How many miles on your B5.5 TDi?

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
My son's is just shy of 300k km now. Hasn't sold it, he finds it handy for running errands for larger items for the bike shop he co-owns. He will not do the timing belt, will get rid of it when that needs to happen (about 2 more years of driving). By then I plan to sell him my Mk VII Golf and get another Golf, this time a wagon. So far it's holding together well mechanically; original transmission, never had a fluid change (when VW said lifetime fluid, I took them seriously), original cam, balance shaft drive replaced with geared unit back at 181k km.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Just turned 400k km. Original Cam, no BSM or automatic trans to worry about any longer either.
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
The one thing that's really killing my son's is corrosion. The 12-year warranty is now over since last October, and there are LARGEW rust holes in the left rear door. But VW didn't want to touch it with a 10-ft pole as it was the result of a poor collision repair. Can't blame them, they did change the two front doors, two front fenders, trunk deck (twice), right rear door (in part), and repaired the left rear quarter panel, over the years.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
See if you can find a door in the local wrecking yard - my local yard has a good selection of B5.5s in most colours...
 

Tom_B

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2004
Location
Central Oklahoma
TDI
15 Touareg, 14 A6
We're at 211k miles, original cam, geared BSM at 90k and TC replaced at 145k. Don't want to jinx it but still running strong, drives and rides great.
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
See if you can find a door in the local wrecking yard - my local yard has a good selection of B5.5s in most colours...
Moot point now. It finally died on my son, in New Brunswick, in the middle of nowhere. CEL, and won't shift. No doubt the torque converter blew. If he can't get it fixed at a reasonable cost, the car will be junked in New Brunswick.

I'm not confident it will be worth the cost to fix it, so I suspect it has driven its last miles (223 km) on a flatbed from wherever he was to Fredericton. The second, and probably last time it will be towed (previous time was when the steering rack seals failed, about 7 years ago).

Final tally will likely be 297,700 km. It's been a good car, some weak points (especially the CV joints, the balance shaft chain and the transmission/TC), but solid.
 

leon10tagg

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2003
Location
Northern Ireland
TDI
2001 Golf 90bhp ALH tdi, 2002 Golf PD100, 2004 Passat 1.9PD AWX, 2001 Golf 4-Motion, 1997 Audi A4 1.8t sport, 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.0t WRX
Up to 167k miles or 267k kms.
 

otty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2010
Location
Revelstoke, BC
TDI
2003 Passat W8=>TDI swap, 4Motion Wagon, PD130(AVF) 6Speed Manual, 2006 Jetta MKIV PD(BEW) Wagon 5Speed Manual
Just hit 215,000km though the engine isn't original to the car and I have my doubts in general as to whether or not the odometer has been rolled back...
 

JonnyObnoxious

Well-known member
Joined
May 28, 2018
Location
Newport, Oregon
TDI
05 VW Passat, 12 VW Touareg TDI
245,000 miles.

Just getting serious. Planning on a 5sp manual swap, RR suspension, and a bunch of custom body and interior work.

Step 1: buy a VAG-COM
 

NMDieselExplorer

Active member
Joined
Mar 25, 2017
Location
New Mexico
TDI
B5.5 Passat TDI Wagon 6 speed ELN conversion
Mine has 160,000 miles on it. Original camshaft still. Well-maintained. Converted to ELN 6 speed 01E. Runs great. Just did the timing belt. Was on the original BSM module chain and hex key too, but was getting noisy.

Since I am a technician I decided to undertake an experiment: I have driven one with the BSM deleted and I didn't like the vibrations. Some say it makes little difference. That was not my experience. So instead of deleting the BSM or installing the exorbitantly priced gear drive BSM I found a replacement chain, sprockets, tensioner, and hex key kit advertised as more durable than the OE. Apparently these failures also occurred in Audis with the 2.0 Liter PD engines in them in Europe. And some people opt for the upgraded kit. So I installed new chain with sprockets, tensioner, and hex key in mine and I am going to see how long it goes without developing the tell tale failing BSM noise. The kit only cost $80.00.
 

Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Interesting - I have been deleted for 3 years and 230,000km.

I do find the vibrations a little on the annoying side in the winter when the mounts haven't warmed up yet, but in the summer and on occasional trips south into warmer temperatures, the car is fine to the point where I forget it's deleted.

I would think that in NM the car would be acceptable...?

I have a gear driven BSM sitting on the shelf. Have not found the vibrations to be where I would consider installing it... yet.
 

NMDieselExplorer

Active member
Joined
Mar 25, 2017
Location
New Mexico
TDI
B5.5 Passat TDI Wagon 6 speed ELN conversion
Yeah, the vibrations weren't absolutely horrible in the one I drove for a while-just noticeable to me-by seat of the pants feel and had a drone at 2600 RPM that I did not like. Had new mounts. It also had a 228mm SMF, so maybe that's the difference?

I just know that with the balance shaft still there the engine feels much smoother. Maybe it's psychological for me? Who knows. Could be I am making a mistake by keeping the chain-driven BSM with the new chain, tensioner, sprockets, and hex key. Time will tell. I don't mind if I have to change the set up again at the next timing belt. The job of removing the front cover and oil pan is not that bad.

Oh, and my '05 with ELN 01E has a factory DMF setup, which probably helps dampen vibrations. The car is so quiet and smooth on the highway-especially with the Michelin 17" MXV4 tires.
 
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Windex

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 1, 2006
Location
Cambridge
TDI
05 B5V 01E FRF
Ahh, mine also has the 240mm factory DMF - that would definitely quell some of the vibration.

Mine never stays at 2600rpm - my 01E is an FRF - 2600 rpm in 6th would be 95mph. I'm at around 2100rpm at 70mph
 
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