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Old 9th September 2014, 11:27   #76
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Generally most cleaners have a very bad habit of dry wiping the car. Also same dirty rag is used for the body, wheels and windscreen. After fitting the windscreen, it must have been lying in their dusty compound for a few days till re-inspection, etc. A few dry wipes with dirty greasy/oily rags will cause the problem described.
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Old 21st September 2014, 12:57   #77
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Finally have a few updates to share, both good and bad.

The service in-charge has so far stuck to his word and schedule he gave me earlier regarding the windshield replacement. He called me yesterday to say that the new part had arrived and was in good condition. I have fixed an appointment for Monday to have the car sent over to have the work carried out. I also gave him strict instructions to return the car in a clean state. Lets see if he manages that.

Now for the annoying part. Yesterday morning, the ABS sensor fault has popped up again. Same old warning lights on the dash and fault warnings on the MID. However, the ABS seems to kick in for no reason while normal braking at times! This can get dangerous at higher speeds.

This is the 4th time this problem has occured! And it hasnt even been 3 weeks since the car was last fixed! I am contemplating selling off the car as the extended warranty expires in Dec-15. It is simply unacceptable to have to deal with such an issue.

The service in-charge told me that quite a few Jettas and Passats have had this problem (Any Jetta owners reading this, could you share your thoughts?). He said that Volkswagen are working on finding a permanent solution, but I doubt that considering the new Passat will be in the market next year. One would expect a brand that boasts of their tank-like build quality to atleast not use parts that cannot withstand the usage conditions for a certain market. I wonder how many more times will this problem occur in the future.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpunwani View Post
Please do keep us updated, cheers
I was just extremely surprised that they carried on fitting the part without thinking. I mean, how could you miss the obvious signs? Sending the car tomorrow to have the new one fitted.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sandeep108 View Post
A few dry wipes with dirty greasy/oily rags will cause the problem described.
I doubt that these scratches were made by wiping with a dirt rag. Seems to be some manufacturing defect.
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Old 21st September 2014, 13:15   #78
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fordfreak View Post

This is the 4th time this problem has occured! And it hasnt even been 3 weeks since the car was last fixed! I am contemplating selling off the car as the extended warranty expires in Dec-15. It is simply unacceptable to have to deal with such an issue.
Humble request please do not sell the car to a helpless soul knowing that the brakes are in the condition that they are in. This looks to be like an unsolvable issue and at least we should applaud VW for accepting it (give credit for where its due). It is likely they may never find the fix for the Passat (given its volumes) but I am sure they will find a fix for the Jetta.

On a somber note, I would suggest not to drive this car on highway and not to exceed speeds of more then 30-40 kmph. This way in case of any emergency hand brake should be able to stop the car. I think its a very sturdy car, as you yourself acknowledge, its built like a tank and can easily withstand minor collision at 30 kmph. Kudos to VW for creating such a safe, sturdy car and accepting their fault. Not many automakers do that in this day and age.
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Old 21st September 2014, 17:16   #79
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fordfreak View Post
Now for the annoying part. Yesterday morning, the ABS sensor fault has popped up again. Same old warning lights on the dash and fault warnings on the MID. However, the ABS seems to kick in for no reason while normal braking at times! This can get dangerous at higher speeds.

This is the 4th time this problem has occured! And it hasnt even been 3 weeks since the car was last fixed! I am contemplating selling off the car as the extended warranty expires in Dec-15. It is simply unacceptable to have to deal with such an issue.

The service in-charge told me that quite a few Jettas and Passats have had this problem (Any Jetta owners reading this, could you share your thoughts?). He said that Volkswagen are working on finding a permanent solution, but I doubt that considering the new Passat will be in the market next year. One would expect a brand that boasts of their tank-like build quality to atleast not use parts that cannot withstand the usage conditions for a certain market. I wonder how many more times will this problem occur in the future.
Dear fordfreak,

Sorry to had about the ABS Sensor fault. I would like to know if the sensor malfunction is happening on the same wheel. I am sure that VW is working on a solution, but when?

