Help deciding if it's goodbye to my b6

[hatton101]

Hi all, Im looking for help regarding the future of my Passat b6. In the past year I've had the imobiliser failure leading to a new steering column and ignition barrel coating me the princely sum of around 350, and tonight I've just got back from forking out 705 to replace the parking break calipers after them failing and staying on.

What is like to know for you helpful folks here is if their are any other major issues, that might be coming up that would suggest changing car sooner than later.

My Car is 57 plate saloon 1.9tdi on around 72,000 miles in the basic s trim.

Thanks in advance for all help, I'm pulling my hair out and don't want to shoot myself in the food either changing or keeping!

[Gazwould]

Abort , abort .

http://rs1310.pbsrc.com/albums/s645/Gazwould/Mobile%20Uploads/20160421_125447_zpswx4xazwf.jpg?w=480&h=480&fit=clip

[hatton101]

Haha thanks! Says alot really!

[FLAPPERJACK76]

I used to work for Volkswagen and I recommend keeping a lot of money aside in the bank account for repairs. Here's some items that I can remember changing a lot of on your model. Handbrake switches, column immobilisers, egr valves, intake flap motors, door lock cable's, fuel injectors, ac compressors, ac pressure sensors, boost pipe seals, water pumps, fuel coolers, fuel pumps, turbochargers and intercoolers dual mass flywheels;, gearboxes cam sensors and crank sensors and map sensor and wiring to the ecu, n75 vacumn blocks, radio's, shock absorbers, so something to thing about. These were average common items.

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[hatton101]

Wow... That's one hell of a list! Definitely food for thought, thankyou

[Gazwould]

What engine code is the 1.9 ?

[FLAPPERJACK76]

It's a shame because I actually think they drive really well. But I used to feel sorry for the customers. Privately in their workshop all the technicians used to say they would only own one if it was given to them. The previous Passat 3B was bullet proof compared to the 3C .

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[hatton101]

I'm afraid I have no idea! Where would I look to find it?

[FLAPPERJACK76]

First page of service book or on top of timing belt cover or on boot data sticker or sometimes it's on the v5 document. ...oh if it's a bxe engine be prepared for sudden death syndrome when the engine spits out a conrod without warning. Other engines also do this but the bxe is the most common.

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[RichardSEL]

What's a "fuel cooler"?

[Rob69]

Fuel cooler, Cools the fuel being returned to the tank, on my old 1.9 touran it was a finned air cooled thing under the drivers floor. Always looked vulnerable to getting bust by a speed hump or something! I also think Some of them have a low temperature water cooler and electric pump circuit for added complexity!
Going back to the OP question - if you get rid of this low mileage car (for age) what do you replace it with? Electric park brake calipers could fail on any make of car that age and you've got new ones now (TRW calipers i think, fitted all over the place) a dual mass flywheel could fail on any other car as well. A modern diesel fitted with CR engine and DPF ? From what I've seen of pals CR engines they are more trouble and cost than an older pd. A modern petrol engine? Unless you go for relatively new, warranted car anything 4,5, years or older is a risk.
I've been looking round for something to replace my 2005 1.9 tdi b5 passat, quite a different car to the b6, but I'm struggling to come up with something as good!

[Gazwould]

You won't , sure they have their things like a more unrefined engine sound , water ingress with the plenum bungs , pollen filter housing seal and door panel seals but these are easy cheap fixes and are often done as prevention by prudent owners .

And the rusty front wings thanks to some foam rubber , but that's nothing compared to a B6...
http://www.corroding-volkswagens.com/the-extent-of/

Still nicely equipped . They do more mpg because they are lighter than the B6 , normal rear calipers and handbrake , longer in the back than an A4 B6 and B7 Avant .

The worst that can happen is a poor service history or incorrect oil that kills the chill cast narrow PD cam lobes , but this isn't a write off unlike the exploding B6 1.9's and oil pump drive loss of the 2.0 tdi .

Now the B5.5 can be had for peanuts , a legend and best ever Passat for peanuts , wow !

[FLAPPERJACK76]

You won't , sure they have their things like a more unrefined engine sound , water ingress with the plenum bungs , pollen filter housing seal and door panel seals but these are easy cheap fixes and are often done as prevention by prudent owners .

