new to me 2005 passat wagon on a tow dolly . WELL THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG

[dieselxj]

hi all, first TDI purchase today, 250 miles home on a tow dolly, Now a big red light on the cluster that says BRAKE and then Service manual. So i did a tiny bit of research before posting. seems the general consensus is that front wheels up tow dolly's are ok? So what: did the brakes just die on the way home?
Also want to see if i did ok on the deal. Texas car no rust 2005 Passat wagon; BSM delete, and a new transmission 13 months ago, 127000 on the odometer, and pretty nice stereo head with all the new stuff like android auto and bluetooth phone etc. one pretty big scratch on the passenger side doors with about a 2.5" dent to start off the scratch. I paid $3500 thumbs up or down? on the deal?

now back to the tow home and the brake problem. I read in the owners manual a bit before the tow, and there is a bit of confusion there, especially the pics in blue with the wheels up. So I kind of looked at it like one part says ok wheels up, then further down the page is says basically for auto trans, no wheels up towing front or rear, only flat bed towing for auto trans. Me being new to the VW, heck what could go wrong with a front wheel drive car being towed with the front wheels up? rite. I loaded it on the dolly trans in neutral, parking brake off, ignition off. i towed 250 miles at 58mph, with 3 stops , no apparent problems on the trip.
It is too late and i am too tired to unload, I went to get the keys out of the ignition and lock up for the night, but i decided to just do a quick start, and Now Big RED Brake light. The pedal feels good, too dark to check for leaks.

Any thoughts on the big red BRAKE and service manual flashing on my dash? Also i plugged a OBD reader in; and no codes stored or pending.
I was really planning on driving this new to me car 200 miles to work tomorrow, but now that is not looking very probable.
any help is appreciated
thanks

 

[thundershorts]

Probably brake fluid level is a bit low and the angle on the dolly allows the float to drop low enough to trigger light.

 

[dieselxj]

that was a thought just as i was falling a sleep. we will know just after breakfast.
thanks for the reply

 

[dieselxj]

plenty of brake fluid, unloaded from the tow dolly, still has alarm. disconnected the battery and touched the disconnected terminals together for 20 seconds. still has alarm and warning light.
brakes still feel good

any other things to check or reset

 

[Kravt]

Tried giving it a little drive yet? I think maybe that can be ABS related. Such errors often resolve themselves after a short drive.

Otherwise, the parking brake engagement sensor may have fallen off/gone bad inside the center console

 

[dieselxj]

thanks very much for the response. took a drive, the brakes seem quite good. not a full panic stop from 60mph but close. and no issues. also no resolve. i pulled the cover off the fluid reservoir, and i can't see any issue there. also can't see any wiring for the reservoir. i will check the p brake sender. do you have to take the console apart to get to it?.
it does have a out of balance wheel shake and it pulls to the right, witch is the weakest tire.
i hate to admit it but in my haste sleep deprived and PO'd state this morning i forgot to put the ramps down on the tow dolly as i backed the car off the dolly . I took a good 8" drop, it caught a piece of the air dam, which seems to be a break away piece, Well it just snapped back on

a friend did a bit of research and came up with a resett method hold odometer button and turn on ignition, then turn clock set button clockwise.
that did not work either

 

[dieselxj]

i have not taken the console apart yet to check the parking brake sensor, but when you pull the ebrake the daytime running lights turn off as they are supposed to , so to me that means the ebrake switch is working. also brake light bulbs are good all 5 of them

 

[Kravt]

Good idea using the DRL lights to confirm. I can’t say that I’m much more help here. If you don’t get answers quick, I’m sure what you need is in the forums, it’ll just take some research.

 

[dieselxj]

will a vcds help troubleshoot this

 

[dieselxj]

warning light and alarm are now intermittant or off. I think i have new to me syndrome. moving into a new car is never easy. This is the newest car i think i have ever owned. i am just going to have to get used to alarms and warnings with this overly complicated little creature. If i could have found a good ALH car i think i would have preferred that, but this is what i got.

Does anyone have any thing to say about the pdf versions of the FSM that i see on ebay for $10 ish

 

[dieselxj]

the hits keep coming with this one. Now I have a an situation on the transmission gear indicator on the dashboard. From what I read this could actually cause a limp mode good times

 

[dieselxj]

What is the lower cost option to get set up with a vcds? Is the life version of the software still free?. And I saw some cables for around 50 dollars. Do this work?

 

[Sprocket]

Buy the genuine cable from Ross-Tech directly or an authorized reseller. Don't skimp out for a generic / fake cable. It's a small investment to make and it pays for itself quickly vs paying for a dealer or repair shop to diagnose your vehicle.

VCDS | Product categories | Ross-Tech

VCDS HEX-V2 Diagnostic Tool

New, universal replacement for our previous KII, MicroCAN & HEX-CAN series of interfaces. Includes a VCDS software license and the interface you need to connect to tour VW/Audi Group vehicles. ...

www.idparts.com

 

[zzdiesel]

I am curious about the new transmission. What was it, purchased from whom?

