If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
VW Passat 1.8T - 150K realistic? - 10 to 15 yr lifespan?
I have owned my 99 VW Passat 1.8 T for about 2 years now. Bought it
used (at 50K) under the VW Certified Preowned program. I now have about 88K and am thinking about selling it to a relative, just because I am interested in getting something new. It's actually been a good car -- just a very misunderstood one. Having owned Hondas before and older American cars -- owning a European car for the first time was a learning experience for me.....i think a lot of the reliability problems that surface on these boards (with the exception of bugs inherent in first model year releases) are due to lack of maintenance..... With a Honda or Toyota, all you have to do is keep the oil changed and it will be trouble free until at at least 125K -- then even with repairs here and there, you can squeeze over 200K out of a properly maintained car. American cars are disposible -- we recently went to Cape Cod for a friends' wedding, rented a brand new Monte Carlo and drove it for the weekend.....when we came back to Atlanta, drove my old passat back from the airport and couldnt believe how much tighter it was than a brand new monte carlo....... The only problems I have had with the car can all be attributed to the fact that the previous owner changed the oil every 7K (found this out a the dealer later, when I was having my car serviced): *Two parts were clogged with oil sludge -- check engine light stayed on and car even shut down once *Replaced oil pump (had to pull some teeth for this one to get it covered under the VW Certified warranty) *Catalytic converter went out at like 79,800 - barely covered under the 80K emissions control warranty So -- this gets to my question. I want to get this car in good shape to sell to my relative. I would like to do the necessary repairs for the car to be trouble free. # 1 -- what do i need to replace for preventative maintenance? anything other than the timing belt? # 2 -- is 150K realistic for these cars? i always think used car ads are the best measuring stick as to how many miles you can realistically get out of a car...i see many 1.8T passats for sale with 140K plus...still with the original engines and transmissions...... # 3 -- i now know to .....always, always, always make sure the oil is changed at the dealer. It's the same price, offer saturday appointments and they have a nice cybercafe where you can wait. Ive made the mistake of taking it to Jiffy Lube -- they dont have the right filter and NEVER put enough oil in it.....which makes the valves tick...took me a while to figure out what the problem was..... I also remember from childhood (im 30 now...so grew up in the 1980s).....having a couple of friends whose parents had VWs that they had for like 10 or 15 years......one had a Quantum wagon that she got in 1980 and was still driving when i was in high school, remember a lime green mid 70s Dasher wagon up the street was still around in the mid 80s, a Rabbit here and there......one friend had an Audi 4000 (about an 82 model..which i suppose wasnt that old in 87) and a VW Thing from the mid 70s......of course, not that this is a fair comparision, but I did have a neighbor with a 76 beetle that she drove until 1988....her husband got a new car every 3 years...... I read a very apt quote recently off the BMW message board -- when comparing BMWs to Japanese cars... the Honda or Toyota will be more reliable, but the BMW will be more DURABLE.....I think of my Passat at 88K....steering is still tight, you can hear the doors thump when they shut, runs smoothly, it handles great...... So, are these cars actually very durable -- but just not maintained properly by Americans? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
I'd say 150K Miles is more then realistic provided maintenance is kept up -
for any VW. The only thing that bothers me with VW is they use plastic impellers on their water pumps so you have to make sure to change them (mine was done at 60K on my TDI engine, at the first timing belt change... so I skipped it this time at ~120K Kms)... They're not perfect cars but they aren't as bad as they are rated in studies. My catalytic converter just failed too... well it still works, but there is a 5" hole at the back of it, luckily the car has an emissions warranty, it's an 1159 dollar part! -BTW I have a 1999.5 Golf TDI No real "problems" with my car (tires, brakes, oil changes.... I did the shocks to get a firmer ride, okay my catalytic converter died too young, and my tie rod ends wore out after only 85 K Kms, but I drive the car too hard anyways), just that parts aren't cheap if you want good/proper stuff... and I think here's an issue too... there is cheaper stuff availible for these cars and people are using it - oil, brakes, tires, running regular gas and not premium (in the case of 1.8T and V6 engines), not putting any additives into North American diesel fuel (in the case of TDI's).... People