B6 Passat DQ500 retrofit project

   #21  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
Got the DQ500 out again today.
Inspected the clutches - looked brand new.
Inspected the mechatronics visually and couldn't see anything obvious.
No blockages in oil galleries, no debris in the filter.
Replaced the K1 and K2 clutch solenoids and put the gearbox back in, without the transfer case or driveshafts.

Basic settings now fails earlier with main reason 0, sub reason 7.
There is no drive at all when engaging D or R , can only see the flywheel moving.
No fault codes from trans.

I'm going to have to put the DQ250 back in at this stage because I need to get the car back on the road.
Unless anyone can offer any suggestions? I'm open to trying anything....
 
   #22  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
Unfortunately this project has had to abort.
DQ250 is back in, with a newer mechatronics and new clutch friction plates.
So not a total waste of time (although that was very significant) as at least the gearbox is now in good shape.
Learnt more than I need to about DQ500 and DQ250- how to replace clutches, mechatronics, solenoids etc and also that sometimes your ambitions exceed your abilities.

Will see if I can build up enough of an appetite to revisit this in 6 or 12 months, if I can get another DQ500 to use to swap mechatronics etc but I think that this experience will probably be enough and I'll try and sell the parts that I can.
 
   #23  

NZDubNurd

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Nov 10, 2014
Messages
1,512
Reaction score
2,258
Location
New Zealand
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=230482
I admire your commitment and enthusiasm. Unfortunate that it wasn't as straight forward as some swaps are :cry:

Maybe you should just fit a manual box and be done with it :thumbs: :D
 
   #24  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
In theory the swap was straight forward. But the DQ500 had problems that I wasn't able to diagnose properly. If I had another DQ500 on hand I might have proceeded further but there has to be a limit to how long you can do without your daily drive I guess.

Next project is already underway, much simpler. Need to replace the aging projectors in my AFS headlights which despite new high quality D1S globes have become super dull...
 
   #25  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
....and just when I thought I was back on the level path the car decided that's not yet the case.
Drove for about 15mins at motorway speed to get back home from the workshop after giving back my friend his car that he's graciously lent to me for the past few weeks and then gear disengages:

17160 - Pressure Control Solenoid 2
P0776 - 012 - Implausible Signal or Stuck Off - Intermittent - MIL ON

Limped off the motorway.
Ran basic settings again which completed.
Stayed off the motorway and drove home at partial throttle and no problems in any gear.
Did some testing and after booting it off the line a couple of times in S mode it will fault again.
So looks like N217 main clutch solenoid for K2 clutch is failing. I was told it had already been replaced in this mechatronic before I installed it.
Will have to get it out and inspect/test it and replace them again. I have another older mecha to test it against for measuring impedance on the solenoids, and if I get desperate I can swap that older mecha in as I believe that it was fully working when it was removed.
At least now I can do the required work at home and have the car driveable in between mecha swaps/tests.

And as an added bonus, I got an airbag igniter fault last night....haven't ever had an issue since I swapped to the newer 12 button wheel and airbag a few years ago.
 
   #26  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
Got hold of another mechatronics, same revision as the original one from my car and changed them over.
A bit harder to do in the driveway than on a hoist but with a little swearing I was able to get my car back to a fully driveable state (just as well as I need to go back to work tomorrow).
Interestingly enough the airbag fault also was resolved at the same time, so it seems that the previous mechatronics I had installed has some sort of internal ground fault maybe?
 
   #28  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
DQ250 for the medium term.
Unless I can find another DQ500 mechatronics to test I'm not sure I can try it again.
At the moment it's sitting on the floor taking up space in my friend's workshop :(
 
   #29  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
Just a quick update - DQ500 is installed and working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will circle back and provide some more details as it's 1am after a long day of work but I am so happy to have completed this project which I was very close to abandoning for quite some time.
 
   #30  

downtime

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
May 27, 2017
Messages
3,306
Reaction score
2,064
Location
Finland
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=280813
That is a respectable retrofit indeed. Hats off for you. Congratulations for finishing this :thumbs:
 
   #32  

kamold

Verified VCDS User
Verified
Joined
Mar 9, 2015
Messages
475
Reaction score
336
Location
Australia
VCDS Serial number
C?ID=241363
This is a pretty brief write-up when compared to the actual project but has a few pics etc:
 
Back
Top