2005 Volkswagen Passat, broken timing belt - $4700 is it worth it?

So I have been looking for a TDI in the 3800-5500 range but every time I find one I like it gets sold before I get there. Today I found a 2005 Passat for sale for $4700 but the timing belt is broken and it is not running. The car has 141k and an automatic transmission. I can turn a wrench but I have never worked on a diesel. I have a friend who is a good mechanic as well but he has never worked on a diesel either but I am sure he would be willing to try. If I only have to fix the top end I will be ok. If the rods are bent I don't have the time, or tools to replace them unless you can pull them out from the bottom with the block in the car. Can you do that on these motors?

So is it worth my time even looking at this car? How much money do you think it will take to fix the car? What are the chances that I only have to replace/repair the head and timing belt? Is there anything else I should be worried about?

With your and your mechanics limited experience, I believe you should pass on the vehicle. You also do not know the extent of the damage. If you are prepared to have more in the car than it is worth and potential agony, go for it. Hope this helps. Thanks Steve

You will need to spend about $6000 on that engine, are you ready to do that?

Do yourself a favor, if you have $5000 to spend on a TDI, buy an older higher mileage one that is in good working order that has been well cared for. There are plenty out there.

I have a customer here with a VERY NICE running/driving 2005 Passat that needs $6k worth of work, you'd be better off buying this one. or something like it if you are after a project.

And you didn't mention the balance shafts....No just dropping pistons out. Lot's of other parts to remove first. Pricey parts.

.... and the upcoming front end work, eight ball joints in total

5500 will get you a nice tdi 99 -02 I have bought 3 good 1s for less than $5300. I sold a nice 97 to a friend of mine for $3000 I would keep looking for a beter deal.

oilhammer said:

You will need to spend about $6000 on that engine, are you ready to do that?

Do yourself a favor, if you have $5000 to spend on a TDI, buy an older higher mileage one that is in good working order that has been well cared for. There are plenty out there.

I have a customer here with a VERY NICE running/driving 2005 Passat that needs $6k worth of work, you'd be better off buying this one. or something like it if you are after a project.

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Oilhammer is that Passat for sale?

MonsterTDI09 said:

Oilhammer is that Passat for sale?

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Probably, along with a nice black variant that is here with some tooefage.

I should be clear that when I say limited, I mean I can RR any part, pull and rebuild a motor and anything like that. I just have never worked on a diesel and don't know how different it is.

If I could get it for less, what price would it be worth while. I was thinking if I could somehow get it for around $2500-$3000 it might be worth the hassle. I could hunt down a used motor or put in a new short block and have the head remanufactured. I would be worried that the trans might be bad though, it is automatic.

nubz69 said:

I should be clear that when I say limited, I mean I can RR any part, pull and rebuild a motor and anything like that. I just have never worked on a diesel and don't know how different it is.

If I could get it for less, what price would it be worth while. I was thinking if I could somehow get it for around $2500-$3000 it might be worth the hassle. I could hunt down a used motor or put in a new short block and have the head remanufactured. I would be worried that the trans might be bad though, it is automatic.

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There are some faults in your logic:

First and foremost, this is a VOLKSWAGEN. Put the gas/diesel argument aside. Have you worked on a lot of gas-powered Volkswagens?

Second, this particular engine has some very specific design elements that make them potentially very troublesome. They are also VERY rare. Even if you were lucky enough to find a 'good used' one, that engine will STILL need $2000+ worth of parts thrown at at just to get it up to speed.

Third, a "remanufactured head" from Volkswagen is $3500. It comes complete, which is good, because the injectors alone are $700 apiece, and one or more of them may already be damaged in the car. Add in a $770 camshaft, lifters at $50 apiece, and you'll quickly see why that $3500 price tag exists. Your local machine shop won't be able to properly rebuild that head, I guarantee it. The VAG PD head is a very strange beast.

4th, more than likely if the car was allowed to go to 150k miles and break a belt, it was not well cared for before... so who knows what else is messed up with the car once you get it done.

If you can get the car for $2000, and you are willing and able to spend "whatever it takes" to get it right, and your time is not valueable, you may come out OK, but probably pretty even with just buying one already running and driving and maybe in need of some lesser stuff.

I have 3 2005 Passats at this shop right now whose owners wish they would have had this discussion with me BEFORE they dove in.

well said ... the Passat PD is a budget breaker

Well I went in and offered $2000 but they didn't bite. I wouldn't spend any more then that. Who knows, if it is still there in a few weeks they may change their mind... and I may find a donor engine.

Thanks for the input everyone, I now realize that to make this worth while I would need the right parts at the right price. As for working on a VW or not I have worked on all sorts of cars and bikes and a machine is just a machine. I was just worried about the learning curve of setting up a diesel system. Chances are this isn't going to happen but who knows.

nubz69 said:

Well I went in and offered $2000 but they didn't bite. I wouldn't spend any more then that. Who knows, if it is still there in a few weeks they may change their mind... and I may find a donor engine.

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Contact Frank Irving (username Franko6) for his price on rebuilding the head -- it should be much much less than what Oilhammer quoted.

There are other other potential problems with those Passats, so make sure you know what you're getting into, if you get into them. Those Passat TDI wagons are beautiful cars, with just a couple known problems, but those problems will have to be addressed at some point.

dieseldorf said:

.... and the upcoming front end work, eight ball joints in total

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What about the other side of the car? There are eight more ball ends over there,
Four control arms links per side is eight ends per side. Ten if the tie rod ends are counted too..

The inner ends of the control arms are rubber, like most all control arms are. The only ball sockets are at the outside points. There are only 8 ball joints. The steering joints are generally called tie rod/tie rod ends.

And people should not get too hung up over those, not that big of a deal really, save for proper alignments.

I don't argue with O.H. This car is a money pit. I can do the headwork, if it needs it at as good a price and product as anyone. But you'd have to get the vehicle for 1/2 that price, and it's still an unknown. There is nothing like finding out you have to replace $3000 of balance shafts as well.

I have to agree with everyone else here. I don't know a whole lot about PDs or TDI Passats other than the fact that they are rare and sourcing parts can become an expensive venture. I think that I wouldn't take this car if it were given away.

procupine14 said:

I wouldn't take this car if it were given away.

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Free? Heck yeah you take it!

I'm not a mechanic, I'm a consumer who has to pay people to do stuff for me. With that point of view in mind, I couldn't see paying $4700.00 for this car. That is no small amount and it could definitely procure a good-looking car that runs well and doesn't require double the purchase price in maintenance. The OP did the right thing in low-balling the seller, who refused. I say let someone else be the sucker and pass on this thing.

-Jon

loaba said:

Free? Heck yeah you take it!

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I suppose I should rephrase....I wouldn't even take it for free WITH the intention of doing anything else but parting it out