BRAKE lights were turned on. The BRAKE light was off after I restarted the car, while ABS light is still on. The road was icy, and I lost control of my car a little sometimes. Otherwise I cannot see any significant reason.

The ABS light was on several times before, generally in rain, but I could always turn it off by restarting the car.

Any suggestions on this problem would be greatly appreciated.

mrjette · January 2005

My friend has a 2001 Passat with the 1.8 turbo engine. The oil pressure light came on and she brought it back to the dealer. Her lease is up this month, and she just wants to get out of this vehicle due to on-going problems.

1. They say they need her to authorize an engine diagnostic (at $75/hr x 4 hours) to find out what is wrong.

2. They say she exceeded one oil change interval by 1500 miles, essentially making any problem they find be outside of the warranty (and her expense).

3. They say it could be anything from a clogged oil pump to a totally sludged up engine that must be replaced (ouch).

4. The pressure reading in her car is 1.4 bars, while the normal pressure is 4.0 bars. Sounds like something is indeed clogged, but not sure what it could be.

Any advice is welcome and appreciated. Is there some fluid to run through the engine that could remove some gunk, drop the warning light and allow her to return the car without taking on great expense?

ped · January 2005

Mr. VW tech, Paul,

Would you take a look at post 650 and let me know if it takes 6 hours to that job? It was the one in the back. Thanks...no names or info will be used. I'd appreciate it.

600kgolfgt · January 2005

The idle problems may be due to a faulty idle control valve. They normally run in the $200 - $275 range.

Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

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