First Time Passat Owner - Probably Dumb Questions

[officialmyki]

**please delete this if its in the wrong section.

Hi everyone, I've just purchased my second volkswagen, a B7 Passat AllTrack. I really like it but I've got some questions that I'm having a hard time finding answers to. If anyone knows anything I'd really appreciate any advice.

1. DSG Maintenance. Is there any sort of preventative maintenance that I can have done on the transmission to keep it going longer? (Besides replacing the oil and filter?)

2. Will B6/B8 accessories (ie. floor mats, trunk liners, parcel shelf etc.) fit a B7? I was pretty lucky fitting MK6 parts/accessories in my MK5 Jetta, was wondering if anyone had any luck doing the same in a Passat?

[kleung]

1. DSG Maintenance. Is there any sort of preventative maintenance that I can have done on the transmission to keep it going longer? (Besides replacing the oil and filter?)

The usual servicing will be fine, as well as some awareness of how it works. Being mechanically similar to a manual gearbox, anything that results in excessive slipping of the clutches will reduce the lifespan of the clutches and possibly the transmission as well -basically anything that would be considered a bad habit for a manual transmission also applies to a DSG - using the throttle to hold the vehicle stationary on an incline, excessive creeping etc.

In an Alltrack. the DSG is a wet-clutch unit it's better able to dissipate waste heat than the dry clutch DSGs, but a little bit of awareness will help to prevent premature failure.

2. Will B6/B8 accessories (ie. floor mats, trunk liners, parcel shelf etc.) fit a B7? I was pretty lucky fitting MK6 parts/accessories in my MK5 Jetta, was wondering if anyone had any luck doing the same in a Passat?[/QUOTE]

The B7 is basically a facelifted B6, so many but not all accessories should fit - floor mats and boot liner almost certainly. The cargo blind might be slightly different as the B7 got an extra rail in the cargo compartment that allowed you to lock the blind into several partly open positions, whereas the cargo blind in the B6 could only be held in the fully retracted or fully extended positions.

The nose and tail were different, but the interior had mostly minor changes - the steering wheel is new but AFAIK is interchangeable, the electronic park brake button was moved from the RH side of the steering wheel to the button console beside the transmission selector. The Climatronic panel wis updated, but the instruments were basically the same.

A B8 is built on an entirely new platform so it's unlikely that many parts will be interchangeable.