Gentlemen,
At the advice of Urlik the Moderator Extraordinaire, I have cut and copied my original Noob post here complete with several responses in hopes of a wider range of exposure to your brain trust. Here goes;
_____________________________
I am a '2 post completed' newbie to this forum and have little to no experience with VWs. Years ago, I owned a 74 super bettle. Did a little work on it - oil changes, plugs, etc. Since then, I bought a 02 TDI and and trying to learn about it - great little car.
My next lesson to learn in life:
My neighbors daughter just came home from out west for years and brought her 02 Passat GLX V6 4Motion with her. Last week the car decided not to be driven above 3 mphs - limp mode? She is not available for more history of car. Father is going to junk it but has offered it to me if I want it. Here's what I know with the following disclaimer: I know nothing about things in depth VW I am a beginning student here to learn.
Car has 202K miles
Near flawless cosmetic condition.
Starts and runs and drives*** normal - multiple times over multiple days. ***I was not able to drive it out of neighborhood, so I could not really get above 30 mph. Drops into reverse, neutral, drive, and park immediately and smoothly. Driving in neighborhood, it shifts from first to second smoothly and normally. Started and stopped it removing the key 5 times over several days.
No abnormal/warning lights/CEL on instument cluster at all. I was told to check for CEL illumination at start up - all good - on then off right after start.
Absolutely everything works correctly - every switch, button, functionality, etc. -no lights in dash at all. Don't know about any codes since I don't have a reader yet. Hope to have a mechanic connect 'VW specific' advanced code reader today. Says its a german one.
Recent oil change by jiffy lube with 4K and 3 months to go (sticker) - the full under body, engine oil and transmission pans are dry and clean but not 'detailed perfect'. No rust or dried grease build up. I can find no active 'wet' leaks anywhere.
Same one woman owner since new. This was her baby. No accidents.
Car was taken to selling dealer in 2012 for scheduled service. Don't know what was done. Clueless about timing belt age of course.
engine oil clean and proper amount. coolant tank show orange/red (I think) transparent fluid and proper amount.
have no idea when trans oil and filter were changed. ditto for rear differential.
Was told by another local mechanic this is not a transmission Control module - TCM -failure that if so, would be an all or nothing failure. Any knowledge of TCM Intermittant failures?
Searched internet and talked to one used part vendor selling TCMs. He seemed to say that "I'm selling you this part but I want you to know your issue might be bad shift solenoids in the transmission itself that the TCM is sensing and triggering the protection mode. I'm selling you a used part that is good but don't complain or bring it back to me for refund if it doesn't solve your issue". Obviously suspect of his 'used' parts quality. He went on to say that the TCM had to be electronically calibrated to the transmission?
Don't know if any of this was correct but decided to include that information here.
Am I dreaming and crazy to think that this great car could be saved without major expense? Sure do hate to see this beautiful girl get raped and destroyed in the junkyard.
Thank you, WunderBug
_______________________________________
Here's a helpful response I got from Noob thread:
Yesterday, 10:10 AM #2
Doriangr3y
Doriangr3y is offline
Neutral
Join Date
Apr 2016
Location
Arizona
Posts
22
My Passat has 240k and runs like a dream. They are really great cars!
You're problem could be many reasons. First I would check the transmission fluid, could be low, causing it to go into "limp" mode.
It could also be the speed senor. The engine and transmission is not communicating correctly.
Or, it could be your MAF sensor (which do cause a lot of issues)
In my own opinion, I'd say buy it. If the price is right. Sounds to me she a keeper
These passat are a pain in the you-know-where to fix. But its alll worth it!
Also another thing is that if you are going to buy it, I would steer away from "experience" mechanics that say they know how to fix them. They probably don't. And are going to start wanting to replace the working part (like the TCM)
As always; check EVERYTHING before buying (unless you're getting it dirt cheap) than by all means buy it.
____________________________-
my response:
Thank you Doriangr3y -
See you're from AZ. Great state. Lived there as a kid and learned to ride western. great memories. Dad was in AF based at Luke AFB.
I agree with your advice. Seems like I should buy it. Think I can get it for $900. Crazy? Fool?
Since my post this morning, I've done some more reading and talked with one VW mechanic. He refuted the comment from the parts reseller. Says the TCM is a plug and play module and does not have to be 'set or calibrated' to the car. Sound right? He could not give any reason for the intermittent nature of the issue. Says if the TCM was toasted, it would stay in limp mode and would not be operating normally now. All or nothing?
Although he was highly recommended by another mechanic as his "go to" VW guy, sounds like he does a lot of tuning and mod work. Did say his experience with Passats was inheriting one from his family.
I'm stunned to read that this is a no dip stick transmission. I have some general experience with late eighties MBs and this is surprising to me. Oh well.
Going to run and drive car again today and update this post. I'm very curious to find out what servicing the transmission will reveal. I can only hope this is the problem. Trying to talk with the daughter to see if she can relay the maintenance history (or lack thereof).
My paradox is that from what initial research I've done, once the car has a limp mode problem, it sticks. I'm VERY NEW and trying to learn from you guys - but I've yet to read any post that says limp mode comes and goes. And OBTW, the battery is 9 months old, has not been disconnected to clear anything, and car came limping home at 3 mph two weeks ago but now is not in limp mode. Again? Yet? Don't have a clue - I'm depending on you guys and your generous brain trust/patience with a Noob Wunderbug.
I'd really be great to think that servicing the transmission - doing standard maintenance - would bring this girl to life reliably....or am I about to crash onto the jagged reef chasing a beautiful siren?
I will post more as soon as I can get the codes read today.....
Stay tuned and thank you again.
WunderBug
That's all I know.
