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I buy almost all of my parts online these days because it’s almost always cheaper – and yes, I go the quality stuff.
I prefer:
http://www.germanautoparts.com
http://www.autohausaz.com
http://www.ecstuning.com <----they have a surprisingly large selection of German OEM parts for great prices http://www.amazon.com <----Amazon also has a surprisingly large selection of OEM parts (all brands) for great pricesQuoted From btaylor85:
I’m lookin to buy another car. And there is a 2001 VW Passat with 98,000 miles on it that i’m interested in. I was wondering if anyone had any pros or cons about this vehicle. Its got the 1.8 turbo style 5 spd.
Don’t let the ignorant dissuade you. Since you’re saying 5-speed, I’m assuming it’s NOT an automatic, so don’t worry about the transmission. The 1.8T is a great engine *IF* the previous owner followed the proper oil change intervals with the correct oil. If not, you will likely have a sludge factory, and you will not be happy (Google “1.8T sludge” if you want to research this more). Also, these cars are pretty notorious for going through front control arm bushings pretty fast, so make sure you do a thorough check of the suspension. The factory clutches don’t fare well to abuse, either. This generation Passat and newer does not have the electrical gremlins that some people seem to be afraid of. At 98,000 miles, MAKE SURE the T-belt service has been done recently.
Overall, if you are looking at an adult-owned Passat with a good service history, you’re probably good to go.
Edit: Also, parts are NOT difficult to find. VW built tons of these things for the U.S., and you can buy parts almost anywhere. And if you can’t find them at your FLAPS, there are hundreds of online retailers (like germanautoparts previously mentioned) that have quality parts at awesome prices. .
I can save you the time and hassle of following wiring diagrams to diagnose a bad ground –
On these cars, the hazard switch and blinker relay are one and the same. 5 minute fix, fairly common problem. It will cost you about $35 to fix it yourself.
If you take a lot of short trips in the cold weather, you’ll get condensation built up on the oil cap on ANY engine.
I think I’m going to respectfully disagree with the difficulty in repair that many people have expressed concern over. Just so you know my perspective, half of the cars I’ve owned have been Audi, the other half were GM products. I currently have 2 Audi’s, and my wife drives a Malibu. It’s a strange combination, I know, but even my parents always had an Audi and a GM in the driveway. Weird.
There are always some bad apples, (Audi’s 2.7T, VW’s W8, etc.), but the basic workhorse high-volume vehicles that VW/Audi sell are actually quite easy to work on. 1.8T, 2.0, 2.0T, I-5, and VR6 (with the exception of the d*mn timing chains problem) are actually very simple engines. The difference is many procedures/ways of doing things do differ from your average American cruiser, and it’s just something you need to get used to – but I don’t feel it’s any more difficult. Like previously mentioned, Bentley manuals are awesome, and are leagues better than any Chilton’s or Haynes that you can buy, but bear in mind that Bentley manuals are not for a novice, and aren’t step by step. I’ve heard some people recommend having both a Chilton’s and a Bentley, and I guess I can’t argue that. Also, you’ll need a full set of metric tools, + metric allen sockets, +triple squares (sometimes – for cylinder head and axle R&R mostly. I don’t think you’ll need triple squares for the work you’ve described). Somebody mentioned torx, but I can’t recall ever seeing a torx head fastener on any of my German vehicles. Not saying there’s no chance you’ll need them, but I’ve just never seen them in my experience.
Looking at your list, if you have experience doing the same work on other vehicles, you won’t have any trouble with doing these service items on this vehicle, with the exception of the transmission. I’d probably leave that alone to be honest. If you pull the intake, plan on breaking some hard plastic vacuum lines and/or tee’s, it’s almost unavoidable. Your FLAPS should have suitable replacements that should be inexpensive.
Good luck and have fun!
Define “a few jobs.”
With the exception of the timing chains, a 12v VR6 is a pretty simple engine to work on.
That is plenty of caster. You have something else going on there (such as the previously suggested strut bearings).
Nice Mk4! I love 5 cylinders, although I can’t explain why. Mine is an not a VR5, but still a VAG I-5 🙂
My wife’s Malibu has those same arms bent. I brought it into the shop where I used to work and threw it on the alignment machine – there was enough toe and camber adjustment that I was easily able to bring everything back into spec. Not saying that will be the case every time, but I didn’t feel that the car was worth dumping any money into as long as everything is safe and functional (it has 243k miles and is beginning to rust).
When you replaced the struts, did you replace the mounts? Malibu’s frequently have clunking sounds from the rear from 2 places: The rear upper strut mounts, and the rear sway bar bushes.
Quoted From edflower:
I have a 2001 Ford Windstar and I am going to change the front struts and sway bars. Do I need to (or have to) get a front end alignment after I do the job? Thanks for your help.
EdYou should, at a minimum, get it checked. Most shops (in my area) will only charge between $10 and $20 for the check. If you’re lucky enough that everything is within spec, you won’t be out much money. However, in my experience (have aligned lots and lots of cars in my life), that will never happen with a Windstar – you will almost certainly need an alignment.
I’m a huge fan of POR15 engine enamel. That stuff is DURABLE, and it looks great. It’s more expensive than your typical rattle can paints, but the kit comes with all of the prep materials you’ll need as well.
Vagcat only works like half the time. I swear, that site is down more than it is up. That said, when it works, it is a great resource.
^ I’m the same. The longest I’ll ever let my car idle to warm up is the time when I’m scraping my windows. Just drive easy for a few miles and there won’t be anything to worry about. The only exception is if the outside temperatures are seriously cold, like -20* F. Then I might let it run just long enough to get the oil pressure up to normal cold engine pressure.