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03 Passat Wagon GL 1.8T My story of a lemon.

1.7K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  WoodyVW9  
#1 · (Edited)
Hey ya'll,

I have searched these forums through and through for answers to a lot of my question, to the point where now I must join and give my story of my Passat. I bought a used 2003 Passat GL 1.8t, FWD, (green) with 119,000 Miles on it for 3,000$. Before I bought it I did all the right things and had a Mechanic look at it and do a Pre Purchase Inspection, (I won't say where I got it done). The Mechanic came back to me with some normal things I new where gonna have to be replaced like the Timing Belt, Spark Plugs, and the front Axels boots where torn so if I wanted to get rid of the clicking noise I had to replace those as well. Everything else he said looked good, transmission, suspension, exe. So I was ok with spending another 1,500-2,000 to have all that stuff done. So a few days later I bought the car, and thats where the trouble started..... After driving the car for about 5 days, coming home on the highway the check engine light came on. I went to AutoZone and diagnostics said it was P0411 the infamous code of the SAPI, so after bringing it to a new mechanic he said the pump needed to be replaced, so now I'm adding that to the list. About 3 days later my transmission went out on the car, it got stuck in 3 gear and wouldn't move, finding out that the mechanic I brought it to for the pre owner inspection didn't know what he was doing and was looking at the power steering fluid under the hood and not the transmission fluid under the car. So I'm in a dispute with them trying to get money back, if I would of the known the transmission fluid was completely back and old I would of never bought the car. So long story short, I went back to the mechanic that told me the pump needed to be replaced and just had everything done at one time, I got all the parts from him except the SAPI which I bought from part geeks, it was a URO part, had good reviews. so after a week of him replacing a new/used transmission with 80,000 miles on it, along with timing belt, SAPI, and axels, I got my car back thinking it was pretty much a good car and shouldn't have any troubles about three weeks now and my SAPI code P0411 came back on with the engine light after spending more money figuring out what it actually is the mechanic told me that the pump shorted itself out and blew the fuse and the relay. now the only questions I have are, does this sound right? Can a part go bad that fast and blow a fuse and a relay and the pump itself? I'm also leaking antifreeze from somewhere that I can't find (looks like under the holding container) but its not enough to make a difference. Again I bought a lemon and now I'm dealing with it, but now I'm gonna do all the work myself. Does anyone have any advise on a new better pump to buy that I won't have to worry about? I couldn't find anything on here relating to this situation of a pump blowing itself out along with the fuse and the relay.

Thank you,

Banjo mike :banghead::banghead::mad::confused:
I do love my Passat though! once this light will go off. Other than that the car is in good shape, new tire, breaks, body looks good, a few minor cosmetic things on the inside nothing to bad though.
 
#2 ·
Well, it was a 13 year old car you purchased....so with that fact you have to accept some surprises, and also this car was never going to be compared to a Toyota or Honda for durability but does drive nicer than virtually any ToyHonNissubaru. Get yourself a new VW mechanic, any doofus that thinks the PS fluid is the transmission fluid doesn't have any business under the hood of this car.

Regarding the SAIP, if the combi valve was leaking it might have spit moist exhaust gases back to the SAIP pump and caused it to fail...or you got a bad one.
 
#3 ·
Thanks, yeah that my next plan is to find a VW Mechanic that I can trust. I'm gonna have to look at the Combi valve, where is that located? Appreciate your reply. Yes, I know it wouldn't compare to a Honda, toyota, nissan, or anything like that, but yes it drives great when everything is working.
 
#4 ·
X2 on the SAIP, it probably dies because the Combination valve was leaking by causing condensation to build up in that air line. All that water just kills the SAIP motor. I just has the P0411 code and the line was full of water, the SAIP was seized, and the combination valve was full of gunk and not closing correctly. My fuse was blown as well, but I think my combination valve led to the failure of everything else.