 

[Mozambiquer]

I recently towed my wagon 1500 miles on a tow dolly. Of course with the front wheels on the dolly. I had no problems related to that. It had a transmission limp mode which is why I towed it, but that's it. Vag-com should direct you as to where to go.
I'd say you got a pretty good deal though.

 

[dieselxj]

it will have to wait until i get home from work on Thursday. to get the details on the New? trans. it might have been a rebuild. but i have a receipt.
i am afraid i am not a $200 cable kind of guy. i have seen some that look pretty good for $40 . i don't think i will try a $10 cable .

So does the BHW engine make the car a B5.5?

on to the gear indicator problem. If the car still shifts , do i need to worry about that? i read somewhere that if the little circuit board for the shift handle goes bad that it can cause a limp mode, Is that true?

ok i gotta get some sleep, 12 hours on shift makes for a early bed time

thanks for your help so far

 

[vwztips]

First, the tow dolly thing will not hurt this car or cause any mechanical or electrical issues {except for the 8" drop LOL). I have towed literally hundreds of FWD Passats, Golfs and Jettas with zero issues. AWD must be towed on a flat bed though.

You can try a $40 cable, but the real thing is worth it's weight in gold and will pay for itself in short order. Suit yourself, but understand all of our "advice" is just educated guesses which will send you on wild goose chases, without knowing the proper code. Yes the gear indicator lit up can and will cause a limp mode. So many things can cause this. Not something you want to be guessing at.

FWIW, ECSTuning have some decent code readers, but again, there is only one that I would own, which is Ross-Tech. Plus, you get their full dignostic support once you register it. Won't get that from any the cheap alternatives.

 

[borninabus]

so it looks like the first thing you need to learn (which is and was a hard pill for me to swallow as well) is: DO NOT CHEAP OUT! if you buy a $40 VCDS, you will just find out that you still need the $200 one. trying to save money, in most cases will just end up costing you money. trust me on this!

you're on the right track with your diagnostics and are correct about the shift selector sensor.

the folks around here are knowledgeable for sure, but if you produce a receipt for a receipt for a trans rebuild that doesnt say "erickson" on it, they are going to tell you that it is ****--which is not 100% true. there are tons of people who know their way around the 5hp19fl and that is a direct quote from erickson. i ended up finding one right down the street from where i work. like anything else, if you do your research and ask the right questions, you can find out.

the "facelift" is what makes your car a B5.5.

 

[Lotawood]

Another push for genuine Ross-Tech cable and license.
You are on your own with alternative cheaper one.
No license = no support. Software is important.

 

[MOGolf]

Recheck the brake fluid level. With all 4 wheels on the ground, the brake fluid should be near the top in the reservoir. There's a MAX mark. Use DOT 4 fluid to top up. There is a level sensor in the reservoir. It is "inserted" from the bottom and the connector is on the bottom side. You'll have to remove the large plenum cover to see it.

Check parking brake operation. Using appropriate precautions and means, raise the rear of the vehicle (can do one side at a time) and remove the wheels. Have an assistant operate the parking brake handle inside the car. When the handle is lifted, you should see the cable pull down and operate a lever on the calipers. When released, the cable should move back the other way and the lever should almost touch a stop point. If the cable, doesn't move, then parking brake mechanism is stuck. This will cause drag and set off warnings. I suspect they release OK or you would have worn out the rear brakes towing the car (inspect pads while there).

The DRL test validated the parking brake switch is good.

You said the key was in the ignition while the car was being towed. Was it just in the ignition or was the key turned to any "on" position? If on, then the car didn't like the rear wheels turning without the front ones turning. This would cause alerts.

You're not descriptive about the "service" message. The car may be set for a service interval reminder and the interval has expired. VCDS is a good tool to reset that. .

That reset process that your friend found, and the "touch battery cables together" don't do anything to reset anything on a B5.5 Passat (yes, all the US spec 2004.5-2005 model year TDIs are B5.5).

Maybe there is another TDICLUB member nearby with a VCDS interface that could help but your location has to be narrowed down from "Texas".

Maybe a local autopart store can read codes and data for free/low cost. They need to be able to read from the transmission and brake controllers beside the engine controller. If nothing is found, maybe they can determine if the service interval needs to be reset. You should service the vehicle with an oil change at the very least.

 

[vwztips]

Hey Mogolf, I didn't know the Passats had service interval notifications. At least I have never had one come up that needed to be reset.

 

[MOGolf]

If it was retrofit with a European cluster (like some of us did on the A4 Golf/Jettas) it was possible to enable it as a fixed interval. It doesn't have the oil sensor so the variable interval which factored in oil quality wasn't possible.

There's not much to go on other than the original post having " big red BRAKE and service manual flashing ". A picture would help.

