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meatpimp posted:
Seems that's really a lot more common in 2000s era cars. Gone are the days where you run a battery till it stops cranking. If the voltage even dips a little on startup a ton of computers simply fail to initialize right. I bet if you cruise some model specific forums, "replace the battery" will be a common recommendation for HVAC failure. It's very common on Volvos of that era.
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Oct 26, 2019 20:15
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meatpimp posted:
Is this something that's, like, generally fixable successfully by a layperson? The car we just bought last month had had the rear defroster lines repaired with extra stuff added in patches, which I didn't even really know was a thing, but a few of the "fixed" lines STILL don't work right... 
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Oct 26, 2019 21:27
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Man, I, too, am jealous of 1200 reliable cars with cheap fixes. Then again, if I had 1200 I could just spend it on my truck's deferred maintenance, but where's the fun in that?
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Oct 27, 2019 00:53
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That's easy mode, the engine is actually reliable. Trade it for B5.5 W8 
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Oct 27, 2019 16:13
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Kivi posted:That's easy mode, the engine is actually reliable. Trade it for B5.5 W8 I hope it's reliable, because it freakin' rips. This is my first VR6, and it's a lot more fun than I thought. I always discounted them for the tunability for the 1.8/2.0Ts... but I'm seeing otherwise.
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Oct 27, 2019 18:44
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EVERYWHERE 
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meatpimp posted:I hope it's reliable, because it freakin' rips. This is my first VR6, and it's a lot more fun than I thought. I always discounted them for the tunability for the 1.8/2.0Ts... but I'm seeing otherwise.
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Oct 27, 2019 19:28
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Good progress today. Spliced the 3 wires into the larger feed: Got some of the crap cleaned up and reinstalled:  With the result of a working radio:  Also ordered some trim replacements, because VW poo poo wears off. Also pressured washed / clayed / polished / waxed the exterior. Looks like a different car. Drove it around a bit. It's fun.
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Oct 28, 2019 00:57
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Hey bro you should buy an Allroad.
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Oct 28, 2019 16:49
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Found a matching, perfect, rear seat bottom at a local junk yard for $60. Awesome! Went to start it this afternoon and got "Steering Column Lock Defective" on the screen and the car starts for a second and the immobilizer kills it. Looks like this is a common problem with these, there was a recall, but it closed in 2013. Looks like some microswitches and relays need to be changed out. 
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Oct 29, 2019 23:26
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You didn't think it would be easy did you? 
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Oct 30, 2019 04:39
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Applebees Appetizer posted:You didn't think it would be easy did you? No, but I hate having failures like this... and like the BMW had. It's not just parts that can be replaced. It's not just modules. It's all tied together to force dealer visits. The column lock module is like $150, nbd. But it needs to be paired with the car. I checked it this morning after letting it sit with the battery unplugged. No change. The interesting thing is that the column lock is not working at all, so there is a mechanical component not working. I'm hoping I can get it apart and find something replaceable that won't require the entire module to be changed. Hope springs eternal. That's not today, though. The car was my vacation from house rebuilding. I've got a corner pantry ceiling to build, door to hang and drywall to hang. Yay.
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Oct 30, 2019 11:30
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Luckily the VAGCOM software that lets you do full coding is pretty cheap by OE-level software standards.
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Oct 30, 2019 16:24
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Big Taint posted:Luckily the VAGCOM software that lets you do full coding is pretty cheap by OE-level software standards. It is, and I'm going to buy the Ross Tech license. But right now, I have too much on my plate to pick up a new coding system. I swallowed pride today and had it towed to a local VW shop. I know I could troubleshoot, purchase the stuff needed to fix, and then fix it, but I'm up against a couple house deadlines that are way more pricey and important than a $1200 VW. Well... a $1700 VW now. 
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Oct 30, 2019 17:41
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Computers and technology can be our friends, and it infuriates me when manufacturers use it as a weapon to secure a revenue stream.
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Oct 30, 2019 17:47
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Just realized your thread title was changed for last year's halloween, and is now back around to being relevant. oooOOOOooo.
