Is 160k a high mileage for a 1998 VW Passat TDi Auto?

Question 1
Is 160k a high mileage for a 1998 VW Passat TDi Auto?...  Ive seen a 1998 VW Passat estate for sale. Its a 1.9 TDi Auto with 160k on the clock. It has full VW service history (cambelt changed recently) and appears in good condition. I was wondering whether 160k is alot on these cars and whether the engine and auto transmissions would still be OK. Im looking to use this type of car as a run around doing around 6k a year. I dont mind doing some work myself if needed.

Answers
1)   Alot would depend on if it was highway miles or not. If not then it would have had more strain on the transmission. But all and all 160k is not so bad. Hell. My work truck was a 2006 and had 300k on it! LOL. All my miles too. - Stephanie R

2)   At that age and miles it will be a lottery and even a good one will probably need a bit of work.
Age is also a factor as rubber and plastics deteriorate with age so things like hoses can start to leak etc.

I can see you are looking for some reassurance but sadly no one on here can see the car let alone see under the skin to even begin to estimate whether it will last 60 miles or another 60000.

Good luck with that anyway - Timbo is here

3)   VW passats are generally good cars, i bought one with 172000 on the clock just as a work horse, all service history was there, i used it untill it was well about 200,000 on the clock and only needed to change a few hoses but nothing major, so i would say if its cheap and does the job for a while, go for it, check to see if turbo has been changed first tho and any othe expensive parts etc if u know how but yea i have seen VW cars with 500,000 plus on the road - steven

4)   If the Engine was well cared for Oil Changed..ect they can be built proof but it all depends on how good the previous owners took care of it. - veedub514

5)   The engine might last a while...the rest of the car will nickel and dime you to death. - alfredb1979

6)   the miles are very impt. i suggest you look for another car with less miles 160 might be too much. save the problems. - pixie310


___________________________________________________

Question 2
Is it possible to change the ECU from a 90bhp engine to say a 130bhp and remap to that power?...  The vehicle in question is a 90bhp 2000 VW Bora 1.9 tdi se

Answers
1)   I guess so.
http://www.more-bhp.com/bora/vw-bora-19-tdi-pd-150-remap.html - ▐▀▀☟▀▀▌ ☞ⓑⓘⓛ☜ ▐▄▄☝▄▄▌

2)   Yes it can be done but not at home. You would need a specialist tuner like the one below. I do not know them or recommend them.
I would recommend thinking twice before potentially overstressing what is already a 9 year old engine though.
Cost would be between £250 and £550 - Timbo is here

3)   If you want to destroy your engine give it try. It would be better to save the money towards the car you really want - Huge

4)   Its very easy to boost 90 bhp to 130 bhp especially in a 2 litre turbo diesel engine. You can have someone come out & remap the current engine management or buy an add on chip that you simply fit yourself in 10 Min's & generally cost less. Both systems come with guarantees & will increase your MPG as well as overall performance. For an add on chip try DTUK (Diesel Tuning UK) I use one of these products myself (150 bhp to 206 bhp) for 18 months now. - Mark

5)   IN short... no. You can get the ECU reflashed, but it is only good to about 20 hp, tops. YOu'll need more modifcations to get the bhp to 130:

- larger injector nozzles (say Bosio PowerPlus 520 or 764, or just the 110 bhp .205 nozzles)
- Larger turbocharger, to the VNT-17
- ECU reflash to accommodate the changes, a good tuner with a rolling road will help.

All that will overwhelm the clutch. That needs to be upgraded as well, to a 228mm clutch & flywheel.

if you want, you can get it flashed from home. Some tuners, if you buy the appropiate flash loader from them, will email you files that you can flash the ECU yourself, tuned to your mods & driving style/needs - cant_think_of_1


___________________________________________________

Question 3
How reliable are Volkswagen Golf's?...  I'm considering trading in my 2001 Chevrolet Blazer for a 2000 - 2002 Volkswagen Golf but I'm getting mixed singles with the Golf.

From some I hear the car handles well and is very reliable but others I hear that they fall apart just shy of 100,000 KM.
All of the Golf's that I have inquired about are running at 120,000 to 165,000 KM.
Just wondering if anyone knows some further details about this?

And also, does a 5 speed transmission vs. a manual transmission have anything to do with it?

Answers
1)   Golfs are great....the last very long and they are fast.
manual transmissions are better than automatic!!! - Euroballer

2)   if your going to buy a vw get a bora or a passat. golfs are notorious for having bad electrics and the door locks start to fail one by one through time., my friend has to open and close his golf via the key hole in the boot!!! - snarf

3)   Well unfortunately it is a hit and miss. They made the MK4 jettas and Golfs/GTI's in Mexico or Brazil for North America. Which for some reason caused alot of quality problems for VW. They do have some electrical problems but not all of them the best thing to do is get a carfax and see if anything has been replaced more than once that would indicate a problem car usually... also starting in 06 they started making VW's back in germany so the reliability has improved dramatically...also i would prefer the manual trans alot more fun in a vw - veedub514

4)   Everyone who answered is wrong especially the guy who is a machanic(stop hating on the mexicans). (They still have to build it from standards from the german factories) As long as you take care of the car it will run fine. I have a 2001 golf with 250K on it. runs strong. It has original clutch and transmition, engine, and suspention. As long as you do oil changes, every so often check the timing, and go easy on the transmition). I'd go for the manual transmition. A little more power/torque and better MPG. - Andre

5)   they're great cars, and you wont regret it. but just make sure to check it over carefully before buying it. even a great car can be a pile of **** if the wrong person owned it before you. and yes to your second question a manual transmission usually will hold up better over the years, besides auto is annoying to drive. - skittlz


___________________________________________________

Question 4
How many Mexicans can fit into Volkswagen Beetle? My brother says 15, but I say 11.?...  I'm not racist, just curious.

Answers
1)   its 11
but bharis of bihar (india) can be fitted upto 20 - Indermohan

2)   Depending upon which model you use, the 1960's VB could hold 9 full grown adults and 1 child under ten, seatbelts would be shared. The newer models can hold an extra 3 people in the trunk. - jeremy

3)   I'd say split the difference at 13.

You know why only 5.000 Mexicans attacked the Alamo?
-They only had two chevy station wagons! - Polar Bear

4)   id rather see them pile into a squareback, then it would be like 50 of them, a whole little army! - skittlz


___________________________________________________

Question 5
Whats wrong with my vw bus if the head lights wont turn on and it wont start?...  

Answers
1)   batterys dead =X - christopher

2)   It's dead. - King Hippo

3)   Need more info to help you. It could be just a dead battery... that seems like the simplest solution. Have you tested it?

If the battery is ok, work backward from there... wires connected securely to the battery? - warren

4)   Could be your battery.
I had several vw bus's in my life and they all ran like crap no matter how much money was poured into them. - catlady


___________________________________________________