2015 Passat lost coolant

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
I had (have) a problem with my heat not working. After research it appears its most likely a heater core issue. today on my way home I smelt burning coolant, so I pulled over and noticed it was leaking coolant around the back of the center console. Would the heater core have caused this? I have the car sitting in my driveway now. I called VWoA to ask about having it towed, but they told me it's not an option, as my car no longer has it.

My regular dealer in Orlando told me roughly $2k to fix it. I called the Sanford dealer, and they told me $740 labor and $143 parts. That's about half of what my dealer told me.

Is this something I could tackle? I can do basic car maintenance, but this looks like it'll take a little bit of more work. My brother in law is a diesel mechanic, so I'm sure I could get him to help me.

I'm thinking a tow to Sanford would cost me another $150-$200, on top of the $900 they'd charge me. I could ask my dealer to match, and that'd be about 20-25 miles closer to Sanford.

I do have a dealer 10 miles away, but man they are crooks. I don't want to take it to them at all.
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI
The heater core is behind a panel on the center console. Before the warranty extension on 13-14 passat TDIs, i think my dealer quoted around $1000. I would think a 15 should be the same. Parts are inexpensive, but flushing the coolant multiple times is not.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
how many miles on the car?
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
82k.


Had car towed to my regular dealer. My mother in law hooked me up with her AAA and I got it towed there for free. It was 50 miles away, so that saved me $250 off the bat.
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
After talking to my dealer he told me he was mistaken on parts and how hard it was going to be to fix it. I assume the other tech talked to him and told him how much it should cost. I called yesterday when he wasn’t there and talked to someone else who sounded flabbergasted when I told him the rep I deal with told me $2k. I said I talked to Sanford and they told me only $900 to fix it. He said “ONLY!?!” I said well that’s cheap compared to what Your other rep told me at $2,000. He said no no no, that should not be more than $100 for the part and 4 hours of labor. He said the max I should pay is around $600.

Today the rep I deal with said 100 for heater core and $63 for hose that blew. He then said it would be the labor that would hurt me at 8 hours for $130 an hour. I told him what Sanford was going to charge me, and he said he’d look into it for me. He called me back and said he looked at the book and had it mixed up with an older model. He said it be just under 5 hours of labor, so total would be $800. I told him to get it fixed since I need it on the road running.

Hopefully I’ll have it tomorrow or Monday at latest.
 
Last edited:

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
best of luck
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Got it fixed, but still no heat!


Rep said he saw it himself that hot air was blowing for 30 minutes after they fixed it. I couldn’t get hot air out and I’ve driven it for 170 miles so far. Not sure what to do st this point.
 

c3kTDi

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2019
Location
Undisclosed
TDI
2015 Passat
Put a thermometer in the vent (the type used to test car AC temps), and make a quick video of the instrument cluster (tach, coolant temp, oil temp), pan over to the thermometer, show the HVAC cluster (full hot, selected fan speed and outlets...ensuring the vent the thermometer is in has airflow (AUTO may not do it)), then go back to thermometer for a few.

This video should then be posted here. Give 'em something to think about. Also, send it to the service manager and ask him to comment on it. Finally, contact VWoA and ask if they'd be satisfied with it acting that way.

Just my .02.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Put a thermometer in the vent (the type used to test car AC temps), and make a quick video of the instrument cluster (tach, coolant temp, oil temp), pan over to the thermometer, show the HVAC cluster (full hot, selected fan speed and outlets...ensuring the vent the thermometer is in has airflow (AUTO may not do it)), then go back to thermometer for a few.

This video should then be posted here. Give 'em something to think about. Also, send it to the service manager and ask him to comment on it. Finally, contact VWoA and ask if they'd be satisfied with it acting that way.

Just my .02.
Excellent plan, except...I would allow the tech the opportunity to correct the issue before proceeding up the mgmt chain. This could be a simple tech oversight, and I wouldn't escalate the issue just yet. Even the best techs make mistakes. Some

Of course, IF the denial starts/continues, then you have the proof to move forward.

...just MY .02!!!! Good luck!
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Why would someone in FL need heat? Not saying that it shouldn't be fixed especially if you paid them to fix it.
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Why would someone in FL need heat? Not saying that it shouldn't be fixed especially if you paid them to fix it.

Defrost in the morning so I have less chance of running over a kid. I need to see what’s in front of me and it’s kind of hard when my windshield is fogged up because the only thing that comes out of my car is freezing AC. Also when it does get cold for the week or two it gets in winter, I don’t want my kids freezing.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I was making a tongue and cheek comment, your car should be able to pump out heat.

Also it does take a good 5 10 min of driving before we get warmish air out of our '15, so there is def an issue that should be addressed.
 

JohnTso

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2004
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
2003 Desert Jetta & 2015 Passat SEL
I take it 15's aren't covered with the extended warranty for the heater core or cooling system.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
A few have a had push backs for water pumps not falling under "emissions warranty" I'd have to imagine heater cores may fall under that as well.
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Had low coolant light come on today. I was near dealer on way home so I went there. They said there are no leaks and it was probably air that finally came out and made the coolant drop. They said they honestly have no idea why the heat isn’t working. I’m going to take it back in a week or so for them to look at it again. Hopefully they can figure it out.


I wonder if they even changed the heater core?
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
a quick look under the hood should show some "witness marks" of something being removed and replaced.
 

otep858

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Location
Missiouri
TDI
2015 Volkswagen Passat TDI (Times 2) SEL Premium
how many miles are on your 15 when the heater core failed?
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Back to the dealer today. This morning I turn my car on and it showed it was overheating. A 50 minutes of the drive took two hours because I kept stopping to let the car cool.

Turns out I did all that for nothing. The mechanic said it was a faulty engine control sensor that said the car was overheating when in reality it was fine.

Another $300 going into this money pit to fix it.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Doesn't sound to me like the car is a money pit, instead the dealer is a money suck. And not that competent, either. I'd find another shop to care for your car.
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Back to the dealer I go. It's leaking around the same hose they changed. This time it looks like the part the hoses connect to? There' a big hole in it where the coolant leaks out from. Wonder if a bolt was supposed to go there? Having it towed back to dealer tomorrow!
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
no wonder VW's/dealers have it's reputation it does.
 

Smashed Ixnay

Veteran Member
Joined
May 7, 2010
Location
Auburndale, FL
TDI
2015 Passat TDI SEL
Picked up car yesterday.


Everything working great till I go to push my garage button to open the garage and the freaking cover is just gone. I immediately texted my service rep, but no answer.


After that I was home for 20 minutes and had to pick up my daughters. I go to test heat again (was working fine when I left dealer, even out the vents.) Heat now no longer works at all.



I go today to talk to my service rep about my sun visor garage thing and he says there is nothing they can do. They fall off all the time. He said he brought it up to his manager and he said they won't help at all on that. I was livid! I should have noticed it when I left, but I just wasn't looking up since I was so dang giddy about a working car again.


The dealer did pay for the part/labor for the piece the coolant hoses connect to, then goes though the firewall to the heater core. The dealer also paid for the labor of the ECS sensor, but I had to pay for the part.


Called VWoA to let them know to see if I can get ECS sensor covered under warranty, and if it's still possible to get the heater core covered. Also let them know about my sun visor. Gonna wait for the case manager to call me back tomorrow since she was out of the office today.




I'm gonna start doing everything myself, and for any repairs, unfortunately will have to go to the dealer if it's warranty work. Anything else I'm going to Jacksonville to visit Scott.
 
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