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Volkswagen Passat Maintenance and Repair

3340 messages,  Last post on Apr 25, 2013 at 10:07 AM

You are in the Volkswagen Passat Forum.

What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Sedan, Wagon

    
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Messages Page 316 of 335

#3144 of 3340 Re: 2003 Passat dead [altair4] by photodad3855

Sep 19, 2010 (3:39 pm)

Replying to: altair4 (Sep 19, 2010 5:28 am)
Yes, this was my first FWD car so CV boot was something new.
I did not have my timing belt checked. Although my dealer did recommend the 60K and 80K service checks. I'm old school so if it "ain't broke, don't fix it." I always had the oil changed and fluids checked but, well, now I'm paying for it. My fault. Although a good mechanic would have pulled me aside and said YOU MUST HAVE THIS REPLACED. I've been kicking myself all week. It is the first and last VW. The maintenance is just too expensive for me. That was part of my procrastination too. I got a rental (Hyundai Accent) so I could get to work/school. Liked it alot. Bought a 2004 Hyundai Elantra.

#3145 of 3340 Re: 2003 Passat dead [photodad3855] by vwdawg

Sep 22, 2010 (11:15 am)

Replying to: photodad3855 (Sep 17, 2010 7:58 pm)
Hi photodad: Sorry to hear of your misfortunes here. As altair4 suggests in his reply, 105k (or 90k in the case of my '97 A4 2.8) means very little in terms of a safe mileage to change the belt. I was lucky...I found out about VW/Passat TB problems before mine broke, and changed mine as soon as I found out about thIs issue. Now I have to face this problem with my '02 Passat 1.8T...not real excited about dumping a grand into a $3,000 car that has been mostly a pain in the butt since I bought it five years ago (CELs, CV joints, coils, cat converter, oil sludge fears, and now the TB change), but I guess there's not much choice. I was talking to a friend a few weeks back...I knew his '99 Passat was approaching 100k, so was going to remind him to change that belt. Oops...he doesn't have it anymore...donated it to a charity...surprise, surprise!, TB broke and toasted the engine! I have owned five or six Vdubs, but my '02 has really soured me on the brand. If you are VW savvy and willing to do your homework, like altair4 and others, you can have success with the Passat, but until I get the word that VW has made major improvements to this model, I'm staying away. vwdawg

#3146 of 3340 towed away for the last time, Timing Belt Broke by photodad3855

Sep 23, 2010 (11:35 am)

My '03 Passat was towed away to foreign car graveyard today. The dealer wanted to put a new engine in ($5-7,000) but wouldn't guarantee their labor and only would give me a 3-month warranty on the parts. Couldn't see dumping that much money into a car with 96,000+ miles on it and then taking the chance the newly installed engine would break down on me. BEWARE: replace that TIMING BELT.

#3147 of 3340 03 Passat by rosie11

Sep 30, 2010 (10:39 am)

Okay, so I know nothing about cars! How do I know when I need new brakes? How do I know what's a fair price? Finally, I want to have this car serviced before the winter and prefer not to deal with the nearest VW dealer. Is any good garage okay to use for a 75,000 mile check up on a 03 Passat. Will they do what needs to be done according to the manual? Or is it really better to go to the dealer. Thanks, sorry for so many inane ?'s!

#3148 of 3340 Re: 03 Passat [rosie11] by photodad3855

Sep 30, 2010 (6:42 pm)

Replying to: rosie11 (Sep 30, 2010 10:39 am)
The mechanic you use should tell you when your brakes are going bad. Are you in PA? Brakes are on the checklist of our annual vehicle (state) inspection. It should be in your VW manual too. Fair Price? That's a good question. I always thought $$ at the VW dealer were high but figured that was the cost of owning a foreign car. Get some estimates. I never took the time to do that.
 
I'm not sure I would use a local garage for your 75K checkup. Depends on your local mechanic, If you need parts then the mechanic buys them from the VW dealer and marks them up. I used a local garage for oil changes, etc. but the mileage checks I had done at the dealer. Good luck.

#3149 of 3340 MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) by navyguy1990

Oct 01, 2010 (4:59 am)

Background: I've owned a 2003 VW Passat GLS 1.8T for about 2.5 years and the car currently has 46K miles on it. I've replaced ignition coils and the transmission control module (flooded interior compartment). Just a week ago, there was a torrential downpour and I've had to drive through about a foot of standing water and I drove through at a snail's pace. The engine was fine, but immediately the car's horn now sounds like a toy car honking and four days after the event the MIL (one with engine shape) light came on. In my Sienna I've experienced "check engine" light and all I've had to do was tighten the gas cap and drive about 30 miles for the light to clear. I've driven the car for more than 50 miles and the light is still on. The car seems to perform normally.
Additionally, after I've replaced the transmission control module about a year ago, the downshift from 2nd gear to 1st gear seems to be little rough, especially as I try to make it up a hill.This is a sporadic problem and I've originally thought that it might be the transmission. I've had the dealer inspect the transmission and replace the transmission fluid. The dealer didn't find anything unusual and the fluid was normal. I still have sporadic problems, especially as the car is warmed up.
 
Can you share some thoughts on:
1. Car's horn
2. MIL light (how do I clear it), because the car is running fine
3. Sporadically rough downshifting transmission
 
Thanks.
 
Navy guy who is stationed in Seoul, Korea

#3150 of 3340 Re: 03 Passat [rosie11] by vwdawg

Oct 01, 2010 (9:35 am)

Replying to: rosie11 (Sep 30, 2010 10:39 am)
rosie: It's difficult to determine brake replacement intervals without actually physically inspecting them (although I think your Passat would have a wear sensor on the front pads which would alert you when they are getting thin). I'm not a big fan of dealers. My advice? Establish a relationship with a good independent shop which specializes in German cars (where you can actually talk to, get to know, and trust your tech). These shops will have the diagnostics available to do specialized repairs, and including your 75k check. vwdawg

#3151 of 3340 hmm by krzyss

Oct 01, 2010 (10:41 am)

The horn was probably damaged by water.
MIL - are there any OBD II readers in Korea?
Transmission - no clue.
 
Krzys

#3152 of 3340 Re: 03 Passat [vwdawg] by altair4

Oct 01, 2010 (4:42 pm)

Replying to: vwdawg (Oct 01, 2010 9:35 am)
There's a real good chance that the rear brakes will need to be replaced before the fronts (of course, it's the fronts that have the wear indicator - thanks, VW!).
 
The only way to deal is to pull the wheels to check. And be aware that it is possible the outer pad looks pretty good, but the inner pad is more worn. I had that happen on the rear brakes on my '03 Passat, with the original pads. At 20K miles, the inner pads were shot.

#3153 of 3340 Re: hmm [krzyss] by altair4

Oct 01, 2010 (4:43 pm)

Replying to: krzyss (Oct 01, 2010 10:41 am)
x2 on Krzyss's post.

Messages Page 316 of 335

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