My journey with my "new" 2004 passat wagon

991 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by PZ, 7 d ago

Shaker

Discussion Starter · 12 mo ago

So I bought a really gorgeous 04 Passat wagon about two weeks ago, replacing the 97 Civic which was stolen from me in April (RIP, and all of my tools were inside too...). I've been discovering the quirks and things in need of repair or adjustment gradually and rather than make a new thread for each issue I think I'll just make one, and update it as I go. Sort of a journal.

So the first thing I encountered was the lack of a center rear view mirror, hahaha. It was stolen right out of the car AT THE DEALERSHIP, if they are to be believed. Anyway. The mounting point was still there, so that was seemingly a simple fix.

I regrettably cheaped out on my replacement mirror, however, so it doesn't have a 'dim' reflection if you tip it up for night driving. So that's going to need a second replacement OR i will have to fabricate myself a dark plastic cover to pop on at night and reduce the brightness, like sunglasses for mirror.

Oh well.

The next thing I plan on tackling will either be the check engine light, which is apparently code P0411 for the secondary air system... Or the rear hatch lock, which has either a broken latch, broken actuator FOR the latch, or broken electrical connection to the actuator. That one feels more pressing because I don't feel secure unless I park backed up against a wall right now.

I really like this car, though. Its comfortable and looks good, has pretty good get up and go... And I can actually fit in it, which is never a guarantee when you're over six and a half feet tall haha. I'm really looking forward to taking it on a nice LONG drive one of these days soon.

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AndreasPassat

· #2 · 12 mo ago (Edited)

edited for language

The type of rear view mirror depends the model you have.
The GLS has the flip lever on the bottom of the mirror frame.
The GLX has the electronic type, when activated it turns a darker shade blocking out the headlight glare.
Also if you've got the GLX, the mount point on the windshield is also where the rain sensor is for variable wipers.

Yeah, I'd take care of the trunk latch first to make sure your car secure.

The P0411 is indeed a Secondary Air (SAIP) problem.
Scan the car for codes and post them up.

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Hirnbeiss

· #3 · 12 mo ago

You might want to just leave the trunk as is. If you live in a place where people steal ‘97 Civics, I would live by the motto: “Don’t leave anything in the car unless you don’t care if it gets stolen.”

The most common issues with the Secondary Air system at this age are broken air and vacuum hoses. Find all the hoses and renew brittle pieces before you consider tossing funds at the combi valves or the pump itself. Some of the vacuum lines are small-diameter hard plastic, which you can find at Advance or similar parts stores.

Shaker

Discussion Starter · #4 · 12 mo ago

Andreas, how would I be able to tell if I have the GLS or GLX? I can't find any badging on the car to tell me, and the manual and other documentation that the original owner provided with the vehicle doesn't appear to specify, though I guess I could have missed it. Sorry if I'm asking about something that should be obvious, I'm brand new to this family of vehicles!

Hirnbeiss - I didn't know I lived in an area where vehicles WERE being stolen, until it was stolen. It's a quiet area. Regardless, I am now keeping only the bare minimum of things I need in the vehicle going forward.

I DO want to fix that trunk though. I was playing with it yesterday and observed the following:
the trunk does not lock at all most of the time if I use the locl buttons or turn the key in the door;
The lock DOES seem to work if I just move the latch over with my finger, and then won't unlock without the key;
The lock/keyhole whatever on the trunk seems to work fine, however it appears to only unlock the door, so I cannot use it to lock.

Seems like strong evidence for the actuator being what failed. To me at least. ...Oh no, to fix this I'll have to learn to take apart and reassemble door panels. I never wanted to learn that hahaha

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VAGguy

· #5 · 12 mo ago (Edited)

If you have a 1.8T, it's a GLS. GLX I believe also got the 16" or 17" wheels, so that is another tell-tale of it being a GLS.

If you have a V6, a wood grain interior, power seats, and auto-dim rearview mirror are other indications of GLX.

To remove the hatch panel, refer to my attachment in this post. 2 screws in the handle-pockets are covered by a little panel you need to pry out. Then 2 screws about half way up the sides. From there, gently pry around the edges to pop the friction clips loose.

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Iowegian

· #6 · 12 mo ago

FWIW, I've swapped a couple of rear hatches over the years due to dents and I've kept the parts from inside the old hatches. I almost certainly have any parts you might need to fix the lock mechanism so PM me if you need a part and don't have a junkyard nearby.

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AndreasPassat

· #7 · 12 mo ago

Shaker said:
Andreas, how would I be able to tell if I have the GLS or GLX? I can't find any badging on the car to tell me, and the manual and other documentation that the original owner provided with the vehicle doesn't appear to specify, though I guess I could have missed it.

What VAGguy said in post #5.

Shaker said:
Sorry if I'm asking about something that should be obvious, I'm brand new to this family of vehicles!

No worries ask away, we all have to start somewhere, somehow. It's all good.

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AndreasPassat

· #8 · 12 mo ago

Woops, forgot about this one...
The GLX has the red lights in the dome light / sun roof switch panel that shine down on the shifter area. Only visible at night time.

