ECU Problems

LuckyBob

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Sep 28, 2011
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Ontario
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Passat TDI 2012
Dang. Start mentioning a replacement vehicle if for nothing else but to avoid bad press with this highly successful model.
No bad press still a great car.

Dealer called and has it figured out :) they're putting it through it's paces and monitoring it still so I'll get it back later in the week. Cautiously optimistic on that but I'm quite happy with VW's response to my concerns which were answered by their highest level personnel. I'll followup again.
 

LuckyBob

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Passat TDI 2012
7th Week - Update

No bad press still a great car.
Dealer called and has it figured out :) they're putting it through it's paces and monitoring it still so I'll get it back later in the week. Cautiously optimistic on that but I'm quite happy with VW's response to my concerns which were answered by their highest level personnel. I'll followup again.
False alarm, they thought they had it fixed but the CEL went off again, so now it's something to do with the Ad Blue system. I suggested that 2 weeks ago as there were other cases of Ad Blue pump problems. But hey what do I know. :) We'll at least factory people are helping the dealer now.
 

domano 68

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Feb 17, 2012
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Alabama
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2012 Passat TDI SE 6spd manual
Sorry to hear and hope they get it figured out soon! Did you ever look at the build date and could you please post? Thanks.
 

LuckyBob

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Ontario
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Passat TDI 2012
Sorry to hear and hope they get it figured out soon! Did you ever look at the build date and could you please post? Thanks.
I couldn't it's been in the shop :) but next time I have a conjugal visit I'll take a look. I have the VIN if there's any way to tell from that.
 

Niner

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I couldn't it's been in the shop :) but next time I have a conjugal visit I'll take a look. I have the VIN if there's any way to tell from that.
You could ballpark it from the last 6 digits, I suppose.
 

Niner

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Did you pick it up in Sept or OCT 2011? thats a pretty low number, July, maybe August build is my guess. That car did not spend much time on the dealers lot, except to let the paint dry and harden a bit.

You have, for certain, an early run model, it may have a few teething pains, but it should get straightened out with the AD blue pump and issues... someone else here had the same problem.
 
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LuckyBob

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Passat TDI 2012
Yep, that is an early one. Mine is in the 40,000 range and was manufactured in December 2011.
We'll it's 2 months now. They're having a hell of a time figuring it out. Working on it every day, bringing in factory techs and paying for the loaner, It must be costing them a fortune.
 

Niner

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We'll it's 2 months now. They're having a hell of a time figuring it out. Working on it every day, bringing in factory techs and paying for the loaner, It must be costing them a fortune.
Or it's a major defect, and you want a replacement that isn't plagued with such problems. I'd be thinking lemon laws. How many miles on your car now?
 

LuckyBob

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Passat TDI 2012
Or it's a major defect, and you want a replacement that isn't plagued with such problems. I'd be thinking lemon laws. How many miles on your car now?
Only 13,000 Km / 8000 Miles. And you're right, I'll probably begin the process next week but up here we have to give the manufacturer reasonable time to repair and we have to keep chronological documentation of who did or said what. Plus it would be nice to have VW tell me what the are willing to do and hopefully just settle before we go third party. The last thing I heard was they were disconnecting every connector in the car which tells me they've ruled out everything except an intermittent short which they want to isolate, I'm picturing the car torn apart though, how else would they do this? Any VW mechanics feel free to speak up with your ideas. :)
 

tdiatlast

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Fort Worth, Texas
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2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
...but up here we have to give the manufacturer reasonable time to repair and we have to keep chronological documentation of who did or said what...
2 months? Wow...just...wow!
Purchased in October...at the dealer from Feb. 13-April 13. 1/3 of the time of your "ownership", it has been disabled at the dealer.

Time for a replacement. I think you've been patient long enough, and they should buy the vehicle back. (yeah, I know...easier said than done)

Good luck. Thanks for the continued updates.
 
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Niner

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Only 13,000 Km / 8000 Miles. And you're right, I'll probably begin the process next week but up here we have to give the manufacturer reasonable time to repair and we have to keep chronological documentation of who did or said what. Plus it would be nice to have VW tell me what the are willing to do and hopefully just settle before we go third party. The last thing I heard was they were disconnecting every connector in the car which tells me they've ruled out everything except an intermittent short which they want to isolate, I'm picturing the car torn apart though, how else would they do this? Any VW mechanics feel free to speak up with your ideas. :)
See my comment on page 2 in this thread. You don't want the shop guys tampering with every electrical connection, the wiring on these things is really short, plus they may create more problems than they fix. Trust me on this. :eek:
 

TomB

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I say let them buy you a new one and send this one back to the factory techs. They can do all the research they want ON THEIR time, not yours.

You have been more than patient and they should not keep wasting your time or their service techs time. It is obvious that it is time for them to move on.
 

Niner

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I say let them buy you a new one and send this one back to the factory techs. They can do all the research they want ON THEIR time, not yours.

You have been more than patient and they should not keep wasting your time or their service techs time. It is obvious that it is time for them to move on.
Yep, time to get out of it and let them move on, on their nickle, not yours. That car, with all the tampering, is a problem child now, poked and probed to death.
 

LuckyBob

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Passat TDI 2012
Got the car back, its all sorted out. Running well. Lets just say VW Customer care came through and I am very happy with the result of their efforts.
 

tdiatlast

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Fort Worth, Texas
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2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I hope this time it's "all sorted out.". Good luck.

...you're much more patient and gentle than I am...
 

Niner

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A pinched wire, it was intermittent so I can see why it was so hard to diagnose. car runs very well.
See post # 27. :D

Where exactly was the wire pinched, so that if it happens again to someone else, we can diagnose and fix it ourselves instead of getting jackwagonned by the dealer if out of warranty.
 
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tdiatlast

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Please, do tell. Which wire, and where was it pinched, and how did they fix it? Did they replace a harness? Cut and splice?
 

LuckyBob

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Ontario
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Passat TDI 2012
Please, do tell. Which wire, and where was it pinched, and how did they fix it? Did they replace a harness? Cut and splice?
No idea which wire. They initially spliced then once it was proven to be the problem they replaced the harness completely. They did a great job.

LB
 

Niner

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No idea which wire. They initially spliced then once it was proven to be the problem they replaced the harness completely. They did a great job.

LB
could you pull up the part number for the harness off of your VW paperwork, once the work was completed? That way, if this happens to someone else, we at least know which bunch of wires in a harness should be checked, in the event that someones fails outside of warranty.
 

tdiatlast

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Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Especially since this was a "pinched" wire. It would be nice to know WHICH wire and HOW it got pinched.
TIA!
 

Niner

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Nice, do you have the part number for the harness off your repair order for us?
 
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