My suggestion is to take this up with the VW management to ensure that future ABS sensor malfunctions are rectified free of cost, even after the extended warranty is over.
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Old 21st September 2014, 17:23   #80
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by aseem View Post
Humble request please do not sell the car to a helpless soul knowing that the brakes are in the condition that they are in. This looks to be like an unsolvable issue and at least we should applaud VW for accepting it (give credit for where its due). It is likely they may never find the fix for the Passat (given its volumes) but I am sure they will find a fix for the Jetta.

On a somber note, I would suggest not to drive this car on highway and not to exceed speeds of more then 30-40 kmph. This way in case of any emergency hand brake should be able to stop the car. I think its a very sturdy car, as you yourself acknowledge, its built like a tank and can easily withstand minor collision at 30 kmph. Kudos to VW for creating such a safe, sturdy car and accepting their fault. Not many automakers do that in this day and age.
While it is good not to sell the car to an unsuspecting owner as a goodwill measure, it is equally impractical for the owner of a relatively new Passat to only use it till 40kmph and thank VW for making it strong enough to withstand impacts at those speeds!

I'd say - be practical and sell the vehicle before the warranty is over. There should be some prospective buyers/ dealers in the market who would like to take a gamble with the brakes - they might bargain on the price though.
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Old 21st September 2014, 17:48   #81
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

It's always depressing to see an ownership review go sour. In every page of this ownership review one or the other sensor is going bust. For god's sake is there any way to deactivate these damn things? VCDS or something?
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Old 22nd September 2014, 11:21   #82
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

The Passat has been plagued with problems. My friend's story with his Passat is not much different. Has spent more time in the workshop than him driving it! Only thing he shows off is the auto parking system. I warned him against using it too much though - never know when it will cause a dent due to some sensor failing. However when the car works, it is a really good car otherwise.
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Old 22nd September 2014, 12:06   #83
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by aseem View Post
Humble request please do not sell the car to a helpless soul.
On a somber note, I would suggest not to drive this car on highway and not to exceed speeds of more then 30-40 kmph.
I would never sell the car without telling the buyer about any existing problems! I'm not out to scam anyone. Since my car is only used within the city, the speeds you mentioned are usually what it does on a regular basis. The car is currently at the dealer as I type this. Lets hope they are able to fix it for good now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpunwani View Post
I would like to know if the sensor malfunction is happening on the same wheel.
My suggestion is to take this up with the VW management to ensure that future ABS sensor malfunctions are rectified free of cost, even after the extended warranty is over.
I have asked the dealer about which sensor failed. Waiting for him to get back to me once he starts working on the car today. Will be speaking to them regarding your suggestion of future replacements.

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
While it is good not to sell the car to an unsuspecting owner as a goodwill measure, it is equally impractical for the owner of a relatively new Passat to only use it till 40kmph and thank VW for making it strong enough to withstand impacts at those speeds!

I'd say - be practical and sell the vehicle before the warranty is over.
No way do I intend to sell the car without informing the buyer about any existing problem, even if it means he gets the advantage to bargain a bit. I had no intentions of selling the car anytime soon, but will think about it if the problem does not go away. But anyways, will be keeping it till December 2015 till the extended warranty is valid. And I wouldn't say my car is still 'new'. Have had her for almost 3 years now .

Quote:
Originally Posted by nakul0888 View Post
It's always depressing to see an ownership review go sour. In every page of this ownership review one or the other sensor is going bust. For god's sake is there any way to deactivate these damn things? VCDS or something?
The offending part is the ABS sensor (one on each wheel). Every time one fails, I get the issues mentioned in previous posts. I have requested the dealer to change all four during this visit. I doubt it will be possible to deactivate this since it seems to be linked to various other systems on the car (Parking sensors, Rear-Camera, Stability control, etc). However, some of the error messages flashed are false. For instance, the MID said that the bending/cornering lights are not working, but infact they were functioning just fine.

The peculiar thing about this occurrence is that the messages errors keep vanishing and returning randomly. I got the messages when I started the car this morning, but they all vanished about 10 mins later (only to return an hour later!).