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Shaker

Discussion Starter · #9 · 1 mo ago (Edited)

I still haven't had the opportunity to fix the back door (and passenger side) locks. The trunk hatch does appear to lock, but the sensor still says it's open every time I hit a moderate bump. That's gonna have to wait a bit longer yet though!!

For my cheapo replacement mirror, I ended up making "sunglasses" that I attach to the front of it at night, made out of transparent gray acrylic. They cut most of the light coming through so I'm not constantly being blinded by trucks with LED headlights behind me. Good enough!!

Meanwhile I replaced all of the brake pads and discs myself a few months ago, which was surprisingly painless - I always think brakes will be so tough but on the Passat the main challenge was finding my wheel lock key and the jack points.

Yesterday one of the very old tires this came with from the dealership went out, and now I'm faced with replacing all four in all likelihood - gotta love AWD!! But all in all this has still been a reliable and comfy car. What a year!!!

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John_E

· #10 · 1 mo ago

Hirnbeiss said:
You might want to just leave the trunk as is. If you live in a place where people steal ‘97 Civics, I would live by the motto: “Don’t leave anything in the car unless you don’t care if it gets stolen.”

The most common issues with the Secondary Air system at this age are broken air and vacuum hoses. Find all the hoses and renew brittle pieces before you consider tossing funds at the combi valves or the pump itself. Some of the vacuum lines are small-diameter hard plastic, which you can find at Advance or similar parts stores.

True, but I had a reportedly less common, even rare, cause. My combi valve was somewhat clogged with carbon, presumably preventing it from sealing all the way. Replacing it prevented the CEL from coming back on, but the SAI smog test readiness monitor refused to clear to 0 (ready). Detecting no vacuum on the hose that connects to the combi valve's input port, I replaced the vacuum solenoid control, as well, and the monitor cleared within a single 10-mile drive.

You can test your secondary air pump by replacing its control relay with a jumper wire. Sucking on the combi valve control inlet with a handheld vacuum pump/gauge (indispensable when working with these cars) should allow air to flow out the tailpipe.

John_E

· #11 · 1 mo ago

I am glad you found us. This forum has saved me a ton of time and money in keeping my beloved 2001 wagon running.

Shaker

Discussion Starter · #12 · 10 d ago

Oh boy, think I've encountered my first real issue. Just got an oil change a few days ago and now when it comes to a stop/near stop I'm getting some engine shuddering and loss of power.... /Sometimes/. nothing dreadful but I don't like it.

Not every time though. Like ... 1 out of 8 times. Which is more than enough to be concerned.

Something's up. Doesn't feel like the brakes. I think I'm getting a misfire.

Gonna change the plugs first I guess, and see what happens. Gonna finally do the secondary air pump too, I've put it off way too long.

Iowegian

· #13 · 10 d ago

What engine?

Plugs should go about 100k miles if you use good ones and they aren't really cheap so I'd pull one and check it before buying a new set.

If this just started after an oil change I'd suspect a vacuum line connection got broken somewhere and you have a vacuum leak. If you are getting misfires it will probably throw a CEL/MIL at some point but if not, you can read the misfire counts with VCDS or probably other OBDII readers as well.

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John_E

· #14 · 9 d ago

Shaker said:
Oh boy, think I've encountered my first real issue. Just got an oil change a few days ago and now when it comes to a stop/near stop I'm getting some engine shuddering and loss of power.... /Sometimes/. nothing dreadful but I don't like it.

Not every time though. Like ... 1 out of 8 times. Which is more than enough to be concerned.

Something's up. Doesn't feel like the brakes. I think I'm getting a misfire.

Gonna change the plugs first I guess, and see what happens. Gonna finally do the secondary air pump too, I've put it off way too long.

Scan results?

VAGguy

· #15 · 9 d ago

Iowegian said:
What engine?

Plugs should go about 100k miles if you use good ones and they aren't really cheap so I'd pull one and check it before buying a new set.

If this just started after an oil change I'd suspect a vacuum line connection got broken somewhere and you have a vacuum leak. If you are getting misfires it will probably throw a CEL/MIL at some point but if not, you can read the misfire counts with VCDS or probably other OBDII readers as well.

That may be true, but at least on the 1.8T RMMI is 40k for plugs. stock PFR6Q plugs are about $11-$12 each.

That said, @Shaker any repairs should always start with a scan of the car. Else, you are working blind.

Reactions: 2

AndreasPassat

· #16 · 9 d ago

VAGguy said:
That said, @Shaker any repairs should always start with a scan of the car. Else, you are working blind.

He speaketh the truth.

Iowegian

· #17 · 8 d ago

VAGguy said:
on the 1.8T RMMI is 40k for plugs. stock PFR6Q plugs are about $11-$12 each.

Oops, I better get busy and replace some plugs I guess.

Reactions: 1

PZ

· #18 · 7 d ago

I changed the plugs in my 1st 1.8T at 53K and they still looked like new.

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