The coolant leak is probably your expansion tank. I just had a similar issue on my 2001and it only leaked when warm. If your expansion tank is yellow and tired looking, it probably is cracked.

I too just jumped into my Passat as years before I had an 2002 V6 wagon that I had really no issues with except valve cover gaskets. My experience with the 1.8T has been a little more intensive as I had a sludged engine that lost oil pressure and died. But now after I changed the head, turbo, oil pump, TB, water pump, expansion tank, SAIP, and combination valve, she is good to go!

Good luck.
 
#5 ·
thanks for the response, yup, I think the mechanic that put the new pump in just through it in there, not looking at the hoses to check for water from the combi valve and the pump just died again and blew the fuse. So my next project is going to be replacing the combi valve and the pump. This video is a pretty good DIY.

 
#6 ·
Too bad I'm not in Raleigh anymore, or else I could have helped you out with some of that stuff.

The transmission probably didn't fail at all. In some cases, the switch that actuates the gears goes bad, or the transmission control module beneath the passenger side carpet is submerged in water. This sends the transmission into "Limp Mode." I'm 95% sure you experienced limp mode... not a physically broken transmission. Did all the lights illuminate on the instrument cluster? Also, there is no way to check the transmission fluid on this car that takes less then 1 hour if you're doing DIY repair in the driveway.

The SAIP system is really finnicky on older Passats. Usually it's a combination of failed parts that make other parts go on it.

URO branded parts are usually "you get what you pay for" quality. You should use a site like Germanautoparts.com, FCPEuro.com, or EuropaParts.com to get a good handle on what manufacturers produced parts for the car. Typically, when you cheap out on parts, you can expect longevity to go way down. I'm about to go through the process of changing an inner CV joint and associated boot on one of my axles. I didn't settle for anything less than the OE supplied GKN Loebro branded inner joint and boot. The axle is still functional after 16+ years. That's more than what most people that swap over aftermarket axle parts can say on their Passats.

Since you're in Raleigh, get familiar with the pick and pull LKQ junkyards in Durham and Raleigh. They have plenty of Passats there to pick from (usually 3-4 on a good week.)

Lastly, learn to sweat the small stuff quick. You drive a 13 year old VW Passat. The car is only a lemon by today's standards because anything less than convenient is a lemon. Also, a lemon is a car that was defective from the factory and never seems to work right from day one. You have what would be coined a "money pit."
 
#7 ·
The pump might still be good. With the cold weather we've been having, it's possible you just got more condensation buildup and it froze. So, replace the Combi, empty out the condensation, fire up the pump and see how it works out.
 
#9 ·
Thanks, yup thats my next step is to buy a OEM SAIP, along with a new fuse, and Combi valve, does anyone have a part number for the Combi Valve? Also, I was told the relay was fine, should I trust that or, is it something that should get replaced as well? And, one last question, if I get everything all installed and its working like it should be, will the Check Engine Light go off on it's own, or is that something that Manually has to be done? And if so, how do I do it without the equipment? Also,the Mechanic told me that my engine mounts are starting to go (before I brought it to him, my car felt fine, now its shaking pretty good on idle in any drive gear). Is it something I should be worried about getting done immediately?
 
#11 ·
.... does anyone have a part number for the Combi Valve? ......
Most VW dealers provide fairly comprehensive part number diagrams on their websites to support their online sales. It's best to get part the number from them before going to online retailers, who sometimes get the numbers mixed up. Sometimes the rural VW dealers even have better online prices than the specialty houses, although the shipping charges can be steep for small orders.
 
#10 ·
The CEL for the SAIP will go out after one or two successful test cycles, on it's own. Bad engine mounts will add vibration and put a strain on everything connected to the engine. First part to go is usually the flex section of the exhaust pipe, so I'd do it sooner rather than later.

Oh, and while the relay does fail, I wouldn't replace it prophylactically. It's easy to replace, and if it fails, you'll know it.