 

[dieselxj]

ok i am just about convinced to go with the Ross cable. not happy about it yet, but the 3rd party cables seem to either not work with a B5, or do not accept returns.
I am still a bit confused on the ID of the vehicle. where does the 3B come into the picture for a 2005? Is that a body style. It seems there are 2 formats, one with # then letter (3B), and letter then # (b5.5)
Do i need permission to attach photos? FAQ suggests i can use browse. But i dont see that available, just a URL link , and i am not so agile with the cloud.
I think my car is PRE face lift. the tail lights are a tell tale there correct? i have the older style from looking at the wikipedia pictures

until i can get the pics uploaded. My center display shows 3 messages " STOP ", "BRAKE FAULT", " SERVICE MANUAL", and PRND432 all have a white/red backlight, no indication of gear position.
.
on the morning agenda is a tire rotation and a alignment, title transfer and paperwork. and maybe a pressure wash degrease the engine.
although i am a bit concerned about pressure washing with all the electronics under the hood.

i can't find the receipt for the transmission. the seller had a electronic copy in the sale add, but that is not available anymore. maybe the seller can send me the copy

thanks for the help so far

 

[thundershorts]

as far as transmission rebuilding, unless genuine zf parts are used, the aftermarket parts are failure prone. Thats one huge difference in sucessfull rebuilding.

 

[dieselxj]

Well good ish news on the shift selector. It is not bad in a permanent way. It is working on my way to the alignment shop

 

[dieselxj]

But sitting here at idle . the brake light is not lit. But the trans selector is all backlit again. And the mfd is showing temp and some time function.
There is supposed to be a light at each shift position at the shifter bezel correct?. I thought there was one whole driving. But not now

 

[dieselxj]

hi all, i think i narrowly averted a abusive alignment guy. so the question is . If you are adjusting "Toe" at the tie rod end, that connects from the steering rack to the "knuckle?" Does the tie rod end adjust like a turnbuckle at both ends? or do you need to disconnect the tie-rod from the knuckle , and make the adjustment 1 full revolution at a time? and then re-install the tie-rod to the knuckle?
The guy at the shop loosened the lock nut on the tie rod, then put a big wrench on the hex that buts up to the tie-rod, at what i think is the end of the steering rack and went to town on it, then said the tie rod is jammed and wanted $150 to start changing the tie rod, but he prepped me for a steering rack as well.
the hex he wrenched on i think is just the end of the steering rack that the tie-rod screw into. This is on drivers side front. The order from outside to inside is steering knuckle, tie-rod end, lock nut, tie-rod threaded part, then the steering rack end with a hex, then the steering rack rubber boot.
I wish i could post a picture.

So do you have to disconnect the tie rod to make the toe adjustment?

thanks

 

[dieselxj]

For $20 more i have firm appointment at the dealership for the morning.

 

[thundershorts]

dealer shops typically adjust and set to tenths, rather than minutes of a degree, 1/6 of the accuracy Ask them to switch machine to minutes. The front end components of the b5.5 typically have worn bushings/ball joints at higher age and miles. Also, if tires aren;t new or in excellent condition, an alignment is a waste of time and money.

 

[dieselxj]

so the dealer declined to do the front end alignment until unspecified repairs are made to the suspension. I finally got a good rotation on the tires, and the car was driving much better this morning, I went to get the bad tires replaced, and i put the brand new tires back on the front, and you guessed it the out of balance returned,. so the out of balance is following the rims not the tires. The previous owner said he switched to steel wheels because he cracked a few aluminum rims and he wanted something more durable. Well it seems there may have been a bent rim or 2 up front. One of the good tires was installed backwards, The tire shop fixed that for free. But now i have to rotate the old tires back to the front and see how that goes.
I ordered a PDF service manual from the internet, over 8000 pages, with no index. yes not a typo 8405 pages the information is there, it is just extremely difficult to use. and i can not find any thing in the manual newer than 2004, So the advertisment for the manual that said it goes for 2005 may be a error. i am going to return the manual for a refund.
I just could not bring myself to drop the $200 for a ross tech cable. I am really not sure at all if i am going to keep this car. So far it has been a big loser. $200 today for tires that looked pretty good, but turned out to be crap, could not bring myself to spring for a full set of 4 tires in the proper size until i decide if i am keeping the car. Yes the Previous owner was running 215-45r17's, so the speedo reads 5mph faster than you are going.
i think my " BRAKE' warning light is actually brake pads. I finally got a good look at the front pads doing the tire rotation, and they are pretty thin. then i looked at a new set of front pads and i am pretty sure my front pads are at the wear indicators. So New set of front brake pads with a lifetime warranty. $45.00 and a service manual to change the pads that is going to take me longer to find the correct service info than it will take to actually change the brake pads, if i can find the information at all.
So far i am about $350 into this car and it has not actually done any transporting except to go back and forth to the shop for service and parts