And the rusty front wings thanks to some foam rubber , but that's nothing compared to a B6...
400 Bad Request (http://www.corroding-volkswagens.com/the-extent-of/)

Still nicely equipped . They do more mpg because they are lighter than the B6 , normal rear calipers and handbrake , longer in the back than an A4 B6 and B7 Avant .

The worst that can happen is a poor service history or incorrect oil that kills the chill cast narrow PD cam lobes , but this isn't a write off unlike the exploding B6 1.9's and oil pump drive loss of the 2.0 tdi .

Now the B5.5 can be had for peanuts , a legend and best ever Passat for peanuts , wow !
Spot on.

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[RichardSEL]

Fuel cooler, Cools the fuel being returned to the tank, on my old 1.9 touran it was a finned air cooled thing under the drivers floor. Always looked vulnerable to getting bust by a speed hump or something! I also think Some of them have a low temperature water cooler and electric pump circuit for added complexity!

Not come across any of these components. But I'm not a Derv head. 2.0L tFSI here, and I've been lucky (?) or mebe it's me applying all the good advice in the forums. Come to the conclusion that the VAG group is fast becoming Germany's British Leyland. And unless they get their management back into some form of customer focus, the shunning of their product following the emissions scandal, will just increase.

I'm not prepared to be continually lied to as a second generation customer -- already dropped my plans for a new TSI/DSG Scirocco to replace my current. And despite agreeing that when they're good they're very very good (my B6 as example) I can now do better by going to something like a late Jag XJ8 or early XK8 spending a few grand on it and wow, look at what you've got!


I've been looking round for something to replace my 2005 1.9 tdi b5 passat, quite a different car to the b6, but I'm struggling to come up with something as good!

Can I interest you in a two owner from new Estate SEL? See my sig: 90k on it now -- new PCV as of yesterday :Blush2:

[macker6464]

My Passat Estate SE Business 2.0 TDI 150PS 6 speed Manual has been pretty good to me over the last 9+ years. It's done 130k miles and recently had the cam belt and water pump for the 2nd time (£400?). I have suffered the parking brake motor problem at 70k and 80k (£500?) and a few things but nothing else major luckily. Sounds like I am quite lucky from some of the postings.


I kept a log of my maintenance costs and there are 3 spikes (cam belts x 2 and the parking brake. I don't do any myself but moved away from main dealer work 2.5 years ago.

2012: Cam belt, tyres and 1 EPB motor
2014: 1 EPB motor, tyres
2016: Shocks, ARB link, battery, cam belt, 4 tyres, rear wiper motor (£200)

32334
Considering you have had a lot of work already done the car could be low cost option from now on. But unless you check your tea leaves in the bottom of your cup you never know!

Good luck on your choice and keep us posted.

I have just ordered a B8 R Line Passat estate - see how that pans out - my sister will get my 130k miles aging beast but she doesn't do anything like my mileage.

Cheers
Macker6464

[Rob69]

That is the conclusion I keep coming back to! Mine is in relatively good shape, nice highline spec, camshaft just checked ok, no leaks etc, I have been looking at 5,6 year old petrol Octavia estates to replace it with but just can't get particularly enthisiastic about them. I also occassionally see low mileage shiny one owner B5.5's dotted around the country and get an itch to go and see !!
You won't , sure they have their things like a more unrefined engine sound , water ingress with the plenum bungs , pollen filter housing seal and door panel seals but these are easy cheap fixes and are often done as prevention by prudent owners .

And the rusty front wings thanks to some foam rubber , but that's nothing compared to a B6...
400 Bad Request (http://www.corroding-volkswagens.com/the-extent-of/)

Still nicely equipped . They do more mpg because they are lighter than the B6 , normal rear calipers and handbrake , longer in the back than an A4 B6 and B7 Avant .

The worst that can happen is a poor service history or incorrect oil that kills the chill cast narrow PD cam lobes , but this isn't a write off unlike the exploding B6 1.9's and oil pump drive loss of the 2.0 tdi .

Now the B5.5 can be had for peanuts , a legend and best ever Passat for peanuts , wow !