Falling in Love again.

[dav1129]

Happy New Year to All

I have a much loved 1999 Passat wagon in Colorado Red (sorry no pics yet, can I add one later?) which I purchased as a second owner in 2002 with 59K.

I still have it and have looked after it well. Although it has now done 153000km I don;t use to to go to work as I work from home and except for this last one when it spent much of the year outside and being use as workhorse to fetch and carry for house and garden renovations, I have looked after it and kept it garaged.

As the rennovations are largely over and the garage again empty I have for the first time in ages detailed the car and am falling in love again.

I just scored some VW Le Mans wheels on eBay for $400 delivered and together with some 225/45/17 Potenza tyres have given the old bird a real lift!

Anyhow, here I am introducing myself. Where have I been all this time, you might be asking? Well I have been over at Passat World (forums) which I joined in 2006. At the time I was searching for solutions which the dealers couldn't or wouldn't give me. I found all the answers and friends I needed at Passat World

For example, the dealer had the car for three sessions and still couldn't diagnose a faulty cruise control. I found the answer and removed the cruise control from behind the glove box in less than 15 minutes, packed it up and sent off to ATE in Florida where it was tested, reconditioned and returned to me in less than 10 days all for less than $120.00. It hasn't a missed a beat since.

Before that the dealer wanted close to $3000 to replace the whole ABS unit. A few minutes on the Internet and I had the ABS ECU out, off to Injectronics and back in the car for just a little over $400.00

The air mass meter I bought from a US eBay seller for US$60 and it hasn't missed a beat since.

Anyway you all know how it is. If you are a Passat owner of the same vintage you have probably been there, done that.

In short I grew to mistrust the dealers and cherish sites like Passat World and now like this one.

My most recent dilemma as I brought my Passat back into the fold was what I though was a dull metallic shuddering noise which from inside the dash as the car went over less than smooth road. Neither the dealer, a tyre and exhaust place or my mechanic who did a major service on it found it. I can't beleive no one found it. It was just a loose brace underneath the car sticking out like a sore thumb about to fall off! I don't even know what the brace actually does though.

But that is how I found that this site existed because this time I didn't find the answer at Passat World and had to google for other solutions.

So here I am. Passat World was and is still great because it is Passat specific and draws worlwide interest but mostly from US Passat owners.

So it will be great to be amongst fellow Australian Passat and VW owners generally.

Which actually brings me to a current problem which I wasn't able to get the asnwer to at Passat World and hope I can mention here but if necessary, start a specific thread as soon as I am allowed/able.

Being 11 years old and badly worn by the previous owner at that, the banjo style remotes which came with the car have as good as has it. So I would as I am sure many before, like to replace the with a 2 button remote and flip key.

I have done heaps of browsing and reading and amassed a mountain of information but remain a little confused. As far as I can tell I think which originally has a 2 button oval remote needs the part number 1JO959753 'A' which can be replaced by 1JO959753 'N'. But I don't know that the same would apply to car which originally had the banjo style remotes and ETKA doesn't specify the frequency.

Does anyone:

• Know for sure which remote part number I need to look for on eBay;
• Have one they no longer need and know will work; and or
• Know which frequency the banjo style remote for a 1999 Passat wagon operates on or maybe how to tell?

I have read and I think understood what I need to know about (re)programming the keyless remote compenent, cutting the a new key and programing the immoboliser although I would appreciate a heads up other than a dealer, where best to go to get a new blade cut.

As if this post wasn't already long enough (can you tell how much I love my Passat) I should add that in line with my new found love, I have decided to take a more hands approach to maintaining the car myself and so have ordered a Bentley Service Manual and the VAG-COM cable from Ross-Tech so that together with new friends here I will be able to do most things myself.

BTW is is correct that with VAG-COM and the security code I should be able program the immobiliser myself?

As a final pledge I hope to give back to others readers as much if not more as I am able to.

PS While I have never really been a car enthusiast other than simply liking a clean car, I will be looking for any heads up with regard to mods or improvements. I don't buy or read the magazines but for instance, I think the shocks need replacing sooner rather tha later, so why not make it my first mod. Any suggestions on kits and lowering the vehicle just a little would be appreciated and would with regard to chip tuning in Australia (Canberra/Sydney).

[h100vw]

Welcome to the forum.

You should be good to program remotes with VAG-COM. Not sure what you mean by banjo remote?? Have you got a picture?

Gavin

[dav1129]

Welcome to the forum.

You should be good to program remotes with VAG-COM. Not sure what you mean by banjo remote?? Have you got a picture?

Gavin

Thanks for your reply. Sure.

Can we post one here or do picutres have to be hosted else where?

Well, I'll risk a moderator roth.



I can't see a part number but Etka indicates that it would be 3BO953252 A but doesn't specify a frequency. So I don't know yet which remote part number I should be chasing on eBay or elsewhere.

[h100vw]

Never seen one like that!

Have you pulled it apart looking for the frequency, I'd be surprised if it's not there somewhere.

Gavin

[h100vw]

Looked on my ETKA and can see the original remote and it says it was for the Japanese market. I wonder if they have a different system over there?? Is the car an import??