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Oct 30, 2019 19:25
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LloydDobler posted:Just realized your thread title was changed for last year's halloween, and is now back around to being relevant. oooOOOOooo. And yet the content doesn't really change.
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Oct 30, 2019 19:46
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You wanna borrow my VAG-Com? I bought it for my MK3 TDI, which is in winter hibernation. It's a 3-VIN license, but I'm unlikely to use them, and the MK3 doesn't count.
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Oct 30, 2019 23:21
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sharkytm posted:You wanna borrow my VAG-Com? I bought it for my MK3 TDI, which is in winter hibernation. It's a 3-VIN license, but I'm unlikely to use them, and the MK3 doesn't count. If you'll let me pay you for using one of the VIN licenses, sure! Let me see what happens with the shop and I'll get with you. Thanks!
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Oct 31, 2019 00:00
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meatpimp posted:If you'll let me pay you for using one of the VIN licenses, sure! Let me see what happens with the shop and I'll get with you. Thanks! No problem. You can email me: username at Gmail.
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Oct 31, 2019 00:21
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Meatpimp, how long have you been buying cars and fixing them up? What was your first experience like doing it? I'm trying to get out of apartment living in the next few months and this thread has me wanting to buy a basic car and learn the basics of maintenance and detailing.
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Nov 3, 2019 00:22
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Hughmoris posted:Meatpimp, how long have you been buying cars and fixing them up? What was your first experience like doing it? Huh. Interesting question. Short answer, I've been doing it for 35 years. Long answer: My dad always had new cars. He started with a '69 GTO before I was born and one of the first cars I remember was a 1979 Grand Prix. We had a 1978 Rabbit LS Diesel, a '78 Celica, an '82 Supra (probably the first car I fell in love with), a 1984 Sunbird Turbo (my first taste of boost), and then moved to higher-end cars with a '85 Fleetwood (the first FWD disaster one, not the cool RWD one), then he shifted to Mercedes -- 190E 5 speed, a couple 300Es and by then I was driving on my own. With that influence, I loved cars, but never "did" anything but clean them. Until he bought me my first car, a 1967 Buick Wildcat with a 430 4bbl. I got it when I had just turned 15, so I had 6 months to wait for my permit and another 6 months after that to drive on my own. So, I started cleaning. And cleaning. I spent hours under the hood with Simple Green and paper towels. That thing was spotless. I remember somehow connecting the battery backwards and blowing a fusible link, my first repair. And from then, I went on... Over time, I started doing more with cars, but it wasn't until I bought my first house at 22 that I really started "working" on cars. I had a garage and space. Plus, after a while I ended up with an Audi coupe quattro, that I loved. When it came time to do rear brakes, I made the decision that I could buy the parts and tools to do the job and still pay less money than having someone do it for me... plus I would have the tools and knowledge afterwards. I used that as a method of operations... and I still do. Brakes and alternators and fluids changed to buying a '92 Miata as a project. I ended up doing everything to that car... one of the first Flyin' Miata turbo IV kits, clutch, rear differential after I tore the original out with turbo powah, transmission after I tore second gear out with turbo powah, etc. It was all downhill from there. On the cleaning front, the game changer was the advent of random orbit polishers. We started using those when I was still living with Mom and Dad. It was a cheapo Sears thing with a huge 12" bonnet, but it was still worlds better than doing it by hand. When I bought a Porter Cable, it was all over. I still have that first Porter Cable. It needs a new power cord, but it'll still chooch just fine. With a good polisher, you can do anything. Basically -- just start doing things. Buy tools. Learn to use them. Get better. Repeat. It just takes a view that it's a lifetime of learning and by the time you get a few years in, you'll be able to look back and be amazed at how far you've come.
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Nov 3, 2019 16:01
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meatpimp posted:Huh. Interesting question. Short answer, I've been doing it for 35 years. Long answer: Thanks for the thoughtful response.
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Nov 4, 2019 16:51
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Hughmoris posted:Thanks for the thoughtful response. Np, it was an interesting question that I'd never thought through. That's not the whole story, but hopefully enough to show some of my waypoints. In other news, VW shop just verified steering column lock and it's $600 out the door. So, my $1200 Passat is now $1800. Still cheaper than STR's Subaru. 