Quote:
Originally Posted by sandeep108 View Post
The Passat has been plagued with problems. My friend's story with his Passat is not much different. Only thing he shows off is the auto parking system. However when the car works, it is a really good car otherwise.
My car is now about 2 years and 9 months old. During this time, the ABS sensor has been the ONLY gremlin I have faced (albeit 4 times till now). When the car works, it is brilliant. However, this latest episode (poor service experience and problem recurring) has really put me off. That being said, I still have no regrets in buying the Passat. (And the Auto-Park is a nice party trick too )

And ofcourse, thank you to all of you for all your inputs! Will keep updating as things progress.

Cheers!
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Old 25th September 2014, 13:12   #84
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Latest update:-

Got the car back (FINALLY!!) the day before yesterday. It seems my constant prodding worked after all. The car was returned in a spotless condition with everything working as intended and exactly at the scheduled time. I wish they had work with such efficiency, precision and care the first time around. It would have helped avoid a lot of unnecessary headaches.

The service in-charge informed me that it was the left-rear speed sensor which was malfunctioning. He tested it on another Passat in the workshop but failed to replicate the fault. He suspected it to be either lose connection or dirt causing the problems, but failed to fix it. They seemed to have tried a number of methods before finally fitting an all new sensor. This seems to have solved the problem (for now). The last time the problem occurred, it was the right-rear sensor.

He claims that the new sensor fitted was an updated one from the version that originally came with my car. Apparently Volkswagen updated this part at some point? Can anyone confirm this?

Also, the new windshield fitted is in good condition as it should have been. I have been advised to change the battery sooner rather than later as it seems to be low on charge. The car sometimes take 3-4 attempts to get started, but works normally after that. The battery is the original one that came with the car and has lasted almost 3 years (2 years 9 months currently). This is the normal life span right?

Enjoyed driving the car properly after over a month! I had stopped using it at night because of the danger of driving with a blurred windshield. Normally the car does about 800-900 kms every month. Over the last month it has done only 200.

It felt amazing to take her out late at night after such a long time. It felt good driving her in perfect condition once again! Lets hope things remain like this from now on.

I also thanked the service in-charge for his support and understanding. I understand that anyone can make mistakes as they are only human. Dealing with it in the most fair manner is what makes the difference. However, his junior (the service adviser) earned no praise from me since he clearly doesn't seem to be as well trained/informed about the job he is doing.
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Old 25th September 2014, 13:43   #85
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3 years of battery life for a diesel vehicle being used almost daily seems about right.

I also changed the battery in my diesel Linea after 3 years when she started throwing all sorts of error messages.
Best get it replaced , rather than having another error message crop up on the MID
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Old 25th September 2014, 15:23   #86
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by fordfreak View Post
The service in-charge informed me that it was the left-rear speed sensor which was malfunctioning. He tested it on another Passat in the workshop but failed to replicate the fault. He suspected it to be either lose connection or dirt causing the problems, but failed to fix it. They seemed to have tried a number of methods before finally fitting an all new sensor. This seems to have solved the problem (for now). The last time the problem occurred, it was the right-rear sensor.

He claims that the new sensor fitted was an updated one from the version that originally came with my car. Apparently Volkswagen updated this part at some point? Can anyone confirm this?

Also, the new windshield fitted is in good condition as it should have been. I have been advised to change the battery sooner rather than later as it seems to be low on charge. The car sometimes take 3-4 attempts to get started, but works normally after that. The battery is the original one that came with the car and has lasted almost 3 years (2 years 9 months currently). This is the normal life span right?
Finally you have got a decent answer regarding the sensors. It would be nice to check whether the other sensors are the new type or old type.

IMO the car should start at the first attempt. If not, then maybe its time to change the battery. I understand that the original Varta battery has a killer price. I am sure that Amaron has an equivalent. I suggest that you check with the same persons who helped you this time with the windshield and sensor.

I have had a Amaron battery run for > 7 years on my Lancer, the present one is nearly 5 years old.

