Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Replace VW Passat Engine Air Filter in 5 Minutes under $10


How to replace a Volkswagen Passat Engine Air Filter in 5 minutes and under $10.00 (Phillips Head Screwdriver required)

  1. Order engine air filter online (EBay was used for this example $10.00 USD including shipping)
  2. Locate the Engine air intake box in the right side of the engine compartment.
  3. You will see the large box held together by screws. They can be removed with a Phillips head screwdriver
  4. Remove the top enough to remove the old filter. Be careful not to disconnect any of the electrical components.
  5. Insert the VW replacement engine air filter in the same exact way you removed the dirty air filter.
  6. Replace top and screw top down tightly.
  7. Voila, you are done 5 minutes later and have saved time and money avoiding a costly trip to your local Volkswagen dealer. Your engine will be more efficient and improved gas mileage and performance. Replace every 20,000 miles.

Subject Car: 2006 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 (B6 Passat years 05-09) Phillips Head screwdriver required

Replace VW Passat Cabin Air Filter in 10 Minutes under $10

How to replace a Volkswagen Passat Cabin Air Filter in 10 minutes and under $10.00 (no tools required)

  1. Order cabin air filter online (EBay was used for this example $9.00 USD including shipping)
  2. Locate the cabin air filter box in the interior front passenger side under the glove box.
  3. You will see a foam insulation pad which is held by two plastic wing nut screws. They can be removed by hand (No Tools Required). Wiggle the foam pad loose and remove it carefully.
  4. Slide the plastic retainer and it will allow you to remove it from the slotted holes in the cabin air filter pad. At this point you should be able to wiggle the air filter and pull it out carefully. Take note of the direction and color of the filter (one side is a lighter carbon).
  5. Insert the VW replacement cabin air filter in the same exact way you removed the old VW cabin air filter.
  6. Place the VW air filter retainer in the slotted holes and slide to lock in place.
  7. Replace the foam insulation pad and hand tighten the two plastic wing nut screws.
  8. Voila, you are done 10 minutes later and have saved time and money avoiding a costly trip to your local Volkswagen dealer. Your A/C will be more efficient and air will be cleaner pollen free and particulate free.

Subject Car: 2006 Volkswagen Passat 3.6 (B6 Passat years 05-09) No Tools Required


Saturday, July 24, 2010

Passat 3.6 Better Gas Mileage than Audi

My new Pre-Loved Volkswagen Passat 3.6 gets better gas mileage than my previous Audi A6 3.0 Quattro. I do a lot of highway driving and stack up mileage quickly. I was hesitant to purchase a car with a larger engine. My car searches lead me to Audi/VW of Naples for a pre-owned Audi A4 2.0. My short tenure with the A6 was great. The A6 had great handling and power over the A4.

2006 VW Passat 3.6

2006 Audi A4 2.0T

2002 Audi A6 3.0 Quattro

25 Avg MPG

26 Avg MPG

21 Avg MPG

403 Miles per tank

420 Miles per tank

330 Avg Miles per tank

Unexpectedly Good!

Great

OK

I have owned three Audi cars over the past 10 years and have been happy with their reliability, engineering, performance and attention to detail. However once I drove the 3.6 Passat which is stacked with sport 2 package and loaded with more features than the Audi.

My new pre-owned car was cherry brand new condition with 12, 700 miles. The previous owner had a vacation home in Naples and drove the car 3,000 miles per year. I am very impressed three weeks in and enjoying the navigation, Dynaudio, 6 discs CD, Sirius (3 months free trial), park assist, auto wiper, auto headlights, ARS Bi-Xenon headlights and leather sport seats. There are more features that I could go on and on but give more details in another post.

The Passat's exterior isn't quite as sexy as the Audi but the "interior personality" and gas mileage is outshining the competition. Only time will tell whether "she" will be high maintenance or sturdy and reliable.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

2006 VW Passat 3.6


It's official I have joined the Volkswagen club. I purchased my VW Passat at Audi VW of Naples. I recently opted for a fully loaded Pre-Loved Passat.

After a 7 years of owning several Audi automobiles I came across a deal that couldn't be passed up. Only time will tell whether my newer VW Passat 3.6 will make the grade compared to my affinity for Audi's performance.

After two weeks I have been very excited to drive this car. The VR6 260 Horsepower engine is very peppy and is getting pretty good gas mileage. My first tank exceeded 400 miles averaging 22 miles per gallon. The refined appointments included in the Passat's Sport #2 Package;

  • 12,700 Miles (Balance of VW Factory Warranty, Extended 74,000 VW Certified Warranty)
  • Bi-Xenon (AFS) Adaptive Headlights with Headlight Washers
  • Sport Suspension
  • 17" Alloy Wheels
  • Dynaudio Premium Sound
  • Heated Leather Sport Seats
  • Dual Climate Control
  • Coming Home
  • Sirius
  • DVD Satellite Navigation with 6 Disc CD Changer
  • Auto Headlights
  • Auto Wipers/Rain Sensing Wipers
  • Front and Rear Park Assist
  • Paddle Shifters
  • Heated Power Mirrors
  • Auto Dimming Mirrors
  • Brushed Aluminum Trim
  • Home Link
  • Brake Assist
  • ESP Traction Control
  • Window Shades
I love all the gadgets and extras that were included. However I do have some concerns about VW maintenance horror stories. I would like to hear feedback on anyone who has had first hand experience on the B6 body style Passat 3.6.