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Second Opinion: Passat 99 Throttle Valve sensor

How much do the throttle valve sensors cost? Is there a website I can find out? I tried many online parts links already and none of them had it online. The mechanics shop is saying he must change it and is quoting me over $500 (US) for it.

Do I need to take the car to another shop for a second opinion?

Here's some background info on what happened:

I have a 1999 Passat GLS and I am trying to sell it, but I left it in the parking lot for a long time without starting it and then it wouldn't start at all. I tried boosting the battery, but I ended up changing the battery and when I got it to start the car idled at very low RPMs, died almost as I pushed the gas pedal and when I got it to move, it was very jumpy. The "Check engine" light was on.

I had it towed to the nearest shop in town (not a VW dealer) and today they told me the Throttle valve sensor had to be replaced and because the battery was off for so long, the computer lost its programming, so it has to be reprogrammed. All in all, I am looking at a $700 bill.

Thanks for your help,

V Zamora Hightstown, NJ Passat 1999 GLS Passat 2003 GLS

Reply to
Vince Zamora
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I would take it to a dealer....In my experience, recent VWs can simply not be serviced at a regular garage...they simply don't know the workings of these cars!

Reply to
Pete Cressman

The part about the programming sounds bogus. Reset perhaps, but reprogrammed?

A simple set of throttle position switches will set you back over $ 100. so I would guess that the throttle position sensor would be even more expensive (even though it is nothing more than a potentiometer). This is usually a dealer-only part, so give the parts department of your local VW dealer a call for pricing.

Unless you are planning on doing the work yourself, I'd let a VW-only shop take car of it.

Reply to
Randolph

And after they replace the $500 you still would have the same fault and problem. Grab you wallet, pants, shoes, and car and head for the dealer because the only thing you need 99.9% of the time is have the throttle set back to basic settings. And the $450 I saved you just e-mail me a few of them extra bucks(lol)!

Reply to
Woodchuck

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for your responses and for not making a big deal of my one glaring error: I should have said throttle position sensor not valve, but y'all interpreted what I was trying to say.

I went back to the mechanic and he told me about the ODB codes and how the TPS must have a short since it causes the computer to reset.

I'll definitely ask for my part back, after all, I paid for it.

The people there seem to have a pretty good handle on things, and my reasoning to leave it in that garage is that it would probably have cost me about $100 to tow it to the nearest VW dealer, and if the result is the same (replace the throttle body), it would have cost me even more on the VW dealer. In your opinion, does my reasoning make sense?

He already told me the throttle shorts the computer, so that basically rules out making it work with the basic settings, right?

Anyways, I'll let you all know whatever happened to this.

Vince

Reply to
Vince Zamora

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