Very happy for you that your Passat is running well & back to normal. Was a bit sad that you were thinking to sell her (of course you had your reasons).

Hope your Passat remains trouble free
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Old 3rd October 2014, 09:07   #87
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

The ABS Sensor issue finally hit me. I was driving from Mumbai to Pune; had just crossed the Vashi toll when I got all the warning lights on the dash.

Since the car was behaving normally, I decided to drive on and called the VW Assistance. They assured me that if there is no red light on the dash, I could drive to Pune. However, the ABS & ESP will not function. There were other faults, like the Auto Hold, Reverse Camera display, Bending Lights, Type Pressure Monitoring System, etc which did not function due to this fault.

After having read issues that fellow BHPians experienced with their Passats w.r.t ABS Sensor, I was reasonably sure that this was the fault.

On reaching Pune, we drove to the B.U. Bhandari VW Service Centre at Hinjewadi. They took the car in immediately & used the VAS to determine the fault. Soon enough, the culprit was found - right rear ABS Sensor.

The SR Mr. Ram was very helpful and immediately, the opened up both rear wheels and cleaned out all the dust/dirt. Mr. Ram informed me that 99% of the cases are resolved by cleaning the speed sensor head and the magnetic rim on the bearing hub (please see photos).

After refitting the wheels & tyres, they plugged in the VAS and tried to reset all the faults; however; the faults did not go. After checking each individual wheel by rotating them and checking speed reading on the VAS, they found the rear right ABS Sensor was not giving any signal. To my bad luck, they did not have any spare - so the issue with the car is unresolved.

Have to take it back to Mumbai and have it resolved next week. Will update you on developments. Many thanks to B.U. Bhandari & Mr. Ram for their efforts in trying to resolve the issue.
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2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!-img_2251.jpg  

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2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!-img_2253.jpg  

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Old 3rd October 2014, 16:57   #88
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

I had a similar issue with the Jetta. It was replaced under warranty. The cost otherwise would have been 10K

Again it was the rear sensor
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Old 5th October 2014, 12:12   #89
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Did a bit of searching on the internet, look what it brought up

A pair of the ABS Sensors are available at a very reasonable price. Since I had the part number of the ABS Sensor, given to me by the VW Workshop, I could locate the part. Additionally, I saw the price on the VW spare part system - was approx. Rs. 2,500/- per piece.

I recollect that someone mentioned that a replacement of the sensor is around 10k, which IMO is ridiculous; even if the cost includes removal of both rear hubs and cleaning the dirt/dust off the magnetic rims.

A figure of around 5 - 6 k should be more appropriate with cleaning included. A simple replacement can be done quite easily as it involves removal of only one screw & one electrical connector.

I would appreciate if someone could confirm whether a VAS or Ross tech VCDS is required to reset all the faults, if this sensor is replaced.
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Old 5th October 2014, 16:32   #90
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re: 2012 Volkswagen Passat Highline - The beast finally comes home! EDIT: Now sold!

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpunwani View Post
Did a bit of searching on the internet, look what it brought up

A pair of the ABS Sensors are available at a very reasonable price. Since I had the part number of the ABS Sensor, given to me by the VW Workshop, I could locate the part. Additionally, I saw the price on the VW spare part system - was approx. Rs. 2,500/- per piece.

I recollect that someone mentioned that a replacement of the sensor is around 10k, which IMO is ridiculous; even if the cost includes removal of both rear hubs and cleaning the dirt/dust off the magnetic rims.

A figure of around 5 - 6 k should be more appropriate with cleaning included. A simple replacement can be done quite easily as it involves removal of only one screw & one electrical connector.

I would appreciate if someone could confirm whether a VAS or Ross tech VCDS is required to reset all the faults, if this sensor is replaced.
The sensor issue seems to persist with older Passat`s as well. My 2010 1.8 Tsi has the general engine fault senor light come on and go off. On checking with the dealership they opine that its a faulty sensor but nothing much to worry about. The sensor light has disappeared during the last service.
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