2000 Passat instrument cluster electrical short + smoke!

Hi, all,

I've got a 2000 Passat 4-motion with just 31k miles. On a recent road trip, while going about 70MPH on the highway, something in the dashboard shorted, and I was greeted with a nice puff of smoke in the face! Needless to say, this scared the crap out of me. I pulled over, and noticed that the fuel and temperature gauges were both off. Everything else seemed to work fine.

I brought the car in to a local mechanic, who said he could see where there were some burnt wires in the dash. He also had a spare instrument cluster unit from another Passat, which when plugged in, worked fine. His solution was to replace the cluster unit, costing around $600. I didn't like this solution because I wanted to know what actually caused the short, and was it just going to happen again? Swapping out the instrument cluster also would change the odometer reading, and would require one of those odomoter change stickers. I'm guessing that's not great for resale value.

So I decided to wheel it on in to the dealer and have them trace the short. They've spent 3 hours investigating so far, and they say they'll probably need another 2 at least. This Chicago dealer's labor rates are $108/hr, so this is going to add up to a nice bundle.

Since this model/year has a lousy 2-year/24kmi warranty, I'm going to end up paying for this out of pocket. My question is:

  1. Is there a good argument I can use with VW America to try to get them to help pay for this? A serious electrical short and smoke from the dash should not be happening at 31k miles. This particular issue doesn't seem to be common among this model.
  2. How would you have handled this?

Thanks,

Martin

Reply to
Martin Mainfeld
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1- nope, your car is 4years old. 2-Never seen that issue before for any of the newer Passats. 3-your auto insurance may cover the repair.
Reply to
Woodchuck

For one an electrical short should not happen AT ALL!! not just at 31K Miles... Electrical systems are suppose to be lifetime installations - you aren't suppose to have to maintain them, as it takes qualitfied people to do it.

If it was common you can bet on a recall... Never heard of one

Your odometer is probably stored in the on board computer - digital readout isn't it?

Reply to
Rob Guenther

This is a bit odd, all four gauges are moved by stepper motors which in turn are controlled by a single microcontroller (specialized chip made by Micronas). So, if this chip is toast, then _nothing_ would work, immobilizer inclusive :) On the other hand, as far as temperature and fuel gauges are concerned, they both are just inputs with fairly high input resistance, so I have trouble to imagine how something like this would damage them. O course, if you short right tracks at the the right places, then i guess it could be accomplished, but the whole electronic board is coated and covered with plastic cover...

You mean, traces on the instrument cluster electronic board or just wires outside the instrument clusted?

And car immobilizer just said "ok, no problem"? ;))) Or immobilizer was not a part of standard equipment in the USA?

A NEW cluster unit can be set ONCE to the desired odometer reading.

Uh, oh....

It depends on available resources (money vs. time)

Cheap way - get a "new old" cluster from breaker if local laws allow this. This means trouble with mentioned sticker, trouble explaining to potential buyer, trouble finding the right cluster for the right price.

Expensive way - get a new cluster as an exchange part and let the dealer set the mileage accordingly. Dont know how it is in USA, but in europe you get one year warranty on replaced parts (in case it happens again).

Reply to
Draugaz

You're jumping to the conclusion that it was a "short." Unless something physically damaged and moved wires so that the bare conductors touched, it's mighty unlikely that it was a short circuit, I'd guess. If something did damage and move the wires, then as Woodchuck pointed out, you may get some help from your insurance company.

Maybe more likely is that some electronic component just burned out, and in the process possibly created a current draw that melted wire insulation before a fuse or fusible link blew. In that case, if you're beyond warranty, that's just the way it goes.

Reply to
Brian Running

I forgot to add -- just as when visiting the doctor, when you take your car in for repair, you should never state your own diagnosis, you should just state the symptoms. If you walk in and say, "It's a short circuit," the mechanic will immediately jump to that conclusion with you, and maybe take off on a wild goose chase. Better just to say, "I got smoke and then some instruments went dead." Just like you should only say to your doctor, "I've been having bad headaches," instead of saying, "I've got a sinus infection." Tell him you've got a sinus infection, and thirty seconds later you're out the door with an antibiotic prescription and instructions to come back if it's not better in a week -- whether it really is a sinus infection or not.

Reply to
Brian Running

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