I thought while I had the Passat apart, I might as well take a stab at fixing the cruise control that went out several years ago. I did google search on the part # for the relay/control box and it turns out that this unit was used on lots of VWs and Audis for several years . . . and it is very common for it to go bad because the solder points on some the capasitors break from fatigue after repeated expansion and contraction caused by temperature changes. From what I've read, these units can go bad just sitting on a shelf in the box if they are exposed to enough drastic changes in temperature, and it has very little to do with how much they are used.
It also appears that new units are expensive and used ones on eBay can run anywhere from 40 to 100 bucks . . . but I've found a couple of threads on some other forums about how to repair them yourself.
Some folks say it usually works if you just remove the board from the case (not hard, just pry up 4 crimped edges) and place the board with the solder side upp on a piece of tin foil on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. This is supposed to cause the solder to melt and reconnect the fatigue cracks. I tried scapping the epoxy off and re-soldering the three capasitors that give the most trouble. I'll let y'all know how it works out.
Here's a place to start if you are having trouble with your cruise control and are interested in fixing it yourself:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4976787-DIY-Mark-III-Cruise-Control-module-BULLETPROOFING-(fix)