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Nov 4, 2019 21:36
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But does it have heated rear end and lower back warmers? Does it have the soup of badgeofownership.com badges on it? Do you wear flannel while driving it?  That's what I thought.  So $2000 Subaru is currently sitting at $2150 after a wideband Denso A/F sensor. It'll be $2230 after the new half shaft (before Advance Auto's online 20% coupon anyway), probably $2300 after rotors. Throw in another $60 for a thermostat, thermostat housing (it's plastic, so it'll shatter if I don't have a new one on hand, and be reusable if I do have a new one), and coolant, and it'll be ready for road trips all over North America. It's already been all over the US, western Canada, and northern Mexico... randomidiot fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Nov 4, 2019 |
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Nov 4, 2019 21:39
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STR posted:But does it have heated rear end and lower back warmers? Does it have the soup of badgeofownership.com badges on it? We'll be neck-and-neck. I need to do brakes on the VW and at least 2 tires. The tires on it now are old Nexen N3000s or something. Very little wear, but two of them have sidewall bulges. Tires are no longer available, so it's either have mis-matched pairs or get a new set. I've been really impressed with the cheapo Lionharts that I bought for the Avalon. They're a bit more expensive in the Passat's size, since the PO put 18" RS4 reps on, so it needs 235/40/18. Hopefully there won't be a lot of big $$$ things after that, but VAG.
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Nov 4, 2019 22:08
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I should do tires just going by age, mine are about 6 years old, but they have at least half of their tread left. I also have some interesting camber in the rear, but the tires seem to wear evenly, so...  I just assumed the rear springs were sagging a little, but it may be by design just due to how long and heavy the car is.It supposedly got new front brake pads very recently, but it was by a brake shop down the road not exactly known for good quality work. Also, given the condition of the rotors (and the paint-shaker effect I get when braking), I don't have a lot of faith in their work. The pedal also feels kinda weird too. It's firm, but it really seems like it takes a lot of effort to bring this thing to a stop. It has 4 wheel disc, and weighs about the same as your Avalon. Mom has an 03 Avalon (so same generation), and it won't even hesitate to throw you through the windshield if you look at the brake pedal funny. This almost takes both feet to engage ABS. They're not spongy at all, they're just... stiff? They feel a lot like the brakes stepdad's 01 F-150 had (from day one). I'm hoping it's just glazed to hell rotors and lovely brake pads. The fluid looks new, and since the pedal isn't spongy, I highly doubt it's air. randomidiot fucked around with this message at 22:23 on Nov 4, 2019 |
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Nov 4, 2019 22:21
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STR posted:But does it have heated rear end and lower back warmers? Does it have the soup of badgeofownership.com badges on it? Meanwhile my $600 Outback is up to around $2K, with $600 of struts and springs + 1 control arm bushing, and $700 in tires. Still a pretty good deal. Oh, and $300 in stereo (so far.)
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Nov 5, 2019 00:51
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Darchangel posted:Meanwhile my $600 Outback is up to around $2K, with $600 of struts and springs + 1 control arm bushing, and $700 in tires. Still a pretty good deal. Oh, and $300 in stereo (so far.) My $800 Avalon is right at $2k. All cheap cars end up being $2k.
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Nov 5, 2019 01:57
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meatpimp posted:My $800 Avalon is right at $2k. All cheap cars end up being $2k. Truth, and I’m OK with that. To be fair, mine honestly should have been about $2k to begin with. I got a hell of a deal from a fellow goon.
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Nov 5, 2019 05:01
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meatpimp posted:My $800 Avalon is right at $2k. All cheap cars end up being $2k. Free T Cruiser paid me $230 to own it!