At the advice of Urlik the Moderator Extraordinaire, I have cut and copied my original Noob post here complete with several responses in hopes of a wider range of exposure to your brain trust. Here goes;
_____________________________
I am a '2 post completed' newbie to this forum and have little to no experience with VWs. Years ago, I owned a 74 super bettle. Did a little work on it - oil changes, plugs, etc. Since then, I bought a 02 TDI and and trying to learn about it - great little car.
My next lesson to learn in life:
My neighbors daughter just came home from out west for years and brought her 02 Passat GLX V6 4Motion with her. Last week the car decided not to be driven above 3 mphs - limp mode? She is not available for more history of car. Father is going to junk it but has offered it to me if I want it. Here's what I know with the following disclaimer: I know nothing about things in depth VW I am a beginning student here to learn.
Car has 202K miles
Near flawless cosmetic condition.
Starts and runs and drives*** normal - multiple times over multiple days. ***I was not able to drive it out of neighborhood, so I could not really get above 30 mph. Drops into reverse, neutral, drive, and park immediately and smoothly. Driving in neighborhood, it shifts from first to second smoothly and normally. Started and stopped it removing the key 5 times over several days.
No abnormal/warning lights/CEL on instument cluster at all. I was told to check for CEL illumination at start up - all good - on then off right after start.
Absolutely everything works correctly - every switch, button, functionality, etc. -no lights in dash at all. Don't know about any codes since I don't have a reader yet. Hope to have a mechanic connect 'VW specific' advanced code reader today. Says its a german one.
Recent oil change by jiffy lube with 4K and 3 months to go (sticker) - the full under body, engine oil and transmission pans are dry and clean but not 'detailed perfect'. No rust or dried grease build up. I can find no active 'wet' leaks anywhere.
Same one woman owner since new. This was her baby. No accidents.
Car was taken to selling dealer in 2012 for scheduled service. Don't know what was done. Clueless about timing belt age of course.
engine oil clean and proper amount. coolant tank show orange/red (I think) transparent fluid and proper amount.
have no idea when trans oil and filter were changed. ditto for rear differential.
Was told by another local mechanic this is not a transmission Control module - TCM -failure that if so, would be an all or nothing failure. Any knowledge of TCM Intermittant failures?
Searched internet and talked to one used part vendor selling TCMs. He seemed to say that "I'm selling you this part but I want you to know your issue might be bad shift solenoids in the transmission itself that the TCM is sensing and triggering the protection mode. I'm selling you a used part that is good but don't complain or bring it back to me for refund if it doesn't solve your issue". Obviously suspect of his 'used' parts quality. He went on to say that the TCM had to be electronically calibrated to the transmission?
Don't know if any of this was correct but decided to include that information here.
Am I dreaming and crazy to think that this great car could be saved without major expense? Sure do hate to see this beautiful girl get raped and destroyed in the junkyard.
Thank you, WunderBug
_______________________________________
Here's a helpful response I got from Noob thread:
Yesterday, 10:10 AM #2
Doriangr3y
Doriangr3y is offline
Neutral
Join Date
Apr 2016
Location
Arizona
Posts
22
My Passat has 240k and runs like a dream. They are really great cars!
You're problem could be many reasons. First I would check the transmission fluid, could be low, causing it to go into "limp" mode.
It could also be the speed senor. The engine and transmission is not communicating correctly.
Or, it could be your MAF sensor (which do cause a lot of issues)
In my own opinion, I'd say buy it. If the price is right. Sounds to me she a keeper
These passat are a pain in the you-know-where to fix. But its alll worth it!
Also another thing is that if you are going to buy it, I would steer away from "experience" mechanics that say they know how to fix them. They probably don't. And are going to start wanting to replace the working part (like the TCM)
As always; check EVERYTHING before buying (unless you're getting it dirt cheap) than by all means buy it.
____________________________-
my response:
Thank you Doriangr3y -
See you're from AZ. Great state. Lived there as a kid and learned to ride western. great memories. Dad was in AF based at Luke AFB.
I agree with your advice. Seems like I should buy it. Think I can get it for $900. Crazy? Fool?
Since my post this morning, I've done some more reading and talked with one VW mechanic. He refuted the comment from the parts reseller. Says the TCM is a plug and play module and does not have to be 'set or calibrated' to the car. Sound right? He could not give any reason for the intermittent nature of the issue. Says if the TCM was toasted, it would stay in limp mode and would not be operating normally now. All or nothing?
Although he was highly recommended by another mechanic as his "go to" VW guy, sounds like he does a lot of tuning and mod work. Did say his experience with Passats was inheriting one from his family.
I'm stunned to read that this is a no dip stick transmission. I have some general experience with late eighties MBs and this is surprising to me. Oh well.
Going to run and drive car again today and update this post. I'm very curious to find out what servicing the transmission will reveal. I can only hope this is the problem. Trying to talk with the daughter to see if she can relay the maintenance history (or lack thereof).
My paradox is that from what initial research I've done, once the car has a limp mode problem, it sticks. I'm VERY NEW and trying to learn from you guys - but I've yet to read any post that says limp mode comes and goes. And OBTW, the battery is 9 months old, has not been disconnected to clear anything, and car came limping home at 3 mph two weeks ago but now is not in limp mode. Again? Yet? Don't have a clue - I'm depending on you guys and your generous brain trust/patience with a Noob Wunderbug.
I'd really be great to think that servicing the transmission - doing standard maintenance - would bring this girl to life reliably....or am I about to crash onto the jagged reef chasing a beautiful siren?
I will post more as soon as I can get the codes read today.....
Stay tuned and thank you again.
WunderBug
That's all I know.