2005 Passat GLS TDI WAGON with 163000 miles

Hi ,

i am new to this great forum and i am in the process of buying a 2005 GLS/TDI passat wagon, with over 163,000 miles on it. Transmission and breaks just got replaced and it has under gone Maryland inspection and passed.
Asking price is $6,800, but they are willing to knock off a few bucks.
My questions are , what do i really need to look out for in this purchase?
Is this a good deal?
Where can i take the car to for independent check and what is the cost?
Thanks Guys

Is the replacement transmission a used one, a VW rebuild or a non VW rebuild?

What imo000 said, and you should also ask if the balance shaft module has been replaced. At 163K it is time for a new timing belt and, with the car in service position for the TB job, the BSM could be done then.

re

I did not ask, but i guess its just a used trans. Dont understand what is meant by BSM

I wouldn't buy it without knowing all the details about its prior service and present condition. Has the Balance Shaft module been updated or deleted? Does it have OEM axles or Chinese replicas? VW reman tranny would be important vs used of unknown condtion. What oils have been used during its service life and what is the condition of the camshaft? Motor mounts also tend to go at about this age and aren't cheap either.
If the maintenance is not current, it can be an expensive car to recondition properly.

Imanco said:

...Where can i take the car to for independent check and what is the cost?

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Drop Oliver an e-mail, he might be able to look at the car for you. He's one of the best around.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=2211254&postcount=44

...Dont understand what is meant by BSM

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BSM = Balance Shaft Module. The original had a chain drive which has a high failure rate. It can cause extreme engine damage if it fails. It either needs to be replaced with the european gear driven unit, or deleted and a different oil pump installed. Just do a search for BSM failure.

Imanco said:

I did not ask, but i guess its just a used trans. Dont understand what is meant by BSM

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Don't guess, find out and have them prove it.

BSM parts and labor is $3,000 easily.

The other question to ask is "where the car has been", for example, was it in New Jersey when the hurricane hit?

The car was primarily driven in ,Maryland.

I have the Carfax report, but car did not come with a detailed service record.....

Apart from the BSM, motor, Camshafts etc, what else can i be on the look out for before i buy this car. Can I have a long list? Is there any VWdiesel mechanic in the baltimore area?

If it is a used transmission that its a crap shoot. Could last for a very long time of not long at all.

b s m

getting the b s m with the geared module is not going to be 3000.00.i bought everything and labor was 1800.00.people are getting ripped off!

Bsm

I am hoping by now, the BSM issue would have been resolved, need to point that out before purchase, any other pointers. Is the price good at $5795, pre tax...?

gotsoot said:

getting the b s m with the geared module is not going to be 3000.00.i bought everything and labor was 1800.00.people are getting ripped off!

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How much did you pay for parts?

Imanco said:

...Is there any VWdiesel mechanic in the baltimore area?

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See post #6 above...

whizznbyu said:

How much did you pay for parts?

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I paid ~ $1,750 for the geared BSM kit including everything to do the TB. Mike (hevster1) did the job for $750

should i stay away from purchase

What i can deduce from all the comments is that i stay away from this purchase?

Perhaps what has been said here is that if you purchase it plan to spend a goodly sum to bring it up to reliable driving condition and preferably have someone like the recommended person evaluate it first.

If none of the work has been done to the car and a used transmission installed, then you need to factor those costs into the price of the car. I have seen some very nice looking $1,000 TDI's out there but they need $4,000 worth of work, and they are not a $5,000 car.

The decision for a purchase comes down to a few facts and a few questions.
Questions
- Is the car in good shape otherwise, interiorly and exteriorly?
- How long do you plan on keeping the car?
- What do you like about the car (generally, not specifically this unit)?

Facts
- These cars are not for the owner who does not want to spend money putting regular maintenance into them to keep them running. They are both picky and finicky.
- Figure $3500-$4000 to take care of all the main issues mentioned if you are paying someone else to do it.

How you answer all those questions and your reactions to the facts is a pretty good measure of whether the purchase is worth it.
In short, if this is going to be a working car, and you don't want to spend a lot of money up front, have appropriate maintenance done to the car on a regular basis, and won't keep the car long enough to recover the investment, financially any Passat TDI 04-05 is probably not worth it.

There are plenty of people on this forum who would purchase the car because they can take care of it and understand the ins and outs and the added costs is worth it to them for the long term benefits.

I did not see anybody mention camshafts, It is a PD motor.

SamJammerTDi said:

I did not see anybody mention camshafts, It is a PD motor.

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Post #3?

abctdi said:

Post #3?

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This is post number 3 below, no mention of Cam Shaft, just timing belt and BSM.

"What imo000 said, and you should also ask if the balance shaft module has been replaced. At 163K it is time for a new timing belt and, with the car in service position for the TB job, the BSM could be done then."

You got me...and you are correct.

abctdi said:

You got me...and you are correct.

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No worries, not looking to get you, just to add to conversation.

A TB job would be a good time to swap a cam out is what I must have been thinking...

Spring1898 said:

- Figure $3500-$4000 to take care of all the main issues mentioned if you are paying someone else to do it.

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You need to figure more than this. I have done the BSM & 5 speed trans swap and I have more than that into those two.

Depends on whether you are doing your own labour.

a cheap 5spd swap $1000
BSM delete parts $500 icl timing belt
Cam - $700 for IDparts stock set.

Windex said:

Depends on whether you are doing your own labour.

a cheap 5spd swap $1000
BSM delete parts $500 icl timing belt
Cam - $700 for IDparts stock set.

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He's saying that you can do that stuff WITH paying someone else to do it for that price. I was trying to point out that I paid to have mine done and it cost more. The parts for the euro trans swap $1900 and the BSM gear drive is $1800 so right there you are at $3700 in parts. Just talking from experience here.

You are right that it can be done cheaper.

Well I think this is a dead thread anyway because I am sure the opportunity has passed on this car.

But if you are doing a 5 speed tranny, that seems a little high for just the parts; $1900 is closer to what I would expect to pay for the 6 speed plus the rebuild kit.
But mainly our difference in price is about doing a BSM delete ($350) vs a gear drive. The little extra vibration doesn't offset the cost and improved fuel economy with the delete to me. That almost $1500 difference covers all the labor, and still have $500 savings with timing belt too.

$1000-$1300 for trans,
$500 for delete plus timing belt
$700 cam (assuming it is not salvageable to be reground which cuts cost in half)
$1000 labor approx.

$3200-$3500 (plus wiggle room for the other things that may come up when the car is apart)

If you do the BSM Geared model add about $1000 or so depending on how inexpensive you can get the parts.

Have you done a trans swap yet or looked into the cost of doing one? If not then you shouldn't be putting prices on it.

You can probably get a euro 5 speed for a grand but you still need the clutch & flywheel, axles, sub frame, pedals, shifter box, master cylinder and ECU flash.