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2000 Passat ccomfort module
Please read this before you replace your comfort module. My car had the classic symptom of the battery going dead if the security system was not set. Even with the secutity system set, the battery may only last a few days. I took my car into one of the VW dealers in Columbus, Ohio. I told the service rep that I had isolated the problem to the security/dome light circuit. The dealership spent one day charging my battery and one day diagnosing the problem. The dealership wanted $500.00 for the part and another $450.00 to $500.00 for the labor to replace the part. I forgot to state that I was considering trading in the car for a new one. I declined having the dealer make the repair but I did get to talk to the service tech to confirm what he thought was wrong with the car. With help from this site, I was able to get to the comfort module out of the car in 10 minutes. I got the number from the part to order a salvage part and reassembled the interior. I spent about 30 minutes after I showed my wife just how easy this part was to locate and reassembled the interior.
I think the dealer was trying to scare me into a new car but that is not why I am making this post.
I found my problem and I did not need to replace the comfort module. My car's problem was that the trunk lock was turned to the open position. This caused the micro-switch in the latch to signal the trunk was open and cause the battery to go dead.
I confirmed my diagnosis by checking the amp draw on the electrical system with the trunk lock turned to open and then turned closed/locked. The amp draw was 0.3 amp with the trunk lock turned to open and 0.03 amp with the trunk lock in the locked position. My car has set for a few days now and the battery has not gone dead.
Did the dealer know they could fix my car by just a turn of the trunk lock but want me to trade in for a new one? Did the dealer just want to make a bundle from me? Perhaps the VW diagnostic equipment is really not that sophisticated. I do not know for sure. I do know that I will never return to that dealership for anything.
Hopefully this note will help someone else before the dealer takes them to the cleaners!
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