aren't religiously maintaining their cars, they keep them filthy and somehow abuse their interiors so much that almost anything will fall off - radio buttons, latches for glove box, sunvisors..... etc etc etc - My car was a company car and the interior was in great shape despite constant use and abuse... so I don't know what people are doing. To get the car in shape I would suggest doing a full wash and wax for the exterior, open the hood and clean all the grime around the edges of the engine bay where it is painted, same goes with the grime around the trunk, the door hinges - where ever there is paint - provided you can reach it... Then re-grease all the hinges and moving parts. Then vacuum the whole interior and clean the floormats with soap and water (if you have rubber mats), clean the dash off with a damp cloth, and clean the windows.... This will make the car look very respectable for sale. Mechanically get a tune up done, an oil change, maybe flush the rad and brakes with new fluids, if the tranny is automatic and the car is near 100K Kms then change the tranmission fluid (lifetime fluid means till the lifetime of the warranty according to transmission experts, I got mine done at 90 K Kms and the transmission shifted MUCH nicer), check when the timing belt is due for change and get that done with the water pump as well.... Check to see if all the headlamps and tail lamps are functional as well as all the interior lights. "Brandon" > wrote in message oups.com... >I have owned my 99 VW Passat 1.8 T for about 2 years now. Bought it > used (at 50K) under the VW Certified Preowned program. > > I now have about 88K and am thinking about selling it to a relative, > just because I am interested in getting something new. > > It's actually been a good car -- just a very misunderstood one. Having > owned Hondas before and older American cars -- owning a European car > for the first time was a learning experience for me.....i think a lot > of the reliability problems that surface on these boards (with the > exception of bugs inherent in first model year releases) are due to > lack of maintenance..... > > With a Honda or Toyota, all you have to do is keep the oil changed and > it will be trouble free until at at least 125K -- then even with > repairs here and there, you can squeeze over 200K out of a properly > maintained car. American cars are disposible -- we recently went to > Cape Cod for a friends' wedding, rented a brand new Monte Carlo and > drove it for the weekend.....when we came back to Atlanta, drove my old > passat back from the airport and couldnt believe how much tighter it > was than a brand new monte carlo....... > > The only problems I have had with the car can all be attributed to the > fact that the previous owner changed the oil every 7K (found this out a > the dealer later, when I was having my car serviced): > > *Two parts were clogged with oil sludge -- check engine light stayed on > and car even shut down once > > *Replaced oil pump (had to pull some teeth for this one to get it > covered under the VW Certified warranty) > > *Catalytic converter went out at like 79,800 - barely covered under the > 80K emissions control warranty > > So -- this gets to my question. I want to get this car in good shape > to sell to my relative. I would like to do the necessary repairs for > the car to be trouble free. > > # 1 -- what do i need to replace for preventative maintenance? anything > other than the timing belt? > > # 2 -- is 150K realistic for these cars? i always think used car ads > are the best measuring stick as to how many miles you can realistically > get out of a car...i see many 1.8T passats for sale with 140K > plus...still with the original engines and transmissions...... > > # 3 -- i now know to .....always, always, always make sure the oil is > changed at the dealer. It's the same price, offer saturday > appointments and they have a nice cybercafe where you can wait. Ive > made the mistake of taking it to Jiffy Lube -- they dont have the right > filter and NEVER put enough oil in it.....which makes the valves > tick...took me a while to figure out what the problem was..... > > I also remember from childhood (im 30 now...so grew up in the > 1980s).....having a couple of friends whose parents had VWs that they > had for like 10 or 15 years......one had a Quantum wagon that she got > in 1980 and was still driving when i was in high school, remember a > lime green mid 70s Dasher wagon up the street was still around in the > mid 80s, a Rabbit here and there......one friend had an Audi 4000 > (about an 82 model..which i suppose wasnt that old in 87) and a VW > Thing from the mid 70s......of course, not that this is a fair > comparision, but I did have a neighbor with a 76 beetle that she drove > until 1988....her husband got a new car every 3 years...... > > I read a very apt quote recently off the BMW message board -- when > comparing BMWs to Japanese cars... the Honda or Toyota will be more > reliable, but the BMW will be more DURABLE.....I think of my Passat at > 88K....steering is still tight, you can hear the doors thump when they > shut, runs smoothly, it handles great...... > > So, are these cars actually very durable -- but just not maintained > properly by Americans? > |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
