The doom blue Passat - a stitch in time

[bunglebus]

I've done those - once, when I was fitting the lowering springs. Luckily since then it's only ever needed the ones you can get at without too much dismantling 

 

[twosmoke300]

I’m convinced the longevity of those ( or lack ) is all down to tightening the bush bolts up while the vehicle is loaded or at least on the floor . 

[bunglebus]

I did jack up the hub to the right level before doing it up. HBOL wants you to be really anal and record the angle they're at when it's on the floor - good luck with that, I can just about fit my low entry jack under it!

[bunglebus]

Barrel repair kit arrived, as expected the cam is broken

.and after half an hour of breaking my nails rebuilding it, it still doesn't work. Now locks but won't unlock...

[bunglebus]

Well the lock's here. Chances of fitting it this month are slim

 

[bunglebus]

I've obviously had it a while, my forest is getting out of control.

Just realised I've put 100,000 miles on it since I got it, on top of the 169,000 it already had. Turns 23 years old on the 20th too

[bunglebus]

Well after rather too long driving around with no door card on due to life being too hectic to fit the lock, I got up early and bit the bullet. Wasn't as bad as I was expecting, having taken the door carrier off the front door previously I had an idea what to expect

Old and new locks - a few bits to swap over, luckily my rivet gun was at home 

Pop it back in place, connect up wires and cables

Then fight with the various cables and window glass retainer, find the door card (didn't lose any screws either), remember to test everything BEFORE closing the door unlike the last time...and done

[bunglebus]

Oh yeah. It's Tuesday isn't it

 

[bunglebus]

Failed on front tyres which I knew were getting low. Annoyed that they left the advisory on rear ones on despite me changing all four! Another set of Goodyear Efficientgrips, they've been superceded to a "Performance 2" so we'll see how £315 worth of rubber performs

[Longbridge Apologist]

Wondering now how one finds a leggy but invincible Passat/Octavia/A6 now.

[bunglebus]

13 hours ago, Longbridge Apologist said:

Wondering now how one finds a leggy but invincible Passat/Octavia/A6 now.

I still see quite a few about but usually the post facelift with rust prone wings. I'd like one like mine but an estate that's actually been cared for

[bunglebus]

After a 1am call early Saturday to drive daughter in law to hospital as she was in labour, I haven't been out. Until this morning, to find I left the driver's window open in the pissing rain. Much hairdryer action later, the dehumidifier has been left to deal with it. There was water in the window switches and ignition switch so fingers crossed the electrics have survived 😐

[bunglebus]

Another 10k clicks over

Getting a bit of a list of jobs to do though - just when I don't fancy working on cars outside of course....

[bunglebus]

Funny how your mind plays tricks on you. I remember changing the heater fan in my Passat when my dad owned it and it's failed again! However thinking back I was working for VW at the time and I started there when I was in my late 20s, now I'm in my mid 40s so I suppose it's done OK really!

I have stopped it squeaking previously by removing it and applying some lube to the shaft (!) but this time that only delayed the inevitable by a couple of weeks. Choices were 2nd hand at £20ish or pattern new for £40 so I went with the later. Gave me a chance to fit a 2nd hand glovebox after failing to fix the broken handle using a shit Chinese replacement that broke as soon as I looked at it. The liner was also cracked so more eBay pennies were spent getting a very grubby part.

It's not really a hard job, glovebox out remembering to disconnect the glovebox light first, otherwise hours will be spent trying to put the poxy thing back together correctly (ask me how I know), unbolt the passenger airbag and slide it out of the way, 4 screws and Bob's your uncle.

Bubbles came along as I finished to check I'd done everything correctly 

The climate control display is still flashing to say there's a fault, hopefully it'll sort itself out but at least I can now demist the screen and access the glovebox again

[Missy Charm]

20 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

The climate control display is still flashing to say there's a fault, hopefully it'll sort itself out but at least I can now demist the screen and access the glovebox again

Awww 🥰

[Leyland Worldmaster]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Funny how your mind plays tricks on you. I remember changing the heater fan in my Passat when my dad owned it and it's failed again! However thinking back I was working for VW at the time and I started there when I was in my late 20s, now I'm in my mid 40s so I suppose it's done OK really!

