B7 125TDI Passat Report Card @ 6 Months

[Buzy_Robot]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering how others are going with their B7 Passat after a few months, so thought I'd post a report card of sorts for my 125TDI sedan.

PROS: Frackin' awesome combination of performance and fuel economy, great ride and assured handling at all speeds. Seems mechanically robust coupled with a very appealing and comfortable interior package. Pretty good visibility all round. Controls are laid out logically and are generally intuitive. Once Bluetooth phone system is setup properly, it works particularly well with smart phones.

CONS: Interior fit & finish could be better as there are intermittent rattles and creaks as well as bits falling off like the height adjustment levers on the front seats; climate control air-con can sometimes be too warm or too cold regardless of the actual temperature setting on the dials; iPod, SD card, and USB memory stick integration markedly improved since RCD-510 firmware update, but can still play up and momentarily drop off at the start of tracks.

UNDECIDED ABOUT: the start-stop system usually works as expected, but on occasion there can be quite a disconcerting lag before it restarts the engine.

[dopey]

At almost 7 months and after 6500kms travelled:

Pros: Most things. Overall I do like the car a lot. Drives nice, interior is pleasant and laid out well. Looks fantastic when it's clean. Love the Diesel torque. Plenty of room for everybody. Economy is outstanding for a big fat wagon. Feels extremely solid on the road.

Cons: Had a major Diesel leak due to warped fuel filter housing. They forgot the lock nut key with the car and I had to chase one from the dealer. Water gets into the passenger side headlight if I use the high pressure wash or in heavy rain periods. Gearbox is quite rough at times (rougher than the DSG was in my 103TDI Golf) and I hate the Stop-Start as it's too slow. Hate the amount of slack there is when engaging reverse gear. The air noise from the climate control system is quite noisy when you turn the fan above half way (probably due to the design of the vents or whatnot) compared to other cars I've owned.

Overall: I love the car, just disappointed about a few things. Wish the dealer had treated me better on the occasions where there have been problems.

[entice]

has anyone opted for a DTUK tuning box for their TDi???

[sn809]

What is DTUK and what advantages does it have.

[entice]

Google is your friend.

Diesel tuning U.K.

They amongst others, have a little tuning box which costs are 4-500AUD and it plugs into the common rail of the diesel injectors.

Massive increase in torque and ence power. Undeceived once removed, fit and removes in under 5 mins.

I've had 3 diesel cars and for each one I purchased one of these.
Was just wondering f anyone had one here and how accessible the common rail connector is.

[sn809]

Does the varied tuning cause any short term/long term damage. I am happy with current torque etc, does it have a benefit in diesel consumption

[entice]

again, google is your friend. therte's loads of info and you can decide for yourself. I have used it on 3 prior diesels and was very haapy. just wanted to know if anyone used it in their B7's prior to my purchase

[kaanage]

Loads of comments here about tuning boxes vs remaps - google is your friend

[entice]

ha ha! touche!

[clip]

Google is your friend.

Diesel tuning U.K.

They amongst others, have a little tuning box which costs are 4-500AUD and it plugs into the common rail of the diesel injectors.

Massive increase in torque and ence power. Undeceived once removed, fit and removes in under 5 mins.

I've had 3 diesel cars and for each one I purchased one of these.
Was just wondering f anyone had one here and how accessible the common rail connector is.

Hmmm, not sure if you would get much torque advantage if you're running with a dsg. From what I understand it will limit amount of torque. You might get some HP increase.

---------- Post added 21-01-2012 at 12:11 AM ---------- Previous post was 20-01-2012 at 11:57 PM ----------

Very happy with mine after 8 months and 10000ks. No rattles, air con works too well, even in +35c only run it at 24c and then on a trip push it up to 25c otherwise it just gets too cold.

Pros: amazing economy. Great performance up to a point. Very comfortable with almost perfect mix of ride and handling compromise. Very quiet, very smooth. Bluetooth awesome (contacts list actually works!} IPod works first time all the time. DSG is awesome, love it! Inbuilt tech gear is so intuative and above all, is practical and not gimmicky. Interior gets mixed comments, but for my money, can't beat German minimilism, and the ergos are great.

Cons: stop start is a pain in the bum, always turn it off. Can't see out of rear window at night when reversing as high mount reverse light creates really bad glare over window. Cannot see anything out of it!