About to buy a B5.5 Passat!

[riwanika]

Hey, first time back on VWVortex in quite a while. I'm about to buy a passat, a 2002 to be specific. I don't know much about the car right now. A very trustworthy mechanic of mine is selling it to me, new water pump, new timing belt and such. My question is, what are the first things people like to do to their passats? Whether it be functionality, reliability or sportiness. Any leads are appreciated, I live in southern cali so lowpro tires and squatted stance is no problem. Also what things should I look for in the first few months of owning the car? Electrical issues, mechanical defects, smells and sounds. Let me know! I want to get started on the right foot

[Roketdriver]

Seriously though...engine? Transmission?

The front control arms like to wear out. Keep up with your oil changes.

[passatv6AF]

You left out KEY details....miles?engine?transmission?

[scotts13]

My question is, what are the first things people like to do to their passats? Whether it be functionality, reliability or sportiness.

First thing people NEED to do is go through the car with a fine tooth comb, making sure absolutely everything is working properly and all the necessary maintenance is up to date. I've bought two used Passats in apparently "perfect" condition, and each cost me about $1500 in the first couple of months to get completely right. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.

After you've had the car a few months with no problems, and have $500-$1000 set aside for "surprises", then think about modifications.

[riwanika]

Cool cool, well all of my arrows point to buy the passat so thats a start haha. It's a 2002, 1.8t, with a 5 speed and 114k. It's the basic model so there's no toys or electrical things to go awry on the inside. I appreciate the honesty so far. I'm going to test drive it tomorrow and see how it feels. If the car runs ok on the highway/backroads and the temp stays consistent and I don't get any weird smells I'm sure I'll buy it. It has the most god awful wheels I've ever seen though which is saddening. Any suspension sounds I should listen for to tell if the front end is a little soft?

[scotts13]

A rattle or clunk in the front end usually means a new set of suspension control arms. About $1000 installed at the dealer, still a little salty if you DIY.

[Robmc27]

Make sure you're listening for noises, control arms are always a problem with passats. Just listen very close and make sure she's driving nice and smooth and you'll be good to go.

[riwanika]

Ok cool, I'll listen for some interesting noises while i drive. Also are there any problem areas I should look for oil seepage or coolant loss? Like from the head to the block, around the oil pan, near the turbo manifold? Like I know on olde 240z nissans it's good to check the timing chain cover for leakage since its a hard area to seal. Thanks a lot for the help so far!

[Robmc27]

Mine leaks oil a bit, but that's pretty easy to spot if you take a peek underneath. But that's just mine, not saying yours will. Just go over it real well and you'll be fine.

[riwanika]

I test drove the car and everything was great! The engine was nice and quiet, road noise was minimal, power throughout the rpm range was consistent and it shifted very smoothly through all of the gears. I believe I'm going to be happy with this car. The rear shocks feel a little soft but I'm not too worried about that. So as far as fixes go, the car also has two new o2 sensors, a new cat., new front wheel bearings, new abs controller, new waterpump and timing chain, wheels and tyres. Thanks for the help so far guys! I'm looking forward to driving this car for at least the next 50,000+ miles

[E CODE]

Must have had a motor swap to a VR6 if it has a timing chain

Does it have a documented history of regular oil changes with synthetic and a larger oil filter?

[riwanika]

haha oops, I always mix up the terminology on the two. I know they're completely different it's just a word swap. Service records from the previous owner are there but not complete. My vw-specialist has gone over the car and gives it a thumbs up. He has another one, a b5, and said it was a nightmare compared to mine so that gives me some hope. When you say "larger" filter what does this entail? Is there a special part # i need to search for when I go to Autozone and pick one up?

[E CODE]

haha oops, I always mix up the terminology on the two. I know they're completely different it's just a word swap. Service records from the previous owner are there but not complete. My vw-specialist has gone over the car and gives it a thumbs up. He has another one, a b5, and said it was a nightmare compared to mine so that gives me some hope. When you say "larger" filter what does this entail? Is there a special part # i need to search for when I go to Autozone and pick one up?