I have stopped it squeaking previously by removing it and applying some lube to the shaft (!) but this time that only delayed the inevitable by a couple of weeks. Choices were 2nd hand at £20ish or pattern new for £40 so I went with the later. Gave me a chance to fit a 2nd hand glovebox after failing to fix the broken handle using a shit Chinese replacement that broke as soon as I looked at it. The liner was also cracked so more eBay pennies were spent getting a very grubby part.

It's not really a hard job, glovebox out remembering to disconnect the glovebox light first, otherwise hours will be spent trying to put the poxy thing back together correctly (ask me how I know), unbolt the passenger airbag and slide it out of the way, 4 screws and Bob's your uncle.

Bubbles came along as I finished to check I'd done everything correctly 

The climate control display is still flashing to say there's a fault, hopefully it'll sort itself out but at least I can now demist the screen and access the glovebox again

Bubbles is obviously a Qualified VAG Tech. Cats are excellent Workshop Supervisors, aren't they! 👍 👍 👍 😎 😎 😎 

[Isaac Hunt]

On 7/20/2021 at 9:55 AM, bunglebus said:

 

I never knew Nora Batty worked in the VAG Trimshop

[bunglebus]

Yeah all the door trims have done that, that one's the worst. Could be fixed I suppose 

[bunglebus]

Despite it being cold and windy, I thought I'd use a free day to tackle some jobs. Got the OS track rod end changed

Didn't seem a lot wrong with it other than the boot had come out from the retaining ring, but it keeps the MoT man happy.

Took the pads out and gave everything a clean up and copper grease just for peace of mind, then went onto the main events - NS CV boot and suspension arm.

Except then my ex rang and bent my ear for an hour and put me in a thoroughly bad mood, that coupled with the cold make me say fuck it and pack the tools away. No idea when my next free day will be 😐

[bunglebus]

I have been chasing this fault for literally years - temp gauge always used to get to 90 quite quickly and sit there no matter what. Then the sensor failed (dropping to zero), fitted a new one and from then was forever fitting new 'stats and sensors as it just wouldn't reach 90 degrees. 

Had similar problems with pattern sensors and 'stats on the Lupo and fitting Febi Bilstein parts resolved it, so a couple of weeks ago I fitted a Febi 'stat - worse if anything. Ordered a Febi sensor - sent the wrong one. Ordered another, it concerned me slightly that is was blue rather than green but bugger me if it hasn't worked. Took 13 minutes on a quite chilly morning to reach 90 and stay there

I haven't seen the gauge there in at least 5 years!

[bunglebus]

Flushed from that success, I thought I'd crack on with some other jobs. Is there a worse, messier, more hateful task than CV boots? 

Ah well it's done now - and involved disconnecting the upper suspension arms, one of which needed changing anyway.

Ah bollocks. Putting it back together then...

[bunglebus]

Slung the correct arm on this afternoon, nice quick job as it was all apart a few days ago.

The occasional whiff of diesel alerted me that one of the bleed off hoses needed changing too, I keep a length of that in the car anyway

[grogee]

260k. Impressive! Is the radio tuned to Minicab FM?

[bunglebus]

42 minutes ago, grogee said:

Is the radio tuned to Minicab FM?

No, it's all honest private mileage. Just under 262K now, so about 11K a year from new.

Anyway the radio reception has always been crap, so it's MP3/CD for me. It does have DAB but the aerial's been off the windscreen so many times for replacement glass that doesn't work either.

[grogee]

260k is impressive! Is there any sign that it might conk out, or do you think there's life in the old dog yet? 

Goes to show what mechanical sympathy and regular servicing can achieve. 

[bunglebus]

It's sound as a pound. Don't want to tempt fate but it's reliable, runs well, does great MPG and just keeps on truckin'.

I'm pretty sure other than service parts it's all original too, engine, box, I think even the exhaust and possibly the clutch - certainly hasn't had a new one in the last 15 odd years, probably longer.

Late 90's - early 00's stuff really is well put together, it started to go downhill after that - they probably worked out they weren't selling new cars if the old ones didn't go wrong

[bunglebus]

The Passat continues to do car duties, up to 269k miles now - however I'm getting a growing list of "must fix that" faults that I've just not had time to rectify, work has gone mad since the start of September for some reason.

