[s-cars] VW Passat 2.8 Experience

yo-cello at comcast.net yo-cello at comcast.net
Fri Sep 10 07:21:09 PDT 2010



Good to know.  An 8 cylinder with AWD and a manual trans is always tempting to me, however not for my budget.   And family needs require the next vehicle be of the minivan variety... 



Paul 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Mills" <s.b.mills at gmail.com> 
To: yo-cello at comcast.net 
Cc: "Taka Mizutani" <t44tqtro at gmail.com>, "AaronT" <atay101 at gmail.com>, "S-Car-List" <s-car-list at audifans.com>, "JC" <jc at j2c3.com> 
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 9:57:13 AM 
Subject: Re: [s-cars] VW Passat 2.8 Experience 

I'd stay far away from a W8- they are not known for reliability. Cam follower problems are common and $$$$$ to fix. Some stories here http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3611197 


On Fri, Sep 10, 2010 at 9:00 AM, < yo-cello at comcast.net > wrote: 




There's a couple of Passat W8 manuals out there on ebay at the moment - both sedans, with one having a buy it now price of $8500.  Tempting. 

Factory BBS wheels, too. 



Paul 



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Taka Mizutani" < t44tqtro at gmail.com > 
To: "JC" < jc at j2c3.com > 
Cc: "AaronT" < atay101 at gmail.com >, "S-Car-List" < s-car-list at audifans.com > 
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 8:45:33 AM 
Subject: Re: [s-cars] VW Passat 2.8 Experience 

If you don't mind having a really weird engine, go look for a 2004 VW Passat 
W8 4Motion with a stick- they're out there. There was one at my mechanic's 
shop yesterday. No more rare than a 200q20v Avant. :-) 

They're not slow- they have 280hp IIRC, so pretty nice in that regard. They 
also have the B5 S4tt's brakes, so they can stop. 

Taka 


On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 7:56 PM, JC < jc at j2c3.com > wrote: 