To combat the smaller than required oil pan, VW stated that you had to use a larger filter, and synthetic....

I don't know much more about it since I specifically bought a V6 instead of a 1.8T for that reason. Every year there are a half dozen threads or so about cars dieing with the 'STOP Oil pressure' warning on thier dash. Crazy thing about the cars though, is it'll let you drive without oil pressure for a few thousand revs before telling you your car is pooched. The problem usually results from a clogged oil pick up due to oil sludge....

If you aren't worried about that, either due to the maint history or your mechanics thumb (by chance, was this thumb jammed into the oil pan looking for sludge at the time?) then it could be a good buy, but be prepared to spend whatever you paid for the car in more maintenance.... and even more if you plan on modding it.

[riwanika]

Every year there are a half dozen threads or so about cars dieing with the 'STOP Oil pressure' warning on thier dash. Crazy thing about the cars though, is it'll let you drive without oil pressure for a few thousand revs before telling you your car is pooched. The problem usually results from a clogged oil pick up due to oil sludge....

This is exactly the info I need. Cool, I've done my fair share of engine rebuilds, swaps, and hardcore maintenance so I don 't think I'll mind dropping the oil pan on this car and checking out the crank and oil pickup for buildup. I'll probably invest in some good engine flush too and do a couple runs with that to help clean out any of the little passages. I'll definitely invest in an aftermarket oil pressure gauge now thanks to this. As far as modding the car goes I'm probably just going to go with flush fitted wheels and some VIP styling on the inside. Nothing crazy, some engineers were paid a lot of money to design this engine and I don't think bolting on some aftermarket parts is going to improve upon their work

[Dtrain12]

Seriously though...engine? Transmission?

The front control arms like to wear out. Keep up with your oil changes.

lol the pic
we love the pain maintaining these vws..i know i do!

[riwanika]

All I can say is I went from a twin turbo rx7 fd3s to a vw passat. Anything this car can throw at me I"m ready for. I rebuilt my rotary engine in my kitchen so hopefully this car behaves and won't be too much of a pain in the long run. With the turbo and 114,000 miles what oil grade do you guys run in warm climates? Platinum plugs or no? Is there a factory service manual I should get my hands on available somewhere? I'm picking up the car on Wednesday and doing a 700 mile round trip from Ventura to SF on Friday so me n the car will have some time to bond.

[scotts13]

Use only an approved oil, 5w40 synthetic, that meets VW specification 502.00. Use only the OEM plugs, NGK PFR6Q (The 1.8T is notoriously fussy about plugs). The approved manual is from Bentley; $130 at the dealership, or about $90 from Amazon.

[riwanika]

Well I got the car and so far so good! The only thing I'm having trouble with is the trunk doesn't open hahaha fricken volkswagens. The latch motor sounds as though it's releasing when you pull the switch from the driverside door but when someone tries to open the trunk it just stays shut. Is it stuck somewhere along the line? Or how do I opperate that key lock on the back I want to vacuum my trunk out and have it be functional. Thanks guys!

[mswagner08]

i hope you got enough room in that kitchen for a lift to pull that motor and tranny out through the bottom

[riwanika]

Damn so much hate on this forum D: is everyone negative about these cars? Or is there any sign of hope?

[scotts13]

Damn so much hate on this forum D: is everyone negative about these cars? Or is there any sign of hope?

What? I LOVE my Passat; I keep buying them. Best car I've ever owned. HOWEVER, they have their peculiarities. Keep after them and they'll treat you well; drive it like it's a Toyota or Honda, and it'll bite you right in the wallet. Just so you know.

[Roketdriver]

Damn so much hate on this forum D: is everyone negative about these cars? Or is there any sign of hope?

Don't let that flowchart put you off, I LOVE my Passat. I got mine with 127,xxx on the clock, currently have it at 142,xxx. Aside from major maintenance items that are on the normal schedule, I haven't had to do a single thing. They are solid cars. Knock on wood.