I got a new, remote key for it at the start of September, took the guy ages to suss out how to do it as the original key is a bit of an oddball only shared with the Sharan and maybe T4 Transporters. Whether it's related or not, since the weekend he programmed the key to the car, all the interior lights have glowed dimly all the time. I've had to switch them all off to stop them draining the battery but I don't know what's causing it. I left the car for 4-5 days while I was working away recently and came back to it being flat enough that it wouldn't start. Now I'm wary of it so I've been disconnecting the battery if I'm going away for a few days - also managing to deadlock myself out as I locked the doors by remote then disconnected the battery and shut the bonnet. This means you cannot unlock the doors manually and you have to get in through the boot and find a way to release the rear seat back catch, before crawling through to the front and opening the bonnet. Fun.

I also had the OSR window regulator fail, probably just broken clips as it's happened before on one of the windows, but I've been having to remember not to open it or use the key function that unlocks all the doors and drops all four windows.

Then last night I helped out a young couple by jump starting their 1 Series. Very odd situation but I got them on their way - I'd only pulled into the industrial area so my mate could drive slowly and brake so I could listen to the clonk/tap noise that's started coming from the OSF recently. He then couldn't open the door from the inside even though all had been well when I got out moments before! Felt like the release cable was frayed and caught up.

Went out this morning and the driver's door wasn't locked. Wouldn't lock from the remote so I used the blade, felt really stiff but it worked - but then on unlocking it wouldn't open from the handle. Argh. 

Opened the window and managed to get the top of the door trim off enough to get a hook inside and free the cable from the inner handle. As suspected it was frayed and jammed up. Got it pushed back in enough to allow the outer handle to work again

It never rains but it pours...

*edit* talking of which, I've just remembered - it's also started leaking rainwater into the passenger's footwell, probably from the pollen filter housing seal which was supposed to have been replaced (albeit years ago), is a PITA to do and is likely causing the body control module to get wet, as it lives under the carpet there - which could explain the battery drain!

Man alive I have some fixing to do

[bunglebus]

Finally, a day with sufficient daylight, dryness and motivation to look at some problems. Didn’t find the one I was looking for but did find some new ones. 

Had the wheels off looking for the mystery click that happens when braking. Discovered the N/S CV boot has sprung a leak - appears that the inner clamp has chewed a hole in it. I only replaced it a year ago and can't see what I could have done differently, but for now I've glued the split, cleaned up the mess and hammered the pinched part of the clamp flatter

Having cleaned the grease off the inside of the wheel, the reason the NSF tyre has been going down revealed itself 

As I was there I took the pads out and gave everything a clean and copper grease as appropriate, and as a long shot nipped up the suspension top mounting bolts under the bonnet. 

Noise has gone! How bizarre...

[bunglebus]

Finally the stars aligned, some time off work and no rain forecast. 

Time to crack on.

First jobs, replace the door release cable and fit a new lock - it's only a microswitch that fails but it's a lot more messing about to change it - new locks are £15-20 off eBay

A couple of bits need swapping over

That went rather smoothly, I now have the luxury of opening the door from the inside!

I lubed all the handle pivots too as it was always a bit stiff(!)

Works beautifully now.

buoyed by my success, I thought I'd fix the rear window, which I though had broken clips in the regulator 

Nope, just the plastic roll-pin thing that retains the glass fallen out. Re-fitting is a bit like trying to thread a needle at the other end of a toilet roll tube but it's done. 

Next I engaged Hover Mode

This was so I could remove the wheels and replace the brake bleed nipples(!) which were decidedly rusty and rounded off to boot

The reason for changing those was so I could replace the brake fluid reservoir, which has been the victim of a quarter of a century's worth of UV damage

Great success, I was pleased to find that reservoir as most are designed for LHD and incompatible with mine.

As it was going so well I thought I'd tackle the NS CV boot and upper arm - and here a previous cock-up saved the day. Last time I needed to change an upper arm, I ordered the wrong one - which is now the right one!

Of course I only found I had it AFTER ordering another! Ah well they're service items on these anyway.

CV boots are the work of the devil, I absolutely hate the black grease they contain that gets on every item within a 10m radius when changing them - but it's done

I even bought the correct tool for the clamps - and then found I obviously had the same thought the last time I did this job...

It's taken an embarrassingly long time to fix this stuff - I've been opening the door from the outside for over four months now - but I've been inundated with work and I'm just not comfortable doing this stuff when it's cold/wet/windy or a combination of the above.

I'm off to bathe in Swarfega now

[Rustybullethole]

Good days fixing that. Well Played.