The surest way for a car to NOT last is to let rust take over. Otherwise, as
long as the car is maintained and parts replaced or repaired as they wear out, it should last indefinitely. A million miles is not unheard of. Look at all of the old cars (Chevys, Fords, etc.) still being driven in Havana. They were new when Castro took over. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Short answer - if looked after then yes, very durable. A couple of things though....at 88K on a 99 car your timing belt is on borrowed time - specifically the tensioner is. The early TB tensioners are/were prone to failure with catastrophic consequences. There is now an updated version. You need to get the belt and tensioner (and rollers) changed this week. Go have a look at www.clubb5.com & read the forums for the number of stories of failed cambelts on these engines - some as low as under 60K miles. The story is almost always the same - the early design of tensioner. TB failure will cost you at least $3000 to fix. AFAIK the TB service interval is 80K on the 98/99 cars so if it fails I doubt anyone is going to cover you because you are over the interval. When you get the TB done you should also get the 3 ancilliary belts changed & while you are in there the Thermostat at least. Some people strongly recommend the waterpump as well. You have to take half the front of the car apart to get to the TB & so it makes sense to do some preventative maintenance whilst in there. On the subject of Oil sludging, VWoA now mandate (via a TSB) synthetic oil and a much bigger oil filter for 1.8Ts. If your dealer doesn't know about this then find another dealer! If you have had/have sludging issues then some Auto RX is your friend. www.auto-rx.com. Read the clubB5 forums for testimonials. Other than that, as above, if looked after the 1.8T is very durable - and easily good for 200hp with a simple chip with little or no side effects. There are also plenty of them that have already gone way past 150K miles. Only other major weaknesses are the front suspension control arms which (like the Audi a4s & A6s) have a habit of wearing out & needing replacing. There is a recall out on one of these (front lower) on each side (there are 4 on each side in total). HTH I. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Keep up with te oil changes and replace the timing belt anf 150k is easy. I
just had a 2001 1.8t in our shop last week for a battrery replacement. It had 145K and sill ran like new. "Brandon" > wrote in message oups.com... >I have owned my 99 VW Passat 1.8 T for about 2 years now. Bought it > used (at 50K) under the VW Certified Preowned program. > > I now have about 88K and am thinking about selling it to a relative, > just because I am interested in getting something new. > > It's actually been a good car -- just a very misunderstood one. Having > owned Hondas before and older American cars -- owning a European car > for the first time was a learning experience for me.....i think a lot > of the reliability problems that surface on these boards (with the > exception of bugs inherent in first model year releases) are due to > lack of maintenance..... > > With a Honda or Toyota, all you have to do is keep the oil changed and > it will be trouble free until at at least 125K -- then even with > repairs here and there, you can squeeze over 200K out of a properly > maintained car. American cars are disposible -- we recently went to > Cape Cod for a friends' wedding, rented a brand new Monte Carlo and > drove it for the weekend.....when we came back to Atlanta, drove my old > passat back from the airport and couldnt believe how much tighter it > was than a brand new monte carlo....... > > The only problems I have had with the car can all be attributed to the > fact that the previous owner changed the oil every 7K (found this out a > the dealer later, when I was having my car serviced): > > *Two parts were clogged with oil sludge -- check engine light stayed on > and car even shut down once > > *Replaced oil pump (had to pull some teeth for this one to get it > covered under the VW Certified warranty) > > *Catalytic converter went out at like 79,800 - barely covered under the > 80K emissions control warranty > > So -- this gets to my question. I want to get this car in good shape > to sell to my relative. I would like to do the necessary repairs for > the car to be trouble free. > > # 1 -- what do i need to replace for preventative maintenance? anything > other than the timing belt? > > # 2 -- is 150K realistic for these cars? i always think used car ads > are the best measuring stick as to how many miles you can realistically > get out of a car...i see