NAC..'00 VW Passat 4Motion...$7200 in repairs!!!

[LL - NY]

FWIW, 

The 2000 Passat has either a 12V 2.8 V6 (if 4motion) or 30V 2.8 V6, no 3.0. 

The cost to repair the oil leak (likely the valley pan gasket) is
about 3 hrs labor.
Verified this when we made the appointment to claim that on my Mom's
Passat GLX 4motion 2001.5. Didn't have the time to remove all of the
covers to verify this, unfortnately. No visible oil leaks, I do
recognize the belly pan is quite effective in
catching drips. What alerted me to the possibility was a sudden drop
in oil level, 1 qt in about 1500 miles, and Mom does NO high speed
stuff. What bothers me is that the, up to now I thought, good dealer
service department made the asenine claim (according to Mom) that
since the car is all-wheel-drive it will use more oil.
No explanation for the sudden change, and it's just...incredible!  I
told Mom to watch the oil level more carefully until I get a chance to
go visit and start pulling covers.

LL - NY

On 6/11/05, Dan Cordon <cord4530 at uidaho.edu> wrote:
> <snip>
> 
> >The car is a V6, 3.0 I believe, but maybe still the
> >2.8, and I live in Iowa, but the car was a southern
> >car until December when I bought it.
> >
> >
> I believe the 4 motion only was available with the 2.8L V6 in 2000, so
> this makes sense.
> 
> >The check engine light came on about 2000 miles into
> >my ownership, the emission workshop light about the
> >same time. Then about 1500 miles later I got loud
> >vibration when taking off from a stop. It got worse,
> >and starting makeing a noise on deceleration as well,
> >not rumbling, a rattling. So, I figured it was time to
> >take it in.
> >
> >
> Vibration as you describe could sure be the driveshaft, or one of the
> joints in it. IIRC, VW only sells the whole unit, which is expensive.
> Other shops may have fixes for just the U joints or center bearing (if
> equipped). Check with some of the big VW tuner shops to see if they have
> better options. Could also be one of the front CV joints too. Those are
> easy for a shop to inspect.
> 
> >I live in Iowa <snip>
> >
> >
> >I hadn't noticed any oil leaking, but the dealer told
> >me it was all in the plastic tray covering the bottom
> >of the engine. It was a the valve gasket and the belt
> >tensioner cover gaskets or something like that, I
> >don't have the paper in front of me.
> >
> >
> For comparison, you can get the factory valve cover and timing gasket
> sets from http://www.autohausaz.com for VERY cheap. Part number 078 198
> 025 is the valve set. Your car requires two. They're $30 each. Part
> number 058 198 217 is the timing chain gasket set. Your car also
> requires two. They're $4 each. Another lister mentioned that the job is
> pretty easy. If you're not comfortable with the job yourself, possible
> many mechanics could do it for you if you provide them the parts.
> 
> >As far as performance, I had noticed a slight miss at
> >idle, and my gas milage has never broken 22 on the
> >highway. 20 in the city. Not terrible, but I think a
> >little low, and I do get a heavy foot at times.
> >
> >I only bought this car to drive for a couple of months
> >then sell, but it's tough to sell a car that makes
> >noises. In the meantime I'm driving my $200 4kq 50
> >miles a day!
> >
> >
> Yes, it's hard to sell a car that has problems. But you should be able
> to remedy the problems for a lot less than $7k though. Worst case:
> 
> Two new cats (bolt in from Catco) $700
> Two new O2 sensors (Bosch units) $250
> New gaskets $75
> New Driveshaft from VW $1400
> 
> Instal costs will be minimal for the exhaust parts (maybe $150)
> Gaskets should not cost much either (Another $150?)
> Driveshaft (on the Audi's anyway) come in and out easily too (less than
> $100)
> 
> I would recommend having a driveline shop check your driveshaft. They
> should be able to tell you if it's a problem or not.
> 
> Then, I would have the two rear O2 sensors checked out. VW factory
> manual should have a test protocol to see if they're good or bad. If
> they are indeed bad, replace them and see if the problem goes away.
> Unless you've been running VERY rich, or burning a lot of oil, the
> converters should still be adequate.
> 
> >Thanks for everyone's help so far, and keep the
> >suggestions coming!
> >
> >slm
> >
> 
> Good luck. And keep us posted-
> 
> --
> --
> Dan Cordon
> Mechanical Engineer - Engine Research Facility
> University of Idaho
> 
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