VW Passat 1.9 SE TDI 2005 - Oil filter

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Wed 8 Aug 2012 17:13
VW Passat 1.9 SE TDI 2005 - Oil filter - stuartc11

The oil filter has failed after 122,000 miles with a repair bill of £1,800. The car has been regularly serviced at a VW dealer since I bought it from VW with 6,000 miles on the clock. I have read on the internet that this model had a design fault on the oil filter which was rectified on later models but VW did not do a recall. Anyone else had a similar experience?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 8 Aug 2012 20:53
VW Passat 1.9 SE TDI 2005 - Oil filter - 659FBE

Can you be more specific as to the nature of the "failure"?

As far as I am aware there are no problems whatsoever with the oil filter assembly on this engine provided it is correctly assembled. Of course, it's a German design so it is not inherently fault-tolerant.

You need a 76 AF 14 sided box spanner to remove and refit the cap and the lower "O" ring is critical both in terms of being renewed with the filter and being placed in the correct groove on the "stick". A wrongly positioned or missing lower "O" ring will jeopardise the engine's lubrication by bypassing pressurised oil to the sump. A defective upper "O" ring will cause an external leak. Both "O" rings are provided with a replacement filter element. Failure to use the correct box spanner may result in damage to the plastic cap and will not allow the proper tightening torque to be observed.

If you need a car capable of being maintained by Third World mechanicics, dont buy a VW. The Japanese know that simple maintenance procedures enhance real world reliability.

659.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 8 Aug 2012 21:43
VW Passat 1.9 SE TDI 2005 - Oil filter - gordonbennet

''The Japanese know that simple maintenance procedures enhance real world reliability.''

Amen.

That phrase should be writ in huge neon letters over the buildings housing the computers, human and otherwise, designing modern cars.

Landcruiser 70/80 series were the last word in 'to be fixed in the field' design, you could pull any electrical item, eg a relay, out, and written on it, in English, would be its purpose and voltage...eg ''12v glow plug relay''....oh bliss, a mechanic's dream and a German marque's service manager's nightmare.

I am so tempted to go back to one when my present motor dies.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide

From economical vans to those that have the largest payloads, we have a shortlist for everyone - click to find out which will suit your needs.

Undecided on which van to buy? Our Top 10 shortlists can help...