VW Noob - A Few Concerns with Car Purchase

[vipergrm]

Hi folks,

Just bought my first VW - a 2007 Passat B6 Estate only a few days ago. I bought the car from a dealer and I have a few concerns. Not sure whether to take the car back, or just go to my own mechanic. I would really appreciate your input on a decision. Please bear in mind the car cost £1,500 and has 180,000 miles on the clock, so I don't expect everything to be perfect.

1) There appears to to be a plastic pipe or ducting missing from the engine. Please see attached photos where I have highlighted the missing piece. Am I right, or is this normal? It doesn't look normal at least.
2) There is a really annoying rattling/knocking type noise coming from the front under the gearbox location. It is especially noticeable over small bumps at less than 30mph. I pointed this out to the dealer after a test drive and said that the card had been lowered a bit and the lowered springs is causing the noise. The noise is extremely irritating and I'd love to get it fixed. I don't need the car lowered.
3) This is my biggest concern. I explained to the dealer that I had to fit a new flywheel and clutch within weeks on my past two cars. He assured me the clutch was fine. On the test drive, the clutch seemed fine, and it still does however, I noticed when the engine is idling, there's a fair bit of rattling coming from the engine bay. I really hope I'm wrong, but it sounds like the flywheel is moving. This is a very similar sound to a previous failing flywheel. I'll likely get my mechanic to check this before I contact the dealer just to be sure.

[DMitch16]

Hi folks,

Just bought my first VW - a 2007 Passat B6 Estate only a few days ago. I bought the car from a dealer and I have a few concerns. Not sure whether to take the car back, or just go to my own mechanic. I would really appreciate your input on a decision. Please bear in mind the car cost £1,500 and has 180,000 miles on the clock, so I don't expect everything to be perfect.

1) There appears to to be a plastic pipe or ducting missing from the engine. Please see attached photos where I have highlighted the missing piece. Am I right, or is this normal? It doesn't look normal at least.
2) There is a really annoying rattling/knocking type noise coming from the front under the gearbox location. It is especially noticeable over small bumps at less than 30mph. I pointed this out to the dealer after a test drive and said that the card had been lowered a bit and the lowered springs is causing the noise. The noise is extremely irritating and I'd love to get it fixed. I don't need the car lowered.
3) This is my biggest concern. I explained to the dealer that I had to fit a new flywheel and clutch within weeks on my past two cars. He assured me the clutch was fine. On the test drive, the clutch seemed fine, and it still does however, I noticed when the engine is idling, there's a fair bit of rattling coming from the engine bay. I really hope I'm wrong, but it sounds like the flywheel is moving. This is a very similar sound to a previous failing flywheel. I'll likely get my mechanic to check this before I contact the dealer just to be sure.

Yes you have a piece of ducting missing. 180k is timing belt change territory for a 2.0 PD Passat as far as mileage goes but the engine should be on its 3rd or 4th belt by now under the time interval specification (change every 95k or 4 years whichever is first). It is unlikely that the engine would need a TB change under the distance regime and therefore being 12 years old could be at a 4 year change point. I would check that also.

Dual Mass Flywheel rattle - post a short recording of the noise (video or sound file) as I will be able to tell instantly if your DMF is loose / failing. Suspension - quite a few things on the Passat running gear can make noises but even if you lower a car it still should not make any. Something is likely to be loose or worn and needing replacement.

Finally there is the oil pump drive key and balance shaft issue - search the forum as this is almost the most covered serious design issue for the 2.0 Tdi engines. At 180k it may have been done already but if not...engine may not last much longer.

[vipergrm]

Thanks for that fantastically detailed reply Mitch. Much appreciated! I'll get a video of the noise up shortly. I was going to do that last night but wasn't sure how to add a video file. I'll maybe upload it to You Tube and post the link. Cheers!

[vipergrm]

Do these videos work @DMitch16 (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=180482)

Underneath

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PdJY2cMhhn92fH9h6

Inside the car - this is where it sounds most obvious to me, but hard to capture.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PdJY2cMhhn92fH9h6

Engine bay

https://photos.app.goo.gl/a5YpRKKrJAPNceva7

Thanks!

[DMitch16]

Do these videos work @DMitch16 (http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/member.php?u=180482)

Underneath

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PdJY2cMhhn92fH9h6

Inside the car - this is where it sounds most obvious to me, but hard to capture.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PdJY2cMhhn92fH9h6

Engine bay

https://photos.app.goo.gl/a5YpRKKrJAPNceva7

Thanks!

Yes the engine one a little. Best from either under or above the gearbox bell housing. There is a faint clink, clink here and there so the flywheel is possibly heading into the twilight of its service but not bad just yet. Could well have 10k or many more miles before it will be bad enough to warrant changing but that's heading north of £500 for the flywheel and clutch job at an independent as you well know.

This is a bad one: Failing VW dual mass flywheel - YouTube (https://youtu.be/lR0YKFeiH6A)

Definitely change it immediately if they sound like that!

[vipergrm]

Nice one DMitch16. Thanks! It definitely doesn't sound anywhere near as bad as that one you linked to thankfully. I'm leaving it in with a VAG specialist next week to check over so hopefully I'll get my issues sorted. Thanks again for the replies!

[jmurray01]

The missing piece of plastic for the air intake seems to be a weak point as mine had fallen apart when I got my car, but thankfully I managed to put it back together. It seems the dealer or previous owner have just thrown the bits out rather than bothering to fix it.

[DMitch16]

The missing piece of plastic for the air intake seems to be a weak point as mine had fallen apart when I got my car, but thankfully I managed to put it back together. It seems the dealer or previous owner have just thrown the bits out rather than bothering to fix it.

Mines covered in duck tape :fing02::fing02::fing02:

[vipergrm]

Thanks for that. I was maybe going to get one from the scrap yard. Any idea what this missing piece is called? Yeah the gener maintenance of this car is starting to annoy me. I just replaced the stereo and for some annoying reason, 2 of the 4 screws were missing. There's a few missing in the engine bay as well. How difficult is it to put a couple of screws back?!

I also made the stupid mistake of disconnecting the airbag and didn't realise this would throw up an airbag error. Now I'm going to have to get that sorted as well.

Apparently the springs of been entirely replaced with coils which seems to be causing the nosie. I don't care for the lowering of the car, so I might replace these as soon as I find out the general state of the engine. I'll give it another service too even though it was supposedly done a few months ago.

[Gazwould]

Abort..


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

[vipergrm]

It's a bit late for that now unfortunately. That is also an article in The Sun, so it's probably a load of *****.

[DMitch16]

It's a bit late for that now unfortunately. That is also an article in The Sun, so it's probably a load of *****.

Unfortunately one of the rare true Sun articles - I've had most of the reported issues happen during my 8 years of ownership. The good thing being that as they have been resolved without any apparent damage to the engine, and within the first 3 or 4 years of my ownership, I have had a trouble free car for several years now. Routine maintenance is a must along with some preventative measures to get the most life out of the engine and gearbox. It's been a very good car once all the design faults were addressed and I'd gained more understanding of the way the PD engines run.