If not, you'll e playing catch up, which could get expensive. The timing belt being replaced is a major maintence concern with any model 1.8t or v6. 1.8ts are know to have sludge issues. Continually use of synthetic motor oil with regular oil changes helps the cause. I have a 1.8t wagon with 114k. I love my car. Have 2005 TDI with 276,000 miles. Used trans put in about 50K ago, not sure mileage of that or torque converter. Transmission light this summer on and off several times. On the road 50K a year and had checked out at independent shop, they were not sure but thought a solenoid. 600 miles home and noticed running 600-700 higher RPM. 2003 Passat 1.8 Transmission Problems. Hi guys, I bought this 03 passat wagon knowing a couple of things: The transmission was in limp mode, sometimes it wouldn't start, and that it had water get in after a rain storm. The first two issues started after the water intrusion and before the rain, the car had worked completely fine. Misfire causes include a bad ignition coil, ignition wire, or spark plug. Overall, these were the fourth most common problem reported by 138 VW Passat owners. Model years experiencing this problem included 1998 through 2000, 2002 through 2010, and 2013. On average, this problem happened at 88,873 miles. However, misfires occurred as early as I have a 2017 Passat R-line which has transmission problem # cannot shift in any gear even I have taken out the valvebody including all solinoid replaced, but still no cure. I opened the transmission again and replaced "input/output speed sensors, but nothing happened. So, could it be the TCM itself or something elses. George S. #1 · May 29, 2018 I'm trying to help out a friend of mine who is looking at buying a used '05 Passat Sedan with 2.8 and automatic transmission and 225,000 miles. What's the general sense of the reliability of these automatics? I know that the autos on the TDI's were very problematic. (That's why my Passat TDI wagon is now a 5-speed.) You will learn about transmission problems such as faulty transmission range sensors, reset Volkswagen transmission adaptive settings, check transmission fluid levels, and retrieve transmission diagnostic trouble codes from the Transmission Control Module (TCM). Also 99% of the time if your tiptronic isn't working and the Gears dont show up once you activated tiptronic then its most likely your magnets under the gear shifter. I did this to my 99 passat 1.8t AEB. #1. To start off you must remove the 8mm bolt that is attached to the center counsil near the seats. There is one bolt on each side the I purchased VCDS from ross-tech and did the auto scan. I believe the issue is the TCM. I removed all the seats and carpet before running the autoscan, thats why the airbag issues came up on it I believe. The main issue is the TCM from what I am seeing. The code I am worried about is P0603. The old TCM was wet along with all of the wiring going 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit Eco Diesel, 2005 Passat Silverstone Grey, 1996 Passat Storm Grey. Jan 15, 2011. #1. A few of us have been "talking" about upgrading from an automatic trans to a 6 speed manual trans in our B5.5 Passat's for a few years. This came up again while we were at the N.A.I.A.S. GTG in Detroit this weekend. DAeL.