Hey all,
I posted a few weeks back seeking recommendations for a used wagon. A 2002 Passat with the 1.8T was not one of the recommendations, but an aesthetically nice one with 104K on the clock has come up for sale locally and I'm going to take a look at it tomorrow.
Some quick research has led me to the conclusion that the 1.8T is really prone to sludge issues. Given the car is almost 10 years old and have 100K+, I have no idea what the prior maintenance history was like. Given that VW recommended a 502 00 synthetic spec with extra short OCIs, I'm concerned about this car's prior treatment.
What can I do to check for sludge on a car that I'm inspecting? Look under the oil fill cap? Dip stick? Are there any other issues I should look out for?
Am I stupid for even considering this vehicle?
I posted a few weeks back seeking recommendations for a used wagon. A 2002 Passat with the 1.8T was not one of the recommendations, but an aesthetically nice one with 104K on the clock has come up for sale locally and I'm going to take a look at it tomorrow.
Some quick research has led me to the conclusion that the 1.8T is really prone to sludge issues. Given the car is almost 10 years old and have 100K+, I have no idea what the prior maintenance history was like. Given that VW recommended a 502 00 synthetic spec with extra short OCIs, I'm concerned about this car's prior treatment.
What can I do to check for sludge on a car that I'm inspecting? Look under the oil fill cap? Dip stick? Are there any other issues I should look out for?
Am I stupid for even considering this vehicle?