Have a look on the spec sticker in the boot or service book. See if you have pr-5d1 or pr-5d2 on it?

Gavin

[dav1129]

Looked on my ETKA and can see the original remote and it says it was for the Japanese market. I wonder if they have a different system over there?? Is the car an import??

Have a look on the spec sticker in the boot or service book. See if you have pr-5d1 or pr-5d2 on it?

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

Thanks for your reply and sticking with my problem.

Well it is a 1999 vehicle with a build date of 09/98, which would put in the days when Inchscape was the VW distributor here. It is of course, now VGA. Most vehicles these days I think come from Singapore or at least spare parts do, as among other things they are also RHD. But who knows where the cars came from in those days.

I can't see either on the spec sticker in the vehicle documentation and haven't yet looked at the spec sticker in the car.

But you gave me an idea. As I have the VIN and a copy of ETKA albeit not a very good one which perhaps I don't know yet how to use properly but I looked up the VIN and then the car data and found this:



So it would seem pr-5D2 315MHZ.

So what might that mean with regard to the remote part number I should be chasing if I want a 2 button remote with flip key?

Thanks

PS Do you know what relevance the FCC ID number might have and how or where I might find it on my old remote?

[graeme86]

If your car indeed has the option 5D2 and has frequency of 315MHz then the two button oval keypad is 1J0959753E , plus you need the key head part which should be 1J0837246D (they both apply to the PR-5D2 option code as your existing key)

Dealer should be able to confirm this.

[dav1129]

If your car indeed has the option 5D2 and has frequency of 315MHz then the two button oval keypad is 1J0959753E , plus you need the key head part which should be 1J0837246D (they both apply to the PR-5D2 option code as your existing key)

Dealer should be able to confirm this.

Is there any reason I should doubt that the car might have the SD2 option if it says so in ETKA? I am not so friendly with the dealers. Have grown to hold them in contempt. They only seem interested in looking after wealthy VW owners who can afford to trade in an buy a new one every or every few years. They know what I think of their prices and more often than not source parts elsewhere.

Thanks

[dav1129]

If your car indeed has the option 5D2 and has frequency of 315MHz then the two button oval keypad is 1J0959753E , plus you need the key head part which should be 1J0837246D (they both apply to the PR-5D2 option code as your existing key)

Dealer should be able to confirm this.

PS Might this one listed by a US seller be a good one to go with. It looks in good condition. I don't really know what an FCC ID number is but would the FCC ID of this one HAVE to match the FCC ID of my old remote and if so, how can find and tell what the FCC ID is in my old remote. This is it opened and the only visible numbers.

[dav1129]

If your car indeed has the option 5D2 and has frequency of 315MHz then the two button oval keypad is 1J0959753E , plus you need the key head part which should be 1J0837246D (they both apply to the PR-5D2 option code as your existing key)

Dealer should be able to confirm this.

Just to muddy the waters, is perhaps the indication for these remote part numbers in ETKA under 'model also important?

YES, as per the screenshot above taken from looking up the VIN with ETKA I think that the vehicle has the 5D2 option

BUT the part number for the old albeit style remote 3B0 953 252 A indicates 'J' under model so is it possible that I might need the 2 button oval 'C' remote which also indicates 'J' under model BUT then pr-5D3?

I'll check the car this morning and see what I can find out anything more.

Thanks

[graeme86]

Pity the ebay pic doesnt show the buttons!

Your remote 3B0 953 252 A is okay or your 5D2., so you want the numbers I said.

5D3 is just a Japanese option for remotes with a reduced range.

The dealer can print out a complete build sheet from your vin with all the options that were fitted to your car, so you might have to get friendly again.

Not all the options are printed on the build sticker in the car, including which remote is used.

[dav1129]

Pity the ebay pic doesnt show the buttons!

Your remote 3B0 953 252 A is okay or your 5D2., so you want the numbers I said.

5D3 is just a Japanese option for remotes with a reduced range.

The dealer can print out a complete build sheet from your vin with all the options that were fitted to your car, so you might have to get friendly again.

Not all the options are printed on the build sticker in the car, including which remote is used.

Thanks Graeme,

Really appreciate your patience and assistance.

Yes it is a pity but I have already messaged him and he is away on holidays so can't email me a picture but he assures me that they are in good condition. Wishful thinking perhaps but i tend to trust him because the rest of the remote which can be seen looks to be in pretty good condition.

His listing doesn't confirm the part number for the key head and he is not likely to open to look for me either. So should I just try my luck and buy it? As a worst case scenario is it possible as I think I have read to carefully remove and transplant the transponder chip from one of my existing keys into this new one and if I'm anal about it buy a replacement VW logo to refit.

I have found another US seller who appears to be very knowledgeable and if I buy them directly will supply the same parts i.e. 1J0959753E and 1J0959753D (total US$130), cut the key for (US$35) but with postage (US$29) that totals US$194.00 which must be close to what I might pay at a dealer here (except that when I asked before the dealer said I couldn't get a replacement remote or key for my car).