General Passat Advice Required Please

[ccbloke]

Hi All,

Will be taking possession of my Passat CC Diesel very soon (Friday 23rd April all being well).

The car has travelled 15000 kms and appears to be in very good shape. It has Park Assist, Active Cruise, Climate Seats, SatNav, and Kufatec Blue tooth as 'options'.

Given the car is very similar to the conventional Passat, what should I look out for as the car ages? What tips and advice could you give me? What about general care - eg polish, leather care, fuel brands (ie, is BP better than Shell etc etc)?

Would really welcome everybody's views as I am a newbie to the VW brand. So far I am blown away by this car's looks, the diesel's performance, options, drive, and bang for buck. I'm hoping she doesn't let me down in 2 years' time.

Thanks guys - look forward to your comments.

Cheers,

Steve

[ccbloke]

Will take any advice you can give me guys :cool:

[phaeton]

They're still quite a recent addition to the VW range so just check everything works as it should and you will be a happy camper :)

[ccbloke]

Thanks - most seems well.

There's a bit of inconsistency with the passenger mirror dipping memory.

Still haven't figured out the key memory. Also, when playing/viewing mp3 files from SD card, there is a double-up of flles (I use a Mac to copy the files) within each album. Once transferred to the HD, I can delete the extra files which have a weird prefix (1.0_) or similar.

Haven't quite worked out the memory seats but I guess I just have to read the manual :eek:

[apom]

Thanks - most seems well.

.... Also, when playing/viewing mp3 files from SD card, there is a double-up of flles (I use a Mac to copy the files) within each album. Once transferred to the HD, I can delete the extra files which have a weird prefix (1.0_) or similar.....

Swallowtail is the RNS510 King here. I would read up in that section on the forum about the best way to get items onto the hard disc. I believe the trick is to make one root folder called MUSIC (or whatever you want to call it) then place the other folders inside it. Then when you copy it to the root of the HDD you get just one music folder. After the first time it will give a warning that you are about to overrights it but if you are only adding new files it simply adds them to the music folder like the rest. Make sense?

[Buggermedumplings]

As it's done a few kms I'd clay bar the car prior to a wax/polish- You will be amazed at the difference it makes as it will remove any surface dirt buildup without damaging the clearcoat. I actually used a clay bar on a previous new car and the results were night and day.

[tryingavw]

what brand of clay bar do you use? never heard of this but sounds worth a try.

[Rocket36]

I presonally think this is worth using... Car Care Products / Dodo Juice / Exterior / Clay Bars & Kits / Dodo Clay & Born Slippy Duo (http://www.carcareproducts.com.au/product/dodo_juice/dodo_clay_and_born_slippy_duo)

If you've never heard of it before may I suggest you look into the proper methods for washing and paint prep.

You should go for a pH neautral wash using the two bucket system and probably do it twice. Then clay bar the whole car, the paint prep with something like Dodo Juice Lime Prime Lite, followed by a light polish to remove swirl marks and then a few good coats of a high quality wax.

[ccbloke]

Thanks Guys,

The advice you've given me has been great!

"apom" - that makes complete sense. We're better off creating a "Passat" playlist in iTunes, copying to SD or CD, then doing a copy onto the HD from there (that would save having to copy individual albums).

The weird file types (which may be a quirk of Apple) can be deleted manually (time consuming but effective). They have to go because when the RNS tries to access them, I get an imcompatibility message, and it scans through to the first 'playable' file within the folder (a duplicate of the 'dodgy' file 1 album's length later). It just makes the HD look messy and scattered with unusable files.

Pheeewww!

Will take your advice on Swallowtail and look through the threads.

With regards to clay bar/paintwork, I have a feeling the previous owner used a car wash or similar - there are faint swirl marks in the black paintwork. I'm wondering if I get a reputable detailer to show it some love (recommendations??)?

So far, the car has been great. Love the quiet Diesel engine (V6 next subject to the wife letting me spend the cash I don't have!!) .

Please keep it coming!!!

Thanks again...still trying to work out why the passenger mirror dips sometimes when in reverse and how to turn the front sensors on when driving into a parking space..(help!!).

Also, is it 2000 rpm max from cold, or 3000?

Cheers,

[Rocket36]

You're in Melbourne so there is only one place to get it done. Final Inspection. Give Damien a call and have a chat. :D

[Buggermedumplings]

I had used the Zaino products on my last car with great results however looking at Rocket's link theres plenty on the market to choose from.