many 1.8T passats for sale with 140K > plus...still with the original engines and transmissions...... > > # 3 -- i now know to .....always, always, always make sure the oil is > changed at the dealer. It's the same price, offer saturday > appointments and they have a nice cybercafe where you can wait. Ive > made the mistake of taking it to Jiffy Lube -- they dont have the right > filter and NEVER put enough oil in it.....which makes the valves > tick...took me a while to figure out what the problem was..... > > I also remember from childhood (im 30 now...so grew up in the > 1980s).....having a couple of friends whose parents had VWs that they > had for like 10 or 15 years......one had a Quantum wagon that she got > in 1980 and was still driving when i was in high school, remember a > lime green mid 70s Dasher wagon up the street was still around in the > mid 80s, a Rabbit here and there......one friend had an Audi 4000 > (about an 82 model..which i suppose wasnt that old in 87) and a VW > Thing from the mid 70s......of course, not that this is a fair > comparision, but I did have a neighbor with a 76 beetle that she drove > until 1988....her husband got a new car every 3 years...... > > I read a very apt quote recently off the BMW message board -- when > comparing BMWs to Japanese cars... the Honda or Toyota will be more > reliable, but the BMW will be more DURABLE.....I think of my Passat at > 88K....steering is still tight, you can hear the doors thump when they > shut, runs smoothly, it handles great...... > > So, are these cars actually very durable -- but just not maintained > properly by Americans? > |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
thank you for the info.
i want to get all these things done -- but the labor costs just kill me....the dealer wants $900 to put on a belt I could get online for $50........of course, I realize that $900 is cheaper than a $3000 engine rebuild..... Still, how complex is replacing the timing belt -- assuming that you have the right tools? Any sources you can recommend? |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Ok, scratch that. Just took a look at a website outlining how to
replace a timing belt on an Audi - http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng39.shtml You arent kidding...you really do have to take half the engine apart.... |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
I think a VW garage would have a much better way to do this job.... 900
bucks is too much money for a timing belt job. I can't see VW engineering a car that is so difficult to service that it costs its owners almost a thousand bucks to do a job that, at least on your model of car, with average driving needs to be done every 3 or so years. "Brandon" > wrote in message oups.com... > Ok, scratch that. Just took a look at a website outlining how to > replace a timing belt on an Audi - > http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng39.shtml > > You arent kidding...you really do have to take half the engine apart.... > |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
"Brandon" > wrote in message oups.com... > Ok, scratch that. Just took a look at a website outlining how to > replace a timing belt on an Audi - > http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng39.shtml Have a look at the Clubb5 forums (B5 Garage I think) and look for DaddyMatt's write up on doing this. I did it myself about 3 months ago. It wasn't hard - just a long job but I kind of expected it to take a while, got myself properly setup to do it in a warm garage and worked through it methodically. The parts needed will cost a bit - many folks on clubb5 have used ECS tuning's "Ultimate Timing Belt" kit with good results.... (www.ecstuning.com) I. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
"Rob Guenther" > wrote in message .. . >I think a VW garage would have a much better way to do this job.... 900 >bucks is too much money for a timing belt job. I can't see VW engineering a >car that is so difficult to service that it costs its owners almost a >thousand bucks to do a job that, at least on your model of car, with >average driving needs to be done every 3 or so years. Believe it.....though 900 is a bit high it has to be said. $6-700 is more like it. Book time for a 1.8T TB is something like 4-5 hours. I know a good independent here in the UK who can do one in about 2.5 hours if they get a real bend on & if everything goes smoothly - but life's not like that. For a first time DIYer it'll take 8 hours at least. I. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
New owner of 98 Passat 1.8T | Klaus | VW water cooled | 1 | January 19th 05 10:34 PM |
1.8t Passat w/ missed oil change - buy or not? | James | VW water cooled | 15 | January 12th 05 01:53 AM |
Woodchuck...99 Passat 1.8T Timing Belt...sorta | Boris Badinoff | VW water cooled | 6 | December 23rd 04 01:08 PM |
What brand of synthetic oil for 2000 Passat 1.8T ? | Dave | VW water cooled | 9 | October 1st 04 03:03 AM |