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Nov 5, 2019 05:01
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Darchangel posted:Meanwhile my $600 Outback is up to around $2K, with $600 of struts and springs + 1 control arm bushing, and $700 in tires. Still a pretty good deal. Oh, and $300 in stereo (so far.) Oh this thing squeaks like a 40 year old college dorm bed during a furious masturbation session when I even hit a pebble (all of the squeaking is in the back too, so it's probably a subframe-out job to fix everything), it pretty much needs all of the bushings. Shockingly, the shocks feel like they're in good shape, but it's got a bit of saggy rear end going. I'll probably be into it for $3k (not counting tires) once it's all said and done, and be able to drive it a couple of years. I don't really care about the squeaking; it handles like a boat anchor to begin with, but rides well. I should probably do tires sometime in the near future, but more because of age - they have plenty of tread still. If you count stereo, $150ish, but it's the Kenwood I had in the Saturn... so I guess  for the adapter harness. Just installed much cleaner this time (with one USB port powering the dashcam, the other barely visible where it exits from the side of the center console, and a 3.5mm extension cable plugged into the back and exiting from the same place, so that passengers can play music). Original speakers are in okay shape - no rattling or anything, decent bass, just sound like lovely stock speakers.
randomidiot fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Nov 5, 2019 |
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Nov 5, 2019 23:21
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Well, last week the independent VW shop said they'd have the Passat ready on Wednesday or Thursday. I called yesterday and the "were working on it." I called this morning to give them an alternate contact number for me and they said that they took it to the VW dealer yesterday to have the module coded and the dealer triggered the immobilizer and it's still there.
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Nov 8, 2019 14:49
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meatpimp posted:Well, last week the independent VW shop said they'd have the Passat ready on Wednesday or Thursday. I called yesterday and the "were working on it." I called this morning to give them an alternate contact number for me and they said that they took it to the VW dealer yesterday to have the module coded and the dealer triggered the immobilizer and it's still there. The VAG ownership experience is off to an expected start.
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Nov 8, 2019 15:05
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BloodBag posted:The VAG ownership experience is off to an expected no start condition. FTFY. Happy friday everyone! Can I get a do over? edit: for dumb reason, I thought it was chat thread, but I'll leave the previous line anyways because yeah.. I need a do over. Beverly Cleavage fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Nov 8, 2019 |
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Nov 8, 2019 15:49
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So the VW dealer said they couldn't code the new module and said the local shop needed to pick it up and troubleshoot. The local shop thought that the VW dealer was full of poo poo and that they could have the car working fine in minutes with the dealer's coding tools. I'm sitting there like  "So, what are we going to do?"Local shop main guy said "I'll probably have to go over to the dealer." I've never really been in this position before, usually the onus is on me to fix whatever, but I just said "I'll trust it's in good hands, let me know how it goes." Who knows what happens from here. I'm kinda ambivalent, but I like the car and also kinda want it back.
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Nov 9, 2019 01:54
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I feel like I would be chucking the old steering column unit through the dealer's service desk window at this point.
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Nov 9, 2019 03:59
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I feel like I would be chucking the old steering column unit through the dealer's service desk window at this point. I don't know who to blame on this one. I told the local shop exactly what it was doing (steering lock was not working, had display of "Steering Column Lock Defective," disconnected the battery for the night, same issue in the morning -- steering column lock not working, immobilizer engaged, no "Defective" display on the dash," though. The local shop had it for a couple days, called and asked if it was running beforehand because there were a lot of codes. I told them about the battery issue and low voltage and they thought that explained the codes. They quoted a price and said it would be ready Wednesday or Thursday of last week. They DROVE the car to the dealer, apparently the immobilizer disabling because of the steering column lock was intermittent. Then the dealer screwed the local shop and said they couldn't code the new unit. I completely sympathize with the local shop, it sucks for them, but it's a weird feeling... I am used to troubleshooting issues like these, but this isn't my issue, so I'll just hang back and see what happens. I don't need the car right now, so... we'll see. No word from them today, maybe tomorrow?
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Nov 12, 2019 01:04
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They're humans, and poo poo happens. It's not your DD, and they seem like they're trying to fix it and make it right. I wouldn't sweat it too much.
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Nov 12, 2019 03:25
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All this because they put the key in the dash instead of in the column with a mechanical cylinder/lock. I'm looking forward to our next episode of 'poo poo that doesn't need to be electronic' when we visit electric parking brakes.
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Nov 12, 2019 12:13
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BloodBag posted:electric parking brakes. My mate had his seize on his Passat CC and they were something dumb like $900 per side.
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Nov 12, 2019 12:44
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