How can you tell if a car is 4wd?

Started by B5Passat, January 06, 2018, 07:29:47 PM

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B5Passat

Went to look at a car and was told it was 4wd. Apparently they asked Giltrap who sold the car new and they said it was.
https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/volkswagen/auction-1394647103.htm?rsqid=cabea18996b04869b6ee97a30a52ebe7
So how can you tell if a car is 4wd?
The vin number is WVWZZZ3CZFE049015

Period_Correct_

1971 Porsche 911T | 1990 Audi Quattro Turbo | 2003 Audi RS6 Avant | 2009 Renault Megane R26

Pushbutton_auto

Beating up parking wardens ain't a crime.

slowburn

yeah,if you're able to physically inspect it, get under it and look? easy
99 B5 S4 Avant
85 coupe quattro
72 fiat 124 coupe
97 corolla wagon

rambo_005

It would also have 4motion badges... It says bluemotion on the back, so maybe they got confused?

Mike1410

CarJam reckon it's 4wd but they take their info from NZTA records which are not 100% accurate when it comes to trim details. VW NZ's own spec sheets say that only the 500Nm 176KW Bi-TDi and 206KW TSi R-Lines were 4wd - the 130kw TDi R-Line model is listed as being front wheel drive. Plus it has a Bluemotion badge on it not a 4-Motion one.  "R-Line" is merely a VW trim level, as opposed to say a Golf R - which is a specific performance model. It's the trim level equivalent of go faster stripes! I am pretty certain there is no such car as a 4WD Bluemotion, the ideologies behind the two would be contradictory, but badges can of course be changed. There was a 4wd 130KW TDi Passat available from late 2015, but that was the Alltrack. You would need to look at the mechanicals to be absolutely certain, but on paper I would say it isn't 4wd.

https://www.volkswagen.co.nz/media/258319/spec_opt_sheet_all-new-passat_my16.pdf

rambo_005

This Passat isn't a Passat Bluemotion, it's a Passat TDI with Bluemotion technology, which was what they started calling models fitted with start/stop and other features that originated from the actual Bluemotion variants. There is such thing as 4motion models with Bluemotion technology, but as Mike said, no such thing as a Bluemotion 4motion. What a commotion...

Trofeo

Turn traction control off, and see if you can light up the front wheels  >:D
2015 Amarok 4WD auto
2018 Golf R-Line Tsi

Filx

Quote from: NasTnaS on January 06, 2018, 10:04:32 PM
Drive shaft at each wheel...

This, a quick kneel on the ground and glance under the rear bumper at the rear axle will tell you immediately.
FAIL - First Attempt In Learning

B5Passat

Thanks guys for all the replies. I guess the best and only sure way to tell is look under the car

McDoof

Assuming you are not in a position to go have a quick look at the car?
The car is NZ new so the NZTA info is more likely to be accurate than an import. However, if you want to be sure, you can contact pretty much any main VW dealer and give them the Rego and/or the VIN and I can look up the full spec sheet for you.
NZ New MK5 GTI - Tuned by HSP Tuning
NZ New B6 Passat Variant 125kw TDI 4motion
MK7 GTI - Tornado Red

Naekyr

Quote from: Trofeo on January 07, 2018, 05:22:53 AM
Turn traction control off, and see if you can light up the front wheels  >:D

if traction control prevents a fwd from spinning that just means your fwd doesn't have enough power :)

B5Passat

Just an update.

I emailed the car company and told them that I don't believe it was a 4motion and they came back to me after contacting VW and said I was correct and that it wasn't a 4motion and that the previous information that they received from Giltrap was wrong.

As much as I liked the car and that it had low k's and had a rline  body kit it didn't have much in the way of bells and whistles. So I bought a 2011 that had low k's 59k to be exact and way more bells and whistles and was a 4motion.