> Not having had a Passat I did have a C5 A6 with the 2.8 30v and also had a 
> close friend with a 2002ish Passat 4Mo from new to 90k or something like 
> that.  Both engine and car extremely boring compared to the UrS. Recognizing 
> wives priorities can be different (my wife equally hates the Battlewagen 
> especially since it left me stranded a few weeks ago) that might be fine. 
> 
> But factually common issues I and my friend both had with the 30v: coils, 
> O2 sensors and/or cats, instrument cluster, and some mix of the variety of 
> leaky sealy stuff Brian mentioned. Then he had some other fussy interior or 
> comfort related bits go wrong which I fail to remember all the details of. 
> 
> In that vein I'd go 1.8T/2.0T A4 Avant 10 times out of 10. Despite being 
> "same platform" as A6 and Passat, the A4 somehow has a ton more soul and the 
> little turbo 4 is much more rewarding than the dull 6. Better mileage too. 
> And with a mild chip will be just as fast if not more than the mind 
> numbingly boring 30v, yet is still highly reliable. 
> 
> __________________________ 
> John Cunningham 
> 
> US Mobile +1 (617) 750-5025 
> China +86(0)136 6080 9560 
> 
> Sent from iPad 
> 
> On Sep 10, 2010, at 2:25, brian hoeft < qweblog at gmail.com > wrote: 
> 
> > The ATQ has a timing BELT. 
> > 
> > From 75-150k expect more than nickles and dimes. 
> > 
> > Coolant and oil leaks have plenty of places to arise from and more likely 
> > than not, will happen. Cam plugs, seals, valve cover(s), coolant lines, 
> > metal line o-ring headaches, valley pan gasket, transmission problems, 
> ABS 
> > pump failures (typically the electronic half, not hydraulic). Instrument 
> > cluster issues. EPC faults. I could go on. 
> > 
> > My opinion of them is very low due to first hand experience. 
> > 
> > Your S6 sounds like it needs a good chunk of change to be brought up to 
> > snuff, and would then be a keeper compared to the 2.8 Passat. 
> > 
> > Of course, you could appease her current dislike for the S and then once 
> > acquired the Passat that is a never ending money pit,  and once it too 
> late, 
> > reminisce on just how dependable and servicable the S6 was. 
> > 
> > I service these particular cars a lot and everyone that has one is either 
> > looking to get rid of it or already has. 
> > 
> > Caveat emptor! Aaron 
> > 
> > -Brian 
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 11:58 AM, AaronT < atay101 at gmail.com > wrote: 
> > 
> >> Thanks everyone for your insight 
> >> I should have mentioned - My interest in the passat is to replace my 
> Avant 
> >> which has essentially ended up in my wifes hands and she is tired of the 
> >> "nickles and dimes". 
> >> With my job ive been taking the bus or riding my bike and the only time 
> I 
> >> drive seems to be when we are out of town on the weekend camping / 
> riding 
> >> etc and for that we use the camper van. (Ford diesel - 160Kmi NOTHIING 
> >> needed except brakes for the duration) 
> >> So...performace concerns with the passat are understood coming from this 
> >> crowd but she could basically care less. 
> >> My concerns are with longevity and maintenance costs. 
> >> I  understand the V6's run a timing chain so 60k mi timing belt changes 
> are 
> >> a thing of the past. 
> >> Anything else significant to look forward to on the path from 75k to 
> 150k+ 
> >> mi? 
> >> Cheers 
> >> Aaron 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> 
> >> On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 9:09 AM, LL - NY < larrycleung at gmail.com > wrote: 
> >> 
> >>> Maybe it's just Passats, since my buddie's Passat seems to be just as 
> >>> recalcitrant. New batteries and the subsequent reset is all. 
> >>> 
> >>> On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 11:03 AM, Taka Mizutani < t44tqtro at gmail.com > 
> >> wrote: 
> >>> 
> >>>> I wonder if you have issues with your keys- my mom's beetle has been 
> >> fine 
> >>>> and the old a4 never had any issue with the key. 
> >>>> 
> >>>> Did you try fresh batteries and resyncing the keys? 
> >>>> 
> >>>> On Sep 9, 2010 8:30 AM, "LL - NY" < larrycleung at gmail.com > wrote: 
> >>>>> I can chime in on my experience with my Mom's 2001.5 GLX 4mo Wagon 
> >> (same 
> >>>>> car, for the most part as an '03 I think some features change, 
> >>>>> otherwise it's another post facelift (still B5) car. 2.8 V6 30V). 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> Beware, the car is of very low miles (Mom doesn't travel much, just 
> >>>> local 
> >>>>> driving) and it's been through a number of hits (one fairly severe) 
> as 
> >>>> Mom 
> >>>>> also doesn't drive real well. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> Overall, competent vehicle, pleasant enough of a drive. For spirited 
> >>>> driving 
> >>>>> if you're used to UrS thrust, well, it doesn't have it. It has 
> >> perfectly 
> >>>>> adequate pull, but the very act of spirited driving highlights it's 
> >> one 
> >>>>> biggest flaw, Tiptronic. In regular driving, it's fine, virtually 
> >>>>> transparent. In spirited driving, it's slow to kickdown (even with 
> >>>> manual 
> >>>>> selection) fast to shift up, will not hold at redline and it's got a 
> >> low 
> >>>> rev 
> >>>>> stall speed (for the weak low down torque, this works against getting 
> >> a 
> >>>> good 
> >>>>> launch, say, like trying to get into heavy fast traffic from a side 
> >>>> street). 
> >>>>> Due to the pedal interlock, you can't LFB. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> Problems (car has less than 30K miles), running wise, essentially 
> >> none. 
> >>>> Only 
> >>>>> real problem is the stereo head unit, which has now the standard VAG 
> >>>> issues, 
> >>>>> (display winks out, first it was the backlight, now when the actual 
> >>>> display 
> >>>>> goes out) the only control that works is the power switch on the head 
> >>>> unit 
> >>>>> and the steering wheel controls. All other head unit controls go AWOL 
> >>>> when 
> >>>>> the display is out. You can sometimes restore the display (thus 
> >> control) 
> >>>> by 
> >>>>> pressing on the face of the unit, but this obviously is not going to 
> >>>> last 
> >>>>> forever. The unit is a Typhoon, but doesn't have the CD changer out 
> >>>> back. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> Car has held up fairly well considering that Mom doesn't really care 
> >>>> about 
> >>>>> cars at all, and it's condition at any time kind of shows it. A good 
> >>>>> cleaning would bring everything back (i.e. the materials, inside and 
> >> out 
> >>>>> hold up well except the exterior brightwork, which is getting the VAG 
> >>>>> "milky" patina) except for the dents that have nothing to do with the 
> >>>> car. 
> >>>>> As a DD, it's nicer (I think) and a much better drive than say a 
> >> similar 
> >>>>> vintage Camry. Still, it doesn't have quite the same verve as the UrS 
> >>>> when 
> >>>>> the roads get interesting. I guess the best word I can think of for 
> it 
> >>>> was 
> >>>>> the first one I used...competent. And perhaps more reliable than a C4 
> >>>> car. 
> >>>>> It IS much more dependent on diagnostics and system changes on 
> >> VAG-COM. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> My local friend has a 2003 1.8T 5sp 4mo Wagon (rare!) and the only 
> >> real 
> >>>>> issues he has had (car has well over 100K miles on it now) has been 
> >> the 
> >>>> door 
> >>>>> locks, and brakes (although he has a dirt driveway. Mom's car is 
> >>>> garaged). 
> >>>>> BOTH cars suffer from the most irritating remote key controls on the 
> >>>> planet. 
> >>>>> It's like Forrest Gump's box of choclates. You press a button and ya 
> >>>> never 
> >>>>> know if it's gonna work. If it were me, and nothing of value was in 
> >> the 
> >>>> car, 
> >>>>> I'd leave the damn thing unlocked...oh, you can't. The stupid hatch 
> >> will 
> >>>>> lock anyway. It's like the car's remote and locking functions were 
> >>>> designed 
> >>>>> by and for...Americans. 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>> HTH, 
> >>>>> On Thu, Sep 9, 2010 at 12:16 AM, AaronT < atay101 at gmail.com > wrote: 
> >>>>> 
> >>>>>> Sorry folks but another non scar question - 
> >>>>>> Anybody have any direct experience with a 2003 VW passat 4Mo wagon 
> >>>> (2.8v6)? 
> >>>>>> Still looking for a reasonable replacement for my 95S6Avant.... 
> >>>>>> Which by the way has been rather trouble free lately - famous last 
> >>>> words. 
> >>>>>> Thanks 
> >>>>>> Aaron 
> >>>>>> _______________________________________________ 
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